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Quest Means Business
Police Investigate Manchester Synagogue Attack as Terrorism; Trump: Meeting with Budget Director to Talk Federal Layoffs; Meta to Use A.I. Chatbot to Personalize Ads and Content. Global Protests After Gaza Aid Flotilla Intercepted by Israel; FIFA and UEFA Under Pressure to Ban Israel from Football Competitions; NATO Increases Presence in Eastern Airspace; Denmark Leads Historic Military Exercise in Arctic Hotspot; U.S. Government Shutdown Prevents Release of Weekly Jobless Claims Report. Aired 4-5p ET
Aired October 02, 2025 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[16:00:16]
JIM SCIUTTO CNN HOST: It is day two now of the U.S. shutdown and the U.S. federal government may be at a standstill, but on Wall Street, stocks keep
marching higher, just a least a little bit. The Dow, S&P 500 and NASDAQ all pushing further into record territory. Those are the markets and these are
the main events.
President Trump meets with his Budget Director as The White House now claims, thousands of federal jobs could be cut.
OpenAI Is reportedly the most valuable private company in the world after its latest round of funding.
And Meta reveals plans to show ads on Facebook and Instagram based on your A.I. chats.
Live from Washington, it is Thursday, October 2nd. I am Jim Sciutto, in again for Richard Quest and this is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
Good evening to you.
The British Prime Minister says the U.K. must defeat rising antisemitism as police investigate a deadly attack on A Manchester synagogue as terrorism.
Two Jewish worshipers were killed, four people taken to the hospital after a car ramming and knife attack on what is the holiest day in the Jewish
calendar.
A warning, our next video is disturbing.
These images show armed police officers at the scene pointing their weapons at a person lying on the ground. Police say officers shot and killed the
suspect.
This image of the suspected attacker is now circulating on social media. Police know his identity but are not yet releasing his name. Two other
arrests have been made, though the nature of those and their connections to this attack remain unclear.
The British Prime Minister chaired an emergency security meeting in just the past few hours. He said the victims were deliberately targeted because
of their Jewish faith.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Earlier today, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day for the Jewish community, a vile individual committed a
terrorist attack that attacked Jews because they are Jews and attacked Britain because of our values.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Our Nic Robertson is in Manchester and Nic, authorities saying the suspect known to authorities, but they're not identifying him. Have you
learned anything about potential groups, planning, et cetera behind this?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: At the moment, we don't have any of that, Jim. And I think the fact that the police are not
releasing a name does seem to indicate that they have information that they don't want to put in the public domain because they're afraid of who might
learn something, who might get spooked about it.
Obviously, the police mentioned earlier today that they did have those two arrests that were connected to the attack, but also we, at CNN have
exclusively obtained some video of two arrests taking place around about the time the police mentioned the other two arrests taking place, about a
quarter of a mile from the synagogue.
Now, we do not know the video you're looking at here, of these two men being arrested, very heavy police presence in one of the small side streets
just up this main thoroughfare behind me here, that's been cordoned off all day, but it was a very heavy police presence when they moved in there,
taking two men away.
Now, we've asked the Manchester Police about the video we have, about the men we have seen being taken away here and they cannot confirm that these
two men are specifically linked to the attack. However, they did say around about the same time they had arrested two people connected to the attack.
So for this community, it is worrying that there has been such a high profile, high police arrests so close to the synagogue, and it raises the
concerns here about how safe people are.
One of the things that the police have spoken about today, Jim, and I think this is pretty significant, you know, around most Jewish community centers,
synagogues in the U.K. now, people have become used to seeing an increased security presence because of that increase of antisemitism, and the police
saying today, it was those security staff at the synagogue that selflessly put themselves in harm's way, bravely, they say, stopped this being a much
more bloody affair.
The attacker, the police seem to indicate, was trying to get inside the synagogue. People at prayer inside, along with those security staff helped
stop the attacker getting in. So from that perspective, this is a horrible day for everyone here, a horrible day across the U.K., particularly in the
Jewish community realizing fears that they've held for a long time. It could have been worse -- Jim.
[16:05:09]
SCIUTTO: Nic, as you say, there was already security at a number of synagogues around the country. Are you seeing security ramped up at
synagogues in the wake of this?
ROBERTSON: Absolutely. That's what the Prime Minister committed to even before he left Denmark, where he was having a meeting with E.U. leaders
earlier on in the day to come back and share that the COBRA security Cabinet meeting, its highest level security meeting within the Cabinet, he
said he was already committing to putting additional police presence around synagogues, around Jewish communities in the U.K. We've heard the London
mayor, Sadiq Khan, say the same thing as well, and the commitment in Manchester as well.
