Return to Transcripts main page
Quest Means Business
IDF Chief Warns Of Possible Ground Incursion Into Lebanon; Biden Hosts Meeting On Ukraine With World Leaders; Harris Leans Into Middle Class With Economic Agenda; Storm Strengthens, Forecasters Warn Of Monster Hurricane; Missouri Executes Man Prosecutors Said Might Be Innocent; FAA Says Boeing Workers Feel Pressured To Prioritize Speed; Impact Of McDonald's Self-Serve Kiosks. Aired 4-5p ET
Aired September 25, 2024 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[16:00:22]
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Closing bell ringing on Wall Street, trading coming to a close. We will have. Oh, there we go. One-two-three.
The Argentina Telecom bringing a strong gavel for the day. We are off 300 points, just about almost the low of the day.
The markets and the main events of today: The Israeli military suggests, it is preparing for a possible ground incursion into Lebanon.
Boeing employees felt pressured to prioritize speed over quality. Details of a new government investigation.
And workers, we feared, McDonald's touchscreens would kill jobs, what they actually did was transform how they the restaurants operate and create new
ones.
Well, I am in New York, it is Wednesday, September the 25th. I am Richard Quest and I mean business.
Good evening.
Israel's top general says, the military is preparing for a possible ground incursion into Lebanon as the Israeli Defense Forces call up two reserve
brigades. Israel has now launched heavy airstrikes on Hezbollah targets for three straight days.
Lebanese officials say the latest strikes killed at least 51 people and have injured 200, and the United Nations estimates nearly 100,000 people
have been displaced. Hezbollah, it continues to fight missiles deep into Israel further than ever before.
Now, in Tel Aviv, residents woke up to sirens after Israel intercepted a missile over the city. Hezbollah says the target was Mossad's headquarters.
President Biden of the US says the conflict must not be allowed to spiral out of control.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: An all-out war is possible, but I think there is also the opportunity. We are still in play to have a
settlement that could fundamentally change the whole region.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Nic Robertson is in Tel Aviv, he joins me now.
The mood there, before we get to the details, the mood there tonight?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, the mood here is one of not unexpected. That is that Hezbollah would fire a long-range
rocket. I think relief that it wasn't multiple rockets trying to overwhelm the missile defensive shield that embraces and in engulfs all around major
cities like Tel Aviv.
But at the same time, there is a growing reality here that, things are changing. The ground is changing, the situation is escalating.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (voice over): Close to a million people woken by the sound of Hezbollah's escalation, its first ballistic missile capable of carrying
hundreds of pounds of explosives, intercepted just north of Tel Aviv.
Hezbollah said it was targeting Mossad, Israel's intelligence headquarters, its deepest strikes into Israel yet.
ADM. JOHN KIRBY (RET), COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AT THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: One of the key areas that we've been trying to
prevent, escalation, is between Israel and Hezbollah, up along that border with Lebanon.
So obviously we woke up this morning to these reports deeply concerning.
ROBERTSON (voice over): The IDF quickly destroying the Hezbollah launcher. The missile itself, which caused no casualties taken out by Israel's fast
high-altitude David's Sling interceptor.
Other shorter range Hezbollah missiles falling closer to the Lebanese border. Two men injured in this house, one seriously.
Across the border in Lebanon, Israel continuing its pressure on Hezbollah. Overnight airstrikes hitting a suspected Hezbollah ammo dump. Bombing
continuing Wednesday.
Dozens of people killed, among them civilians, hundreds dead already this week.
Tens of thousands of Lebanese on the move, trying to get out of harm's way, Israel warning them to stay away from their homes until it gives them the
all-clear.
[16:05:10]
This, as Israeli commanders consider their coming moves. At the northern border, the strongest signal yet, Israel readying to deploy troops into
Lebanon.
MAJ. GEN. ORI GORDIN, IDF COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE NORTHERN COMMAND (through translator): We need to change the security situation and we must
be fully prepared for maneuvers and action.
ROBERTSON (voice over): Their ability for action enhanced late Wednesday, the IDF calling up two reserve brigades, a few thousand additional troops.
KIRBY: If you start to see ground forces moving, then it definitely takes the fighting up a notch and we are trying to prevent exactly that outcome.
ROBERTSON (voice over): No decision yet, if or when troops will cross to Lebanon. If it happens, that too, another escalation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (on camera): And another escalation this evening as well, an Iran-backed Iraqi militia of which there are several claim that they fired
the two drones that flew into Eilat in Southern Israel, one of them was taken out by an interceptor missile, but the other one hit the ground and
two people were lightly injured in that.
