Return to Transcripts main page

The Situation Room

Amazon: Outage Fixed, But Some Users Still Report Problems; Manhunt For Thieves Who Stole Priceless Jewels From Louvre; Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) Is Interviewed About More Federal Workers Furloughed, Miss Paychecks Amid Shutdown. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired October 20, 2025 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[11:00:14]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And we begin with the breaking news. Some of your favorite websites and apps are back up and running right now after a major Internet outage overnight.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: While most of the nation was sleeping, Amazon Web Services reported a technical issue that took down all of these websites right here and apps. The company provides cloud services for all of them and more, including AT&T, Delta, McDonald's, Snapchat, even your ring cameras.

Amazon says it has identified and fixed the problem, but right now some users are still reporting problems. CNN's Brynn Gingras is following this story for us. Brynn, what more are you learning? And -- and what are some of the issues that people are still encountering right now?

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Pam, well, quite frankly, I don't think there is a graphic that's large enough to show all the companies that are still impacted by this. This was a major outage that happened overnight. It lasted about two hours. And the problem, according to Amazon Web Services, has been mitigated.

But there are some residual issues, which you point to, Pam. For example, you mentioned ring cameras. Some people might be trying to look at their ring cameras, and it says it's offline. Or if you're trying to maybe get a coffee at Starbucks and you're trying to use the app to pay for it, it might not yet quite work.

Now, it should very soon or hopefully in the near future, because, again, they say this problem is mitigated. But there is some residual troubleshooting that still needs to happen. During that two-hour time frame of when this system went down, there was more than 1.4 million reports of problems just in the U.S. alone. And this was a global outage. So there were other countries that were reporting major outages as well.

The Amazon Web Services makes up about 30 percent of the cloud-sharing marketplace. So you can imagine how much this impacted not only businesses but, of course, also consumers. So this is a major issue. Again, don't get frustrated. Maybe keep on refreshing your app, trying to see exactly what is going to hopefully pop back up sooner or later. But certainly this is something that they are looking into.

As far as what caused this, what we're understanding is that the domain name system or the DNS, which is being described as sort of a phone book for the Internet, that is what went down. And essentially that means like those apps were trying to find the data that runs those apps and they were not connecting. And so that is what had caused this issue.

Now, why it happened, that's still unclear. We're told by Amazon Web Services that there was no cyberattack. So that is a good thing. But still, the troubleshooting of exactly why this was caused or why this happened, that might take a lot longer to figure out. But again, it is -- it is mitigated. The problem is gone. But you still, as a consumer and for businesses, might still be seeing some issues. So hang in there on this Monday.

BROWN: Let me just jump in, actually, Brynn, because while you were on the air, we just got some new information.

GINGRAS: Oh, good.

BROWN: That there are some -- there are some fresh connectivity issues. And Amazon Web Services issued this update stating that it once again is experiencing network connectivity issues, saying we can confirm significant API errors and connectivity issues across multiple services in the U.S. East 1 region. It says that it's seen early signs of recovery and it's continuing to investigate the root cause. So we're still seeing this ripple effect.

GINGRAS: I was going to say, so this Monday is just continuing to be a Monday and annoy everybody.

BROWN: Yes, exactly.

GINGRAS: Yes. It sounds like this is going to be an issue that maybe we see going back and forth, because certainly there are issues being reported by businesses and consumers of this ripple effect. And it might be something that we might see throughout the day as they continue to troubleshoot it, Pam.

BROWN: Busy Monday for you, Brynn Gingras. Thank you so much.

GINGRAS: All right.

BLITZER: At any minute now, President Trump is expected to welcome the prime minister of Australia. Over at the White House, Anthony Albanese, it's their first formal meeting of Trump's second term. The issue front and center right now, Australia's reserves of rare earth minerals. They're truly essential for much of the technology we use every day, from cell phones to televisions to satellites to military weapons.

China dominates the supply right now, but Australia's reserves could be the bargaining chip that President Trump needs in his trade war with Beijing. Let's go live right now to CNN's senior White House correspondent, Kristen Holmes. Kristen, what do we expect to come from this meeting? The prime minister is supposed to arrive at the West Wing any minute now.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Wolf and Pam. So just behind me, I'm not sure if you saw it, the -- the color guard was marching out, so that means any second now we should see him pull up in his car and then drive over to the West Wing. That's when we'll see the two men interact to see what kind of questions we can throw out at them, how they greet each other.

