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Quest Means Business
China Casts Itself As New Global Leader As Xi Hosts Summit; Tension Over Tariffs Grows Between Trump And Modi; U.S. Attempt To Deport Unaccompanied Guatemalan Minors Blocked; More Than 1,000 "Workers Over Billionaires" Rallies Scheduled In Cities Across The U.S.; The Netherlands Widely Embraces A Four-Day Work Week; Tesla Diner Becomes Hub For Elon Musk Fans. Aired 4-4:45p ET
Aired September 01, 2025 - 16:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[16:00:16]
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: European markets, as you see there finished slightly higher this Monday. A reminder, Wall Street is closed for
Labor Day, but we still have plenty of news for you this hour.
Beijing cast itself as an alternative global leader as President Xi rubbed shoulders with Russia's Putin and India's Modi.
A plane carrying E.U. leader Ursula von der Leyen is targeted by suspected Russian GPS jamming.
And as most of the U.S. enjoys a four-day work week this week, some workers in The Netherlands, they've made the switch for good.
Live from New York, it is Monday, September the 1st. I am Paula Newton, in for Richard Quest and this is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
Good evening, everyone. Tonight, Chinese President Xi Jinping outlines his vision for a world order, with Beijing leading the way. More than 20 world
leaders are in Tianjin for a meeting of the so-called Shanghai Cooperation Organization. That includes Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian
Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
China is using the summit to try and cast itself as an alternative leader in global governance. President Xi promised grants and loans to developing
nations and vowed to oppose what he calls U.S. bullying on the world stage.
China, Russia and India, the summit is an act of resistance against the West. Ivan Watson, now with the summit news.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A show of international solidarity at a time of global uncertainty. Leaders of three
of the world's largest countries happily rubbing shoulders at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Tianjin, China.
WATSON (on camera): The leaders of China and Russia have long complained that the U.S. and its western allies have dominated international
relations. So now they've gathered heads of state from across Asia and the Middle East into this vast building to call for the creation of a New World
Order.
WATSON (voice over): The host, Chinese President Xi Jinping denouncing bullying and double standards and promoting China as a champion for
developing countries.
XI JINPING, CHINESE PRESIDENT (through translator): The house rules of a few countries should not be imposed upon others.
WATSON (voice over): Those points, echoed by his close partner, Vladimir Putin even as his military continues its nightly bombardment of Ukrainian
cities, defying U.S. President Donald Trump's demands for peace.
(VLADIMIR PUTIN speaking in foreign language.)
WATSON (voice over): But the Russian president accuses the West of starting Russia's war with Ukraine and makes his own appeal for a new global system
of governance.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): A system that would replace the outdated, Eurocentric and Euro-Atlantic models, taking into
account the interests of the broadest possible range of countries, truly balanced.
WATSON (voice over): But it is the presence of India's Prime Minister that has been most notable at this gathering.
Narendra Modi came to China still stinging from 50 percent tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Indian goods. Snubbed by Washington, Modi is
now mending fences with China despite an ongoing Chinese-Indian border dispute that five years ago turned very deadly.
Modi also spent an hour talking to Putin in the Russian President's limousine, demonstrating India has other powerful friends if it can no
longer count on U.S. support.
WATSON (on camera): Chinese leader Xi Jinping demonstrated diplomatic might at this regional summit. In a few days' time, he will put on a show of
military might. China is set to hold a huge military parade in Beijing.
The VIP guests are to include Vladimir Putin, as well as the leaders of North Korea and Iran.
Ivan Watson, CNN, Tianjin, China.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Robin Niblett is a distinguished fellow and a former director at Chatham House. He joins us now from Spain. Good to see you.
I do want to go first to the optics, which were nothing short of extraordinary, as Ivan just showed us there. What purpose do they serve for
these three leaders?
I mean, we saw them, perhaps in a way of almost intimacy. I would say that is not something we've seen before.
[16:05:00]
ROBIN NIBLETT, DISTINGUISHED FELLOW AND A FORMER DIRECTOR AT CHATHAM HOUSE: Well, it is a remarkable opportunity, Paula. They can't quite believe it. I
don't think President Xi or Vladimir Putin, that they could have been given on a platter an opportunity at this very important year, the 80th
anniversary of the end of the Second World War, 80th anniversary of the creation of a kind of U.S.-led world order.
