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One World with Zain Asher

Source: U.S. Considering Using "Mother Of All Bombs" Against Iran; School's Owner Arrested After 33 Killed, Dozens Injured; Sources: Trump Administration Pushed For Unusually Aggressive Search; harry And Meghan Markle's First Joint Appearance Since Returning To U.K.; Russian Teen Reflects On Impact On Anti-War Drawing; Trump Approval rating Hits All-Time Low in Fox News Poll; OpenAI Accuses Former Employee Of Leaking Secrets To Apple; Aired 12-1p ET

Aired October 15, 2026 - 12:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:00:29]

ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. The second hour of "One World" starts right now.

Out of Patriot missiles and out of favor with Donald Trump. Where does Volodymyr Zelenskyy go from here?

ASHER: Also ahead, Harry and Meghan make their first joint appearance since returning to the U.K. The Duchess of Sussex says that she's happy to be

back.

GOLODRYGA: And later, do you believe in miracles? You might if you got a full tank of gas for just 15 bucks. How this group of commuters paid as

little as 97 cents a gallon.

But we do begin the hour in Ukraine, a nation facing its fifth winter of war, an escalating Russian aerial bombardment, a critical communication

slowdown, and now what may be its biggest battlefield setback yet.

A source tells CNN that Kyiv has run out of Patriot missiles, leaving it more vulnerable to Moscow's attacks. For years, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has

repeatedly made urgent pleas to Western partners for more of the air defense interceptors.

In August, the Ukrainian president told CNN that his days are spent on millions of phone calls with allies, furiously making deals for more

Patriots.

ASHER: Yes. Zelenskyy is in Brussels today speaking to -- basically seeking, rather, to rally support from Europe. It all comes hours after he

announced that Ukraine is resuming its strikes on Russian oil refineries, days after U.S. President Donald Trump self-declared energy ceasefire.

Meantime, Ukrainian officials say the military-grade satellite network critical to detecting incoming Russian drones has improved its speed. There

are still no answers from the Pentagon or from SpaceX about after the surface was suddenly disrupted for unknown reasons.

It all comes as Zelenskyy accuses the U.S. president of choosing a side that's not Ukraine's.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PIERS MORGAN, ENGLISH BROADCASTER: Do you feel betrayed by what has been happening?

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Really, yes, really between us, but it's a little bit more complicated than just my emotions or my

feelings. Yes, it depends not on -- not on me. I mean, this -- our country has to survive and we count on our real partners, strategic partners,

United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Several U.S. officials tell CNN exclusively that the military is considering using the so-called mother of all bombs against Iran.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, the Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, also known as the MOAB, is the largest non-nuclear bomb in the U.S. arsenal. The MOAB can

blow up nine city blocks. However, there's doubt among some U.S. officials about whether dropping it would actually bring an end to the war.

On Wednesday, President Trump said he's not targeting Iran's leadership anymore.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Their leaders are gone. That's one of the problems. I might have gone too far. I don't know who the

hell to deal with.

Their first-level leaders are gone. They picked the second level. Their second-level leaders are gone. They picked the third level. Half of them

are gone. They made me promise not to take out anymore, and I did. I promised.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: We're joined live now by CNN military analyst and retired Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton.

So, just in terms of what the purpose of using the mother of all bombs, and I'm using the colloquial term, obviously, it's the equivalent of 11 tons of

-- of TNT. It's designed to detonate just above the ground rather than upon impact.

What levels of destruction could using this particular weapon cause, Cedric?

CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, Zain, it's -- it could cause a lot of destruction, especially if it's used in an open field area. And the

last time it was used, and only time it was used in combat, was in Afghanistan back in 2017. And it was used over an open area. And the basic

idea was to destroy a large area that was frequented at that particular moment in time by guerrilla forces that were supportive of the Taliban.

So, that is a very different target set than Iranian nuclear installations. So, the question that a lot of people are asking in the Pentagon and in

other places is whether or not this particular weapon, the MOAB, is actually going to be effective against Iranian nuclear targets because it's

not a penetrating bomb just, you know, as opposed to the MOP or the Massive Ordnance Penetrator. That particular bomb is a very different bomb and is

actually designed to go after targets like the Iranian nuclear installations, which are hardened and deeply buried underground. So, you

have really a dichotomy of weapons systems.

