Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Judges Order Trump to Fund SNAP Benefits during Shutdown; FBI Thwarts Potential Halloween Weekend Attack; Trump Overruled Pentagon on Tomahawks for Kyiv; Trump Administration Restricts Refugee Admissions to 7,500; Coffee Shop Offers Free Breakfast to Help Those Losing Benefits; Sarah Ferguson Considers Next Move after Royal Eviction; Chinese Trump Impersonator Becomes Social Media Star at Home; British Borough Seeks Pardon for Women Executed as Witches; Dodgers Force Game 7 with Blue Jays Tonight. Aired 5-6a ET
Aired November 01, 2025 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to all of you watching here in the United States, Canada and around the world, I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
Millions of people in need in the U.S. are set to lose SNAP nutrition benefits in the hours ahead. We'll look at how rulings from two judges could bring those in need some relief -- eventually.
Guns, online chats and a reference to "pumpkin day," inside the potential terror attack thwarted by the FBI.
Plus, a TikTok challenge from a friend led one man to online fame. We'll meet the man known as the Chinese Trump.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: The U.S. government shutdown is now entering its second month. It's just days away from becoming the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
Starting today, tens of millions of Americans are at risk of losing critical food assistance because of the lapse in funding. Two federal judges are now stepping in and requiring the Trump administration to continue funding food stamp benefits.
One food bank in Los Angeles says the need for food assistance will keep rising the longer the shutdown drags on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID MAY, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, L.A. REGIONAL FOOD BANK: We stay out of the politics of it. All we know is that there are people who are facing food and nutrition insecurity. There are people who are facing hunger in our communities.
And as you know, as a food bank, we don't want to see that. We want to see people getting the food that they need. We don't want to see people go hungry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: President Trump says he still needs some clarification from the courts on the rulings. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will have to tap into billions of dollars in emergency funds, although it won't be enough to cover all of the SNAP payments.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN HASSETT, DIRECTOR, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL: We have a little rainy day fund for food stamps in case there's a disaster, which is about half as much as you need for a month of food.
And they're saying, oh, just release that. Well, no, just open the government so everybody can have all the food they need.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: CNN's Jeff Zeleny is following the latest from Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: After two federal judges ruled Friday the Trump administration must find a way to at least partially fund food stamp benefits, families now are heading into the weekend wondering when those funds may come.
The SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps, of course, benefit some 42 million Americans, about one in eight Americans. The funding effectively ran out at the end of October, so heading into the weekend and into the month of November, with an uncertainty over funding, all because of the government shutdown.
But two judges ruled on Friday the administration must find a way to at least partially pay these funds using billions of dollars that the USDA has at hand.
Now president Trump had sought to use this as a point of leverage to urge Democrats to come to the negotiating table and reopen the government. Of course, Democrats have been holding fast for a month. They are pushing for a larger negotiation over health care premiums and the extension of the subsidies for the ObamaCare program.
But Democrats did not blink on food stamps. But the president now is saying he does not want to be responsible for effectively Americans going hungry. He wrote this in a message on Truth Social on Friday night.
He said, "I do not want Americans to go hungry just because the radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and reopen the government. Therefore, I have instructed our lawyers to ask the court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible."
He goes on to say, "It will be my honor to provide the funding, just like I did with the military and law enforcement pay."
The question, of course, is when that funding will come.
In a broader question, the government shutdown, there is no end in sight. President Trump, spending the weekend at his Florida resort. The House, of course, has been out of Washington for more than a month.
The Senate also is not in session. Next week they will come back and see if they can solve this stalemate, again now entering its second month -- Jeff Zeleny, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: And airline passengers are feeling the effects of the shutdown. Both LaGuardia and JFK airports in New York issued ground stops on Friday because they didn't have enough air traffic controllers.
Ground stops have been spreading across the country and forcing delays as staff call out sick rather than work without pay. Airlines are calling on Congress to reopen the government with a clear funding resolution, known as a continuing resolution.
