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Pope Leo to Have Surgery to Remove Lung Nodule; Pennsylvania Measles Outbreak; Rescue Efforts in Nepal; Trump Says Russia and Ukraine Agree to "Energy Ceasefire". Aired 11:30a-12p ET

Aired October 12, 2026 - 11:30   ET

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

[11:30:00]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, Pope Leo is sticking to his busy schedule even as he prepares to check into the hospital tomorrow for surgery. The 71-year-old American-born pope will have a nodule removed from his lung and is expected to stay in the hospital for about a week to recover.

CNN Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb is joining us now live from Rome. What are you learning about this?

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, this news took a lot of people by surprise in the Vatican because Pope Leo is generally seen as someone in good health. He stays active. He likes to swim and play tennis. So, the news that he's going to have this operation has been a real surprise and a shock to people. But we know that he's going to be admitted to hospital on Tuesday and the surgery is going to take place at the Gemelli Hospital at the northwest of Rome, which is where popes of recent years have all gone for their medical treatment.

The pope saying on Sunday, when he announced the news of the surgery, that the nodule, the growth, is localized and has been detected early. Of course, this does leave a lot of uncertainty and anxiety in the Vatican about the pope's future engagements. The pope has a big trip planned to Latin America early in November, where he's due to go to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, a country that he knows so well, as he served as a missionary and a bishop there for many years.

But the surgery is due to take place Tuesday. And then, of course, everyone waiting patiently and on tenterhooks to see how that all goes, because that will determine the pope's next moves. Wolf.

BLITZER: And we wish Pope Leo only, only the best. Hopefully it will be very successful. Thanks very much. Christopher Lamb with the latest on that.

And there's other news we're following just in. A sixth measles- associated death has now been reported in Pennsylvania. The coroner in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, says the 39-year-old woman had, quote, "several underlying conditions, including a past diagnosis of measles." The Health Department reports more than 1,100 cases of measles in the state. It's the largest U.S. measles outbreak in more than three decades and the deadliest year for measles since 1991. Up next, five men fatally wounded along a Michigan trail. Are their deaths connected? What police are now saying. We'll be right back.

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[11:35:00]

BLITZER: Happening now, the 2026 Nobel Prize in Economics is going to two Americans. Robert E. Hall and Michael Woodford. They're developing new models to help governments and central banks absorb outside economic impacts.

And shocking video out of Nepal showing a bridge swept away in flash flooding. Villagers along the river were urged to evacuate. Several people are reported missing. And rescue operations are underway. This comes less than two months after a glacier collapse caused catastrophic flooding in Nepal and Tibet. Killing more than 1,400 people.

In Michigan, meanwhile, authorities are investigating the deaths of five men. All of them killed along the same trail within the past year. Lansing's mayor said the attacks, quote, "specifically targeted men who were unhoused and sleeping along the river trail overnight."

[11:40:00]

The mayor added that a suspect in at least one of the deaths is now in custody. Officials say they're looking into, quote, "all possible connections."

And new this morning, President Trump says Russia and Ukraine have agreed to an immediate, in his words, immediate energy ceasefire to stop attacks on oil refineries. Ukrainian officials tell CNN that his announcement came as a total surprise to them and that they are still waiting for details.

CNN Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Matthew Chance is in Moscow for us, Moscow. What is the Kremlin saying about all of this?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, it's being actually very tight lipped. And you get the impression that the Kremlin was also sort of taken by surprise by this announcement by President Trump that an energy ceasefire had been agreed by both sides.

There's been a conference call, a daily conference call by the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov. Over the course of the past several hours, he was obviously repeatedly asked about this. And he just said that contact contacts are ongoing and that he had nothing further to add.

So, that's not exactly a ringing endorsement, is it, of that energy ceasefire announced so prominently by President Trump at the weekend. There have been ceasefires like this, energy ceasefires undertaken in the past. There were a couple last year that didn't amount to much.

There was one earlier this year that lasted for just a few days. What's different this time, though, it seems, is that President Trump has so much more at stake. He's facing the midterms in, what is it, three weeks, high prices at the pumps in the United States.

