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What We Know with Max Foster

Source: False Report Made With A.I. "Almost Started A War"; U.N.: U.S. Strike On Iranian School May Be War Crime; Republicans Steering Clear Of Trump In Midterm Ads; Russia Holds Parliamentary Elections Amid Intensifying War; Trump Says He's Banning CNN, MS Now And Politico From White House. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired September 18, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:28]

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: False information from an A.I. chatbot almost led to U.S. military action.

I'm Paula Newton in for Max Foster. This is WHAT WE KNOW.

Now, in a CNN exclusive, sources say a false intelligence report generated with the help of A.I., quote, "almost started a war". The report circulated

across the U.S. military this spring amid the war with Iran. It claimed that a Chinese ship in the Middle East was transporting components of a

nuclear weapons program. Sources say the U.S. military scrambled to launch an operation to intercept the vessel before thankfully pulling back.

CNN senior national security reporter Zach Cohen has our details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Sources are telling me and our colleague Katie Bo Lillis that this intelligence report was

circulated through the U.S. military earlier this spring while the war with Iran was still ongoing. And it concluded that a Chinese vessel that was

transiting through the Middle East was likely carrying components of a nuclear weapons program.

Now that obviously caught the attention of U.S. military officials who immediately moved to prepare for a potential operation targeting that ship,

even taking steps towards possibly boarding the vessel, we're told that it was when military aircraft were in the sky and that this operation looked

like it was going to be underway, that U.S. officials took a closer look at the intelligence report itself and determined that it had been generated

with the help of A.I., and that the chatbot used by a special operations analyst had misidentified the ship's cargo, ultimately leading U.S.

officials and the military to pull the plug on the planned operation and hence likely avoiding a potential international incident with one of the

world's other superpowers.

Now, this is reviving and contributing to ongoing concerns and the debate about the place of A.I. going forward in the U.S.'s commitment to potential

guardrails around A.I. and the US military under President Donald Trump and his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have been very A.I.-forward during their

second time in office.

Hegseth sent out a memo earlier this year saying that he wants the military to be experimental in how it uses A.I. and to incorporate it in nearly

every facet of its job, whether that be targeting operations or more mundane tasks like budgeting. This is going to raise additional questions

though, given the close call, as our sources characterized it, in terms of incorporating an intelligence report that was aided by A.I. and ultimately

proved to be, as one source put it, entirely false.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Now to another story concerning the U.S. military's use of intelligence. U.N. investigators say they have reason to believe the U.S.

may have committed war crimes in Iran on the very first day of that conflict. The report condemns two strikes in particular. Now, the first,

you'll remember, hit a school in the city of Manab.

Iranian authorities say at least 156 people were killed there, and that includes 120 children. The U.S. has not yet published its own

investigation, but early evidence suggests that the military accidentally hit the school due to outdated intelligence.

The second strike happened that same day, hitting a residential center. The U.N. says 22 civilians were killed there.

CNN's Jennifer Hansler has a reaction now from the U.S. State Department.

And, Jennifer, I want to point out that CNN's reporting going back to July on this indicates that crucial evidence in the U.S. military investigation

our sources told us had been locked down, certainly not released, and there's no evidence of any kind of an extension of a thorough

investigation. So, what more are you learning now from the State Department?

JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Well, Paula, the State Department and the Trump administration is pushing back on the

findings of this report from this U.N. fact-finding mission. They are saying it is not credible. However, this was put together by a team of

independent experts who examined satellite images, photos, and videos from the ground.

They conducted interviews with people inside and outside of Iran, and their conclusion was essentially that the U.S. did not do its due diligence in

ensuring that these sites were, in fact, crucial to a military operation and not actually civilian targets.

Now, this report is significant not only in its findings but also in what it could be used for.

[15:05:00]

It will be presented next week to the U.N. Human Rights Council, which, of course, the U.S. did withdraw from when Trump took office for a second

time. And although it doesn't compel any action, it could be used by judicial bodies like the International Criminal Court if they were to move

forward on a probe or potential charges. against U.S. officials or Iranian officials when it comes to a war crime, or in the case of Iran, this report

found that they potentially committed crimes against humanity in their crackdown of protesters ahead of the war.

Now, of course, the administration is pushing back on the report, but also on the U.N. Human Rights Council, which they have accused of being anti-

Semitic, they said in a statement from the White House spokesperson Anna Kelly, quote, "The U.N. Human Rights Council has accomplished nothing for

human rights while spotting unserious nonsense for decades.