Instead, that anniversary has turned into a nightmare for those who have benefited from that order. The United States is in conflict with its
allies. It is falling out with some of its partners in the so-called global south, like India. And in a way, it has given an opportunity to Russia and
China to say, actually, that war that was won 80 years ago, we won it, and the order for the future, where the people who are more committed to it. So
I think they're absolutely grabbing the opportunity and using it to the max.
NEWTON: Yes, quite a bit of revisionist history as well going on in terms of the role of post-Cold War order. I do want to ask you this question,
though, and I am not being facetious.
How much do you believe the Trump administration is actually paying attention? And more pointedly, how much do you believe they need to pay
attention? And I think there are two very different questions. Right?
NIBLETT: No, that actually, that's a very good set of distinctions. They are probably not paying attention for the reason that they don't need to
pay attention in the sense that certainly my view you know, this is a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. It is ten countries,
mostly Central Asian countries, plus Russia, plus China, obviously, the original hosting organization -- plus, Pakistan and India.
Are we thinking of those countries as allies? I don't think so. They just had a hot war recently or a hot conflict which led to deaths on both sides.
You've got a bunch of visiting dialogue partners who are not members.
Iran is a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, but you've got Saudi Arabia, UAE, Gulf countries who deeply distrust Iran as guests.
So a lot of this, this is theater. It is a group of countries that really don't get on with each other. I am not sure that China and India get along
with each other deeply. We know that Russia and China suspect each other also very deeply, but it is an axis of convenience that's really focused in
many cases on their domestic audiences, more than about a grand new world order.
NEWTON: It is a very important point that it is expedient. And, as you said, expedient mostly for the domestic audiences that they want to get the
message across to. But then if The White House isn't paying attention, or does it need to, then I want to get to the question you asked back in
January, can America's allies save America's alliances?
You know, in this grand tableau we've now been offered and still more to come with the military parade in China, we are headed for another U.N.
General Assembly here in New York. Go back to that original question that you posed in January. What is happening to the American alliances?
NIBLETT: Yes, I was obviously trying to think about this article on "Foreign Affairs" back at the beginning of the year before the inauguration
and one of my hopes, in a way, and I think it is being borne out so far, is that American allies whether they be those in NATO in Europe, or it could
be South Korea, Japan, Australia, those in the Pacific area, they are having to buy time. They need to get through this.
They know there is probably no going back to exactly the world as it was pre-Trump 2.0, but they need to buy time because they are not ready yet to
be able to step up and play a much more concerted and valuable role, taking more of the burden of democratic societies in a world that seems to be
dominated right now by autocrats.
So what they are trying to do is buy time, hang together, don't allow Trump to drive them apart, don't allow the Trump administration to turn the
Transatlantic Alliance or the Pacific Alliances into dead ends. Keep things quiet, see if they can get through the three years. And in the meantime,
not be distracted by the kind of theater that Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are putting on, knowing, like, I think the Trump administration does, that
deeply, in the end, it is not important.
NEWTON: Robin Niblett, we will see if they take your counsel, because, as I said, extraordinary pictures and more to come from that summit in Asia.
Thanks so much. Appreciate it.
Now, hours after that high profile meeting in China, President Trump took to social media saying India offered to cut their tariffs to absolutely
nothing, but it is getting late.
The country currently faces tariffs up to 50 percent. Late Friday, a court ruled that most of the President's tariffs, in fact, are illegal. However,
they will remain in place until mid-October to give the Trump administration time to appeal.
Now, in response, the President said without the tariffs, the U.S., "would become a third world nation."
[16:10:11]
Anna Cooban is in London following all the latest on tariffs for us. So the U.S. according to President Trump has made headway. Is this really going to
be leading though to any kind of a deal with India here?
ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS REPORTER: Well, on the surface, it would appear that New Delhi really, you know, wants to and should strike a
deal. As you said, it has got a 50 percent tariff on its goods from the United States. Now, that breaks down into a 25 percent reciprocal tariff
and a 25 percent secondary sanction, which is essentially Trump's punishment to India for continuing to buy Russian oil since the war in
Ukraine.
But if the images from today are anything to go by, with the summit in China and the show of solidarity between Putin, between Xi and Modi of
India, then it seems that at least the diplomatic relationship between India and Russia is still going strong, and one might then think, well, you
know, the economic the trading relationship will naturally follow from that, and India has said itself that it will continue to buy Russian oil.
