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Quest Means Business
Today: Harris And Trump Crisscrossing State Of Michigan; Musk's PAC Spends More Than $100 Million To Get Trump Elected; Israel And Hamas Vow To Fight On After Sinwar's Death; CVS Ousts CEO Amid Financial Struggles; Investigation Underway Into Death Of Pop Star Liam Payne; Cuba Sees Island- Wide Blackout After Power Plant Failure. Aired 4-5p ET
Aired October 18, 2024 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[16:00:08]
JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: US markets closing out their sixth straight week of gains and the chides and cheers and the smiles there
at the Stock Exchange show that, too, perhaps. Those are the markets, and these are the main events.
Kamala Harris says Donald Trump doesn't have the stamina to be president, as both candidates hold rallies in battleground state, Michigan.
Cuba's power grid fails, plunging the island into darkness.
And Simon Cowell says he feels empty after Liam Payne's death, as the late singer's fellow One Direction stars also pay tribute.
Live from New York, it's Friday, October 18th. I'm Julia Chatterley, in for Richard Quest, and this is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
And ad good evening once more. Tonight, a blitz across the state of Michigan as both candidates try to secure that crucial battleground.
Democrat Kamala Harris has three stops, Friday. She will meet with union workers in Lansing later and on Saturday, she'll try to appeal to Black
voters alongside singer, Lizzo, who is from Detroit.
Meanwhile, Republican Donald Trump is also set to hold two events in Michigan. He is spending, or spent the morning doing media appearances on
mostly friendly territory. He canceled other interviews on mainstream platforms earlier this week. The Vice President seized on those
cancelations in Grand Rapids just a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS (D), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He is ducking debates and canceling interviews. Come on. Check this out, his own campaign
team recently said it is because of exhaustion.
Well, if you are exhausted on the campaign trail, it raises real questions about whether you are fit for the toughest job in the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: Alayna Treene is in Detroit for us, Priscilla Alvarez is in Oakland County, Michigan just outside the city. Priscilla, I'll come to you
first, the vice president, saying it's a legitimate question to ask questions about the former president's fitness for the job. She cited
reports of his apparent exhaustion there.
She has moved track to simultaneously attack him, but also make an outreach to the Republicans, do we hear more of that later today?
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, certainly the vice president is going to lean into those criticisms that we have been hearing
her tease out over the last several days, which is essentially that the former president is increasingly, as she has said, unhinged and unstable.
So certainly we'll hear more of that today here at this rally later, but the vice president also knows, and her team knows that they need to fortify
her coalition, and that includes union workers. They are aware that some rank and file members have been leaning toward former President Donald
Trump, so part of the argument today here in Michigan is going to be on labor and manufacturing and trying to draw the contrast with her Republican
rival there.
But today also provides a snapshot on the vice president's path to victory in Michigan. Of the three counties she's going to, one of them voted for
former President Donald Trump in 2016, then Biden in 2020. The other two, Biden won by wider margins in 2020, so this is what the campaign is trying
to emulate and build on now, when she is in Michigan.
On top of all of that, though, they want to capitalize on early voting. That's what campaign officials tell me, that early voting is the first time
it will be allowed in person for a presidential here in Michigan. So the goal is for the vice president to reach these voters, to target her
messaging and try to make sure that they go out to those early voting which is why she's doing that Get Out the Vote event tomorrow with Lizzo, so they
can pull in that coalition early on in what is a crucial state in those blue wall states, and what is up until this point, perhaps the most
favorable path to 270 electoral votes for the vice president.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, such an important point.
Alayna, come in here as well. It's quite fascinating. Of all the counties and all the states in this country, they're going to pass each other within
a couple of hours in Oakland County in Michigan, of course.
What are we going to hear from the former president? Because he was also in New York last night, and the vice president chose not to come, and he was
certainly out swinging against her, too. What are we going to hear from him today?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Well, there's definitely an interesting split screen having them both, not only in the same state, but the same county.
Look, I think you'll hear a lot of what he said last week when he spoke before the Detroit Economic Club.
So he's back in Detroit today, but he was just here a week ago. I was there with him when he made those remarks, and one thing that he did that caught
a lot of attention, Julia, is that he criticized Detroit while being in Detroit, he argued, or really claimed, that Detroit was a developing
country.
[16:05:09]
He said it was more developing than places like China.
So I'd watch out to see whether he tries to clean some of that up when he returns in just a couple of hours.
But I do want to note what he said. So he's already touched down in Michigan. He's first going to Oakland for a roundtable before he comes to
Detroit, but he made some commentary there.
First of all, he addressed some of the recent nearly 2,000 pages of heavily redacted evidence that Special Counsel Jack Smith released in the case
regarding Donald Trump and the classified documents and his alleged mishandling of those. I want you to take a listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I did absolutely nothing wrong. He's a deranged person. You know what it is? It's called
election hunting. That's all they're doing. Election hunting is the weaponization of the justice system, and the people are wise to it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TREENE: So election hunting is how Donald Trump characterized that. Look, this is the same type of rhetoric we have heard from Donald Trump with
regard to all of the indictments that he has faced, but particularly now in this final stretch before November 5th, both Trump and his campaign are
really leaning into this rhetoric, that this is interference in the election rhetoric. We heard him, of course, discuss last night during his
speech at the Al Smith Dinner.
