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Teacher Shot by 6-Year-old Student Testifies in $40 Million Civil Suit; Melissa Heads Toward Bermuda After Devastating Caribbean Islands; Jamaica Intensifies Efforts to Reach Hardest-hit Areas; U.S., China Strike Agreement to Ease Trade Dispute; Top Border Patrol Official Deposed Over Agency's Tactics in Chicago; Hearing Delayed After Surgeon General Nominee Goes Into Labor. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired October 30, 2025 - 13:30   ET

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

[13:30:00]

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: -- went to the teacher in her next classroom, another first-grade class saying, somebody in Abby Zwerner's classroom has a gun. A child brought a gun to school today. And so, they went to the assistant principal quite a few times. The assistant principal did not do anything. And then she was shot in the hand. It went through the chest. Defense trying to really place the blame on the victim. There's the gun, nine-millimeter gun that he brought to school with eight bullets in it.

And his, the defendant in this case, the vice principal, she is actually going to go into criminal court in a month to face eight charges for those eight bullets that were in that gun.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": Wow. Jean Casarez, thank you so much for the latest on that. Obviously, a lot of people paying close attention. Right now, deadly Hurricane Melissa racing toward Bermuda as a Category 2 storm, and forecasters say it won't make landfall there, but it's going to bring strong winds and rains starting this afternoon.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": The full toll of the catastrophic storm may take days or weeks to be determined, especially in Jamaica, where Melissa hit as a ferocious Category 5. CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam is there and filed this report.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's a race against time. It's been more than two days since Hurricane Melissa made landfall. And every hour that passes, the desperation for critical supplies increases, especially for the hard-hit communities of Black River in the St. Elizabeth Parish of Western Jamaica. This hit is absolutely brutal. And without direct access to that city, it is going to be very challenging for the people of Black River and even much of Western Jamaica to get the critical infrastructure that they so desperately need.

Yesterday, our team attempted to go, one particular road that was too littered with the debris, we had to turn around. So now, we are at a junction getting intel from some of the local police that potentially, we can go this way and get closer to Black River. But we have heard that one of the main roads or main bridges there has been washed out. So it could be very challenging, not only for the people on the ground, but getting the aid that is so desperately needed in that area.

I'm CNN Meteorologist, Derek Van Dam, on our way to Black River in Jamaica.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: All right, Derek, thank you for that report. Ahead, a landmark meeting and a verbal agreement. We're going to take a look at what President Trump actually got out of his trade truce with China.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:36:24]

KEILAR: President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping reaching a one- year truce on trade. Trump says he has agreed to shave the overall tariff rate on China by 10 percent. That brings it down to 47 percent. In exchange, the White House says China will crack down on fentanyl and begin buying American soybeans again in amounts similar to what they had bought in the past.

We're joined now by Ian Bremmer, President and Founder of the Eurasia Group and GZERO Media. All right, Ian, so on a scale of zero to 10, Trump rated his meeting with Xi a 12. He thought it went really well. How would you rate it?

IAN BREMMER, PRESIDENT & FOUNDER, EURASIA GROUP & GZERO MEDIA: Well, he grades on a curve. It's a seven. It's better than it has been, it brings us mostly back to where we were before the essential, the effective boycott was placed by the Trump and then by the Chinese in return after Liberation Day. So this is the one place around the world, you have all these leaders that are deeply, deeply concerned that the Americans are unreliable and we got to jump through hoops to get to a deal, and who knows what's going to happen going forward.

The Chinese have shown that they can hit the Americans back, and Trump and the United States are now back to a more reliable footing, even though they're still major adversaries on the global stage.

KEILAR: How did Xi do for China?

BREMMER: Did fine. This was largely organized over the last few weeks. The meeting was only 90 minutes long, which means 45 minutes when you take out the translation. So, what we've been hearing from the meetings between Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Premier Li in China is largely what we got. So, you've got the fentanyl tariffs being brought down to 10 percent. The Chinese have to show that they're actually making real progress in know-your-customer rules and reducing the chemicals that are precursors for fentanyl and coming to the United States that matters for the U.S. The loaded guns that both countries had placed on the table on export controls from China, for the licensing agreement from China to the U.S. on rare earths, which would've been very damaging. And the 50 percent rule from the United States to China against thousands of their country's companies, same thing. Those have now been pulled back for a year's suspension. But if you remember your check-off, when you see a loaded gun on the table, you know by the end of the play, it's probably going to go off. Those guns still exist, and in a year's time, we're going to have to go back and negotiate this ongoing. So, there's still a lot to fight over between these countries.

KEILAR: Yeah. And do you -- so you wouldn't say that Trump has achieved goals that he set out from when he first ramped up tariffs on China?

BREMMER: No, I -- well, the fentanyl goal is meaningful.

KEILAR: Yeah.

BREMMER: I mean, under the end of Biden administration, you had both Biden and a lot of Senators, Democrat and Republican, go to China and say this is a disaster. You're not dealing with it. Xi Jinping didn't consider it that important, now he does. And let's see, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. He now has to actually execute on the ground to keep those tariffs done and down. He has agreed to do it, let's see. That would matter.

