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FBI: Potential ISIS-Inspired Terror Attack Thwarted In MI; Judges Order Trump Admin To Fund Food Stamps Amid Shutdown; Soon: Obama Rallies In Virginia For Dem Nominee In Governor's Race; DC Police, National Guard Break Up Crowd In Chaotic Scene; Obamacare Enrollment Begins For 2026, Premiums Set To Soar; Millions Of Americans Lose Access To SNAP Benefits. Atlanta Food Bank Draws on $5 Million in Reserves; Millions of American Lose Access to SNAP Benefits; Sarah Ferguson Considers Next Move after Royal Eviction; Teacher Shot by Student Takes the Stand. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired November 01, 2025 - 13:00   ET

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

[13:00:00]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: -- included a cryptic reference to Pumpkin Day. The officials say two people have been arrested and three others are being questioned.

CNN Correspondent Leigh Waldman is on the ground in Dearborn, Michigan. Leigh, what more are you learning?

LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, we spoke with one neighbor who lives just two houses down from where that FBI activity was happening early on Friday. He said he heard what he described as something that sounded like bombs going off. Around 5:00 a.m. he looked out his window and saw all of the activity. Take a listen to how he described those moments early on Friday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARAIB IRFAN, NEIGHBOR: We seen the FBI agents at our neighbor's house, two houses down from ours, and they were just getting to go inside. And then we hear them, neighbors who heard the loud bangs were outside trying to figure out what was going on. Then we just hear the FBI agents telling our neighbors, two houses down from us, come outside with your hands up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALDMAN: Now, he -- we asked him who lives at that home. He says it's a family with five boys who live there, three older, two younger. He said he saw throughout the morning at least three or four people in handcuffs and those FBI agents going inside of that home. He says there was Michigan State Police officers also here blocking the road on either side preventing traffic from moving.

They said the FBI agents told all of their neighbors, stay inside the house, you'll hear about what's happening later on throughout the day. And we heard from Kash Patel, the FBI director, that this was a terrorist plot that they stopped. It was inspired by ISIS, is what Kash Patel said, and it unfolded in online chat rooms.

Now, we're also getting a statement, Fred, from a lawyer who says he's representing one of the two people who were arrested. And in that statement, he said, quote, "Unfortunately, the premature public statements issued out of Washington, particularly by the FBI's national director, have fueled unnecessary alarm and unfairly cast suspicion on a community that has repeatedly been subjected to this type of profiling."

Now, we heard from local police, the Dearborn Police Department, and also neighboring Inkster Police Department. They both confirmed that there was FBI activity in their communities, but they're telling the public that there is no threat right now, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Leigh Waldman in Michigan, thanks so much.

All right, starting today, millions of Americans no longer have access to critical SNAP benefits. The Federal Food Assistance Program serves as a lifeline for the nation's most vulnerable people. And now it is out of funding because of the U.S. government shutdown, which is in its 32nd day.

On Friday, two federal judges in two separate states ruled that the Trump administration must partially fund SNAP with emergency funding, but it's not clear how soon that will happen. The lack of SNAP funding only adding to the food hardship as hundreds of thousands of federal employees are also working without pay.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never thought in a million years I would be in line to get some food.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is that feeling?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's humiliating. You know, I've been working for 30 years in my career. I've had to apply for unemployment and haven't done that.

SISTER CAROLINE TWEEDY, ST. JOHN'S BREAD & LIFE: Hunger is not waiting for Washington. People need to eat, children need to eat, and the people making the decisions have never been on a food pantry line.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Julia Benbrook is joining us now from Florida, where the president is spending the weekend. So, Julia, you know, what is the status of SNAP funding right now after these two rulings by two federal judges?

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, as this government shutdown drags on for more than a month now, the impact is very real, and this has been a date that we have been watching for. This is when funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is set to lapse. As you mentioned, though, there were these two rulings from federal judges just yesterday, where they said that the Trump administration needs to tap into billions of dollars in emergency funds to at least partially cover this program in November.