[12:05:16]

And then the other thing to think about when it comes to the MOAB, the mother -- so-called mother of all bombs, is that the MOAB is going to be

delivered, can only be delivered, by a C-130. A C-130 is a cargo plane. It flies -- can fly low and slow. And that makes it vulnerable to ground fire

and surface-to-air-missiles.

So, it's a delivery system that is not well designed for the Iranian target set. And it's also not a system that is designed, you know, in terms of

delivery, and it's -- it's also not a system that's designed in terms of actual execution for the kinds of targets that would be of interest in the

Iranian situation. So, a lot of questions about using this particular weapon in this scenario.

GOLODRYGA: And it comes as there have been reports about Iran's increased attempt to reconstitute its ballistic and even nuclear program over the

course of the last few months.

Colonel, if I could turn back to Ukraine and this reporting from CNN, a source telling CNN that Ukraine has run out of Patriot interceptor

missiles. President Zelenskyy has been pleading, making a plea for more of these missiles for years now.

Can you just talk about the exposure that that now leaves Ukraine in? And what exactly is the reason that Ukraine cannot get more of these missiles

from the United States? Is it because they are hard to procure? Or do you think there's more of a political reason?

LEIGHTON: Yes, I think as far as your last question goes, Bianna, I think there is, you know, certainly a difficulty in procuring the weapons

systems. Part of the issue is production lines. It takes a long time to manufacture a Patriot missile.

And when it comes to actually deploying them, they have to go through several hoops, bureaucratic hoops, because it's a U.S.-made weapon system,

even if it comes from a third country, like, let's say, Germany or, you know, France or Belgium or some European country and then goes to Ukraine

which is actually part of the Pearl (ph) system which is designed to get these kinds of weapons to the Ukrainians, the U.S. still has to approve or

reject that particular sale.

So, the basic idea here is that there are production bottlenecks associated with the Patriot. There is a failure in essence of the defense industrial

base to produce an adequate number of Patriot missiles, given the situation in Ukraine, given the needs of the European nations and other nations that

use the Patriot, plus the needs of the United States.

So, this should have been planned for years ago. Some kind of eventuality like this was pretty much foreseeable. And military planners, as well as

the defense contractors, should have planned for this.

Now, when it comes to the actual political situation in Ukraine with the Patriot, it's pretty clear that there will have to be a lot of repair work

done, if -- if that's even possible, in the relationship between President Zelenskyy and President Trump.

Basically what you're seeing is a wartime leader in the form of President Zelenskyy trying very hard to protect his people. They don't have the

capability right now of producing patriots, although the idea of producing them, under license from the United States, and having the Ukrainians

produce them themselves, was something that Trump initially had approved a few months ago.

That should have gone forward because when you look at this from a geostrategic standpoint, it's pretty clear that the Ukrainians are what's

standing in the way of a Russian advance, Russian incursion into at least portions of the rest of Europe. And a failure to beef up the Ukrainian

system and the Ukrainian military is really basically a negligent act. And that is going to, I think, haunt, not only the United States, but the -- bu

the NATO alliance, if they don't correct this right now.

ASHER: Obviously, there's also blaming and finger pointing when it comes to the disruption of Starlink as well. But also, I mean, this idea of a lapse

in intelligence sharing from the United States, U.S. officials are denying that, but Zelenskyy has -- has really intimated that, you know, there has

been a gap in intelligence sharing.

A lot of the intelligence that Ukraine gets does come from Europe. And my understanding is that a lot of it comes from France, in particular. If the

U.S. is sort of limiting the amount of intelligence it shares with Ukraine, how much can Europe really make up the difference?

LEIGHTON: Yes, it depends. You know, there's an issue of quantity and quality. So, those are basically two different things when it comes to

intelligence.

[12:10:06]

The U.S. is very, very good at providing tactically relevant intelligence in near real time. And that's the kind of intelligence that actually is

very useful for the Ukrainians from a targeting perspective.

It's also very useful from an early warning perspective. And that's really the critical thing, because if you don't have early warning intelligence,

then you basically have no ability to go after incoming missiles, even with a Patriot system. So, you need the intelligence, you need the radar, and

you need the actual weapons systems to, you know, bring a -- a favorable resolution to something like this, which means protecting your people.

And instead what we're seeing is an increase in the number of civilian deaths in Ukraine. And that is, of course, a significant problem.

Now, as far as France goes, France has a significant intelligence capability, and it's a very good intelligence capability. The issue that

the Europeans have is being able to provide intelligence on a consistent basis in near real time to provide that kind of early warning system to not

only their military, but also to the civilian population and that's what's really missing here.

