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The Brief with Jim Sciutto

CNN International: U.S. Senate Votes on Shutdown Deal; Trump Hosts Syrian President; Scandal Over Trump Documentary; Trump Threatens BBC with $1B Lawsuit; Ukraine Suffers Massive Blackouts; Two MLB Players Accused of Rigging Bets. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired November 10, 2025 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:00]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR, "THE BRIEF": Hello and welcome to our viewers. Joining us from all around the world, I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington and

you're watching "The Brief."

Just at this hour, the U.S. Senate is voting on a deal to end the shutdown after eight holdouts from the Democrats joined Republicans. A former

jihadist becomes the first Syrian head of state to ever visit the White House. And two Major League Baseball players are indicted for allegedly

taking part in a sports betting conspiracy.

First though, the U.S. Senate is voting now on a funding bill to end, finally, the government shutdown. This after eight members of the

Democratic caucus joined Republicans to advance the bipartisan plan which would fund the government until just the end of January. One of them,

Independent Senator Angus King.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ANGUS KING (I-ME): The Republicans' position all along was very clear. We'll talk about health care, we'll talk about the ACA, but not

until the shutdown is over. So, the question is, was the shutdown a stimulant for talks about the ACA or an impediment? And it turned out to be

an impediment. There's no point in continuing the shutdown if it wasn't accomplishing anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Well, to get the votes they needed, Republicans have promised to hold a future vote on extending those health care subsidies. That, of

course, does not guarantee that those subsidies were passed. President Donald Trump says he supports the plan to reopen the government. Once the

Senate passes the funding measure, it will then go to the House. Republican Speaker Mike Johnson spoke to CNN a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), U.S. HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER AND U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: It really was a shutdown about nothing. I mean, what we're voting

on is effectively exactly what we offered them several weeks back. We've added some appropriations bills now, which we're in favor of because it's

getting us back to the regular order. We'll take care of some other details. But I don't think Chuck Schumer got anything out of this other

than a political show. And sadly, I think that's what he was after the whole time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Annie Grayer is live on Capitol Hill. I mean, the problem, right, is that Democrats seem to disagree on that very question. Some, I think,

quite angry, frustrated with the deal.

ANNIE GRAYER, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Absolutely. This deal has divided Democrats. The eight who voted for it say that this was the best option

that they were going to get and that it is rare for Republicans to agree to even a vote on a Democratic priority when Democrats don't control the floor

because Republicans control the Senate.

But the more progressive Democrats and the outside groups are furious because what Democrats did was essentially give up on their main talking

point for this entire shutdown. Democrats have been saying for 41 days now that their goal was to extend those expiring Obamacare subsidies that was

going to cause the health care for 20 million people across the country to rise. They were saying they were not going to vote to reopen the government

without those expiring subsidies being extended. Instead, all they got was a vote in the Senate at some point in December. There's no guarantee that's

going to pass.

There's also no guarantee that's going to be taken up in the House. So, there's a lot of frustration right now in the Democratic Party. Take a

listen to how both sides of the party are viewing last night's vote.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-NH): All those people who opposed this agreement, staying in a shutdown mode was not getting us anywhere. And they need to

train their fire on 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)

GRAYER: So, now, the Senate is voting and starting the process to vote on the final parts of this deal. And then it will head to the House, where

we're expecting that vote to happen as soon as Wednesday. The House has been out of session since September 19th, and House lawmakers are already

on their way back.

But just a quick recap of what else is in this deal. It extends government funding through January 30th. It also funds key federal agencies through

fiscal year 2026, so that even if there is another government shutdown, no Americans will go without key food assistance.

[18:05:00]

And it also reverses the firings of federal workers during the shutdown and ensures that all federal workers, including furloughed workers, get back

pay. So, the Senate is voting on that right now. We're expecting that to pass at some point, probably in the late hours of tonight, and then it's on

its way to the House.

SCIUTTO: Annie Grayer, up in the Hill, thanks so much. For more now, I'm joined by Democratic Congresswoman Madeleine Dean. Congresswoman, thanks so

much for taking the time.

REP. MADELEINE DEAN (D-PA): Good evening, Jim. How are you?

SCIUTTO: Not bad. Question for you, in your view, did your colleagues, Democratic colleagues in the Senate, blink here?

