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What We Know with Max Foster

Source: Ukraine Runs Out of Patriot Defense Missiles; Bitter Feud Between Trump And Zelenskyy Escalates; Trump Calls Off Livestream Of Fort Hood Shooter's Execution; Sources: U.S. Considers "Mother Of All Bombs" Against Iran; Talarico Criticizes Biden & Trump On Border Issues; Cuban Americans' Loyalty To Republicans Wavers. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired October 15, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:24]

MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: Ukraine runs out of U.S.-made Patriot missiles.

This is WHAT WE KNOW.

Amid escalating tensions with the Trump White House, Ukraine says it has lost a critical tool as it tries to defend itself against Russia. A source

tells CNN exclusively that Ukraine has run out of missile interceptors for the U.S.-made Patriot air defense system, leaving it more vulnerable to

Russian attack.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in Brussels today to meet with European leaders. He's framing U.S. President Donald Trump's deal allowing

Russia to sell diesel fuel on the global market as a betrayal. Ukraine's leader also says he's done with President Trump's surprise energy

ceasefire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: The diesel deal, I don't want to be in war. If he attack us, we will respond. This is our rule.

Don't involve us to some diesel deals. If you ask us to help with the situation, of course, like the partners, we will help. But we're asking

you, so energy ceasefire. If not energy ceasefire, it doesn't depend on you. OK, the question, can you give me missiles for Patriot? Because when I

will not attack them, because you asked me not attack them, they will attack me. It's fair if you will give me with what to defend.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: CNN's chief international security correspondent Nick Paton Walsh now has more on the tensions between President Zelenskyy and Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, look, this is certainly a perilous time for the already fractious and sort

of seesaw relationship that he has with President Trump. Clearly, the last 10 days has set Ukraine on a path where it believes the United States is no

longer going to act on his ally and indeed that Zelenskyy should call that out.

He's also been today referring in an interview with a British publication called "The Financial Times" about President Trump's well-known fondness

for essentially dictators who stay in power for decades. Clearly, Zelenskyy now in a position where he may see some kind of fiery reaction from the

U.S. But how did we get there and where does this leave Ukraine?

Look, it's important to point out that we're looking now at a Ukraine that, as according to a source familiar with the situation, has told our Victoria

Butenko in Kyiv, has run out of Patriot interceptor missiles. Ultimately, the U.S. is the biggest supplier manufacturer of those. They've had a

similar crisis back in August when I was last there, and then some European states rushed to assist and fill a slight gap. That's run out. That's

crisis number one.

The next big ballistic missile attack against Ukraine will not be intercepted, it seems, at this point.

Secondly, it appears that after the tensions of the last week or so, the United States has begun to restrict some technology and possibly

intelligence, according to Ukrainian officials. The key one here is the fact that Ukrainian officials say they haven't received the early warnings

about Russian ballistic missile launches that they've relied upon for years now. They're the reason why sirens sound, and they're the reason why people

get minutes to get to the shelter. They say they have not been receiving those for some time now, President Trump has publicly stated there's been

no stoppage in intelligence sharing.

Over the past few days, too, we've had this issue about the speeds, the flying speeds at which Starlink dishes, useful for long-range attack

drones, medium range and also some defensive drones. the speeds at which some of those Starlinks can function. That appears to have been a bit of a

blip that seems to be rectified, although Elon Musk, whose company SpaceX is behind those Starlinks, has interestingly distanced himself from the

decision process around that, saying it's the U.S. government, the White House that make it, but clarifying he doesn't really want Starlink dishes

used in offensive operations.

So, a bit of a mess there in terms of operation on the front line being interrupted, but all of this comes after the diesel deal and the energy

ceasefire, which President Trump announced. He said that hundreds of thousands of Russian barrels of diesel would suddenly be on the market, a

bid to get prices down at the pump, although many analysts say that would be a tough one. And he also declared an energy ceasefire between Russia and

Ukraine. Ukraine said that was the first they'd heard about it and Russia bombed Ukrainian energy infrastructure a matter of hours later.

We're in a very messy place here. But strip all this aside, ultimately, it's Ukrainians now facing another sleepless night without interceptors or

ballistic intelligence warnings, ultimately from the United States, they say. So, a very dangerous moment here for Ukrainians and in that vital

relationship between Zelenskyy and Trump.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Nick Paton Walsh there.

