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U.S. Government Reopened but Not Fully Functional; Are Allies Breaking with Trump Over Epstein?; U.S. Strikes Suspected Drug Boat as Venezuela Leader Calls for Peace; Israel to Deport Patients Back to Gaza; Border Patrol Agent Pulls Gun On Protesters; Dozens Killed In July Conflict Between Thailand, Cambodia; Chinese Astronauts Returning To Earth After Delay. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired November 14, 2025 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN HOST: Welcome to all of you watching us around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom." The U.S. government has reopened, but it's not quite business as usual with more than 1,000 flights cancelled Thursday. A former federal aviation official tells us how long the backlog could last. Are allies of President Trump set to break with him over Jeffrey Epstein? We'll look at the shift in strategy that could lead to the release of the Epstein files sooner. And the U.S. carrying out another strike on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean Sea as Venezuela's leader calls for peace.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber."

BRUNHUBER: The federal government is back open, but it's going to take a while for everything to go back to normal. One of the areas still impacted is the SNAP food benefits that 40 million Americans rely on. Nineteen states rushed to issue full benefits. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told CNN on Thursday that relief is on the way. Here she is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEC. BROOKE ROLLINS, U.S. SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE: Hopefully, by the end of this week, most will receive it. At the very latest, on Monday. It's moving, it's coming. And for those who really depend on it, good news is on the way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, many federal workers are waiting on their paychecks as government agencies are just starting to go to process their backpay. Now, this comes as U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem handed out $10,000 bonus checks to TSA employees in Houston citing their work ethic during the shutdown. Noem said more would be receiving bonuses, but it's not clear how many or the criteria used to choose the recipients. All TSA agents are expected to receive backpay in the coming days.

Now, as the federal government reopens, airports across the U.S. are still being impacted by its consequences. Flights continue to be delayed or canceled across the country as the FAA cuts traffic, citing safety concerns. CNN's aviation correspondent Pete Muntean explains what Americans can expect as we enter the holiday travel season.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The hangover from this historic shutdown has not completely worn off yet for airlines. The good news is the number of short staffing reports at Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control facilities nationwide have gone way, way down. The high-water mark was about 63 nationwide on Saturday. On Thursday, the number is down only to the single digits.

The big question is, how long will airlines have to comply with this mandate from the Trump administration to slash flights by about 6% at 40 major airports nationwide until further notice? American Airlines has sent out a new memo to all of its employees saying that it may take a few days for normal operations to resume and may still have to cut flights in order to comply with that mandate.

I want you to listen out to Delta Airlines CEO, Ed Bastian, who says it will take some time for airlines to get back to normal, but he is feeling positive about the upcoming Thanksgiving rush.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED BASTIAN, CEO, DELTA AIRLINES: I think we'll be back a lot faster than people think. The last couple days actually were pretty good.

GAYLE KING, CBS HOST: Were they?

BASTIAN: The staffing -- as soon as the Senate deal on Monday got approved, staffing levels almost overnight improved dramatically. We will be back to normal this weekend. Yesterday, we were -- we were over 90% on time system-wide, every flight, all day long.

KING: And no concerns about Thanksgiving?

BASTIAN: No concerns.

KING: Okay.

BASTIAN: Thanksgiving is going to be a great holiday period of travel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MUNTEAN: The good news is flight cancellations are down significantly, 2,900 nationwide on Sunday, now hovering around a thousand flight cancellations nationwide. Most of those are airlines complying with this Trump administration mandate, which requires that airlines cancel flights four days out, meaning if that order went away today, it would still cause flight cancellations into next week.

Pete Muntean, CNN, Reagan National Airport.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: And joining us now CNN safety analyst and former FAA safety inspector, David Soucie. David, thanks so much for being here with us. So, we heard there, the government is reopening, but you've been looking closely at the air traffic controller situation. It sounds as though passengers shouldn't expect everything to just snap back to normal right away. Is that right?

DAVID SOUCIE, CNN SAFETY ANALYST, AVIATION EXPERT, FORMER FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR: Yeah, that report seemed a little optimistic to me. The system is a big system. It's a lot of moving parts. To try to get it adjusted the way that they did for the 6% reduction, and then to try to get it back again, that is going to take some time.