That is something that the Europeans can overcome. That deficit is something they can overcome, but they definitely have to continue to work

at it. And they have to make sure that the kinds of events that cities like Kyiv and Kharkiv have witnessed, over the last few days, that that doesn't

happen on a consistent basis, that in essence, they beef up their protective mechanisms and their intelligence as a result of that.

ASHER: All right. Colonel Cedric Leighton, live for us there. Thank you for that.

LEIGHTON: You bet.

GOLODRYGA: In Northern Pakistan, the owner of a school that collapsed has been arrested.

ASHER: Yes, 32 children and a teacher died when the school's roof gave way earlier -- earlier today. Dozens of children were injured. Rescue efforts

have now ended.

Our Ivan Watson is in Pakistan with more on what exactly caused this horrific disaster.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A nation in mourning after a deadly disaster in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar.

The roof of a school collapsed killing dozens of schoolchildren, as well as at least one teacher. A rescue worker tells CNN it was likely caused by

heavy rain overnight, which caused the collapse of the two-story building early Thursday morning.

Now, we've seen hospital records suggesting the ages of the casualties are between six and 14 years old. And there were around 50 additional children

injured and treated in hospital after this disaster.

Now, tragically, collapses like this are all too common in Pakistan where building and construction codes are poorly enforced.

In August, a fire broke out in a maternity ward in the capital, Islamabad, killing at least 14 newborns. A subsequent inquiry concluded that there

were no sprinkler systems in the nursery. There wasn't even a fire alarm.

And here in Lahore in July, there was another collapse of a tutoring center that killed at least 14 school children.

Now, the president of Pakistan has called this a gut-wrenching tragedy. Police in Peshawar tell CNN they've arrested the owner of the school and

they've launched an investigation into this tragic disaster.

Ivan Watson, CNN, Lahore, Pakistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: All right. In the past few minutes, Venezuela's ousted president, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, have pleaded not guilty to a

new U.S. indictment, charging them with torture, conspiracy, that's according to Reuters.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. The case relates to the alleged torture of Americans and others who were held in Venezuelan government custody during their regime.

The couple was captured in a U.S. military raid in January. They have also pleaded not guilty to other charges, including narco-terrorism conspiracy.

ASHER: All right. I want to turn now to a CNN exclusive. We've learned that a federal judge limited how the U.S. Justice Department could access U.S.

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's records in a search of her home earlier this week.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, sources tell CNN, the Trump administration pushed for an unusually aggressive search in the case involved prolonged arguments with

the judge. Prosecutors claim it's an immigration probe into her citizenship documents, which she obtained as a Somali refugee in the '90s. Omar calls

it a political attack.

CNN's crime and justice correspondent Katelyn Polantz joins us. Katelyn, have you learned what this investigation is about?

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: We have. So, our sources have told Evan Perez, Jake Tapper, and I that this is an

immigration fraud investigation.

[12:15:01]

Now, the history of immigration of Representative Ilhan Omar goes back many decades. She immigrated from Somalia as a child, and then whenever she was

17 years old, became a U.S. citizen.

There is a question that the federal investigators are looking at now about whether she actually was 17 years old and a minor at that time, or was she

older, an adult, whenever her father was helping her get citizenship in the year 2000.

Now, that is a very old piece of her immigration history. She is now a U.S. citizen. But what this administration, what Homeland Security investigators

and the Justice Department are looking at in this criminal probe is whether that possible or alleged lie was perpetuated, was continued potentially as

Representative Omar filled out other government forms later in more recent years, things like perhaps a passport renewal.

All of these questions, though, are going to be depending upon what the Justice Department and Homeland Security investigators find in their

investigation. She has not been charged with any crime, denies that there are any, that there was any wrongdoing on her behalf at all related to her

immigration. And we are still waiting to see the results of that search.

ASHER: Yes, Democrats are, of course, saying that this is politically motivated and nothing more than that.

Explain to us how this search came about though.

POLANTZ: Well, this is part of why we are going to be waiting for probably quite some time to see what the Justice Department was able to find in that

search.

What the sources have been telling me over the past couple days is that it took a while to convince a federal magistrate judge in Washington, D.C. to

sign off on the search warrant for HIS, Homeland Security investigators, to go into her home on Monday and retrieve boxes seized documents she may have

there. That's because the Justice Department, they argued that they should be able to treat the search like anybody, even though she is a sitting

congresswoman.

