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One World with Zain Asher

Suspect in Alleged Hijacking Attempt Being Questioned in UAE; Hundreds of Schools Closed as Government Tries to Calm Tensions; Trump Hits Red States as GOP Senate Seats Hang in Balance; Trump Hits Campaign Trail as New Polls Show Tight Senate Races; Special Prosecutor Assigned in Cornell Gang Rape Allegations; NYT Obtained 1,000+ Pages from Cornell University Investigation. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired October 02, 2026 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[11:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: Hello, everyone. I'm Bianna Golodryga live from New York. Zain is off today. You are watching "One

World". Coming up for us, investigators try to uncover the motive behind the Flydubai attack, as we're now hearing from the hero pilot for the first

time from his hospital bed.

Plus, President Trump back on the campaign trail despite his record low approval ratings. I'll speak with our very own Dana Bash about the new

polls showing some midterm races are closer than ever, and an elderly woman's huge rent increase sparked protests across Spain.

We're live in Madrid with a look at what activists are demanding from the government. The Flydubai pilot who fought off a savage attack by his co-

pilot and helped avert a disaster in the air is now speaking publicly for the first time since the attempted hijacking. Captain Smit Machchhar

replayed the dramatic moments and his desperate effort to open the cockpit door to seek help.

He says, quote, I knew that I couldn't let everybody else die. The Indian national held an emotional video call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi

from his hospital bed in Abu Dhabi.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SMIT MACHCHHAR, FLYDUBAI CAPTAIN: Sir, I've been flying planes for the last 17 years, and I've been a captain for the last 11 years. And even if I shut

my eyes, I know what is happening in the plane. And when I was on the ground, I realized that the aircraft was falling down, and I knew in that

moment, one last push, Smit, just do it.

The door is right there, and even at that time, he was beating me up. And then I just opened it, sir, and then everybody came, and everybody else

also played an equal role in this. I was telling sir that I was doing this for my life, but at the same time, I knew that I cannot let everybody else

die.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: CNN's Nic Robertson joins us now from Israel's Ben Gurion airport. And Nic, the investigation is underway. Obviously, behind the

motive for that pilot in his attempted attack on not only his co-pilot but on what appears to be a hijacking and perhaps even bringing down the plane

itself and killing everyone on board.

But as it relates to this hero pilot who had the wherewithal to open that cockpit door, what else is he saying right now, and how has the response

been where you are in Israel?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, I think from the prime minister on down, there's an absolute realization that unless he had

tried with his last gasp, in essence, to get that door open, all those passengers who were outside, and we know that cockpit doors are built to

withstand people trying to break in from the outside.

Unless he reached that door and sort of lifted the latch or whatever it was, he did to open it to allow the passengers to come in. We might still

be guessing and wondering what actually happened, because you know, prime minister here, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has said very clearly

that this attack's intent was to crash the plane with everyone on it.

Israel is part of the investigation. The prime minister saying that this could have been an event on the scale of a 9/11 attack is not saying

necessarily that this attacker was intending to take control of the plane and fly it into some potential target in Israel. He's not saying that, but

the implication of the scale of what was happening and the magnitude.

So, the pilot, I think, is being widely seen by everyone here and in the UAE respect from Anwar Gargash, a lead and senior advisor to the president

there in the Emirates, has said very clearly that a lot is owed to the courage of this man, and the investigation is being led there in the

Emirates.

Israel is part of that investigation. It is absolutely focusing on what Prime Minister Netanyahu has talked about a radicalisation, an Islamist

radicalisation in the UAE. They're calling it a terrorist type event. And of course, the effort now is going to be to find out if this attacker had

friends who were helping him.

How long had he been planning it? How was this missed? How was he able to be on a plane flying into Israel? All of these questions. Some of them are

important in the long term for the investigation, new procedures, new plans, screening, all that kind of stuff.

[11:05:00]

But some of them have very immediate and real implications in the Emirates. For example, he was flying for Flydubai. Are there others in Dubai or

thereabouts who were supporting him? Are there other events planned by other people in an investigation like this?

Those become the sort of immediate focus as you then try to drill down and get the very bottom of what happened. You need to understand: is there a

next threat?