DEAN: Oh, I actually don't even care to frame it that way. I can tell you my response. I was frustrated, maybe a little bit angry, mad, like my

nickname, disappointed. But I'll also say this, what has been so clear in the elections of last Tuesday made it abundantly clear that the American

people get what's going on here, and that they're sending us over a bill that says that they're in a panic.

Certainly, real people are being hurt by this shutdown. I've met with air traffic controllers, food pantry workers, as well as SNAP, real people are

getting hurt here. So, I will say I am disappointed, and yet, more determined than ever to make sure we continue to take the cause to the

American people about the affordability of health care and the unaffordability of it, the Republicans care nothing about. The cutting off

of SNAP benefits, not to mention the taking of $186 billion from SNAP in the big beautiful law.

And of course, as we go forward, not paying federal workers, not paying our military, worrying about our air traffic controllers as the president mocks

them and snipes at them. So, I'm determined more than ever, disappointed, but determined more than ever to take these causes forward.

SCIUTTO: A basic question, do you think there's any actual value to Republicans in the Senate saying there will be a vote in the Senate, of

course, no guarantee in the House, a vote in the Senate on this? Does that have any real value?

DEAN: I worry about that. It's a start, but I certainly worry about it. Look where we have been. People are talking about a 42-day shutdown. It's

actually a 52, 53-day shutdown because Speaker Johnson sent us scurrying. He was worried having Republicans around after September the 19th. So, it

actually began 11 days before that September 30th date.

Republicans are very, very worried about Epstein and about actually the affordability and lack of affordability here in America and what impact

that will have on them. So, I am very confident. And I want to say I'm proud of the Democrats in the House, how united we have been, how strong

Hakeem Jeffries has been in talking about what matters to the American people as we see a president more focused on amputating the East Wing of

the White House and throwing Gatsby parties.

Pretty clearly, the president never read F. Scott Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby. It doesn't work out well for the very wealthy.

SCIUTTO: You mentioned Epstein there. As you know, a whistleblower told one of your colleagues in the House, Jamie Raskin, that someone in the

prison is helping her work up commutation papers, a request for commutation. Can you explain what you believe is going on here? Why the

move to a friendlier prison? Why the privileges in prison? Is there a quid pro quo in the works here?

DEAN: I can't explain it. I'm certainly not anywhere near it. But from what you're seeing, from what you are reporting, it is a hideous, corrupt

attempt to curry favor with this pedophile, this sexual predator who has been convicted of serious federal crimes and is now being given favor by

this administration.

Jim, you know, and you and I have talked about this, the president pardons people, offers commutation. Pardons are supposed to be about mercy, about

understanding and offering grace. That's not what's going on here. That she's seeking a commutation or a pardon is no surprise to anyone. And that

this administration transferred her to a federal prison that is much more club-like, and she's getting such favorable special treatment, it's

corruption at the highest level, right in front of our faces, because the president wants her to say certain things about what he is or is not

culpable of or near in terms of his years of being best friends with Mr. Epstein.

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SCIUTTO: I know that Democrats feel that they got some positive signal from the elections last week in Virginia and in New York City and in New

Jersey. I wonder what you're hearing from constituents in your states, because you know better than me, Pennsylvania is right in the middle of it

in any presidential election.

Are you convinced that the -- are you convinced that you have right message here, right? Are you convinced that you're winning on affordability?

Because as I remember, Democrats did pretty well in special elections prior to 2024, and then they got blown out, you know, in the national election.

DEAN: Well, you know, I'm somebody who came in in 2018, and that was a very exciting time when 40 members joined the Democratic caucus to give

Nancy Pelosi the gavel back yet again. It was a very exciting time to turn the government around following the beginning of Trump 1.

You didn't mention California was very exciting with Prop 50, but you didn't mention a lot about Pennsylvania. Take a look at Pennsylvania. We

will be the keystone state again. I think in Pennsylvania, we could pick up three or four congressional seats alone. That could get us the majority.

But what happened right now in Tuesday's election with the retention of the Supreme Court justices sent a very broad, strong signal that the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania electorate, by a double-digit margin, retained those justices who are interested in the rule of law, the Constitution,

Pennsylvania's Constitution, making sure we have congressional districts that are actually fair, protecting a woman's right to choose, and so many

other things.