[05:05:00]
The FBI said on Friday that it thwarted a potential terror attack. Director Kash Patel posted on social media that his agency had, quote, "arrested multiple subjects" in Michigan, who were allegedly plotting a violent attack over Halloween weekend. CNN's Leigh Waldman has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Multiple people have been arrested here in Michigan after the FBI foiled a planned terrorist attack for Halloween weekend, according to FBI director Kash Patel.
Police here in Dearborn are confirming FBI activity in this community today. Video shows some of that activity at homes in nearby Inkster. Police there confirming FBI activity at a storage facility.
Law enforcement officials with knowledge of this case say that this plot was inspired by ISIS and unfolded in online chat rooms. We know two people have been arrested, three others are currently being questioned.
A group being monitored by the FBI went to a shooting range this week with AK-47s. They fired multiple rounds and were practicing high-speed reloads. Now Patel says there was references being made to, quote, "pumpkin day" and that's what prompted the FBI to jump into action.
Police here in Dearborn and in nearby Inkster are telling the community that there's no threat to the public -- Leigh Waldman, CNN, Dearborn, Michigan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: The Pentagon is now shifting its focus from the Caribbean to the eastern Pacific as it carries out strikes on suspected drug trafficking boats. Officials say there's more evidence linking the transport of cocaine via western routes on the Pacific.
The Trump administration has yet to provide any significant evidence showing these vessels are, in trafficking drugs. Since early September, the U.S. has struck 15 vessels and killed at least 61 people in the Pacific and Caribbean combined.
Meanwhile, U.S. president Donald Trump is denying claims that he's made up his mind to strike targets within Venezuela. This comes as president Nicolas Maduro claims the U.S. wants to oust him from power.
The U.S. military has been steadily bolstering its firepower in the Caribbean and surrounding region, as tensions escalate between the two countries.
In Jamaica, drone video shows the devastation after Hurricane Melissa slammed into the western part of the island as an unprecedented category five storm on Tuesday. Jamaica's ambassador to the U.S. confirmed that at least 19 people were killed.
U.S. search and rescue teams have begun arriving in Jamaica to provide humanitarian aid. CNN's David Culver has this report near hard-hit Black River, Jamaica.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Now where we're headed is toward Black River. And that's an area that you've seen a lot of devastation of some of the homes that have just been totally decimated.
And the folks who are on this path headed the direction that we're going -- and we can walk just a little bit here to keep traffic going -- are folks who are, many of them, going back to their homes for the first time -- or what's left of their homes.
You've got others who are bringing supplies with them and others who are bringing communication devices to try to see if they can get to individuals who they've not been able to be in touch with so far.
Now here we are, several days out after the storm. And you're at a point where the adrenaline has started to wear down. The shock has started to subside. And reality is starting to sink in.
We were talking to some of our local team here, too.
And as we were just sitting here, he looked up and he said, "It's not just the homes that were destroyed but also the beauty of my country."
And he said, "You should see what this was before." And this was a beautiful canopy, Bamboo Avenue. And you can look now.
And the bamboo is just shredded. I mean, all of it just torn apart.
And he said that's another thing that they're thinking about and mourning even.
Well, this is the issue. I mean, everyone you speak with will have a story of someone they have yet to be in contact with. And that tells you there are so many areas that are like this corridor; I mean, just so difficult to get through and cut off at this point.
So they're starting to mobilize quickly. We're starting to see a lot of those efforts come internationally as well. The military here is certainly playing a role in that.
But as of now, the latest death toll that we've seen is at 19. It's expected to rise. But, again, it's trying to get to these areas that are next to impossible to go through. I saw an ambulance trying to go through just a few minutes ago. And it was just going as slow as we were. I mean, it's a huge challenge.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: If you want to help those impacted by Hurricane Melissa, you can go to cnn.com/impact.
All right. Still to come here on CNN NEWSROOM, hundreds killed in Sudan as rebels take over a key city. We'll have the latest on the situation there.