GOLODRYGA: And what a disaster and catastrophe this could have been. Reports suggest they were just 30 seconds away from that plane crashing

before those brave passengers were able to get control of the plane and subdue that suspect. All right, Nic Robertson, thank you so much.

Well, the French government is struggling to contain another day of violence. Student-led demonstrations have rocked the country for days now,

amid anger over school funding and classroom conditions. Although many protests have been peaceful, more than 400 high schools were closed Friday,

and that's about one in 10 across the country.

Here in Pantin, protesters launched fireworks as police set fire to garbage bins and overturned barricades. Melissa Bell joins me from Paris with more.

And Melissa, it doesn't appear that this anger and frustration is dying down. We've seen scenes like this all week.

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Far from it, actually, Bianna. What we've seen is a sort of ratcheting up of

the pressure, the tension, the violence at some more than 560 high schools impacted this Friday. There are the 400 that were closed, but 560 impacted

by barricades across the country.

What authorities are saying is that, in fact, Thursday was a real turning point when this largely student protest then turned into what they're

describing as urban violence, and they're blaming the far left for having fanned the flames of some of these protests. The far-left party LFI is, for

its part, defending both its presence at some of these barricades and the rights of the students to protest.

What we've seen also are university students now join this high school student movement. And so, there's been a sort of amplification and an

intensification and a politicization, and that makes it all very difficult for the government now to deal with. There has been this meeting between

the education minister and student representatives today, as they try and find some kind of solution that would go some way to meeting their demands.

There has already been a small concession, Bianna, in the shape of a measure that was planned for 2027 that would have seen a hike in some of

the fees for some high schools, technological high schools, professional high schools that have now been scrapped.

But the question is whether the government can make concessions enough and meet that demand of better funding for high schools in time to calm some of

this anger down. So far, they haven't managed it. We have ahead of us on Sunday another nationwide movement with more marches planned over public

sector pay.

The question is really whether into next week the students continue to be able to keep this pressure up, Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: Melissa Bell, you'll be covering for us. Thank you. Well, this just into CNN. President Trump has announced that Europe has agreed to

release a massive amount of their diesel reserves. The move comes in a bid to stop soaring energy prices that have risen sharply since the start of

the Iran War.

Trump says the process will begin immediately. Anna Cooban is in London with more on European officials and what they're considering. So, give us

the very latest here, Anna.

ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS & ECONOMICS REPORTER: Well, we've heard in just the past couple of hours that the G7 they met today to try and work through

this sort of crisis that's bubbled up over the past couple of days. And they've agreed that in coordination with the International Energy Agency,

they will release up to 100 million barrels of oil, and a part of that will be a substantial release of diesel.

So, just rewinding just 48 hours, we've seen this escalating pressure from U.S. officials on European countries, basically saying to them, you're not

doing enough to really help this tightness in the diesel market that we're seeing. And we're seeing this for a number of reasons, not just the crisis

in the Middle East, but also attacks by Ukrainian drones on Russian refineries, which has led Russia to ban diesel exports and therefore

reducing the amount totally available on the market.

Also, China is limiting some of its product exports. So, there's a number of different things going on here. And U.S. officials have said, you know,

as the largest exporter of the fuel around the world, you know, you cannot keep relying on our exports. And the elephant in the room here is, of

course, the political motivations.

So, Trump is staring down the barrel of the midterm elections in less than one month, and he basically wants to get down these diesel prices at home.

We've topped $6 a gallon as the average diesel price across the U.S. that happened last month. It's now higher still, and so this is just a bad look

for Trump.

[11:10:00]

And so, this diesel export ban that he's been touting is an effort to increase supply at home and therefore bring down these prices. And now

Europe is really responding to all this with this coordinated release with the IEA. But you know this is a kind of crisis of diesel of the global oil

market that we've seen slow rolling over the past few months, and now we're seeing it coming to a head, Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: All right, Anna Cooban. Some news just crossing the last hour. The president saying that Europeans are now going to be releasing some of

their diesel reserves. We'll stay on top of this story and see the impact that it has on the market. All right, still ahead for us on "One World".