Our CNN military analyst Colonel Cedric Leighton is with us to discuss what all of this could mean for Ukrainian forces.

Thank you for joining us, Colonel.

And yesterday we spoke about the intelligence sharing the Starlink issues.

[15:05:04]

Now, we've got this missile issue. How much -- how vulnerable is the country right now?

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, Max, I think the country is fairly vulnerable now. It doesn't mean that it is completely

defenseless, but the Patriot missile systems are uniquely qualified to intercept some of the more vociferous Russian missiles. And that, of

course, is exactly what the Ukrainians need.

We're talking particularly about missiles like the jet-powered Shahed- modified drones, like the Geran-5. And that is the kind of thing that the Ukrainians absolutely need. There are other systems, such as the IRIS-T

system that the Germans are reluctant to provide the Ukrainians as well.

And these are the kinds of systems, though, that the West needs to send to the Ukrainians, because without them there is a much greater risk of

civilian casualties and a much greater risk that important areas such as the heart of Kyiv, energy infrastructure, institutions of the state, all of

those things could be hit, could be targeted by the Russians in this case.

FOSTER: What are you hearing from your U.S. military sources? Because we're not getting any confirmation from the U.S. side that they cut off

supplies completely, but obviously the military is under pressure because of these multiple war fronts. Maybe it's just the fact that they can't

afford to keep sending them because they're running out? I mean, what is the issue here, do you think?

LEIGHTON: Yeah, I think part of the issue actually has to do with the production of these missiles, and particularly the PAC-3 interceptor

missile. So, this is a critical component of the Patriot system, and these are the kinds of missiles that were used by the U.S. in its war with Iran.

And basically, what you're talking about is the overuse of these systems in terms of going after a target. The analysis shows that U.S. targeting

resulted in six to eight Patriot missiles being sent for every Iranian target that was intercepted and shot down, in contrast that to the

Ukrainians who usually shot about two to three missiles for similar type incidents.

So, what that means is that the Ukrainians were actually quite good at conducting these intercept operations of missiles and drones. The problem

that they have, of course, is that they don't produce the actual hardware that makes these missiles. And they also, of course, would like to be able

to do that.

But in this particular case what you're looking at is with the U.S. military, they are stretched thin because of these production shortages.

And that, of course, means that there's a worldwide shortage of these systems. So, this not only at risk the countries of Europe, NATO members in

Europe, but it also puts at risk U.S. allies in the Pacific realm, and not to mention of course the allies in the Middle East.

And we're seeing that also in Saudi Arabia, where there have been several targets, civil civilian and commercial targets that have been hit, such as

the airport in Riyadh and the Aramco headquarters, the oil company headquarters in Dhahran. And a lot of that was due to the fact that there

are sufficient insufficient intercept missiles in the Saudi Arabian arsenal as well.

FOSTER: Colonel Cedric Leighton, thank you so much for your analysis, as ever, on the show on that issue.

President Trump calling off plans to live stream the Fort Hood shooter's execution, reversing last week's announcement from the Pentagon. President

Trump wrote on Truth Social that Nidal Hasan will die as scheduled by firing squad, but this event will not be live-streamed or not be streamed,

in his words.

The former U.S. Army major was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding dozens at a Texas military base in 2009.

Here now, CNN's Kristen Holmes.

I mean, the issue wasn't so much the sentence, it was the fact it would be live-streamed. And has the president overruled the defense secretary on

this one?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: He certainly has. And we are told that the president was not aware and the White House was

not aware that Pete Hegseth was originally going to talk about or say that this execution was going to be made available to the public via livestream.

He had considered it, President Trump, after he heard this from the secretary of defense and wasn't really sure what to make of it, although he

did fully believe that he should be executed via firing squad.

Now, it was just earlier this week that we reported that Hegs -- or excuse me, that President Trump had really been reconsidering this idea of a live

stream, and that had gotten bipartisan pushback, including from members of his own party.

[15:10:10]

We even had the vice president saying he wouldn't watch it, the speaker, Mike Johnson, saying he wouldn't watch that. And we also learned that

President Trump did not realize that Hasan was paralyzed from the waist down and that optically, President Trump did not believe that would look

good to have the execution of a man who was paralyzed halfway waist down live-streamed to the entire public.

So, now, he has made this announcement that he's calling that off. He said essentially, "I think streaming the execution for all to see might have

been a strong deterrent for the world to witness how America deals with the terrorists and scum like Hasan. But many very good and well-meaning people

would rather not watch him die through streaming or any other visual device."