And the Trump administration is restricting the number of refugees admitted into the U.S. to just a few thousand per year. And many of them are expected to be from just one country. We'll break it down and discuss it next. Stay with us.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:10:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
BRUNHUBER: An Israeli official is telling CNN that none of the three bodies returned from Gaza on Friday belong to any of the 11 hostages still believed there. But the official says Hamas has admitted in advance that it wasn't sure the remains were actually the hostages.
The Red Cross, which assists in the transfers, said identifying the bodies is the responsibility of authorities in Israel.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
BRUNHUBER: When president Trump ruled out sending the Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, he apparently overruled a Pentagon recommendation. That's according to U.S. and European officials, who say military leaders concluded the U.S. has enough Tomahawks to share.
But president Trump suggested the exact opposite before deciding to withhold the missiles for now. For more, Melissa Bell joins us live from Paris.
So Melissa, take us through this.
What more do we know?
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you'll remember that, before that meeting that President Zelenskyy and president Trump had last month in Washington, president Trump had said that the United States had lots of Tomahawks, that it was willing to share with Ukraine. Hence the surprise.
Once together, we heard from president Trump that, in fact, they wouldn't be giving them right now because these would harm U.S. stockpiles. In fact, what we understand is that the Pentagon actually feels it will not damage U.S. stockpiles and therefore they can be shared with Ukraine.
Now it will be up to the president, up to president Trump to do it.
[05:15:03]
What we understand happened, in fact, Kim, was that, just before that meeting with President Zelenskyy, there had been a phone call between president Trump and President Putin the day before.
In which the Russian president had told him that, whilst the Tomahawks would make no difference on the ground in the war in Ukraine, they could, if they were given to Ukraine, harm U.S.-Russia relations, then perhaps then this pause in the idea of sending them.
But certainly for Ukrainians, extremely good news to hear that, in fact, the stockpiles will not be damaged, that the Pentagon agrees with the transfer.
The question, though, when and if president Trump decides to greenlight it, they've been trying to get their hands on them for some time over the course of the last few months, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: And Melissa, we've seen lately plenty of Russian strikes on Ukraine's power grid but also Ukrainian strikes on Russian infrastructure.
What's the latest there?
BELL: That's right. And in fact, the -- their wish to have these Tomahawks plays into wanting to continue and take deeper that strategy they've been using to such effect, these last few months, of trying to target Russian oil energy infrastructure.
So refineries, that sort of thing. What we've seen is that there was such an impact that the price of gas inside Russia went up. For the Ukrainians, we've been hearing from officials there saying that this shows that, in fact, it is more effective at damaging the Russian economy than sanctions are.
And they want to continue this in order, says President Zelenskyy, that, by the next few months and thanks to these Tomahawks and the strategy, they hope, they can have more of a level playing field, more of a fair deal when this war comes to an end.
BRUNHUBER: All right. I appreciate that. Melissa Bell, thanks so much.
The United Nations is confirming hundreds of civilians and unarmed fighters may have been killed by rebel forces in Sudan when they took over the city of El Fasher on Sunday.
Recent satellite imagery revealed burning across north Darfur's capital. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, seized the city from Sudan's army, ending an 18-month siege. Tens of thousands have fled with refugees describing bodies in the streets.
The RSF has been accused of committing genocide against non-Arab ethnic groups and one witness described what he saw.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALKHEIR ISMALI, AL-FASHER REFUGEE (through translator): These people had collected 300 of us civilians, travelers. They brought us to a reservoir. The people on camels and motorbikes gathered us and killed us there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: RSF officials denying carrying out massacres, calling the reports "media exaggerations." But the U.N. says more evidence continues to emerge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEIF MAGANGO, SPOKESPERSON, U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE: Since the RSF made a major incursion into the city on the 23rd of February -- of October, we have received horrendous accounts of summary executions, mass killings, rapes, attacks against vegetation workers, looting, abductions and forced displacement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: On Friday, president Trump accused Nigeria of severe religious freedom violations. Trump claimed Christianity is facing an existential threat and said thousands of Christians are being killed by radical Islamists.