You also saw in Bucks County, just north of where I represent, some historic elections, a sheriff and the D.A., Democrats, elected after years

of not having a Democrat in those positions, and they were elected handily. Pennsylvanians get it. So, I know Democrats are famous for being beat up

for lousy messaging. I think we figured this one out.

SCIUTTO: To your point, those judges, in the event of election challenges in the next cycle, would be, of course, quite influential. Just before I

go, are you confident that the midterm elections will be conducted freely and fairly?

DEAN: Oh, gosh. I have a confidence because I have a confidence in the courts and I have a confidence in my governor, because he's prevailed

against Donald Trump who tried to interfere with our elections in the past. And more than that, I have a confidence in the American people. But we know

that everything is on the line, and Donald Trump and Republicans, I wouldn't put anything past them.

SCIUTTO: Congresswoman Madeleine Dean, thanks so much for joining.

DEAN: Good to be with you.

SCIUTTO: Well, also here in Washington, D.C. today the first ever White House visit by a Syrian head of state. Talks between President Trump and

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa turned out to be a low-key affair. He was seen entering the White House through a side door, you see it there, left

just about two hours later. Al-Sharaa did not appear alongside President Trump for any public events. Trump did, however, praise him hours later.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: He's a very strong leader. He comes from a very tough place and he's a tough guy. I like him. I get along with him,

the president, the new president of Syria. And we'll do everything we can to make Syria successful because that's part of the Middle East.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: It is indeed part of the Middle East. Just last week, the U.S. removed al-Sharaa from a list of designated terrorists. He once led, and

this is notable, an al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria. Before that, he traveled to Iraq to fight U.S. troops there. The U.S. also removed a $10 million

bounty on his head just last year. Today, the U.S. Treasury said it will delay the enforcement of sanctions against Syria for another 180 days. Only

the U.S. Congress can lift them entirely.

The U.S. is also said to be working on a possible security pact between Syria and Israel. Joining me now, Edward Djerejian. He's a former U.S.

ambassador to both Syria and Israel, currently a senior fellow at Harvard's Belfer Center. Thanks so much for joining.

EDWARD DJEREJIAN, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO SYRIA, SENIOR FELLOW, HARVARD BELFER CENTER AND FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL: Good to be with you,

Jim.

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SCIUTTO: Let me begin with a very basic question. A former leader of an al-Qaeda-tied group in Syria carried out horrendous attacks in Syria. And

as we noted there, he traveled to Iraq to fight U.S. forces there, many of which were deadly attacks, right, against U.S. forces. Can the U.S. trust

him? Should the U.S. president be trusting al-Sharaa?

DJEREJIAN: Well, Jim, that reminds me of President Reagan's famous dictum, trust but verify. And I think this is what President Trump is doing. And as

you well know, there are many historic cases of revolutionaries and insurgents who then evolved into positions of high responsibility in the

Middle East context alone, Yasser Arafat was a terrorist, and I remember when I was the Assistant Secretary of State for the Near East during the

Clinton administration for the Oslo signings, I had to sign a waiver the night before he came with his entourage to Washington to sign the accords

with Prime Minister Rabin and Shimon Peres. One day he's a terrorist, the next day he became a, quote/unquote, "statesman." So, it's not unusual.

But I think in this case, every indication that we've had since he's taken over is that he's very serious about moving Syria forward domestically in

terms of trying to reunite the Syrian population, which is very diverse. You know, Sunnis, Shias, Druze, Christians, Jews. There have been sectarian

conflicts since he's arrived in power that have been bloody events. He has really major economic, social challenges within this devastated country,

which has gone through a civil war for 12 years.

And so, the challenges he has is great. And what I think he's doing on the international scene, and his visit to the White House today is, as you

mentioned, historic, is that he's trying out a policy of like an accomplice, 360 degrees, coming to Washington to meet with the American

president, going to Russia to meet with Putin, meeting with the Arab leaders, he's to go to France, because he needs international legitimacy

and support.

And the most current thing that he wants out of Washington, other than the U.S. president's recognition, is getting sanctions relief, because American

sanctions, these Caesar sanctions are congressionally mandated. And even Trump cannot just unilaterally lift them. He's suspended them for 180 days.

