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Quest Means Business
U.S. Senate Now One Step Closer To Ending Historic Shutdown; Interview With Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX); Syrian President Meets With President Trump At The White House; Federal Food Stamps Funding Caught In Legal Limbo; Warren Buffett Converts Berkshire Hathaway Shares And Donates Them To His Family's Foundations; 25 Percent Tariff Starts In Heavy Truck Imports From Mexico; The Teen Behind The Viral Louvre "Fedora Man" Photo. Aired 4-5p ET
Aired November 10, 2025 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[16:00:14]
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: The market couldn't help itself. As soon as it heard the shutdown might be ending, there you have it, a fairly
nice tidy move to the upside for the Dow and the S&P and the NASDAQ as well. Those are the markets, and these are the main events.
U.S. House lawmakers are told to return to the capital in case the Senate passes a deal to end that government shutdown.
President Trump host the very first White House visit by a Syrian president.
And Warren Buffett says he is going quiet as he prepares to step down as the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, but shareholders have not heard the last
from him.
Live from New York, it is Monday, November 10th. I am Paula Newton, in for Richard Quest and this is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
On Capitol Hill this hour, the U.S. government shutdown seems to be nearing an end. Eight centrist senators from the Democratic Party helped advance a
funding deal to reopen the government on Sunday. That's in exchange for a future vote on extending health care subsidies and whether any deal is a
compromise or a predictable surrender, it depends on who you ask.
Senators need to agree on how long to debate before voting on that final bill, and then it is over to the House. They'll have to try and approve it
before the legislation can then go to President Donald Trump for his expected signature.
Now, left in the wake of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, chaos at U.S. airports, missed federal paychecks and millions of hungry
Americans. The U.S. Senate Republican leader says people have suffered long enough.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN THUNE (R-SD): I can spend an hour talking about all of the problems we've seen, which have snowballed the longer the shutdown has gone
on. But all of us, Democrat and Republican, who voted for last night's bill, are well aware of the facts. And I am grateful that the end is in
sight, but I would encourage every member of this body, Democrat or Republican, pro-bill or anti-bill, not to stand in the way of our being
able to deliver the coming relief quickly.
The American people have suffered for long enough. Let's not pointlessly drag this bill out. Let's get it done, get it over to the House so that we
can get this government open.
Annie Grayer joins us from Washington. A lot to follow there and a lot to unpack. Where are we at this hour, especially when it comes to the
timetable and if it does go over to the House, is that a sure thing?
ANNIE GRAYER, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: So right now, we are waiting on the Senate to take up the final vote and the holdup here is whether or not
senators are going to try and extend debate on this or try and add extra amendments.
So senators are working behind the scenes to figure out that timing agreement, but they are hoping that that vote could happen as soon as
tonight so that that would set up a vote in the House for as soon as Wednesday. House Speaker Mike Johnson is calling House lawmakers back to
D.C. in to session. They have been out of session since September 19th, but let's get into what lawmakers are actually going to be voting on.
So in this deal is a way to fund the government through January 30th and extend funding for key federal agencies past that through fiscal year 2026,
so that means that key federal food assistance will continue, regardless if there is another shutdown in the near future or not.
It also will reverse the firings that the Trump administration did of federal workers during the shutdown and ensure that all federal workers,
including furloughed workers, will get paid throughout the course of this shutdown. But what is not in this deal is a guaranteed to extend those
Obamacare subsidies that are expiring at the end of this year that Democrats made central to their entire shutdown argument.
Democrats were trying to protect health care prices going up for over 20 million Americans who were seeing that their health care prices were going
up as a result of those subsidies going away. Now, instead of any assurances, all Democrats got was a vote at some point in December about
those subsidies. Now, it is very unclear if that will pass the Senate. It is even less likely that that would pass in the House.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, I am told, told House Republicans on a private call today that he has no intention of bringing that bill up. So take a
listen to how Democrats on both sides of the party are viewing this, what this deal means and what reopening the government looks like.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-NH): All those people who oppose this agreement, staying in a shutdown mode, was not getting us anywhere, and they need to
train their fire on the people who are responsible.
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): I know as part of this resolution that the Majority Leader is going to say, well, Democrats can create, put together
their own bill and it will come to the floor here in the Senate for a vote. As everybody here knows, that is a totally meaningless gesture.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[16:05:18]
GRAYER: Now, Senate Democrats, the eight Senate Democrats who voted to support this deal argued that this was the best that they were going to get
and getting Republicans to even concede to a vote on those expiring Obamacare subsidies, is a win given that Republicans control the floor and
it is very difficult for Democrats to get any of their priorities on the floor.