He announced he's designating Nigeria a country of particular concern under the International Religious Freedom Act, a move that could trigger sanctions. Nigeria's government disputes the claims, noting that both Christians and Muslims are victims of violence driven by multiple factors, including religious, ethnic and land disputes.
The Trump administration is slashing the number of refugees admitted annually into the U.S. to just 7,500 and will mostly be white South Africans. Now that number is a steep drop from recent history.
For comparison, the Biden administration set last year's ceiling at 125,000. A memo in the Federal Register said only that the cap of 7,500 refugees was, quote, "justified" by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest.
President Trump suspended the refugee program on his first day back in office. Since then, only a trickle of refugees have been allowed into the U.S., mostly white South Africans. The administration launched a program for Afrikaners in February, citing alleged discrimination and violence, claims that South Africa rejects.
All right. Joining me now on this is Krish O'Mara Vignarajah. She's the president and CEO of the nonprofit Global Refuge. And she joins us live from Baltimore, Maryland.
Thank you so much for being here with us. Really appreciate it. So this is the lowest refugee camp in American history. And now most of those slots are going to one group; as I mentioned, white South Africans.
What signal is this sending, do you think?
KRISH O'MARA VIGNARAJAH, PRESIDENT AND CEO, GLOBAL REFUGE: I think it's a signal that this reflects not just lowering our refugee admissions ceiling but really lowering our moral standing. Not only does it drastically lower the admissions cap, as you just said, but it also does focus on one demographic.
[05:20:00]
And that's a profound departure from decades of bipartisan refugee policy that has been based on humanitarian need, not on ideology or politics.
And I think that's why the U.S. refugee admissions program has always been the gold standard. It incorporates a stringent, years-long vetting process, coordinates arrivals with locals, ensures mutual economic benefits. And so it's really difficult to see the system upended.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. You mentioned, you know, not making decisions on ideology or politics.
But what about race?
I'll ask you straight out, how big a factor is race in this decision?
VIGNARAJAH: Obviously, you know, the announcement does reference this discrimination against the white Afrikaners. We saw the administration roll out the red carpet, you know, secure a chartered flight for them earlier this year.
I think it's difficult because, obviously, at Global Refuge, I serve our clients who are coming from all over the world. And the stark reality is that humanitarian need is so much greater than what this admissions ceiling allows for.
And so what it means is that there are going to be vulnerable populations that are left in harm's way -- Afghan women rights activists, Venezuelan political dissidents, Congolese families, LGBT people and persecuted religious minorities, all of whom now fear that there is no room left for them in a system they trusted.
BRUNHUBER: I want to drill down on one specific group that you mentioned.
What does all this mean for American credibility when we're talking about those former U.S. allies?
You mentioned Afghan interpreters, teachers, people who risked their lives working with the U.S., who are now left stranded.
VIGNARAJAH: It is a worrisome signal. And it's not just because we've decided to, you know, change how that system and who is in the queue and how we process in an equitable fashion altogether.
It's also that, on top of the fact that we see, you know, these steps taken in a certain direction with refugee resettlement.
But beyond that, even for those who came from Afghanistan, who had fortunately and thankfully arrived in the United States, who may have had temporary protected status or humanitarian parole.
The fact that the administration also removed TPS for them, I think, is why national security officials have been as vocal as immigration and human rights organizations in explaining, look, this is not just the right thing to do but the smart thing to do.
And those military allies say, after this, that God forbid the U.S. has to fight the next 21st century war. Yes, of course, technology is important but having the local assets is equally.
BRUNHUBER: I want to ask you, because that line stuck with me, that "the smart thing to do."
I mean, the administration has signaled that they don't, you know, value much in terms of having refugees here. But you've argued that that refugee resettlement is actually in America's national interest. Explain how.
VIGNARAJAH: Sure. I actually did a TED talk, arguing even further than that, that it's one of our superpowers. And I think part of that is just appreciating the fact that, beyond our history as a nation of immigrants, we also face a demographic cliff.