But once those are lifted, and I think this is probably the first step, though, that if Sharaa continues to prove himself to be a responsible

leader, then all sorts of investments can flow into Syria, which are critically needed.

SCIUTTO: You wrote an opinion piece earlier this year in which you argue that Syria's political transition post-Assad must be inclusive and

represent the diversity of all Syrian society. Listen, a reasonable aspiration, but a challenge that virtually every country in the Middle East

is fighting every day, right? I mean, and beyond the Middle East, no question. But we see this break out into wars, and we certainly saw it in

Syria over the course of the last several years. Can that be done?

And I also wonder, are the regional players on the same page about this, because, I mean, you've got Turkey involved, you've got Israel involved,

you certainly have the U.S., you have Russia still interested in maintaining a footprint there, Iran involved as well. I mean, are all those

players on the same page about that kind of unified, multicultural society?

DJEREJIAN: Very good question. I just published a report (INAUDIBLE) on the Middle East initiative on exactly this subject. What is going to be the

impact of the external countries on Sharaa's efforts to reunite his country? And there are different players with different interests. Turkey

has a special interest in Syria, the Gulf states, especially MBS and MBC in the UAE. And they have their views on how Syria should evolve.

Israel can play either a destructive role or a constructive role in terms of his ability to succeed in this goal of reunifying Syria. There are some

elements in Syria who do not want to see a unified state. They'd prefer to see a Syria that's sort of broken up, as you mentioned, into confessional

statelets. So, you know, it's divided and won't be a unified threat to Israel. But that tendency, I think, is the minority in Israel.

[18:20:00]

I think the Israeli -- most of the leaders now recognize that a unified Syria under, if you will, adult supervision is probably the better goal,

and I hope that's Israel's policy. But the fact is that each one of these players, be it Iran, Russia, the United States, the Arab Gulf states, they

all have a specific interest. But there is a unifying factor, and that's that this man be given a chance to bring that country together. Because

what happens in Syria, the Las Vegas line doesn't stay in Syria. It has an impact in the whole region.

And don't forget, when the civil war broke out in 2012, 6 million Syrians were displaced, and many, you know, emigrated to Turkey, to Europe. And so,

what happens in Syria is critical. And I think President Trump and his national security team recognize that all of this is connected to what can

happen in Gaza, what can happen in Lebanon. Syria plays a major role. So, this visit was truly historic.

SCIUTTO: We'll continue to watch the situation on the ground there. Ambassador, thanks so much for joining us.

DJEREJIAN: My pleasure.

SCIUTTO: Coming up next, a newsmaker making headlines for all the wrong reasons now at the BBC over a documentary about Donald Trump and quotes in

that documentary. We're going to look how the U.S. president is responding.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCIUTTO: Welcome back. In today's Business Breakout, U.S. stocks rallied across the board today on hopes that the historically long U.S. government

shutdown will finally come to an end. Tech stocks, which dropped sharply last week, were the best performers, up more than 2 percent.

Checking some of today's other business headlines, the government shutdown is causing more flight chaos across the U.S. More than 2,500 flights

canceled Monday, thousands more delayed. It is the fourth straight day that more than 1,000 flights were canceled. A massive snowstorm that hit Chicago

has also impacted travel. The government has ordered airlines to cut 6 percent of flights at 40 major airports beginning Tuesday because of

airport staffing shortages, a result of the shutdown.

Visa and Mastercard have announced a deal with U.S. retailers to lower the so-called swipe fees they charge for each credit card transaction.

[18:25:00]

The multibillion-dollar deal could also lead to lower prices for consumers. But it has come under attack from the National Retail Federation, which

says it does not go far enough. Lower fees could also mean fewer perks, though, for some credit card users. Conscious of all those miles and

points, the deal does still need to be approved by the courts.

Famed investor Warren Buffett has released his last letter to shareholders as the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. In the letter, Buffett details how he

will give away his fortune to philanthropy. He also says he will stop writing his traditional letter to shareholders in Berkshire Hathaway's

annual report. Instead, he will write a yearly Thanksgiving message. That's coming up. Buffett steps down as head of the company later this year. He

will, however, remain chairman.