President Trump is hitting the GOP's strongest territory, but new polling shows Republicans may need some extra push. And after a massive public

outcry, a new special prosecutor is assigned to look into the alleged gang rape at Cornell University. We'll have the latest developments next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: President Trump is on the campaign trail, stumping for candidates in ruby red states just 32 days away from the midterms. Today,

he heads for Alabama after stops in Texas and Oklahoma in the last 24 hours. Trump campaigning in GOP strongholds may seem a typical, but new

polling suggests Republicans need all the help they can get.

The new numbers support a new CNN analysis that the combination of an increasingly unpopular president mixed with a slate of strong Democratic

candidates, puts control of the Senate completely up for grabs. CNN White House Correspondent Alayna Treene joins us with more.

So, Alayna, the president may be dismissing some of these polls, but he's very astute as to the predicament that not only he but his party is facing.

How has he been handling it as he's campaigning in ruby red states?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, look, you mentioned that he's very astute to this. So too, Bianna, is his political operation

and his advisers, who recognize that the picture ahead of the midterm elections, just 31 or so days now away, is beginning to become sourer for

Republicans.

Particularly as we see the president's poll numbers at really the lowest point that they have been throughout his two terms in office, even worse

when you look specifically at the economy, at his handling of foreign affairs, at his handling of gas prices.

[11:15:00]

And so, it's a -- you know they recognize there are some obstacles that they still face, but the goal for them with the president's aggressive

campaign travel that they have scheduled now until election day, is to really get down to one point, which is turnout. They believe that if they

can convince his fiercest supporters to go to the polls on election day, that perhaps Republicans can be more successful and have an edge in some of

these very difficult races.

Now you mentioned this. It is really interesting that we saw the president. He had two stops yesterday, has another stop today. All three of them in

very red states. He went to Texas, Oklahoma yesterday, and then today he'll be going to Mobile, Alabama. Now the president acknowledged that this was a

bit unusual.

He argued, in his words, that those races are not as consequential for control of Congress. And instead, he was going to these places so that he

could thank his loyal supporters. But at least in Texas, and perhaps in some of these other states, it is helpful to have him there.

I'd remind you that Ken Paxton, he is the candidate running for the U.S. Senate seat in Texas. He is behind his Democratic opponent, James Talarico,

which is alarming for many Republicans when they look at Texas overall. And it historically, of course, leaned very Republican in all recent elections.

And so, President Trump's presence there really trying to push him across the finish line. So too in some of these other places. I should note as

well that Trump is expecting to spend the majority of his time over the next 30, 31 days in more of these battleground, more swingy districts or

swingy states, I should say.

But for the districts that he's going to, his team has actually targeted more of the conservative districts. And again, that is because they

recognize his presence in some of the more battleground, swingy places might actually harm candidates more than it could help them.

Now Trump did kind of acknowledge last night in his closing remarks in Oklahoma that the midterms are going to be a bit of a challenge. I want you

to listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We're worried about Michigan. We're worried about Texas. We're worried about a few

states, but it's all about 35 different contests, not states contests. And I'm going to just about all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: Now that's pretty rare, Bianna, for this president to acknowledge that him and his team are worried about certain states. Certainly,

acknowledging that they're worried about states that he won by many points back in 2024, but that is a reality on the ground right now.

I should note as well, tomorrow, we are going to see the president travel to Ohio, Dayton, Ohio, to be specific. I'm curious to see what his

messaging will be there, because one of the biggest issues that helped get him across the line in 2024 was on the economy. But the economy is now

proving to be a tough issue for Republicans, so they have a lot of work to do before November 3rd, Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: All right, Alayna Treene, thank you. Joining me now is my colleague and friend Dana Bash. She's CNN's Chief Political Correspondent,

Anchor of "Inside Politics". We'll get you to your show in 40 minutes' time. Don't worry, Dana, and --

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm not worried.

GOLODRYGA: And co-host.

BASH: Good to see you, Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: Good, good to see you as well. Co-anchor of "State of the Union". Her new book is "The Elections That Changed the World: 15 Pivotal

Moments That Shaped How We Live". And Dana, it's so good to see you. There's so much to talk about. What you heard in the conversation with

Alayna there is concern about the state of the economy amongst Republicans.