I think for people around here, they've never seen a police presence in their community like this, and the Chief of Police of Manchester was
committing to this much higher presence in the days going forward.
I think for the concern, though, for people here is how long will it be sustained? And will obviously will there be safe from further attacks like
this, which appears to be at this stage, Jim certainly premeditated by one individual in a car, jumps out with a knife on Yom Kippur when he knew
appeared to know people were at prayer inside the synagogue, premeditation, pre-planned. Are there others waiting to do the same? That is going to be a
worry -- Jim.
SCIUTTO: Nic Robertson, thanks so much.
Well, The White House says it may fire thousands of federal workers because of the U.S. government shutdown now entering its second day. President
Trump said he is reviewing which jobs to cut and whether to make the layoffs temporary or permanent.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says the cuts could also serve a political purpose.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We are going to look at agencies that don't align with the administrations values that we feel are
a waste of taxpayer dollar. And look, unfortunately, these conversations are happening because we don't have any money coming into the federal
government right now.
And so the President wants to be a good steward of the American taxpayer dollar during a time when our balance sheet is looking very grim because
the Democrats chose to shut the government down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Senate Democrats are expected to vote down a short term funding bill tomorrow. They want Republicans first to restore funding for health
care insurance. Given the impasse, the shutdown likely to last until at least next week.
Joining me now, Phil Mattingly in Washington.
You know, it is a little rich for the administration to bemoan job cuts when they've quite openly were celebrating them earlier, you know chainsaws
and Elon Musk et cetera. Can we say that they're using this to carry out what was already an administration priority?
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF U.S. DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT: It is one of those instances, and you can see them a lot in this administration where two
things can be true at the same exact time. This is absolutely part and an extension of a plan that has been underway and facilitated from day one in
the administration and continuing now for the better part of nine months, and has led to at led to at least 300,000 federal workers to depart, more
expected in the months ahead.
It is also true that the shutdown actually gives particularly the Office of Management and Budget more leverage, more unilateral authority than it
already has, which is quite a bit to begin with, to take action on things like this, at least in the view of the administration's lawyers. They did
so in the first term when they had the longest shutdown in the history of the country.
And so what you're seeing here is the kind of dual use of this is actually part of our agenda, we are going to try and turbocharge it, but at the same
time, we are going to use it as a political cudgel to try and get leverage in a debate that's underway.
SCIUTTO: You have a piece out today that notes that this goes back a long time to the campaign, Project 2025, which, of course, the President denied
during the election campaign, but now the architect of that is running OMB. I mean, first, can we safely say in light of the President's comments today
that he was lying when he denied any knowledge of Project 2025?
MATTINGLY: The best way that I've thought about this, because it was absurd, and the audacity of the absurdity at the time was probably part of
why it succeeded, at least in the view of Trump's advisers. The same time, Trump was saying every single day he had no connection, no ties, no
knowledge of Project 2025, Russ Vought, who wrote a chapter for Project 2025 and is now the OMB Director was serving as the policy director,
leading the entire effort behind the Republican platform, which the President was deeply involved in. So it was never true.
What it did underscore is they saw it as a politically challenging issue. The President went out and denied all knowledge, and throughout that entire
time, he remained deeply engaged with his policy advisors that are now running the show, that during a political season, maybe he didn't want to
be totally attached to.
SCIUTTO: Do we know how far they plan to cut? Do you have sort of rough numbers as to how far they are willing to go?
[16:10:03]
MATTINGLY: My understanding from a pure like top line basis, I think it would be -- I would hesitate to guess or speculate just because I think
people have underestimated the scale and have lacked imagination about what may be coming since day one.
The one thing I would say has been made clear to me from White House officials is they still view this project, not in the Project 2025 sense,
the project underway as it relates to the federal government and reshaping its entire scale in its earliest stages.
So whatever you've seen these first nine months and it has been a wide ranging, view that as phase one of a multi-step process that they very much
plan to carry out in the years ahead.
SCIUTTO: In which courts have generally given the power to do so. Phil Mattingly, thanks so much.
Well, Democrats might have some leverage in this fight, a poll from "The Washington Post" shows that 71 percent of Americans support extending the
health care subsidies, which Democrats are fighting for in the current budget showdown. That money allows many low and middle income Americans to
afford coverage. If those subsidies expire, nearly four million more people will be uninsured in 2034. That's per the Congressional Budget Office.