[11:04:56]

Now, as you noted, this is the first formal time that they've had a sit-down since President Trump was reelected. They've spoken on the phone roughly four times, and there's a lot on the agenda. And one of the things you mentioned was these rare earth minerals. This is critical for Donald Trump, but it's also critical for Australia. This would be something they could use as leverage to get what they need, which is several other things which we'll go into in a second.

So let's talk about what's on the agenda today. One, rare earth minerals. We know that Australia is currently working on a proposal to export these critical minerals to the United States. Why that is so important is the fact that this is coming at a time when China has tightened its control over the global supply. So it's something, as you noted, President Trump needs as a bargaining chip, but also something that would give Australia leverage when it comes to other things on the agenda, like trade, for example.

We know that Australia is seeking to try to get that 10 percent tariff, which is the lowest that there is out there, either removed or lowered even further. Defense cooperation is on the list, but the other part of this is this nuclear submarine deal. And this is where Australia might want to really try and leverage those rare earth minerals, because we know President Trump is reviewing this deal that was signed back in 2021. It was a trilateral defense agreement between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States that would essentially allow for Australia to buy these nuclear-powered submarines from the U.S. in 2032, before then building a fleet of new submarines with the United Kingdom.

The reason why this is something Australia is looking at very closely is the fact that it was signed in 2021. But right now, the Trump administration says they're reviewing it. The Pentagon in particular says that they are reviewing it to see if it is America first, which has had some Australians on edge. So moving forward, again, Australia is going to be trying to leverage what they have to get what they need in trade, as well as the submarine deal. We know President Trump is very interested in those critical minerals.

BLITZER: He certainly is. All right. Kristen Holmes at the White House for us. Kristen, you're going to be busy throughout this day. Thank you very, very much. And it's interesting, Pamela, because we will see the prime minister arrive over there at the West Wing. The President will greet the prime minister. Then they'll make their way to the Oval Office.

They'll sit down. They'll make their opening statements. They'll answer reporters' questions. There will be cameras inside. Reporters will be inside. I'm anxious to hear what these two leaders have to say.

BROWN: Yes. And, you know, a lot of us are curious, Wolf, about the relationship that these two leaders have. What more can you tell us about that, Kristen Holmes?

HOLMES: Yes, it's been really interesting to watch, especially this time around. They have had a good relationship, but it does tell you something, that this is the first time that they're having this formal sit-down. Think about all of the world leaders that President Trump has had to the White House. The fact that we are nine months in and this is the first time that they are sitting down together really tells you something.

It's also leading to some of this anxiety that we're seeing on the side of the Australians, who have always considered themselves very close to the United States. So, again, seeing how their dynamic plays out. Now, it'll be interesting. We know or we believe that President Trump will speak and take questions. Both leaders will take questions from the Cabinet Room, is where we're told this is likely to be, not actually the Oval Office. So we'll see how they interact, how they engage each other.

But, again, this is coming at a point where these two men do need something from the other person. So they're both looking to try and leverage what they have in exchange for what they need on the world stage.

BLITZER: All right, Kristen, once again, thank you very, very much.

And still ahead right here in the Situation Room, a daylight heist that was as fast as it was brazen. How did thieves manage to rip priceless crown jewels from the Louvre in just seven minutes?

[11:08:43]

BROWN: And new video of yet another U.S. strike on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean as President Trump escalates his feud with Colombia.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Right now, an international manhunt is underway after thieves took priceless jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris. The heist took just seven minutes. Investigators say crooks used a power tool and a blowtorch to get inside the ornate Apollo Gallery. It took off with eight pieces of jewelry. They dropped a knife piece during their escape.

Some experts fear the pieces might never be found. CNN's senior international correspondent Melissa Bell has the latest on the investigation.

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What's happening this morning is that the Louvre Museum behind me remains closed even as this manhunt continues. What French authorities say they're looking for are four people believed to be behind this robbery. It was, of course, 9.30 a.m. They got in through that first floor window after using that truck with a mechanical ladder on it. Pretty rudimentary equipment, things like an angle driver, things that broke the window of this first floor room in which were housed some of France's most precious crown jewels.

Seven minutes in all, the heist lasted, and still more than 24 hours later, authorities are still looking for the men involved but also for the jewels. Only one piece of jewelry was dropped. That was the crown of Princess Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III. The other eight pieces are still at large, and these are pieces of jewelry of immense inestimable cultural and heritage value, say French authorities, things like brooches, earrings, tiaras, belonging to some of the queens of France from the 19th century.