Now, those rulings reject an argument made by the Department of Agriculture that they could not use a contingency fund in order to help cover food stamp benefits this month. Here was the head of that department, Secretary Brooke Rollins, prior to those orders. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BROKE ROLLINS, ASSOCIATE SECRETARY: So there is a contingency fund at USDA, but that contingency fund, by the way, doesn't even cover, I think, half of the $9.2 billion that would be required for November SNAP, but it is only allowed to flow if the underlying program is funded. It's called a contingency fund. And by law, contingency fund can only flow when the underlying fund is flowing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: Now, money from that contingency fund would obviously help, but it would not cover everything. The agency says that it has about $5.3 billion and that it costs each month somewhere between $8 billion and $9 billion to fund SNAP.

[13:05:14]

President Donald Trump reacted to the rulings on social media. He said that government lawyers do not believe they have the legal authority to use that money available to fund the program. He added this, quote, "Therefore, I have instructed our lawyers to ask the court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible."

Even with these rulings, though, there is going to still be an impact. It will likely take time to get that money flowing once again.

WHITFIELD: And then, Julia, you know, where do things stand with this government shutdown? You know, any chance this SNAP development could actually force the two sides to get back to the bargaining table?

BENBROOK: Well, we're on day 32 now. The longest government shutdown on record was 35 days. That took place at the end of 2018 going into 2019 during Trump's first term. It does look like we will likely beat that record at this point. There are not a lot of real substantial negotiations taking place.

And the arguments remain the same. Republicans continue to push for essentially an extension of current funding levels on a short-term basis and Democrats are focusing in on health care. They want to see an extension of enhanced Obamacare subsidies taken care of now.

While Trump traveled out here for the weekend, he was asked if he was willing to sit down with Democrats and discuss health care. He said yes, but only after they vote to help reopen the government. Now, that is likely a nonstarter, as Democrats want to discuss this issue now while their votes are needed for this specifically. Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right. Julia Benbrook, thanks so much.

All right, today, one of the Democratic Party's biggest names is hitting the campaign trail ahead of Tuesday's elections. In just moments, former President Barack Obama is set to rally for Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic nominee in Virginia's gubernatorial race. Spanberger is hoping to defeat Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears as both women try to become the state's first-ever female governor.

CNN's Eva McKend is in Norfolk, Virginia, where Obama is set to speak very soon. So how important is this race, Eva?

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Fred, it is in these pivotal off-year elections that we have the opportunity to get a sense of how the electorate is feeling. What we see from the Spanberger campaign is that they are calling in President Obama, though, to really juice up energy and enthusiasm in the final hours of this race.

President Obama remains among one of the most popular Democrats in the country, and though Spanberger has routinely led her Republican opponent, Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, in public polling, the most recent poll having her up above 10 points. They don't want voters in this state to get complacent. You hear speaker after speaker on this stage saying, hey, if you can, get out and vote today.

Today is the last day of early voting in Virginia, or if you haven't already, of course, vote on Tuesday. Spanberger has been able to benefit mightily from the mood in the country right now. Typically in the Virginia race, the electorate elevates the member of the opposite party of the White House.

And we see Democrats really fired up and very angry right now, feeling especially acutely the impacts of the Trump administration, the shutdown and the aggressive cuts that have come from DOGE. And so, that is the motivation that we hear from so many voters, Fred.

And I'll end with this. The real wild card is going to be what happens in the attorney general contest. The Democratic nominee for attorney general in this state, Jay Jones, he, in a true October surprise, it was discovered that he sent violent text messages.

And Republicans are hoping that that drags down the entire Democratic ticket. Jones -- Spanberger has distanced herself from Jones somewhat, but he was still welcomed on this stage. He just got off the stage not too long ago. Pretty soon, Fred, we'll hear from President Obama. Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right, keep us posted on that. Eva McKend, thanks so much, in Norfolk, Virginia.

All right, coming up, sticker shock. Affordable Care Act open enrollment begins today, and getting coverage for next year is going to be a lot more costly. I'll talk to one of the key architects of Obamacare next. And it's an exciting week for us in the U.S. You can now stream CNN whenever and wherever you want in CNN app -- in a CNN app, that is, as well as access exclusive reporting, read unlimited articles, watch our award-winning original series and films, and so much more. To learn more, visit CNN.com/Watch.