So, it is going to be a long road ahead for Democrats who are trying to message their way out of this, but in the meantime, it does look like the
wheels are on track for the government to reopen, the questions of how long it would take for all of the federal programs to get back up and running,
for flight delays to go back down, but the logjam has been broken, the longest government shutdown in history is looking like it will soon come to
an end.
NEWTON: Yes, which will be a relief to many Americans even if the politics still remains quite complicated.
Annie Grayer, you did a great job unpacking that for us. Really appreciate it.
And, now, we are joined by Lloyd Doggett, he is a U.S. House Democrat from Texas, really grateful to have you onboard here as we continue to try and
find out what is going on.
But first, let's get to your position, right? You believe those Democratic senators caved. Why are you describing it that way, because you basically
say they are surrendering to the tactics of Donald Trump?
REP. LLOYD DOGGETT (D-TX): Well, all of us want to see this shutdown ended, the question is whether we are shutting down healthcare and access to a
physician for millions of Americans.
You know America in so many specialty areas has the best healthcare in the entire world. But, when it comes to delivering that healthcare and access
for all of our citizens, among industrialized countries, we probably have one of the worst systems, and that is what this debate has been about.
Yes, I do believe that those senators who switched last night and joined with the Republicans were an error, I think the entire process has helped
us to elevate this issue to the attention of more Americans, but I really want to see and we will be working in the House to see that this
legislation does not go forward so long as healthcare is left out and four or five million Americans just on what are called the Affordable Care tax
credits would lose their access to a physician according to all objective sources that have looked at this.
NEWTON: And just to get the opinion of the senators out there, I want you to listen to Senator Angus King. I spoke to him just a little earlier. He
is an independent but caucuses with the Democrats. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ANGUS KING (I-ME): The problem was, the shutdown wasn't achieving that goal. We have been at it, as you mentioned, the longest shutdown in
American history and there is no -- there was no progress whatsoever on the Republicans saying, oh, okay, we are going to give you the ACA tax credits,
and there was no likelihood of them doing so.
So the question was, was there any point in continuing with the shutdown that wasn't accomplishing anything and at the same time, is harming a lot
of people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: So, Congressman, how about that? Because I know there are people where you are in Texas, the people you represent that are suffering right
now because they don't have their SNAP benefits, and quite frankly, you're in Austin. I don't even know how long it is going to take you to get to
D.C. and Americans are dealing with that every hour right now at country's airports.
DOGGETT: Well, with all respect to Senator King and I do respect him, I think he is independently wrong on this. There is no more reason to think
that some future Republicans are going to have a change of heart and suddenly want to provide the healthcare that they voted over the last many
years over 70 times to totally abolish and replace Obamacare with nothing care.
As to the sacrifices that are being made now by many Americans, yes, it is real. I've had big delays, people have had more serious delays in flights
across the country and the Trump administration used hunger as a bargaining chip. They were totally unlawful in their action in suspending the
Supplemental Nutrition Program or SNAP, and that's what two federal court said.
So, I think we had a judicial remedy on food security. There will be some delays because of the incompetence of the state of Texas the way they
handled this matter and in some other states, and what we had here was the opportunity to force action on healthcare access and that's what should
have happened, that is what we will be advancing in the House when we take this bill up Wednesday or Thursday and that is what we will continue to
urge as we go through the years -- through the months.
I am thinking of John out at Skinny's Barbershop who counted on the Affordable Care Act for cancer care and now very concerned that he will not
be able to maintain his policy as the premium about doubles, and that's the kind of experience that so many of my fellow Texans and Americans generally
are having, and why it is so important to push back and demand access.
[16:10:13]
NEWTON: I get it. I get it. Those struggles are real, and so many people are looking at their premiums going up by thousands of dollars in a year. I
do have to ask you, though.
DOGGETT: Exactly.
NEWTON: Do you think there is a chance this is going to fail in the house? Mike Johnson does have a task, but he has proven pretty deft at handling
this.
DOGGETT: Well, you mentioned the flight delays and that is an issue. Just getting everyone back given the delays and interruption of flights could
carry this on to near the end of the week. I expect to be back in Washington on Wednesday, flights permitted, and the vote is very close.
Republicans only have a two-vote margin, and a couple of Republicans voted against this bill the first time it came out. So that's why we will
continue fighting so hard on behalf of healthcare for more of our neighbors.
NEWTON: Okay, so noted. You wouldn't put money on that right now. I've only got a few seconds left here, but we just had some news out of the Oval
Office. President Trump repeated his idea of giving $2,000.00 checks to lower and middle income Americans, a tariff dividend. Would you back that?