[02:05:00]

I really don't expect there to be no cancellations, as they were saying in that report, over Thanksgiving. I think it will go through Thanksgiving, and it could go as long as another month after that because of the ripple effect.

BRUNHUBER: Really? Because -- I mean, that's the thing here. I mean, we were hearing about those holiday concerns. Like you, I thought that was optimistic. With Thanksgiving so close, I mean, many people have already booked their holiday travel. So, what's your advice? I mean, should they be checking their flight status more often than usual or what -- what's -- what do you think will actually happen over that?

SOUCIE: Well, I think -- yeah, I think the flight status, they'll have that notice ahead of time. They'll know when it's going to be canceled. However, there are still going to be changes in place. For example, in a normal system, there's backups. If there's anything goes wrong with an airplane, if there's a maintenance delay, that sort of thing, there's plenty of backups for handling that flight. But in this scenario here where they've stepped back, it's difficult to make those changes.

So, I would expect there still to be cancellations. But the best thing -- best advice I can give is to get there -- you know, we always say, be there two hours before your flight. I'd recommend three hours before. I know it sounds inconvenient, but I would recommend you do that because you may have to have extra time to try to get onto a different flight.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. Sound advice there. We -- we keep hearing about these controller shortages that existed even before the shutdown. So, how long are we really talking about before the -- the system stabilizes? I mean, is it -- is it weeks or months here?

SOUCIE: Well, that's another reason I'm pessimistic about the Thanksgiving and even Christmas because of the fact that before the shutdown, these 10% cuts in reductions were not exclusively because of the government shutdown, they were reduced because of the fact that they were already 3,000 controller short.

And you can't just pull a controller out of -- out of the closet like a suit and put it on because that's not how it works. It takes many, many months and a lot of different people. It takes -- only about 50% of the people that go through the academy actually pass the test to become controllers. So, it's going to take quite some time. Certainly, through Christmas, it may be another six months before we see people actually being hired and that staffing level being where it needs to be.

BRUNHUBER: Wow, six months. You know, certainly, something that is concerning for many travelers. And then also concerning is the safety elements. I mean, beyond just getting those flights back into the air, I mean, what about all the safety inspections and so on that were put on hold during the shutdown? I mean, how confident should passengers be that, you know, nothing has fallen through the cracks?

SOUCIE: Well, that's a really good question. I think the safety in my mind, as a safety investigator, I don't see that there's any safety concerns at this point nor will there be over the next six months because they're doing the right thing.

And this is really unprecedented. The FAA has never restricted flights like this due to the capacity of the airspace, and I really admire them for having the guts to do that. That needs to continue so that there are no overdue burdens and causing safety issues. It's going to be delays, it's going to be inconvenience, but I don't see it affecting safety directly now.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. And, finally, because this is an international program, I mean, we have to acknowledge this isn't just a U.S. problem. The global aviation system is all sort of tied together here. So, how long, do you think, that international travelers might sort of cast a wary eye towards their travel here in the U.S?

SOUCIE: Well, me, for example, I've cut back on some international travel I was planning on because of the fact that I'm wary about the ripple effect of what's going on in the United States. They say that the international flights have not been reduced, which is true. However, getting back into the airspace system when it's already being restricted is a difficult thing to do. So, I would be hesitant about foreign travel at this point, at least until after Christmas, if you can avoid it.

BRUNHUBER: I appreciate all of that. As always, David Soucie, thank you so much.

SOUCIE: All right. Thank you, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Wall Street just had its worst day in a month. The Dow Jones Industrial fell nearly 800 points, the Nasdaq slid 536 points, and the broader S&P also fell. This comes as some on Wall Street are expressing concerns that delayed economic data from the shutdown may impact the Federal Reserve's economic outlook.

In Washington, a growing number of Republicans are breaking away from the party line and towards full disclosure on the Epstein files. Speaker Mike Johnson has scheduled a vote for next week on a bill to release the files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. A senior White House official says Johnson made President Trump aware of that decision once it became apparent the vote couldn't be stopped. Newly- released emails from Epstein mentioning Trump have helped fuel the push for a vote, and some lawmakers blame the Trump administration's handling of the crisis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REP. DON BACON (R-NE): If this comes on the floor, I will vote for it. I want transparency.

[02:10:00]

The worst P.R. job I've seen anywhere. I mean, initially, you know, back in February or March, whatever it was, we have all the Epstein lists right here, we're going to release it, and then, all of a sudden, there's nothing. It was sort of a self -- they shot themselves in the foot.

