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Donald Trump Wraps Asia Tour After Trade Talks With China's Xi Jinping; Hurricane Melissa's Threats Persist In Parts Of Dominican Republic; Palestinians Mourn After Deadliest Day Since Truce Began; Melissa Regains Category 2 Strength, Batters Southeastern Bahamas; Fed Cuts Interest Rates for Second Time This Year; 42 Million Americans at Risk of Losing Federal Food Aid; Deadlock Over Budget Could Be Longest in U.S. History; Mexico Concerned by U.S. Strikes on Alleged Smugglers; U.S. Reducing Military Footprint in Eastern Europe; Trump to Meet Hungary's Prime Minister Orban Next Week; Four Killed in Another U.S. Strike on Suspected Drug Boat; Prosecutors on Leave After Calling Jan. 6 Attackers Rioters; Appeals Court Halts Border Patrol Commander's Briefings; at Least 132 Killed in Police Operation in Rio De Janeiro; Third Suspect Arrested for Louvre Heist; Mega Millions Drawing to Be Held This Halloween. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired October 30, 2025 - 02:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:35]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world, and to everyone streaming us on CNN Max, I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, President Trump is flying home after wrapping up his Asia tour by meeting with China's leader Xi Jinping.

Hurricane Melissa is getting stronger again and barreling toward Bermuda. We will take a look at the damage left in the storm's wake.

Plus, the heist that shocked the world. Two of the suspects arrested after the theft at the Louvre admit they were involved. What investigators are searching for now.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Good to have you with us. A 12/10, that is how U.S. President Donald Trump described his meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping just a short time ago, President Trump is flying back to the United States right now after those crucial talks, which were the final engagement on his whirlwind tour of Asia.

Now, we are learning more about what the leaders discussed. The president says they agreed on, "Many very important points during their talks," including efforts to end Russia's war in Ukraine. He says they came to an agreement on a trade deal, which could be signed soon, and settled the issue over rare earths. That is, according to President Trump.

Speaking with reporters, the president said China pledged to buy large amounts of soybeans, and in return, he would reduce fentanyl related tariffs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I put a 20 percent tariff on China because of the fentanyl coming in, which is a big tariff, and based on his statements today, I reduced it by 10 percent. So, it's 10 percent instead of 20 percent effective immediately, I believe he's going to work very hard to stop the death that's coming in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN's Will Ripley joins me now live from Seoul, good to see you will so President Trump just revealed on Air Force One that he has made a one year trade deal with China's President Xi Jinping in what he called a productive meeting. What more are you learning about all of this?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean, if you just listen to what President Trump said on the surface, and you know, I wonder why -- you wonder he didn't have a press conference or anything. I mean, he was from the time the meeting ended with Xi Jinping to the time he was on Air Force One, there was barely any time for the reporters to get in the car and get to the airport.

And yet, once he was on the plane, and he did that, that gaggle with reporters, and started to reveal these headline making details, there's a one-year trade deal. China is going to buy massive amounts of American soybeans, and perhaps most consequentially, China has agreed, agreed. Trump says to ease the export restriction on rare earths, which are crucial to producing semiconductors, those microchips that power all of our tech.

If the fine print backs up the sound bites and the quotes from the president, this is the news that many people around the world have been waiting to hear, because it would be disastrous if the two sides left and the situation got any worse, or tariffs were going to go back up into the triple digits. Let's listen to this sound, though, from President Trump, where he made another comment that, on the surface, sounds pretty alarming about nuclear testing. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, why did you change your nuclear plans? Why are you going to be doing new more nuclear testing?

TRUMP: Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: So, he didn't -- he didn't answer, but what President Trump had said is that he's basically ordered the United States to resume nuclear testing, if China and Russia are also conducting nuclear testing.

Now, we've been speaking with experts, Rosemary, who say even if President Trump gave the order today for a nuclear test, which the U.S. hasn't been involved in nuclear testing since the early 1990s, it would still take about two years just to get the facilities set up to actually conduct that testing. So, it's not like it's going to start happening tomorrow.

And that's why we have to have the usual caveat you hear President Trump make statements, and that one, when he was asked about it later, he didn't even want to elaborate, but he is saying a lot about trade. Now we wait to see what's written down in black and white, what's in the fine print, and crucially, what is the Chinese side saying about all of this? Do they confirm that this deal is imminent? When is it going to be signed? What's it going to be when we actually look at the document, we don't have those answers yet.

