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What We Know with Max Foster

Sources: DOJ May Decide Today On Possible Comey Indictment; Trump Blames "Radical Left" For ICE Facility Shooting; Multiple Danish Airports Disrupted By Drones This Week; Abbas: Hamas Will Not Play Role In A Palestinian State; U.S. Military Mystery Meeting Sparks Questions; Trump To Sign Executive Order On TikTok Control In U.S.; FDA Reviewing Evidence About Safety, Efficacy Of Mifepristone. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired September 25, 2025 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:26]

MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: The U.S. Justice Department could decide today whether to indict James Comey.

This is WHAT WE KNOW.

An extraordinary debate unfolding within Donald Trump's Department of Justice. The U.S. attorney general may be close to charging the former FBI

director, despite having reservations over doing so.

Sources tell CNN that Pam Bondi has concerns over the case against Mr. Trump's critic, but is facing serious pressure from the U.S. president to

indict. The case on Comey focuses on testimony that he made to Congress almost five years ago now.

Our crime and justice correspondent, Katelyn Polantz, is in Washington.

And it is interesting, isn't it, seeing this, this divide we're seeing, I guess.

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, there is something that is coming out. And in these final hours before the Justice

Department would need to bring a case if they're going to against Jim Comey. The reason that we are expecting there to be a possible case filed

is that we know there has been an ongoing investigation into Jim Comey, possibly perjuring himself during the Senate Judiciary Testimony. He gave

five years ago because of the way that the federal law works. The last date the federal prosecutors could take a felony perjury indictment through a

grand jury in the U.S., it would be next Tuesday. And there are only so many days left where a grand jury could meet to look at those possible

charges.

We also know from our sources that because this is a perjury case, that would be very old. It is. There have been several investigations around

Comey already that have not resulted in criminal charges. There is some concern about the strength of the case. We know from our sources that there

are federal prosecutors who have worked on it that have written a memo essentially outlining their reservations for a case here, and that the

attorney general, Pam Bondi, also has some concerns about charging Comey.

That said, that does not mean that prosecutors will not see that there is a case that they want to bring, and they will have to go to a grand jury to

get approval there. If they do indict Jim Comey for perjury, for previous congressional testimony, largely around the 2016 Russia investigation, that

is something that Donald Trump would like to see because he has been quite public about wanting there to be some sort of retaliation or what he says,

justice for his political enemies -- Max.

FOSTER: Okay, back with you, Katelyn, when you hear more. Thank you so much.

U.S. President Donald Trump is blaming what he calls the radical left for Wednesday's deadly shooting at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

office in Texas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The radical left is causing this problem, not the right. The radical left. And it's going to get worse.

And ultimately, it's going to go back on them. I mean, bad things happen when they play these games.

And I'll give you a little clue. The right is a lot tougher than the left, but the right is not doing this. They're not doing it. And they better not

get them energized because it won't be good for the left.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: During a White House meeting a short while ago with his Turkish counterpart, President Trump suggested the Dallas shooting could spark

right wing backlash. No law enforcement were injured in the shooting, but one detainee was killed and two others were wounded.

Let's go straight to our White House reporter, Alayna Treene.

I mean, it's each of these crime stories. Turns political, doesn't it, at the moment. But it's that idea that there could be a reaction from the

right to the left that came up today.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right. As you heard the president say there in the Oval Office, he was again, kind of pointing the

finger at people on what he called the radical left. The far left for the violence. Weve seen political. Violence, these different acts. And, of

course, the most recent being that fatal shooting at that ICE facility in Dallas yesterday.

But he said that his concern is that perhaps people on the right could try and retaliate. He had said, essentially that he didn't want to see any

retaliation, but it could be inevitable. And that was really what he was warning.

Now all of this comes, Max, as we are getting more information about what happened and really who the shooter was for that attack yesterday in

Dallas.

We heard that the FBI, this was from FBI Director Kash Patel, kind of lay out some of the evidence and the review of the evidence that the FBI had

conducted, and they say that the evidence indicates that the shooter conducted large amounts of research on ICE ballistics and the shooting of

Charlie Kirk, suggesting what he called a high degree of pre-attack planning. And so, all of this comes as, of course, we're still getting more

details on the specifics of what happened.