The only party in this conflict that has committed war crimes is the Iranian regime, which has murdered thousands of its own people, killed

Americans overseas, executed acts of terrorism in the Strait of Hormuz, and launched indiscriminate attacks against its neighbors in the region."

Now, of course, if the ICC were to launch a probe into the findings under this fact-finding mission, that would likely elicit even more of a strong

response from the administration that has already mounted a huge attack against that judicial body. They have called for its dismantlement. They

have called for countries to pull out of the ICC for what they say is an alleged attempt to look into U.S. and Israeli alleged crimes.

Now, this report comes, as you noted, as the Pentagon investigation has not been put out there. We have heard no updates when it comes to this own

internal probe here in the United States into that strike on Manab. The Defense Department declined to comment on the U.N. report. They just said

that their investigation was ongoing. Paula.

NEWTON: I feel grateful to you as you continue to follow this investigation. Appreciate it.

And we do want to bring in CNN's military analyst now, retired Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton.

Good to see you. A lot to go through here, and I want to deal first with CNN's reporting.

The details here are kind of unbelievable and chilling. One of our sources saying it almost started a war. What do you make of what you heard there,

and does it resemble any kind of protocol that you were involved in during your time in the military?

CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yeah, Paula. I mean, this is, yeah, this is very concerning, and especially given the debate around it in

general, you know, whether it's, you know, used for budgeting purposes or, you know, some other kind of activity in, let's say, in a research lab or,

of course, in the military sense. So, it does resemble in some ways some of the debates that we've had when it comes to the targeting process itself.

Back in 1999, the United States struck another Chinese target that was the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, Serbia. And when that happened, of course,

that caused an international furor. Of course, the Chinese were greatly upset. There were three Chinese nationals who were killed at that time, and

I believe 27 were wounded in that attack.

Obviously, when mistakes like this are made, then there is blame that does go around. But if mistakes are going to be made by an A.I. bot or some

other A.I. tool, it's going to be a lot harder to get accountability and to actually find out how not only things happen, but what to do to correct

those things, and of course, to prevent them, hopefully, from happening at all. That would be the ideal case.

But one of the key things here is that mistakes have been made when it comes to targeting in the past, but these kinds of things, especially with

A.I. tools, could exacerbate these kinds of mistakes, and that, of course, is something that we really have to try to avoid.

NEWTON: Yeah. I mean, Colonel, I covered that investigation and so many others that occurred, especially in Afghanistan after that, where the U.S.

military made mistakes. There were usually investigations that, you know, occurred, and we would get in most cases a timely response from the

military. This is something completely different. And also, then we have this added edition of the incident in Iran. Pete Hegseth has said multiple

times that he doesn't agree with the kind of due diligence in the chain of command.

Do you think this is a risky proposition, and do you think this has led, in fact, to perhaps even some confusion within command and control about what

should be hit when and how? It's staggering that we are so many months, more than six months after that incident in Iran, and still nothing from

this investigation.

LEIGHTON: Yeah, I think accountability is key to anything that the U.S. government does, particularly when it comes to military issues and

especially the targeting aspect. And in wartime, that of course becomes critical.

So, accountability is key. It is also important to realize that procedures that are set up originally to provide that accountability, such as

investigation reports, such as the possibility of court martials for those who've committed offenses.

[15:10:11]

Those are the kinds of things that need to be in place in order to ensure not only good order and discipline in the United States military, but also

to ensure that these kinds of things don't happen in a way that these things become deterrent to those kinds of actions with that kind of

sloppiness.

So, we have to be really careful that accountability comes back into the military. And this, I think, is a major weakness of the types of things

that Secretary Hegseth has promulgated, because in essence, he's, you know, allowing the military to -- at least one interpretation would be to go

rogue.

And that, of course, is a huge mistake. The United States military is built on laws. People notice when we follow the laws. They also notice when we

don't follow the laws. And we gain a lot of leverage by following the laws, by having accountability, and by policing our own.

And if we don't do that right, we lose a lot of, you know, not only a lot of traction within the international community, but also it makes us much,

much less believable and makes our diplomatic missions as well as our military efforts much more difficult.