Now, the Constitution and the law in Washington, D.C., provides a lot of protections around the documents of members of Congress specifically

related to their legislative work, their official business.

And so the judge ultimately had -- had to limit how the Justice Department was going be able to access the documents from her house. There now is

going to be a process in place. This could drag out months for them to actually get access for the criminal investigation from documents that were

either seized or could be still in her possession from her home.

So, the aggressiveness of this was one of the unusual pieces. There also is the unusual nature that this happened right here in the middle of October,

less than a month before the voting ends. Representative Omar is running for reelection. She is on the ballot in November in Minnesota to retain her

seat in Congress as a Democrat.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Katelyn Polantz, thank you.

ASHER: All right. Turning to the U.K. You are looking at video of -- that's Prince Harry there. Bianna's smiling at me because she knows I -- I do

enjoy the royals. Meghan Markle there earlier today in Nottingham, England, their first joint public appearance since moving to Britain in the summer.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex lived in California for about six years before, of course, returning to England with their children in August.

CNN's Anna Stewart joins us live now from London. So, Anna, this does sort of feel very much like a royal engagement. It did sort of have the -- the

appearance of that just sort of looking on, but, of course, they are no longer working royals.

They did start this in -- in Nottingham. And that's significant to the couple because when they launched their royal duties after they got

engaged, they also started in Nottingham.

ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You have a very good memory, Zain. I mean, you should be there. You should be one of these royal fans behind the

railing.

GOLODRYGA: Oh, she could. She would.

ASHER: Hi there again.

STEWART: I mean, look at the pictures today. Honestly, it was like we've gone back to pre-2020. Like, did Harry and Meghan really leave the U.K.?

Are we sure they're not working members of the Royal Family? Because this event, this very public engagement had a walkabout as you're seeing. They

had well-wishers behind railings, they had the press in their place. There were cards and balloons and cards being given to them, fans took selfies.

And this wasn't just one sort of event, there were three stops in this engagement. Three different charities focusing on youth, children, food,

poverty. And we saw Harry and Meghan getting stuck in. You know, Meghan joined a group of children or young people and made bracelets and talked

about building confidence. Both of them packed away food parcels for donations. So, it was really like the sort of engagements we saw, frankly,

before they left the U.K.

Now, it was interesting in light of the statement we had from the palace, I think it was only a month ago, fresh when they had returned to the U.K.,

the palace released that statement saying, all charitable work carried out by Harry and Meghan is a, quote, personal matter for them and undertaken in

their private capacity.

[12:20:11]

Well, there was definitely nothing private about this. This was a very public engagement. And I think what we're seeing here is Harry and Meghan

really picking a middle way, whether the palace likes it or not.

Yes, they are private citizens. They are not working members of the Royal Family, but they can still be public figures as we are seeing today. And,

yes, getting a lot of media attention.

And I have to say, the one thing today is the King has an engagement himself. The King and Queen are actually in Wales right now for the

ceremonial opening of the Welsh Parliament. But all eyes right now are very much on this engagement in Nottinghamshire.

ASHER: Well, I'm a fan. Bianna is looking at me.

GOLODRYGA: Was that a not so subtle intimation that perhaps 50 percent of this team may not be, Zain?

ASHER: Yes, we -- we are -- we are very different on -- on this issue, so.

GOLODRYGA: As (INAUDIBLE).

ASHER: You can say it. You just -- just come out and say it. Go on.

GOLODRYGA: I'm team Kate.

ASHER: This is awkward.

GOLODRYGA: I'm team Kate.

ASHER: This is so awkward.

GOLODRYGA: Is that weird? OK, there, I said it.

Anna Stewart, thank you. She's like, I don't know where to go with this. All right. This is how we roll here. Very honest.

OK. Still to come on "One World," violent clashes with police. We'll have new images out of Albania as the prime minister rejects calls for his

resignation.

ASHER: And France's finance minister speaks to CNN about the country's fiscal crisis. Our Richard Quest questions him on how to respond to the

student-led protests.

GOLODRYGA: And after a classroom drawing forced her to flee for her freedom, a Russian teenager tells CNN why she's chosen a life of activism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIA "MASHA" MOSKALYOVA, Russian activist (through translator): What Trump is doing is terrible. The fact that the president of a free country shakes

hands with a murderer, the fact that you could say he's being controlled by him is another matter altogether.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: All right. For the third day, violent student-led protests are erupting in Albania. The country's Prime Minister, Edi Rama, is defying

calls to resign.