Democratic leaders say this issue needs to be addressed immediately, while Republican Speaker Mike Johnson accuses Democrats of prioritizing illegal
immigrants.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): They have made a decision that they would rather give taxpayer funded benefits to illegal aliens than to keep the doors open
for the American people, to keep vital services, veterans services, health care and nutrition for women, infants, and children. They would rather not
pay the troops and TSA agents and Border Patrol agents. They would rather stop services of FEMA in the middle of a hurricane season than to do the
right thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Julie Rovner is the chief Washington correspondent for KFF Health News. So, Julie, this has become the favorite Republican talking point
here. I think, in part because Republicans know that Medicaid and these ACA subsidies are actually quite popular across the political spectrum. So
they're claiming this is all about free health care for illegal immigrants. Can you fact check that point briefly for us?
JULIE ROVNER, CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, KFF HEALTH NEWS: Yes, it is not all about free health care for illegal immigrants. Democrats have two
main asks. One is to renew these expiring tax credits, which the Republicans could have done in their big budget bill but didn't do, and now
open enrollment starts in less than a month, and people are going to start seeing these enormous premium increases, most of the people who get their
coverage through the Affordable Care Act.
The other big ask by the Democrats is to restore the Medicaid cuts from the big budget bill, and most of those cuts that had to do with people who were
not citizens had to do with cutting off people who were here legally from eligibility for benefits.
People who are here illegally have never been eligible for benefits, with one extremely small exception, and that is hospitals can get reimbursed for
providing emergency care to people who, but for their immigration status would have been eligible for Medicaid, so low income people who are not
here with documentation.
What the bill did, is it just cut the reimbursement actually to the state, so one would presume in term that the state will cut it to the hospitals,
but it didn't even get rid of that program. So Republicans are really not correct in any sense of the word when they say that what Democrats are
asking for would provide new eligibility for people who are not here legally.
SCIUTTO: When you look at the polling, majority of Americans, large majorities favor extending the ACA or Obamacare tax credits and also hold
favorable views of Medicaid. It is interesting when you dive deeper into the polling, both for voters across the board, but also for Republican
voters, most either personally have been covered by Medicaid or had family covered by Medicaid or a close friend, and that is part of the issue here
is that, again, while they're often attacked by Republicans, you've got a lot of public support that I imagine is behind Democrats trying to make
this the issue here.
ROVNER: Yes. Well, Democrats obviously, you know, poll better on health care than they do on a lot of other issues, including immigration, but one
of the ironies here is that since these tax credits were expanded during the pandemic, the rolls have doubled for people who buy their coverage
under the Affordable Care Act, and most of those people who have joined since then are from red states, and many of them are small business owners
or farmers or ranchers, largely Republican constituencies.
There is now 24 million people who are getting their coverage through the Affordable Care Act. If these expanded subsidies go away, it is going to be
disproportionately Republicans who are going to be affected by it.
SCIUTTO: Several Republicans expressed interest in extending the subsidies, including a group of GOP congressmen who proposed legislation to do so last
month.
[16:15:10]
I suppose the question here for both parties, right, will moderate Democrats peel off and say, hey, the shutdown is too costly politically? Or
might there be GOP politicians who say, actually, health care is a tough issue for us, too, maybe we can make a deal. I mean, you cover this issue
very closely. Do you see the ingredients for that meeting of the minds?
ROVNER: It is hard to tell. I mean, everybody saw this shutdown coming. We saw it coming from the beginning of the year. We were all a little
surprised it didn't happen in March. So I don't think anybody is surprised about that, and we knew that these additional subsidies were going to be a
pivot point for both parties.
Who gives in? I think that depends on how it plays and how much attention people pay to it.
SCIUTTO: How about impact then before we go, if this funding does go away, if Republicans hold the line, how many people will be affected?
ROVNER: Well, as I said, my colleagues here at KFF have done a new analysis, found that for the on average, premiums will double for those 24
million people who buy their own coverage or I guess 90 percent of them who get subsidies, premiums could double on average. For some people, it will
be much less; for some people it will be much more. That's a pretty big hit. It is in all 50 states.
People are going to start finding out about this pretty soon. Open enrollment begins November 1st, and then of course, if people drop their
coverage, it won't just affect the people who don't have coverage anymore, it is going to affect everybody else who has insurance, who wants to go to
a hospital that may not be able to keep its doors open or wants to go to a doctor who may have to raise prices because now they have so many nonpaying
customers.
SCIUTTO: Yes. And people feel those impacts when it impacts their health.
Julie Rovner, thanks so much for joining.