NEWTON: And beyond the accountability, I mean, you can't court-martial A.I. You can certainly court-martial the people who went on that information

without verifying it. It's something you and I do every day when we're using A.I. The whole incident is still quite stunning.

Do you believe that Pete Hegseth has to be the one to go through this and rectify it? Because CNN has learned about it from sources, clearly sources

that were concerned about the incident, but I'm kind of wondering where do we go from here?

LEIGHTON: Yeah, I think it's very important. You know, accountability starts at the top, and it becomes really important for the leader of an

entity like the Department of Defense to make sure that not only is he accountable for the actions of the people under him, but also that those

people are accountable for their actions as well.

So, it becomes really, really critical that the rules are not only set up to be workable, but also to be moral, and that then becomes a real

difficulty when you have a situation where you are allowing people to, in essence, freelance, where there is sloppiness in the procedure that allows

for false information or inaccurate information to get into a decision such as a targeting decision. And that, of course, we know has some significant

or has some significant potential consequences. And that is something, especially in this day and age, that we can't allow to happen.

NEWTON: Yeah. Incredible, and we'll continue to dig on the details of this and look for a response, which we haven't gotten so far. The U.S. -- I

appreciate it, Colonel Cedric Leighton. Thanks so much for your expertise.

Now, the U.S. State Department has also announced plans to sell F-35s, the most advanced American fighter jets, to Saudi Arabia. It's a controversial

move that is set to be worth an estimated $24 billion. Saudi Arabia is a major purchaser of U.S. weapons, and this move would bolster its military.

Despite already having advanced Western tech, the Saudis and their allies have struggled to stop Houthi advances in Yemen. The F-35 deal has to be

approved by Congress, where some lawmakers are wary of military cooperation with the Gulf state over the kingdom's ties to China.

CNN has learned the Pentagon, meantime, is moving drones from Africa to South America ahead of anticipated counter-narcotics and counterterrorism

operations there. Sources tell CNN most of the MQ-9 Reaper drones could be transferred, potentially for operations in Ecuador. That's despite concerns

about jihadist threats in Africa.

Okay, with 45 days to go until the midterm elections, a new CNN study finds that Republicans are doing their best to not talk about Donald Trump. The

tracking ad firm Impact has found that Republican candidates and allies aired just 12 ads that mentioned the president during the first half of

September. At the same time, Democratic advertisers aired 95 ads about Mr. Trump.

Vice President J.D. Vance is being criticized meantime for appearing to admit that the Trump administration has not delivered on its promises. This

is the opposite of President Trump, who insists he has delivered for voters. But in a podcast appearance this week, Vance said voters should

give Republicans, quote, "another chance".

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's a lot of good that's been done, but there's a lot of work left to do. Don't give power to

the people who cause the problems that we're fixing. Give us another chance or give us another couple of years to continue to work on the amazing

things that we've been doing for the past two years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:15:05]

NEWTON: We want to bring in CNN's Kristen Holmes at the White House for us.

You know, that comment was a few days ago and it's still reverberating everywhere. I am wondering, what White House officials are telling you,

especially that the president, including today, insists on hitting the road, and his message will be nothing like J.D. Vance's, even though we see

that a lot of candidates even refuse to use him in ads.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: So I would just note that what Vice President J.D. Vance said, given the way he said it, that's

part of the reason that it's picked up so much. It kind of was a plea. It felt like please give us another chance.

But six months ago, I was talking to political operatives and people who are part of Trump's political operation who were telling me that that was

going to be the gist of the messaging. This idea that while things are not perfect, they're better than if Democrats were going to be in control. So,

Vance kind of twisted that metaphor or twisted that language into, you know, give us a second chance, which is why that's gone viral.

But this has been something that they've been planning for quite some time. Now, they're going to have to have a delicate when it comes to President

Trump on the campaign trail because there are still places that he drives out turnout. Looking at very red states, very conservative districts, those

are places they're going to want to put him so that he can get people energized, try and get people out there to vote because those are the

people that they're trying to target with the idea that President Trump is on the ballot, something that he keeps saying.

But the other part of that is that they're going to have to stay away from very sensitive areas, areas in which the MAGA brand is not Trump is not

popular, areas in which the candidates themselves are trying to kind of distance themselves from Trump. It does seem, however, that the White House

is very aware of this current dynamic and they will be planning accordingly.