[15:05:05]

But of course, this comes as there's been so much more heightened attention, Max, to political violence here in the United States. Of course,

following Charlie Kirk, but also more broadly, I should be very clear, despite what we're hearing from the president and other top administration

officials trying to argue that this is really only political violence that is happening on the left, we know that's not true. A lot of political

violence has also stemmed from people on the right, for example, that the killing of a Minnesota senator.

And so, look, I think one big question that is still unanswered is what the next step that this administration will take. We have heard the president

say that he is looking at new actions against what he calls far left political organizations. He has not been specific about what those actions

could look like. But we do know that on Monday, he did take one of those actions, and he signed an executive order designating antifa as a terrorist

organization.

And so there could be more. I think there will be more on all of this, but we know that they're still kind of addressing the root causes of what

happened in Dallas. And as that plays out, we'll likely see more of that reaction that I was mentioning here from the White House.

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

Now, Denmark's head of national intelligence says there's a possible risk of Russian sabotage in his country. But he says they still don't know who's

behind the mysterious drones that have been flying near Danish airports this week. Police in Denmark confirmed that the unauthorized drones are now

gone. The drones caused Aalborg Airport to temporarily shut down on Wednesday. At least three other Danish airfields were also impacted by

drone sightings.

Russia has denied any involvement and for now, NATO is taking a wait and see approach.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: What is your assessment of what happened -- incursion into Danish airspace? We're still

waiting for an answer.

MARK RUTTE, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: Yes.

AMANPOUR: What is it?

RUTTE: It looks very serious. I was on the phone this morning with the Danish prime minister. And NATO and the Danish military are also now in

close contact. She is also reaching out to individual allies. But still, it is unclear at this moment what is behind this? Who is behind it? What is

behind it? What was the intention? Still not known. So, we are all assessing that.

AMANPOUR: Does that worry you?

RUTTE: Of course, I'm worried. At the other hand, I know that we have the best people in place so my worry is always very short-lived because in the

end, I know I can count on the best military and the best diplomats in the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, Denmark says the main intention behind these drone incidents is to sow fear.

CNN's Sebastian Shukla has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN PRODUCER: Multiple airports in Denmark have been disrupted by drones this week, and including in what Copenhagen says is a

hybrid attack by unknown professional actors.

While not confirming who is actually behind these incidents, they have said, though, that it is a systematic operation. The Danish prime minister,

Mette Frederiksen, even called Monday's incident at Copenhagen airport as a serious attack on critical infrastructure and linked it to other recent

similar incidents in Poland and Romania. The Russian embassy, though, has said that it's denied all involvement and rejected any suggestion of

Russian involvement as absurd speculation.

Nevertheless, Europe is on high alert after a series of breaches by kremlin drones and aircraft in recent days and weeks. It is meant the invocation of

article four of the NATO alliance on multiple occasions, a clause which the NATO alliance must meet to discuss and talk about how the -- all of the

members of the alliance will respond.

BORIS PISTORIUS, GERMAN DEFENSE MINISTER: It comes as no surprise, even if my colleague Mr. Mette Fredericksen in Denmark obviously cannot say

anything where these drones come from. The suspicion is obvious. This is part of Vladimir Putin's strategy. Without us being able to say anything

concrete in this case, as I said.

But it is part of what we experience every day. We are not at war, but we are also no longer at complete peace. We are being attacked hybridity in

disinformation campaigns and now also by drones. That is the reality we are facing and dealing with.

SHUKLA: Nations around Europe then are clearly being tested. Boris Pistorius, the German defense minister, told the Bundestag that a Russian

surveillance drone had been monitoring German and Swedish vessels in the Baltic Sea.

The question of how to combat these attacks, though, is a very different question altogether. Denmark decided not to shoot down these drones for

fear of hurting civilians. But should these drones be Russian or any other state actor and a NATO nation were to engage one, it could well be seen as

a major and dangerous escalation.

Sebastian Shukla, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Hamas will not have a role to play in a Palestinian state. That is a declaration from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAHMOUD ABBAS, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY PRESIDENT: We want a modern civilian state that is free of violence, weapons and extremism, one that respects

law, human rights, and invests in people development, technology and education, not in wars and conflict.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:10:15]

FOSTER: Those remarks by the Palestinian authority leader to the U.N. General Assembly earlier today. Mr. Abbas was forced to address the chamber

via a video after the White House denied visas for Palestinian diplomats. Prior to that gathering, the 89-year-old leader also says Palestinians in

Gaza have been facing destruction, starvation and displacement for nearly two years. This comes as Israels ground offensive pushes deeper into Gaza

city hospitals report 92 people have been killed throughout Gaza since Wednesday, including 55 people in Gaza city alone.