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[13:14:52]

WHITFIELD: All right, a chaotic scene unfolded late last night in the Navy Yard neighborhood of Washington, D.C. CNN obtained this footage appearing to show law enforcement and members of the National Guard trying to disperse a crowd of juveniles Halloween evening, by the way.

[13:15:07]

The city's Metropolitan Police said it made multiple arrests, citing disorderly behavior. Charges include public consumption of marijuana, failure to obey, and resisting arrest. CNN has reached out to the National Guard for a comment.

All right, open enrollment for 2026 Affordable Care Act coverage begins today. And there's going to be some sticker shock for millions of Americans who get their health coverage through the Obamacare exchange. The monthly premium for the benchmark plan will soar about 30 percent on average, but those prices could actually double for many participants with enhanced premium subsidies expiring soon. The standoff over those subsidies led to the federal government shutdown on October 1st.

I'm joined now by Dr. Zeke Emanuel, he's a former Obama White House health policy adviser and a key architect of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Dr. Emanuel, great to see you again.

DR. ZEKE EMANUEL, FORMER OBAMA WHITE HOUSE HEALTH POLICY ADVISER: Nice to be here. Thank you for having me.

WHITFIELD: All right, so the Affordable Care Act is not a health policy in and of itself, but it's an avenue, right, for people to get health care coverage. So help people better understand how the ACA or Obamacare allows people to get coverage that they might not have otherwise been able to get.

EMANUEL: So we established two ways of -- well, multiple ways, but two main ways of expanding coverage. One was to expand Medicaid so that it was anyone, any American who had an income below 138 percent of the federal poverty line, roughly $15,000 for an individual, could get Medicaid coverage. And that has increased the number of people with Medicaid coverage by over 20 million.

In addition, we created these exchanges to pool individuals who are buying health insurance so we could lower their premiums by reducing the risk for the insurance companies. And that is -- that's each state runs its own exchange, and there's a national exchange, healthcare.gov. And they offer private plans, United, Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans, Aetna plans, that people can choose from.

WHITFIELD: And it has been hugely popular. And help folks understand, you know, how this arrangement does overall keep people's health care costs down. Even if premiums may be high, your overall health costs are lower?

EMANUEL: Yes. Well, with every insurance, the main mechanism is to prevent. You pay in and then it covers certain services. For example, you get preventative services, whether it's a mammogram or a colonoscopy or vaccines, with no deductible and no copay. Those are one of the mechanisms by getting people these services free.

In addition, if something disastrous happens, especially you get diagnosed with cancer or a heart attack, an accident, it covers, of course, your health care. And then going to the doctor on a regular basis, you get coverage for that, too.

So it's like every kind of health insurance. So it's just like getting health insurance through your private employer. It works the exact same way in the exchanges.

WHITFIELD: Right. Except a lot of people don't get health care coverage through their private employer. And that's why this was an option. So now you've got the U.S. government, you know, subsidies coming into play and they're about to expire. Help people understand how that will impact costs.

EMANUEL: Well, health insurance is enormously expensive. And so one of the things we did as part of the Affordable Care Act, if you're in the exchanges buying health insurance, we subsidized people based upon their income. So people who have roughly the poverty line, they get subsidized almost the entire amount of health insurance.

And then all the way up to about 400 percent of poverty, roughly $120,000 for a family of four. The subsidies are meant to make the health insurance more affordable. And during COVID, where people weren't having health insurance, everyone really needed their neighbor to make sure that they were healthy, that they didn't have COVID. And if they have COVID, that they were treated for it.

We, the government, expanded the subsidies. They are enhanced subsidies, increased the amount. And we saw a dramatic increase in the number of people who got health insurance as a result of that. And it showed you that the main barrier to getting health insurance is really financial.

Now, those enhanced subsidies, the added amount, are supposed to end by the end of the year. And the consequence is that many people who are getting health insurance are likely to see their health premiums double, increased by 100 percent. And that is the main problem.