Then he went on to say that he's going to die as scheduled by firing squad and that there will be an element of this that people, families, members,

anyone who lost somebody, they can go in and privately view the execution should they want to. But again, this will not be something that is publicly

broadcast.

We also heard from a number of national security officials who said that this wasn't a good idea to begin with. So clearly, President Trump taking

all that into consideration.

FOSTER: Yeah. OK, Kristen, appreciate it. Thank you.

New White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia has repeatedly presented herself as a lawyer, but CNN's White House team has found no evidence that

she passed the bar exam in states where she's lived or worked. A source tells CNN Zacharia failed in an attempt to pass the California bar exam

after graduating from law school.

On Tuesday when reporters asked her about her credentials, she mentioned her work in China. She later told "The New York Times" that she misheard

the reporter's question.

Iran appears to be stepping up attacks on ships around the Strait of Hormuz. Two cargo ships near the strait sunk this week after being hit by

some kind of projectile. One was struck on Tuesday and the other was hit in late September. Iranian drones are suspected in both incidents.

The U.S. could use its most powerful non-nuclear weapon against Iran if Donald Trump decides to attack again. CNN has learned that the Pentagon has

drawn up plans to use the so-called Mother of All Bombs in the Gulf War. The MOAB could be used to hit Iran's energy infrastructure and suspected

nuclear sites. Sources tell CNN that no final decision has been made on deploying the huge weapons. There are concerns about both the effectiveness

of such a strike and potential civilian casualties.

Coming up, a rising star in the Democratic Party is reaching across the aisle, appealing to independents and Republicans as he battles to win a

Senate seat in the red state of Texas. Details of our town hall with James Talarico ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:16:10]

FOSTER: U.S. Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico is looking for middle ground as he tries to win over independents and moderate Republicans

in Texas. At a CNN Jubilee town hall, Talarico said he will stand on principle and break with his party on policy if necessary.

He took some tough questions from audience members on issues including abortion, education, and election integrity. He also talked about border

security.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES TALARICO (D), TEXAS SENATE CANDIDATE: Joe Biden failed us during his administration by not securing the border. I remember talking to my

colleagues in the state legislature who represent border communities, and they were telling me about the utter chaos along our southern border during

the Biden administration. That's unacceptable.

But now we've seen under this administration a different kind of extremism. We've seen masked men in unmarked vehicles kidnapping our neighbors off our

street. We were told that ICE was going to go after violent criminals, and I support that. If you're an undocumented immigrant and you commit a

violent crime, you should be deported immediately.

But that's not what they're doing. They're going after Uber drivers. They're going after small business owners. They're going after grandmothers

and infants.

ICE should be focused on going after the cartels, not our communities. They should be going after violent gang members, not moms and babies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Another closely watched Senate race is in Michigan, where Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed is campaigning today with New York

Representative Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez. They're on a bus tour in a traditionally red part of the state.

Progressive leader Ocasio-Cortez made a direct appeal to Republicans today, asking them to keep an open mind and an open ear as they listen to El-

Sayed's message.

So, what we want to know is, can Ocasio-Cortez and El-Sayed deliver victory for the Democrats?

Joining us now, Antjuan Seawright, CEO of Blueprint Strategy, a Democratic strategist as well.

Thank you much for joining us.

I mean, it has been interesting to see --

ANTJUAN SEAWRIGHT, CEO, BLUEPRINT STRATEGY LLC: Good to be with you.

FOSTER: -- the Democrats with their campaigning because originally it was about getting Democrats out to vote, then winning over independents, and

they're now going for Republicans.

Do you think they can be successful?

SEAWRIGHT: Well, I do because there are -- there are many independent thinkers who are going to decide this election. Yes, turning out your base

is so important and we usually focus on those things in the primary. But when you get past the primary, it's about strengthening your base, building

your coalition to include the politically unhoused, the politically homeless, independent thinkers, independent voters, and then those

additional voters who may not feel comfortable with the people they tend to want to vote against.

In this election, there will be millions of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Americans in a place like Michigan who are going to vote

against the folks who are in charge because they have gotten the middle finger from this administration while they promise to deliver for middle

class and middle America.

FOSTER: Interesting to see the two races of Michigan and Texas because very, you know, some similar issues, but obviously some very distinct local

issues.