It believes that it is unjustified, these so-called secondary sanctions, it feels like it has been unfairly targeted.
So one of the main sticking points in the U.S.-India trade negotiations has been India's buying Russian oil and that appears to be, you know, likely to
continue.
NEWTON: Yes, and then we have the specter of this U.S. court ruling as well.
I am wondering how that is going to influence trade talks writ large. I mean, some have pointed out that court ruling or not, Trump does have other
methods of imposing all the tariffs, if he would like.
COOBAN: Yes, he does, and he has imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum using separate powers and they don't appear to be impacted, but the
majority of his tariffs are under threat. The reciprocal tariffs, but also tariffs that he has placed on Canada, Mexico and China in response to the
fentanyl drug crisis.
Now this is the backbone of his economic agenda during this term. So you know, if this court ruling goes to the Supreme Court, which its likely to
because there is delayed enforcement on this ruling until October 14th, that gives the white house plenty of time to escalate this to the Supreme
Court.
But if it does go to the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court agrees with this court, then Trump's whole economic agenda will be thrown into
disarray. There are huge questions, namely, will America have to repay the billions that it has collected in tariff revenue since all this started a
few months ago? Can it even afford to?
But also, can the trade deals that its currently negotiated with the United Kingdom, with Japan, for example, will they now be null and void because
they were negotiated on the premise that these tariffs were enforceable?
NEWTON: Yes. So many have pointed out that even if some nations thought that court ruling was good news, that it just adds to the uncertainty in
the months going forward.
Anna Cooban, grateful to you. Thanks so much.
Now, a plane carrying E.U. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had its GPS systems jammed over the weekend. Russia is suspected to have played
a role in the incident.
CNN's Melissa Bell now explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A plane carrying the top E.U. leader targeted by GPS jamming.
Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission President, was on a whistle stop tour of Eastern Europe and trying to land in Southern Bulgaria when
the planes systems went down, with the pilots having to land the aircraft using paper maps. That's according to a source close to this incident.
What we've learned from the European Commission is that they heard from Bulgarian authorities very quickly after the incident, and then announced
it to the public on Monday that the Bulgarian authorities believed that it was Moscow behind these attempts. This, of course, in the wake of many
years of hybrid warfare being waged on European ground, often in the shape of these sorts of incidents of GPS jamming.
Ursula von der Leyen landed safely in Southern Bulgaria, but spoke immediately, having knowledge of what had just gone on, but before the rest
of the world found out of the fact that there was an important need to remember the urgency of continuing to deal with Russian aggression and
continuing to support Ukraine. That's what her tour had been about, trying to shore up support for Ukraine, even as ceasefire talks appear to falter.
Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Now, we note that the Kremlin has denied any involvement. Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was asked about it by "The Financial Times,"
which first reported the story. He told the newspaper: Your information is incorrect.
A deadly earthquake hit Afghanistan with hundreds of people killed and thousands injured. We will have an update on the rescue efforts just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:17:15]
NEWTON: Rescuers in Afghanistan are scrambling to reach the victims of a massive earthquake. At least 800 people have died, and a further 2,800
injured. Those numbers, though, are expected to rise.
The 6.0 magnitude quake struck near the Pakistani border on Sunday night, when most people were sleeping. The remote location and mountainous terrain
are making it difficult to reach those still trapped.
Nic Robertson has more now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice over): Chaotic scenes searching for survivors in the dark, most people asleep in their
homes when the magnitude 6 quake struck.
By day, the scale of destruction becoming clearer. This young boy, desperately calling for his older brother as other villagers arrived to
help. The relatively shallow quake, eight kilometers or five miles contributing to the destruction and staggering death toll.
Kunar Province, the worst affected, homes here are often made of mud, rock and trees, particularly vulnerable to quakes.
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE speaking in foreign language.)
ROBERTSON (voice over): "Ninety-five percent of the houses in our village have been destroyed," this survivor says. "Every household has lost between
five to 10 family members. We appeal to all Muslims to open their hearts and help us at this time of hardship."
Some of the worst affected areas in the mountainous, rural east of Afghanistan could only be reached by helicopter as dirt roads already
weakened by weeks of heavy rain were cut by quake induced landslides.
KATE CAREY, DEPUTY HEAD OF OFFICE, U.N. OCHA: There are some locations and some villages in a few of the most hard hit districts that are only
accessible by foot, and up to three hours and of course, the priority is also to unblock impassable roads.