[13:20:11]

A lot of people, therefore, will lose health insurance because it just becomes unaffordable. And here is, the public has to understand, the people who are going to drop their health insurance are not people who are sick because they really recognize they use a lot of health care. It's the people who are largely healthy, and they actually keep the premiums lower for everyone.

So if these enhanced subsidies actually end, the consequence is not only are premiums going to go up, they're going to go up even more than anticipated because the healthy people will no longer be buying. We call this in the health care field adverse selection, and it can lead to a bad spiral.

Healthy people stop buying insurance, sick people who have illnesses buy insurance, chronic conditions like diabetes. And the price is just through the roof. And that's what we're really likely to see if they don't end this government shutdown and actually continue the enhanced subsidies.

WHITFIELD: Yes. That's an incredible breakdown. Dr. Zeke Emanuel, no one clarifies all of this better than you. Thank you so much.

EMANUEL: Take care.

WHITFIELD: All right, coming up, millions of Americans have lost their SNAP benefits today. We'll be joined by the president of the Atlanta Community Food Bank where people are already lining up for help there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[13:26:02]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's scary. I'm a mom. You know, all of our food goes to our kid first, and then we, you know, then you never know.

We're going to, you know, what of our little bit of food stamps that we have left, are we going to spend that on, you know? I mean, these are -- I hate to say it, but sometimes we're hungry.

SARAH, SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION EMPLOYEE: We're not mad at anybody. We just want to get our work done and get our paycheck, that's all. We didn't hurt anybody. We don't deserve this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Oh, this is so hard on so many. And those are just some of the people who are concerned now that SNAP benefits program has run out of money.

As of today, millions of Americans no longer have access to critical federal food aid despite two federal court orders to resume funding. It's not clear if or when that will happen.

With us now is Kyle Waide, he is the president and CEO of the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Thank you so much for being with us. Perhaps you could hear the two people who were talking about their situation, and you're seeing that up close and personal. What are some of the stories you're hearing from people about the need that they have, the worries that they have now?

KYLE WAIDE, PRESIDENT & CEO ATLANTA COMMUNITY FOOD BANK: Well, thank you so much for having me on again. And we are seeing that just lines are longer than ever at food pantries all across north Georgia and really across the country. So many families are already dealing with the impact of inflation.

And now we add to that the impact of the shutdown where federal employees are not being paid. Just behind me, we are in the middle of a distribution of food to the families of TSA workers. They work just down the road at the airport. They're working without pay right now, and we're getting food to them so that while we go through this shutdown, they can continue to feed their families.

And then, of course, the disruption to the SNAP program is going to put hundreds of thousands of additional people here in metro Atlanta in harm's way. There's just tremendous demand right now, and people are very anxious and worried about how they're going to feed their families.

WHITFIELD: And how is that working? I mean, you let TSA workers and other federal workers know that this day, you know, you are focusing on their needs. Are you finding that people are working at the airport today or perhaps in between their shifts coming over or tag teaming with, you know, fellow employees on how to pick up some food today, then get back to work even though they're not going to be receiving paychecks?

WAIDE: Yes, we've already distributed today food to close to 500 households. These are all TSA employees. Some of them were here lined up at about 8:00 this morning when we were getting started on their way to a shift at the airport today.

Right now, we have folks who are rolling in who just got done with their work day and completed their shift. And we expect this to go on until later this afternoon. And then beyond that, we're just working to get the word out to federal employees all across the region to let them know how they can access food every day through our network of partners.

WHITFIELD: And then I understand this week you pulled $5 million from your emergency reserves. What led to that decision? And what is the scenario after having done that?

WAIDE: Well, as I said, you know, lines are already very long. Demand is higher today, 70 percent higher today than it was three and a half years ago prior to the shutdown. And so there's already a lot of pressure on our inventory here at the food bank.

We're distributing 500,000 pounds of food a day to -- across our region. And what we knew is that with this impact of SNAP coming, the disruption to SNAP benefits, there was going to be even more demand. So we pulled $5 million of reserves that we're using to buy more food so that we can increase our daily distribution over the next four weeks by about 300,000 pounds of food. And that's going to make a big difference, but it's not going to fully meet the need that is created by this disruption.