So, you know, you look at the big picture of what is happening here. There are lots of ways that the situation is escalating. The French president, by
the way, has just in the last hour or so said, "end this escalation." He said he is going to send his foreign minister to Lebanon tomorrow to help
do that.
QUEST: Nic Robertson in Tel Aviv. Thank you, sir.
The US is working with other nations to try to mediate a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, according to several sources. Israeli officials say
the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is open to the efforts as long as people in Northern Israel can return home.
Daniel Kurtzer is a former US Ambassador to Israel and Egypt. The ambassador is with me.
Now the reality is, the United States does seem to be somewhat weakened, my word "impotent" to actually put the necessary pressure to bear to bring
Israel to the negotiating table.
DANIEL KURTZER, FORMER US AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL AND EGYPT: Well, I think there is an element of fatigue as well. The Biden administration along with
Egypt and Qatar has been trying for months to bring about a ceasefire hostage deal in Gaza. That hasn't worked and now, we have two high wire
acts underway -- Hezbollah wanting to maintain his credentials or burnish its credentials as a resistance organization supporting Hamas and Israel is
saying no, we are not going to stop until we are assured that our population is safe in the north.
And so, it is almost a Mission Impossible to try to end this thing diplomatically.
QUEST: How weakened is President Biden in all of this? And I think about all the entreaties he has had, all the "stop this now" to Benjamin
Netanyahu, but of course the US political system now is well and truly in turbo thrust and overdrive and neither side wants to be seen to be giving
any ground.
I mean, it is almost as if Benjamin Netanyahu is taking advantage of the confusion in the US political system.
KURTZER: Frankly, I don't think it is confusion. There certainly is a major political factor here where the administration does not want to see itself
at odds with Israel, but you have a president and an administration that has been very supportive of Israel's right to defend itself first against
Hamas from the October 7th incursion, and now against Hezbollah, which has fired rockets and drones and so forth against Israel almost every day since
October 7th.
So it is not just a question of the political system, it is also a question of US belief that Israel has a right to defend itself and to make sure that
its population is safe and secure.
QUEST: How far though can the US continue to sort of say, we see nothing -- you know, on this program yesterday we had people saying it is in the gift,
if you will, of the US to put the necessary pressure on Israel to ratchet it down or come to the ceasefire or come to sort of peace deal.
KURTZER: I smile because yes, the US potentially has that element of pressure, but who is going to put the pressure on Hezbollah and on Hamas?
And so you have a very disoriented system here where there is an expectation that Israel will be forced to back down, will be forced to
change its policies under pressure while Hezbollah and Hamas get a free pass?
And frankly, you know, better than everybody that is not the way this world works. Israel is going to defend itself against these two enemies who have
created much damage, right?
[16:10:09]
The United States is not going to be a sole pressure point on Israel unless somebody can rein in Hezbollah and Hamas.
QUEST: So, we are then in the situation that having started this, Netanyahu has to finish it, and the reality of real politic.
He has gone in there on both sides and if he is not to be -- the whole thing is not to have been a complete and utter tragedy of death and misery,
then he has to be able to say at the end of it, we've got a buffer that is secure. Israel's borders are secure, and October 7ht could never happen
again.
We may have pissed off our neighbors to the point of hatred, but the country is safe.
KURTZER: Look, I think that is exactly right. If Netanyahu cannot say to the Israeli public that the sixty or seventy thousand people up north are
able to go home, and the other twenty or thirty thousand down south are able to go home, then it is defeat and the Israeli public will understand
standard that they've been seated.
QUEST: Right.
KURTZER: So he needs find an outcome here that satisfies this population.
QUEST: Can I try one other final thought to get your perspective? How much of the rest of the world doesn't understand the mentality, both of
Netanyahu and indeed of the Israeli psyche, which goes something like this: The rest of the world or large parts of the rest of the world hate us. They
will want our destruction regardless. They will never really want to come to our aid anyway.
We are dammed if we do, we are damned if we don't. We may as well prosecute the line that will give us the safety as we see it. And well, frankly to
hell with what everybody else thinks because they will hate us anyway.
KURTZER: You wrote very good talking points for Israel. I think that is a fair approximation of the way they would define their dilemma and it is
basically the world doesn't understand us. We need to protect ourselves, and if we anger the world, so be it as long as we protect our people.