[11:15:07]

A couple of options, scenarios the French authorities are working on. We've been hearing from the Paris prosecutor about this. Either the idea that this theft, which we understand was committed by very experienced robbers according to a very detailed and well laid out plan, either it was a commission on the part of someone who was hoping for a private collection to acquire these particular pieces of jewelry, or, and this is much more worrying for French authorities, the idea was to get the jewels, melt them down, and sell off the rubies, emeralds, diamonds for their market value.

For now, those two scenarios are what they're looking at. Still looking to all the clues that were left behind, things like CCTV footage from inside the Apollo room when this robbery took place yesterday morning, one of the yellow vests that was worn by one of the robbers since they had dressed with a yellow vest that workmen typically use on this kind of machinery on the facades of Parisian buildings. Things like that that might help them, they hope, piece together where these robbers might be.

But they say it is the first 48 hours that are crucial because this, they say, is when the robbers are at their most vulnerable. We're now more than 24 hours into that.

BLITZER: Melissa Bell in Paris, outside the Louvre. Thank you very, very much. Pamela?

BROWN: Well, Wolf, we have some breaking news. Any moment a federal judge in Chicago will hear from ICE officials leading immigration enforcement there. That judge issued a restraining order this month restricting agents' crowd control tactics, use of force, and actions against peaceful protesters and journalists. She says she's still hearing reports of tear gas being deployed without warning and has serious concerns her orders are not being followed.

Also this morning in Chicago, there is a court hearing to set a trial date for a woman accused of ramming a law enforcement vehicle earlier this month. It happened as protests escalated over an immigration crackdown in the city. A Customs and Border Protection agent shot the woman in that incident.

BLITZER: Lots going on in Chicago. Up next, hundreds of federal employees will be furloughed today as the government shutdown drags on and on and on. Democrats and Republicans are pointing fingers at each other. But whom do Americans blame? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:21:59]

BLITZER: All right, we're looking at live pictures. There's the President of the United States about to receive the visiting Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese. They will have meetings inside the Oval Office. Very important development unfolding. This is the first time they've been meeting, actually. I want to listen because they're shouting questions, reporters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you hope to accomplish today with the Prime Minister?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: A lot. A lot. Great things. Thank you very much.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: We're going to get a lot done.

BLITZER: Pamela, I don't know if you could hear that question. I couldn't hear the question.

BROWN: He said, what do you hope to accomplish with the Prime Minister? And President Trump said, lots. I didn't hear what the Prime Minister said. But they do have lots on the -- on the agenda for today, including submarines, of course, the economy, tariffs. There's a lot they're going to be discussing, and we're going to be watching it all very closely.

BLITZER: Yes. Very important meeting, and they're going to be going into the Oval Office now. There will be cameras and reporters inside. They will be making their opening statements and then answering reporters' questions. We're standing by. We'll have live coverage of what's going on. Very important meeting between the United States and Australia leaderships.

BROWN: That's right. So let's turn to some other news as we await for that to happen. Happening now, more key federal workers are being furloughed and told they'll miss their next paychecks as the government shutdown nears three weeks. The Energy Department, which oversees the nuclear stockpile, says it will furlough the vast majority of its staff today.

Joining us now is House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain of Michigan. Nice to see you, Congresswoman. Thanks for coming on. So the first question is, have there been any bipartisan talks whatsoever between your party's leadership and Democrats to end the shutdown?

REP. LISA MCCLAIN (R-MI): You know, there -- there's been talks, but both sides honestly seem pretty dug in. I mean, we out of the House, obviously you all know this, voted to keep the government open. And obviously we got to get 60 votes in the Senate. And that's really where it's stalling.

And my frustration was I thought it was supposed to be a funding fight. And the Democrats have kind of made it about, you know, a referendum on Trump. And then it was supposed to be an Epstein fight. Now it's a they're trying to make it a health care fight. But even when we go out there and say, all right, well, what about, you know, health care? If we put a vote on the floor, people can't even say, yes, I'd be in agreement to do that.

It seems like what's happening right now is the Democrats want certainty of outcomes, which in a Democratic process, you can't get certainty about outcomes. So what I say is let's open the government and let's have all the talks and negotiations that we need to have in a democratic fashion, as opposed to, you know, four people getting together in a back room and getting some backroom deals. Let's have government work how it's supposed to work.

