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What We Know with Max Foster

Zelenskyy Appeals For Help In Stopping Russia's War; U.S. Secretary Of State Rubio Meets With Russian Counterpart; Two Detainees Killed In Shooting At Dallas ICE Office; President Trump Threatens To Sue ABC Over Kimmel's Return; WHO: No Proven Link Between Autism & Acetaminophen; Powerful Storm Slams Into Hong Kong And Southern China; European Commission Chief Warns Russia About Aerial Incursions. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired September 24, 2025 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:28]

MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: A stark warning from Ukraine's president.

This is WHAT WE KNOW.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying he believes we're living through what he calls the most destructive arms race in human history. During his speech earlier

at the U.N. General Assembly, Mr. Zelenskyy called for global rules on A.I. use in drones and other weapons. His warning comes as he appealed to world

leaders at the U.N. for help in stopping Russia's war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Whether you help peace or continue trading with Russia and helping Russia to fund this war, it

depends on you whether prisoners of war will be freed, whether abducted children will come home, whether hostages will be free. It depends on you.

(ED VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: It comes a day after Donald Trump's stunning shift on the war in Ukraine. The U.S. president publicly declaring that he thinks Ukraine can

win back all of its territory from Russia, instead of having to give up some of it in exchange for peace.

CNN's U.S. security correspondent Kylie Atwood joins us now from the United Nations.

I'm interested in understanding if the U.S. -- the U.S. really has shifted on this, and it's a completely different way into the war, pushing Russia

right back.

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN U.S. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, that's right. We don't really know exactly what the fallout is going to be, what the

tangible impact of President Trump's remarks on social media yesterday this stunning reversal from him are going to really amount to President

Zelenskyy spoke here at the United Nations just hours ago.

And one thing that he said is it's up to the countries that were in there listening to him, whether or not there would be peace in Ukraine or whether

they would continue funding Russia's war effectively, that they needed to make the decision to stop taking in imports from Russia.

We know that there are multiple countries, including in Europe, that are still importing Russian oil and fueling that war machine that Russia has.

So, we'll continue to watch this space and how the Trump administration goes forward after that reversal from the president yesterday.

Another space that we are watching today is Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with leaders from the Middle East, Arab and Muslim leaders. And that is

on the heels of President Trump having a similar meeting with leaders from the same region yesterday. They're discussing the way forward in Gaza.

We're just learning in the last hour that Steve Witkoff, special envoy for the region, said that President Trump presented a new 21-point plan to

those leaders to develop a way forth to end the war in Gaza.

We're now hearing that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is discussing what that could look like. Implementation of the plan, the feedback from those

regional leaders in his meeting this afternoon. So, this is a space for us to watch. It's clearly a very active space. Space. It comes on the heels of

most of the countries that are gathered here today. More than 150 of the 193 nations getting together on Monday for a two-state solution conference

in which they said that they would recognize many of those countries, the state of Palestine.

It's the first time that they're doing so. They believe now is an important moment to do that. They believe that it is going to push Hamas away, not

give it any more support. But we've heard from the Trump administration that they don't think that this is the way to go.

So, they are clearly presenting their alternative to what was laid out on Monday during that two-state solution conference. And we'll have to watch

and see if that has legs. And of course, if there is new momentum towards ending that horrific war.

FOSTER: Kylie, thank you so much for that.

Well, the Kremlin had harsh words for the U.S. president's latest stance, saying, quote, even a low skilled specialist could see that Russia was

winning the war.

Russia's foreign minister met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York, earlier giving a thumbs up. As you can see to reporters as he

left on Tuesday, Rubio also seemed to contradict the president on how the war in Ukraine would end.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We have had meetings in Turkiye, meetings in Saudi Arabia, meetings in Alaska, countless phone calls, doing

everything possible to bring this conflict to a resolution and to an end, a war that cannot end militarily. It will end at a negotiating table. That's

where this war will end.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: CNN's Kristen Holmes is at the White House.

All wars do end up at the negotiating table, right? But it's where the U.S. takes it from here.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. And it's also, you know, we hear President Trump often saying different things than we

hear his top diplomats saying, President Trump likes to push the envelope.