QUEST: Do you believe that is the way they think?
KURTZER: I think a large part of the population believes that, and they certainly believe it after last October where the unimaginable happened,
and there was an invasion of Israeli territory.
QUEST: All right, Ambassador, always a treat and a pleasure and a privilege to have you on the program, sir. Thank you very much.
President Biden is hosting an event on Ukraine. There are other world leaders there. It is all happening in New York. Well, the UN of course is
there.
These are live pictures. I am not mistaken. I am trying to squint to the screen. I think that's Ursula von der Leyen, is it? Is that Ursula? Yes, it
is. It is President von der Leyen.
The screen right now -- the screen is a long way from my eyes and my eyes are getting aged.
They are calling for a Joint Declaration of Support for Ukrainian recovery and reconstruction. President Biden said Russia will be held financially
accountable for the war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: The G7, the United States and our partners reached a decision on unlock $50 billion and the proceeds of those frozen assets, put that money
to work for Ukraine as it rebuilds and recovers its economy.
Today, we reaffirm that with all of our respective countries and legal systems, Russia's sovereign assets will be immobilized until Russia ends
its aggression and pays for the damages caused.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Ukrainian President Zelenskyy addressed the UN earlier in the day, warning Russia is planning to attack his country's nuclear power plants.
And again, said he would not accept anything less than a real and just peace. The president is preparing to present his victory plan to President
Biden tomorrow.
Our UN correspondent, Richard Roth, he is, of course at the United Nations.
Richard, I listened closely to President Zelenskyy. The way in which he detailed the Russian attack on Ukraine's energy facilities, and basically
turned round to the rest of the people in the room and said, how would you like it?
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR UN CORRESPONDENT: That is right, and that is a tactic of President Zelenskyy or any speaker who feels their country is
under threat and the aggression by Russia is to try to make it real for these diplomats in suits sitting there who have listened to thousands of
speeches.
President Zelenskyy said, let us not divide the world, let's come together, united against Russia.
He had harsh words for President Putin, meanwhile President Trump in a rally today, said that President Zelenskyy might be the best salesman on
Earth, because every time he comes to the United States "He leaves with $60 billion."
Zelenskyy and his victory plan go to Washington tomorrow for some progress on this. Zelenskyy and Ukraine want to be able to use long-range missiles
deeper into Russia, but President Biden has to really sign off on that.
[16:55:10]
President Macron of France at the General Assembly promises weapons and support for what he called the remarkable Ukrainians. So that is a little
taste of the Ukrainian action today here, until we move to Washington tomorrow -- Richard.
QUEST: Richard Roth at the United Nations. I am grateful to you, sir. Thank you.
It is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS, live tonight from New York. Busy days, we will have more from Vice President Harris, as she reveals her economic agenda.
The economist, Ken Rogoff is with me and we will talk about it when we return.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: The presidential election is all about economics, so Kamala Harris pitched her economic agenda to middle class voters. She spoke at the
Pittsburgh Economic Club a short while ago.
There, she touted tax cuts in her plans, and accused her opponent, Donald Trump is advocating for the wealthy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS (D), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You see for Donald Trump, our economy works best if it works for
those who own the big skyscrapers, not those who actually build them, not those who wire them, not those who mop the floors.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Mr. Trump doubled down on his plan advocating a cap on credit card interest rates and major tariffs.
Professor Rogoff of Harvard University.
Ken, good to see you.
KENNETH ROGOFF, FORMER CHIEF ECONOMIST AT THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND: Good to see you.
QUEST: They are now down to the brass tacks of economics. The polls show that more voters trust Donald Trump's -- Donald Trump with the US economy
than Kamala Harris.
She has to convince people that she is not just a tax and spender.
ROGOFF: No, that's exactly right. I mean, I think she is doing a very good job at projecting empathy. She is very charismatic. She has given a few
details, but on the other hand, for better or for worse, the voters have not been as happy with the Biden economy, maybe they should be, the
economists tell them, but they're not.
And so she needs to get people thinking about it less. I think she has closed the gap in recent days and trying to bring it closer so that she
could win on other issues.
[16:20:10]
QUEST: The question of helping US manufacturing. Now, she is coming up with a raft of tax proposals of one sort or another. Donald Trump is going for
the sledge hammer of tariffs.
The idea that if a company moves it facilities overseas, they'll pay a 200 percent tariff, that will bring in enough money, but it won't harm the US
consumer. Do you buy this?