What's the Democrats' strategy here to campaign on those local issues without upsetting the national policy? Or are they basically going for

discontentment, really, with the Trump White House?

SEAWRIGHT: Well, here's what applies in Michigan, what applies in Texas, and what applies across the country. This affordability crisis brought to

you and sponsored by Donald Trump, MAGA Mike and no political tune, John Thune, the Senate majority leader. When you think about a record number of

foreclosures, affordable housing no longer affordable, a record number of - - record credit card debt for Americans, six-figure income earners are having to take out short-term loans to buy groceries, record high diesel

prices, record high gas prices.

[15:20:07]

You think about the fact that 25 million Americans, including 18.2 million Americans in places that Donald Trump won or paying more for their

premiums, copays and deductibles. This is an affordability crisis that did not need to happen. The economic uncertainty is driving the anger and

frustration in Texas as well as in Michigan.

And the fact that corruption seems to be the top of my issue according to Fox News polls and that is directly related to those in charge. And then

you have this thing around health care that people are literally making decisions about whether they live or die, whether they purchase their

prescription drugs, health insurance, or whether they determine to pay to pay childcare or not.

These are crisis that we did not have to be in and these are things that Donald Trump and Republicans promised to deal with on day one and arguably

they've got and progressively worse.

FOSTER: It's been a pretty effective campaign for the Democrats so far, or you could call it an ineffective one with the Republicans if you look at

the polls. How concerned are you to keep the momentum up to make sure Democrats do actually go out and vote and don't just assume that the

Republicans will lose?

SEAWRIGHT: Well, one of my favorite boxers is Mike Tyson. He had a number of quotes for two of my favorite. Everyone has a plan until they gets

punched in the mouth. And Democrats, we have a plan to turn out our voters, energize our voters, engage our voters, but we do not know what's ahead so

we cannot take anything for granted.

The other Tyson quote I love to hear is that you have to peak at the right time in boxing. I relate boxing politics the same period of time. I think

we're peaking at the right time, but we must apply the old servant carpenters rule that I live while -- live by, measure three times, cut

once.

I'm confident in our messaging. I'm confident in our messengers. I'm confident in our mechanisms. Now we just have to make certain that all

those things aligned to get our voters to come out as well as adding to the pot to expand the coalition.

FOSTER: OK, Antjuan Seawright, thank you. A few more weeks left of campaigning, but it's really building up now. Thank you.

We're going to go to Florida now, where just weeks before critical midterm elections, rising costs and immigration policies are fueling discontent

amongst American Cubans or Cuban-Americans.

CNN's Carolina Peguero talked to people in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood, and she's got this report for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA LUIS, CUBAN AMERICAN REPUBLICAN VOTER (through translator): Trump promises a lot, like everyone else, but when it comes down to it, nobody

does anything. They say what people want to hear.

SANTIAGO CASAMAYOR, CUBAN AMERICAN UNDECIDED VOTER (through translator): Everyone is complaining about the same thing, rent. Housing is very

expensive, and so are interest rates.

CAROLINA PEGUERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They are Cuban-American voters from Little Havana in Miami, where in Florida's 27th District,

President Donald Trump won by nearly 15 points in 2024.

But today, the high cost of living, inflation, and Trump's recent policies are causing discontent among some voters. But will this dissatisfaction

matter in the midterm?

MAGALY CLERRA A, CUBAN AMERICAN REPUBLICAN VOTER (through translator): Honestly, I like Trump, but he has done some things I don't like, and he

still hasn't gotten things done with Cuba.

PEGUERO (voice-over): Here, Republican Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar is seeking reelection against Democrat Eliott Rodriguez.

Among young voters like these students at Miami-Dade College, the economy is also a major concern.

PAISLEY HERRERA, YOUNG VOTER: Right now, the economy, it's very bad. I mean, the gas prices, they have gone up to, like, almost $7 here, and

grocery stores -- like a lot of food isn't affordable.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I work two part-time jobs and I still can't afford to live by myself.

DANIELA CREATZO, YOUNG VOTER: You still continue to raise our rent and for one because nothing changes. The maintenance is the same. Our utilities is

the same.

So, I really don't understand what the point is.

PEGUERO (voice-over): Nearly three out of every four residents in District 27 are Hispanic. According to an NBC News and Telemundo poll, 69 percent of

registered Latino voters in the United States disapprove of the president's performance.