GOLODRYGA: The protesters are enraged over several issues, including quality of education, perceived corruption, and a deal to sell off parts of

the southern coastline to build a luxury resort. Those developers are backed by the U.S. President's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

[12:25:11]

ASHER: For years, Albania's image has been tarnished by corruption scandals. Now, it appears that citizens have finally reached a breaking

point.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARBER LLESHI, PROTESTER: We are here to protest against our most corrupt government ever who is misusing and abusing our environment, our natural

resources, our lands, our protected areas.

ENIDA BIMI, PROTESTER: They want better conditions for the faculty, no corruption. They need to study. They need better way for more bedrooms

(INAUDIBLE). The people are very angry and resistant. They need to change everything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Meantime, we're also tracking the fourth week of massive student-led protests in France. Authorities fear hundreds of demonstrations

planned for this weekend could turn violent.

ASHER: Yes, Saturday's demonstrations will commemorate the anniversary of the 2019 Yellow Vest protests, according to Prime Minister Sebastien

Lecornu. Some authorities believe this movement has escalated to a, quote, movement of urban violence.

Meantime, the French finance minister tells CNN his government will not require bailing out and that they have a budget plan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROLAND LESCURE, FRENCH FINANCE MINISTER: There's a global reprising of interest rates across the globe. And you said it, we're not the strongest

of the pack. And that's why we have to be very adamant on the fact that -- that budget I tabled in two weeks ago, which is very strong on spending

efforts, has to be adopted. And I'm telling you, it will be.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR, QUEST MEANS BUSINESS: OK, but you've got a problem with protests in France over education. You can't find the money to

keep those protesters, those students happy, and at the same time, keep the bond market happy.

LESCURE: No, we can, that's the thing. If we act now, we can still act and have priorities. That's why I'm acting on pensions. You know, there is the

choice today by paying pensions fully or saying, we're going to save on pensions to make sure we can spend. We're not going to spend a fortune, but

we can spend enough to make sure that the kids go back to school.

And again, I know how you guys work. I know how the world works. So, there's an idea today that all French schools are burning, they're not.

Most of those protests are peaceful. We're having conversations with them. They need more teachers to replace the teachers that are ill. We're going

to do that, but this is not expensive.

What's expensive in France is health and pension. And we're working on both to reduce them next year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: And today on "Quest Mean Business," Richard Quest sits down with the French finance minister, Roland Lescure. It's happening at 4:00 P.M., if

you're watching from the East Coast of the United States. If you're watching from Paris, it's about 10 o'clock in the evening.

GOLODRYGA: Well, it was the child's drawing that sparked a political outcry and sent a father and daughter on the run.

ASHER: Yes. When 12-year-old Russian Masha Moskalyova drew an anti-war picture at school, it resulted in her father being jailed and a pair of

them fleeing their homeland.

Four years on, she spoke to our Melissa Bell about her hopes for the future and why she's chosen a life of activism despite the dangers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Here, it's glory to Ukraine. And here, no Putin, no war.

MOSKALYOVA: Yes.

BELL: So, very political. You were 12.

M. MOSKALYOVA (through translator): Even though it's a child's drawing and seems so simple, who could have expected it to have such consequences?

BELL (voice-over): Four years on, Masha is 16 and still on the run.

M. MOSKALYOVA (through translator): I would return to Russia with enormous joy. But when will this regime change? I don't know. How many decades will

it take? How many decades before Russia becomes a democratic and free country?

ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight on the run.

BELL (voice-over): When Masha's father was sent to jail in 2023, CNN covered the story. He was charged with, quote, discrediting the Russian

military for his online posts criticizing Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while Masha was sent to an orphanage.

ALEXEY MOSKALYOV, MARIA MOSKALYOVA'S FATHER (through translator): When I called today, she could barely speak to me. She was just crying, crying the

whole time, crying. And no matter how much I tried to calm her down, I just couldn't.

BELL (voice-over): After he was released from jail, the pair fled through Armenia and onto France.

A. MOSKALYOVA (through translator): You know, everything I've lost, everything I had in Russia, is compensated for by the fact that we can now

speak freely and tell the truth, by the fact that we are now in a country where people are not persecuted for their words or their opinions. And so

everything we left behind in Russia is nothing compared with what Masha and I have now.