We have the lowest birth rate since the census has been tracking this issue.
And so whether we're talking about supporting an economy that has jobs that are otherwise going unfilled, that an economy that has been built in part on entrepreneurship of immigrants -- nearly half of our Fortune 500 companies were launched by an immigrant or their child. Or, you know, as I said, talking about national security, meeting the
needs of taking care of our children and our parents when it comes to child care and health care.
There have been moments not just throughout our history but in the recent past, where we've seen the importance of immigrants to our country. And I think there is a recognition of that from the White House.
You know, the president, even on day one of his administration, highlighted the fact that he liked legal immigration, that he thought it was going to be necessary as companies, you know, decided as a result of his policies to come, you know, back, kind of onshore.
And yet, in terms of the policies, I think they have not necessarily reflected that.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. We'll have to leave it there. But really appreciate getting your views on this. Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, thank you so much.
VIGNARAJAH: Thank you for the conversation.
BRUNHUBER: Well, funding for food stamps runs out today. But a coffee shop in Portland is stepping up to help people impacted by the U.S. government shutdown.
[05:25:00]
We'll have that story next.
Also ahead, the royal downfall of Britain's Andrew and its fallout, the challenges his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, now faces due to their close relationship. Those stories and more coming up, please stay with us.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Welcome back. I'm Kim Brunhuber. Let's check some of today's top stories.
President Trump dismissed a recommendation from the Pentagon when he declined to send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, at least for now. U.S. and European officials say military leaders concluded the U.S. had enough missiles to share. But Trump later told his Ukrainian counterpart the U.S. needed Tomahawks for its own defense.
As the U.S. government shutdown grinds on into a second month, airline passengers are suffering the consequences. Both LaGuardia and JFK airports in New York City issued ground stops Friday because they didn't have enough air traffic controllers.
Ground stops have been causing delays across the country as staff call out sick rather than work without pay.
Millions of Americans are facing delays in getting food assistance that was supposed to arrive today. But two federal judges are now ordering the Trump administration to continue funding SNAP benefits during the shutdown.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will have to tap into billions of dollars in emergency funds, although it won't be enough to cover all of the payments.
Now one coffee shop is doing what it can to make sure those impacted by the shutdown can at least start their day off right. Heretic Coffee in Portland, Oregon, says it's offering free breakfast to anyone losing their SNAP benefits, no questions asked. Here's what the owner, Josh White, told me earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOSH WHITE, OWNER, HERETIC COFFEE: It was just a very simple calculus.
[05:30:00]
We sell food. There's going to be people who need to eat that can't get access to food, so we're going to give it to them because food is just a basic human right.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. I mean, you make it sound so simple. But, of course, it isn't. I mean, you normally see, what, 30 to 40 customers a day.
What was it like when you, when you opened those doors that first morning when you made that offer?
WHITE: Yes. So as you said, we usually did something between 30 to 40 sales a day. And by the first 10 minutes of the first hour we were open, we were already over about 40 to 50 sales for that day.
BRUNHUBER: Wow. Amazing. So that tells you something about the need out there.
I mean, what are the folks who are coming in telling you about the situation that they're facing right now?
WHITE: Yes. Well, the very first day, actually, the day before we started this, we had a 10, 11-year-old boy come in and he asked if he could get our SNAP breakfast a couple days early. And that enough -- that tells you enough right there. A child is asking for food.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, absolutely heartbreaking, I know. I mean, things aren't easy for coffee shops these days. I know coffee prices have been going up and so on.
I mean, how can you actually afford to do this, considering the demand?
WHITE: Yes. Well, number one, like we said at the very beginning, we're going to do this until SNAP benefits are reinstated or until we go broke. There is no other option here.
That's what we said at the very beginning.
Then someone in one of our first posts commented and said, how about you open up a donation link?
And we did. And now here we are, five days later. We've raised over $300,000 from 11,000 different people around the world, not just America, around the world.