But now to get back to your point about what he's going to be saying in Detroit, one thing that I think will be very clear is he's going to talk
about the auto industry, about wanting to reinvigorate the auto industry.
He's going to talk about the trade deal that he negotiated when he was president. He's going to say he wants to say he wants to renegotiate that,
it was the one the deal between Mexico and Canada.
I also think you'll hear him really lean in to the economy, and probably talk a lot about -- or excuse me, immigration as well. We know that those
are the two issues that his campaign believes, where he is polling better than Kamala Harris, and really, that has been the focus of the majority of
his speeches in recent weeks -- Julia.
CHATTERLEY: Yes and try to avoid those indirect or direct insults along the way. We were just showing live pictures there, both candidates incredibly
busy in these final few weeks.
Priscilla Alvarez and Alayna Treene there, thank you so much for that.
Now, Elon Musk said the fate of America and Western civilization are at stake as he spoke in support of Donald Trump, on Thursday. The billionaire
held his first solo town hall in Pennsylvania, where he told audience members he believes the election could come down to a handful of votes in
that state.
He also repeated false conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, and he blamed Democrats for crime in major cities.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELON MUSK, CEO, TESLA: Unfortunately, the situation we have here is, is that the Democratic Party will not put hardened criminals in prison, and so
they roam free and they prey upon you.
And if we get -- if we get four more years of this, I mean, we're going to be fully "Mad Max" you know? It's like -- it's nice to watch a "Mad Max"
movie, but we don't want to be in the "Mad Max" movie.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: Musk has also become an important financial ally for the Trump campaign. His super PAC has now spent more than a hundred dollars million
on the race, that's according to the latest financial disclosures.
About three-fourths of that money was donated by Musk himself, and he is set to host events in Pennsylvania throughout the weekend, too, in support
of the former president.
Sara Fischer joins us now.
Sara, great to have you with us.
You can give money to super PACs and many of these influential and billionaires have, you can come out directly in support of the former
president or a candidate, and some have, at least as far as Trump is concerned, but literally stomping for him is something entirely different.
What is driving this do you think for Elon Musk?
SARA FISCHER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA ANALYST: I think he is a slow on ramp, but now that he's in, he is totally in. Remember he said, at first, I am not,
you know, he was a Democrat. Then he said, I'm not going to vote for Democrat. Then he says, I'm going to vote for Republican. Then he said he
was going to endorse Trump. It's been sort of like a step by step slow integration, but now Elon Musk is fully integrated in with this campaign,
and I think for him, by the way, it's great for his business.
X has become a platform where conservatives feel like they have a voice, and he's driving a lot of engagement amongst that audience, and so he's
just leaning in. I think it's what he personally believes. I think he likes Trump. I think he thinks it's good for X.
CHATTERLEY: I wonder whether it's sort of to your point, less about Trump and actually more about Biden, because he has been a bit of an afterthought
over the last four years.
I mean, he was snubbed in that high profile electric vehicle event, if we go back to 2021. Biden ridiculed his business and said, if he wanted NPR to
disappear, he should buy it, which is obviously a news organization. The SEC is pursuing a separate investigation into X, formerly Twitter and that
purchase in 2022.
It's sort of been a tough ride. Do you think this is part of it? Or do you think the politics also is fueling this? The idea that actually Trump
represents an era of far less regulation, perhaps to your point about his businesses.
[16:10:09 ]
FISCHER: I mean, I think he thinks he has something to gain for sure, if Donald Trump were to win. Remember, he said he would give Elon Musk a
Cabinet position, the Department of Efficiency is something that they joke about a lot, but ultimately, I think Elon Musk is just a contrarian.
And the Donald Trump campaign represents populists, it represents people who feel like they don't have a voice, that they take the opposite point of
view. That is what Elon Musk always has been.
And so I think the ethos of this campaign, the contrarian ethos of this campaign, the Trump campaign, is what Elon Musk aligns with the most, more
than politics, more than policy, it's the vibe.
CHATTERLEY: And he's been very vocal about immigration as well, and their concerns about the border and what that might mean for voting patterns in
the future. Do you think he's got political aspirations? I mean, the business, I don't even know how you'd sort out distancing him from the
businesses that he's involved in. But do you think this is also about political aspirations one day, or do you think he thinks he's influential
enough with his money and his ability to do what he's doing now?
FISCHER: Elon Musk is really unpredictable, so never say never. But we do know that he has a big ego, and people in politics tend to have big egos.
I think that Elon Musk likes doing the engineering stuff. He likes to be an innovator and a creator. It's not just SpaceX. It's not just Tesla. I mean,
it's Neuralink, it's X, it is so many different things. It's X AI.