ROGOFF: No, I don't know any economist who buys that. It is a tax. We are not going to bring a lot of manufacturing jobs back home with the tariff.
We might bring a lot of manufacturing production in robot-run factories, but we are not going to bring a lot of production home, just like
agriculture used to be a big chunk of the economy and shrinking, manufacturing is headed that way.
But it is still people who love to think about manufacturing workers. It was a long time. They used to campaign saying we are going to help the
farmer. We are going to help the American farmer, and now, it is the manufacturing sector. I don't think that's the future.
QUEST: Except it doesn't play a lot of people. And the reality is that Kamala Harris has to sort of say, I will protect your jobs come what may.
ROGOFF: Well I think, first of all, it doesn't employ so many people anymore, that's the whole point. It shrunk dramatically and a lot of it has
to do with mechanization and automation, not just with foreign imports.
But yes, Kamala Harris, I think has done a good job matching up when Trump says something and frankly it is not a good policy, like I won't tax tips
she matches it to try to take it off the table.
And again, I mean, she certainly projects empathy. She is someone you can sympathize with and try to draw a contrast, which you did in that clip you
played, she does it really well.
QUEST: But at the end of the day, is this, as best you can recall, the weakest set of economic policies with the most vague promises -- well, the
promises aren't vague, but the way they are going to get there, the vagueness of execution that you can remember?
ROGOFF: It is very disappointing. I mean, to the extent Donald Trump did some things right in his first semester, he is walking away from them with
his tax policies. Let state taxes be deductible. Let's have bigger tariffs. Let's not tax Social Security.
I mean, it sounds good if you're trying to win a popularity contest in high school, but they are not going to work very well.
And you're right, I mean, Kamala Harris is very vague about what she is going to do. Very few specifics.
I will give again, her credit, for having a lack of discipline on not saying too much, but I think a lot of people are worried. She was a
California progressive, very forcefully and is she still?
QUEST: Thank you, sir. I am grateful.
Professor Rogoff, joining us from -- thank you.
ROGOFF: Thank you.
QUEST: Now, tariffs and protectionism and high interest rates on the only threats to the global trade, those Houthi attacks in the Red Sea which have
disrupted shipping routes and added to costs, which has made for a tough start to the year for one of the world's largest logistics company, DP
World.
The profits were down 60 percent in the first half. The Dubai-based company said it is confident the rest of the year will be better.
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem is the group chairman and CEO of DP World.
Sultan, good to see you, Your Excellency. Thank you for joining us.
SULTAN AHMED BIN SULAYEM, GROUP CHAIRMAN AND CEO, DP WORLD: Good to you see you, Richard.
QUEST: The reality is that it is very difficult times and if you look at the question of tariffs, what do you make of it?
I mean, they are not good for your business.
BIN SULAYEM: Well, tariffs, protectionism is not good for any business, and world trade is resilient.
You can see, despite all these kind of know tariffs and all of that, trade continued to flow between countries. People will need to sell, people will
need to buy and they will find a way.
Trade and global trade is very important for growth and growth of jobs and very important for sustainability. Unfortunately, we see more voices
talking about protectionism than free trade.
QUEST: If we look at the way DP World is structured, the number of ports that you have. The US is a very significant part of your business in terms
of stuff coming in, stuff coming out.
So how concerned are you with what you're seeing in the country at the moment?
BIN SULAYEM: So far, we see growth in our business, believe it or not. We see growth in every region, whether it is Latin America or Far East, or
Middle East, or Africa -- growth is there, despite the uncertainty.
[16:25:09]
There are certain markets where it has affected, maybe urban America, but the rest of the world and the actual United State economy is very strong
and growing.
QUEST: You see, yesterday I was talking on this program in fact, in the very chair that you're in now, we had the president of Panama who was
talking about the Panama Canal and the ability -- the water problems there and then you look at the Houthis in the Red Sea.
Is it just one of those things that people in your job, you just have to get used to the difficulties? There is nothing you can do about them.
BIN SULAYEM: I tell you, unfortunately, you mentioned the concerns we have with the Red Sea or the Panama Canal and others, these are things
disrupting trade.
Luckily, we had a bigger crisis that happened with the pandemic. We learned the hard way that we have to find intermodal routes for cargo and if there
is a problem. For example, we take cargo today from our port in Karachi all the way to Iraq, all the way to Turkey within seven days crossing land.
So with all what we learned in the pandemic, we can deal with this issues, definitely.