President Trump is now threatening to sue another news company, this time the BBC, over the way it edited one of his speeches during the January 6

attack on the Capitol. Already two BBC executives resigned. On top of an apology from the chair, CEO of News, Deborah Turness, and Director General

Tim Davie both stepped down on Sunday. All this follows the leak of a critical report finding that the Panorama program's documentary on January

6 had misrepresented the speech that Trump gave on that day. Turness says she stands by the BBC's editorial teams.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBORAH TURNESS, OUTGOING CEO, BBC NEWS: Of course, our journalists are (INAUDIBLE). Our journalists are hardworking people who strive for

impartiality, and I will stand by their journalism.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is there institutional bias at BCC?

TURNESS: There is no institutional bias. Mistakes are made, but there's no institutional bias.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Hannah Miller is a media reporter at Bloomberg News. In a note to staff, Tim Davie, Tim Davie, the director general, he said the resignation

was entirely his own decision. Is that true or was there pressure on him and Deborah Turness coming from elsewhere?

HANNAH MILLER, MEDIA REPORTER, BLOOMBERG NEWS: You know, there's been a lot of negative reaction to what happened here with the BBC. And I think

for him, you know, it's come up that it was a matter of principle, you know, that he knew they made a mistake. He knew that this was a grave

error, and that was why he chose to resign.

SCIUTTO: But why would -- I mean, listen, we're well aware in this country of how President Trump has for years attacked news organizations and his

favorite tactic of late, beyond public criticism, has been lawsuits, and he's now threatening a lawsuit against the BBC. But why the two heads of a

government-funded broadcaster across the ocean feel the pressure from the U.S. president to resign? I mean, is it entirely external or is it internal

pressure as well?

MILLER: You know, I think it's a combination of the two. I mean, you know, it's Donald Trump. He's the president of the United States. We're a global

superpower. He makes headlines everywhere, not just in the U.S. And you have these two executives, you know, who probably face pressure from above.

The BBC is at a very sensitive time right now where they're going to be negotiating their new funding with the government. So, I think they might

want to take and have a fresh look as they go in, you know, and clean house before they secure the funding that they need to operate.

SCIUTTO: Can you explain to our viewers exactly what the root of this controversy is? What was the edit and how impactful was that edit of Donald

Trump's remarks on January 6th?

MILLER: Yes. So, this documentary focused on January 6th. It spliced together two comments from the same speech that President Trump was making

that day. And the comments are 50 minutes apart within the speech. But the way it's edited, it looks like it's one right after the other. And it's

edited in a way that is, you know, it seems like Trump is implying for people to march on the Capitol and incite violence when that was not the

case. That's not what happened when he was making the speech.

So, I've been talking to news experts all day about this, and many of them have come forward and said this was really egregious. You know, this is

more than just a simple edit or making something tighter or making something cleaner. This seemed like a fabrication.

SCIUTTO: And that's, well, certainly against journalistic ethics. Hannah Miller, thanks so much for joining us.

Straight ahead, Ukraine hit by yet another major Russian air attack. Targeting once again its energy infrastructure as it gets colder there.

We're going to bring you the latest after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Jim Sciutto. And here are the international headlines we're watching today.

U.S. senators have started a series of votes to end the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history. A group of Democratic senators and one

Independent have agreed to back a Republican funding bill. In return, Republicans say they will at least allow a future vote on extending the

health care subsidies which were at the root of the shutdown.

A new typhoon is slamming the Philippines 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 on Sunday night. The storm has caused flooding and mudslides, especially on

the main island of Luzon.

A car explosion has killed at least 10 people near Delhi's historic Red Fort. Dozens were injured. Police say a slow-moving vehicle stopped near a

red light Monday evening before the blast. Indian authorities are taking no chances. Airports, railway stations, government buildings have all been put

on high alert.

In Ukraine, millions of people have been left in the dark after a wave of yet more Russian attacks targeting energy facilities there. Ukraine's air

force has rushed to launch some 45 missiles, some 450 drones over the weekend. The attacks caused widespread power outages across the country.

The scale of the damage means repairs are going to take a long time. That leaves Ukrainians without power in the middle of November, just as

temperatures drop. And that, by the way, is the intention of these attacks.

Joining me now, Admiral James Stavridis, former Supreme Allied Commander, also a partner at Carlyle Group, a global investment firm. Always good to

have you on. Thanks so much for joining.