ROVNER: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: Well, people on social media, they know the drill, you like or click on stories about running or cocktails. You start seeing ads for lo
and behold, sneakers and liquor.
But meta is now ready to use a new way to find out and take advantage of your interests. We are going to have the details, and they're a bit
alarming, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: People who use Meta's A.I. chatbot might notice a change this December in what kinds of things they see on Facebook and Instagram. The
company says it plans to offer more personalized ads and content based on what people tell Meta's A.I.
[16:20:10]
In other words, it will be collecting more data and information from its users by listening to what they say and the kinds of things they talk about
with A.I. bots to help them then sell you things.
For example, someone who talks with the chatbot about hiking might see, lo and behold, more hiking related ads and information. Meta says it will help
improve user experience. Of course, that raises some concerns, it might be about money.
CNN's Clare Duffy joins me now with the chat.
Listen, it is already alarming to all of us. You know, you click on some ads about, like we said earlier, running and you get shoe ads. So now when
you talk to ChatGPT and you know, you're -- I don't know, exploring a vacation to Florida, you're going to get ads about Florida, right? I mean,
this is -- I mean, it increases this idea that you're Big Brother is always watching and listening.
CLARE DUFFY, CNN BUSINESS WRITER: Yes, I do think it is really important for people to understand how this is different from how Meta has operated
in the past, because to your point, they are already so good at predicting what we are going to want to buy, perhaps even before we know it ourselves.
But the way it has worked in the past, as you alluded to there is they look at who you're connected to, they look at what you're clicking on, what
you're posting, and they infer what you might want to purchase. Now they're just going to be listening to what users tell their A.I. chatbot. This will
only be for the META A.I. chatbot, so it won't apply necessarily to what you're telling other companies' chatbots, but META A.I. is used by a
billion people monthly.
This is something you can access on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and also through their standalone Meta A.I. app, and I think it is important to
understand because people have these very personal, intimate conversations with A.I. chatbots. We know how people develop these relationships, and now
they might start seeing ads or content recommendations based on what they are telling the chatbot.
Now, Meta does say there are certain topics of conversation that are off limits here. It won't use them to target ads, things like religious views,
sexual orientation, political views, health, racial or ethnic origin, philosophical beliefs, trade union membership. But I do still think this
underscores just how valuable this A.I. chatbot conversation data is to companies like Meta, and the opportunity that they have to monetize it.
SCIUTTO: And let's be frank, their track record on keeping the standards like that is not great -- just listen to some of the whistleblowers from
inside.
Just very briefly, is this an ability that we've all given them in the user agreements that no one ever reads?
DUFFY: I mean, yes, I think Meta has alluded to the fact that, you know, it plans to use user data in various ways. It is talking about this as just
another signal, like the many other signals that they use to decide how to advertise to people, and they think that it will be potentially helpful for
people who want to go hiking to get hiking ads.
But I think it is important for people to understand and maybe think about what kinds of things they are deciding to talk to the chatbot about because
of the way their data can be used to advertise to them, and I think it is going to raise the pressure on Meta to make sure that they are not using
this information in a harmful way that drags people down content rabbit holes or takes advantage of them to sell them things.
SCIUTTO: And to your point, we all have a responsibility for what we put out there, right? You know, be aware. Clare Duffy, thanks so much.
Media is reporting that OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT has now reached a valuation of $500 billion, half a trillion. Sources are telling Reuters,
the surge in value follows a deal in which current and former employees sold more than $6.5 billion in shares to a consortium of investors, which
include Abu Dhabi's MGX which told CNN MGX is pleased to be a core partner to OpenAI and to continue building on our strong relationship as a
significant investor across multiple funding rounds.
CNN's Anna Cooban joins me. Listen, this is not out there. I mean, you think of anything connected to A.I., right, has just crazy valuations now,
look at NVIDIA. Of course, one of the big chip suppliers to A.I., this puts OpenAI in a special category.
ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS REPORTER: It does. I mean just look at the figure, half a trillion dollars in privately valued company. And
this is a huge leap from where it was just previously, reports saying that it was worth $300 billion just a matter of days ago before this deal.
But that gives you a sense of the money that's sloshing around at the moment in this environment. We've seen huge valuations. We've seen money
being thrown by investors, as you said, NVIDIA, the world's most valuable publicly listed company, is now worth -- its market capitalization is
around $4.5 trillion, which is absolutely enormous.
But what I find particularly interesting is that this then -- this now puts OpenAI beyond SpaceX. It has overtaken SpaceX as the world's most valuable
startup. That's according to these reports.