[15:05:01]

And for all intents and purposes, it shows just how frustrated he is currently at where those talks are. We've heard him repeatedly now for the

last several months, talk about how he thought ending this war was going to be a lot easier than it was, particularly because of his relationship with

President Vladimir Putin. Now it seems as though those talks have pretty much completely stalled. President Trump had given a few weeks for

President Putin to arrange a sit down with President Zelenskyy, but it seems as though that's simply not going to happen.

So, when you see President Trump out there on social media really pushing this idea that now he might support Ukraine fighting to the point where

they get to keep all their territory. Just to be clear, Max, this is not something we've heard from anyone, at least since the Trump administration

has come into power. Remember when President Trump first sat down with President Zelenskyy? He said, you don't hold the cards. You're going to

have to give something up.

The message has been consistent until yesterday, which again indicates how frustrated the president is and where these talks are. But whether or not

this actually goes into any kind of action with President Trump remains to be seen. I will remind you that for the last several months, we've gone

through several cycles in which we hear from White House officials who say President Trump is so frustrated that he might be willing to take sanctions

or impose sanctions on Russia or another set of secondary sanctions, all of that, to then draw out and not actually come to fruition.

So, whether or not this is just President Trump posturing, it remains to be seen. And of course, as you noted, the secretary of state really still

pushing for a diplomatic resolution, or at least a resolution that comes to the negotiating table.

FOSTER: Okay, Kristen, thank you so much for that.

Now, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security says two detainees are dead, one injured after a shooting at an immigration facility in Texas. The

incident happened at a customs enforcement field office in Dallas. Authorities say the suspect is dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Sources have told CNN the suspects -- the suspected gunman's name is Joshua Jahn, and the FBI says they're investigating the attack as a targeted act

of violence.

That's based on what Bureau Director Kash Patel said were anti-ICE messages written on at least one unspent shell casing, as you can see there.

Homeland Security called the suspect a sniper who fired from a nearby rooftop.

At a briefing on the shooting earlier, Texas officials called for an end to political violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH ROTHROCK, FBI SPECIAL AGENT: I can confirm at this time that the FBI is investigating this incident as an act of targeted violence. Early

evidence that we've seen from rounds that were found near the suspected shooter contained messages that are anti-ICE in nature.

JOSHUA JOHNSON, ACTING FIELD OFFICE DIRECTOR, I.C.E. DALLAS: The takeaway from all of this is that the rhetoric has to stop. There are people out

there who are seeing what is being placed online, and they're coming and they're doing acts of violence against ICE employees.

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): This must stop. To every politician who is using rhetoric, demonizing ICE, and demonizing CBP -- stop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Ed Lavandera is in Dallas.

Obviously, a big contradiction people are talking about in this case is that, you know, if it was the officials who were targeted or the people

that actually got shot.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, or the detainees. So that is just, you know, a circle we're not able to complete

here in this early -- these early hours of this investigation. So, we're continuing to look into all of that.

But investigators say that this was a shooting that took place just before 7:00 a.m. this morning here at the immigration processing facility. This is

the front side of the building. The shooting took place on the back side.

And, Max, we were told that the shooter shot from an elevated position. There is an office building, a lawyer's office building across the street

from the back side of this building that would give them a view into the -- into the parking lot area and the area where immigrant detainees are

brought into this processing facility.

And to give you a sense of what happens here, there are people who have immigration cases and they're required to meet with immigration

authorities. They often come here to do that. This is also where immigrants who are detained in the country illegally are brought here, processed, and

then moved on to other, more long-term detention facilities while they await for their cases to be handled.

So that is the setup by around what this -- how this building operates. But this shooting clearly very traumatizing. We spoke with a family who was

here just before 6:00 a.m., they had brought their mother, who had an appointment with an immigration official. They described and showed us

video of what it sounded like when they -- the gunfire erupted here.

[15:10:00]

And, Max, they played that video for me. And you can hear up to as many as seven shots being fired over the course of about a minute and a half. I'm

not exactly sure if that captured all of the gunshots that were fired, or if they started recording after they'd already heard several shots.

But what stood out to me is that this was not a rapid fire series of gun blasts that you heard. It was slow and methodical. One every several

seconds, one shot every several seconds that took place over the course of at least a minute and a half. So, I thought that kind of context and

understanding of how the shooting unfolded is crucial to understand exactly how this transpired here this morning. But right now, we are told by

Department of Homeland Security officials that two detainees have been killed and a third is in serious condition -- Max.