DOGGETT: Incredible.
Well, you know, I think that's about as realistic as his claim back in the spring that he was going to give $5,000.00 to every American out of the
DOGE savings that never arrived. He doesn't have a dependable source for any of this. I think what he really wants is to sign Donald J. Trump on a
check that he sends out for political purposes to people, but it is an irresponsible and unrealistic proposal.
NEWTON: Okay. Congressman Lloyd Doggett, we will leave it there as long as you promise to come back. Appreciate it.
DOGGETT: For sure. Thank you so much.
NEWTON: Thank you.
Now, U.S. President Donald Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who is now the first Syrian head of state to visit The White House. It has
been less than a year since Al-Sharaa took power. President Trump has often hailed the Syrian leader since then.
Washington announced a short while ago that it was partly suspending some of its toughest sanctions on Syria, but only for another 180 days.
White House reporter, Alayna Treene has been following all of this from The White House.
I mean, look, the Syrian leader there could hardly ask for anything more. He was looking, though, to drop a lot of those sanctions in perpetuity.
That didn't happen. The President saw that he has good game, though, on the basketball court. I mean, we have video of him playing basketball with
Commanders who would have given anything to capture him a decade ago.
Alayna, what is in this for this Trump administration? Because clearly they wanted to give him a good welcome and send him home with something.
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: They did, and actually, Paula, we just heard from the President giving his first take, really following that
meeting with the Syrian leader. He referred to Ahmed Al-Sharaa as a very strong leader, and he essentially said that well, "Do everything we can to
make Syria successful." And he said that's because it is a part of the Middle East.
Look, when you ask what the united states wants out of this, the President really wants to have broader peace in the region. Obviously, he has been
celebrating that ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, but a big part of that deal and what the President's vision is for the future, Paula, is to try
and bring many of the other countries in the Middle East to the table.
And so having a relationship with the new Syrian leader has been important to President Donald Trump. I'd actually argue, of course, it is the Syrian
President, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who has a lot more to gain from this. Part of this is just the photo ops that we saw the Syrian presidency released
shortly after the Syrian leader left The White House.
This idea that Syria is no longer going to be as isolated as it had been in the 50-plus years that the Assad family had ruled over the country. But, I
mean, we cannot overstate how remarkable this meeting was, something that would, I would argue, be once unthinkable, that you would have the U.S.
commander-in-chief President Donald Trump, welcoming someone who used to fight Americans on the battlefield.
Remember, he used to have a $10 million bounty on his head. He is a former jihadist, and he worked with an al-Qaeda backed rebel group to try and
throw Assad out of power and that's really where the turning point on all of this has been, because of what he was able to do in overthrowing Bashar
Al-Assad in December. He appointed himself president in January. Now, he has really done a lot of work, the Syrian leader, to travel the globe and
create relationships that really Syria had not had for a very long time.
This is obviously the first time in history that a Syrian head of state has come to The White House. I will note, though, this is not the first time
these two leaders, Al-Sharaa and President Donald Trump have met. They actually met for the first time back in May. They had tea while President
Donald Trump was in the Middle East. He was actually in Saudi Arabia at the time.
[16:15:10]
And it was after then that he had first announced the easing of sanctions on Syria. One of the other goals you mentioned, it was to try that for
Syria, was to try and have the Trump administration further make those sanctions more permanent. That is something that would require an act of
Congress though so that did not happen, but a lot of what I think they came here for was that air of legitimacy by coming to The White House and the
President then kind of showered Al-Sharaa with very, you know, flowery language saying he really liked him. He thinks he is a strong guy, had a
tough past or something.
The President had said, I'd remind you in the past, during their first meeting, Paula, he referred to him as a young, attractive leader, and so we
will see. It sounds like the meeting went well. But we will have to see what this could actually mean for U.S.-Syrian relations as we look forward.
NEWTON: Yes, and as you point out, really ambitious plans still for the Middle East that this White House has and Syria will continue to play a
role. Alayna Treene for us on The White House, really appreciate it.
Now, coming up, a deadly car explosion in Delhi near the historic Red Fort. Many sites across the country are now on High Alert. We will have the
latest on the investigation.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: Police in India are investigating a deadly car explosion in the capital region of Delhi. Now, a local doctor says at least 10 people lost
their lives and more than 30 were badly injured. Investigators are still trying to determine exactly what happened.
They say the car slowly came to a stop near a red light, then the explosion took place, lighting at least six vehicles and three auto rickshaws on
fire.
Nada Bashir joins us now. She has been following this from London for us.