WHITFIELD: I mean, you know, you have seen U.S. government shutdowns before, but now we're talking about the second longest. How is this one different? What stories are you hearing from people? You know, talk to me about how you're gauging, I mean, I guess, various levels of desperation of people who are coming in for assistance.

WAIDE: Well, the last shutdown that we really experienced was in 2019, and there were two main differences then versus now. The first is we entered that shutdown where demand was not nearly as high as it was this time around. At that time, demand was a little bit lower than it had been due to a strong economy. Now, we've just got a tremendous amount of pressure as a result of inflation that has put more people in needing food assistance.

And then the second big difference is that that time there was not a disruption to SNAP. This time around, that disruption to snap is creating a lot more fear and anxiety among folks. It's going to drive demand up significantly, and we're just going to have to do all we can in partnership with the community to meet as much of that need as we can.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kyle Waide, all the best in your continued efforts to help so many. The CEO of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, appreciate you. Thank you.

WAIDE: Well, thank you for having me on and encourage everybody to support your local food bank as we work through this.

WHITFIELD: Great idea. Thank you. All right. Up next, a royal reckoning. King Charles strips Prince Andrew of his titles and evicts him from his estate. That's his brother, by the way. The extraordinary move as the palace tries to distance itself from Andrew's ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:35:00]

WHITFIELD: All right. A new twist in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking scandal. The brother of one of the most prominent victims of Epstein is calling for a meeting with King Charles. Sky Roberts' late sister, Virginia Giuffre, alleged that she was sexually assaulted by the King's brother, Prince Andrew.

This week, King Charles took the extraordinary step of stripping his brother of his royal titles as Buckingham Palace tries to further distance itself from the Epstein scandal. Here's what Giuffre's brother told CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SKY ROBERTS, VIRGINIA GIUFFRE'S BROTHER: I would welcome it with open arms. I mean, if he said, you know, we'd love to speak with you and hear your sister's story. I think it's one thing to see somebody over camera when we're having this conversation, but it's another when you're face to face with a survivor. And we can really tell her story and help get that across to them, because I think it's important for them to be listening, not to the perpetrators, but to the survivors themselves. So, if he asked me to come meet with him, I'd be in London tomorrow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Well, not only did Andrew lose his royal titles, but he was also evicted from his estate where he lived with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson. CNN's Max Foster explains the challenges now confronting Ferguson, who has her own ties to Epstein.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They married in 1986. It was the wedding of the year, watched by millions. Prince Andrew introduced to Sarah Ferguson by a close friend Diana, Princess of Wales. For a time, Fergie and Diana epitomized the modern, approachable faces of a new generation of royalty.

SARAH FERGUSON, ANDREW'S FORMER WIFE: We married for total love and when I went up that aisle, I had -- I married my man. I also married a sailor and I got a prince.

FOSTER (voice-over): Daughters Beatrice and Eugenie followed. But with Andrew serving in the Royal Navy at sea and long periods apart, strains appeared. They separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996, remaining unusually close, co-parenting publicly and even holidaying together.

Throughout the 1990s, Ferguson became a regular in the tabloids, including after photographs with American financial adviser John Bryan made scandalous headlines, images that shattered the fairy tale image and intensified scrutiny of her private life.

She rebuilt a public career and a much-needed income, writing children's books and fronting television projects; in later years, raising awareness for breast cancer and melanoma, both of which she had been treated for. Admirers see resilience, charity, humor. Critics see misjudgment, poor choices and entitlement.

In 2010, a tabloid sting filmed Ferguson appearing to offer access to Prince Andrew in exchange for money. She apologized, later describing it as very poor judgment and said she'd been struggling with debt and that Andrew wasn't aware of the alleged deal.

Then came 2011 reports that Ferguson had accepted money from sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein for help paying off her debts. Ferguson later said she deeply regretted ever knowing him, calling it a gigantic error and condemned the abuse detailed in his cases.