QUEST: Now, I want to show you some video. You and I enjoyed a very pleasant time in Dubai because I mean, you know, you're one of those
leaders who have been there since the beginning.
Have a watch and then we will talk about where you see the future and the growth.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIN SULAYEM: I remember cargo been offloaded -- tires, spare parts, plastic products, food -- your name it because this is the heart of Dubai. This is
where the merchants are. This is where the trading is happening.
They go up to 500 tons to a thousand tons of cargo, and you can see how many of them next to each other.
That is going to India, to Iran, to Africa.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: You remember that, sir? Of course, it was still with the pandemic, which is why we were wearing masks. But I show you that because it is the
significance of trade that still exists and it is our ability to navigate - - pardon the pun, things like pandemics and still come out winning on the other side.
BIN SULAYEM: Absolutely. Absolutely.
Trade is resilient. Trade people want to buy, want to sell, they find a way.
QUEST: What then can be the biggest obstacle? What is the one thing looking today, the United Nations, looking at Dubai, looking at -- what is the one
thing you are most worried about them?
BIN SULAYEM: You know, when we come to UNGA, we always meet the decision makers to advocate for free trade, and it is important for us. But in our
business, my biggest worry is technology.
Technology disruptions is something in case we don't know about it, or we are aware of it or not take into consideration, it is going to affect our
business.
QUEST: You mean cyber --
BIN SULAYEM: And that is why --
QUEST: Do you mean cybersecurity? Do you mean displacement of jobs? What is it when you say that?
BIN SULAYEM: Cyber security is -- we can deal with it in in our IT, but a new technology that could come in, that could affect our business, the way
we run our business, the way we trade -- all of these things are a concern and we have a research department where we study what are the advancement
happening in the world because you need to be on top of technology.
Today, this is the digital age. This is the age of the brain. I tis not anymore a place where people are manufacturing. You can tell what they are
going to do, or do it by hand and you can do things faster.
QUEST: I am grateful to you. Thank you for taking the time to come in and see me. I will see you next time, probably out there in Dubai.
BIN SULAYEM: Thank you very much.
QUEST: Thank you.
Now, let me update you on Hurricane Helene, which is getting stronger. The power is now out to 50,000 people in Western Cuba. The hurricane is
barreling towards the US Coast, the gulf. We will be in Havana for the monster storm.
It is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS. Good evening to you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:32:24]
QUEST: Hello, I'm Richard Quest. There's more QUEST MEANS BUSINESS in a moment.
Florida is bracing for Hurricane Helene. It's already battered the Caribbean. A McDonald's self-serve kiosks, we thought they were a job
killer, the reality has been quite different. We'll discuss why. This is CNN. Therefore only after the news because here the news always comes
first.
A deadly strain of Mpox have been detected in India's southern state of Kerala. Authorities say a man was diagnosed with the virus after recently
traveling to Dubai. More than two dozen people who came into contact with him are in self-quarantine. The strain has been found in several African
nations as well as Sweden and Thailand.
China says it successfully fired an intercontinental ballistic missile with a dummy warhead into the Pacific Ocean. The Defense Ministry says the
launch is part of its annual training as China and Russia conduct joint naval exercises. It's Beijing's first big public announcement about a
missile test in more than four decades.
In Los Angeles, the police have arrested an armed hijacker who took control of a public bus. It was a one-hour pursuit and ended with police puncturing
the bus's tires with a spike strip. One person in the bus was shot and died from injuries and the driver and one passenger had to be rescued.
The southeastern U.S. is bracing for a powerful hit from Hurricane Helene. It's a monster storm that's gaining strength and it's barreling through the
Caribbean towards the Florida Panhandle. The forecasters are warning the area could see a storm surge of three to five meters as Helene grows bigger
and picks up speed. There are now mandatory evacuation orders in place as part of 15 Florida counties and when it makes landfall on Thursday night
the 200 kilometer per hour winds.
Parts of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula already seeing severe flooding and power has been knocked out to 50,000 customers in western Cuba, which is
where Patrick Oppmann is in Havana.
So how are things looking?
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you'd be forgiven for not thinking there was a storm here at all today because of the winds have let
up. But for those people more than 50,000 people to the west of us have been left without power. Of course, they are dealing with the storm as we
speak and the government in western Cuba is taking stock of the tobacco plantations making -- seeing how much of this island's all important
tobacco crop was damaged by the storm.