Salazar, who has supported the president, has also distanced herself from some of his immigration policies. She challenged him directly by posting

this video.

REP. MARIA ELVIRA SALAZAR (R-FL): Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far.

PEGUERO (voice-over): Criticizing Trump has also drawn criticism from some voters in her own district.

CIERRA A (through translator): Maria Alvarez Salazar is someone I thought was different, but her true colors came up. I don't like that she is

fighting Trump over the deal he's making with Cuba.

PEGUERO (voice-over): We requested an interview with Salazar, but so far it has not been possible to arrange one.

Meanwhile, Democrat Eliott Rodriguez, a former news anchor, is trying to unseat Salazar.

[15:25:04]

We spoke with him in front of Miami's iconic Freedom Tower, where thousands of Cuban refugees were received in the 1960s.

ELIOTT RODRIGUEZ (D), FLORIDA CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: Our Constitution is in danger, our right to due process is in danger, and even the truth is in

danger. And that's what I dedicated my career to, is telling the truth, being honest, and just delivering facts so that people can make up their

minds based on reality. That's what's happening now. It's so distressing.

PEGUERO (voice-over): And that is one of the questions here in District 27. Will what these voters think about Trump today also influence how they

vote for Congress.

Carolina Peguero, CNN, Little Havana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Coming up, a growing rift. Tensions escalate between President Zelenskyy and Trump. What will it take to get their alliance back on track?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: CNN has learned exclusively that Ukraine has run out of interceptor missiles for the US-made Patriot air defense system. That would

leave it more vulnerable to Russian attacks. Patriot interceptors are one of the few weapons capable of stopping a ballistic missile. It's another

new challenge for Ukraine as the relationship between Kyiv and Washington sinks to a new low.

A defiant and frustrated Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, taking an unprecedented stand against his country's most important ally, saying he

feels betrayed by U.S. President Donald Trump's diesel deal with Russia.

What we don't know is, can Mr. Zelenskyy get President Trump back on side?

Joining me now is CNN global affairs commentator Sabrina Singh.

[15:30:01]

She's the former deputy Pentagon press secretary.

Sabrina, thank you so much.

I mean, we've had such a series of events which speak to a big misalignment, if I can call it that, between the White House and Ukraine.

How serious do you think this is?

SABRINA SINGH, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Well, you know, back from that Oval Office meeting when President Trump first met with President

Zelenskyy, things looked pretty bad. And then it seemed to get a little bit better. And now we're sort of back in this territory of unease. And as you

said, things are very tense right now.

And I think, unfortunately, this president, this administration is continuing to give Vladimir Putin more latitude when it comes to this war

in Ukraine and is willing to go out on a limb and allow the United States to buy Russian diesel because right now, as you know, we're in a midterm

election and this is a political boon for the president, even though it really would not lower diesel costs and it's doing so and he's doing so

despite our own laws on the books that say the U.S. cannot buy Russian diesel.

On top of that, I think Donald Trump has given Putin more and more wins by trying to say that there should be a ceasefire when it comes to refineries.

The reality is that Ukraine only has one refinery, that it can be targeted. Russia has a vast amount of refineries all across its country.

And on top of that, Donald Trump saying it's time for Ukraine to get a new president. This is exactly the type of rhetoric that Putin wants to hear

from Donald Trump. And so, you know, it's very concerning that we're in this position, potentially with, you know, Starshield being turned off for

Ukrainians temporarily.

I think we have to wait and see how this could potentially resolve, but right now things look very tense.

FOSTER: Our correspondents are saying that there's been a lot of discontent with White House policy in recent months, but now it's really

breaking out, isn't it? Zelenskyy saying he feels betrayed by Donald Trump, which is very bold to say against your ally, who can be very sensitive

about criticism. Do you think he's right to do that?

SINGH: I can't blame him. I mean, the guy is trying to fight for his country's sovereignty, doing everything he can to secure the weapons and

capabilities that Ukraine needs to continue to make advances on the battlefield. And in recent months, Ukraine has in fact made those advances.

And for the president of the United States to say, well, it's time for Ukraine to get a new president and to give in to Russian demands of trying

to create some sort of ceasefire on refineries, which that really would not benefit Ukraine, that really benefits Russia, and then buying Russian oil

supply.