We've now seen Vance in two states, both Maine and Iowa, in which the leading candidate, the Republican, didn't show up at the event. So that

gives you some indication of where these specific races, those candidates are trying to distance themselves from the administration, and I'll point

you to something that Vance said and I don't know that Trump feels the same way but Vance did say that they are aware that candidates have to do what

they have to do and that was about the midterm convention about not coming to the midterm convention.

But overall, it certainly seems as though they have an understanding of what the political climate looks like and they're going to be trying to

respect that while still getting President Trump out there on the road.

NEWTON: Yeah, we'll continue to see what this campaigning looks like over the next, I guess, six and a half weeks.

Kristen Holmes, hang on with you. Midterms are coming up quickly. Appreciate your input there. Thanks so much.

Now, coming up for us, an election like no other during wartime in Russia. For the first time since the war in Ukraine started, Russian voters are

casting their ballots. We'll explain what's at stake, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:21:08]

NEWTON: For the first time, Russians are voting in parliamentary elections amid a full scale invasion of Ukraine. Now, while Russian President

Vladimir Putin is not on the ballot, his presence has, of course, cast a long shadow over politics for more than two decades. Opponents critical of

the Kremlin have been barred from the election or fled Russia. The United Russia Party, which backs Putin, expected to win a super majority of seats.

Now, Ukraine has dismissed the vote as a farce. Overnight, at least two people were killed in Russian strikes in Ukraine, which saw Poland

temporarily close two of its airports.

Joining me now is Kurt Volker. He is former U.S. Ambassador to NATO.

Good to see you.

I think an open question here is when NATO will start to act on some of those incidents. But I'll get there in a minute. I want to go first to

these elections. They do lend the veneer of legitimacy to Putin. That's why he wants them.

But once his party wins, what do you believe his next move will be? There is some intelligence that he will escalate, not just in Ukraine, but as we

just saw, in Europe as well.

KURT VOLKER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO NATO: Yeah, well, several things. First off, these elections do not, in fact, give even a veneer of

legitimacy to Vladimir Putin. As you pointed out, he has banned opposition parties. He has arrested politicians. He's had opponents killed.

So, this is simply window dressing to give the facade of a democracy when it is truly a dictatorship.

Second, Putin is not really capable of escalating very much in Ukraine. Anything that he could do to escalate, he's already doing. So, he's kind of

at his upper limit.

But what that means is still very devastating for Ukraine. He is carrying out frequent air raids, including during the day, missiles, fast drones,

jet-powered drones. And this is really wreaking havoc for Ukrainian civilians right now. So, it is terrible for the Ukrainians, although it is

not advancing Putin's objectives in any strategic way.

As for NATO itself, Russia has already been engaged in a lot of hybrid attacks against NATO countries, and that is likely to continue. He's

escalated that in recent weeks, I think because things are going badly for him in this war against Ukraine. Ukraine's doing a much better job hitting

inside Russia, hitting Russia's oil and gas infrastructure.

So, they're trying to put a bit more pressure on Western countries to get them to be concerned about their support for Ukraine.

NEWTON: And when we speak about pressure, go to the new sanctions bill, right, signed by President Trump, should be soon, will make do you believe

it will make a material difference to Russia's posture? I mean, lawmakers who voted for this and signed it, some of them bipartisan, say they claim

it will cripple Russia's war machine. Do you think that's true?

VOLKER: No, I think that's an overstatement. The problem with legislation, as good as it is, is that it relies heavily on tariffs. And tariffs, as we

know, are a very blunt instrument. They're subject to retaliation or they're subject to countries working around them.

So, it is not as strong an instrument as it could be. That said, depending on how this bill is implemented, it could still have an important impact.

What Ukraine has done by hitting Russia's oil and gas industry is dry up revenue to the Kremlin. They sell oil and gas internationally. They get

hard currency. They use that to pay for the war.

By hitting that repeatedly and drying up Russia's refining capabilities, they are really impacting the Kremlin's finances. If President Trump and

the administration now take this legislation and implement it vigorously, particularly going after the financial institutions that are involved in

processing the transactions that ship the money to Russia.

[15:25:06]

This could have the effect of amplifying what Ukraine has already done to the Kremlin's finances.

Can that happen in time? Because Ukrainians themselves know the kind of winter that they are facing. And the country has suffered some setbacks,

certainly. There is political turmoil there as well, which has involved President Zelenskyy.

VOLKER: Yeah. Look, I think that Ukraine is going to make it through this winter again. They made it through last winter, which was record cold. It

was a 25-year record for how cold it was.