I don't think he's quite ready to step back from running all of these private companies, but I do think that if he were to have the opportunity
to get closer, involved to a Trump administration, he would absolutely take it.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, I've spoken in the past to people around him, and they do say that this is behind the ambition and the drive and his unique
creativity is a desire to improve things for people and improve our existence, and sort of push boundaries in that sense. Do you think some
part of this comes down to his belief in what one side's policies represent, and his concerns about what that means for the future, versus
Trump?
Because to your point, he did back Biden in 2020 and he voiced concerns about Trump, but here we are today. I'm not sure I believe it's fully about
business.
FISCHER: That's true. There is one issue that Elon Musk has brought up that does hit home personally to him, and it's the issue of transgender kids,
and it's something that he said one of his kids have faced.
This is a huge issue for the Republican Party. Conservatives going back to 2020, even have made, you know, this issue a centerfold of the campaign. I
think that's something he really relates to. In fact, that's something he said.
And so I think of all the policies, if you think about big business and tax and immigration and energy, of all of them, this is the one that he cares
about the most, and that's why he's aligning right now with Republicans.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, I think it's an important point. They sort of describe that sensation of having lost a child, whatever you feel about the issue,
certainly very personal.
Sara, great to have you with us. Thank you. Sara Fischer there.
Now, Hamas has confirmed the death of its leader, Yahya Sinwar, who was killed by Israeli forces. Some people in Gaza held prayers for him today.
We'll have the very latest after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:15:38]
CHATTERLEY: Israel's chief pathologist says Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar died from a gunshot wound to the head after being seriously hurt in battle.
Some in Gaza held prayers for him on Friday while Israeli leaders met to discuss their next move. Hamas says Sinwar's death has not changed its
demands. The group refuses to release any hostages until Israel withdraws from Gaza and frees Palestinian prisoners. US President Biden and other
Western leaders say Sinwar's death does offer hope for a ceasefire.
Matthew Chance is in Tel Aviv for us tonight.
Matthew, great to have you with us.
It seems like Hamas, in light of the death of Sinwar are digging their heels in and saying, look, these are our demands, and we're sticking to
them. The Israelis, their part, are saying, look, we're not going to move or negotiate, it seems, on a ceasefire until we get our hostages back. That
feels like as close to checkmate as we've been now for many weeks and months.
Why the optimism from the United States that this might create a breakthrough?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think it's, it's, it's hopefulness, it's hope that this could break the deadlock, that
this could be a turning point, a pivotal moment in this very bloody ongoing conflict. But it's not a certainty.
I mean, we've heard from the Israelis and others saying that this could be a winner of opportunity. It could be the start, you know, the impetus that
sets in motion a negotiation to get the hundred or more hostages that are still being held inside Gaza out, but that's not being reciprocated by the
other side.
Hamas, as you mentioned, have acknowledged that Yahya Sinwar, the leader of the organization has been killed by Israel, but they did that after a
couple of days of the news being banded around, but they said they were confident they would eventually be victorious, and they said that Israel
wouldn't get its hostages back, you know, until Israeli aggression had stopped against the people of Gaza.
But you know, so given all of that, we're waiting to see what happens in the next several days and several weeks, as these -- as if any negotiations
get underway to resolve it.
In the meantime, there's been new information that is starting to come out about the circumstances around the killing of Yahya Sinwar and what might
happen next with his remains. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHANCE (voice over): The latest images of the Israeli patrol that killed Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader troops apparently stumbled upon in the ruins
of Southern Gaza.
This is the tank fire the Israeli military says was part of the attack that ultimately killed the man who orchestrated the October 7th attacks, shortly
after he was caught in this remarkable drone video resting on a chair and lashing out with a stick, a last gesture of defiance as Israeli forces
closed in.
CHANCE (on camera); Okay, well, this is what's left of the neighborhood of Tell es-Sultan in the southern Gaza Strip.
CHANCE (voice over): The Israeli military says it's the same area they took me to on a press trip last month. It was in the rubble of these same
buildings, Israel's most reviled enemy briefly emerged and was killed.
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE speaking in foreign language.)
CHANCE (voice over): Now, the remains of Sinwar are being held at a secret location in Israel according to local media reports. Israeli sources tell
CNN, they could eventually be used as a bargaining chip in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages as Israel weighs how to create pressure quickly
on Hamas in the aftermath of the Sinwar killing.
But Friday prayers in Gaza, the Hamas leader was mourned in his battered hometown of Khan Younis.
(PEOPLE praying)
CHANCE (voice over): Israeli Sources tell CNN, this concern returning Sinwar's body would rally supporters and risk his grave site becoming a
shrine.