ROBERTSON (voice over): The Afghan government spokesman warning while they've reached most villages, it will take some time before international
aid agencies will get there to help.
The nearest major city, Jalalabad, receiving some of the injured. Only the luckiest survivors able to get to hospital. At least one NGO, the
International Rescue Committee, reporting entire villages have been destroyed.
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE speaking in foreign language.)
ROBERTSON (voice over): "In our district alone, 100 to 150 people were killed," this man says. "We still don't know the number of the injured. The
roads are still closed."
The Taliban ruled country is already reeling from the effects of shrinking international aid budgets. Healthcare at the forefront of basic services
impacted. U.S. aid contracts alone, down $1.7 billion over the last year.
[16:20:14]
In 2023, a magnitude 6.3 quake caused more than 2,000 deaths. Not clear if the toll this time will exceed that, but for sure, the country's ability to
cope with this type of catastrophe is weakening.
Nic Robertson, CNN London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: A federal judge temporarily blocked the removal of unaccompanied Guatemalan children in U.S. custody right as the government was about to
repatriate them.
Now, some of the minors were boarding flights to Guatemala early Sunday morning, but the judge ordered the government not to remove them. She is
asking the Justice Department to support its claim that the legal guardians of the children have requested they return to Guatemala.
Priscilla Alvarez is in Washington for us.
This is a very complicated story involving the language, right? Are you repatriating them? Are you deporting them? Have you had -- have they had
due process? Can you explain what happened in this instance and what the judge would like to see?
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and you make a good point about repatriation versus deportation. It is legal language, but what
it goes to is whether they were voluntarily choosing to leave or whether they were being forcibly removed. And frankly, in this case, it depends who
you ask.
So the situation as it happened here was that late Saturday, attorneys for these children were notified that their clients were going to be
repatriated to Guatemala, even as the attorneys say they were still going through their immigration proceedings here in the United States to
determine if they have a protection here.
As that was happening, shelter providers were being told to prepare these children for discharge within a matter of hours, collecting their personal
belongings (AUDIO GAP) for their travel.
Now, all of this was ongoing again in the early morning hours of Sunday. One immigration attorney that I spoke with who represents multiple
Guatemalan children, told me that her clients were woken up in the middle of the night (AUDIO GAP) terrified and confused.
Now, the federal judge herself was woken up at 2:30 in the morning on Sunday, as all of this was ongoing and she ultimately blocked the removal
of these children for now.
Now again, the children we are talking about here are migrant children from Guatemala who arrived to the U.S. southern border alone. Therefore, they
were not with a parent or legal guardian. When they are in U.S. custody, the officials worked to reunite them with U.S. based family members, as
again, they go through their proceedings to determine if they have a protection in the United States, because oftentimes these are children who
are fleeing conditions (AUDIO GAP) case that was noted in this lawsuit that was filed early Sunday was that of a 10-year-old. She is (AUDIO GAP)
deceased and she was fleeing abuse and neglect by family members back in Guatemala.
It is worth noting, however, that there are children who generally do opt to voluntarily depart, that means go back to their home country. But even
in those cases, they have to go before an immigration judge to express that desire and for a judge to ask them questions and make sure that if they are
going back, that they are still safe (AUDIO GAP) the best option is to go home and not to be in the United States.
Well, all of this will likely be coming up in proceedings over the course of the week while (AUDIO GAP) we did learn from the Justice Department
earlier today that the 74 children who were placed on planes have been returned to U.S. custody, as all of this legal dispute is resolved --
Paula.
NEWTON: Yes, and it does continue.
Priscilla Alvarez for us in Washington, and we do want to apologize just for the audio issues we were having there, but we did hear the latest from
Priscilla.
Now, people in Bolivia are embarking on cryptocurrencies, using those in terms of bartering with them, I should say in the midst of an acute
economic crisis and inflation, near 25 percent.
Many there say it is the safest way to make everyday transactions and even to protect their savings.
Cris Ulloa reports on Bolivia's turn to Bitcoin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CRIS ULLOA, JOURNALIST: In this little blue coffee stand in Bolivia's, La Paz, business is booming. Here you can pay for your matcha and oat milk
lattes with cash, card or digital currency.
CHRISTOPHER SALAS, OWNER, KE RIQUITO CAFE (through translator): We've accepted Bitcoin payments for some time now. It is a currency that's not
controlled by the state or banks. A free currency.