Now, that is interesting because Elon Musk is the boss of SpaceX. He is also the founder or co-founder of OpenAI, which, you know, he famously has
a bit of a beef with. He has got a very public feud with Sam Altman, who is the CEO of OpenAI and this news today might come as a bit of a rude
awakening. However, Elon Musk can't feel too badly because he himself, according to reports, according to Forbes, is now or was briefly worth
around half $1 trillion, his net worth topping that value yesterday.
[16:25:30]
SCIUTTO: Listen, and it is notable, right? Because to your point, SpaceX, I mean, they've launched a lot of rockets, right? They have quite a viable
business already generating income. We will see the future here.
Anna Cooban, thanks so much for joining.
Coming up next, world football weighs into world politics. Find out what FIFA is saying about Israel's involvement in next year's World Cup.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: Hello, I am Jim Sciutto, there is more QUEST MEANS BUSINESS in a moment when I speak to a U.N. official pushing for Israel to be banned from
next year's World Cup.
And investors are flying blind as key economic data is going unreported amid the ongoing U.S. government shutdown.
Before that, the headlines this hour.
Two Jewish worshipers were killed, four people injured after an attack on a synagogue during Yom Kippur in Manchester, England. Police are
investigating the car ramming and knife attack as terrorism now. They say the suspected attacker was killed by police and that two other arrests were
made later.
We just learned the identity of the suspect, 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian descent.
It is day two of the U.S. government shutdown and Congress remains at an impasse over health care spending. Lawmakers are not on Capitol Hill today
due to the Yom Kippur holiday. Senators are scheduled to hold a vote Friday on a short term fix still not expected to pass.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says if the U.S. supplies tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, it would lead to a new stage of escalation. Putin also
mocked U.S. President Trump's description of Russia as a paper tiger. He said Russia is fighting all of NATO and suggested it is the Western nations
who pose an empty threat.
[16:30:19]
The White House says it expects Hamas to accept Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza. That is even though we have yet to hear from the terrorist
group after the U.S. president's three to four-day deadline issued Tuesday. Today, crowds are gathering in European cities to protest Israel's effort
to block international activists from breaching its sea blockade of Gaza.
Paula Hancocks has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Water sprays the crew of a Gaza-bound aid ship. The Global Sumud Flotilla says one of its vessels was,
quote, "deliberately rammed" and others targeted by water cannons by the Israeli military.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Put your life jacket on.
HANCOCKS: One by one, dozens of vessels were intercepted in international waters and boarded by Israeli forces. Live streams were cut. Activists
detained.
Numerous flotillas have tried to break Israel's 18-year blockade on Gaza in the past. All were intercepted by Israel or came under some form of attack.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Free Palestine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Free Palestine.
HANCOCKS: This is the largest flotilla to date. Organizers call the interception, quote, "an illegal attack," saying they were carrying food,
medicine and baby formula. Israel says the activists were, quote, "not interested in aid but in provocation."
As the interceptions began Wednesday night, pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets in Italy, Turkey and several other countries.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): This is a nonviolent flotilla. We have no weapons. We carry medicine, food and serum to save lives.
HANCOCKS: Israel released footage of the most famous passenger, Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, saying she is, quote, "safe and healthy."
GRETA THUNBERG, ACTIVIST: If you are watching this video, I have been abducted and taken against my will by Israeli forces. Our humanitarian
mission was nonviolent and abiding by international law.
HANCOCKS: The Israeli Foreign Ministry says activists are being transported to Israel, where their deportation to Europe will be processed.
In 2010, Israel's military killed nine Turkish nationals when it boarded the Mavi Marmara flotilla trying to break the blockade. It sparked
international outrage.
More than 500 participants from dozens of different countries did not make it through the Israeli blockade nor were they expected to. What they did
was increase international scrutiny on the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza at a time that Israel finds itself increasingly isolated over its
actions there.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, Abu Dhabi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Well, despite growing international pressure, world football's governing body is so far making no decision to suspend Israel from next
year's World Cup. Following a council meeting, FIFA's president said organizers cannot solve geopolitical problems and that the focus should be
on promoting peace and unity. Comparisons have been made to FIFA banning Russia in 2022 after its full scale invasion of Ukraine.
Sport often seen as a way of leveling the playing field, but it all too often finds itself mired in politics.
Joining me now is Alexandra Xanthaki, the U.N. special rapporteur on cultural rights. She joins us from London.
Thanks so much for taking the time.