BELL (voice-over): Yet what they have is precious little. A temporary visa and the promise of a new life, which for Masha means schooling in a

language she doesn't speak, with an eye always over her shoulder.

[12:30:07]

BELL: Are you worried about your safety now?

M. MOSKALYOVA (through translator): Always. Yes, of course, you can be afraid for your safety because absolute safety doesn't exist anywhere in

any country, especially if you continue to speak out.

BELL (voice-over): And speaking out is what Masha continues to do. Through YouTube and social media, she fights to raise awareness inside Russia and

elsewhere.

M. MOSKALYOVA (through translator): I want to say that what Trump is doing is terrible. The fact that the president of a free country shakes hands

with a murderer, the fact that you could say he is being controlled by him is another matter altogether.

BELL (voice-over): It's hard to fathom that a single child's drawing could have angered Russian authorities as much as it did, but Masha says she

would do it all again.

M. MOSKALYOVA (through translator): He was a child who spoke the truth, who wasn't afraid. And if that child isn't alone, if there are many children

like her, if it's not just one teenager but a thousand teenagers, not just one adult but a million, then that is what will change Russia for the

better.

BELL (voice-over): Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: All right. Still to come on "One World."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: There's never been -- it's the golden age of America. And the Iran war will end very soon. As soon as I want it to end, it'll end.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: With the critical midterms looming in the U.S., a new nationwide poll shows how voters rate President Trump.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: All right. President Trump has been hitting the campaign trail hard, but the latest numbers aren't giving Republicans reason to relax ahead of

the midterms.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, a new Fox News poll puts the president's approval rating at 36 percent among registered voters. That is the lowest of his two terms in

a Fox survey.

[12:35:02]

The voters are also unconvinced either party has a clear plan to tackle the country's biggest problems.

ASHER: Only 29 percent of registered voters surveyed approve of the president's handling of the economy. It's even lower than that, by the way,

for inflation at just 22 percent.

To make matters worse, Trump recently made some comments that likely are not sitting well with voters dealing with rising prices, especially at the

gas pump. We need to listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Our country is making more money than it's ever made because of the fact that oil is so high. Now, they're going to say, isn't it terrible? He

talked about the fact that he doesn't care about the little person, they call them. I care more about the little person than I care about the big

person. I care about the little person like crazy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Time now for The Exchange. Joining us is the former Republican governor of Arkansas, Asa Hutchinson. Governor, great to have you back on

the show.

You called these Fox poll numbers, devastating, for Republicans in swing districts, in particular. Democrats now more trusted on inflation, on gas

prices. What, if anything, can Republicans do to restore their credibility and earn the trust of voters in the remaining few days before the midterms,

especially noting that -- that many have already voted.

ASA HUTCHINSON, FORMER GOVERNOR OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, it's hard to change things at this particular point. And this poll reflects that the

Democrats are stronger on the issues that are impacting Americans. The gas prices, the Iran war, its prices at the grocery store, all of these things

impact them. And it's not going to change between now and the election.

So, the issues are on their side. Although the Republicans have greater strength on border security, and on crime, that's not enough and that's not

what's on the voters' mind.

The second thing, though, is the only hope for the Republicans is to energize and increase the turnout. And that's why President Trump is on the

campaign trail. I was in Montana. I've been in Texas and New Hampshire. And I see the energy on the Democrat side.

President Trump is trying to say, get out and vote. I'm on the ballot. Pretend I'm on the ballot and -- and trying to encourage -- encourage the

voters to come out and reverse this trend that is not good for the Republican side and could have long-term consequences even going into 2028.

ASHER: But the fact of the matter is, even if more Democrats do come into office after the midterms, you know, one of the main reasons why energy

prices are so high right now is because of the Iran war. And the one person who is responsible for that and has the ability to change that is not

Democrats, it's President Trump.

HUTCHINSON: It is President Trump. And he says he'll solve the problem after the election. He can do it at any time, but we heard that before in

reference to the Ukraine-Russian war whenever he ran before. And so there's little credibility in his simplistic statements in regard to that.

I do think that if you have a control of Congress shifting, then the pressure will mount in terms of the president's power and restricting that

power. So, I do see that as a potential for unwinding that war that has really devastated energy prices particularly.

What you see also though are Republicans distancing themselves from the president. That's a growing number because they're fighting for their

survivability in their own district or in their own state.