FOSTER: Okay. Ed, thank you for the update.

U.S. President Donald Trump is expressing his disappointment in the return of late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. In a social media post, the

president called Kimmel an arm of the Democratic National Committee. He also singled out ABC, insinuating his administration may sue.

The president has clashed with ABC before and said, quote, "This one sounds even more lucrative." The ratings for Jimmy Kimmel's return to late night

television aren't yet available, but the YouTube stream of his monologue has already racked up more than 13 million views.

Disney's ABC suspended Kimmel last week after he made comments about the killing of activist Charlie Kirk. Kimmel addressed the controversy in an

emotional moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!": I've been hearing a lot about what I need to say and do tonight, and the truth is, I don't think what I

have to say is going to make much of a difference. If you like me, you like me. If you don't, you don't. I have no illusions about changing anyone's

mind, but I do want to make something clear, because it's important to me as a human. And that is, you understand that it was never my intention to

make light of the murder of a young man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Elizabeth Wagmeister standing by.

I mean, it did get emotional, didn't it? It has been a hugely emotional topic because it speaks to the zeitgeist in America, really, but it was

always going to be a question, wasn't it, for ABC about how Donald Trump would react to this?

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And I think it was less of a question of if he would react and really just what he would

say, look, this is not anything new. Jimmy Kimmel and Donald Trump have been having a longstanding public feud for years, and it is clear that

Jimmy Kimmel gets under the president's skin. So, he came out, as you just read there, Max, with that post on Truth Social, saying that he's going to

continue to go after Disney.

Now, I do want to point out that one piece of what the president posted there, or I should say, at least one piece where he says that ABC and

Disney told the White House that they have canceled Kimmel show. That is just not true. I can debunk that right here because the show was never

canceled. ABC never said that the show was canceled publicly or privately. What I've been hearing from my sources from day one in covering this story

is that when Jimmy Kimmel was taken off the air, when his show was indefinitely preempted, the plan was always to hopefully find a path

forward.

My sources had told me that Disney was very hopeful to bring Jimmy back on the air, and you saw in their statement earlier this week when they

announced that he would be coming back, they said that they found some of Jimmys comments to be insensitive and ill-timed, and that is why they took

him off the air. But they brought him back.

So that is just a clear point that we should make. The show was never canceled. Jimmy Kimmel was never fired, certainly had nothing to do with

ratings. It had to do with addressing this fraught moment in the country and how Jimmy's comments contributed to that.

FOSTER: But they became almost a standard bearer, though, didn't they, in the whole media industry, and how to deal with this situation. And they

brought him back. There was talk, wasn't there, from Trump, about targeting NBC late night hosts after this? I mean, you know, will that debate

continue, or has it finished here? Does this now become, you know, a big battle between Hollywood and the Trump administration?

WAGMEISTER: This is absolutely a big battle between Hollywood and the Trump administration. This does not end here. In fact, this is not ending

at all here. Jimmy Kimmel even addressed that in his monologue last night. He said that Donald Trump has gone after NBC, encouraging them to cancel

their late night hosts Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon. Jimmy Kimmel said that he would encourage everyone to be even louder than they were for him if

that were to happen.

So, now, we're in this really interesting time where Hollywood, and I have to tell you, I'm talking to people every day in the industry. They are on

watch. They are wondering, is everything that we say going to be targeted by the president of the United States? Are we going to be targeted by the

FCC?

And those were very real threats. We saw that two major station groups here in America, that covers about 25 percent of the country, pulled Jimmy

Kimmel's show.

[15:15:05]

They have still held Jimmy Kimmel show. They will not be airing tonight. But we did just get a statement, Max, in from Nexstar, one of those station

groups who says that they are in productive conversations with Disney. I want to read you part of what they have just said.

They said, quote, "We are engaged in productive discussions with the executives at the Walt Disney company, with the focus on ensuring the

program reflects and respects the diverse interests of the communities that we serve."

Reading the tea leaves a bit here. They aren't airing the show tonight, but if they are releasing a statement at all and using the word "productive",

that would seem to indicate to me that Nexstar may be bringing this show back.

But I have to tell you, even without Nexstar and Sinclair, we don't have the ratings in yet, the TV ratings. But this is all that anyone is talking

about. And eyeballs have been on this. It's all over social media.