ALEXANDRA XANTHAKI, U.N. SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FOR CULTURAL RIGHTS: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: So as you know, several nations have said that Israel's actions in Gaza constitute a genocide. From your perspective, should that assessment
affect the decisions of sports governing bodies, including FIFA? In other words, should those judgments then affect play on the sports field?
XANTHAKI: Absolutely, because they're not states who said that. They're independent international organizations, bodies of independent
international organizations that have said that. And we hear more and more every week. Last week it was the Commission of Inquiry of Palestine for
Palestine and the commission found that we're talking about genocide. 41 U.N. special rapporteurs, independent experts renowned around the world,
have said that this is now genocide. And more and more international objective voices come out and say it's genocide.
[16:35:04]
We are not talking about politics. We are talking about one of the utmost values we have agreed as humanity that we're going to stand united against
genocide. So this is not a political issue. This is a violation of the one of the top values we have as humanity. And of course, we cannot stay in
inertia. We cannot stay as if it's business as usual.
SCIUTTO: You heard, as I noted there, FIFA's president had said that the focus of a sporting body like FIFA should be on promoting peace and unity.
We have seen the sporting body almost unanimously make decisions regarding, for instance, Russian athletes following the full scale invasion of
Ukraine. So why unity on that issue but division on this one?
XANTHAKI: Because international bodies and national sports bodies have to realize that human rights are above politics, and especially when we talk
about such gross and ongoing violations of human rights. So indeed, if Israel is not -- if no action is taken against Israel, it would be, it will
be double standards. And actually, what does it mean that it will be double standards? It will mean that the sports community, the sports world is
going to be discredited.
And this organizations are going to lose their legitimacy. The international sports world, the people on the streets now know that were
talking about genocide. They expect them to take a position. We cannot act as if nothing is happening.
SCIUTTO: As you know, the U.S. State Department has said it will stop any attempt to ban Israel from the tournament. Does that make it impossible for
this to move forward?
XANTHAKI: No. It makes it difficult. As we have seen in the last two weeks, difficult UEFA, difficult with FIFA. It does not make it impossible because
the USA said that -- the UEFA, sorry, said that they're not going to take this decision because of this plan that exists. But once, you know, we all
realize that this plan is not a human rights plan, this plan has a lot of holes and actually genocide continues, then I think that the bodies are
going to be before any huge pressure to take action.
SCIUTTO: Alexandra --
XANTHAKI: This is not going to go away.
SCIUTTO: This is not going to go away.
XANTHAKI: This is every day.
SCIUTTO: Well, we'll certainly continue to cover the story.
Alexandra Xanthaki, thanks so much for joining us.
XANTHAKI: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: Well, as tensions between Russia and Europe grow, Europe is looking for ways to boost security across the continent. CNN takes to the
skies on a NATO surveillance flight.
That's next on QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:41:11]
SCIUTTO: Vladimir Putin, who of course ordered Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine, says Russia will respond swiftly if it is, in his terms,
provoked by Europe.
The Russian president was speaking at a summit in Sochi. He claimed that all NATO countries were fighting Russia over its ongoing war in Ukraine.
Putin said that if Europe provoked Moscow, then countermeasures would quickly follow.
Europe's leaders are trying to hash out the best options to help boost security across the continent. They're considering such protective measures
as a so-called drone wall. One measure underway right now is NATO surveillance flights over parts in particular of Eastern Europe.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen went along for one mission.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A quick takeoff from an airbase in Western Germany. We're on a NATO E-3
Century surveillance plane on a mission deterring Russian incursions into NATO airspace.
And the reason why these flights are so important is that this plane has a massive radar on top, and it can see really far in all directions, about
650 kilometers for higher flying objects, a little less for lower flying objects. But that means that it can see planes and other aircraft coming
towards NATO airspace long before they get there.
(Voice-over): While Moscow is praising what they say are improved relations between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, it's
also been testing NATO's readiness. NATO jets recently scrambling to shoot down several Russian combat drones that crossed into member state Poland's
airspace. And in late September, NATO says Russian MiG-31 fighters flew over Estonia's airspace for 12 minutes, while alliance interceptors were
rushed to escort them back out, even though Russia denies its planes ever crossed into NATO territory.
This is part of the U.S. and its allies' answer. More surveillance flights, the operation named Eastern Sentry. Captain Jacob Anderson says if Russian
jets come close, they'll see them.
CAPT. JACOB ANDERSON, U.S. AIR FORCE: At that point, we've probably been watching them for a while. So we're pushing it over to the military
tactical data links. So it's not just us that are aware of it. It's the whole theater is aware that this track is approaching the airspace.