We just got a jobs report for September. Rather tepid, 29,000 jobs added for the month. This is the last jobs report before voters head out for the

midterms. What are you hearing from Republicans about whether they can still turn around voters' views on their performance as it relates to the

economy?

BASH: A lot of pessimism about that, which is why you're seeing the president go out to. It really, as Alayna was saying, in an unbelievable

travel schedule, go to these really red states and areas in order to get the most diehard Trump supporters to get to the polls, and that is really

the strategy there, Bianna, speaks to the fact that independent voters are more likely to say we gave him a chance.

We don't like the way things are going. Many believe because of his policies, not despite his policies, and the Democrats are really enthused.

So, the expectation is going to be big voter turnout. We're already seeing some evidence of that in early voting, which is actually starting in some

states.

And so, the biggest chance that the president and his strategists believe that they have is to get the people who are the historically the most

diehard supporters and get them off the couch and get them to the polls.

[11:20:00]

So that really is what they're doing right now, because they think it's the only chance.

GOLODRYGA: And Republican Senator Jim Justice put it bluntly. He said that if people can't pay their bills, the party in power has a problem. Is there

a sense within the GOP as a whole that they squandered their time in power here?

BASH: Yeah, I mean, I think partly the answer to that is yes. Partly, mostly privately, but now some of it is spilling out into the public. The

frustration is with the president and the president's policies because the belief was that affordability was still a challenge, but it has gotten so

much worse, especially in states where there's neck and neck races that will determine the balance of power.

And the reason it has gotten worse early in the administration is because of the president's tariff policy, but now it's because of the way that Iran

has retaliated against the United States, which I know you talk about daily on your show, it's less about sort of kinetic war and more about economic

warfare because they understand what we're talking about here.

They understand the reality for farmers in Iowa with the cost of fertilizer, farmers all across the country and other jobs who rely on

diesel fuel and so on and so on and so, yes, it is a squander, but it is more about, in the president's words, he says it's sacrifice. We have to

sacrifice for the -- in his belief the greater good, which is trying to figure out a way to topple Iran.

Now his argument is making sure they don't have a nuclear weapon, but that's a tough sell when somebody has to spend more money than they have

just to put gas or fuel in their tank or in their tractors for their livelihood.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and he continues to say it's a small price to pay.

BASH: Yeah.

GOLODRYGA: Even suggesting that the messaging perhaps hasn't been as sharp as it should be from his own administration on quote, unquote how well the

economy really is doing. He told supporters last night, pretend I'm running, and then he warned that if they lose, if Republicans lose, that

he's going to be impeached.

But we also know that some vulnerable Republicans are trying to distance themselves from him as well. Is he giving them that space?

BASH: Not much. Just for example, we saw, I guess it was a couple of weeks ago now, Maria Elvira Salazar from Florida. She represents an area in South

Florida where the president did extremely well, Miami Dade. He surprised a lot of people, even in that area, by how well he did two years ago.

The fact that she came out, did an ad to camera, warning him that his immigration enforcement policies are too aggressive, and it's backfiring.

She was trying to send a message because she obviously couldn't get through in the private way. And instead of giving her that space, he went after

her, not once, not twice, but more than that.

So, there are some examples. I think that is the most obvious that the president is still takes things very personally and is not thinking about

how his policies are playing out in a way that is going to affect the Congress he has to deal with come January.

GOLODRYGA: Dana, something that you always hear from guests on your show, just how consequential, perhaps the most consequential an election is going

to be as you are preparing for another election, whether it's presidential midterm, what have you. But let's talk about your new book that really

gives us a broader history of some of the most consequential elections.

The elections that changed the world, and it looks at votes whose consequences reached far beyond anything voters could have imagined. Which

election, having done all of the research and reporting for this book? Which election most changed how you think about the political moment we're

in right now?

BASH: That's such a good question. Well, you know, this book we didn't just do American elections. We did elections literally throughout the world and

throughout history. So, we start with Julius Caesar, and we end with Nelson Mandela in 1994. And what you said about consequential elections and is the

most important election of our lifetime.

It is true that in our lifetime we have experienced, and others in the past throughout history have experienced important elections that affect them.

But what we explore in this book, David Fisher, my co-author, and I explore is the kind of elections that change things, not just for that generation

or those voters, but for people in generations and really in some cases centuries to come.