Joining me here in London, CNN's international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson.

Reminded of Abbas's age, actually, but also, as you know, on the ground, he doesn't have the credibility, but perhaps the U.N. thinks he does

sometimes.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Obviously, elections are long overdue for the Palestinian authority, and that might have seen

him change out. I think there was certainly, certainly in some countries in the U.S. at certain times in European countries, they worried, in more

recent times, if you had elections, who might actually emerge? Would it really be the Palestinian authority or could it be, you know, other

political elements like Hamas, like other groups?

That wouldn't be -- you know, there wouldn't be to everyone's taste. So there's been this sort of lack of elections, which is why he's still in

place, but also at the same time as saying that he's been under international pressure to reform and have a more transparent presidency and

authority, which is what many Palestinians, particularly in the West Bank, would say, and particularly among the younger generations, they would see

him as not a good representative for them. Perhaps you know, people would level allegations of corruption, which he would deny.

But definitely there's been pressure for him to -- as part of the process of a peace deal over Gaza, to step aside and allow these reforms to happen,

because many people think until he steps aside, you can't have meaningful reforms.

FOSTER: But they're talking about the Palestinian authority having a say, not Hamas, perhaps not all these other jihadi groups either. So, what sort

of election actually, Palestinians are going to ultimately get? Is this going to be --

(CROSSTALK)

ROBERTSON: And it's not --

FOSTER: -- nothing?

ROBERTSON: Yeah. And it's not really clear that Israel is going to go along with that plan anyway. I mean, one of the things that Abbas said that

was interesting, it was all interesting, but one of the specific things that he said was that, you know, President Trump should accept, what was

said at that conference on Monday, at the beginning of the week, when the Saudis and the French chaired this group over, you know, what to do about

Gaza.

And he said that was the framework, you know, the immediate ceasefire, the humanitarian access to be allowed in Israel, not to try to cut out the U.N.

and UNWRA from that process, that they had a good track record there. A list like -- a list like that, that included the release of hostages and

Palestinian prisoners. But it's really not clear, and you didn't -- we didn't get a sense from what he said. What he thought the key point of

pressure that President Trump could put on Prime Minister Netanyahu to make this all work.

And, of course, Prime Minister Netanyahu gets to speak on Friday. He meets with President Trump on Monday. And the eyes by Monday will be looking at

Trump to see if he puts the pressure on Netanyahu, you know, to make some kind of concession. At the moment, it seems to be that the pressure point

would be further annexation in the West Bank would be a red line. But let's see.

FOSTER: Yeah. Okay, Nick. Thank you.

Coming up, can Europe build a wall to deter Russia? A drone wall, that is. We'll explain after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:17:16]

FOSTER: Could a so-called drone wall be the answer to protecting Europe's airspace? That's what some E.U. countries have been discussing as Russian

planes continue to provoke their neighbors. European leaders are set to discuss the idea at a meeting in Copenhagen next week. It's not clear how

the E.U. would pay for it, but the plan does have the support of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who called it the bedrock of

credible defense in her State of the Union speech.

What we don't know is how would a drone war actually protect E.U. airspace?

James Rogers, from the brooks tech policy institute at Cornell and has advised NATO and the European Commission on drones. Thank you so much for

joining us.

Presumably you saw events like this coming and how unprepared we were for it.

JAMES ROGERS, CORNELL UNIVERSITY: I think it's certainly safe that Europe has been unprepared for this drone threat. And this is despite the fact

that we've seen this ramping up over the last three years.

Now, that's not to say that we don't have the measures in place to detect these drones and to take them down when necessary, but it is to say that to

do so is incredibly expensive. When you're sending Dutch F-35s up into the air to take down drones, which can cost between $500 and $5,000, it's not a

long term solution to this problem.

FOSTER: So, what do you envision? Obviously, we've seen how the Israelis protect with their Iron Dome. I mean, what would this look like along this

huge border?

ROGERS: Well, I mean, first of all, even the Iron Dome has got a drone problem. It's not designed, wasn't set up originally to deal with drones.