Again, this really goes back to the calculation that this president is making. I mean, we know that Russia is providing intelligence to Iran to

target U.S. troops in the Middle East. And yet this president is willing to say to Russia, we're going to give you more and more leeway here. And I

think that is because, to some extent that CNN has reported, there are some business deals that could benefit Trump friends and allies with oil and gas

in particular. And so, I think the president, he is a businessman, and he sees that as an opportunity for Russia to end this war through economic

means, basically opening it up and saying, look, Russia, look at everything that you can get if you work with the United States.

But Putin is not going to end this war. We just know that from the last five years that we've seen this war going on day after day.

FOSTER: I just want to ask you about something separate as well, just considering your expertise, this idea that an execution by live firing of a

former member of the military, we had the defense secretary saying it would be live streamed. And the president has now overruled him, obviously

considering it, speaking to the military presumably as well.

Why do you think the president isn't doing that? And how damaging is that for Pete Hegseth?

SINGH: Well, that remains to be seen how damaging it is for Pete Hegseth. I mean, clearly both men were at odds here, but I think Donald Trump took

the right course of action here. Live streaming and execution of the Fort Hood shooter who should meet you know his punishment but live streaming

that will only embolden and radicalize people overseas and that's what I think a lot of people were telling Donald Trump that this video if it is

live stream could be used with, you know, different terrorist groups to radicalize people against the United States.

And that is not something the president obviously wants to hear.

[15:35:01]

And that is frankly the truth. And so, I think Pete Hegseth got way ahead of his skis, didn't consult with the administration on what he thought

would be the best course of action here. And ultimately the president made the final decision. And I think it was the right one because I talked to

many people in the military still, they were not comfortable with the idea that an execution like this would be livestreamed. for any American to see

and let alone the world.

FOSTER: Okay. Sabrina ,really appreciate it. Thank you so much.

Now, at least 32 children and a teacher were killed after a school roof collapsed on Thursday morning in northern Pakistan. The victims range in

age from six to 14 years old emergency crews say everyone trapped beneath the rubble has been pulled out now. An investigation is now underway.

A local police official tells CNN the school's owner has been arrested.

Ivan Watson has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A nation in mourning after a deadly disaster in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar. The

roof of a school collapsed, killing dozens of school children, as well as at least one teacher. A rescue worker tells CNN it was likely caused by

heavy rain overnight, which caused the collapse of the two-story building early Thursday morning.

Now we've seen hospital records suggesting the ages of the casualties are between six and 14 years old, and there were around 50 additional children

injured and treated in hospital after this disaster. Now, tragically, collapses like this are all too common in Pakistan, where building and

construction codes are poorly enforced.

In August, a fire broke out in a maternity ward in the capital, Islamabad, killing at least 14 newborns. A subsequent inquiry concluded that there

were no sprinkler systems in the nursery. There wasn't even a fire alarm.

And here in Lahore in July, there was another collapse of a tutoring center that killed at least 14 school children.

Now, the president of Pakistan has called this a gut-wrenching tragedy. Police in Peshawar tell CNN they've arrested the owner of the school and

they've launched an investigation into this tragic disaster.

Ivan Watson, CNN, Lahore, Pakistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: In the final moments of trade on Wall Street, stocks are moving in pretty different directions, actually. The Dow is seeing some healthy

gains, although we are seeing big sell-offs in the tech sector, especially overseas.

This is our Business Breakout.

U.S. wholesale inflation is now at its highest level in more than four years. Wholesale prices rose 1.3 percent from the month before, mostly

driven by energy costs. This is the second set of worrying inflation numbers in as many days. Wednesday saw the announcement that consumer

prices are also rising faster than expected.

Asia's most valuable company saw profits surge 69 percent in the last quarter. Taiwan's TSMC is the world's largest advanced chip maker. It saw

record profits for the sixth straight quarter, driven by a worldwide push to build new data centers. The company recently announced investments in

Arizona worth more than a quarter of a trillion dollars.

Now, fresh off his CNN town hall on Wednesday, the Texas Democrat James Talarico says he raised $64 million of funding in the last quarter. His

campaign says that's the most ever raised by a Senate candidate in a single quarter. The previous record was held by South Carolina Democrat Jaime

Harrison, who ran unsuccessfully for Senate in 2020.

Now, those periodic worries about the A.I. sector have returned, and tech stocks are seriously struggling as a result. The Nasdaq has come back from

its lows of the day, but the S&P tech index is down by 1 percent. And look at the benchmark index in South Korea, the KOSPI, down 7.5 percent.