[16:35:02]
You know, one point today, Richard, you had people in Cozumel, Mexico, being battered while we were feeling the effects of the storm here in
Havana. It's about 400 kilometers in distance, just gives you an idea of how large the storm is. And as it moves through the Gulf of Mexico it gets
more and more hostile. And while it heads to Florida, it could arrive as a category three hurricane that will bring, as you said, tremendous amount of
storm surge that can damaged structures.
So it really means that people need to go away from the coast, either find someplace to hunker down because many homes will not be safe, places to
ride out this kind of storm. So for people in Cuba, they are grateful it did not make a direct hit here but it has left many without power.
QUEST: And now of course it goes on and off, doesn't it? I mean, backed out over water where it will intensify and pick up more strength.
OPPMANN: It will go over historically hot Gulf of Mexico and that is a fuel for hurricanes. When we've talked about climate change this is where it
becomes very important because it becomes more and more difficult for forecasters determine how greatly, how much more it could strengthen. So
they're anticipating a major hurricane category three, it could go more than that.
So certainly for the people who are looking at the storm in Florida even now as the precious remaining hours for them to prepare and even the best
forecasters say that with the waters as hot as they are currently in the Gulf of Mexico, they really can't say how strong this hurricane will be. So
they are urging everyone to take the most caution possible.
QUEST: Patrick Oppmann in Havana, I'm grateful to you. Thank you.
Last night, the U.S. state of Missouri executed a convicted murderer. And this was despite new evidence that suggested he may have been innocent or
at least raised doubt as to whether or not the execution should have taken place or there should have been a stay. Prosecutors -- even the prosecutor
and the family of the victim were calling for his life to be spared, that of Marcellus Williams.
It was 1998, it was a stabbing death of Felicia Gayle, and his lawyers appealed the rulings at the state Supreme Court, the U.S. Supreme Court.
Well, the top court declined to block the execution. Three justices, the liberal three, indicated they would have put the execution on hold. Sonya
Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. They are the liberals and the makeup of the court is now raising questions on the conservatives'
super majority and how it moves.
Our chief Supreme Court analyst is Joan Biskupic, and she's with me.
When I read it, it is so -- look, the point here, Joan, is it is unusual in these cases for dissenters to literally say we're dissenting. Normally you
just get the Supreme Courts decided on these sort of execution decisions.
JOAN BISKUPIC, CNN SUPREME COURT ANALYST: Yes. All the time, first of all, it's good to see you, Richard, and there are plenty of times when the three
liberals or other individual justices break off and want to dissent, but they don't take it public. And this time they felt so strongly that there
should be a stay of execution, a postponement for Mr. Williams' execution that they went public with it.
But I have to stress that they didn't give their legal reasoning and neither did the majority. You know, in these kinds of cases, they handle
them in a quick emergency fashion and they don't explain why they're not -- why they will not intervene or get involved. But you hit it exactly right
in the intro. This was the unusual case where a prosecutor who had been responsible for even having Mr. Williams convicted back in 2001 when his
actual conviction took hold, he had come in and said, look, the evidence was potentially tainted. There are witnesses problems. Yes.
QUEST: So what's it going to take? I mean, this is my -- you know, they seem hellbent. The conservative majority seem hellbent on prosecuting their
own agenda, if you will? Or their own philosophy, because I don't think it's a pro-political thing one way or the other. It is a judicial
philosophy. And I do sometimes wonder why the liberal three bother turning up at all.
BISKUPIC: Well, two things on that. One is I'm just going to give a little history and then I'm going to point you forward to October 9th when we're
going to have a similar case like this.
Back in the '90s, Richard, there were individual justices who went public with their opposition to capital punishment. Harry Blackmun in 1994 said
I'm no longer going to tinker with the machinery of death. But we have not a single justice on this court that is fundamentally opposed to the death
penalty. These three liberals are saying we need better processes. We need to at least wait and, you know, take a look at a case rather than let an
execution go through.
But I want to tell you about a case that's similar to the one that we had last night that's coming up October 9th where a man by the name of Richard
Glossip from Oklahoma is bringing a similar claim of actual innocence.
[16:40:07]
His case has been kicking about the courts for two decades, and the justices will have a chance to actually hear a claim of actual innocence.
QUEST: Right.
BISKUPIC: And we'll see where they go, but just from exactly what you said, the odds do not start in his favor.