Leaving that aside, there's not a lot of a give here yet from the Chinese. We don't yet have an agreement, a fully fleshed out agreement on TikTok. We don't yet have a fleshed out agreement on more purchasing of U.S. energy, for example.

[13:40:00]

We don't have yet an agreement on exactly what's going to happen with U.S. export controls on semiconductors, on software. All of those things are important that would create not just stability, but more engagement between the two countries. I would say we're still, long term, this is a decoupling scenario. I mean, the big things that are actually happening are the Americans working like crazy to build out rare earths capacity with its allies, so that they're not as vulnerable to the Chinese.

The big thing happening is the Chinese working like crazy to build more national capacity in semiconductors and in robotics and in critical industries. So long term, these are countries that not only don't trust each other, but don't want to be interdependent. And that's the big message. That's all still going on.

KEILAR: Yeah. And what that spells for the future. Ian, thank you so much for laying all of that out, so helpful. Ian Bremmer, thank you.

BREMMER: Yeah, my pleasure.

KEILAR: And the top ICE official in Chicago is facing a five-hour deposition today over his agency's tactics with demonstrators. What could come of it next? And if you haven't heard yet, you can now stream CNN whenever you want in the United States, right in the CNN app. For more on this new experience, go to cnn.com/watch.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:45:40]

SANCHEZ: Happening right now, Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino is undergoing a lengthy deposition about federal agent's use of force during anti-ICE protests in Chicago. Bovino has emerged as the underground face of Operation Midway Blitz. A lawsuit accusing him and the Trump administration of promoting the use of rough tactics and aggressive behavior against demonstrators has been filed. In this video, he's accused of throwing tear gas at demonstrators without warning or justification.

The lawsuit also claims that other agents shot pepper balls and unlawfully restricted the media. Elliot Williams is a CNN Analyst and Former Federal Prosecutor, also a former Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs at the Department of Justice. Elliot, thank you so much for being with us.

ELLIOT WILLIAMS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yeah.

SANCHEZ: What do we know about Bovino and the role that he's playing?

WILLIAMS: Well, he's certainly an aggressive law enforcement officer. Now, he has come under fire in this lawsuit for the use of aggressive tactics in carrying out immigration enforcement. Now to step back, Boris, typically, agents are allowed to use the level of force necessary to neutralize the threat that comes to them. Now, that sometimes involves violent force, sometimes involves even lethal force. Here, the question, at least per this lawsuit is, did they go too far in some of the steps they took?

SANCHEZ: And I wonder what you think is going to be asked in this deposition. I mean, it's several hours. It's like five hours long.

WILLIAMS: Yeah.

SANCHEZ: They're going to hit a lot of different areas.

WILLIAMS: They are, and it's incredibly challenging whenever courts try to wade into questions of law enforcement because the law really does presume that officers and agents are in the best position to make a decision as to the kind of force they be able to -- they ought to be able to use, that they know how dangerous a situation is. They're trained to do so and that, therefore, second guessing their decisions is a bad idea.

Now look, of course, we all know that officers can sometimes go too far. And so the question is, as they're asking him, well, how safe was it? Did you feel you needed to use rubber bullets there or not? There's an element of, ah, should the court really be doing this?

SANCHEZ: Critics have accused this District Judge, Sara Ellis, of potentially micromanaging --

WILLIAMS: Yeah.

SANCHEZ: -- what Bovino is doing. She has asked him to be in court to basically account for everything that goes on, on the streets every day.

WILLIAMS: Yeah. You are seeing that. And that very question is the heart of the tension I'm talking about here because if judges aren't the ones who evaluate whether law enforcement officers are overstepping their boundaries, who is?

SANCHEZ: Right.

WILLIAMS: Like who can? And someone's got to be able to provide that oversight. That said, there comes a point at which a separate branch of government is micromanaging the day-to-day affairs of law enforcement officers and it is a delicate balance. Now, that's why people file lawsuits. And that's why people say, look, this is what the First Amendment says about free speech. This is what the Fourth Amendment says about search and seizure. This is about what the Fifth Amendment says. And these officers have repeatedly stepped over that line. And that's just -- but it is a, a balance that goes back to the founding of the country.

SANCHEZ: She has made the case that some of her orders are being ignored.

WILLIAMS: Yeah.

SANCHEZ: What happens if there's a finding that that is the case?

WILLIAMS: Yeah. You issue another finding and make them order it.

(LAUGH)

WILLIAMS: Then another thing, you get an appeals court to order it, and at a certain point, way down the road, then you start holding folks in contempt. Again, every time the word comes out of my mouth, I hear viewers around the country get really excited about people. No, it's an extreme remedy, but only if whether it's an attorney or a government officer really is not following the orders of the court, then the court can start fining the agency or fining the attorneys. But that's a step really far down the road.

SANCHEZ: But one of the issues in dispute is whether these federal agents, all of them or some of them that aren't on undercover duty, for example, should be wearing body cameras. That has been a point of contention over and over again. I wonder if you could condense for us quickly --

WILLIAMS: Yeah.