[02:05:12]

But at least on the surface and in the sound bites, some pretty big news coming out of this just over 24-hour trip that President Trump made here in South Korea, the climax, if you will, of this -- of this trip in Asia, where we've seen him dancing on the tarmac and even accepting a gold crown here on the ground yesterday, Rosemary.

CHURCH: A lot of news just made. And of course, we still have to learn a lot more, don't we? Will Ripley joining us live from Seoul. Many thanks.

Want to go to Singapore now, and Jayant Menon is a Visiting Senior Fellow with the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. Appreciate you joining us.

JAYANT MENON, VISITING SENIOR FELLOW, ISEAS-YUSOF ISHAK INSTITUTE: Thanks for having me again.

CHURCH: So, just a short time ago, President Trump and Xi wrapped up their high stakes meeting on a potential trade deal. We're still learning about the details with President Trump revealing on Air Force One that the two nations agree to a one year trade deal that could be signed soon, he said, and would include China buying large amounts of U.S. soybeans in return for reduced tariffs.

And President Trump said the rare earth minerals issue has been settled. Now, we don't know any more details than that. How significant is all of this, and what would a successful trade deal between the two nations look like?

MENON: I think, first of all, it is significant. You know, tensions have been rising. They've been flare ups, so this certainly reduces the temperature all around and that's always a good thing.

We'll have to look at the details when they're finally available. President Trump, in his usual style, has been, you know, quite positive and, you know, maybe exaggerating a little bit, but we haven't heard much, or we haven't heard at all, actually, from the Chinese side. So, things will have to be confirmed on both ends.

But I think it's a good sign, certainly. But we should also be a bit careful about where we are now. I think we are just returning to where we were before all of this started. There were no restrictions on rare earths. China was buying a lot of soy beans before Liberation Day. So, all of this is just a return to where we started. And so, that needs to be kept in perspective as well.

CHURCH: And this meeting was meant to offer a framework for the two nations, wasn't it? But does that make the two leaders equals, given President Xi was the only global leader to stand up to Donald Trump and his trade tariffs, or is that exactly what gives President Xi the edge and perhaps more leverage in these negotiations?

MENON: I think you're right. I mean, we saw that China wasn't going to be bullied, they weren't going to be pushed around, and it's worked. We've seen President Trump actually pause tariffs, bring in exemptions, change rates, without China doing very much, except to respond in a very measured way each time there was some change in the U.S. position.

So, I think China has held its own in these negotiations, and it can because, unlike many other smaller trading partners, they are mutually dependent. China is very important to the U.S., and it's not very sensible to think of it as a very one-way relationship, just because China sells a lot more than buys from the U.S. Trade is mutually beneficial, and that's the starting point in understanding these relationships.

CHURCH: And of course, President Trump is focusing very much on trade and tariffs, but there are many other critical issues to determine with China aren't there, including its military aggression, Taiwan's independence cyber-attacks and, of course, the growth of Beijing's nuclear weapons program. Do you think that's why President Trump raised the issue of nuclear testing in a Truth Social post just before his meeting with President Xi?

MENON: You know, I never try and try and read President Trump's mind, but I think this might be all part of the negotiating tactic. I was expecting that something might even come up about Taiwan, where I think there was some discussions in the press about how the U.S. might change its position a little bit, you know, so far, it's always said it would not support independence for Taiwan, but there was a hope that it might change that wording to say that it wouldn't -- it would actually oppose Taiwan independence.

[02:10:19]

That might still come out. We haven't actually had all the details that could be one of the issue, non-economic issues, that's tied in with all of this.

But I think the point here that you raise also comes back to the underlying issue behind all of this, and that's preserving U.S. hegemony, and that's what's driving this whole trade war. The last time there's a pretender to the throne Japan, they were

quickly brought to heel because Japan needs security from the U.S., China does not.

CHURCH: Jayant Menon in Singapore, many thanks for joining us. Appreciate your analysis.

MENON: Thank you so much.

CHURCH: Well, as we mentioned earlier, there have also been some key nuclear developments. The U.S. president said about an hour ago that he would like to see denuclearization and that it would be a tremendous thing, he said.

But earlier in the day, he announced, as we mentioned, that the United States will immediately begin testing nuclear weapons on an equal basis with China and Russia.