In fact, just on YouTube, Jimmy Kimmel's monologue, Max, has over 13 million views. So, we are living in an entirely different landscape where

it's not just those late night ratings, it's how people see this. And that was done last night.

FOSTER: Fascinating. Elizabeth, thank you so much for that.

Meanwhile, the political tensions in the U.S. are causing a new spat between Hollywood -- a Hollywood icon and a major studio. Jessica Chastain

has criticized Apple after the company decided to pause the release of her new series in light of the recent real life events. "The Servant" is a

thriller about a investigator who infiltrates online hate organizations. It was supposed to premiere on Friday. Instead, Apple has put it on hold.

Today, Chastain posted on Instagram that she is not aligned with the company's decision, although she does respect it. Apple has said they look

forward to releasing the series at a future date. Chastain says she will let her fans know if and when it's ever released.

Donald Trump's claims linking paracetamol or Tylenol to autism has sent shockwaves through the medical community. I'll talk next to the head of one

autism charity after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:20:13]

FOSTER: Since President Trump made his grand and unsubstantiated claim this week linking autism to painkiller -- to a painkiller, the medical

community has been pushing back and now, we're seeing the strongest rejection yet from the world's leading authority on public health.

The World Health organization says there's no conclusive scientific evidence confirming a possible link between autism and use of this drug

during pregnancy. The WHO says that's not for a lack of research. Extensive studies in recent years have failed to find a connection. Tylenol is the

brand name for this in the U.S., by the way.

So, what we don't know is how will this stance from the Trump administration affect autism households across the world?

Joining me now is Areva Martin, a civil rights attorney, a founder of special needs network, a nonprofit devoted to helping autism families in

underserved communities, and someone who's known on the show, of course, very well for your legal expertise as well.

Areva, thank you so much for joining us.

AREVA MARTIN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Thanks, Max.

FOSTER: I mean, the first question is how are parents feel who have autistic children off the back of this announcement? What's the talk?

MARTIN: So frustrated, so incredibly frustrated with this pronouncement that came out yesterday. Science, scientific organizations, universities,

and now the world health organization saying that there is no credible science behind this pronouncement that somehow Tylenol can be linked to or

as the cause of autism.

Parents, particularly mothers, feel like we are caught in this endless web of conspiracy theories, dating back to the 20th century. The refrigerator

mom theory that somehow women caused their kids to have autism because they were cold, because they were not loving enough, because they weren't

nurturing enough. And then there was the debunked vaccine theory.

And now, Tylenol, something that is prescribed, or at least, you know, told to many women by doctors to take for fevers and for control of pain during

pregnancy. Now, to think that this possibly could be the cause of autism, it's just really frustrating, Max, to have all of these theories being

thrown at women in particular.

FOSTER: Obviously, the science just doesn't add up here at all, doesn't it? Anyone rational looking at it and looking at the research would realize

that there is no confirmed link. But are people now being made to feel guilty for something that is just a hunch? Really?

MARTIN: Absolutely. And the question is, if there is no scientific evidence, if there is no credible evidence, why would our health and human

services secretary? Why would the secretary of health for the United States make such a statement? Yes. It causes women to blame themselves, to feel

guilty.

And while we are investigating what the causes of autism is, you notice, Max, there's never any focus on or rarely any focus on men. All the focus

is always on what women do or what women didn't do. And this causes a level of pain, a level of frustration. And women are, quite frankly, tired.

We are tired of being used as pawns by these health organizations. If there is no credible scientific evidence, which seems to be the case, then why

are we being told that it's something we did as women that may be the cause of our autism?

FOSTER: I've seen a lot of people, mothers taking offense to the idea that President Trump talked about a cure to autism when they love their

children, they don't have a problem with how they are. Why is he talking about a cure?

MARTIN: Again, so frustrating. What we do know about autism from the scientific community is that it is a complex neurological disorder,

genetics plays a huge part of it. And yes, kids, my own son, they want to be loved for who they are.

We want resources in the autism community. We want acceptance in the autism community. We want education. We don't want to continuously have to fight

back against all of these theories, many of which have no evidence based, no scientific base.

And yet, here we are again, having to speak up, having to demand from our secretary of health that they provide credible scientific information and

evidence. You know, there was a time when autism families felt encouraged by this administration because it was going to focus on autism, but we

thought it was going to be with a different lens, with a lens of credible scientists and those that care about our families.