Chipmakers took some heavy losses there. Rising interest rates and debt levels are also causing new worries.

These concerns are all being discussed by leaders at the IMF meetings in Bangkok, where we find our Richard Quest tonight -- Richard.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR, QUEST MEANS BUSINESS: Good evening to you from Bangkok or good morning, I should say, where it's coming up to quarter to

three in the morning.

The issue and the worry is that things are starting to unravel pretty quickly in terms of tech. And it's all because of the high valuations that

the companies have got, along with the very enormous borrowings. It's about debt, debt and more debt.

So here at the IMF they are concerned firstly and primarily with government debt and in terms of for example France, the French finance minister told

me that he did not see a crisis.

[15:40:01]

They had a budget that they would push through parliament and we're getting on with it.

Meanwhile, the managing director, sorry, the president of the ECB told me that they had no intention of bailing out France because it wasn't

necessary.

Max, here in Bangkok, the bankers and the finance ministers are worried that if you will, a concoction of debt is now being created between

governments, A.I. companies, and all of this is unsustainable in the long run.

The problem is, when the music stops, who's going to get to the chairs first?

FOSTER: In terms of the interest rates, is that -- and bond prices, is that a big topic of discussion there away from the tech sector?

QUEST: Yes. Yes, yes, and yes, again. Bond yields have been rising. And the reason they're rising is because inflation is now higher and more

entrenched.

And the general view, even though they tell you they're not seeing secondary round effects, the reality is that they all everybody here knows

that interest rates are going up. And therefore, as interest rates go up, the debt burden for governments becomes harder. It makes it more difficult

for companies to raise money. Economies will slow down.

Look, I'll be clear though, nobody is talking our recession, but everybody is saying that all those worries about tech, profitability, borrowings,

they are bubbling to the surface and it really -- I mean, it's classic. There's never a crisis, Max, until there's a crisis.

And the moment you know there's a crisis, everyone heads for the door. We are not there yet, but people are starting to look very worried.

FOSTER: Richard, appreciate it. Thank you. More with "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS", of course, a bit later on.

Now, a warm public reception for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Prince Harry and his wife Meghan made their first joint public appearance since

their surprise move back to the U.K. I will tell you where they went.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:45:24]

FOSTER: Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have made their first joint public appearance since returning here to the U.K. On Thursday, the

Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited three different charities throughout Nottingham in the Midlands. The couple received balloons, flowers, posed

for pictures with the crowd. At one point, Meghan told a woman in the crowd, it's great to be back.

The public appearance by the Duke and Duchess comes whilst King Charles makes an official royal visit as well. The King and the Queen attended the

ceremonial opening of the Welsh Parliament today.

A significant event, Anna Stewart, but all the media were somewhere else.

ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, a significant, sorry, a significant event that no one really knew about because the whole, the media's

attention was very much fixated on Nottingham and the first public engagement of Prince Harry and Meghan since they returned to the U.K.

And don't you think, Max, it really did feel like pre-2020, before they left the U.K., before they left their roles as working members of the royal

family, this felt like a royal engagement. They had a walkabout, as it's known, where they walked about, they greeted onlookers, they had selfies

taken, they had flowers was given to them.

And then they went on three separate trips to different charities, got involved in all sorts of things. At one point, Meghan was making bracelets

with some young girls. Harry and Meghan both packed up food parcels for donations. It felt very much like a royal engagement.

And some may be surprised because, as we know, they are no longer working members of the royal family. And just last month, we had that statement

released on behalf of the King which said all charitable work carried out by Harry and Meghan would be a personal matter for them both and undertaken

in their private capacity.

Nothing that private about this, was there, Max.

FOSTER: No. And you do remember how good they were, actually, at these events, right? They're very good with the crowds. Clearly something they

want to do more of.

But what do you think they're trying to do with what the papers have described as this pseudo-royal role? I mean, they're not meant to be -- the

idea isn't that they're carrying out public engagements in this way, but of course, they're free to do it, I guess.

STEWART: They are, and I think maybe it was the palace that didn't want them to carry out this, what is frankly a middle role, not quite private

citizens, not quite working members of the royal family. They've gone for this middle route, and it's within their power to do so. The royal family

can't say no if they want to highlight different charities and do public engagements. That is up to them, and this is probably something we'll see

more and more of.