[11:25:00]

You know one of the things that I learned, Bianna, and I guess shame on me for not fully understanding this, is sometimes democracy and the quest for

democracy doesn't always work out. A lot of times it does, and that's one of the reasons we wanted to do this book is to show that as people go to

the polls here in the United States, but also in really important elections around the world, how critical your vote is.

China is the example that I was referring to. The fact that there was imperial rule for centuries, then there was a push for democracy. It was

successful. Sun Yat-sen, when he was elected President of China in 1911, thought that he was going to be able to bring about this new era of

democracy in China, and it didn't work.

And what he ended up having to do was, from his perspective, he had no other option, make a deal with the Soviet Union, and with that brought in

Mao, and then eventually, not long after, democracy was dead in China, and the CCP was born and became firmly entrenched, and that's the world in

which we're still living more than a century later.

So, it's examples like that of elections that change the world. Mostly, they are for good for humankind. Sometimes the democracies that are fought

for and are put in place don't have the effect that people who were voting thought that it would have.

GOLODRYGA: It's an important book. Not only is it a history so rich in detail that even someone as well versed in all of this, like yourself,

learned many things in writing it, but also so important to remind viewers and those that live in democracies, especially the United States, now as

we're approaching midterms, that every vote matters and no vote.

BASH: Sure does.

GOLODRYGA: No voter should be disenfranchised. Dana, good to see you, my friend.

BASH: You too. Thank you for having me on.

GOLODRYGA: Thank you so much. Let's do this again. Really appreciate it. Have a good show.

BASH: I would love that. OK, you too.

GOLODRYGA: Bye. Well, we're hearing from that the victim of the alleged gang rape at Cornell University wants justice and accountability. That is

according to the woman's attorney. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has appointed a special prosecutor in the case, which dates back to 2024.

She said she's lost faith in the Tompkins County DA Matthew Van Houten and his ability to oversee it. State Attorney General Letitia James takes over

what she called an active investigation. The handling of the investigation and horrific details in the case has unleashed fury nationwide over

allegations that a woman was drugged and gang raped at the Chi Phi fraternity house two years ago. Here's Governor Hochul.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV, KATHY HOCHUL (D-NY): When the Tompkins County District Attorney announced that he is reopening the case, he pointed to Jane Doe's statement

and said it did not establish that a crime had occurred. But new reporting raises serious questions about the information his office relied upon when

it made that decision.

That's why I believe this case demands a special prosecutor who will provide a fresh and thorough review of all the facts, including the

information that has recently come to light.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Hochul's announcement came after students, parents, and community members demanded transparency and accountability from the

university at a forum held by Cornell student government on Thursday. Jason Carroll reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We, as a campus community, stand with victims of sexual violence.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A public hearing at Cornell University, where students reacted to the alleged sexual assault at the Chi

Phi fraternity house.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm also speaking as a fellow Janet Bell (ph). I was sexually assaulted almost two years ago.

CARROLL (voice-over): Jane Wang, a sophomore, shared her own experience.

JANE WANG, CORNELL SOPHOMORE: Hearing any story from you know another student here on campus that they've experienced something similar is so

heartbreaking.

CARROLL (voice-over): Cornell continues to face scrutiny following "The New York Times" report that a crucial part of the school's internal

investigation omitted Jane Doe's statement. I can say with 100 percent confidence I was raped. That allegation not included in what the university

handed over to the district attorney.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The common sentiment is that there's like a moral failing.

LESLIE BAKER, CORNELL STUDENT: People are just like really frustrated that it's taking a whole lawsuit for these people to be held accountable and

that for the survivor to get the justice that she deserves.

[11:30:00]

CARROLL (voice-over): Students reacting to "The New York Times" report, which revealed the school gathered more than 1,000 pages of materials from

an internal investigation in 2024, which included a transcript of campus police interviews with Jane Doe, interviews with Chi Phi fraternity members

accused of sexually assaulting her, along with emails and text messages.

"The Times" report says Jane Doe spoke for hours to a Cornell police investigator as well as an investigator for the school's Title IX office.

According to "The Times", the transcript of their conversation stretches about 120 pages. The DA telling CNN Wednesday, we never received it and

still don't have it.