ADM. JAMES STAVRIDIS (RET.), CNN SENIOR MILITARY ANALYST, FORMER NATO SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER AND PARTNER, THE CARLYLE GROUP: Thanks, Jim.

[18:35:00]

SCIUTTO: So, as you watch this closely, and I know you do, Russia has expanded and not reduced its air attacks on Ukraine since that ill-fated

Alaska summit. Is Putin telling Trump he's just not interested in diplomacy?

STAVRIDIS: I think that's a fair assessment. Let's start with a basic fact. These are war crimes. When you go after the infrastructure that

provides basic needs for people, you are committing war crimes. And there is no excuse for that.

In terms of Putin's theory of the case here, he believes he can out-weight not only Donald Trump, but the Europeans. I think he's mistaken in that.

And I do, Jim, take a certain amount of comfort from the fact that President Trump declined to pursue a summit with Vladimir Putin. And I hope

that our president will continue to press Putin to get to the negotiating table.

SCIUTTO: You know, seriously, I was in Eastern Europe last week, and officials there, like you, said Putin still believes he's winning, can

outlast the U.S., Europe, Ukraine, et cetera. I just wonder, in your view, is the economic pain that Russia's feeling now from these new sanctions

from the U.S., but just the cumulative effect of the sanctions, is that likely to make him reconsider? Putin, that is?

STAVRIDIS: Well, no one should underestimate Russia's ability to accept pain. You're a student of history. I always say, you want to understand

Russia, throw away the CIA report, go back and read the novel "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" by Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

The Russians can absorb a lot of pain. They did so in World War I, World War II. On the other hand, Jim, I think in this modern world, Putin is

coming up to the end of his leash in terms of numbers killed, 300,000 young Russian males dead, another 300,000 to 500,000 wounded grievously, another

500,000 have left the country.

I think Putin is, we'd say in American English, whistling past the graveyard. I'm not sure how much longer he can sustain this kind of losses.

Back to paragraph one a moment ago, let's see if President Trump can put real pressure on him to get to the negotiating table.

SCIUTTO: How about Ukrainians? Because they have their own pressures, enormous losses, not on the scale of Russia, but of course it's a smaller

population, and exhaustion from these air attacks, which, as you say, deliberately target civilians, and some progress, not enormous progress,

but some progress on the front lines by Russian forces. Are you confident Ukrainians can hold the line?

STAVRIDIS: I'd invite you, Jim, and anybody watching to put yourself in the shoes of the Ukrainians, and in the shoes of the Russians. On one side

of that firing line are Ukrainians. They look behind them. Who do they see? They see their parents. They see their children. They see their

civilization. They see their cities. They see their language.

On the other side of that firing line are Russian conscripts. They look back, and what do they see? They see Vladimir Putin, who forced them into

that firing line. I'm going to take the Ukrainian side of that argument. They're smaller. They have a lot of pressure on them. But in the end, I

think they will withstand more than Russia will.

SCIUTTO: Yes, it's a good point. They're defending their families, right, and their homes. Before I go, a consistent concern I hear from European

officials, more often in private than in public, and I know you're familiar with this phenomenon, is that the U.S. is not the reliable ally it once

was, or at least they fear that it's not the reliable ally it once was. Are they right to be concerned?

STAVRIDIS: I think any logical person looking at the current administration would be concerned. But, Jim, you know this, life is

compared to what? And compared to the campaign for the presidency when President Trump was talking about pulling out of NATO, compared to where we

were even six months ago in terms of U.S. dwindling support. At the moment, I think the United States continues to support Ukraine.

[18:40:00]

But I'll close with this, people ask me a lot, who's going to win the war between Ukraine and Russia? I think the Europeans are going to win the war

because they're going to realize they need to stand up on their own. They have an economy the size of the United States. Their population is 450

million, to our three million, They're smart. They have a lot of capability. If they can pull together as a team, Europe's going to be the

winner in this war.

SCIUTTO: Yes. And they're certainly investing in their own defense. Admiral James Stavridis, thanks so much as always.

STAVRIDIS: Jim, thanks for having me on.