He really wants to show he's doing everything he can to U.S. voters to try and bring that down. And that's why there's all this enormous pressure being placed right now on Ukraine, on the leadership in Kyiv to stop their attacks on Russian oil refineries, to try and allow Russian diesel and other fuel products to continue to flow and to pick up. If they don't, it also potentially provides President Trump with a scapegoat in the form of President Zelenskyy in Ukraine.

He can blame them for the fact it didn't happen. All of this, of course, music to the ears of the Kremlin, absolutely rubbing their hands with glee that they are once again on the same page when it comes to Ukraine with the White House. Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Matthew Chance in Moscow for us. Thank you very, very much. I want to continue the conversation with Jill Dougherty. She's a CNN contributor and affiliated scholar at Georgetown University here in Washington. She's also the author of an important book entitled "My Russia" about her time as CNN's Moscow bureau chief. Jill, thanks very much for joining us.

President Zelenskyy says he will respect the energy ceasefire if Russia does the same thing. However, he claims Russia has already violated it with attacks simply overnight. Is there any chance Putin will stop attacking Ukraine's energy targets?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR AND AUTHOR, "MY RUSSIA": Oh, I don't think so, Wolf. In fact, right after that announcement by President Trump, the Russians were hitting a power station in Ukraine. So, you know, at this point, I think the strategy for President Putin is full speed ahead to attack and destroy as much as possible, as quickly as possible. And simply, you know, there's not much that he has to do other than that, because he's being offered several deals and we can talk about them.

But that diesel energy offered by President Trump is definitely exactly what Putin wants. So, he can just sit there and continue to pummel Ukraine.

BLITZER: And at the same time, Jill, the U.S. is now threatening to withhold intelligence and new weapons purchases if Ukraine doesn't fall in line with the Trump administration. What impact could that have on Ukraine?

DOUGHERTY: Oh, this is extremely serious. Number one, obviously weapons, that would be one. But the intelligence, you know, the spy capability, the information about what the Russians are going to do, is critical to the Ukrainians in terms of trying to fight this war.

If that is cut off, and the United States, actually President Trump, has previously threatened to do that, it didn't happen. But if it does happen, this would be very bad. And I think it's another indication of President Trump's desire at this point to get any type of deal, just to get it over with. And that's why he's offering Vladimir Putin precisely what Vladimir Putin wants.

BLITZER: President Trump, as you know, Jill, has partially blamed Ukraine for the surge in diesel prices and turned to Russia to buy diesel fuel. How much will that actually help Russia's economy and funding its war against Ukraine?

[11:45:00]

DOUGHERTY: Oh, well, we'll hope the Russians a lot, because, you know, the more they sell, especially right now when diesel fuel is very expensive, it will definitely help Russia. But, you know, the question, Wolf, I think is, can they even deliver? I mean, they have problems at home. Can they actually get enough out into the market to really make a difference?

And it's not really going to make any -- well, I should say, it's going to make very little difference for American consumers who have to pay high prices. And that is reflected, as we know, in the price, not just for the fuel, but for things that people consume.

So, I would -- my first question would be, will this deal actually go through? And also, Putin, this is what Putin wanted. This is part of the plan that he had, that they would remove sanctions, the Americans would remove sanctions, and he'd be able to sell more of this diesel fuel. So, again, playing into his hands.

BLITZER: Important point. President Zelenskyy, as you know, Jill, has criticized this diesel deal. And now, President Trump is calling for a new leader in Ukraine. How are European allies receiving all of this? And does this accomplish the wedge Putin has been driving, trying to drive between Trump and the U.S. allies?

DOUGHERTY: You know, it's -- I think the Europeans, there's no question, they have Zelenskyy's back. A lot of them have been pretty irate about that. The reporting that has come out of Ukraine, interestingly, is that even people who had difficulty with Zelenskyy, for a number of reasons, are saying, why should the President of the United States be able to define who the President of Ukraine will be?