BRUNHUBER: Around the world. So obviously this is a story that's touching so many people around the world. I mean, I understand, you know, people are coming in, they're buying, let's say, a $3-4 coffee and leaving $100 donation.
I mean, what are those interactions like?
What are people telling you?
WHITE: I mean, I think in a lot of ways they see that food is just a basic human right. And you also can't deny -- we're in Portland. And Portland has had a very particular rhetoric in the national news for the last 5-6 years. And Portlanders here are doing their best to show people the honesty of who we are.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: The U.S. says it won't send any officials to the COP 30 climate talks this month in Brazil. Some were concerned that Washington would send a team to undermine climate negotiations. The goal of the talks is to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
In a speech to the U.N. General Assembly just over a month ago, Donald Trump called climate change "the world's greatest con job."
Canadian prime minister Mark Carney says he apologized to Donald Trump over a political ad that derailed trade talks between the two countries. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK CARNEY, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: I did apologize to the president. The president was offended by the act -- or by the ad, rather -- and it's not something I would have done, which is to put in place -- put in place that advertisement. And so I apologized to him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: The ad, released by Ontario's government, not the federal government, used audio from a Ronald Reagan speech criticizing tariffs. Trump accused Canada of misrepresenting the late president's words and ended trade negotiations. In response, Trump says Carney was nice but he has not ordered a resumption of talks.
A New York federal judge has unsealed revelations made by the JPMorgan Chase bank about transactions connected to Jeffrey Epstein. The bank flagged over $1 billion in suspicious activity reports to the U.S. Treasury Department.
There were more than 4,000 reports from October 2003 to July 2019. They involved big names of Wall Street and two Russian banks. JPMorgan identified them, it says, because of public allegations against Epstein and the Russian banks.
They were unsealed at the request of "The New York Times" and "The Wall Street Journal." There are no details about the specific transactions.
The disgraced brother of Britain's King Charles will not have to move immediately from his Windsor mansion. A royal source says Andrew will not move until after the Christmas holidays.
King Charles evicted Andrew and stripped him of his title and honors due to his ties with Jeffrey Epstein and a sexual assault allegation.
Andrew isn't the only one being evicted from the Windsor estate. His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, has lived with him for the past 20 years and must now make new arrangements. CNN's Max Foster reports.
(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 MOUNTBATTEN WINDSOR'S EX-WIFE: We married for total love and when I went up that aisle, I had -- I married my man.
[05:35:00]
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.
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)
BRUNHUBER: President Trump is getting a bit of competition from a guy who's never set foot in the U.S. Have a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN CHEN, TRUMP IMPERSONATOR: We're in Chongqing, China. It's so high. It's so high. Vintage style. I love the facade, right?
They're doing a pretty good job. They're doing a pretty good job.
BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Ahead, a Trump impersonator who's become a social media celebrity in China. Stay with us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:40:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING) BRUNHUBER: He walks, talks and acts just like president Trump -- the
boasting, the bravado, the drama, he has it down to a T. But English isn't his first language and he's never even been to the U.S. Mike Valerio introduces us to a Trump impersonator, who has become a social media star in China.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHEN: We're in Chongqing, China. It's so high. It's so high. Vintage style.
I love the facade, right?
They're doing a pretty good job. They're doing a pretty good job. It's a harmony. It's a harmony. I love this city.
People ask me, how do I feel today?
I'll tell you, I feel fantastic.
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Call it a different kind of U.S.-China summit with the Chinese Trump.
CHEN: Ladies and gentlemen --
VALERIO (voice-over): Meet Ryan Chen, a 42-year-old business manager, who started making imitation videos of the U.S. president only a few months ago.
CHEN: China.
People from Qingdao, China, they love dumplings. They really do.
Trust me, nobody does seafood like Qingdao people. They literally turn all of their seafood into dumplings.
I think it's vegan food. It's still good. It's still good.
I went into a truth and dare with my friend and I lost this dare. And he dared me to do Trump and put it on my account. And it turned out that the video went viral.
You want to take a picture with me?