But across Israel, families of Israeli hostages are stepping up pressure for any deal to bring their loved ones home, that means swapping Sinwar's
remains, says one Israeli source, then, fine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[16:20:09]
CHANCE (on camera): All right, well, Julia, the problem at the moment, is that, you know, it's not like this conflict and the holdups in the
negotiation were just about one man. It's true that Sinwar was a hardliner, that he had very tough demands when it came to the negotiations with
Israel. But there's another side of that coin as well, which is Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has his own hardline right-wing
coalition partners to satisfy.
Any negotiation with Hamas and any resolution to the war, and a number of those figures in the Israeli government, the people that prop him up in
power have already indicated that they don't think that now is the time to stop the fighting.
Back to you.
CHATTERLEY: Matthew Chance, thank you so much for that report.
Now, President Biden said today that the road to peace in the Middle East will be difficult. He's on his way back from Berlin, where he met with the
leaders of the United Kingdom, France and Germany. President Biden said they believe there's a way to stop the back and forth between Israel and
Iran.
Ukraine also a major topic of discussion. The leaders pledged to keep supporting Kyiv, but President Biden said there's still no consensus on
letting Ukraine use long range weapons against Russia.
Fred Pleitgen is in Berlin for us.
Fred, no change there, and that much to the disappointment, certainly of the Ukrainians, we can talk about that, but I do think that that point
about there being some way to perhaps stop the back and forth between Israel and Iran is an interesting point to make, particularly while the
world still is waiting to see how Israel responds to Iran, and obviously there, at the suggestion from the United States has been that could come
before the presidential election.
How do they believe they can circumvent that?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the president didn't really say how exactly he believed that that can be
circumvented. All he said that those he believed that that back and forth between Iran and Israel could be stopped, and he believed and he was quite
optimistic about that.
It's quite interesting because it actually comes in a situation where the Israelis are still saying they are going to strike back, and they have said
that that strike is going to be very sudden, that the Iranians won't know what hit them, I think was something that the Israelis said, and that it
was going to be tough. It was going to be a harsh response to that massive ballistic missile attack that the Iranians launched, which did hit an
Israeli air base.
Now the Iranians, for their part, have said that if Israel retaliates that, then there would be an answer coming from Iran. So how exactly the US
president believes that the back and forth can be stopped is really difficult to say. He did also mention, though, and this came to a
reporter's question where he was asked if he had any sort of insight into what exactly the Israelis are planning to do and when they plan to do it.
And in both of those questions, he said yes and yes. And then he was asked whether or not he would disclose any of that, and he said no and no.
And so it seems as though there is some insight by the administration about what could happen next, but certainly not something that they're going to
disclose right now, but at the same time, you do still have, obviously, a very charged atmosphere right now in the Middle East, where the Iranians
are unequivocally saying that if their territory is struck, if their assets are struck, that they then will strike back.
Now, of course, they have not said how exactly they're going to do that, and they also have said that they don't want further escalation in the
greater Middle Eastern region. So maybe that is some sort of inroad where the president believes that there could at least be a halt to that back and
forth that's going on that really is something that has been destabilizing that entire region for quite a while now -- Julia.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, and I think that perhaps the caveat is the proximity to a presidential election where a president, whether he's fighting for re-
election or not, wants to at least take some kind of optimistic tone, be it a ceasefire in Gaza or, to this point, trying to prevent some ongoing or
escalation back and forth between Israel and Iran.
Can we be anyway optimistic about the Ukrainian situation? I mentioned there, no breakthrough in terms of longer range weaponry use, certainly in
terms of their hopes to tackle Russia back on their territory. Where are we now, Fred? And what's the thinking with the Europeans certainly?
PLEITGEN: Well, I think one of the things -- yes, I think one of the things that at least the Ukrainians will be optimistic about is that at least the
United States and their key donors here in Europe, if we look at Germany, the UK, and France, those certainly are by far the biggest nations here in
Europe, as far as contributing military gear and also assets, financial assets, to Ukraine's fight as well, that appears to be going on.
I mean, one of the things that we heard from President Biden is that there was near unanimity, as he put it, that Ukraine needs to be further
supported by these nations, he said that Ukraine would stay in the fight. And then we also had Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor of Germany, come out and
say that Germany would support Ukraine for as long as it takes, and its partners would do exactly the same thing. So at least, as far as that is
concerned, it seems as though military aid will continue to flow.
Of course, one of the big uncertainties that these European nations face, and everybody here in Europe faces is the US presidential election, and
what will happen after that, specifically, if there is a Trump presidency with some of the things that Donald Trump has said.
[16:25:11]
But the Ukrainians are saying that for them, it is still key to try and get the go ahead from the US and its allies to use some of those longer
distance weapons that they have already received from the US and from other countries to be able to use those to strike deep into Russian territory.
And I think the belief in Kyiv is that the way the US goes is the way that the other countries go as well, meaning that if the US allows the
Ukrainians, for instance, to use some of those longer distance weapons, like those ATACMS, surface-to-surface missiles, that then other nations
would do the same thing, like, for instance, the UK with the Storm Shadow missiles, or the French with the Scout missiles, which is essentially the
same weapon.