Now this would mark the end of a more than 30-year voluntary moratorium on such testing. Japan issued a statement a short while ago saying it will keep working toward a world without nuclear weapons. Japan is, of course, the only country to have suffered a nuclear attack.

Right now, Hurricane Melissa has regained some strength, back to a Category 2 as it makes its way out of the Bahamas and heads toward Bermuda, it's already left a trail of destruction across the Caribbean, hammering Jamaica, Cuba and other islands with torrential rain, flash flooding, dangerous storm surge and fierce winds.

Flooding remains the biggest concern in Cuba hours after the storm slammed into the island on Wednesday, streets and homes were washed out and the flood waters damaged hospitals and schools and knocked out communications. Officials in Jamaica say catastrophic isn't even strong enough to describe the type of devastation they're seeing in the hardest hit areas.

More than 70 percent of the country has no electricity and heavy equipment is needed to reach some cut off areas. International aid is on its way to Jamaica as the airports reopen, Melissa is one of the strongest Atlantic storms on record, responsible for at least 30 deaths throughout the Caribbean.

Now, reporters are on the ground in the Caribbean following Hurricane Melissa. CNN's Jessica Hasbun is in the Dominican Republic, but first, Jonathan Petramala is in Jamaica with more on the recovery efforts there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONATHAN PETRAMALA, JOURNALIST: This is the only highway to reach where Hurricane Melissa made landfall, and now there's a small army of people trying to clear the trees that are blocking the way to get to the survivors, even men with one legs are operating chain saws to try and get these trees out of the way as quickly as possible. We have not seen the worst of what Hurricane Melissa has brought to

Jamaica yet, because there's just no cell phone service, there's no internet, there's no power and so, we haven't been able to get a glimpse through this wicked terrain, the mountains, the forests, of what this storm did. And that's why we really want to show what has happened so aid and help and volunteers can get here as quickly as possible.

This is more than a problem for the island of Jamaica. This is a problem they need help with. It's a race against time to not only give the survivors food and water, but also to help the sick, the injured and to get them to safety.

It's also a race against time to show the world what has happened here while the attention is still on Hurricane Melissa, so aid can come in from around the world to the people who need it most here.

On the road to Black River, Jamaica, I'm Jonathan Petramala for CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA HASBUN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm standing here in capital, one of the most vulnerable areas of the Dominican capital, right on the banks of the Ozama River.

For the past week, entire families have been seen their lives seriously affected by the heavy rains brought on by Hurricane Melissa even though the storm itself is now far from Dominican territory, authorities here confirmed that around 40 people remain right here, at that school, right over there, and nationwide, more than 4,000 have been forced to leave their homes.

[02:15:02]

The center of Emergency Operations says that 24 provinces remain under alert. Four of them at the highest level because of the threat of landslides and heavy flooding in those areas.

Let's walk down over here, where the families that live the closest to the river have been experiencing the worst of the storm, even though -- even though Hurricane Melissa is very far away from the Dominican Republic, let's walk over. Let's walk over here and take a look at what's going on with these families.

They've been bringing back their stuff over to their little houses. And this is someone I've spoke to earlier.

ALEJANDRO: Alejandro.

HASBUN: This is Alejandro. He's been living here for about 40 years, and every time it rains, he's got to -- he's got to run and take what he can and salvage what he can.

According to the Center of Emergency Operations, at least 50 communities remain cut off due to flooding and landslides. And the banks here by the river, families and residents continue to live with the uncertainty of not knowing if the river will rise again in the coming hours.

The forecast is clear. The rain will continue at least through Thursday, maybe Friday, leaving entire communities at the mercy of Mother Nature and hoping they won't have to abandon their homes once more.

Reporting from Santo Domingo, Jessica Hasbun, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And to find out ways you can help those affected by Hurricane Melissa, you can go to CNN.com/Impact.

Well, despite the cease fire in effect in Gaza, many Palestinians who have lost loved ones say they don't see any real difference on the ground, that story just ahead.

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[02:21:30]

CHURCH: We'll take a live look now at the Israeli-Gaza border, where a U.S. brokered cease fire is technically still in effect, but Palestinians say it's hard to see any real difference on the ground.

Israel says it carried out another new strike in northern Gaza Wednesday night, targeting what it described as a weapons storage facility. It says the weapons would have been used in an imminent terrorist attack against Israel and its troops. The strike came a day after Palestinians saw their deadliest day since the cease fire began three weeks ago.