[13:40:00]

But fresh controversy followed when a British newspaper reported last month that she had referred to Epstein as a supreme friend in 2011, an email where she apologized for condemning him just weeks after publicly saying she would never contact him again. The revelation led several charities to cut ties with her. A spokesperson said Ferguson wrote that email to stave off a lawsuit from Epstein.

When allegations against Andrew escalated, Ferguson stayed publicly loyal. The now-former prince denied the claims and settled a civil case in 2022 without admitting liability.

By Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding in 2018, Ferguson was back at major royal events. And after Queen Elizabeth II's death, the late monarch's two beloved corgis were entrusted to Andrew and Sarah, a sign, friends say, of enduring family bonds.

In June of this year, the now-former duchess was spotted at the Royal Ascot horse races laughing with King Charles; the message, at least on that day, that Ferguson was back in the royal fold.

CNN has reached out to Ferguson's representative for comment but she hasn't said anything publicly about her eviction from Royal Lodge or where her next home might be.

Max Foster, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Max, thank you so much for that. All right. Up next, emotional testimony from a Virginia teacher shot by her six-year-old student in class. She told a jury she thought she died that day. A look at the impact that testimony can have on jurors.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:45:00]

WHITFIELD: All right. Testimony is set to resume on Monday in the civil trial of a Virginia elementary school teacher who was shot by a six-year-old student back in 2023. Abby Zwerner is suing the elementary school's former assistant principal for $40 million, claiming she failed to act after several people raised concerns that the boy brought a gun to school. Zwerner took the stand earlier this week. giving emotional testimony about that day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABBY ZWERNER, TEACHER SHOT BY FIRST GRADER: Obvious, I thought I was dying. I thought I had died. I thought I was either on my way to heaven or in heaven, but then it all got black. My next memory is I see two co-workers around me and I process that I'm hurt and they're putting pressure on where I'm hurt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Joining me right now to discuss is Dave Aronberg, former state attorney in Palm Beach County. Dave, great to see you. So, what sort of impact do you think Zwerner's on-cam testimony, you know, will have on the jury? DAVE ARONBERG, FORMER STATE ATTORNEY, PALM BEACH COUNTY: Good to be

with you, Fred. I think it's going to have a major impact because she's a very sympathetic individual. I mean, this was a disaster by the individuals at the school and I'm shocked that they've even gone to trial on this. This should have settled. There's just been so many mistakes here.

You had a kid who's just six years old who had repeated incidents of violence, choking a teacher, taking this victim's cell phone and smashing it on the ground and pulling up a girl's skirt and touching her inappropriately to the extent that the parents had to be there in school, at least one of them, every day. And the week they were not in school with the child was the week that this tragedy happened. So, her testimony is going to make a big difference and I think it's going to lead to a huge verdict.

WHITFIELD: So, Zwerner, you know, is suing Ebony Parker, the former assistant principal, for $40 million. What's the calculation here in not suing the school district, the school, but the individual in that assistant principal?

ARONBERG: Yes, it is a good question because generally the money is in the school district but there's sovereign immunity. But the person here, the assistant principal, was the one who apparently was warned multiple times that this child had a gun and did nothing. In fact, allegedly said, do not touch the child, do not intervene. So, the facts are really strong against this individual. But does she have the money to pay? I mean, I don't know what kind of insurance is involved here but this is an element of justice.

The biggest surprise to me right now is that this civil trial is occurring before the assistant principal's criminal trial. Usually, it's the other way around. That's a big difference here.

WHITFIELD: Yes, in fact, that was going to be my follow-up. So, you know, before I even have to ask the question, why would that be happening in that order here?

ARONBERG: I think it's perhaps because the defense wants to see all the evidence and the testimony against them in preparation for the criminal trial. That's the more serious one because it jeopardizes the assistant principal's future freedom. And so, they might want to get a sneak preview of what's going to come. But it is different because usually the civil trials are postponed. Here, the defendant waived her right to a speedy trial. And so, it was her decision to do it in this order.

WHITFIELD: Oh, interesting. So, how might the civil case potentially impact any upcoming criminal case?