It was to deal with mortars, rockets and missiles. And that -- for that reason is a reason why you've seen the Houthis been able to repeatedly

innovate their drones, fly low and slow and incorporate carbon fiber to violate the Iron Dome on numerous occasions.

So, we need to think past that and try and think of ways in which a European wall could innovate even better and smarter.

And I think here is where you start to get to a layered defense posture. You have things like acoustic registry devices that can listen to the sound

of the drones incoming and provide early warning, but then you also have to make sure you've got your electronic warfare measures in place, whether

that be spoofing the drone signals so you can take control of the drone system, or of course, you can use microwave systems to fry the drones and

bring them to the ground.

But then finally, as a last line of defense, you're going to have to have kinetic measures, that ability to shoot the drones down if necessary. And

it's here we're starting to see investment in cheap one way attack drones. So, drones that counter the drones themselves or cheaper missile systems

that can be used to take down drones when they're sent en masse, which we know, of course, Russia can now do into the hundreds.

FOSTER: It's the fighter jets that they're more concerned about, presumably, drones may just be testing NATO's defenses right now, whereas a

fighter jet is a genuine threat.

[15:20:07]

So, could you mesh the two systems together? Could be a wall against fighter jets. I mean, is that possible?

ROGERS: I mean, when you come down to the radar signature of those systems, it's easier potentially to detect a larger fighter jet depending

on what type it is and what stealth systems it has in place. Then it is a low flying, smaller drone system. And if that drone is armed, then I'd kind

of come back to you and say that that also poses quite a serious threat as well.

And right now, we're talking about a drone wall. We're not talking about shooting down Russian jets. We're talking about shooting down Russian

drones, which apparently have gone wayward on their journey to Ukraine and have crossed the border. I think Poland has every right to do that.

FOSTER: How far should it go? Weve seen these incursions in Denmark. It hasn't been confirmed that its Russian. But, you know, the prime ministers

not, you know, hasn't said it wasn't Russian. I mean, the suspicion is its Russian. So, you know, you've got the border with Russia, but you've also

got that whole Baltic area to worry about.

ROGERS: Absolutely. And I think this is what this drone wall is meant to deal with. They're calling it a Baltic drone wall to start with. But where

does it stop? Do you go from the very north of Finland, up in the arctic, and move all the way down to the coast of Romania? How far will this

spread? And that needs to be decided within the European Union.

Now, when it comes to Denmark -- and I lived in Denmark for five years, I know quite intimately the different sites that have been infiltrated over

the last 24 hours. These are drone incursions that appear to have taken place and launched from within or off the coast of Denmark itself. And what

we're seeing here is drones with their lights on that are hovering for multiple hours over airports. And also, by the looks of it, over military

installations.

Now, the trouble is that when you look at something like Copenhagen airport and you've seen a lot of criticism online at the moment, Danish authorities

should have shot these drones down. Well, we don't know who's controlling them. We don't know what payload is on board. And when you're dealing with

drones in a really sensitive urban ecosystem with civilians and civilian infrastructure, then you just don't want to be shooting drones down left,

right and center. So, I think Danish authorities certainly made the right choice to monitor the situation, to track the drones capabilities and to

hopefully be able to bring those to account who launch those strikes into the future.

But it really does reveal a vulnerability that we have currently in Europe is to continue to track those systems and to counter them effectively under

that threshold of shooting them down and kinetic measures. It's something that we've suffered here in the United States as well. You know, Christmas

last year, December 2024, thousands of drones spotted around the tristate area. Think of back in 2018, in the U.K., around Gatwick airport. We still

don't know who or if those drones were really viable incursions, but it still caused chaos.

And it's that chaos that were seeing right now at multiple sites across Europe. And this testing of critical infrastructure and our ability to

respond.

FOSTER: Okay. James Rogers, thank you so much, indeed. It's going to be interesting to see how Europe takes this as you say, it's going to be

expensive.

Now, hundreds of top U.S. military leaders have been summoned from around the globe to a meeting in Virginia, and none of them seem to know why.

Multiple officials tell CNN that generals and admirals will meet with the defense chief, Pete Hegseth, on Tuesday, but the reason for the meeting

completely unclear.

Some officials are even worried about having so many high-ranking officers in one place.

Natasha Bertrand has been joining us -- is joining us, has been looking at this.