It was not part of what Cornell provided to us. We got the six-page statement and nothing more except the Snapchat video. The Snapchat was

allegedly sent from Chi Phi members asking others to join in on the alleged assault. Cornell's investigation also revealed Jane Doe documented her

injuries two weeks after the 2024 incident.

She went to an emergency room for a pelvic exam. She also went to the school's health clinic for treatment of a urinary tract infection, telling

a doctor she had contracted the infection in a traumatic way. The material reviewed by "The Times" showing Jane Doe went to police after she saw

online comments about what happened to her that night at the Chi Phi house, saying members were gang banging.

Jane Doe saying that's kind of when I came to the realization that I had been gang raped, gang assaulted, whatever you want to call it. That's what

happened. Cornell's investigation revealed Jane Doe planned to go back to the Chi Phi house the following week, after the alleged assault for a

Halloween party.

Her attorney telling CNN it was all part of processing what had happened. She was still in the denial stage. She could not accept what happened to

her. Cornell declined to comment about "The Times" report. No one from the administration spoke at tonight's student assembly. Jane Wang still has a

message for them.

WANG: Future cases of sexual violence or sexual harassment on campus cannot only be treated with urgency when it's something that reaches national

headlines or national news.

CARROLL (voice-over): Jason Carroll, CNN, Ithaca, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: Right, still ahead on "One World", Spain's parliament votes on two decrees meant to tackle the country's housing crisis. The result of

that vote, as the country is rocked by protests.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:35:00]

GOLODRYGA: All right, welcome back to "One World". I'm Bianna Golodryga in New York. Here's some headlines we're watching today. The heroic Flydubai

pilot is speaking publicly for the first time about Wednesday's attack. Captain Smit Machchhar spoke to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi from

his hospital bed in Abu Dhabi, saying that he couldn't let everybody die.

The suspect, the plane's co-pilot, is being questioned in the UAE. French President Emmanuel Macron says that the G7 has agreed to the coordinated

release of up to 100 million barrels of diesel through the International Energy Agency. Comes after the Trump Administration pressured Europe to tap

into emergency stocks to cool surging prices, threatening a possible ban on U.S. fuel exports if they did not.

We now have a name for the new Paramount Warner Brothers Discovery merged company and its Skydance. That's according to an announcement from its CEO

David Ellison. It's the same name as the production company he founded 20 years ago. CNN will, of course, be part of the new company.

The merger is expected to take effect Tuesday. Spain's leftist government has lost a critical vote in parliament on a decree meant to tackle the

country's housing crisis. The issue has sparked major public protests, especially after an 87-year-old woman was evicted from her home.

There was a demonstration outside Parliament earlier as the debate was happening. Joining me now live from Spanish Parliament is CNN's Pau

Mosquera. So now that the government's effort has failed, what happens next, Pau?

PAU MOSQUERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's the main question, Bianna, because it opens now a period of uncertainty. Some of the parties that are

represented in the parliament, like the opposition, the popular party, has already urged the government to bring elections forward.

But we don't know exactly what is going to be Pedro Sanchez's next move. There are some national media outlets that are already saying that Prime

Minister Pedro Sanchez may be considering the fact of calling an early election, but this is not confirmed so far. And then on the other side, we

do have the opinion of those, the thousands that have been camping out at Madrid, Puerta del Sol for about a week.

The dominant mood among the protesters, we could say that is frustration, disappointment. But nevertheless, some of them told me that they were kind

of expecting both of the decrees containing these measures to tackle the housing crisis in the country to not to go ahead, to not to come into

effect, because most of the parties represented in the parliament already had rebuilt by yesterday night the sense of their vote.

So now, knowing that none of those measures proposed by the government this Tuesday will come into effect, they say that they will continue to put

pressure on the authorities on the forthcoming days, which means that they will maintain this camp, this encampment, for more several days.

We didn't have any clear date on where they could clear all that space. And also, they added that they will be calling for more demonstrations all

across the country. And for example, here in Madrid, we are expecting a big demonstration tomorrow, Saturday, from 06:00 a.m. Eastern Time, Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: Pau Mosquera, thank you -- for us. Well, I want to bring in Sociology Fellow at Universitat Rovira I Virgil, Dr. Mar Jonapere. Thank

you so much for taking the time, professor. So, an 87-year-old woman's eviction, as we know now, brought thousands of people to the streets.