BROWN: What would you be willing to put on the floor for a vote on health care? As you mentioned, those -- those subsidies go up, I believe, starting November 1st on health care. Democrats say that is their big sticking point. They want a deal done on that. What would you be willing to do on that front right now?

MCCLAIN: You know, right now, after we open the government, I'd be willing to talk about anything, because right now that health care needs to be reformed. There is no reason why somebody who is making $600,000 a year should get the COVID Obamacare subsidies, right. That doesn't make sense.

[11:25:13]

So obviously, there are some issues that need to be fix -- fixed. But we got to open the government first and then we can talk about fixing them. Not to mention everything else that we have going.

BROWN: And there's a lot, right? So clearly, Republicans --

MCCLAIN: Yes. There is.

BROWN: -- yourself included, you're -- you're criticizing Democrats for this shutdown. In any shutdown, there are these messaging wars, right? You say, look --

MCCLAIN: Yes.

BROWN: -- it's the Democrats in the Senate. They're not passing this. We've done our job. But there is recent polling that reveals that 48 percent of Americans assign a, quote, great deal of blame to President Trump for the shutdown versus 45 percent to congressional Republicans and just 40 percent to congressional Democrats. And that is consistent with other polling we've seen. So this isn't just a one off. Why do you think that is? MCCLAIN: I think people don't understand that a C.R. continuing resolution should never be used to advocate for more government wasteful spending. And that's exactly what's happening. And I think they don't understand that when we passed this C.R., we didn't put any gimmicks in there. No games, no gimmicks -- gimmicks. And what I mean by that is typically the party in charge of the C.R. puts a lot of their pet projects, partisan projects, and then they use it as negotiation tool.

We didn't do that. We said no games, no gimmicks. Let's govern how government should work. And I think that's a very key, important piece that people are really missing that isn't getting covered that I think needs to get covered. So, listen, nobody wants the government to be shut down. It's not good for the American people.

That's why Republicans in the House did their job and in the Senate and voted to keep the government open. So if you look at the facts, the Democrats right now are the ones that are standing in the way of opening up the government.

BROWN: But it's the perception of the American people we're talking about here. And as the shutdown drags on, Republicans and the White House say that they're laying off thousands of federal workers, and that's necessary because of the impact that the shutdown is having on federal spending. But at the same time, President Trump announced a $20 billion bailout to Argentina last week during the shutdown. That's money, of course, from U.S. taxpayers for a foreign country. So what do you say to Americans who are looking at that and saying, wait, how does that square?

MCCLAIN: Yes, well, what I would say to those Americans is please call your Democratic senators and tell them to stop being obstructionists and vote yes to open the government, number one. Number two is, as you see, the President is making deals around the world, and that's not exactly a bailout. It's more of a loan. So it's not just free money that we're giving away, which is very different than administrations in the past.

So if you truly are concerned about this, what I say is let's get the government open. And I implore you to call your Democratic senators and tell them don't be held hostage by the crazy Marxist wing of your Democratic Party. Let's get back to governing how democracy should actually work. And that's why Republicans, both in the House and the Senate, are voting yes to open the government and Democrats are standing in the way.

BROWN: But you can see the laying off of these federal workers, it is a choice. It is not something that is necessary because of the shutdown. It's a choice.

MCCLAIN: Well, the choice is whether the government is open or not.

BROWN: Right.

MCCLAIN: And clearly, if you ask the President, like all the other Republicans, we would prefer the government. Well, if I could finish the firing of these employees or the laying off or the furloughs. The President's having to make some really difficult decisions of which the Democrats put him in, right? So I don't understand if they think he's this king, why would they cede all of the power to the executive branch, right?

That's exactly what's happening right now. And I applaud the President for making these difficult decisions that if the Democrats really cared about the American people and the people that are getting furloughed, they'd open the government and the gut -- and the President wouldn't have all this authority to do so. But remember, it's not Republicans that put him in that position. It's the Democrats that are voting no in giving him all that authority.

BROWN: You brought up that the No Kings rallies, we saw some of those protesters, we've seen videos. These are rallies across the country and they were speaking out on many issues that they say threaten democracy. Before them, you called them the Hate America rallies. Do you really believe that the approximately --

MCCLAIN: Yes.

BROWN: -- 7 million attendees who participated this weekend, according to the organizers, hate the United States of America.

[11:30:06]

MCCLAIN: Well, look at what they -- they're standing for.