Despite these recent attacks, Israel and Hamas both say they're still committed to the truce. CNN's Jeremy Diamond has more from Tel Aviv, but a warning, some of the images you're about to see are disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Gaza's morgues are full once again filled with the sights and sounds of mourning, with the bodies of children who had no say in their deaths. And with scenes like this -- of one child bidding farewell to another. This girl says her cousins, uncles and aunts were all killed in an Israeli strike.

God is sufficient for us, she says, but it is all just too much to bear.

They were bombed inside the tent, this man says, lying beside his great grandchild's body.

Innocent ones, children, children, children. Crawling over their bodies, he has come to kiss them, to say goodbye one by one. Painful moments made that much worse by the timing, killed during a ceasefire that was meant to end the carnage.

There was no ceasefire at all, he says. They keep making excuses all along the way while they're striking. This is all a lie. It is all lies.

Those children were killed when Israel struck this tent encampment in central Gaza overnight. They are among more than 100 people Israel killed across Gaza, nearly half of whom were children, according to the Palestinian health ministry, the single deadliest day since the ceasefire went into effect.

What did this one do? Is this a rocket, for example, this woman asks. It's a bottle. He was only one year old. He didn't even start to walk.

Israel says it targeted more than 30 Hamas militants launching strikes after accusing Hamas of killing an Israeli soldier in southern Gaza on Tuesday. The Israeli military also published this video, which appears to show Hamas militants staging the recovery of the remains of a deceased hostage, violating the deal, according to Israel.

Gaza's civilians are once again paying the highest price, as Israel claims it is enforcing the ceasefire. The wounded children being treated at this Gaza hospital played no part in any alleged violation of the deal, nor did this baby, whose body is cradled one last time before joining several others to be buried. All victims during a ceasefire that is supposedly back enforced.

[02:25:02]

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Hurricane Melissa is regaining some of its strength as people in Jamaica try to begin picking up the pieces from the catastrophic storm, latest from the region after the break.

Plus, why federal food aid for low income Americans will likely soon be suspended.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:30:23]

CHURCH: The latest now on one of our top stories. Hurricane Melissa has regained strength as a Category 2 Storm and is now moving on from The Bahamas towards Bermuda. There were warnings of storm surges up to seven feet, more than two meters in parts of The Bahamas. Melissa has roared across Cuba, Jamaica, and other islands the past two days with ferocious winds and rain.

For Jamaica, it's the strongest hurricane the country has ever seen when it hit as a Category 5 on Tuesday. Western Jamaica was hit hardest with trees uprooted, roads blocked with debris, and many homes and businesses damaged or destroyed. People there say the conditions are devastating.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yesterday was horrible, horrific, terrifying. The worst day of my entire life. The worst experience of my entire life. To see my place being flooded out, it was terrifying for me and my child. The water level reached me to my waist. I was stuck in my house. They had to break into my home to save me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Melissa is expected to pass close to Bermuda before moving into open waters late Thursday. Officials in Jamaica are urgently asking people to donate blood to replenish the national supply. Meantime, donations of food and other essential needs are being shipped from the U.S. and other countries. Ana Maria Mejia reports now from a volunteer center in Florida.

ANA MARIA MEJIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right now, we are at one of the Global Empowerment Mission warehouses here in Doral, Florida where volunteers are packing boxes and relief kits for people affected by Hurricane Melissa. So far, the organization has already packed 2,000 relief boxes and they plan to pack 3,000 more in the next few hours. Now, we are going to talk with Kathleen Calderon, Manager of GEM.

Kathleen, how has GEM prepared for Hurricane Melissa's impact across the Caribbean?

KATHLEEN CALDERON, MANAGER, GLOBAL EMPOWERMENT MISSION: Well, it's not our first time there. Our founder and CEO, Michael Capponi was there in 2010 for Haiti. So the Caribbean is something that we know very well. The last year, we got hit by Beryl and we learned a lot. We have our warehouse already pre-positioned. They're ready to receive aid. So, we've worked this last year to try and make sure that we are ready for this exact moment.

MARIA MEJIA: And when will the distribution of these supplies begin?

CALDERON: So as soon as the government gives us the green light, we are planning to dispatch three cargo airplanes along with 15 containers filled with humanitarian aid and they should be shipping from here and headquarters starting this week, following into next week.