FOSTER: What's the -- what are your medical contacts saying about this? Because if someone's in pain, a mothers in pain during pregnancy, they're

going to prescribe medicine, which now they're going to be apprehensive about taking, right?

[15:25:01]

MARTIN: Oh, absolutely. What our advisors, the medical advisors that advise special needs network, are saying, that this is not a credible

statement, that there's not credible evidence to support the statement's that have been made by this administration linking, Tylenol to the cause of

autism. And they're encouraging mothers to continue to consult with their doctors, but to feel safe and to feel as if to feel -- you know, to feel

assured that they are not the cause of their kids' autism.

And that's the biggest message here, is that parents, and particularly mothers, we don't cause autism. And the way we take care of our bodies, the

medications that we take during pregnancy, there are no causal links.

And again, we are asking for this administration to continue to pour resources into communities, particularly underserved communities. We're

asking for more resources for early diagnosis, for interventions, for those families that live in underserved communities. That's where the focus

should be, not on junk science.

FOSTER: Okay. Areva, thank you so much for joining me on this. I know, it's so close to your heart. Thank you.

Now, Ragasa has weakened to a severe tropical storm as it moves over mainland China. This after leaving a trail of destruction. Waters bursting

through that window at this hotel in Hong Kong, sweeping people off their feet.

On Monday, Ragasa was classified as a category five super typhoon. Meanwhile, cleanup efforts have begun in Shenzhen as the storm continues to

deteriorate over China. Nearly 2 million people are forced to evacuate there.

Hanako Montgomery filed this report from Hong Kong.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're in one of the worst hit areas in Hong Kong called Tseung Kwan O, and as you can tell just over there, the

sea -- I mean, it's very, very close to this waterfront. And there's a concrete seawall, but it didn't really do much to protect these restaurants

from these massive sea swells and storm surges. We've seen photos and videos emerge from the typhoon showing massive waves just inundating these

restaurants and causing very extensive damage.

In fact, I want to show you just over here, you can see the doors to these restaurants have come off their hinges. Glass is just shattered everywhere,

and there's a massive amount of debris. I mean, just furniture strewn about everywhere.

In fact, over in the distance, you can kind of see these metal barriers that were actually installed to prevent flooding. But clearly, it didn't

really do much to prevent any of this damage from affecting these restaurants.

Now, we did speak to the owner of this restaurant a little while earlier, and he told us that when he saw those images of his restaurant just getting

hit with massive amounts of water, it looked almost like a tsunami. And he said that it could take several weeks for his restaurant to get back up and

running again.

VIVIANO ROMITO, OWNER, FRITES RESTAURANTS: Across the group, we're pretty upset. We get, like I said, we'll get through it. We've had damage before

another venue, and we've gotten together and made sure that we get up and running as fast as possible. But, you know, everyone's devastated. It's

hard to come with when you see something that you build getting destroyed overnight. Pretty, pretty quickly.

MONTGOMERY: Now, as you can see, I'm standing in some flood water here and its pretty deep. I mean, it's nearly up to my knees. And this is just one

of the many examples of pretty bad flooding that we've seen across the city because of this typhoon.

Now the storm has moved on from Hong Kong and Macau. It's currently hitting mainland China, but the Hong Kong government has warned residents to stay

inside to continue hunkering down because clearly the weather is still adverse and they are expecting more flooding in the coming hours.

Hanako Montgomery, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Still to come Donald Trump's arrival brought the United Nations to a standstill on Tuesday, including the escalators in fact. Now, there's

been an investigation into what happened there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:32:09]

FOSTER: A stern warning to Russia today from the head of the European Commission. In an exclusive interview with CNN, Ursula von der Leyen told

Christiane Amanpour that Russian jets that come -- that come into NATO airspace could be shot down. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: How do you react to this constant testing, testing, testing by actual military of NATO

airspace? I know you're not officially NATO, but many of your nations are, drones into Poland, into Romania, and fighter jets into Estonian airspace.

URSULA VON DER LEYEN, EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT: So, as you rightly said, I'm not NATO, but I have a personal opinion.

AMANPOUR: Yeah, what is it?