And so whether it's the buying diesel from Russia, senators are saying that's a bad idea, recognizing that violates our sanctions law. So, you see

some distancing of Republican base from the president's policy. And I think that's likely to continue even after the election.

GOLODRYGA: So, you say from your time on the trail there and visiting states like Montana, Texas, New Hampshire, Florida, this appeal that Trump

is trying to make to voters, pretend I'm on the ballot, you say that actually is a negative for Republicans up for election or re-election. So,

how are -- how are they responding to that?

HUTCHINSON: Well, obviously, the Democrats enjoy that and -- and the voters are actually accepting that and pretending that President Trump is on the

ballot and saying, we're not happy with your policies.

And this is not unique to President Trump. This is true on midterm elections when the president is not on the ballot, but they're expressing

their approval or disapproval.

[12:40:00]

So, it certainly works -- can work in the Democrats favor. The only way it helps Republicans is get out and vote, get out and vote. You've got to

increase that turnout. You've got to energize your base. And that's what the president is trying to do.

It's going to be interesting. And I said, you know, you asked about how do Republican candidates respond to this, very carefully, they're trying to

show a higher level of independence. They're trying to say the president's policies on tariffs is not helpful to us.

President's policy on Ukraine or on Russia is not helpful and they're trying to distant themselves and show independence.

ASHER: How concerned are you about the possibility of Republicans not necessarily accepting the results of these midterms?

HUTCHINSON: Well, they should. We have worked hard to have integrity in our elections. And I think there is a level of worry about steps that President

Trump might take. But I think the states are well prepared to manage this election. I think they absolutely should be accepted. There's ways to

contest close races. There might be some.

But that hopefully will not be a repeat of the past. Accept the elections, move on and learn from them. And that's really what we have to do at this

stage. Because what happens this midterm is certainly going to impact -- impact our ability to win the White House back in 2028.

So, I think you're going to see a different reaction to the election results, hopefully, than what you've seen in the past.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Governor Asa Hutchinson, always great to have you on. Thank you.

HUTCHINSON: Thank you. Good to see you.

ASHER: All right. President trump --

GOLODRYGA: You too.

ASHER: President Trump is calling off the planned livestream of the Fort Hood shooter's execution, reversing a Pentagon announcement that was made

last week.

Trump posted on Truth Social saying that Nidal Hasan will die as scheduled by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed. The former U.S. Army

major was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding dozens more at a Texas military base back in 2009.

GOLODRYGA: The proposed livestream of the event was met with significant public pushback. According to an ABC News poll, 80 percent of adults

disapproved of live streaming the execution.

All right. Still to come on "One World," a new twist in the battle between two tech giants over the future of AI. Details, after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:45:09]

ASHER: All right. Take a look and see what the market are doing. Sessions are clearly mixed. The Dow is up almost one percent. The NASDAQ is down by

about half a percent. The S&P 500 is pretty much flat. This is your Business Breakout.

GOLODRYGA: A global sell-off of tech stocks is dragging down the markets. Investors are worried about rising borrowing costs and tougher competition

from China. That's causing some traders to sour on A.I. investments. The tech-heavy, NASDAQ, had its worst day since July on Wednesday.

ASHER: Despite those wobbly A.I. stocks, Anthropic has had a pretty good year. The maker of Claude A.I. model announced its quarterly sales grew 45

percent to nearly 17 billion compared to the previous quarter. Anthropic is in for the biggest IPO in history soon with a $2 trillion valuation.

GOLODRYGA: OpenAI is accusing a former employee of stealing confidential information about an unreleased device and sharing it with Apple. The

company alleges the employee, who it says previously worked for Apple, downloaded more than 100 sensitive files before returning to work for his

former employer. Apple says it found no evidence to support the claims.

ASHER: CNN's Clare Duffy joins us live now on this with more. What are the stakes essentially, Clare, for these companies in this A.I. gadget race?

Just interesting given the back and forth between OpenAI and Apple with this employee accused of essentially sharing information with Apple.

CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH REPORTER: Yes, that is a really important context here is that these two companies along with much of the tech industry are

racing to create the big gadget for the A.I. era. You saw Apple just yesterday rolling out a smart home device with its new A.I. Siri. OpenAI

has partnered with legendary former Apple designer Jony Ive to work on its own A.I. enabled device.

And so these companies are in tough competition over this -- this topic. Now, this has become a back and forth around alleged trade secrets theft.

Earlier this summer, Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing it of stealing trade secrets related to gadgets manufacturing, alleging that

former Apple employees had taken materials from Apple to OpenAI.