So right now, the Ukrainians still hoping for that. They have said that those capabilities are key for them to try and blunt the Russian assault
that they're currently facing. Because if you look on the battlefield right now in Ukraine, it is the case that, especially in the east of the country,
the Russians do have a good degree of momentum right now. They are gaining considerable amount of territory, much more so than they have really, in
the past phases of the war, if you will.
So right now for the Ukrainians, they say getting that is key. So far, though, no answer coming from the United States on that -- Julia.
CHATTERLEY: No, and certainly not to be expected ahead of a presidential election, one wonders whether there might be some kind of breakthrough once
we have clarity on who takes the White House in January, we'll see.
Fred Pleitgen, great to have you. Thank you.
Okay, coming up for us, Liam Payne's One Direction, bandmates have each released statements now after his death, while authorities try to piece
together the events leading up to the singer's fall, all the very latest, just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHATTERLEY: Hello, I'm Julia Chatterley and this is more QUEST MEANS BUSINESS in a moment when we'll head to Cuba, where a massive blackout has
paralyzed the island nation.
And polls show the US election turning into a battle of the sexes, with women skewing Democrats and more men backing Republicans. We will look at
how dating apps are responding to the divide.
But before that, the headlines this hour.
[16:30:17]
A hefty trove of documents has been released in the 2020 election subversion case against former U.S. President Donald Trump. Special Counsel
Jack Smith released almost 2000 pages of evidence, but nearly all appeared to be completely redacted.
South Korea's spy agency says North Korea has shipped 1500 soldiers to Russia for training. It's said to be part of a plan to help Moscow in its
war against Ukraine. The announcement coming after repeated warnings from Ukraine that Kim Jong-Un's troops are joining the war.
CVS has named a new CEO. The largest U.S. drugstore chain has been struggling with slowing growth. Its shares around 20 percent this year.
Longtime executive David Joyner is now taking the reins from Karen Lynch, who was in the role for less than four years.
Authorities in Argentina say police have now interviewed six people regarding the death of pop singer Liam Payne. They are all believed to have
witnessed Paine before he fell to his death from a third-floor hotel balcony. Police are awaiting the results too of a toxicology report to
determine if Paine was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Simon Cowell, who put together the members of One Direction, paid tribute to Payne on Instagram, as have each of the band's former members. Anna
Stewart is in London for us. Anna, an entire industry, I think, acting with sadness, horror at what took place in the last few days. But I also think
there's some soul searching going on. His challenges with alcohol and his addiction. He was very open about it I think were well known to people for
a number of years, and this was a manufactured band. I think there's a lot of finger pointing happening too.
ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: I think there is, and I'm not sure whether it's really being addressed at this stage. I think we're getting lots of
statements and tributes and lots of sort of grief being shared. But I think there will need to be a moment where that is addressed in the interviews
that Liam Payne has done over the years, where, as you say, he's been very vocal about having substance abuse issues.
Also has had mental health issues. He has had suicidal thoughts, he shared all this, and he's also pinned it down to the rise to fame as a young man,
as a teenager, really, 16 years old I think when he formed that band. He mentioned at one point, I think that when they got really famous, the way
that they had to deal with the sort of security around them when they were on tour was to simply kind of lock them in each of their rooms.
That was the safest thing to do. But of course, for a young teenager like Liam, he said that was just inviting him to have a party of one, and which
was something he continued for many years. So, this wasn't he struggled with. This is clearly an issue for the industry to deal with, particularly
with young people.
CHATTERLEY: Yes. And I think one of the other sad parts of this, Anna, as well, we know he's -- was a father to a seven-year-old child that the
mother of that child, very high-profile singer, Cheryl in her own right, and we've not yet heard from her, I believe.
STEWART: I think, actually, we have just had a statement out. I don't actually have it on me, but Cheryl has released a statement speaking about
her grief. And actually, we've also had a statement from his current girlfriend who was in Argentina with him, you know, just days before she
left, two days before he died. And she's also released a statement talking about how shocked she is, how she almost feels like the last few days
haven't been real.
And she said, I want you to know I loved you unconditionally, completely. I will continue to love you for the rest of my life. But her have, you know,
Liam's family, they're all very much asking for privacy at this stage so they can process all this and grieve it. And it must be hard, because the
whole world is also grieving this loss at the same time, all of those fans on the streets paying tribute to him.
CHATTERLEY: Yes. I've actually just found that, as you mentioned, the mother of his seven-year-old child did release a statement as I tried to
navigate this earth-shattering event and work through my own grief at this indescribably painful time, I'd like to kindly remind everyone that we've
lost a human being. He was not only a pop star and a celebrity, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and a father to our seven-year-old
son. Yes. Very sad, Anna. Very sad. Thank you for that report. Anna Stewart there.