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Epstein vote is coming to the floor. Are you going to vote for it, this bill?

UNKNOWN: Yeah.

RAJU: You are?

UNKNOWN: Yeah.

REP. WARREN DAVIDSON (R-OH): I'm -- I'm going to vote for it if it comes up. I'm not on the Judiciary Committee, but I do want him to come and do some explaining. How is it that you had everything teed up and then, suddenly, there is nothing? You handed out binders to journalists. What was in the binders?

REP. MARIA ELVIRA SALAZAR (R-FL): I am a Florida girl.

RAJU: Uh-hmm.

SALAZAR: I have two daughters. So, I am -- I'm thinking. I'm thinking. I mean, you know, I'm sure that the president has nothing to fear.

RAJU: Yeah.

SALAZAR: We do need to know. We do need to know everything about Epstein.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: The BBC has apologized to President Trump over an editing blunder in a documentary. Trump's attorneys called the piece false and defamatory, and threatened to sue for a billion dollars. The documentary section of Trump's speech on January 6th, 2021 were misleadingly stitched together. The BBC says it has no plans to rebroadcast the documentary and rejects that it was defamatory. Two executives have resigned amid the controversy.

The U.S. carried out its 20th strike on an alleged drug boat this week. Defense Department official tells CNN the strike killed four people. Now, you can see videos of some of the earlier strikes, which have now killed a total of 80 people. Some experts and U.S. allies are questioning the legality of the attacks.

The U.S. has deployed more than a dozen warships to the Caribbean, including its largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford. The White House says it's going after drug traffickers. But Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says the U.S. is preparing to overthrow his government.

Meanwhile, four sources tell CNN that President Trump has received an updated briefing on options for possible military operations inside Venezuela. The sources say he's yet to decide how to proceed. A senior U.S. official says the options are part of an operation dubbed Southern Spear. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted online about Southern Spear on Thursday, but said it targets drug traffickers. Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is issuing an appeal to the American people. CNN's Stefano Pozzebon has this exclusive report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: We just came out of a rally of government supporters in Caracas. And actually, the Venezuelan leader, Nicolas Maduro, arrived at this march. We were able to approach him and ask him if he's not preoccupied with the build-up of U.S. military forces off the coast of Venezuela.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN (ON SCREEN TEXT): President, are you concerned about the possible aggression?

NICOLAS MADURO, PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA (through translator): We're focused on the people, governing with peace, with these young people building.

UNKNOWN (ON SCREEN TEXT): What is your message to the people of the United States, President?

MADURO (through translator): To unite for the peace of the continent. No more endless wars, no more unjust wars, no more Libya, no more Afghanistan.

UNKNOWN (ON SCREEN TEXT): Do you have a message for President Trump?

MADURO (Through translator): My message is, yes, peace. Yes, peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POZZEBON: The U.S. Department of Justice accuses Nicolas Maduro of being the leader of a narcotrafficking cartel and even placed $50 million bounty on his head. Maduro denies this accusation. But I think that the fact that he was willing to be seen walking around the streets of Caracas and surrounded by regular people shows us that he's willing to play. What a bold move. And at the same time, that perhaps he's not as worried as somebody in the White House would like him to be.

For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Caracas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Russia takes aim at Ukraine's capital, leaving scores of casualties and multiple buildings on fire. Still ahead, the aftermath of what Ukraine calls a new mass attack on Kiev. Plus, Palestinian patients and their caregivers are bracing for deportation from Israel back to a war-torn Gaza. We'll look at the concerns for their well- being and safety next. Stay with us.

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[02:15:00]

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BRUNHUBER: At least three people are dead and more than two dozen injured following what Ukraine calls a mass attack on its capital. Officials in Kiev said several buildings burned overnight and a medical facility was damaged. The warning also said that power, heat, and water could be out in parts of the city.