SANCHEZ: -- what the rules are there and what is allowed, what isn't allowed. WILLIAMS: Yeah. They're not obligated to wear body cameras, but it has been held for quite some time that they are useful for these kinds of questions. If there is a legitimate debate about whether an officer is violating someone's free speech rights or search and seizure rights, well, you got a camera of it and often it's good for the officer. Now, officers say that to some extent it might chill their ability to do their jobs, but again, there's no legal requirement that they do. But law enforcement agencies around the country and even some pockets of the federal government do recommend that they be used.

[13:50:00]

SANCHEZ: We will see how this deposition goes. Elliott Williams, thanks much for the perspective.

WILLIAMS: Thanks, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Brianna?

KEILAR: Now to some of the other headlines that we're watching this hour, a Senate confirmation hearing for President Trump's surgeon general nominee has been postponed after she went into labor. It would've been Dr. Casey Means's first high-profile appearance since President Trump nominated her for the post back in May. It's unclear when the hearing will be rescheduled.

Also, YouTube is offering voluntary buyouts to employees as it works to use artificial intelligence to help run its business. CEO Neal Mohan calling A.I. the next frontier and saying the move is part of a restructuring plan in an internal memo sent out Wednesday. It's not clear if layoffs are also on the table, but the announcement does come at a time when there's growing anxiety over A.I. replacing human jobs.

And if the Toronto Blue Jays win one more game and capture their first World Series in 32 years, this rookie pitcher will go down as one of the heroes. 22-year-old Trey Yesavage shutting down the Dodgers in last night's Game 5, recording 12 strikeouts, no walks on route to a 6-1 victory. His rise to baseball's biggest stage simply amazing here. Yesavage starting the season in the low-level minor leagues where he pitched his first game just six months ago in front of a crowd of 327 people, according to ESPN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TREY YESAVAGE, BLUE JAYS PITCHER: It's a crazy world, crazy world. Hollywood couldn't have made it this good. So just being a part of this, I'm just very blessed. I'm waiting for life to slow down in this off season and just be able to collect my thoughts and my feelings on this crazy year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: The Blue Jays are now up three games to two and can close out the Dodgers tomorrow night in Toronto.

Still to come, the Trump administration has dipped into multiple pots and even accepted a secretive and legally dubious donation in order to ensure military members are paid during the government shutdown. But that doesn't mean that service members and their families are going unscathed. The sacrifice that is being made by our nation's military families, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:56:57]

KEILAR: Today, on Home Front, military families are lurching from one payday to the next amid the shutdown, suffering a collective anxiety. Last-minute reprieves from the Trump administration, moving funds around to ensure their paid are very welcome, but it's not a respite from the stress of anticipating and preparing for impending financial doom. Jessica Manfre, a Coast Guard spouse, describes what it's like.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JESSICA MANFRE, A U.S. COAST GUARD SPOUSE: People panic, people worry about paying bills. For our families in particular, we tend to live in high-cost areas. We're not near big bases, and we're not in housing. So there's rent to be paid, there's mortgages to be paid. You can't avoid the bills, right? So, there's definitely the feeling of what do we do next?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: More military families are visiting food banks to prepare, even before the shutdown. A quarter of active-duty families were food insecure according to a 2023 study by the Military Family Advisory Network. An advocate for military families with kids who have complex medical problems told CNN about shutdown-related expenses. Those families are shouldering as on-base supply interruptions force them to fill prescriptions at civilian pharmacies where they're charged co- pays they don't have to pay at military hospitals.

As the shutdown drags on, the possibility of doing all of this without a paycheck gets bigger. One military spouse who identified herself as Samantha, a Republican from Fort Belvoir, Virginia, went viral shortly after the shutdown began when she called into CSPAN to confront House Speaker Mike Johnson about this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAMANTHA, REPUBLICAN VOTER (via telephone): I have two medically fragile children. I have a husband who actively serves this country. He suffers from PTSD from his two chores in Afghanistan. If we see a lapse in pay, my children do not get the medication that's needed for them to live their life because we live paycheck to paycheck. I'm begging you to pass this legislation. My kids could die. We don't have the credit because of the medical bills that I have to pay regularly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Compounding all of this uncertainty, many active-duty military spouses can't provide that safety net of a second income. They want to and they're qualified, half have at least a bachelor's degree, but their unemployment rate is almost five times the national average because moving with a service member every two to three years makes maintaining a career difficult to impossible. Anxiety, fear, paralysis, that is what so many military families are feeling right now.

And the nation's largest non-profit that serves military and veteran families, Blue Star Families -- of which, full disclosure, I'm on the board -- is hearing from hundreds of military families who are reporting a waning desire to recommend military service to others because of the shutdown. As America risks breaking its covenant with service members to meet their basic needs and those of their family members, so that they can focus on protecting the country, it shouldn't be surprising.

But in our nation, which relies on an all-volunteer force, it should be beyond alarming. And you can read more about what military families are going through in my column that is out today at cnn.com --