VALERIO (voice-over): He's now exploded into one of China's biggest online stars, with more than a million followers on the Chinese version of TikTok.
Trump's mannerisms?
Down. And even more astonishing --
VALERIO: It's incredible that you've never been to America and you have Trump just spot on, that you're able to do it.
CHEN: Yes, yes. That -- because I'm a little bit gifted in acting. Actually, a lot of people, after they see my video, they come to Chongqing.
VALERIO (voice-over): Chongqing is his hometown, a megacity of more than 32 million people. Chen highlights the metropolis and its culture in his Trump videos, trying to entertain and monetize, while staying clear of any political land mines.
With the U.S. and China increasingly at odds with each other on the global stage, Chen says he aspires to act as a comedic ambassador between the superpowers.
CHEN: I can help bridge the gap of -- you know, bridge two cultures so -- that spread happiness. So I can help foreigners to see what real China is.
VALERIO (voice-over): Starting with the best of Chongqing's famous spicy cuisine.
CHEN: We call it thousand-year egg. And it's really delicious.
VALERIO: Wait, what does this taste like?
CHEN: MSG, right?
VALERIO: MSG.
All eggs should be like this.
CHEN: Oh, really?
VALERIO: Yes.
CHEN: I love this guy. He likes everything. He likes every controversial food.
So the CNN people, they come to Chongqing. Oh, now all they want to do is to shoot me getting my hair cut. That's crazy. Well, today I'm doing it.
OK. Let's go. Let's go.
Hey, Mr. Tan. Mr. Tan. That's my guy. That's my guy. The best barber in town.
He's very professional, this guy. I'm going to look 30 pounds lighter after this. We had a promise, right?
A deal is a deal.
MR. TAN, BARBER: Do you like it?
CHEN: I think it's tremendous. Tremendous.
VALERIO (voice-over): After their meeting in South Korea, President Trump gave his assessment of the talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
TRUMP: From zero to 10, with 10 being the best, I would say the meeting was a 12.
VALERIO: Ryan, on a scale of zero to 10, how would you rate this interview?
CHEN: Interview with CNN people?
VALERIO: With us CNN people.
CHEN: I give it a 67.
It's a big number. It's a big number.
[05:45:00]
VALERIO (voice-over): Mike Valerio, CNN, Chongqing, China.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: That's absolutely amazing.
All right. Well, today marks the start of the Day of the Dead commemorations in Mexico. Still ahead, how communities plan to honor their ancestors and remember the loved ones they've lost. Stay with us.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
BRUNHUBER: Well, this Halloween finds one community in Britain trying to right a centuries-old wrong. Maidstone in Kent, southeast of London, is known for its many historic sites. But look closely and you'll find markers commemorating a dark chapter of the borough's past.
In 1652, seven women stood accused of witchcraft. Each was convicted, each sentenced to death, each publicly executed. Now local officials say it's time to seek justice for those women and others like them.
Earlier, I spoke to a council leader from the borough and I asked him what he could tell us about the women. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STUART JEFFERY, LEADER, MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL: Well, these were ordinary women. They were poor.
And they were scapegoated as part of. A quite a long. Societal. Assault. By men.
Based on misogyny. And power. And we want to make sure. That that historical. Context of Power over. Over. Women has no place. In modern society.
[05:50:05]
So highlighting it feels like the right thing to do.
And actually calling for the pardon of those women who were murdered is part of that, that drive to reduce violence against women and girls in our society today.
There was a call in Scotland a few years ago to do something similar. That was thrown out, sadly.
In Maidstone, we had no idea how big the trials were against these women. Seven women in this particular instance were killed but there were many more afterwards as well. This was quite a significant event in that whole history. So hence we're using it as a lever to call for that pardon.
A case went through, I think 12 years ago, called the Turing's Law after Alan Turing. Being gay was illegal back in the -- before, I think, the '60s.