FOSTER: Okay, Anna Stewart, thank you so much. There'll be more of those events for you to follow. Still to come, hailed as miracle weight loss

drugs by many, GLP-1s are putting those with anorexia at risk. We'll look into how this devastating misuse of medication is even possible.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:50:54]

FOSTER: Weight loss drugs are changing lives for millions, but for many battling anorexia, GLP-1s could do more harm than good, as Anna Cooban now

reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AJ JASPER, CHICAGO RESIDENT: I felt oftentimes just like a zombie on these medications, and just kind of resigned to dying. Like I just was totally

apathetic and just in the darkest place of my life. I went into organ failure, and in January I was hospitalized. Even just trying to lift my

head out of the hospital bed to talk to the doctor was exhausting.

ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS & ECONOMIC REPORTER (voice-over): GLP-1s have been hailed by many as miracle drugs, but for AJ Jasper, who's battled

anorexia on and off for 30 years, they've been a curse.

COOBAN: Tell me more about how easy it was to get them online. Whether or not you ever had to speak to a doctor, what were you asked for?

JASPER: You know, I went on to one of the telehealth apps, I think the first one I went to was Hims, and it was just unprecedented how easy it was

to access these medications. I answered maybe a 10 questions survey. I never saw a doctor over the screen. There were some messages back and

forth, but they were somewhat automated.

And you know, I gave my credit card number, and within a couple days, the medication was sent directly to my house.

COOBAN (voice-over): Jasper's story is sadly one of many. Doctors tell CNN they've seen sharp rises in the numbers of anorexia patients buying weight

loss drugs. Many get them via telehealth sites, lying about their weight on online questionnaires.

Jasper lives in Chicago and has used several of these sites. He's only bought the cheaper, compounded or copycat versions of brands like Ozempic

and Mounjaro.

JASPER: They often send several vials, like it's not just one shot with the medication already in it. And you're able to self-dose however much of

the medication you feel like. Like there are instructions that are given, but you know if you're an addict, like I am, you know am not going to

obviously follow those directions, and I just thought the more the better.

COOBAN (voice-over): A spokesperson for Hims said that eating disorder screening is a mandatory part of its weight loss drug request process.

Every person seeking GLP-1 treatment is asked direct, specific questions about eating disorder diagnoses and behaviors. Any answer indicating

current or past disordered eating triggers additional clinical questions.

Closer provider review, and in many cases a referral to specialty eating disorder care off our platform. Hims said it regularly checks in with

patients to spot any problems during treatment. Jasper said he simply ignored any emails.

I visited Orri, an eating disorder clinic in London, where many patients say they have taken GLP-1s.

COOBAN: So, a lot talked about this quieting of the food noise. Can you tell me a bit about that and how that, the impact that has on somebody with

anorexia?

DR. JOANNA SILVER, LEAD PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPIST, ORRI: So, someone with anorexia will often think about food a lot of the day. So, what am I going

to eat? Is this too much? Guilt after eating, fears about food.

And people who have been on these drugs report that the noise goes, which, of course, feels very, very appealing. The problem is, is that the person

with anorexia doesn't learn how to manage these thoughts themselves, instead they're just silenced.

COOBAN: It's not surprising that some people with anorexia or a history of the disorder would try to access these drugs. That was inevitable, but that

a multi-billion-dollar industry has made it so easy for them to do so, that was not.

JASPER: If there had been a doctor that intervened, if there was a doctor through the telehealth app that required lab work, blood work, and they

were able to see like these medications were really harmful for me, the medication would have stopped being prescribed.

COOBAN (voice-over): Jasper is hoping there'll be policy change, such as rules making a video consultation with a doctor a mandatory part of getting

a prescription online across the United States. For now, though, he thinks there's a long way to go.

JASPER: It's just the wild, wild west out there.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Anna Cooban with that report.

Now, finally tonight, a bird that's been extinct for more than 300 years could live again, thanks to A.I. A U.S. biotech company says it has mapped

about 95 percent of the Dodo's genome. Colossal Biosciences says it's using A.I. to examine how changes to certain genes could allow it to recreate a

Dodo. Dodos have been extinct since the 1600s. The company behind the technology is also working to bring woolly mammoths and dire wolves back

from extinction.

So, stand by.

I'm Max Foster. That's WHAT WE KNOW. Do stay with CNN.

END

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