I mean, it is extraordinary. It does seem like a risk. But what are the theories going around as to why it's been called?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Max, sources told us that this does not appear to have ever happened before. Usually

very high-level meetings with military officers around the world who cannot attend in person are done via video call, which is fine. There are plenty

of ways to do secure video calls, but this has to be in person and the military -- senior military officers that were summoned to Virginia next

week have no idea why. And that is adding to their anxiety.

Some of them speculated that perhaps this is for Hegseth, the secretary of defense, to announce some kind of major new military campaign. Others

speculated that perhaps it was just a way for Hegseth to gather everyone and announce some kind of big change in the military command structure.

Others were joking about it, saying perhaps it's a big group fitness test.

You know, the reactions here have ranged from this is interesting and has never been done before, to we're actually very nervous about what this

could portend, because a lot of these officers are also concerned that they could perhaps be fired, something that Secretary Hegseth has mused about

and has done in over the course of his tenure as secretary of defense. He has fired over a dozen senior military officers since becoming secretary of

defense in January.

[15:25:01]

He's also been very, very critical of general and flag officers for much of his career, saying that they contribute to the politicization of the

military. And so, this is an opportunity for all of these people to be in the same room all at one time, and they are acutely aware, many of them,

that they are not necessarily Secretary Hegseth's favorite people. And so, a lot of anxiety about what's to come. And we should note that they're

going to be gathered at the military base in Quantico, Virginia, likely on Tuesday -- Max.

FOSTER: Okay. It's fascinating. The conspiracy theories are abounding online because of lack of information. But thank you, Natasha.

Now, in an historic first in France, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy now faces five years in prison. Sarkozy was found guilty of

conspiracy to finance his 2007 campaign with money from the Libyan government and the late Muammar Gaddafi. He was cleared of three other

charges, but the Paris court ruled the former president must go to jail even if he appeals the verdict.

CNN's Melissa Bell has more from Paris.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He arrived at the courthouse with his wife looking confident, but Nicolas

Sarkozy emerged as the first ever former French president to be headed to prison.

NICOLAS SARKOZY, FORMER FRENCH PRESIDENT: If they absolutely want me to sleep in prison, I will sleep in prison. But with my head held high, I'm

innocent.

BELL: The former French president was found guilty of criminal conspiracy in a trial he's long argued was politically motivated. Sarkozy was accused

of striking a corruption pact with Libya's Muammar Gaddafi back in 2005, in order to help illegally fund Sarkozys victorious presidential election bid

in 2007.

It's not the first time that Nicolas Sarkozy has faced a guilty verdict, or indeed a jail sentence. But in 2021, when he was found guilty of having

tried to bribe a judge, he was allowed to wear an electronic bracelet at home. This time, he left court knowing that he'd be incarcerated.

His wife, Carla Bruni, posting on Instagram after the verdict, "Love is the answer. #hatredwillnotwin."

Nicolas Sarkozy isn't the only leading politician accusing the French judiciary of political bias. In March, the far right's Marine Le Pen was

found guilty of embezzling European funds. She's now appealing a five-year ban on seeking political office with an eye on the next presidential

election in 2027.

Nicolas Sarkozy, too, has vowed to appeal.

SARKOZY: Those who hate me so much think they are humiliating me. What they have humiliated today is France.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BELL (on camera): But the judge's ruling, which referred to the extreme gravity of the offenses, means that no appeal is going to change the fact

that Nicolas Sarkozy is going to jail. He'll find out when his prison sentence is to start on October 13th.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

FOSTER: The social media landscape about to change. The executive order that Donald Trump is about to sign could have a big impact for American

TikTok users. We'll have the details, up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:31:26]

FOSTER: China's control of the TikTok algorithm may be about to change hands. U.S. President Donald Trump is about to sign an executive order that

would help keep the app online in the U.S. and as part of the plan, a group of U.S. investors would get oversight of the all-important algorithm.

So, what we want to know is who will actually be controlling the algorithm.

Joining us now is CNN tech reporter Clare Duffy.

Was -- I can't imagine, a situation where China would possibly let go of it.

CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH REPORTER: Yeah, Max, I mean, we are moving towards that situation, although we're not there just yet. President Trump

potentially any minute now is expected to sign this executive order that will designate this TikTok deal as a qualified divestiture, which is a

necessary step under this ban or sale law that passed in the United States last year.