MARIA MEJIA: As you can see, each box includes non-perishable food like soup, oats, snacks and canned protein. They also have water, toothbrushes, toothpaste, socks and soap, and even small makeup kits for women to help them feel a sense of normalcy after the disaster. These are the supplies from kind people and they will soon go to the families who need them most.

Ana Maria Mejia, CNN, Miami.

CHURCH: For the second time this year, the U.S. Federal Reserve has lowered interest rates as it tries to keep unemployment from surging. The Fed voted for another quarter point rate cut on Wednesday, putting the lending rate between 3.75 percent and 4 percent, the lowest level in three years. It's the first time the Fed has set monetary policy without the benefit of an entire month of government employment data, which was lacking, of course, due to the government shutdown.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEROME POWELL, U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIR: In the labor market, the unemployment rate remained relatively low through August. Job gains have slowed significantly since earlier in the year. A good part of the slowing likely reflects a decline in the growth of the labor force due to lower immigration and labor force participation, though labor demand has clearly softened as well. Although official employment data for September are delayed, available evidence suggests that both layoffs and hiring remain low.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Federal food aid known as SNAP is on the verge of being suspended unless a deal is sealed before Saturday, but there's no indication that will happen.

[02:35:00]

CNN's Manu Raju has the latest on the shutdown.

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The government shutdown is getting worse every single day for so many Americans, and there are clear signs that this could drag on, perhaps be the longest ever in American history. The longest one, of course, was 35 days from 2018 to 2019.

Now we are at day 29, and there are all indications this is going into next week and potentially beyond, because of the fact that Republicans and Democrats have totally different ideas on how to proceed. Democrats for the last 29 days have been demanding some level of negotiation over healthcare issues, specifically those expiring subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. They say that must be dealt with immediately, even though they expire at the end of the year, because they say open enrollment is happening now, people will see their premiums increase. So this is an urgent issue before people deal with those huge healthcare premium spikes.

Republicans say that's not the way this works. Reopen the government now, negotiate later. And they say the healthcare issue should be dealt with on a completely separate track. So, this all leaves things of where they were on day one. They are essentially nowhere near a deal to reopen the federal government. I did catch up with one of those Democrats who have voted with Republicans time and again to reopen the government.

That's Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada. She's one of those three Democrats to vote yes to advance the Republican bill. They need eight total in order to get the 60 votes needed to break a Democratic-led filibuster. And I asked her about the Democratic position and whether she believes her party is making a mistake.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, (D-NV): I don't think federal workers should be political pawns. I don't think we should swap the pain of some Americans for others. I think we should be lifting all of them up and helping them. I think we can keep the government open and address this looming crisis of the healthcare cliff that we are seeing.

RAJU: Have your fears about the shutdown been burn (ph) out?

CORTEZ MASTO: I can tell you what I know and I'm hearing in my state, people are suffering because they're not getting a paycheck.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: But even though there are huge concerns mounting as people are poised to lose benefits on food stamps, also known as SNAP, losing that as soon as Saturday amid this stalemate as the administration indicates it will not dip into an emergency reserve fund to help pay for those expiring benefits. There are still some signs that perhaps the thaw could be easing just a little bit.

There are rank and file discussions happening among Senators to try to figure out a way forward both on healthcare and to fund at least part of the federal government. The ultimate question here is whether they can get a deal, whether it can be done quickly, whether the House would come back to session, when they'll come back to session. The House has been out since September 19th, a decision by the Speaker of the House to try to pressure Senate Democrats to accept the Republican spending bill, if that will change.

All those things need to move and there needs to be an agreement on the policy, all huge questions. And here's another big question, when will Donald Trump get directly involved in this? He's in Asia. Will he get involved when he comes back? Democrats say he must. Republicans say he will once Democrats reopen the government. Will all those things get sorted out? And how -- just how painful will it get for Americans who are losing now their benefits on food assistance, as well as losing paychecks as furloughed federal employees are now losing multiple paychecks? When will Congress budge and when will they reach an agreement with the White House? All huge questions for the American people at this moment of crisis.

Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.

CHURCH: Earlier, I spoke with Larry Sabato, the Director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, and I asked him how and when the shutdown will likely end.