[13:50:00]

ARONBERG: Well, the judgment is going to come against this assistant principal. And it could, it depends on the situation, whether it can be used against the defendant of trial, but in the end, the burden is much higher for a criminal defendant. See, here, you just have to prove negligence, a breach of a duty of care, by a preponderance of the evidence. Is it more likely or not? But if you go to a criminal trial, you've got to prove that she did it beyond a reasonable doubt. That's a much higher burden.

And that's why I think for sure she's going to get hit with a big verdict here, but I don't know if she's going to lose at the criminal trial, if she'll get sentenced to prison for her actions. We saw this in the Parkland case, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, where the school resource officer, Scot Peterson, was found not guilty by a jury of a similar charge.

WHITFIELD: What do you expect next?

ARONBERG: I think that next you're going to see a big verdict against this defendant. I think then the criminal case will happen, and then all bets are off. It's hard to say. Now, I do think that the case against this assistant principal is stronger than the case against a school resource officer in the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas massacre, because here, she got advance warning. She was told there was a gun, and this kid was a problem, and actively said, do not do anything about it. Whereas in the school resource officer situation, he didn't know in advance. He knew as it was happening, and did not rush into the school. Two different situations, and perhaps two different verdicts.

WHITFIELD: All right. Testimony resumes next week. Dave Aronberg, thanks so much.

ARONBERG: Thanks for having me.

WHITFIELD: All right. Coming up, big names, big races. Former President Barack Obama hits the trail as governor's contests eat up in two key East Coast states.

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[13:55:00]

WHITFIELD: All right. How does this sound? Grilled cheese at Lambeau Field. To Tony's favorites in his family's kitchen, discover the breads that bond Wisconsin on a new episode of the CNN Original Series, "Tony Shalhoub Breaking Bread."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY SHALHOUB, HOST, "TONY SHALHOUB BREAKING BREAD": That's my sister, Susan.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, what was that?

SHALHOUB: Family heirloom bowl.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's 15 more right behind you.

SHALHOUB: Parsley, mint, bulgur, lots of lemon juice, chopped tomatoes. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three tomatoes should be enough for that batch.

SHALHOUB: Oh, yes. Makes another Lebanese staple, tabbouleh.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I remember this one time, Tony answered the phone and we were all sitting around the table, and let's pretend this is the phone. And he would walk over to one of us and go, like, it's not for you. And then he'd go to the next person, no, not for you. Remember that, Tony?

SHALHOUB: Oh, what a sense of humor, huh?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He went all around the table. It was for the last person. That was good.

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WHITFIELD: I want some family time with that family. Be sure to tune in, a new episode of "Tony Shalhoub Breaking Bread," that premieres tomorrow, 9:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific right here on CNN.

All right. Rescue efforts are currently underway across the Caribbean after Hurricane Melissa tore through the region as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms ever recorded. The full toll of the catastrophic storm may take days or even weeks to determine. And as the 2025 hurricane season winds down, CNN's Meteorologist Allison Chinchar explains how the year has stacked up so far.

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ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The calendar may say November, but hurricane season is not over just yet. So, far, the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season has had 13 total named storms, five of which were hurricanes, and four of those became major hurricanes. In fact, the only hurricane we've had so far this year that did not reach that status was Hurricane Imelda. Major hurricanes mean it's got to category three strength or higher.

Now, to put this into some perspective, in any given year, the average numbers would be 14 total named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes. And we are roughly around those numbers. The interesting thing to note though, is both NOAA and Colorado State University were leaning a little bit higher into the average, noting that this was likely going to be an above average season, but we have not reached that just yet.

However, as I mentioned, the season is not over. But what made this season so interesting was the fact that a lot of the storms, as they started to make their westward track, made that sharp turn to the north, really steering it away from the bulk of many countries, not just the U.S., but a lot of the Caribbean, Mexico, portions of Central America.

The exception to that for the U.S. was this particular storm here, Chantal, which impacted the Carolinas back in July. Notably too, an area that looks rather empty is the Gulf. Normally, we would have several storms that would have either formed or passed through that area. The only storm that got close was this one, which actually formed in portions of the western --

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