But this is more of a procedural step at this point. That's going to allow the deal process to move into its next phases. But the deal still needs

formal approval from the Chinese side, although they've signaled that they're willing to make this deal, it's likely going to need regulatory

approval in the U.S.

And to your point, we still don't know the full list of investors that will be involved in the joint venture that will be taking control of TikTok's

assets. The plan is for that group to include the tech company Oracle, potentially the private equity firm Silver Lake. We've also heard these

other names thrown out, potentially Fox Corp, the tech CEO Michael Dell.

So -- but just as recently as Monday, a senior White House official said that they didn't yet have that investor list finalized. However, once that

group is finalized, we do expect that ByteDance will transfer a copy of the TikTok algorithm to that majority American owned joint venture. They will

review the algorithm, they'll retrain it on U.S. user data, and then then Oracle will be continuously overseeing how its serving up data to users.

But that final group is one of the many things that needs to still be finalized before this deal really moves forward, Max.

FOSTER: What about the idea that, this is part of a much bigger negotiation for China? This TikTok is just a negotiating point, but

actually, they're looking for something much bigger. So, this is going to be something they do give in on, but they actually want something big on

trade, for example.

DUFFY: Yeah, TikTok has become this sort of central negotiating leverage in the larger U.S.-China trade deal and in particular, the Chinese side is

hoping that by agreeing to hand over TikTok's U.S. assets, that that will secure an in-person meeting for President Donald Trump and Chinese

President Xi. That is a major reason why they have decided to move forward with this deal. So, we'll see if that happens. But I do think that will

continue to keep the pressure on the Chinese side to ultimately agree to this TikTok deal.

FOSTER: Clare Duffy, thank you so much. We'll be checking back with you as we get that document signed.

Some news just into us though. 911 calls in the U.S. states of Louisiana and Mississippi are suffering widespread outages. That's the number that

Americans use to contact emergency services. Officials tell us that those systems are currently down. No word yet on what caused those outages. We'll

bring you more details as we get them.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it is reviewing evidence involving the safety and effectiveness of the -- of the drug mifepristone.

The so-called abortion pill has been more broadly available through telehealth options in recent years. Now there are renewed concerns by some

that the U.S. government may put new limits on access to the drug, which could lead to a nationwide ban.

CNN medical correspondent Meg Tirrell has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: There's been a lot of pressure from some Republicans on this administration to take action on abortion and

medication abortion in particular. And in fact, Secretary Kennedy was asked about this at a hearing earlier in September. And here's what he said about

the review.

ROBERT KENNEDY, JR., HHS SECRETARY: We're getting data in all the time, new data on that. We're reviewing. And we know that during the Biden

administration, they actually twisted the data to bury one of the safety signals was a very high safety signal, around 11 percent. So, we're going

to make sure that that doesn't happen anymore.

TIRRELL: And we should note that there have been many studies on the safety of medication abortion, and one from 2015 found that the major

complication rate was 0.31 percent for using medication abortion. As you noted, this is the most common way that people access abortion in the

United States, 63 percent of all abortions through the tracked health care system were through medication abortion. This is given as a combination of

two different drugs.

Mifepristone is the one really in focus here. The other one is called misoprostol. And as you noted, this was originally approved by the FDA in

the year 2000. And over time, it has become easier to access.

So, in 2016, they extended the approval for use up to ten weeks of gestation from seven weeks previously. And in 2023, they enabled by mail

dispensing. And that is an expectation of what they may be targeting to change here, which would hamper access for a lot of people in the United

States.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Now, former U.S. President Barack Obama has some choice words about the White House announcement linking autism to Tylenol. This week,

President Trump said using the pain medication during pregnancy can increase the risk of autism, drawing immediate pushback.

Here's what Obama said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: We have the spectacle of my successor in the oval office making broad claims around certain drugs and autism that

have been continuously disproved. All of that is a -- is violence against the truth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, Obama has been increasingly amping up his criticism of Donald Trump's second term. You may have noticed.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, meanwhile, criticizing Trump for his stance on climate change. In an exclusive interview with CNN, Schwarzenegger said he

was surprised this week when he heard Trump call climate change a hoax and a scam at the U.N. General Assembly. Schwarzenegger, the former Republican

governor of California, says his disagreements with Trump about environmental issues are why he refused to endorse Trump or take a position

in the first Trump administration back in 2016.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, FORMER CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: And so in California, we started talking more about the health aspect. We started talking about

pollution. We started talking about the amount of deaths that occur.