And Russia was repeatedly hitting the electricity distribution system and the heating systems, and Ukrainians got through that.

It is likely to be a somewhat milder winter, and Ukraine is much better prepared in terms of its electricity and heating grid. So, it will be a

problem for Ukrainians. It will be uncomfortable. But I don't think, again, it's going to make a strategic difference.

As for the politics inside Ukraine, it is very messy right now. They are under martial law because of Russia's war. People are tired. They would

like to see some political refreshing in Ukraine, to see new faces, new voices. But they can't do that under these circumstances, and they know

that.

So, it is a frustration for people, but it's not one that can be remedied until the fighting actually stops.

NEWTON: And Ambassador, during our conversations, I always turn to what you know, what NATO's reaction has been since this conflict started. What do

you think their reaction should be now? So many provocations in the last few weeks that cannot be ignored.

Do you think it's time for NATO to have more of a robust reaction to some of these incursions?

VOLKER: Absolutely. And in fact, I think it has been the lack of a robust reaction that has tempted Vladimir Putin to keep going and keep going. He

sees that there's no reaction, so he tries again.

I think we need to have a higher level of readiness on the eastern frontiers of NATO so that we are in a position to take out any drone, any

dangerous flying object that comes into NATO territory.

And I would go one step further. I would recommend that NATO and Ukraine work together to form a joint airspace picture and that NATO declare an

exclusion zone of 150 to 200 kilometers beyond NATO territory over Ukraine so that we do not have any dangerous flying objects there that could make

it into NATO territory.

We've seen too many instances now of drones, of missiles coming into NATO territory with certainly risk to property and in one case the loss of life.

This has to be stopped, and NATO has to step up to send a very clear message to Putin, we will not tolerate this.

NEWTON: Yeah, it may be difficult to get the United States on side with that, but we hear you and certain NATO allies have been pretty clear about

what they want to happen as well.

Ambassador Volker, thanks so much, as always. Appreciate it.

Now, Germany's chancellor is facing a vote on Sunday that could test his political survival. The far right, AFD, could win its second state election

in two weeks, as voters there head to the polls in the eastern region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

The city-state of Berlin will also vote. The far left is leading in the polls there.

Frederik Pleitgen takes a closer look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Germany's right-wing AfD looking to race to another state election victory

in the former communist east of the country, doing 25 miles an hour on old socialist-era motorbikes, like at this campaign event.

Their most potent fuel voter anger at Chancellor Friedrich Merz, a participant who would only give his first name Chris, tells me.

"He's the wrong guy," Chris says. "He had his chance. He will never be able to recover. Many people just feel this man is incapable."

The AfD is leading the polls here in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, capitalizing not just on Germany's economic turmoil, but also propagating mass

deportations of undocumented foreigners, as well as ending all military aid to Ukraine and renewing ties with Russia.

A position the AfD's candidate for governor tells me aligns them with the Trump administration.

"Like America First, we want Germany first," he says. "That's our core value, and it's also good for international stability if Germany is stable

in the middle of Europe, with good relations with the U.S. and towards the east."

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern could be the AfD's second big win in only a matter of weeks. In early September, they beat Merz's CDU in the State of Saxony-

Anhalt by a landslide.

[15:30:02]

A desperate Friedrich Merz then attacked the AfD's mass deportation policy, which they themselves call remigration in German Parliament.

"If what you demand became true, remigration, which is nothing more than ethnic cleansing by skin color and country of origin," he says.

But so far, Merz's political counterpunches don't seem to be landing. His popularity has fallen off a cliff, and there's a discussion even among some

in his own party about him possibly being replaced as chancellor soon.

Merz himself says he will not step down, but back at the AfD's communist era scooter rally, Chris explains how Merz lost his vote.

"Many voters feel they're just not interesting for the chancellor," he says. "That's why I think maybe it's not just a protest vote, but you have

to try something new if the old doesn't work."

A sentiment that appears to be growing in parts of Germany, jeopardizing the current government and turbocharging the far right.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Schwerin, Germany.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Stunning new details have come out from Earl Charles Spencer's book on the late Princess Diana, his sister. "Swan Song," it's entitled, "Diana,

My Sister". In the pages published by "The Daily Mail", Spencer discusses the day of his sister's funeral and how devastated her youngest son, Prince

Harry, was and receiving little support. Spencer also says the late queen offered to give back Diana's royal title. The title was taken from the late

princess after her divorce from then Prince Charles.