PLEITGEN: If we go back and look at the map, we can see that we're cruising around Eastern Europe right now. This is Kaliningrad, that part of Russia.
You have Belarus down here. So the plane is situated here but can still look very far into territory, even beyond the borders of NATO.
(Voice-over): And the E-3 needs to stay in this area for hours, only possible thanks to U.S. Air Force tankers providing gas to extend the
mission.
Air-to-air refueling a plane the size of a commercial jetliner is extremely challenging, the pilots tell me.
MAJ. JASON SANCHEZ, U.S. AIR FORCE: Essentially the power management, the lateral management, ensuring that you feel nice and comfortable in your
closure to and from a certain position.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Crew members come from various NATO member states, all of them with the same stake in the mission success, Lieutenant Colonel
Stephen Wahnon tells me.
LT. COL. STEPHEN WAHNON, U.S. AIR FORCE: It's not one nation. It's all of NATO that's represented on this -- on this aircraft right now. So when we
are patrolling these borders, they're our borders, right? So it means a lot for us to be here to defend our borders.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): And NATO says surveillance, seeing possible threats before they get close, is key to keeping those borders safe.
Fred Pleitgen CNN, Geilenkirchen, Germany.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Denmark's colonial authority has ramped up its Arctic defense spending as major powers eye Greenland's natural resources and its
strategic location. Officials say they are now bolstering defenses against Russia and China. However, when you look at it, Washington might be its
audience here.
[16:45:06]
Matthew Chance was invited on board a Danish frigate to witness the biggest military exercise in Greenland's history.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a vast landscape, remote and virtually untamed. But Greenland has emerged as
a key Arctic battleground as Russia and China vie with NATO allies for Arctic influence.
CNN was invited here by the Danish military to observe their biggest ever combat exercise, dubbed Arctic Light.
Much of Greenland, ruled by Denmark for three centuries, is a moonscape of jagged ice, a frozen desert rich in resources the size of Alaska and
California combined. Danish military officials say this unforgiving terrain is virtually unconquerable, but they're still training hard to repulse any
would-be attackers.
SOREN ANDERSEN, COMMANDER, DANISH JOINT ARCTIC COMMAND: We are here to protect Greenland, and in order to protect Greenland, we have to train. And
because if you're not up here and conduct training, you're not able to defend Greenland. So that's what we're doing.
CHANCE: What are the security threats to Greenland? Who are you protecting it from?
ANDERSEN: Yes. Against Russia. That is the main threat for Greenland. That's not a threat now. But there's a future threat. So we are looking
into a threat when the -- when the war in Ukraine is over.
CHANCE (voice-over): But such a remote danger begs the question why Denmark is ramping up military spending right now to the tune of billions of
dollars and pouring its limited resources into the Arctic.
Well, Greenland has become a highly contested territory, seen as strategically important, and Denmark has deployed its air force, its Navy
and its land assets here to show that it is in charge very much and is increasing its presence.
Now, the purpose of this exercise is to deter countries like Russia and China, we're told by Danish military officials, which are increasingly
active in the Arctic region. But the real message, the real target audience for all of this is in Washington and President Trump.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We need Greenland for national security and even international security. And we're working with
everybody involved to try and get it.
CHANCE (voice-over): That ambition appears to have dropped off the White House agenda, at least for now.
TRUMP: One way or the other we're going to get it.
CHANCE (voice-over): But in the icy fjords of Greenland, with naval exercises underway, too, it's still seen as the most pressing diplomatic
challenge, although Denmark's top general, who CNN met on board a Danish frigate, was careful not to admit it in public.
Is the real reason for these maneuvers the remarks by President Trump about the sovereignty of Greenland? Is it intended to send a message to
Washington?
MICHAEL HYLDGAARD, DANISH CHIEF OF DEFENSE: This is a military exercise. It is to demonstrate our ability to protect Greenland. And that's the military
side of it.
CHANCE: It's not meant as a message to Washington that Greenland can protect this? That Denmark can protect Greenland?
HYLDGAARD: I'm not a politician, so I have a military task.
CHANCE (voice-over): But as we flew out of Greenland, it was clear that military task carries a key Danish political goal, not just to deter Moscow
and Beijing from ever invading this vast Arctic expanse, but also to convince Washington there's no need to take Greenland as its own.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Greenland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: The U.S. government shutdown is delaying the release of key economic data. Today it was weekly jobless claims. Tomorrow it will be the
September jobs report. The implications for the markets after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:51:52]
SCIUTTO: Because of the U.S. government shutdown, the Labor Department did not report the number of new jobless claims last week. Key benchmark
typically that comes out every Thursday. The monthly jobs report will also be delayed due to the shutdown. That was set to be released Friday and is
the all the more important given the recent slowdown in hiring, as you see there.