That Turing's law was passed in 2013 and it basically pardoned all of those gay men who were convicted prior to that point. So that legislation is possible for the women who were convicted wrongly of witchcraft. It just requires an act of Parliament.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: In Mexico, people are celebrating the Day of the Dead. Dia de Los Muertos, as it's called there, celebrates the afterlife and honors loved ones who have passed away.
It began with indigenous people in the Americas, most notably the Aztecs, and was eventually incorporated into the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. Each one of the most elaborate celebrations is held in the town of Mixquic, near Mexico City. Valeria Leon takes us there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Day of the Dead celebration is a 4,000-year-old tradition celebrated in Mexico on the 1st and second of
November. And in every part of the country, there are celebrations. But here in the town of Mixquic, located south of Mexico City, is famously
known for keeping alive one of the oldest traditions. And this is the cemetery of this town where we can find people preparing the grave of their
dead loved ones because many in these days are coming to visiting.
So what are you doing now?
So he says that we're -- he is preparing this grave of his grandfather and then they're going decorate the grave. Here we've seen people coming from all around the world. At this part, it's the cemetery where everything starts here, the celebration. Now we're
seeing how people are, you know, preparing all the graves, painting this kind of wall.
And here we met some tourists from Japan. They're coming from Japan, right?
Is this your first time here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Nice. Nice ceremony. Yes. I -- we are enjoying. And today, today is a very nice funeral (ph) and we enjoyed -- and very
colorful story. It's very nice.
LEON: That's super lovely. So what have you thought about this celebration, what you've saw here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Saw here?
I am first time. It's impressive.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's very impressive. That's correct.
LEON: Thank you. So it's not just impressive but just fascinating to be here to feel how, you know, this tradition has keeps living with the people
in this ancient town. And I just want to show you how the market is just full of colors. Especially, you're going to see flowers everywhere. This
cempasuchil flower, that people believe that spreading the petals of this flower from the cemetery to their homes is what it's going to mark the path
of their dead loved ones. So that's why we're seeing cempasuchil flower everywhere, everywhere at this market as people Mexicans start preparing
for this huge celebration, the most important celebration in Mexico -- Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico City.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Well, it comes down to this. Baseball's World Series will be decided tonight at a winner-take-all Game 7 in Toronto. The Los Angeles Dodgers held on to beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 3-1, in Game 6 at the Rogers Center on Friday night.
[05:55:00]
The Jays almost tied things up in the bottom of the ninth with runners in scoring positions but the Dodgers shut it down with this thrilling double play. The game was a tense pitchers' duel through all nine innings. The only runs scored were in the third inning.
The Dodgers, as the reigning champs, are looking for a repeat. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays, also chasing their first World Series title in 32 years.
Mike Wilner is the Blue Jays correspondent at "The Toronto Star" and he described the electric atmosphere at the Rogers Center for Game 6. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE WILNER, BLUE JAYS CORRESPONDENT, "THE TORONTO STAR:" It was as loud as I've heard it maybe ever, when Kevin Gosman for the Jays struck out the side in the top of the first inning.
It was -- I don't -- each roar was louder than the one before. And it turned out to be a great game, terrific pitchers' duel. Gosman blinked first. The Jays had a chance late in the game, in the bottom of the ninth. And again we felt it but they couldn't get it done.
But, hey, this team won 74 games last year and finished in last place. And now they're going to Game 7 of the World Series.
They've been a relentless offense; opportunistic, taking advantage of mistakes that other teams make. They pitched well; their defense has been airtight, best defense in the game. They led the major leagues in batting average and on base percentage as well. And they've run into a few and hit some home runs here in the postseason.
So, you know, keep that up and they'll be just fine. I think that, you know, it's been a pretty even series.
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.
WILNER: There are a couple of games that really could have gone either way, including this one and the 18-inning one, Game 3 in L A. But the Blue Jays have, Dodgers have gone toe-to-toe. This has been pretty impressive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Go Jays.
That wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. For our viewers in North America. "CNN THIS MORNING" is next. For the rest of the world, it's "AFRICAN VOICES: CHANGEMAKERS."