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesperson says Ukraine will have to come to the negotiating table sooner or later, adding that the longer Ukraine waits, the less leverage it will have. Russia has been accusing Ukraine of refusing to engage in peace talks, but Kyiv says Russia's demands are tantamount to surrender.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is trying to boost the morale of his troops in the southeast where Russia is advancing. He visited troops in the Zaporizhzhia region and said reinforcements are in the works areas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): Thank you again for your service. We have spoken with the commanders, and we'll be doing everything we can to reinforce you. We are aware of the problems you are experiencing. They're actually the same in all directions. Take care of yourselves. Glory to Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: NATO is conducting military drills focused on defending its eastern flank. The exercises called "Dacian Fall 2025: have been underway in Romania since mid-October. Their goal is to practice moving forces rapidly to Romania and Bulgaria in case of an attack. Thousands of troops are taking part in the drills. NATO has been beefing up forces in the eastern areas following reports of Russian airspace violations in multiple countries in the region.

[02:20:00] Israeli government identified the body of a deceased hostage returned by Hamas as Manny Godard. The 73-year-old man and his wife were killed during the October 7th Hamas attack. The hostages and missing families for him (ph) said Goddard, a father of four, was killed at his home in a kibbutz near Gaza, and his body was taken to the enclave. Israeli authorities confirmed his identity after his remains were released to Hamas, to the Red Cross, and then turned over to Israel on Thursday. The handover leaves three remaining deceased hostages in Gaza.

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees is warning that they don't have enough time, money or supplies to adequately help the people of Gaza. The UNRWA chief says the need for aid goes beyond food and includes access to clean water, health care, mental health support, waste management, and emergency repairs. UNRWA says it has about 6,000 aid trucks waiting in Egypt and Jordan.

Meanwhile, UNICEF and its partners are organizing a vaccine catch-up campaign aimed at reaching more than 44,000 Palestinian children who have missed vaccinations and other routine health care because of the war. Vaccines for measles, polio, and pneumonia are being administered.

Now, some Palestinians suffering from illnesses have been receiving treatment in Israel. They're now worried about their future as doctors say that Israel has decided to deport dozens of patients and their caregivers back to Gaza, where the World Health Organization says 94% of hospitals there have been damaged or destroyed. CNN's Jeremy Diamond reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, doctors at two East Jerusalem hospitals say that Israeli authorities have informed them that they intend to deport all Gazan patients being treated in those hospitals back to Gaza as early as next week. This news has been devastating for some of those patients and their families being treated in these hospitals, in particular because of the rarity of some of their conditions and the lack of sufficient medical care that exists in a devastated Gaza Strip.

Altogether, 89 patients and their companions are set to be deported back to Gaza as early as next week, according to those doctors. They include a teenager by the name of Yamin Al-Najjar, who has a rare blood disorder. He was medically evacuated from the Gaza Strip just two days before the October 7th attacks and has been living with his mother inside an East Jerusalem hospital.

But his mother is now concerned that it will be a death sentence for him to go back to the Gaza Strip, where not only the Strip is devastated in terms of any remaining buildings and residential areas, but also in terms of the health care system in Gaza that has been decimated over the course of two years of war.

In fact, even in East Jerusalem, he hasn't been able to get the proper treatment necessary, and his mother has been working for the last 14 months to first get approval from the World Health Organization to get him to another country, which she received, but she has still been fighting to try and find a third-party country that will host her son in a hospital abroad.

That has been one of the major backlog issues, not only for those Gazan patients in those East Jerusalem hospitals, but also for Palestinians inside the Gaza Strip who have been seeking medical evacuation, have gotten approval for it even in some cases from Israeli authorities, but simply have not been able to get approval from a third-party country that would be willing to host them.

Now, there is a question about whether this deportation will go forward next week. Most of these patients and their families are willing to go back to the Gaza Strip. But for those who will not, efforts are underway to try and fight that deportation order. We've seen in the past that the Israeli Supreme Court had stepped in back in March of 2024 to stop the deportation of some Palestinian patients from Gaza being treated in East Jerusalem. But for now, the Israeli authorities declining to comment to CNN. It's something that we will be tracking very closely, of course, over the course of the next week.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: There is outrage in the occupied West Bank after the latest attack by Israeli settlers. Palestinian authorities say Israeli settlers burned a mosque and sprayed it with racist graffiti early Thursday. Images show parts of the mosque's interior damaged by fire and glass windows smashed. Israeli military says it dispatched a team to review the incident, though no suspects were identified. The case has been transferred to Israeli police.

Settler attacks on Palestinians have surged this year. The U.N. report last week described more than 260 settler attacks in October, a record-high number since the U.N. began tracking incidents in 2006.