This is kind of -- has a devastating effect on your health and on your life. And therefore, we have to do something about it. So that all of a

sudden, woke them up. And the people therefore were 100 percent behind our environmental movement.

But the bottom line is, is that he just never believed in it. And to me, I said to myself, okay, then I cannot really go and be on his team because

I'm a big believer that we have to do something about reducing pollution, and we have to do something about, you know, having people die, 7 million

people a year die.

And so, I felt very strongly about what the way I was thinking. And I totally understand that not everyone has to think like me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: The World Health Organization estimates that climate change will cause an additional 250,000 deaths a year between 2030 and 2050.

Donald Trump has already blamed it on the radical left. Now the FBI has released a new set of information about Wednesday's deadly shootings in

Dallas or shooting in Dallas. Details after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:43:12]

FOSTER: Now, we're learning more about the shooter in Wednesday's attack on an ICE office in Dallas, Texas. The FBI has searched the residence of

Joshua Jahn, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Investigators say they think he acted alone and pre-planned the attack. They also say he

legally obtained the bolt action rifle he used to kill one detainee and wounded two others. But based on writings he left behind, his intended

targets were ICE agents.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY E. LARSON, ACTING U.S. ATTORNEY FOR NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS: FBI agents executed a search warrant at the sniper's residence yesterday, and

there found a collection of notes. First, I want to point out that one of these notes or papers, the sniper explicitly states, yes, it was just me.

That statement appears to be correct at this point in the investigation. Notably, these loose notes included a game plan of the attack and target

areas at the facility. He called the ICE employees people showing up to collect a dirty paycheck. He wrote that he intended to maximize lethality

against ICE personnel and to maximize property damage at the facility.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: CNN's Ed Lavandera is live for us in Dallas.

So, we're finding more about the perpetrator, but not the victims here who appear to have been caught in the crossfire, effectively.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, the investigators, federal investigators, FBI leading the investigation, the

U.S. attorney here really kind of shedding some extensive details on how all of this unfolded and the motivations behind the attack. And you heard

some of the really powerful details there from the U.S. attorney talking about the hand notes that were found at a residence connected with the

shooter, that 29-year-old Joshua Jahn.

[15:45:11]

And based on that, they feel that the words in the words of the FBI, the special agent in charge here, the Dallas office, the FBI officer saying

that it was the words of the of the shooter himself that that leads them to believe that this was an act strictly intended to inflict terror on the

ICE. Agents working at that field office here in Dallas, Texas, just after 6:00 a.m. yesterday morning, opened fire.

It's not exactly clear how many rounds of gunfire were shot off, but investigators say that the ICE building was, quote, riddled with bullets

and obviously hitting several vans that had detainees in them. And one of those detainees was killed. Two others were wounded. We still do not have

identities. We know that one of the victims is a Mexican national, but that is the extent of what we know at this at this point.

But investigators here stressing that they believe that this was the act of a lone gunman who was intent on inflicting terror on these ICE agents,

officers here again urging the public to scale down the political rhetoric about the state of deportations here in the United States. And then, as you

heard the U.S. attorney there talking about how that this was a -- in the - - in the hand notes written that were the words people showing up to collect a dirty paycheck. That was how the shooter, according to the FBI

agents, described ICE agents and also that he had expressed a deep hatred of the federal government.

Now, we asked, you know, the investigation, all of that continues as they begin processing all of these notes and the crime scene as well. We were

out at the shooting site this morning. They have been going through the area and the building where they believe the suspect fired the shots at the

ICE facility from all of that work here continues. But the overarching theme that we heard from investigators is that they believe that the

intended targets of these shots was supposed to be ICE employees or ICE agents, and that the -- it was detainees that he killed and wounded instead

-- Max.

FOSTER: Okay. Ed, thank you so much for the update from Dallas.