CNN has not seen the book ahead of its publication.

Okay, coming up for us, the front lines in a trade war. We will take you to the U.S.-Canadian border to meet the people who don't understand why the

North American neighbors just can't get along.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: So two weeks after the triple murder trial of Lindsay Clancy ended in a mistrial, her ex-husband is now speaking out.

Patrick Clancy sat down with the CBS show "60 Minutes". He discussed spending two days testifying in the trial about Lindsay's mental health

issues. He also talks about the devastating loss of their three children.

Clancy explained how he keeps their memories alive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICK CLANCY, EX-HUSBAND OF LINDSAY CLANCY: I talk to them.

REPORTER: What do you say?

CLANCY: Help me, all the time.

REPORTER: Do they help you?

CLANCY: I like to believe they do. It's a way I stay connected to them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now, the lone holdout juror in the Lindsay Clancy trial is also speaking out. Several of the other jurors accused him of having doubts and

refusing to follow the law. But in the statement, he denies that, saying, "I didn't have any doubts. As I tried to explain different possible

theories during deliberation, I kept getting cut off, as if I had doubts based on the evidence presented."

CNN's Brynn Gingrass has been following this case.

So many stunning developments here, Brynn, but obviously just so heartbreaking on so many levels. I'm wondering how much more we expect here

from Patrick Clancy, especially since there was so much online controversy about his involvement here, which everyone denies that he had anything to

do with this.

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, there's just so many unfounded conspiracy theories that were out there, Paula. And I imagine

that will be addressed in this "60 Minutes" interview.

Now, he has done an interview before. It was before the trial had even started. It was with someone, a publication, has never done a TV sit down

interview. And if you remember during the trial, some of the criticism he was seeing was right after his testimony on the first day of witnesses

taking the stand. A lot of people saying that he was flat and didn't show much emotion.

So, I'm sure there's a lot of questions or at least I hope there's a lot of questions that will be addressed in this big interview. What also we will

be hearing from is his now current wife. Of course, they recently married. She lives her with him in New York City. And she also sort of addressed all

these unfounded conspiracy theories that sort of spiraled out of control while the trial was going on.

Take a listen to what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. RACHEL DANIS, PATRICK CLANCY'S WIFE: I don't understand how the story has been so twisted, but I would hope people know that Pat is, as I said

before, the most selfless father and supportive partner. And I was just a girl that met a guy running in Central Park on a really cold Saturday and I

don't think there's anything wrong with that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GINGRAS: Now, of course, this interview airing this weekend that is ahead of Lindsay Clancy's next trial date or not trial date, rather court date.

She has a hearing scheduled on the 29th of September that is likely or possibly even before that. We're going to hear if the prosecution is going

to decide to retry this case. Paula, of course they can retry it. They can make the charges. You know they can downgrade those charges. They can come

up some sort of plea deal. So, we are waiting to see what might happen before that date, but definitely a much anticipated coming from the Clancys

right there.

NEWTON: Yeah, and the defense lawyer for Lindsay Clancy saying that, look, he will not in any negotiation accept any jail time for her. As you said,

we'll wait to see what the prosecution says about this.

Brynn, really appreciate it. Thanks.

GINGRAS: Yep.

NEWTON: Now, in the final moments of trade on Wall Street, stocks flat, the Dow struggling for direction after an up-and-down week.

This is our Business Breakout.

The Bank of Japan is raising interest rates to a 31-year high. The bank's governor is signaling the central bank has entered a new phase focused on

preventing inflation from exceeding its target. The move opens the door to the future rate hikes.

The Kremlin has moved to take Nestle's assets in Russia. This is the latest chapter in the government's seizure of private companies. Nestle, the

world's largest food and beverage company, employs more than 7,000 workers in Russia and says it is now assessing its options.

The American businessman known as the Oracle of Omaha has stepped down from Berkshire Hathaway. Warren Buffett is giving up the chairman post he's held

at one of the world's most valuable companies since 1970.

[15:40:04]

The 96-year-old will remain on the board to serve as chairman emeritus.

Now, the strained trade relations between the U.S. and Canada are being keenly felt in border towns in the state of Vermont and the province of

Quebec.