President Trump touted a peace deal between Thailand and Cambodia as proof that he can end conflicts. But now, the ceasefire is on the brink of falling apart.

[02:25:02]

We'll look at what's driving new tensions along the disputed border. And we've heard of flight delays, but how about space flight delays? We'll explain why the crew of this Chinese spacecraft was more than a week late coming home. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:30:18]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to all of you watching us around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

Police in Mexico City fired tear gas at a teachers union protest in Mexico City on Thursday. Hundreds of teachers and union members marched through the Capitol. They are demanding talks with the government about labor and education reforms. The union says recent government actions are undermining labor rights and threatening public education. Union leaders say they are considering holding a national walkout.

The Border Patrol official tasked with carrying out Donald Trump's immigration crackdown in U.S. cities, is reportedly heading to a new town. A source familiar with the plan says Gregory Bovino is leaving Chicago with his immigration agents. This follows weeks of aggressive clashes with protesters that have prompted several lawsuits.

Bovino is said to be heading to Charlotte, North Carolina. Police there say they're expecting border patrol officers to arrive as early as Saturday. They also say they haven't received specific details about the operation.

While some residents of a Chicago suburb of sending a message to Border Patrol agents trying to round up undocumented immigrants. They say the agents' tactics aren't welcome in their community and they're turning on cell phone cameras, blowing whistles and confronting agents directly.

CNN's Shimon Prokupecz has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): David Brooks captured this Border Patrol arrest on Halloween. Then came the real horror.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sir, she is a citizen of the United States of America.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get back or I'm going to shoot you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're going to what? You're going to (EXPLETIVE DELETED) shoot me? Damn! You're going to (EXPLETIVE DELETED) shoot me?

All right, tough guy.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Look again from another angle.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fuck you, you piece of shit. You piece of shit.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Border Patrol had just been involved in a crash. Cell phone video shows them taking a woman out of a red car and pinning her to the ground.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey! Hey!

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): As a crowd gathered, Brooks filmed as people were detained, then stared down the barrel of an agent's gun.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shoot me? PROKUPECZ: What was that like for you?

DAVID BROOKS, EVANSTON RESIDENT: Frightening, surprising, shocking. Nobody was threatening violence. There was a lot of yelling, a lot of screaming.

It was a charged situation, but I don't think it was anything that would warrant trying to control a crowd using a gun.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, don't put your hands on people.

PROKUPECZ: Here's how the Department of Homeland Security says things unfolded. That their Border Patrol agents were in an SUV and that they were coming up this street, they were trying to make a U-turn here, and that's when the red car slammed into the back of the SUV. However, witnesses here say that's not how things unfolded.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): They say the SUV, driven by those Border Patrol agents, purposely slammed on its brakes, causing the crash. DHS says its vehicle was being aggressively followed by the red car and called those who rushed to the scene agitated.

PROKUPECZ: Their argument is, well, go mind your business.

BROOKS: The crowd was annoying. And you don't beat people up because they're annoying you. It's a protest.

AMANDA BROOKS, DAVID BROOKS' WIFE: Let's say we have a legal right to protest.

D. BROOKS: Yes.

PROKUPECZ: Yes.

A. BROOKS: We do not have a right to break the law, but we have a legal right to protest.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): From Border Patrol caravans through the streets, to spot checks of landscapers. Here, top Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino walks the streets wearing a long gun. It's perceived intimidation these families say they're fighting.

PROKUPECZ: The Brooks family is one of many families that is using their phone to keep an eye on where ICE could be here. And one of the things they tell us their concern is, is the presence of ICE outside schools like this.

MAYOR DANIEL BISS (D), EVANSTON, ILLINOIS: So on Halloween, I was communicating with the superintendent. They decided rightly to have indoor recess, to not let kids out because it wasn't safe because of armed federal agents attacking people on the streets.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): When they spot immigration officers like here outside a Home Depot, they blow whistles to warn others. SAVANNA ESSIG-FOX, CO-FOUNDER, PINK POSTER CLUB: We do three short whistles if we think we see ICE, and that helps to alert your neighbors.