This is a significant attack in the heart of the city. What more do we know about this investigation at this hour?
NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Well, at this stage, the investigation into this deadly blast is still ongoing. We know that officials have placed a High
Alert warning on the airports, railway stations and government buildings in response to this blast. But as of this moment, it isn't known what actually
led to this deadly blast.
Now, what we do know, according to hospital officials, is that several people have been killed, dozens have been badly injured, and police are
carrying out their investigation, monitoring CCTV footage from the area.
We know that a car slowly approached a red light at about 6:42 P.M. local time before that explosion, and we have seen video showing at least six
vehicles engulfed in flames. Now, this is, of course, a very troubling and concerning development in the heart of Delhi, a densely populated and very
busy area, and of course, that came at a moment where the streets would have been extremely busy.
[16:20:21]
So really raising concern as to what may have led to this, whether this was a premeditated and planned attack or potentially some sort of accident, at
this stage, it is unclear. We have heard from officials, including, of course, the police commissioner, who has released a statement detailing
that ongoing investigation.
We've also been hearing, of course, from locals in the area who have been speaking to local media. One individual telling local reporters that the
blast was so loud that their windows shook at the time as well. So, a deeply troubling development in the heart of Delhi. But at this stage,
those investigations are still ongoing.
NEWTON: Okay, grateful to you, Nada Bashir for us. Appreciate it.
Now, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been released from prison pending his appeal. Now, Sarkozy was convicted in September of criminal
conspiracy related to the financing of his 2007 presidential campaign. He still faces restrictions on his travel and who he can contact while
maintaining his innocence.
Melissa Bell has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is back at home after serving 20 days in a
Parisian jail, the very first time a former French leader had served time behind bars since the end of World War II.
It was just a few weeks ago this autumn that Nicolas Sarkozy was found guilty of conspiring to fund his 2007 election run with money taken from
Libya of Moammar Gaddafi. He had been sent almost immediately to jail. He has now been released pending an appeal to that ruling. So he will be able
to wait out that time at home.
He described his time in jail to a French court on Monday as grueling. What we understand from French press reports is that Nicolas Sarkozy only ate
yogurts for the 20 days he served behind bars, for fear that other inmates might have spat on his food.
We expect the appeal to that conviction to come sometime in the spring, possibly in March. Nicolas Sarkozy will be at home and still facing certain
conditions, including the fact that he is not allowed to leave France during that period. He is also not allowed to contact any of the other
witnesses involved in the case surrounding that 2007 campaign financing. He is also not allowed to contact France's Current Justice Minister, Gerald
Darmanin, who visited him back in October.
So a certain number of conditions on his being allowed to serve that time, pending the appeal back in his own home.
Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening the BBC with legal action over a misleading edit in a documentary about his reelection
campaign. Now, two top executives resigned over the weekend after a leaked memo revealed that the BBC had misleadingly edited a speech by President
Trump. Britain's public broadcaster now faces an escalating scandal over impartiality and bias.
Brian Stelter is with us now. Really good to see you, Brian, and have you on this story. I mean, can you explain to people who may not realize
exactly how seismic this was in terms of the news itself, but also BBC's place in journalism.
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: It does certainly give it -- well, I would say that this situation, this misleading edit, it plays into and
contributes to an ongoing conservative campaign to undermine the BBC and to rethink the British relationship to the network -- to the country's
broadcaster.
So, you know, within that there is this very small but serious story about an edit that went wrong. It happened about a year ago. Nobody seemed to
notice at the time, but the information about this edit was included in a lengthy memo by a former adviser to the BBC, describing all sorts of
concerns that he had about editorial failures and missteps by the organization.
This memo talked about gender identity coverage, racial diversity, but also coverage of the U.S. election last year and it pointed to this misleading
edit and news coverage of that memo last week, that's what has really snowballed into this scandal for the BBC, causing these two resignations,
causing President Trump to threaten a lawsuit, and we don't really know where it will go from here, because now there is a leadership void at the
BBC and conservatives who have been lobbying, you know, criticism of the BBC for years are now able to point to this misleading edit, this screw up
by the BBC and say that it is an example of what is going wrong at the network.
[16:25:02]
NEWTON: Yes, I am curious about how this could affect BBC's future, especially in how its viewed as a fair and balanced news service. You know,
because its required to have a diversity of opinion and to be clear, it is funded by viewers themselves, and that comes up for renewal and for a lot
of scrutiny with the British government.
STELTER: That's what makes the BBC so strong, but it is also the area of weakness, of vulnerability, I should say, because the Royal Charter is
under government review right now. The current charter, including the license fee structure, expires at the end of 2027 and there is growing
pressure in Britain to revisit license fee structure.