CNN's Omar Jimenez spoke to residents on both sides of the border about the recent spat.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So Lake Ontario, that's gone. Lake America.

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The U.S. and Canada relationship hitting some new lows.

TRUMP: I can tell you this, you know, Canada has been ripping off the United States for many, many years, for decades.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): Online, the U.S. president posted this image, beating up the Canadian prime minister in hockey. While offline, the two countries

are locked in an escalating trade war as President Trump now threatens outright bans on Canadian products, on top of the 50 percent tariffs are

more than $20 billion of Canadian goods, which Canada is now matching dollar for dollar.

And these Americans aren't upset about.

SHARON CAMPBELL, DERBY LINE, VERMONT RESIDENT: I don't know what else is going to work with that man, but --

JIMENEZ: So, you're glad that Canada is fighting back?

S. CAMPBELL: Yeah, yeah, I don't blame them at all.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): The U.S.-Canada border runs right through Wayne and Sharon Campbell's Vermont house.

WAYNE CAMPBELL, DERBY LINE, VERMONT RESIDENT: This part of the border will be in Canada. The pond, the Border Patrol has three cameras on the

property. I could walk out there, but I can't leave my property into Canada. I have to go through a border.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): In the small border town of Derby Line, Vermont, you can't separate the United States and Canada, regardless of politics. Even

their library is split in half by the U.S.-Canada border.

JIMENEZ: Driving this town, the one thing you cannot miss is the U.S.- Canada border checkpoint. I mean, it basically funnels you right into that middle of town. The town on the other side of the border is Stanstead.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): Karin Cantin owns the Auberge Le Sunshine Bakery there.

KARIN CANTIN, OWNER, AUBERGE LE SUNSHINE CAFE BISTRO: It's almost 50 percent of our customers come from U.S.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): She says she's been seeing more lately, like these women on a group biking trip.

MARIANNE EATON, VERMONT RESIDENT VISITING CANADA: We thought, okay, we got to pull together and support our Canadian friends, and we could have chosen

any place.

JIMENEZ: Do you find yourself apologizing to Canadians?

AIMEE MOTTA, VERMONT RESIDENT VISITING CANADA: It's true. And when I do meet someone who's Canadian who's come to Vermont to visit, I thank them.

The sadness is heavy.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): But the cross-border visits haven't been reciprocal.

CANTIN: It's like our way to tell to the politics say we are not agreeing with that.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): Starting in February 2025, U. S. Customs data shows arrivals to U.S. from Canada at this Derby Line port of entry declined

every month for 13 months straight compared to monthly arrivals in the previous year.

JANICE BEADLE, DERBY LINE, VERMONT RESIDENT: I've lived on this border for 72 years.

JIMENEZ: Why are you also flying the Canadian flag here?

BEADLE: Why?

JIMENEZ: Yeah.

BEADLE: I feel just as loyal to the Canadian side growing up here my whole life.

JIMENEZ: Yeah, where Canada is quite literally just across the street.

BEADLE: It's just across the street, right there.

JIMENEZ: How would you say business here has changed over the past year?

LORALEE TESTER, DIRECTOR, NORTHEAST KINGDOM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: It's been stressful because it's unpredictable. The tariffs have been really

challenging to navigate. Where I see the greatest hit is in all of our businesses related to tourism and then that manufacturing piece, because

that is, again, like I said, the consistent backbone of our economy.

CANTIN: It's sad for everybody. We hope that it's just a few years.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): Back with the Campbells --

W. CAMPBELL: So if I sit here to do any kind of work at all, I'm in Canada.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): They're a house divided by border, but they still believe in unity.

W. CAMPBELL: They're our closest ally, and it's become a mockery.

S. CAMPBELL: We're just, we're loving and honoring. It's those guys in Washington that are screwing everything up. I almost said it.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): Omar Jimenez, CNN, Derby Line, Vermont.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Well, there's some breaking news into CNN. U.S. President Donald Trump says he's banning CNN and at least two other media outlets from the

White House. He announced the news on his social media platform. He says CNN, MS Now, and "Politico" all report, quote, "fiction and lies", so he is

kicking them out of the White House. And he says other news organizations will also be banned.

Our chief media analyst Brian Stelter joins me now.

I mean, look, Brian, perhaps not a surprise that he would want to do this. I guess my question is, can he do this?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: He may try, but this has been tried once before, back in 2018, and President Trump failed that time.