Now, in a new filing in that same case, OpenAI says that one of its former employees has taken materials to Apple. Of course, this, as you said,

includes allegedly downloading more than 100 confidential files, including information related to an unreleased device.

They say in this filing that that former employee, quote, made a presentation about OpenAI's product plans to Apple senior leadership,

including Apple's vice president of operations in Asia. So, quite the back- and-forth fight here around these allegations of trade secrets theft.

But again, I think you get a sense, not only of the stakes here for these companies to create this next big A.I.-enabled device, but also you get a

sense of Silicon Valley culture and just how much employees bounce around between these companies. These employees who work on A.I. are so in demand,

and so we do see them going back and forth.

Of course, Apple denying these latest allegations from OpenAI saying that they have strict policies in place to ensure that new employees don't bring

materials from former employers.

ASHER: All right. Clare -- Clare Duffy live for us there. Thank you for that, Clare.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Still to come on "One World."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I called my mama, my sister, my brother.

WARTANNA HAYWOOD, ATLANTA RESIDENT: Look at God, baby. Look at God.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Drivers say they couldn't believe gasoline prices --

ASHER: I would do that too.

GOLODRYGA: -- fell to 97 cents a gallon at a couple of gas stations. What went on here? We'll tell you why they're so low, after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:50:27]

ASHER: All right. New White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia has repeatedly presented herself as a lawyer, but CNN's White House team found

no evidence that Zacharia passed the bar exam in states where she had lived or worked.

GOLODRYGA: And a source tells CNN Zacharia failed in an attempt to pass the California bar exam after graduating from law school.

On Tuesday, reporters asked where she had passed the bar, Zacharia mentioned her work in China, but it's not exactly clear what credentials

she was talking about.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where did she pass the bar exam at? You said she's an attorney. Where did she pass the bar exam?

TRUMP: Which state?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you tell us?

KATIE ZACHARIA, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: When I moved to China.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where did you pass the bar --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where did you pass the bar exam?

ZACHARIA: When I moved to China.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Zacharia told "The New York Times" that she misheard the reporter's question. At least one watchdog group has asked the State Bar of California

to investigate Zacharia thought claiming to be a lawyer.

All right. AAA says the average price for a gallon of gas in the U.S. is $4.33. But just outside Atlanta, the price is actually a lot lower. And

when I say a lot lower, I mean a lot lower.

GOLODRYGA: Maybe this is what President Trump's talking about, when he keeps talking about lower gas prices than what most people are seeing.

There are two gas stations across the street from each other, kept trying to beat the other with the lowest price. And as Tom Jones from WSBTV

reports, drivers were the winners in the gas price war.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM JONES, WSBT REPORTER (voice-over): People were losing their minds.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It feels like Christmas over here y'all. I need to get down here.

JONES (voice-over): It was the greatest gift of all when they got regular gas at prices we haven't seen this low since the '90s.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) afternoon was 2.54. Then it went down again. Then it went down again. When we pulled in, it was 1.44, 1.39.

JONES (voice-over): Gas got as low as 0.97 cents. Managers at the Amoco and its next door neighbor, Sunoco, on Marietta Street told me they were in the

midst of a gas war. Amoco said its policy is to set its gas prices five cents lower than its neighbor.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to be five cents higher than them and they just don't want to agree to that. They want to match.

JONES (voice-over): Sunoco said it had to keep matching Amoco's price.

JONES: How long is this going to last?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know, sir. You need to ask them.

JONES (voice-over): The gas war made a mess of traffic in the area.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I called my mama, sister, my brother.

JONES (voice-over): It got so bad --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody (INAUDIBLE) this road. You need to get it moving before it gets towed (INAUDIBLE).

JONES (voice-over): Police arrived and blocked entrance to the pumps at both gas stations. Once traffic died down, they allowed drivers back

inside.

Wartanna Haywood usually pays 90 bucks to fill up her truck. She paid $1.14 cents. It cost her $15 to fill up.

HAYWOOD: Yes. Look at God, baby. Look at God.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: Look at God. I would drive -- I used to live in Atlanta. I would drive back just for that.

GOLODRYGA: Just for that. Christmas came early for those drivers.

All right. That does it for "One World" today. Thanks for watching. I'm Bianna Golodryga.

[12:55:37]

ASHER: I'm Zain Asher. Appreciate you watching. "Amanpour" is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END

END