All right. Still to come, millions of people in Cuba are without electricity after the island's main power plant failed. We've got report
from Havana just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:37:33]
CHURCH: Welcome back to QUEST MEANS BUSINESS. Cuba has been plunged into darkness after one of the island's main power plants failed. Millions of
people on the communist-run Island have been left without electricity over the last few days as the country's aging electrical grid repeatedly
collapsed. Cuban officials blame the disruption on a combination of economic sanctions from the United States and damage from recent
hurricanes.
Patrick Oppman is in Havana for us. Patrick, to what extent is this about energy shortages or simply aging infrastructure as well, unable to cope and
how are people handling it?
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is a slow-motion disaster that has been years, if not decades, in the making. Of course, you have subsidized
electricity here. It's very inexpensive, but that means that the government simply has not reinvested in this electrical system, which, in some
exaggeration, is really held together with duct tape. And so many of these plans over the last few days and weeks have been taken offline because they
are so overworked and underfunded.
And actually, the prime minister of Cuba came on T.V. last night to warn people that worst cuts were in store. I don't think really anybody
anticipated, though, the entire island, we're talking about an island of over 10 million people would be without power now going into hour five of
one of the most serious power cuts in many, many decades. And again, Cubans are used to power cuts. It's part of life here.
Part of life in an island that is both under U.S. sanctions and is run by a very controlling government that, you know, runs all state utilities. All
the same, though, people are concerned because of such a massive power outage. What does this mean? Is our food going to spoil? How long is this
going to go on for and makes a life very, very difficult. School was out today. Will school be back next week?
And does it mean that there will this will essentially be the new normal, where we can expect the power to go out for longer and longer periods
already, outside of Vanna, you have period -- you have power cuts of 12 hours more per day. There's a lot of fear that that could be coming this
way to the capital, which up on the now, has kind of gotten away with a couple hours a day of power cuts.
Certainly, this is the first time that is not involved a hurricane or natural disaster where we've seen the entire island without power for so
long, Julia.
CHATTERLEY: Patrick, are people panicking to your point, given the uncertainty over how long this lasts and whether or not there will be -- in
order to manage this, at least in the short term, longer period of blackout or are people given that they're sort of, to some degree, used to smaller
ones just saying, OK, well, we, you know, we can handle this. We sort of carry on regardless and do our best.
[16:40:23]
Cubans are tough. They've had to be with all the recent history. But there's an eerie quite other than the generator, our generator behind me
which is allowing us to be on air as long as the fuel lasts, which is -- which is the next headache, I think, when people's food begins to spoil,
because it's so hard here to find food to go around to all these different markets when you don't really have good public transportation.
So, for Cubans to have anything in their fridge really is an accomplishment. If that starts to spoil, people will begin to get upset.
Also, you don't get water here very regularly. Only when there's electricity can you get water in your house, and that's another issue when
you don't have water in a tropical climate. It makes life very, very uncomfortable. So, I think people are hopeful the power will come back on
soon but there are no guarantees.
The government says this is going to be slow going, and they're not predicting what electricity will be restored an island of 10 million
people. It's getting to be dark right now and a little bit cooler this evening but about certainly, you know, when it's very, very hot and people
can't sleep in their homes, it gets uncomfortable. And I think we all get a little -- a little grumpy, if not worse.
CHATTERLEY: Yes. As tough as you are. But Patrick, just very quickly. So, what you're saying is, you -- there's no running water right now and no
flushing toilets either, because the water system doesn't work when the electricity --
(CROSSTALK)
OPPMANN: it That's right. And already, on a good day, you get a couple hours of water on a good day, you know, it's one day of water, one day not.
I know that sounds crazy, but that's the life you get used to here and you store your water. Now the problem is, when today should have been someone's
water day, they're not getting water, and so then they won't have water for a couple days.
And that means you can't do your laundry, you can't wash your dishes, you can't take a shower, and it really adds to a number of other problems not
least of which is some of the hygiene problems in the country that has dengue. So, that is where people start to lose their cool. There's no
water, their food spoils. And, you know, even in hospitals right now, you know, there's not enough fuel for the generators in our building which is a
building that has foreign companies in it, it is supposed to be prioritized in hospitals, places like that, government buildings that have always had
power in the past, they are without power right now.
Again, five hours isn't terrible. People have done that. But if we go all weekend with it, come Monday, I think there will be a change in attitude,
and people will be starting to question, when is the government to get their act together? Because again, no natural disaster here. Nothing to
provoke this other than an aging system lack of gas deliveries, a government that is essentially bankrupt and cannot pay providers of fuel.
They have to rely on donations and they've not been getting enough of those lately.
CHATTERLEY: Yes. And therefore, haven't invested in renewing the grid either in updating technology. Patrick, we'll reconvene. Thank you so much
and stay safe. Patrick Oppmann there.
All right. In Angola, infrastructure, another conversation is reshaping the face of trade in southern Africa. The Lobito port and rail project is set
to become a vital trade route linking Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo with the rest of the world. Connecting Africa's Eleni
Giokos takes a closer look at the project and the impact it could have on global trade.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT voice-over): Located along Angola's 1600 kilometers of coastline, the Atlantic port of Lobito is the nation's second largest port
operating around the clock. It's seen as a gateway to the West.