So, I think it's coalescing support for Zelenskyy, at least in Europe, and probably in his own country. And then this is another thing that Putin has been demanding. Putin has been saying, why aren't they holding elections? You know, Zelenskyy should be up for election. But the demand by Ukraine has been, sure, we'll have elections if you stop hitting us, if we have a ceasefire. And Putin will not go for a ceasefire.

So, again, we're back in the circular thing that, you know, Zelenskyy's back is against the wall. This is a very serious moment for Zelenskyy. Because he cannot destroy the relationship with the United States, with President Trump. He has to play that very delicately. But he cannot, at least you would think, he can't give up the defense of his own country. So, it's very difficult for him right now.

BLITZER: Very sensitive moment indeed. Jill Dougherty reporting for us. Thank you very, very much. We'll be right back.

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[11:50:00]

BLITZER: An overtime thriller in Atlanta on Sunday with the Baltimore Ravens eking out a win over the Falcons. Let's go to CNN Sports anchor Coy Wire. Coy, I know as a former Falcons player, I bet you've got a little bit of angst right now going on this morning.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes, I mean, you know I played for your bills. But I also played for the Falcons. And you're making me lead off with this heartbreak. Nearly 60 percent of the NFL games this season have been decided by a score. A wild day in the NFL.

Sunday night, primetime drama. My Falcons hosting the Baltimore Ravens. Without Lamar Jackson, Falcons leading most of the night, Wolf. But fourth quarter, here comes the 250-pound bowling ball covered in baby oil known as Derrick Henry. Two-point conversion is good. Then Atlanta loses their starting quarterback, Michael Penix, with a rib injury. Then Baltimore's Snoop Huntley, the backup to Lamar, bulldozes his way into the zone. So, now Atlanta needs a touchdown from their backup QB, Tua Tagovailoa.

Somebody call security. Ravens All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton commits grand theft football. Picked him off. He played high school right here in Atlanta. So, nice moment for him, not for my Falcons. The Ravens win 30-23, move to 4-1 on the season. Across the pond, more madness.

In London, an ending so loud even the clock couldn't believe it. Eagles take a one-point lead with eight seconds left. Game over, you would think. But Ameer Abdullah rumbles 53 yards on the kickoff return and gets tackled with one second left. Enter kicker Cam Little. Big leg. Big moment. 57 yards in London. It's money. Jaguars win 19-17. And get this, with their long snapper injured, it was a defensive lineman snapping the game-winning kick. Little delivers a walk-off handing Philly their third straight loss.

Another wild ending. NFC East rivals Giants commanders. Overtime game as well. Washington in position for a game-winning field goal. The clock's ticking. No timeouts. All they have to do, Wolf, spike the ball. You know this. Throw it out of bounds.

But Jayden Daniels runs it. Gets tackled. They never get set to kick it. Head coach Dan Quinn rips off his headset. No penalty for roughing the headset. Fortunately, it's a 27-27 tie. Feels like a loss. Commanders, fans everywhere wondering what in the world just happened.

Baseball. NLCS game one. Dodgers, Brewers in a rematch of last year's series. And L.A. strikes first. Andy Pages drives in Shohei Ohtani. But in the fourth, Brewers, Brice Turang goes boom. Solo shot off a two-time Cy Young winner, Tarik Skubal tied the game.

[11:55:00]

Next inning, rookie Luis Lara delivers the go-ahead single. Dodgers have a chance in the ninth. Mookie Betts goes deep, but it is caught. Brewers win 2-1, snapping a seven-game postseason losing streak against LA.

The Dodgers have a payroll that is more than the other three teams in the championship series combined. Well, if they're playing with a champagne budget while the others are playing on a beer budget. But one thing I've learned in life, you know, the fanciest, most expensive parties aren't always the best ones. We'll see how things play off moving forward.

BLITZER: Important game tonight. I'll leave you with these words, Coy. The Bills and the Rams. Go Bills.

WIRE: Let's go, baby. Monday night football.

BLITZER: All right. Coy Wire, thank you very, very much. And to our viewers, thanks very much for joining us. We'll see you back here tomorrow morning, every weekday morning, 10:00 a.m. Eastern for two hours. Inside Politics with our friend and colleague Dana Bash starts after a very quick break.

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