QUEST: I'm now going to take you right into the depths and deep political waters. Swim with me. After this election, depending on who wins, depends
on which justice decides I better -- I mean, it's called the Ginsburg principle now because Ginsburg did not retire when she could have ensured a
longstanding replacement for decades.
BISKUPIC: That's right. She could have left when we had a Democratic president and be succeeded by a like-minded liberal. So if former president
Trump regains the presidency, I think we can look to Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, diehard Republicans, diehard conservatives, who
would only leave the court if a Republican were president.
Conversely, if Vice President Harris wins, then we could say, you know, the liberals are still fairly young on this court. The two oldest justices are
Justices Thomas and Alito, and they're only in their 70s, which I think I've told you before, Richard, is really a young justice. But let's say
that Vice President Harris takes the White House, I can see Sonya Sotomayor, who is only 70 but still has been on the court since 2009,
thinking seriously about leaving exactly because of that Ginsburg effect. That she does not -- she might not want to risk being able to stay healthy
in an office for, you know, what could be --
QUEST: Right.
BISKUPIC: You know, the successor to Kamala Harris and maybe she should go while she can and especially if the Senate is controlled by Democrats,
Richard.
QUEST: And just to emphasize here, we're not -- I'm not suggesting, I don't think you think I was, that these justices are doing the work, doing
political work when they make these decisions. It is all to do with their judicial philosophy, which happens to accord with that particular
candidate.
BISKUPIC: Yes, and they admit it. I remember the late chief justice William Rehnquist said if he goes win -- a Republican is not in office, it's going
to be feet-first. He was lucky that when he did die in office, George W. Bush, a Republican was in there and again, no one, none of the current nine
want to have happened to them what happened to Ruth Bader Ginsburg because so much of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's legacy went down the tubes.
QUEST: Right.
BISKUPIC: Yes.
QUEST: Joan, so glad you are with us today. Thank you very much. Thank you.
BISKUPIC: Thanks, Richard.
QUEST: Now, into CNN the House of Representatives has voted to fund the U.S. government. There won't be a showdown before or shutdown before the
election. The bill goes to the Senate, somewhat concerned it would fell when Republicans attached voter I.D. restrictions. Those have now been
dropped from the bill.
In a moment, we'll talk about Boeing.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:45:52]
QUEST: Regulators in the U.S. say Boeing factory workers feel pressure to put production speed over quality, and not enough training is being given
to perform jobs. The FAA launched its special investigation after the terrifying mid-air emergency. The Alaska case, as you know.
Pete Muntean is with me.
Yes, Pete, look, I mean, whoever doubted this? I mean, you know, we've had whistleblowers. These sort of events don't happen. We've had numerous
people saying it's all about the culture of the profitability and that's the change that the new guy is making.
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Well, there is some of a bombshell here, Richard, and this really exposed some skeletons in the
closet at Boeing that had been under wraps for months because the Senate Permanent Committee on Investigations that held this hearing today with the
chief of the FAA essentially laid out what was under wraps for a long time, this FAA audit, also a survey that Boeing did of its employees after the
door plug blowout back on January 5th.
This is of employees in the Renton factory in Washington. That's the same factory where this plane rolled out new without the critical door plug
bolts in place. And so the really big bombshells here, you mentioned the training, you mentioned speed above quality, which is significant because
this was a quality control issue at the heart of this door plug blow out. But then something is really damning here is about the tools.
And one of the workers told the FAA in this audit that he was using a tool that he made himself to measure the gaps in the fuselage on the 737 line
there in Renton. And this is the quote from the audit. "The tool is mechanic made, unauthorized, uncalibrated, unmarked." And when that
mechanic was asked how other door mechanics take the same measurement, he said, they do it all the time.
So this really is an insult to injury for this company that is really taking blow after blow, not only reputationally, but also from regulators.
QUEST: We need to talk more about this. Come back again, sir. I've got to move on to McDonald's. We'll talk. Thank you.
Now, at McDonald's workers have long feared the self-service kiosks would take their jobs. Quite the opposite. New roles and more jobs in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:50:50]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She's been talking about her experience at McDonald's. I worked at McDonald's
over the French fries. It was so hot. I think I'm going to go to a McDonald's next place some place. I'm going to go -- might not be here in
your place. I'm going to go to a McDonald's and I'm going to work the French fry job for about a half an hour. I want to see how it is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Donald Trump telling supporters working at McDonalds, the very definition of an entry level job. In fact, the restaurant says one in eight
Americans have worked at McDonald's at some point. The company has been a fast-food pioneer, whether it's drive through, as you can see, of course in
the originals, or taking orders on digital kiosks.