DAVID REEKMANS, MANAGING DIRECTOR, AGL LOBITO TERMINAL: This port is currently doing less than 30,000 containers a year, which is not much at
all, and we're making an advancement of over one $50 million which really proves that we believe in the future of that terminal.
GIOKOS (voiceover): Last year, Africa Global Logistics secured a concession to revitalize and manage the port.
REEKMANS: The volumes from March 24 to June 24 are already 20 percent higher than the volumes from the same period last year.
GIOKOS (voiceover): But this port is just a fraction of the greater Lobito economic corridor the.
REEKMANS: The railway is coming straight into the terminal and ends a few 100 meters from the vessels that are coming to Lobito.
GIOKOS (voiceover): The 1300 kilometers of rail traverses Angola to connect with a 400-kilometer railway in the Democratic Republic of Congo which is
one of the world's largest copper and cobalt reserves. There are plans to extend the line on Ndola in Zambia. The Lobito Atlantic railway is
investing $250 million to improve efficiency of the rail within Angola and add 1500 wagons to its fleet.
FRANCISCO FRANCA, APPOINTED CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, LOBITO ATLANTIC RAILWAY: Lobito corridor is much more efficient. So, it takes six days to
35 days. So, it's 30 days difference.
GIOKOS (voiceover): As these projects get underway, the companies are setting high expectations.
FRANCA: Today, we do 200,000 tons per year. We want to reach five million services around the railway. That's -- and the economic development, you
know, small business, medium business, large business, so everyone will benefit from this corridor.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHATTERLEY: And coming up for us, Donald Trump's relationship with Fox News back under the microscope after he said the network helped him write his
speech he gave last night. They, by the way, have denied it. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:48:55]
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back. Fox News says its staff had nothing to do with jokes made by Donald Trump at a charity dinner. During his speech in New
York, Trump insulted Kamala Harris and her family. The Vice President sent her video message to the Al Smith dinner, which is bipartisan and usually
held in good natured. Trump said the jokes were written by people at Fox during a visit Friday to the network.
He also complained that Fox was airing ads for the Harris campaign. Just listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You never played negative ads. In other words, when I leave here, I'll then be hit by five or six ads. And in
the old days, you never had --
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: Yes. Well, in the old days, but in the old days, which wasn't -- when I leave, I'll have 12 people from Kamala on -- and, you know, pretty
much unopposed. For 19 days, I don't think we should do that anymore. I think you shouldn't play negative ads.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: Brian Stelter is with us now. Brian, that wasn't what I thought I was playing. I thought I was playing where he suggested that someone at
Fox had helped him write some of the jokes or some part of that speech, and of course, Fox has denied it.
[16:50:04]
BRIAN STELTER, FORMER CNN CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: I think what he said in that clip is really interesting for the following reason. Donald Trump
is obsessed with Fox News. He watches it all day long when he's not on the campaign trail. And he hates seeing ads that are about him. The
oppositional ads, the negative ads the Democrats are buying on Fox. They're clearly getting under Donald Trump's skin, so much so that he says he's
going to the head of the company to complain about the negative ads.
But here's the thing, Julia, in the United States, there are government laws that basically require T.V. stations to carry political ads even if
they're negative, even if they're full of lies actually. These are federal laws that apply to broadcast stations, like the stations owned by Fox. Now,
those laws don't always extend entirely to cable news, like Fox News, but Fox News, CNN, other networks, they basically play by the same rules.
So, you kind of have Donald Trump today saying, I'm going to go ask Rupert Murdoch to break the law. Of course, Fox is not going to do that. Fox is
going to keep airing the ads. But it's really revealing that these negative ads are getting under Trump's skin.
CHATTERLEY: Yes. I'm going to tell him something very simple, because I can't talk to anybody else about it. Don't put on negative commercials for
21 days. I mean, you could -- you can hear him saying it and the bar shouldn't be different for one candidate and the other. But it's sort of
very Trumpian. It's like criticizing a central bank governor, Jay Powell, and saying, look, I should get a say in what the central bank does.
And everyone's like, whoa. That would be a really bad idea. Or it's, you know, in this case, arguably against the law. It's sort of very Trump.
STELTER: It is quintessential. We're used to it at this point, but it's still very much outside the norms of American politics, in the same way
that Trump has threatened every broadcast network in the U.S., in some cases, saying he wants to take away their licenses. And I think we should
take those threats seriously. When he threatens Google, when he threatens ABC or Comcast, it is something that is serious.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, it is serious. And I think the point to make is that it won't change things. So, don't watch that or watch this conversation and
think that anything will change as a result, because it won't. And I think that's a vitally important point to make as well. What did you make of what
happened in New York at the Al Smith dinner because one candidate didn't turn up, Harris chose to continue campaigning in the battleground states?