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: We'll be going into record territory next Wednesday, as a matter of fact. We will be the longest government shutdown in American history. That isn't anything to be proud of. And as you mentioned, the SNAP benefits, the food benefits will be cut off for 42 million Americans as of Saturday. And there are all kinds of other unpleasant parts of this coming, including dramatic increases in the Obamacare healthcare premiums that people will be paying in order to keep their insurance. And that's going to be a shock to most Americans when they get their insurance estimates on what it's going to cost for them in the coming year.

So you put all that together and you also add in the fact that there may be sick ins (ph), call in sick from air traffic controllers and TSA agents and possibly others. You're talking about major dislocations.

CHURCH: And Larry, Democrats are calling on the Trump administration to tap into a contingency fund to keep Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known as SNAP payments flowing. But Republicans are refusing to do this, why?

SABATO: They're refusing to do it because they don't want to make it easier on Democrats to continue their opposition to ending the shutdown.

[02:40:00]

Although remember, it's both parties for different reasons. And I also think they believe, well, that's not really our constituency, the Republicans that is, which is a terrible way to look at it, but I think that's part of their calculus.

CHURCH: And Larry, with the 42 million Americans set to lose SNAP food benefits on November 1st and many federal workers also hurting under this government shut down, will Democrats in the end be forced to consider opening up the government to save all of these Americans instead of digging in to fight to protect the other 20 million whose health insurance premiums are about to skyrocket in cost?

SABATO: I think the Democrats are feeling some pressure, particularly because the largest government employees union has called on them to stop the shutdown. Actually they called on both parties, but the surprise is they're a Democratic group mainly and they went after the Democrats. There's some pressure there, but Democrats have already cast their lot and I think they're determined not to give in because their base was so angry with them in March for giving in.

CHURCH: We'll have our full conversation next hour. Well, the U.S. conducts yet another strike on an alleged drug boat in the Pacific. Still to come, why Mexico's president is voicing her concerns amid the increased U.S. military activity in the area. Back with that and more in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:46:09]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. The U.S. will downsize its military footprint in Eastern Europe despite increasing threats from Russia. The army says it'll withdraw some of its troops from this air base in Romania, located just across from Russian-occupied Crimea. The statement says the move does not mean the U.S. is less committed to NATO and its collective security, but the withdrawal still drew backlash from two senior congressional Republicans who said it sends the wrong signal to Moscow.

U.S. President Donald Trump is said to meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban next week. That's according to a White House official. Mr. Trump recently slapped sanctions on two top Russian oil firms, but the decision could backfire on Hungary whose dependency on Russian energy is growing. The talks will come after the cancellation of Mr. Trump's meeting with his Russian counterpart, which was supposed to happen in Budapest.

Well, the U.S. military has conducted another strike on an alleged drug smuggling boat, killing four people. This one took place in the eastern Pacific near the coast of Mexico, and it's raising concerns there that the military action could shift ever closer to Mexico's shores. CNN's Valeria Leon has more.

VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The latest U.S. military strikes in international waters happened just 400 miles southwest of the Mexican Port of Acapulco in the Pacific, according to the Mexican Navy. On Monday, the U.S. military hit four boats, marking the first time multiple strikes were carried out in a single day as part of the Trump administration's escalating campaign against vessels allegedly involved in drug trafficking. Only one person survived while 14 others were killed.

The Mexican Navy assisted in the search for the survivor. On Tuesday, President Claudia Sheinbaum clarified that the navy acted to rescue the survivor for humanitarian reasons and in accordance with international treaties. But she emphasized that her government doesn't agree with these attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM PARDO, MEXICAN PRESIDENT (through translator): It used to happen farther south and now, it's at our latitude, although in international waters. It is something we do not agree with. We have a protocol that has produced very good results. If in international waters, U.S. spots a boat that is allegedly carrying drugs, both sides coordinate and then Mexico's navy or U.S. institutions carry out the operation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEON: Later Tuesday evening, Mexico's Foreign Affairs Minister, Juan Ramon de la Fuente, and Navy Minister met with U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Ron Johnson, to discuss the situation. According to a statement from the Mexican government, both sides agreed that the top priority must be safeguarding human life at sea, while fully respecting national sovereignty.

Meanwhile U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, confirmed the boats were carrying narcotics, but offered no further details or evidence.

Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico City.