Now, BBC has been trying to diversify its revenue streams for years, for example expanding into the U.S., trying to create a subscription service,
going in that direction in the U.S. and in other markets. So the BBC is placing multiple bets on the table, trying to diversify, but the license
fee is still critical and you have a really intensifying political campaign to try to change the way that it works in the U.K.
Now here comes President Trump threatening a lawsuit, and to a lot of people, this looks like an attempt at a shake down. We've seen him settle
with other media companies. Is that what he is trying to do with the BBC? We don't know. But he is claiming he has been really severely harmed, even
though, again, nobody noticed this editing problem last year when the documentary actually aired.
So what I am hearing today is a lot of hyperbole, over-the-top rhetoric, claims of election interference, even though, again, this wasn't observed
at the time. But it is a notable mistake and it goes to show these newsrooms are held at the highest standards, you know, and rightfully so.
Newsrooms at the BBC are held to very high standards, and yet they -- you know, they're flawed like everything else, like every other institution.
One of the smartest comments I saw today was a person saying, hey, it is really easy to tear these institutions down, and it is really hard to build
them back up again.
NEWTON: Yes, and it is such a good point, especially in Britain, when you think about local communities and how they depend on the BBC and certainly
depend on that fair and balanced coverage.
Brian Stelter, good to see you. Appreciate it.
Now coming up for us, Warren Buffett has written what could be his final letter as the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. We will have the details. You'll
want to hear this next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:30:17]
NEWTON: Hello, I'm Paula Newton and there's more QUEST MEANS BUSINESS in a moment when Warren Buffett says he's going quiet as he prepares to step
down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He says he's now focusing on increasing his philanthropic efforts.
And we'll take a look at how Mexico's trucking industry is getting upended with President Donald Trump's tariffs.
Before that, though, the headlines this hour: Airports, railway stations and government buildings right across India are on high alert after a car
blast near a metro station in Delhi. At least 10 people were killed, dozens were injured. Police say a slow-moving vehicle stopped at a traffic light
near Delhi's Red Fort monument and then exploded. They say they're investigating from every angle.
U.S. Senators could vote as soon as Monday on a measure that would end the longest federal government shutdown in American history. A group of
Democratic senators and one Independent have agreed to back a Republican funding bill. The deal makes no offer to provide the health care spending
that Democrats had sought.
A new typhoon is slamming the Philippines now, less than a week after Typhoon Kalmaegi. Typhoon Fung-wong has killed at least four people, more
than 1.4 million people had to leave their homes before the typhoon made landfall Sunday night. The storm has caused flooding and mudslides,
especially on the main island of Luzon.
So, we are hearing now that the U.S. Senate will begin voting in the next hour on a resolution to end this government shutdown, and it couldn't come
fast enough for millions of Americans who rely on federal food assistance. The funding for the so-called SNAP program, as it's known, is now in legal
limbo. The Trump administration told the Supreme Court that it will fight a court order to pay for it through emergency funds. It is also trying to
undo any payments made to the States as a result of that ruling, and that effort is now the subject of a lower court hearing.
Joel berg is the CEO of Hunger Free America, and he joins us now. I mean, just reading through this, it's chaotic. I can't imagine not only what
you're going through, but what the people themselves are going through, families that are trying to feed their children on this, elderly people who
are on a fixed income. So, let us know what is the actual state of affairs now when you put together what's going on with the shutdown, but also these
court rulings?
JOEL BERG, CEO, HUNGER FREE AMERICA: It's chaos, confusion, panic and pain. There are 42 million Americans, 42 million Americans who rely on the SNAP
program to put groceries in their shopping carts. That's mostly low paid workers, children, seniors, active duty military families, people with
disabilities, older Americans and veterans and the court chaos was forced by the Trump administration. They've lost in two district courts. They've
lost in an appeals court.
So, rather than just giving food to hungry Americans, they're appealing to the Supreme Court, and there's now -- there's more chaos about whether the
government shutdown is finally going to end, and if it ends without any improvements in health care for tens of millions of Americans, you've got
to ask, what was the point.
NEWTON: So, and we're going to get to that in a moment, but I want to ask you right now this hour, depending on the state you're in, you were
supposed to get some of those emergency funds. Some have and some haven't, and did anyone get 100 percent of what they were entitled to in November?
BERG: I think in some states, people did get 100 percent of what they were entitled to. Some states, people have gotten none. Some states, people have
gotten partial payments. Some states, some people have gotten it, some haven't based on something as arbitrary as their case number or their last
name.