The former president turned up. Talked for a while, at times, very funny. What did you make it and who wins or loses most by what happened either not
turning up or perhaps talking too much?
STELTER: I do think Trump was very funny. You know, he had some great writers. He said some people at Fox helped him write the jokes. Fox has
actually denied that. It turns out there's a comedian who sometimes helps with some Fox writers, but he's not technically an employee. So that's what
Trump was talking about. But look, this actually was best for both candidates. Why? Because Trump appeared to be the institutionalist, for a
change, showing up being part of the tradition roasting Harris.
But Harris has better places to be right now. She's focusing on the battlegrounds, and quite frankly, she didn't want to sit there and listen
to Donald Trump insult her to her face. It's probably smarter for her not to create those television images, because those images would have been
replayed for days at a time. So, for her to be absent was actually probably the right political calculation this year.
CHATTERLEY: My favorite line that he used was, it was nice to be in New York without a subpoena. Having been forced to go into New York. There was
some funny moments, so kudos to whoever wrote that. The comedian on the night was also quite funny. I just want to play something that he said
about the Democrats as well, which maybe for some of the Democrats in the room, one could argue, was uncomfortable given the commentary they've said
about the threat that Trump presents to democracy. Just listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF GAFFIGAN, COMEDIAN: The Democrats have been telling us, Trump -- Trump's reelection is a threat to democracy. In fact, they were so
concerned of this threat, they staged a coup, ousted their democratically elected incumbent and installed Kamala Harris. In other words, all her dreams have come true.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: I was actually just looking at Mike Bloomberg space there in the bottom left-hand of the screen to see -- to see how he reacted. What do
you make of that?
STELTER: You know, some Americans, especially on the left, say there's nothing funny about politics right now. The threat to democracy is too
serious. This is not a time for roasts. It's not a time for humor. I respectfully disagree. I think we have to laugh so we don't cry. And I
think as Americans, you know, we're about to go through an incredible stress test in this country. This election is going to cause a lot of
anxiety and emotions, hopefully not unrest, but anything could happen in the months to come.
We have to find a way to live together next year in the same way that folks in every other democracy in the world do. And one of the ways for neighbors
who are right now battling each other, one way to get along is to laugh, is to actually find some humor in this. So that's actually why I appreciated
last night.
[16:55:02]
It's not going to sway any votes, but it matters to be able to laugh at each other and to poke fun at the other side. I think it's a way forward,
Julia.
CHATTERLEY: Yes. Love and laughter a way to connect us rather than divide us. I couldn't agree with you more. Brian, great to chat to you. Thank you.
STELTER: Thanks.
CHATTERLEY: All right. U.S. election polls show a vast gender gap among the electorate two. A recent ABC News and Ipsos survey had Donald Trump winning
with men by eight points. Meanwhile, his rival Kamala Harris leading among women by nine points too. That split is causing tension in the dating world
too. So much so the popular dating apps are introducing new features for potential partners to show their political views.
This cuts right to Brian's point. Clare Duffy has more.
CLARE DUFFY, CNN BUSINESS WRITER: Yes. Julia, for a long time, most dating apps have allowed users to display sort of general political affiliation,
like, are you conservative, moderate or liberal? But the changes that we're seeing these platforms roll out over the past few months are really
designed to give users a sense of how potential matches are engaging with this upcoming election.
So Tinder, for example, has rolled out these stickers that users can put on their profile to note that they have registered to vote or show support for
certain causes, like reproductive rights, one of the ones that I really like, although I'm not on Tinder, says hot people vote, and you can put
that on your profile. Ok. Cupid has also rolled out matching questions that users can add to their profile, things like, what's the most important
issue to you in the 2024 presidential election?
And is it a deal breaker to you if your date votes for somebody else in the presidential election from you? And so, these things are really designed to
give users a sense of how potential matches stand on some of the very personal issues that so many people are thinking right now as we head into
election season. And the dating apps say that they have received feedback from users that they really want to be having these conversations about
political and social issues as they're seeking out romantic connections. So they're trying to make it easier for them to do that. Julia?
CHATTERLEY: Not easy. All right. Coming up, we'll have the final numbers from Wall Street right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHATTERLEY: Good news if you own stocks, Wall Street just posted its sixth positive week in a row. It's the longest streak of weekly gains, in fact,
this year, even if today's moves were well, relatively modest, the Dow Jones, as you can see there, we'll call that unchanged. The S&P 500 climbed
half a percentage point, both, in fact, fresh records and the tech heavy, NASDAQ rallied point-six percent. U.S. stocks pulled higher by Netflix.
The streaming giant reported strong earnings Thursday, adding more than five million subscribers. Q3 revenues also grew 15 percent a little more
than forecast. And there's the share price, nice.
And that is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS. I'm Julia Chatterley. Have a great weekend. "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts now.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to THE LEAD. I'm Jake Tapper. This hour, brand new details about the death of Yahya Sinwar.
[17:00:02]
END