Why has Mari Carmen's story become such a breaking point? And what is uniting both young renters and elderly tenants in this moment?

MAR JONAPERE, SOCIOLOGY FELLOW AT UNIVERSITAT ROVIRA I VIRGIL: Yes, good afternoon, and thank you. I think that the current housing crisis in Spain

is the result of several factors, but I think that one of the most important factors is the long-term erosion of the country's social and

affordable housing stock.

[11:40:00]

Here in Spain, at the beginning of Spain's democratic period, there was a very significant public effort to provide protected housing. In fact,

around 2.7 million protected homes were developed between 1980 and 2023. But, however, 89 percent of this housing gradually lost its protected

status and was transferred to the private market.

So, this has mean that a substantial part of the public effort and the investment in housing have ultimately been absorbed by the private market

rather than becoming a permanent social housing resource. So today, Spain has a very, very limited housing stock. Publicly owned housing represents

only around 1.7 of households, while social rental housing below market prices is estimated around 3.5 percent.

And this is -- as you can see, this is significantly below the European Union average estimated around 9 percent. So, I think that this context, we

need to understand this context to understand the situation of the Spanish citizens and the protests that we have nowadays in Spain in the street.

So, I think that this is the accumulation of all these years, seeing how we are losing our public housing. And also, I think that on the other side,

the Spanish citizens or they are seeing the that the political response remains insufficient. So, I think that we need to understand this to

understand what is going on nowadays.

GOLODRYGA: Right, so, you've just created a scenario for us where, over the years, we've seen a huge drive in tourism, property speculation, coupled

with the fact that you have a government that perhaps has failed to build enough affordable housing, as all of this was happening, and here with the

government now once again failing to get their legislation to address this through parliament, what are the options now?

I mean, could this movement be a lasting one?

JONAPERE: Yeah, I think that the key question now for the whole movement, the citizens, and but also to the politicians is not. I think that we must

ask ourselves and ask the government how to respond not only to individual evictions or the raising rents, but whether Spain will be able to develop a

stable, long-term housing policy that treats affordable housing as a permanent social resource, rather than allowing publicly supported housing

to this progressively return to the private market.

If we are not able to solve this problem, I think that we will be discussing about the housing crisis years and years because I think that

the Spanish situation is hard on this perspective.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, we have a leftist socialist government that wants stronger tenant protections, and then you have the counter argument saying those

measures will drive landlords out and only make the shortage worse. So, this is a predicament that's not going to be easily solved.

Mar Jonapere, thank you for talking to us today about it.

JONAPERE: Thank you. Thank you very much.

GOLODRYGA: And we'll be back with more after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:45:00]

GOLODRYGA: Well, many big budget productions are turning to South Africa, where they want to create hard to capture underwater scenes for our "Africa

Inc." series. Our next guest introduces us to Former South African Divers who turned their passion into a profitable production company.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): Launched in 2000, Frog Squad has become one of the most sought-after specialist crews in global film. Formed by ex-

navy divers, they run marine operations and high-risk water stunts for blockbusters like "Tomb Raider", "The Terminal List", and HBO's "The White

Lotus".

JIMMY FRASER, CO-FOUNDER OF FROG SQUAD: So, when the Frog Squad started, we only had one or two boats and a couple of sets of diving equipment each,

and as we grew, we started to service the camera department more, and then we found that the DOPs, even though they were sport divers and diving

qualified, they weren't like specialist divers.

We more like the specialist divers now that have started filming more, whereas they were camera people that used to get into the water, didn't

particularly enjoy it because it's cold and unpleasant and long hours, and was our background, all of us being ex-navy divers and commercial divers,

we don't mind being in the water.

So, then we started getting involved in the camera department, and then from there we've invested more into the camera department, and we've got

tons of boats, camera barges like barges that open out specifically to take a techno crane on the water. So, we've just grown and grown and grown, and

we've got a huge lease of --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): Beyond purpose-built water tanks, the Western Cape offers Hollywood an entire continent's worth of coastlines

within driving distance.