Still to come --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT WUN, FASHION DESIGNER: Obviously, I don't recommend anyone to do it at home. Don't play with fire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Not only is fashion designer Robert Wun's clothes on fire, his career also will see his bold designs coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:50:21]

FOSTER: Starbucks is closing hundreds of stores this month in an effort to revive its struggling business. CEO Brian Nichols says the company will

shut down about 1 percent of its locations. Starbucks also revealed 900 new corporate layoffs, in addition to the roughly 1,000 previously announced in

February. The company expects its restructuring efforts to cost $1 billion.

Couture designer Robert Wun has an impressive list of achievements, from designing costumes for the royal ballet to becoming the first Hong Kong

designer to be part of the Paris exclusive haute couture schedule and dressing celebrities like Lady Gaga. His unique style sees him altering

garments in unexpected ways.

He took us on a tour of his studio in London.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

paint (ph), but there's also candlelight and lighter and torches as well. Ever since I was young, I love burning shirt, you know. Obviously, I don't

recommend anyone to do it at home. Don't play with fire.

REPORTER: Wine stained. Blood splattered. Burnt. Robert Wun's evocative and intricate designs upend expectations of what luxury looks like. In

2023, his London label gained a rare place on the Paris couture calendar, making him the first Hong Kong born designer in history to do so.

WUN: So, we're in Dalston, on the second floor, used to be an old jeans factory. Welcome to the atelier. This is where everything happens. It's a

very hands-on atelier situation, so you don't really worry too much about is the chair-looking good or if there's too many boxes around because it's

more about what we make here.

We leave all the drama to the work we don't really want to go to the route where it's just about defining elegance and wealth for us is to really look

into the future of couture. How do we resonate with the younger audience of how they feel about the way the world is?

So, this is a piece from our autumn winter 24 collection for the yellow rose. The majority of the jacket was actually done it myself. I just moved

the whole jacket to my table. I remember I just started torching it. I really enjoyed it. I don't know why.

To get the details, we have to use like an insensitive, which almost if it's let alone itself, it looks like a floor. But when it's a whole story

together, it looks like a painting. That's what I love about it.

As a smoker myself, I have a few holes here and there with jackets or coats. Theres a bit longer than what it needs to be. So that comes very

naturally to me. You see, for me, it's never about leaning to destruction. But for us, it's to tell a full story of a whole collection where the

burning techniques comes in as part of a bigger picture, to relay that emotion.

So, these two pieces are from our latest couture collection. Very much about the process of coloring your hair and bleaching your hair. Getting

ready. And I want to really capture that story, almost like you wake up in a hotel room.

You have no idea what you have done last night because you're drunk as hell, but you know that you have another big night happening, so you need

to go shower and get changed. Change your hair color because you need to match your gown. So, we actually got a big piece of towel and we actually

bleach and using pink hair dye to dye it.

And then we gave it to the embroidery artist to try to follow and match all the color. So, it's a mix of different kind of sequences, beading crystals.

One of our favorite pieces actually.

So, this is called the bleeding love. And, you know, it really came from the memory that I had with my sister when she was young. She had to go

through a very, very big surgery. Of course, thankfully, she's okay. But the fear of losing is coming, stemming from love and love itself can only

shine through when there is pain and the fear of losing someone. It was fascinating to work with the artisans to do something that is a bit

untraditional. Instead of making flowers and beautiful sequences.

It was a piece of very expensive silk chiffon fabric, and I just get a bit of red dye, and I just splash on top of it. One of our old colleagues was

in shock because the fabric itself was almost like 200 pounds a meter.

It's no secret people know I love horror genre. I just like how we create things just to feel a bit more alive about the life we're in, and the

things sometimes, beautiful things doesn't come from beautiful inspirations.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Pretty cool.

If you need to find the world's coolest neighborhood, meanwhile, this year, we've got news for you.

[15:55:05]

Jimbocho in Tokyo, number one. Tokyo is always cool, topping the list of "TimeOut's" latest rankings when asking residents across the world. Tey

call the area a bibliophile nirvana, being home to some 130 vintage bookstores.

Apparently, the number two is Borgerhout in Antwerp, dubbed the Belgian city's creative heart.

And if you're looking for a hood with an undeniably cool and creative vibe, be sure to visit number three, Barra Funda in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

And London fans get excited. Southeast Camberwell, now, number four on the list for its young at heart vibe, independent spirit multiculturalism.

"TimeOut" tells CNN its biggest takeaway is how much the neighborhoods are shaped by and for their local communities.

I'm Max Foster. That's what we know.

"QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" up next.

END

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