Now, when the digital kiosks came out, there were worries that those kiosks would replace the workers and threaten their jobs. My colleague, Nathaniel
Meyersohn in work has found out the opposite is true.
Nathaniel, you found out the kiosks show actually free up workers to work in other parts of the restaurant, delivering orders at the pickup counter,
cleaning, and improving the availability, and working in the kitchen. I'm not saying it's a massive difference, but, Nathaniel, from your research,
it is not as if jobs went.
NATHANIEL MEYERSOHN, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: No, Richard, and like you said, when they were first rolled out, that was really the fear. And the
restaurants they rolled them out because they thought it would save money on labor. You know, that's why they were trying to add the technology to
save on labor costs. But that's not what happened. And in fact, we're seeing the main benefit for the restaurants of these kiosks and the main
reason that we're seeing them roll them out is because actually they get customers to spend more.
When you're using the kiosks, you are likelier to order more food or add an extra drink than when you're ordering with a cashier. So that's why we're
seeing the kiosks at more fast-food restaurants. We're seeing them a lot more at Shake Shack.
QUEST: And this idea, so what are the people doing instead behind this? I mean, the employees, what are they up to?
MEYERSOHN: Well, Richard, they've actually -- yes, they've created more work for employees in other parts of the restaurant. They've kind of
created what one analyst told me a restaurant within a restaurant. And you think about all of the different ways now people have to order on their
phones for pickup, for delivery. That's just, you know, creating all of this kind of extra work for employees. So, you know, it's no longer that
you're just ordering a cashier when you walk in, you now have all these different ways to order. So actually it's complicating things in many cases
for restaurant staff.
QUEST: But does this fly in the face of the other research that you've done, which is self-checkout, which is not popular. So here's the thing. So
I can buy the thing and that's great.
MEYERSOHN: Yes.
QUEST: But I don't really like checking out myself, pardon the phrase if you will. You know what I mean. When I get to the checkout.
MEYERSOHN: So, Richard, you know, you compare the kiosk to self-checkout, and by the way, customers have very strong opinions on these topics.
Whenever I do a story so many, you know, readers commenting, they're often commenting on how dirty some of the kiosks are. That was a big one for this
article.
But I think, you know, to go back to the original point, kiosks actually have been more successful than self-checkout, another technology that was
rolled out as a labor savings tactic but has kind of backfired. And the main problem with self-checkout has been all the theft. It's much easier to
steal with self-checkout and all of the issues, the mis-scans.
So, Richard, I think the main takeaway here is the unintended consequences of some of this technology and the restaurants have to be careful. You
know, they're doing AI with drive-throughs. You know, that's going to be a big thing to watch. What are the unintended consequences.
QUEST: Unintended. I'm so glad. Nathaniel, excellent stuff. Nathan Meyersohn with that story tonight.
[16:25:00]
Wall Street finished today mixed. Nearly 300 points off. The S&P 500 all sort of pulled back. The Nasdaq barely budged.
Look at the grid. GM and Ford both dropped more than 4 percent. The two makers were downgraded and analysts say they're facing a tough market and
growing competition from China.
After the break, so much in a busy day that we need to take a "Profitable Moment."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: Tonight's "Profitable Moment," in the 19th Century, they were called the luddites. They were against all the new final technology that was
happening. The equipment in the cotton and the weaving industry in Yorkshire in northern England. Well, they didn't succeed any more than
anyone succeeds today in terms of holding back the tide of technology.
I don't particularly like self-checkout nor do I particularly like ordering from a kiosk. Why not? Not because I can't do it. I spend hours on the
phone, more hours than are honest and decent. Because it deprives me of that human interaction to have a gossip and a giggle, to have a chit-chat
with somebody, to ask them what they think of this on the menu, or, oh, that famous line that we all love so much. Nice weather for the time of the
year or dreadful weather for the time of the year, or it's gotten chokehold all of a sudden.
Do I really care about the weather? No. But I care about that moment of interaction, that chance and the ability to chat with somebody about what's
happening in the world. Well, it doesn't really happen anymore in quite the same way.
You see when I get my morning coffee on the way to the gym, I buy it from a coffee cart on the road on Fifth Avenue here in New York. But I'm not a
luddite. I pay for it using Venmo or whatever it is, and I still have that nice bit of a chit-chat with the man as he gives me my coffee.
END