VON DER LEYEN: And, yes, my opinion is we have to defend every square centimeter of territory. And that means if there's an intrusion in the

airspace after warning, after being very clear, of course, the option of shooting down a fighter jet that is intruding our airspace is on the table.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is warning about a destructive arms race, claiming Russia wants to drag on and

possibly expand its war in Ukraine. His remarks on day two of the United Nations General Assembly came after Donald Trump signaled a remarkable

shift in his view of the war. Trump posted on social media that he thinks Ukraine, with help from the West, can win back all of its territory from

Russia. That's a major U-turn from Trump's repeated comments that Ukraine will have to cede territory to end the war.

So, what we want to know is, can Ukraine actually fight and win its war with Russia?

Our military analyst, Colonel Cedric Leighton, joins us here.

Thank you so much for joining us, as ever, Colonel.

Some reaction from the Kremlin, as you'd expect. Making the point that they are winning the war over anything else. But that won't be the case, will

it? If the U.S. arms Ukraine as much as it, you know, potentially could.

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yeah, that's exactly right, Max. And it's, you know, very interesting statements from the

Kremlin, which, like you said, we would expect. But the president of the United States made some very interesting comments yesterday. And the way to

look at this is what is the situation actually on the ground right now in Ukraine. So, we have, in essence, what's a mixed, what I would call a mixed

picture.

The Russians are making some incremental gains in the east and in some of the northern parts around the Sumy and Kharkiv oblast regions. But they are

not very active in some of the areas where you would expect them to be active. And they also have not achieved some of the goals that they set out

to achieve for themselves in the east, such as capturing the town of Pokrovsk. Pokrovsk is still a Ukrainian town. It's still controlled by the

Ukrainians.

So, the Russians have some of the same goals in mind. But they've been failing to achieve those goals. And they also aren't able to capture some

of the areas in the Donbas region, such as the remainder of the Donetsk oblast, and that is an area that they've basically said they want to and

need to have in order to even start ceasefire negotiations.

[15:35:14]

So, they haven't done anything like that. And Ukraine is prosecuting a fairly good campaign against the Russian oil industry and that, of course,

has some significance as well.

FOSTER: They've been hunkering down, haven't they, in those areas, putting up their battlements, if you like, surrounding the occupied areas. How hard

are they going to be to break through? I mean, how would it work technically if Ukraine does have the resource it needs to push forward?

LEIGHTON: So, they would need a lot more manpower, Max, than what they currently have on the front lines. Right now, the ratio depends on the

exact area, but its somewhere between four to one, and five to one in terms of numbers of Russian troops to Ukrainian troops.

However, the Ukrainians are clearly holding their own in most of these areas. In fact, they've been able to achieve some incremental gains

themselves in certain parts of the eastern front. So, if the Ukrainians were to prosecute an offensive operation that were to be -- that would be

successful, they would have to do so with a lot more troops and a lot more long range, as well as intermediate and short range weapons. And those

weapons would have to be targeting a lot of what is basically in Russia's logistical rear, as well as in the areas right along the front lines.

So, it would require major offensive operations, some changes in tactics. The strategies would probably remain the same, but they would be -- there

would be a far more intense application of military force than we're currently seeing right now.

FOSTER: Could it be done without NATO troops on the ground? Troops in the air, which Russia might see as an act of war with NATO?

LEIGHTON: Well, it would be much more difficult just speaking totally from a military perspective and setting aside any political or diplomatic

considerations for the moment. It would be much more difficult to conduct such an operation without NATO troops, or at least the backing of NATO in

one form or another. Now, having said that there are, of course, certain limits to what NATO is willing to do and what the Ukrainians can do.

So, the Ukrainians could move forward incrementally, but they wouldn't achieve the same kind of gains that they would achieve if they had NATO or

other forces at their disposal.

FOSTER: Okay. Colonel Cedric Leighton, thank you, as ever, for your thoughts on this very complex situation.

Now, health officials in Gaza say nearly 100 people have been killed in Israeli attacks, including this strike on a large market in Gaza City --

what was a market. Palestinian officials call it a massacre, saying 22 people were killed, including nine children. Israel says it hit two Hamas

terrorists without identifying them.

The U.N. humanitarian chief is condemning the worlds failure to stop the war in Gaza, saying on average, a child has been killed every hour for

almost two years. They had names and faces and the people who loved them now left with inconsolable grief.

Jomana Karadsheh has the story of parents in Gaza who lost their only child in an airstrike. And we warn you, her report is extremely disturbing,

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She's my only child. I had her after six years of trying, Nidal cries.