You know, the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says we're supposed to have equal protection of all Americans in all states, and this is
clearly a violation of that dictate by saying, just by the luck of the draw, you might be getting food aid from your federal government, or you
might not.
NEWTON: Do you believe the Trump administration is weaponizing food on purpose?
BERG: They've absolutely weaponized food. First of all, President Trump has repeatedly lied about the program, implied that everyone who needs help
from SNAP is a Democrat, when in fact, states like West Virginia and Oklahoma and Louisiana, solidly red states, 15 percent of the population or
more in those states rely on SNAP.
[16:35:00]
You know, the Trump administration isn't even disputing whether it has the power or money to make full SNAP payments. They're just saying that the
courts can't force them to do something they already have the power to do.
So, there's no question that this is purposeful on the -- by the Trump administration, and I note in their first term there was a shutdown, they
didn't do this.
NEWTON: Right. And so, I do want to ask you, then, why this shutdown you believe, you know, America may be bearing too high a cost to actually end
this shutdown. And I'm quoting you now. You're saying -- well, your organization, you say, we are truly flummoxed as to why some senators who
kept voting for six weeks to keep the government shutdown, supposedly to force the GOP to agree to reduce massive health care premiums. You describe
it as utterly caving at this point. You're not happy, even though it means that SNAP would be fully funded into next year.
BERG: Many low income Americans supported this fight because they also understood that if tens of millions of Americans, including many of them,
had to pay thousands of dollars or tens of thousands of dollars per year more in health care premiums, they have less money for food and be
hungrier.
So, I understand fighting, including if there is significant short-term pain for a serious solution to our health care crisis. I get that.
I also get people who would have opposed the shutdown from the beginning, saying, oh my goodness, it's just not worth the cost to threaten food to 42
million Americans.
What I don't get is seven senators letting 42 million Americans get a significant delay in food, and the very reason they said they were forcing
this pain that they're dropping that demand on the promise that there may be a vote in one House when there's no promise of a vote, you know, in the
House of Representatives, just the Senate.
And why cave now, just because, frankly, upper middle class people and wealthier people are having plane delays? It just seems absolutely
nonsensical.
If you are going to take on this fight, you needed to understand it was going to be a war, and you needed to fight the war till you win. And so,
it's really the worst of both worlds, having weeks and weeks of severe pain with no victory.
NEWTON: I think viewers are starting to get a sense than where you stand, because it was a bit confusing there at a point. But you're saying, if you
were going to do the shutdown, just go all the way and get something out of it.
I do want to ask you a question about that though, we just had Congressman Lloyd Doggett from Texas on and he just told us that he doesn't believe
that the House passing this thing, even if the Senate does, is a sure thing. Would you welcome that? Would you all actually welcome more days or
weeks of this shutdown if you got those Affordable Care Act subsidies in place at the end of it?
BERG: Let me be clear, the shutdown needs to end immediately. It's unacceptable that 42 million Americans have gone without food payments. Our
organization has programs on hold that we have to pay for out of our own pocket. Countless other programs are being hurt.
You know, V.A. hospitals have reduced staffing levels. The shutdown needs to end immediately, but it needs to end immediately in a way that also
restores health care costs, makes health care costs more affordable for 10s of millions of Americans and the two are not somehow opposite. We can and
should do both as a civilized country.
NEWTON: Joel Berg, we'll leave it there for now, as we continue to watch where this vote goes in the Senate, appreciate your time.
Now, to our business agenda. Warren Buffett released what is likely his final letter as the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He plans to step down from
the job next month at the young age of 95.
In his letter, Buffett says he gave more than a billion dollars worth of Berkshire stock to his family's foundations. He also says he'll hold on to
a significant number of shares that he gave incoming CEO Greg Abel until that man finds his footing.
Anna Cooban is with me in London. This seems like quite a pivotal moment for devotees of this legendary investor. What more did he have to say?
You're right, Paula, this is, you know, an annual tradition dating back to 1977, also bearing in mind that he took over Berkshire Hathaway 1965 so
it's been going up very long time.
ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS REPORTER: In this letter, he said many things. He talked about stepping up donations to charity. He talked
about the wisdom of learning from his mistakes. He also talked about his health. He gave an update, yes, he's 95 but he says that only recently has
he started notice, noticing the signs of slowing down of aging, but he did say that he's still in the office five days a week, which is pretty
extraordinary. People a third of his age aren't doing that most of the time.
So, yes, people are looking quite eagerly as to what is next for Berkshire Hathaway under the next CEO, Greg Abel.