CHURCH: In Washington, two federal prosecutors have been placed on leave after they called January 6th demonstrators "a mob of rioters" in a sentencing memo on Tuesday. The memo was referring to the pro- Trump crowds who stormed the Capitol building while Congress was meeting to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. The two prosecutors were notified of their suspension just hours after submitting a sentencing request for Taylor Taranto.

[02:50:00]

He was pardoned by Trump for charges related to his participation in the demonstration. He still faces gun charges from his arrest two years ago when he was detained near President Barack Obama's D.C. home. These suspensions are the latest in a wave of firings at U.S. attorney's offices nationwide under the Trump administration.

A Border Patrol Commander did not have to provide a daily briefing to a Chicago judge on Wednesday, thanks to a appeals court ruling. On Tuesday, Gregory Bovino was ordered to provide daily briefings about his agent's tactics in the Chicago area. The judge was concerned that they're not following her orders to limit aggressive tactics against protesters and journalists, but the appeals court halted that order. The Trump administration claimed the briefing would irreparably harm the government and asked the appeals court to completely toss out the order. It's unclear whether Bovino will need to appear in court Thursday.

Well, it was the largest police raid that Rio de Janeiro has ever seen, and the fallout may be felt for some time to come. At least 132 people died during the operation against a criminal group. Stefano Pozzebon shows us the aftermath.

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STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR (voice-over): Bodies lined the street surrounded by grieving loved ones, just some of the more than 100 casualties from Rio de Janeiro's largest police raid in history. Charred cars acting as barricades and shattered glass, remnants of an operation, authorities say, targeted a criminal group, finding drugs and rifles and arresting dozens. The operation, authorities say, was years in the making, but the victim's families call it something else.

BEATRIZ NOLANCHO, AUNT OF VICTIM: This wasn't an operation, it was a massacre.

POZZEBON (voice-over): Police and military moved in on the favela, security forces with rifles running through the streets and drones, they say, gangs used to retaliate. Rio de Janeiro's slums have seen raids before. The latest one targeted Brazil's Comando Vermelho, authorities say, which has become a massive transnational criminal group.

CLAUDIO CASTRO, RIO DE JANEIRO GOVERNOR (through translator): We delivered a hard blow to crime, showing that we are capable of winning battles, capable of playing our part.

POZZEBON (voice-over): But operations like these have people worried.

NOLANCHO (through translator): It is the state's duty, the police's duty to fight drug trafficking, not to enter the favela and kill innocent residents.

POZZEBON (voice-over): The U.N. said it's horrified by the violence and it is calling for police reform in the country as residents are left fearing whether there'll be collateral damage in the state's continuing fight against crime.

Stefano Pozzebon, CNN.

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CHURCH: Suspects in the Louvre of breaking admit they were involved in the theft of the French crown jewel. Still ahead, the latest on the heist that has grabbed the world's attention. There has been some development on this.

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CHURCH: This just into CNN. A third suspect has been arrested in connection with the theft of the French crown jewels from the Louvre in Paris. That is according to BFMTV in France. The station added that the man was suspected of being present at the crime scene, at the museum during the robbery. Two suspects had previously been arrested in connection with the brazen theft that captured the world's attention. And CNN's Melissa Bell reports on what prosecutors have been saying about the investigation so far.

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Two men have been placed under formal investigation here in France in connection with the heist at the Louvre Museum. The two men who were taken into custody here in Paris last Saturday, one of them had been trying to flee the country and head to Algeria.

What we understood from the Paris prosecutor giving us the latest was that one of the two men was of Algerian nationality. Both were known to police. Both were living on the outskirts of Paris. And it was thanks to DNA traces that were found on the scene of the crime that police had been able to track them down as quickly as they did. She also explained that she wouldn't be giving much more away about the investigation since it is ongoing, there are still, she said, at least two suspects at large.

Laure Beccuau, the Prosecutor, also pointed out that they were not excluding the possibility that others may have been involved as well. And perhaps most importantly, she also explained that for now, the jewels have yet to be found.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

CHURCH: Well, someone could win a frightening amount of money this Halloween. The Mega Millions Jackpot is now worth $754 million, and the next drawing is this Friday. To win, you must choose all six numbers drawn. Mega Millions has held six drawings on Halloween previously, no one has ever won on the spooky night. If you become the first, you could also choose a one-time payment of just under $353 million.

Thank you so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church and we have Brian Abel next up with "Early Start." Do stay with us.

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