They didn't take their little Nour out with them, thinking she'd be safer staying here with her grandparents. They warned, saying they were going to

strike that building.

They didn't say they would hit this one, he says. Nidal and Mervet (ph) were out searching for a place for a tent, for any shelter in the south of

Gaza when an Israeli strike hit this building in Gaza city, where many displaced, including their family, were sheltering somewhere in this

smoldering rubble is their four-year-old Nour.

Nour, my darling daughter, Mervet (ph) screams, holding on to the hope that somehow Nour may have survived this. Please get her out, she pleads. My

daughter is tough. She's smart. No words are enough to comfort parents so distraught. God bless her soul, he tells them. No, no, my soul will be gone

with her, Mervet (ph) cries, refusing to accept what is now clear to all those around her.

With their bare hands, they dig, searching for their Nour. The rescuer emerges from the rubble carrying the lifeless body of a little girl. It's

Nour.

My daughter, my only daughter, Mervet (ph) wails. I love you. I swear. I love you. I told the kindergarten I would get them the 50 shekels they

asked for. I said, let her be happy in her final days.

But she still refuses to believe her baby girl is gone. She tries to resuscitate her. She's suffocating, she says.

Nour is one of hundreds of victims in Israel's renewed military offensive in Gaza City, one out of a daily dust toll that may or may not make

headlines on this day.

But this one for Nidal, his Nour was his whole world.

Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Still to come, what happens when a young family is split up by U.S. immigration officials?

Our special report tells us one family's story, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:43:59]

FOSTER: Since President Trump started his second term in January, an estimated 2 million undocumented migrants have either been removed from the

U.S. or have self-reported. That's according to homeland security. Among them are parents, some of whom have left behind their children with no

friends or relatives to care for them.

CNN's Kyung Lah has one family's story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: What happened to mommy?

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: ICE took him.

LAH (voice-over): For more than a month, six-year-old Febe (ph), nine- year-old Angelo, and 14-year-old Isaac have been in Galveston, Texas, separated from the only parent they have. ICE arrested and deported their

mother to Honduras.

The siblings can explain they missed their mother. Why it's happened is what they don't understand.

ISAAC PEREZ, MOTHER WAS DEPORTED TO HONDURAS: Do you know what ICE is? Say immigration.

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: Immigration.

LAH: Do you know what that means?

[15:45:01]

Did you guys get to say goodbye?

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Yes.

LAH: Did mommy say something?

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: I love you.

LAH: Those were the last words they heard at home. Their mother's arrest was just the beginning of their goodbyes. The eldest, Isaac, is leaving. He

came to the U.S. at age eight and is undocumented, now self-deporting to join their mother in Honduras.

Your brother is leaving tomorrow.

I. PEREZ: You are strong, don't cry.

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Mm-hmm.

LAH: Febe and Angelo in limbo. They're different from Isaac and their mom. They were born here and are U.S. citizens.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hola. Hola.

LAH: Their mother is Kenia Perez, who raised the kids alone after her husband died during the pandemic. She fled Honduras 10 years ago and was

detained at the border. She was eventually released. She had a legal U.S. work permit, no criminal record, paid taxes, never missed an ICE check in.

What's happening to citizen children like Febe and Angelo is unfolding across the country. CNN found more than 100 U.S. citizen children, many

through public GoFundMe pages, essentially orphaned in recent months because of ICE enforcement. No one is tracking these children, and experts

say it's just the beginning.

Estimates show nearly 2 million citizen children live in households where both parents are undocumented, vulnerable to ICE's new immigration

enforcement. These children met their new reality on June 4th.

I. PEREZ: Like I woke up to, like, calls and texts on my phone. It was my mom. She was like, run, like run away as far as you can.

I jumped out the window. I just kept running because I'm like, if I -- if I -- if I get taken, too, there's not going to be a way for Angela and Febe

to like, figure out what's going on.

LAH: Without their mother, the kids were left in the care of friends like Jeff Chaney.

JEFF CHANEY, FAMILY FRIEND: This is my first time ever coming here.

LAH: Kenia had asked him to become a temporary legal guardian for the children one day before she was picked up by ICE.

CHANEY: If you would have told me, no, they're going to get families, too. I said you're crazy. That's not going to happen.

LAH: But it is happening.