When you buy with bitcoin here, it is like buying an unseizable coffee.
ULLOA: Christopher Salas is the owner of Ke Riquito Cafe located in the city's bustling downtown. The country's economic crisis and lack of foreign
currency led him to venture into what are called cryptocurrencies.
[16:25:04]
SALAS (through translator): There's a bitcoin community here in La Paz promoting the use of cryptocurrencies in various businesses. A friend,
Alfredo, came by and opened my eyes. It is like a digital wallet, like a regular bank Q.R., but with Satoshis, which are the smallest unit of
Bitcoin. The customer scans the Q.R. We do the conversion and they can buy their coffee.
ULLOA: Last year, Bolivia's Central Bank authorized the use of these digital assets, claiming that it would benefit the productive and
commercial sectors.
Fast forward to 2025, the use of cryptocurrencies has soared.
ANA RECABADO, USER OF CRYPTOCURRENCY (through translator): Now, it is practically a necessity. The limited access to dollars has caused a number
of people managing cryptocurrencies to grow by 500 percent.
ULLOA: From restaurants to gyms, local businesses are implementing virtual currencies as a method of payment.
FACUNDO BAZAN, OWNER, LA CASA DEL SILPANCHO RESTAURANT: Because of that, I can pay for advertising. I take payments from people coming from abroad or
wanting to pay via cryptocurrencies.
ULLOA: A revolutionary wallet that some experts say could help face the financial crisis.
MARGOTH AYALA, ECONOMIST (through translator): These are digital assets created with blockchain technology. I am currently using them as a store of
value considering the devaluation of the Bolivian peso. It is a good option to preserve worth.
Cryptocurrencies and blockchain could actually be an opportunity for Bolivia to mitigate or reduce the impact of the ongoing economic crisis.
ULLOA: A chain of technology that promises to enhance investment security, facilitate international payments and money remittances, along with other
potential benefits for the Andean nation's economy.
But Salas has some advice.
SALAS (through translator): I always tell people not to buy or invest in Bitcoin without studying what Bitcoin is, and to ask themselves what is
money? Because many people fall for pyramid scams.
ULLOA: And as the Central Bank announces that it is working on its own digital currency, the interannual inflation rate came close to 25 percent
last month adding fresh pressure to an already fragile economy.
For CNN, Cris Ulloa, Santiago, Chile.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Now working folks, they always wish, right, that the weekend was just one day longer. Well, in The Netherlands, it is. How the Dutch are
embracing a four-day workweek.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:30:23]
NEWTON: Labor unions and activists are marking Labor Day in the U.S. by holding protests against the Trump administration. Rallies are more pointed
in cities like Chicago, where President Trump is threatening to use National Guard troops to crack down on crime and illegal immigration.
Today's demonstrations were organized in part by the AFL-CIO under the slogan workers over billionaires.
Fred Redmond is the labor group's secretary treasurer, and he joins us now. Good to see you on Labor Day, and Happy Labor Day to you. I am wondering
what you are hoping that this turnout and these protests achieves.
FRED REDMOND, SECRETARY TREASURER, AFL-CIO: Well, first of all, Happy Labor Day to you, and today, as you mentioned, the AFL-CIO hosted 1,000 events in
900 cities around this country.
And what we would like to see, and what these workers would like to see, who are attending these rallies in great numbers, they want to see an
economy and a government and a country that works for the people, not just the billionaires.
And you know, throughout this entire week of action, we're going to have protests, because workers is demanding to be treated with dignity and self-
respect, and that's what we want to see. We want to see workers being treated with the respect that they deserve, and workers are being
considered valuable people in this society.
I mean, we're talking about people who wake this country up every morning and tug it to sleep at night. So, what we want to see is those were workers
treated with dignity and respect they deserve.
NEWTON: In terms of the dignity and respect, though, President Trump does claim to be great for workers, I'm using his words, and yet he is trying to
outlaw collective bargaining for two thirds of the federal workforce. What could this mean for the labor movement?
And I do feel that I need to point out that the president did receive significant support from the labor movement itself, in terms of some
leadership, not all. And, of course, some of the membership.
REDMOND: Well, some. There was a few leaders, very few. And we've seen some of our members who voted for this administration, for this president. And
we just completed over the last two months, we visited 50 cities and talked to our members and talked to workers.