NEWTON: And in terms of what he actually said here, I found some of it quite funny. Actually, he wished everyone a Thanksgiving, and he said, yes,
even the jerks, it's never too late to change. Remember to thank America for maximizing your opportunities.
[16:40:11]
But he did say, inevitably it is capricious and sometimes venal in distributing its rewards. Quite a statement there on the current inequality
that we're suffering. And some would say Warren Buffett didn't do much to solve that.
COOBAN: Well, yes, I mean, he is, you know, a capitalist. He's made his money from the markets. And it's quite a blunt statement there about how
unequally that is distributed, which is an interesting sort of parting line in his last annual shareholder meeting. One other line that was pretty
famous was back from 1988 and he said that our favorite holding period is forever.
Now, what this means is essentially his exemplifies his investment strategy, which was to buy stocks and to hold them for a very long period
of time. He is famous for keeping his head cool while markets were in a real -- in a real tizzy with volatile moves. This is one of the strategies
behind his success is basically holding these stocks for a very long period of time.
NEWTON: Yes, and some people have challenged the fact of buy and hold and whether or not it's actually valid in these kinds of markets. But I will
say one thing you can always learn from Warren Buffett, he says, never try and time the market. And that is a truism to this hour.
Anna Cooban for us in London, thanks so much.
Just ahead, what one heavy truck builder in Mexico is facing with a new 25 percent U.S. export tariff.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: A 25 percent U.S. tariff on heavy trucks is threatening to drive away business in Mexico. One manufacturer that builds low-cost big rigs
with Chinese parts is pausing its U.S. expansion plans due to the trade uncertainty. Valeria Leon reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mexico, the country that builds most of America's heavy trucks, now faces a 25 percent tariff from
the Trump administration, a move that Mexican manufacturers warn risks up ending a cross border supply chain worth billions.
[16:45:13]
Every 45 minutes, a new truck rolls out of this plant in Hidalgo Mexico. For workers like Fernando Martinez (ph), that rhythm is a source of pride
and now a cause for worry.
Those tariffs would definitely impact our brand, he says.
And he's not alone, the plant assembles low cost trucks with parts shipped from China. The vehicles are sold locally, but the company had hoped to
expand into the U.S.
Now, the new 25 percent duty have effectively shut down those plants, pushing companies like this to look for other options instead.
LEON: Assembly plants in Mexico are now trying to diversify their market, relying less on US exports and focusing more on sales in Mexico and across
Latin America.
But after decades of close economic ties with their northern neighbor, breaking that dependency won't be easy.
LEON (voice-over): Last year alone, three out of every four heavy trucks imported by the U.S. came from Mexico, accounting for more than $15 billion
in trade, according to the Department of Commerce.
The question, can Latin Americans market compete with the U.S.
Julio Romero (ph), the plant's director, believes it can, but industry leaders say otherwise.
There is simply no alternative market big enough to replace the United States, Rosales says.
This year, exports to the U.S. have plunged 60 percent, leaving the industry on shaky ground as both countries head into a key trade deal
review that could redefine their economic future.
Valeria Leon, CNN, Hidalgo, Mexico.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: The CEO of the Carrinho Group says Angola no longer relies on imports for its food security. Nelson Carrinho sat down with Richard Quest
to explain how his company plans to transform African agribusiness.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NELSON CARRINHO, CEO, CARRINHO GROUP: We created a country, or an economy that was just fully based on imports of finishing goods, and basically
overnight with a food complex, you transform it in a raw material importer.
And by doing that, then you create a local market. And that's the stage we are now. We are now making sure that we replace all those imports for our
food complex with the local crops.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN HOST: This obviously is crucially significant, if for no other reason than food security, if and which is obviously the number one
issue in many parts of Africa.
If you have your own domestic production, domestic agriculture supply production, then you are ahead of the game.
CARRINHO: Absolutely. And I can, let's say, in agriculture has been, I think, one of the hardest challenges that I've ever been involved with. But
I'm very confident to say that when we talk about Angola, large farmers, that we are two years away for the boom.
So, basically, we are now consolidating. In two years, we expect that Angola will start to become a major, let's say, player, in terms of
agriculture. And we believe that in small scale farmers, that might take another four years, so we can really bring them to life.
QUEST: Now, this is interesting. Your -- once you believe you become a full-scale producer, a larger producer. Does that mean export?
CARRINHO: Yes, absolutely means export. This is the country with one of, if not the most, let's say arable land available for agriculture. We're
talking about 38 -- some reports say 38, some reports say 50 million hectares available for agriculture.
When you look at the Angolan imports, you might need around, I would say two million hectares, basically to feed the entire country.