Wall Street has not been hurt by the shutdown so far. The major indices closed today at yet more fresh records.
Joining me now Barron's senior markets analysis writer Paul La Monica from New York.
So a couple questions for you. One is, do the markets have other ways of gauging where the job market stands? And of course we had the private ADP
report earlier in this week. Can they look for other indicators?
PAUL LA MONICA, SENIOR MARKETS ANALYSIS WRITER, BARRON'S: Yes. There are a couple of other surveys that have come out recently regarding the labor
market. One survey actually painted a better picture saying the jobs were added in the month so that is in stark contrast to the gloomy numbers that
we got from ADP showing a contraction in the private sector in the labor market there.
But I think, Jim, that right now even without the weekly jobless claims and the monthly jobs report that should come out tomorrow but won't be,
investors are already betting that the economy and the labor market in particular is weakening enough that the Federal Reserve is likely to cut
interest rates again at the end of this month and probably one more time in December. And I think that's why you're seeing the stock market at all-time
highs.
SCIUTTO: Senator Warren, she's called for Trump to release the report despite the shutdown because the data has already been collected, might
even be in a final draft form. I mean, is that -- is that true? Could he just release it anyway?
LA MONICA: I don't think that they will release it. I'd imagine that there would be some political ramifications if that were to happen in the midst
of this shutdown. But yes, the survey was done already. There is no kind of logistical reason why we couldn't have a release of those jobs numbers. But
given the shutdown, it seems unlikely that those numbers are going to come out tomorrow morning or, you know, anytime in the next few weeks, depending
on how long the shutdown lasts.
SCIUTTO: Now listen, Trump attacked job numbers he didn't like. Perhaps it might depend on what the job numbers show.
I do want to ask you a question about Tesla. It reported a recent spike in sales, which was expected to some degree because folks were buying before
the government tax credit was expiring. But the shares went down anyway. I mean, is that an indicator that this was a short-term bump and what is a
longer term decline in Tesla sales?
LA MONICA: It's possible that investors are still nervous about Tesla sales going forward, in part because of, you know, some of the moves that Elon
Musk made earlier in this year to kind of align himself politically with the Trump administration via DOGE.
[16:55:07]
But I think the bigger issue is that Tesla has shown signs of rebounding in China as well as the U.S., and the stock has just been really beaten up. At
one point earlier this year, it was the worst, quote-unquote, "magnificent seven stock of the year." And now it's come roaring back. So if you take
that view of Tesla stock having surged in the past month and week, I think the pullback today is just kind of that healthy sell on the news type of
phenomenon that we often get with high flying stocks, as opposed to an indicator of bad news.
SCIUTTO: Paul La Monica, thanks so much.
LA MONICA: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: Britain's Prince William is sharing some intimate details of his life in a new television program. During an interview with the actor Eugene
Levy, he called 2024 the hardest year of his life. That is when his wife and his father as well we're both diagnosed with cancer. The royal also
talked about missing his grandparents during a tour of Windsor Castle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EUGENE LEVY, ACTOR: Miss your grandmother?
WILLIAM, PRINCE OF WALES: I do actually. Yes, I do miss my grandmother, and my grandfather. Yes, it's been quite a bit of change, so you do sort of,
you think about them not being here anymore.
LEVY: Yes.
WILLIAM: And particularly being in Windsor. For me, Windsor is her. So she loved it here. She spent most of her time here. Showing you around today is
very much a case I'm trying to make sure I'm doing it the way she'd want you to see it. She had a horse is here as well. As you can imagine, it was
a big deal for her. So that's why she loved it here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Well, as we said, despite the government shutdown, U.S. markets, they closed at record highs today. The Dow closed about 80 points higher.
Just a bit. It fell into the red this morning but recovered throughout the afternoon. Investors this week would typically be waiting for the monthly
jobs report. As I discussed with Paul, just a moment ago, that report delayed due to the shutdown.
So let's look at the Dow components. Caterpillar finished more than 2 percent higher. Boeing closed up more than 1 percent. Senators are calling
on it to end a strike in St. Louis. Not a great day for banks. Goldman and JPMorgan both closing near the bottom. Coca-Cola finished more than 1
percent lower.
That is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. "THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER" starts now. I will be back for "THE BRIEF" just after.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