And what workers are telling us, what they did not vote for, is to see one in eight federal workers pushed out of jobs this year under the federal
workforce, a total of 300,000 federal employees this year has lost their jobs due to Trump's policies.
According to last month's job numbers, what these workers are telling us they didn't vote for, 37,000 manufacturing jobs has been eliminated over
the last three months. What workers are telling us is that what they didn't vote for is two million, and that's the number of unemployment claims that
American workers have filed this year alone, which is the highest since 2021.
And what the workers did not vote for, those who voted for this president, was one million federal employees stripped up their collective bargaining
right.
NEWTON: But that is -- but that is some -- that is some of what they're getting. But I want to ask you, what are the labor laws in place good for
if the executive branch seems to just be able to walk all over those laws?
REDMOND: Well, we don't think that there are. We don't think that they have legal standing to eliminate some of the laws that they did and to invoke
some of the -- some of the orders that he have issue. That's why we have a very aggressive legal approach. We've won some of these cases. We've lost
some. A lot of these cases are headed to the Supreme Court.
But, you know, we're fighting this on all fronts, not just in the street, not just at rallies, but we got a strong legal position that we're taking
with a combined legal force that's working on behalf of workers.
NEWTON: And like so much of what the executive branch executes right now, a lot of it is ending up in court, and we will continue to follow
developments. Fred Redmond, have to leave it there. Thanks so much.
REDMOND: Thank you.
NEWTON: Now, most workers in the U.S. we were just saying are off today for the Labor Day holiday, but in the Netherlands, a four day work week has
become the norm. People there work about 32 hours a week on average, less than any other E.U. country. Some argue that shorter work weeks lower
overall economic productivity.
[16:35:01]
Now, the Dutch get away with it thanks to their high productivity per hour. Bert Colijn is Chief Economist at Dutch banking group ING. He joins me now
from Amsterdam.
I want to make clear, apparently, you do work five days a week. We'll just start there, but I do think it is important to start that we compare apples
to apples.
So, this is working 32 hours a week, four days a week, not four days a week compressing the work week, right? Working 40 hours or more, but compressed
into four days.
BERT COLIJN, CHIEF ECONOMIST, ING THE NETHERLANDS: Some people would do that. But that's very exceptional, especially if you go over 36, some
people would do that.
So, four days of nine hours, for example, but not more than that. That's more or less it. But and I have to say, this is something that's not
mandatory, so we don't have a four day work week like some countries are proposing, that's more or less forced upon the workforce. It's more the
culture that, over time, has seen that more and more people have started to work shorter hours, and indeed, part time work has become very common.
NEWTON: When you say it's very common, you know, one would argue, if you look at the stats, that it's also very successful for the economy, and this
is where the things get interesting, right? GDP per person is quite high in the Netherlands, as is worker participation.
So, what is the secret formula there for other countries, jurisdictions, who might be looking at this?
COLIJN: Well, so I mean, I think what we're looking at is a country that just has higher participation on average. So, yes, we do have very short
work hours, if you take it per person, but if you look at it per household, it's very average for Europe.
So, essentially, we're just dividing up the work between more people. We have very high participation, much higher than in us, for example.
So, the fact that part time work has become more common also allows people to join the labor force at a lower number of hours, which means that they
can also still do care work next to it for their kids, for elderly, for example.
So, it just spreads out the workforce more. So, it's not a magic bullet that you get. We don't do less work and then are super productive with
that. No, we are very productive on average compared to other countries, but we just spread out the work more between people.
NEWTON: Yes. And you also point out that it hasn't done what it should be doing, perhaps for the gender gap, right? It's still there is that gap
between men and women, but in so many jurisdictions where they're looking at both productivity but also work life balance, what is the best, you
know, example of what we could point to in the Dutch experience to say, look, perhaps we need to give this a try in other jurisdictions.
COLIJN: I think -- I mean, I think the Dutch example shows that it works. I think you can spread out more, and therefore you can also get more people
to participate in the labor force that otherwise would perhaps be staying at home.
So, I think in that sense, that's quite, quite positive. It's no magic bullet. I don't think that my fellow countrymen that work four days a week,
would say that this is a very stress-free life. I think everyone still is worth dealing with high work burdens, of course.
But overall, it allows more people to participate in the workforce, which I think is clearly a positive, and it allows people to, yes, to think more
consciously about how they want to spend their time and have that extra day off.