SCIUTTO: Coming up, two Major League Baseball players indicted for allegedly rigging their pitches in a sports gambling scheme. The details

are just incredible. We're going to have them next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCIUTTO: Two Major League Baseball pitchers now indicted for an alleged sports betting scheme. Cleveland Guardians Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz

accused of coordinating with bettors to rig bets on specific pitches they threw in live games. This comes after both players were placed on non-

disciplinary leave during the season as the probe was underway. If convicted, they could face, at the outside end, decades in prison. Today,

Major League Baseball has announced new rules to curb some betting relating to individual pitches. Under the policy, the so-called micro bets on

pitches will be capped at $200.

Joining me now, James Whelan, executive director of the Tennessee Institute for Gambling Education and Research, also the editor-in-chief of the

Journal of Gambling Studies. There's a lot of gambling going on now, as you know, James. Leagues are making a lot of money from it. Everybody's making

a lot of money from it. I mean, the details of this are just fascinating to me.

So, Clase, he's in the bullpen, takes a call. You're not supposed to take phone calls, by the way, in the bullpen, takes it and then goes out,

apparently got the message, throw below 97 miles an hour, does it, and his guy makes money, and then that guy visits his house later and gives him

some of the money. I mean, it's remarkable, but it just seems pretty easy in today's betting environment.

[18:45:00]

JAMES P. WHELAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TENNESSEE INSTITUTE FOR GAMBLING EDUCATION AND RESEARCH AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, JOURNAL OF GAMBLING STUDIES:

Oh, it certainly does. And reading the stories today just makes you ask a number of questions. Like, why would you do this? You make millions of

dollars. Why would you take this risk?

SCIUTTO: Yes.

WHELAN: Those things are there, and it's hard to realize it. Now, one of the things you started with was the point about micro bets and in-game

betting. And there are lots of risks around that, and there is concern that comes from some research about how micro bets may be a problem, not just

for athletes such as this, but even for a regular player.

SCIUTTO: It seems a good thing to ban, right? Because I can imagine the players' calculus being, I'm not throwing the game. It's just one pitch.

One pitch outside the strike zone, right? And everybody wins, and it's OK. Is this the kind of thing that just shouldn't happen at all, betting on

stuff like this?

WHELAN: Yes, Jim, I don't know that answer, but I do think there are a couple things in play here. And clearly, there needs to be an examination

of what are the products being offered, what that means to people as they bet. So, for example, one of the things that happens is you lose a little

money, make another micro bet, you hope to win it back.

But there's also questions here about how sports -- I just had a friend the other day said, looks like sports betting is a problem. And I said, I think

sports has a problem. I think sports hasn't figured out how they're generating all this revenue, ESPN changing which sports book they're

partnering with. There's a lot of money coming in here, and the question is, what are the safeguards?

SCIUTTO: Yes.

WHELAN: What are the ways in which they have this in check?

SCIUTTO: It used to be the third rail, right, of sports. But now, apparently, you can make so much money, they're like, oh, yes, I forgot

about that. I mean, the players in this case, too, I mean, they were going to make a lot -- they were already making a lot of money. They were going

to make a lot more, right? I mean, like Clase, for instance, everybody was talking about who's going to trade for him and then, you know, who's going

to sign a big deal. Do we have any sense? I mean, were they in trouble or was the temptation just too great?

WHELAN: Well, I don't think we know those details yet. Who knows whether or not there's patterns of betting that led them to feel like they had to

do this, that whoever they were betting with, there's that possibility. There's the possibility, and this is always very true. We are bad judgments

of risk unless we see things in hindsight.

So, usually, people don't start by taking -- like, climbing Mount Everest, they climb a little hill near their house and then a mountain, et cetera,

et cetera. And here, who knows what was the betting history that leads up to this? What I want to know is also how the leagues are preparing their

personnel to deal with this entire world of betting. How are they helping them understand what they can and can't do and providing them with

resources so that they can protect the integrity of sports?

SCIUTTO: I mean, you hope that the cautionary tales work because you have two careers done here, right, plus jail time, but money is tempting, and

we're seeing it -- I mean, look at the NBA. I mean, this goes right up to the top of the NBA. You had an active coach who was betting, too. I mean,

is any -- are any of the -- is any one of the professional sports leagues doing better on this than others, or are they all just seeing dollar signs?

WHELAN: I don't have an inside story on that, but I think you're right on point. The frequency at which these events are occurring and how they're

increasing in magnitude makes one concerned that what is ever there or what is motivating people is not creating the balance to ensure that the

customers, the fans, that the game is fair.