CHANEY: No. It's happening, it's happening now. It's shameful. It's shameful what our nation has become.

LAH: Today, Isaac is leaving the U.S. for Honduras. We're following him on his journey.

What is it like to leave your siblings behind?

I. PEREZ: I hate it because I know my brothers going to be scared. My sisters going to be scared.

LAH: What is it like to say goodbye to them?

I. PEREZ: I was crying. I didn't want to leave them. I thought I was going to go with them to Honduras.

LAH: Isaac is flying alone. His younger siblings were supposed to join him, but since they don't have U.S. passports yet, they can't legally fly

out of the U.S.

I. PEREZ: Never thought I would be --

LAH: Worried about your brother and sister to go?

I. PEREZ: I never wanted to leave them behind. I wanted them to come with me. But --

(CRYING)

I. PEREZ: I'm here.

KENIA PEREZ, MOM: I love you. Thank you for coming. I am happy but not complete.

LAH: You're not complete.

K. PEREZ: No. I need my two kids. My daddy today. Tell me, mom, I need. I need to hug. No, it's not easy.

LAH: Kenia now lives in San Pedro Sula, a city in the northern part of Honduras. This country tops Central America in its murder rate.

This is a working-class community that is heavily controlled by gangs. The big concern about her kids coming back to this community is that the

recruitment age for gangs is between 13 to 15.

Hello, Kenia.

K. PEREZ: Hello. One more time.

Okay.

LAH: Yep.

K. PEREZ: Welcome for my new room. This is the bed for Febe, Angelo and me.

[15:50:04]

Probably Isaac go for my mother.

LAH: All three of you will sleep here.

K. PEREZ: Yes. I need my kid here. My daughter, my son -- not easy, not easy.

[15:50:06]

He told me, mom, its okay. It's okay. But no. It's okay. No. It's okay.

SUBTITLE: Febe and Angelo got their passports more than a month after CNN met them in Galveston. They are now reunited with their mother and brother

in Honduras. They were separated for nearly three months.

In a statement to CNN, an ICE spokesperson said, "Kenia Perez chose to use her children as a bargaining chip in an attempt to prevent her own removal

from the country. Any claims by her now that ICE improperly separated her from her kids are patently false and just another attempt to manipulate the

system for her own benefit." "Illegal alien parents. willingly chose to break our nation's criminal and administrative laws and as a result of

those choices are responsible for what happens to their children. ICE goes out of their way to provide illegal alien parents who have been arrested

with the opportunity to designate a guardian. or to have their children accompany them when they are removed to their country of origin."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Who stopped the escalator carrying Melania and Donald Trump at the U.N. headquarters on Tuesday?

Well, we finally have an answer to one of the big questions from this weeks un general assembly. The U.S. president was about to deliver his speech

Tuesday morning when the escalator suddenly came to a stop, meaning Mr. Trump and his wife had to climb the stairs, would you believe?

He even joked about it at the start of his speech.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that on the way up, stopped right in the middle.

If the first lady wasn't in great shape, she would have fallen. But she's in great shape.

We're both in good shape. We both stood.

And then a teleprompter that didn't work. This is. These are the two things I got from the United Nations. A bad escalator and a bad teleprompter.

Thank you very much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: But then things got contentious. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted an article from "The Times of London" claiming U.N.

staff had joked about stopping the escalators when Mr. Trump arrived. Levitt wasn't amused, saying if someone at the U.N. intentionally stopped

the escalator as the president and first lady were stepping on, they need to be fired and investigated immediately.

Now we have an official explanation from the United Nations, which did its own investigation. Pay close attention to the person who gets onto the

escalator before the Trump's. A cameraman gets on facing backwards just before the president and first lady, the U.N. says the person was part of

the U.S. delegation and may have inadvertently triggered a safety function that stops the escalator. Now, you know.

Finally, tonight, animals are being reclassified as taxpayers. At least dogs whose owners visit the Italian city of Bolzano starting next year. If

you go there with your dog, you'll have to pay a daily tax of about $1.70. The city council says the money will help to pay for street cleaning and

defends the idea of making owners pay for their dogs mess to be cleared up. Local owners already have to pay a tax of $120 a year per dog.

Animal protection charities aren't happy. They say taxes on dog owners could lead to more abandoned pets.

I'm Max Foster. That's WHAT WE KNOW.

"QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is next.

END

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