Our kids are very happy. Maybe that's because parents are more there, although perhaps my kids would argue that it's quite nice when I'm not
there.
NEWTON: That is one I could relate to. Mr. Colijn, I assure you. Anyway, really interesting stats coming out of this, especially when you point to
the productivity. Bert Colijn for us. Thanks so much.
Now U.S. markets are, as we were saying, closed for Labor Day. European markets finished though higher across the board, the FTSE and CAC cut unto
edge into the green. The Dax saw the best of the day up more than half a percent.
Nestle says it dismissed CEO Laurent Freixe for having an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate. He was in the job for just
one year. Nestle named an executive board member as his replacement for now.
A newly opened Tesla diner in West Hollywood is a one stop shop for electric car owners becoming a major hub for fans of Tesla CEO Elon Musk,
not all of the residents nearby are impressed, though, as Hadas Gold found out when she went along for the ride.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): in the middle of West Hollywood, futuristic structure dominates this corner of Santa Monica
Boulevard. The brand-new Tesla diner serves the classics, but it's also a charging station, drive-in movie and merch shop.
GOLD: So, the Tesla diner here in Los Angeles has become really a hub, not just for Tesla fans, but also for supporters of Elon Musk himself. It's
become a center point where people have meet ups, people bring all their Teslas and their cyber trucks and do the sort of joint light shows.
[16:40:11]
And it's really become a place for them to meet, to hang out with one another and show their support for Elon Musk, whose image has gone through
a lot over the last few months.
GOLD (voice over): Here, Musk stint as White House adviser, his fallout with the president and Tesla's falling sales are all background noise. The
diner is a shrine to all things Tesla and Musk, from cyber truck food boxes to the optimist robot.
GOLD: So, up on the roof of the Tesla diner, you've got a great view of these huge screens that show movies and shows and clips. And if you're
sitting in your Tesla, you actually can connect directly to the audio.
Now, normally, there's supposed to be an optimist robot who stands here and serves people popcorn, but staff tell me that he's been out of service for
a couple weeks.
GOLD (voice over): Jacob Towe, a high-end lighting designer, says he owns multiple Tesla Starlinks and Tesla solar and power all systems, a big
supporter of Elon Musk's universe.
JACOB TOWE, TESLA OWNER: It's pretty rare to have someone who come along and can innovate, regardless of naysayers or even having enough supporters.
GOLD: How do you feel about his foray into politics, the third party he's planning?
TOWE: I mean, his whole life has been set up like, how many -- how many choices can I take on a hard path and pursue it? It almost like, at this
point, I feel like he's actively finding difficult paths to do, to outdo himself on difficult paths, which is pretty impressive.
GOLD: Do you worry that his recent disagreements with President Trump might hurt his businesses, might hurt his ability to innovate in the future?
TOWE: And those two guys are two alphas. You know, you put two alphas in a room, they're always going to disagree with each other at some point. Two
of them have very thick skin, so I have no doubt in my mind that either of them can build a relationship very quickly.
GOLD (voice over): Other fans at the diner, though, want Musk to drop the politics for good.
PATRICK RENNER, TESLA FAN: He's doing a great job overall, but I think Tesla needs them at the moment.
GOLD (voice over): Not everyone in the neighborhood is pleased with the diner. Some neighbors have complained about their views being blocked and
the noise.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Elon Musk, for all that you're doing.
GOLD (voice over): Musk enthusiasts, meanwhile, recently sending him a video support, even as his favorability ratings have tanked.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you for being on us.
GOLD (voice over): Hadas Gold, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: OK, so as we mentioned, it is Labor Day here in the US, which celebrates the working people that keep this country going. And now, for
honest, though we don't want to be working right, we're all fantasized about winning the lottery and never having to work again.
Well, if you win the Powerball, you'd likely be set for life and then some. The jackpot has shot up to $1.1 billion, billion with a B. That's the fifth
highest grand prize ever. If somebody wins tonight, they can choose between the annuity or a one time payment of half, nearly half a billion dollars,
both, though, before taxes, you do have to pay the taxes. Not so bad, right?
By the way, if anyone's interested, I checked you don't have to be a U.S. citizen to buy a ticket and win. Just pay those taxes. And that is QUEST
MEANS BUSINESS. Up next, QUEST'S WORLD OF WONDER. Connection.
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(QUEST'S WORLD OF WONDER)
END