FRASER: So, Cape Town's a good place to shoot water work because we can duck the weather, and we can always find like a safe harbor. Locations-

wise, I think it's beautiful. You have these -- you do get crystal clear water, and then we have such a diverse landscape.

And then up the west coast, very flat, different, can look like the Greek isles.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): Believing for specialized trades like this, a new frontier looms, artificial intelligence.

FRASER: AI seems to have an impact. I'm not sure, but just because generally we have been quieter, so -- and I'm not sure if that is the way

people film now, or if AI is doing it, or if it's easier to do it in studio than to do it on location, just because they can generate a marine location

and whether it might look false, but I think it'll get better.

But yeah, we hope it doesn't because obviously we want to keep working on location and shooting on the ocean for real. I think it is still really

difficult to composite water elements in that, and so. We might be lucky for --

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:50:00]

GOLODRYGA: Well, Europe may have a potato problem after the summer's dry conditions and heat waves. Anna Stewart visited a chip shop in London to

find out what that means for the future of French fries.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's lunch time at the Fryer's Delight, and the fryers are delightfully busy.

STEWART: Oh, it's really heavy. A lot of potatoes. All right, that was my job done. Whoa. Well, that's kind of simple. That's the kind of cooking I

could do.

STEWART (voice-over): The business isn't so simple. Joao has been running this chippy for 36 years, and not for the first time, he's feeling under

pressure with costs rising.

JOAO MAGALHAES, MANAGER OF FRYER'S DELIGHT: Just the price of the fish, price of the oil.

STEWART: Price of the oil, price of the fish.

MAGALHAES: Yeah, and the potatoes as well.

STEWART: And potatoes.

MAGALHAES: Yeah.

STEWART: Potatoes will likely get even more expensive.

CRAIG ELLIOTT, MARKET ANALYST AT EXPANA: Last year we had a market that was characterized by pretty heavy oversupply.

STEWART: So too many potatoes last year.

ELLIOTT: Too many potatoes last year, which weighed heavily on prices. Heading into this year, growers reduced their acreage, and then we had a

series of heat waves, which has possibly resulted in a pretty massive crop loss.

STEWART: So, this is an average potato that I got from downstairs.

ELLIOTT: Yeah.

STEWART: Are we less likely to see that as being the sort of normal size.

ELLIOTT: Market sentiment is that we're going to have smaller products this year.

STEWART: Because this makes a beautiful big chip.

ELLIOTT: Sure does, yeah.

STEWART (voice-over): 3.5 million metric tons of potatoes could be lost this year across Europe and the UK, according to the Energy and Climate

Intelligence unit. Joao gets through six sacks of potatoes on a busy day, around 150 kgs, and they all need to be washed, peeled, and chopped.

STEWART: How are you going to feel if the potatoes are getting smaller? How will you feel if your chips are short? You might end up with little tiny

chips.

MAGALHAES: Most fish and chips use fish and chips. It's lot of small chips anyway. I like these ones because it's more, you know, it's when you eat

them, you can feel the potatoes crisp outside, inside soft. Yeah, but if you have no alternative, what you can do?

STEWART: Just serve up small chips.

STEWART (voice-over): For now, this hard-working chippy is absorbing increased costs, but the spud squeeze is to come as this year's harvest

comes to an end.

STEWART: The chips aren't just down. They could be getting pricier and on the short side.

[11:55:00]

STEWART (voice-over): Anna Stewart, CNN. London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: All right. Well, a federal judge will hear arguments next Thursday on President Trump's White House ban. CNN, MS Now, and Politico

want a two-week restraining order extended, maintaining their access to the White House. Right now, that access has been limited.

In fact, CNN was barred from traveling with the president on Air Force One yesterday. The media outlets say the ban is unconstitutional, but the White

House claims reporting by the group is a threat to national security. And finally, before we go this hour, European scientists have high-flying hopes

for their own version of a Mars rover.

The prototype, known as Charlie, is being tested in a desert in Spain. The goal is to test technologies and operations relevant to the ESA's Mars

mission. That will include the navigation system as well as tasks that the rover will perform after landing on Mars in 2030.

The purpose to search for evidence of past or present life. All right. Do stay with CNN. I'll have more "One World" after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END