So, basically you only need seven percent of the available land for the local, let's say for the local population. So, our destiny and our focus,
let's say, on the median terms is exports.
QUEST: Angola itself, after such a troubled past, the ability to feed itself and to be prosperous as it feeds itself. What do you think has made
it uniquely Angolan for your project to succeed?
[16:50:00]
CARRINHO: I think first, what makes, I think, uniquely Angolan. When you look at the challenge that we have to deal to on the on every day, let's
say only Angolan could pioneer that change. If you be here, like, say, six years ago, you will not even see one plant in this country, not even, let's
say, one factory of food. And now you see maybe, like, tens of factories of food in the country.
So, we are doing that in a different way, because we are bringing put in big scale industry.
QUEST: But what is it about the country that allows that to happen? What is the DNA here that has allowed this to be created and to flourish do you
think?
CARRINHO: I think the DNA in the Angolans, let's say Angolans, I think they say we -- and I'm an Angolan so I can say that we, Angola is a very
resilient and optimistic let's say people and population, and we really -- it might not look like but I'm going to like to think big, and we like to
do big things.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: OK, coming up for us, the viral photo sparked international intrigue in the wake of the new heist. CNN cracked down the mysterious man
in this picture.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: So, now to an image that went viral after the Louvre jewelry heist, a young man in a dashing suit, in Fedora standing outside the Paris Museum,
right next to the police. Many people online actually speculated that he was a detective stereotype come to life.
Saskia Van Dorn tracked down the 15-year-old behind that picture.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SASKIA VAN DORN, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER (voice-over): We tracked down the mystery man from that viral AP photo taken as police sealed the Louvre
after the jewel heist. And he's not a detective, but a stylish 15-year-old school boy, Pedro Garzon Delvaux who lives with his family outside Paris.
PEDRO GARZON DELVAUX, TEEN IN VIRAL PHOTO: I'm just a student. Who is 15 years old and like to dress classic.
VAN DORN: Do you wear Fedora kind of every day.
DELVAUX: I save it for the weekend. I like to read, I like historic books, like maybe the movies, the old movies, because, like, the man are dressing
like that, and I kind of like it.
[16:55:02]
VAN DORN: And how do your friends at school react to the way you dress, do they appreciate your dapper style?
DELVAUX: Yes, they think I have a lot of aura.
VAN DORN: I would second that.
VAN DORN (voice-over): So, who shaped his style? Not a streaming staff, but a French resistance icon, Jean Moulin.
DELVAUX: I love that type of angle when you don't see all the face, but you see just a part of the face.
VAN DORN (voice-over): The waistcoat is Yves Saint, the jacket is Hackett. Much of it borrowed or inherited, including a vintage watch with a Cold War
back story.
DELVAUX: I do the knot of the tie very fast, like this. Put the three things too.
VAN DORN: There is one question that a lot of people would like to ask you, which is, do you know where the jewels are?
DELVAUX: Well, I don't know, but I know that we found some suspects.
VAN DORN: You're not working the case?
DELVAUX: No, I'm not.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Fun. All right, another fun story, the Canadian Premier League Final looked like it was straight out of a snow globe as Atletico, Ottawa
secured its first title.
Now, the usually green pitch, yes, I can tell you, it's normally green, was blanketed in snow. And let me tell you, this was no dusting, OK, nearly 12
centimeters or five inches, play was halted every 15 minutes as it is to clear the lines, and goalkeepers use shovels to draw their boxes. Of course
they did.
Now, in the end, the hosts thankfully beat defending champions, Cavalry FC, 2-1 in temperatures as cold as minus eight degrees Celsius, or 17
Fahrenheit. But this is what you have to see, notable goal that's coming from Ottawa's David Rodriguez, who is I shall add, from Mexico. Look at
that. You would normally call that a bicycle kick, but no, they're now calling it the icicle kick.
And I want everyone to keep in mind that Rodriguez only saw snow for the first time in his life earlier this year. Congrats, Ottawa. Love it.
Now, Wall Street closed higher as the Senate inches closer to ending what is now the longest ever U.S. government shutdown. The Dow gained 381
points. The S&P 500 rose 1.5 percent. And the NASDAQ, as you see there rallying more than two percent.
We do want to have a look at the Dow components. Nvidia rose more than five percent recovering much of last week's losses. In case you were wondering
about that, A.I. trade, strong gains too for Microsoft, Amazon, Cisco and IBM, all of them rising more than one percent.
And that does it for QUEST MEANS BUSINESS for today. I'm Paula Newton. "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts right now.
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END