SCIUTTO: Yes, that's the thing, and that was in the indictment, right? It said that they violated the trust of the fans. James Whelan, thanks so much

for joining us.

WHELAN: Oh, without a doubt.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

WHELAN: Thanks.

SCIUTTO: Thanks. And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:50:00]

SCIUTTO: The world's biggest climate summit is happening right now in Brazil. Politicians, scientists, diplomats gathered a COP30, as it's known,

to talk about ways to minimize the worsening environmental crisis. Of course, big absence there. Among those not in attendance, members of the

Trump administration. President Trump has called climate change and the science behind it, quote, "the greatest con job." Bill Weir looks at what's

at stake.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ten years ago, humanity was burning so much fossil fuel that Earth was on track to

overheat by a catastrophic 4 degrees Celsius by century's end.

But then came Paris, when nearly 200 nations agreed to wean themselves off of oil, gas and coal, protect more nature and hold the global warming line

at 1.5. The Paris Accords led to innovation and market forces that now make sun, wind and storage cheaper and more popular than ever.

But humanity is still burning way too much carbon. And the U.N. announced this week that Earth will likely overshoot 1.5 on the way to around 2.6,

which would still mean the end of coral reefs and mountain glaciers, coastal cities and island nations as we know them. So, going into history's

30th conference on climate change in Brazil, the stakes could not be higher.

WEIR: And then at this pivotal moment comes a second coming of Donald Trump, who is actively trying to force all of these countries to go

backwards on climate. And then Bill Gates drops a 5,000-word memo in which he argues that less money should go towards the climate buckets and a lot

more should be poured into solving global poverty and global health.

But Katharine Hayhoe, climate scientist at Texas Tech, argues climate is not a bucket. Climate is the hole in every other bucket. The hole that

makes solving these problems that much harder and more expensive.

KATHARINE HAYHOE, CHIEF SCIENTIST, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY: And that hole is getting bigger and bigger, the more carbon emissions we produce. And if

we don't patch that hole, we are never going to be able to address any of the other issues he cares about. His premise that climate change is just a

separate bucket at the end is profoundly flawed.

WEIR (voice-over): She is among the chorus of top climate scientists who spent the week trying to debunk the billionaire's confusing new message,

that rich cities will be immune from the worst effects and that technology can save us.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Those coal mines are opening up one after another, clean, beautiful coal.

WEIR (voice-over): Even if Republicans refuse to even try.

ZEKE HAUSFATHER, CLIMATE SCIENTIST, BERKELEY EARTH: Technology doesn't descend from the heavens on magical stone tablets. It comes from decades of

important R&D work, most of which is funded by governments and deployment work, which is funded by governments like tax credits for clean energy. And

so, this idea that we can somehow rely on technology to save us independent of policy, independent of what we actually do to get that technology out

there, I think is worrying.

DANIEL SWAIN, CLIMATE SCIENTIST, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA: They had just fired their entire climate team at CBS. I was literally reading this

instead of going to do that interview. At the same time, there was a torrential downpour. Multiple people drowned in New York City.

And in the interviews that Bill Gates has given in response to the criticisms, specifically pointed out it's -- that it was ridiculous to

think that New York City was going to have problems with climate change. I was reading this as people were actively underwater in their basement

apartments in New York City last week. So, the rhetoric just isn't matching the real world here.

[18:55:00]

WEIR (voice-over): Meanwhile, former Biden climate czar Gina McCarthy is in Brazil, along with a group that includes California Governor Gavin

Newsom and others, who will try to convince the world that blue states and big cities are still in the fight with pledges to keep.

GINA MCCARTHY, FORMER EPA ADMINISTRATOR: This is a difficult time, Bill, that you know, and I've never been at a time when I felt that the federal

government was as much out of the loop as this federal government is. But that can't be what we focus on. We have a chance to go to Belem and let

people know that America is all in. There are solutions. There are opportunities. There is hope in the United States.

HAYHOE: We also see that businesses, organizations, nonprofits, churches, tribal nations, universities, all kinds of different entities are taking

climate action. So, when Gina is going to Brazil to tell people that people in America, organizations in America are still acting, she's right.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: Our thanks to Bill Weir for that important story. Thanks so much for your company as well. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. You've been

watching "The Brief." Please do stay with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:00:00]

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