[15:45:06]

Maybe he has a different strategy in mind this time. But right now, there's no indication that the administration is actually taking any steps to

follow through. This is certainly a highly unusual Truth Social post. I've been covering the president for all his years in office. I've never seen

one quite like this, where he is announcing he is banning people from the White House.

He says it's effective immediately. But right now, the CNN team at the White House is there working just like a normal, ordinary Friday afternoon.

Nothing's changed. No bun's been removed.

There's been no press passes revoked. Security hasn't come by. It's just another normal Friday at the White House.

So, now, we're waiting to see if there is any follow-through or not. My first question when I saw this Truth Social post was, what did CNN, MS NOW,

and "Politico" write or say that the president was so upset about? Those are three particular news outlets, two TV networks, one website.

There's no obvious through-line here, no very obvious trigger that would cause these three outlets to be threatened and not others. But that's the

three that are on the list. There's, as I said, no indication that there's any follow-through by the administration, but you've got to imagine that

some of his aides might be under pressure now to try and follow through.

So that's what brings me to 2018. Some viewers might remember that back in 2018, The former CNN correspondent Jim Acosta was working at the White

House at the time. His press pass was revoked by the Secret Service on the president's orders. That provoked a legal fight. There were a few days of

courtroom documents going back and forth.

And I think within about a week or so, if I remember correctly, Acosta was back at work. The judge sided with CNN against the White House. And that

was the end of that.

Now, that was almost a decade ago. Maybe the president has something else in mind this time, or maybe this is a hollow thread and nothing will come

of it. But here's the good news.

We have our cameras at the White House. We'll see what happens. If there's any action, we'll be able to show the viewers.

NEWTON: Yeah, we just spoke to Kristen Holmes on this show a few minutes ago. And as you said, we certainly expect our reporters to still be there

and working independent from any influence.

STELTER: That's right.

NEWTON: Brian Stelter, thank you for the update. We appreciate it. And we'll be right back with more in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:50:20]

NEWTON: Fears are growing over the possibility of a serial killer in South Africa. Police are investigating the deaths of nine women near

Johannesburg. The ninth body was found Thursday. Now, some of the cases in the past two months appear to have troubling similarities, but police

haven't said if all the killings are actually linked. South Africa's femicide rate is among the highest in the world.

As Eleni Giokos reports, women there are now on edge.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: While one arrest has been made, they're still investigating to see if there's a link because the way the bodies

have been discarded and I'm trying to be as sensitive as I possibly can, there's a similarity. These women are in the 20s or in their 30s that were

sexually assaulted, some with stab wounds. I mean, it's really very gruesome.

President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2025 declared gender-based violence as a national disaster. Already back then, they created a council, they created

summits to discuss how they're going to deal with femicide. A lot of activists say that's made really very little change and women are still

being failed on a daily basis.

But there seems to be something that's really shifted in the South African psyche. When I speak to experts, they say it's multifaceted, right? It's

about why men are murdering and raping because those rates are super high. But it's also about law enforcement. It's also about the judiciary, and

bringing all those elements together to try and bring the numbers down.

Importantly, we also have to focus on the fact that Black women are disproportionately affected in South Africa It is a scary scenario and this

case has created a huge debate. Men and women are coming together to see what will be done, but definitely big questions about what government

should be doing to change this reality because for women, this isn't about just over two-month period of a concentrated case in a certain part of

Johannesburg. It's happening every day across South Africa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Our thanks to Eleni Giokos there and we'll be right back with more news in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: And finally for us, we would like to pay tribute to playwright, author, and friend of CNN, Bonnie Greer, who died at the age of 77. Born in

the U.S. before moving to Britain, Bonnie was a much-loved face in CNN's royal coverage. You see her there, and I know you remember her. She shared

her unique talent for transatlantic British anachronisms for an international audience, always done, of course, with her characteristic wit

and knowing smile.

Bonnie was admitted to hospital four weeks ago and was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She died on Wednesday. Not just in front of the camera,

but behind it too, Bonnie will be missed for her warmth and generosity and her sense of humor, which was so appreciated by so many of us who spent so

many hours outside of Buckingham Palace or at these anchor desks trying to parse the latest royal controversies.

Her husband David writes that she made an enduring contribution to British cultural and public life. And we couldn't agree more.

I'm Paula Newton. That is WHAT WE KNOW. Stay with CNN.

END

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