EMILY MILLER, CO-FOUNDER, PINK POSTER CLUB: Yes.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Savanna Essig-Fox and Emily Miller started Pink Poster Club. They hang flyers with information on civil rights, and run a grassroots network of residents keeping tabs on ICE. Most are moms. We first met some of them in front of their local school.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My son, anytime one of his friends is not at school, he comes home and he says, I'm so afraid they took him away.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): When sirens go off, they check their text messages.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They say there might be a suspicious car.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very much.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Amanda Brooks runs to protect kids on the playground.

[02:35:00]

MILLER: People all over Chicago and Evanston hear a whistle, and they run to them --

ESSIG-FOX: Yes.

MILLER: -- with their phones ready to film and to witness.

PROKUPECZ: Why is this an issue for you guys right now?

ESSIG-FOX: We have white skin. You know, we were born here. Like, we -- there's a level of privilege we have. We have comfortable lives here in Evanston. Like, there is a safety that we have, and that privilege we can use to do some good.

MILLER: In order for me to be able to enjoy my kids, and enjoy my other hobbies that I never do anymore, like reading or knitting or whatever. I can't just pretend something's not happening and go about my life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is wrong. How can you live with yourself?

PROKUPECZ: Can we show your arm? Is that OK? Do you mind?

JENNIFER MORIARTY, EVANSTON RESIDENT: Yes.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Jennifer Moriarty shows us the bruises on her arm, those she says she got while being detained during that confrontation on Halloween.

PROKUPECZ: What was the point of you being at this scene? MORIARTY: It just happened in front of me. It just -- I was walking with my phone out like this, about ready to hit record on the video, and then I was dropped on my back.

PROKUPECZ: Did you ever hit anyone?

MORIARTY: No.

PROKUPECZ: Did you ever threaten to hit anyone?

MORIARTY: No. No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is wrong with you? Why would you do this?

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): She shot this video from inside the car. Her hands coughed in the front. She was able to still keep her cell phone. She was one of the three people detained that day. That's her leaning out of the vehicle as agents pinned down another person.

MORIARTY: They put us in the vehicle. They didn't frisk anybody. They didn't arrest us. They didn't Mirandize us. I had access to my phone in the car.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Help us!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Help us, please!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Open the door!

MORIARTY: I'm surprised that they hurt the young man like they did, quite frankly.

PROKUPECZ: Was it hard to see, to sit there and see him --

MORIARTY: It was very hard to see. His left eye, it was super black, and it was getting very large. He was very distressed.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): DHS said that man grabbed the groin of one of the agents while being arrested, though that's not evident in the videos. The man who was detained with Moriarty didn't want to talk to CNN. But in that video from inside the car, he said he didn't know what he did wrong.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was just trying to help. I didn't even do anything.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Neither did I.

PROKUPECZ: How long did they hold you guys?

MORIARTY: Five hours. And most of that was driving around.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stupid mother --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shut up, dude. You are shameful.

MORIARTY: We were kidnapped. Absolutely. Absolutely. There was no arrest. It was as if to make an example, like no one is safe.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): The local mayor says all three were released without charges.

MORIARTY: I wasn't afraid. There was no fear for me that day. It was anger. But I'm also super enlightened and motivated by the people, the community. I mean, that was a crowd of probably 70 percent women. And these men were out there pulling their guns and trying to mace people. They're afraid of communities who are on alert.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PROKUPECZ: And CNN reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and border patrol about the agent who pointed the gun twice at protesters. And all of my emails were ignored. We also asked them about the allegations from Jennifer that she was kidnaped, and they also chose not to answer any of those questions.

Back to you.

BRUNHUBER: We'll be right back with more here on CNN NEWSROOM. Please stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:43:07]

BRUNHUBER: People on both sides of the disputed border between Thailand and Cambodia are bracing for conflict. That's because a ceasefire championed by President Trump appears to be on the brink of collapse.

On Thursday, regional observers visited people in Cambodia who were injured in an exchange of fire on Wednesday. One person was killed in the clash, which both sides accused the other of starting. Thailand and Cambodia fought a five-day conflict in July, killing dozens and displacing over 200,000 people. The two countries have clashed over their disputed border for decades, but July's fighting was the most serious in years.

Now, in October, the two sides signed a ceasefire in the presence of president Trump. The U.S. president hailed the agreement as proof of his claimed ability to end wars. But earlier this week, Thailand said it was suspending the ceasefire.

I want to get more now from Pavin Chachavalpongpun. He's the professor at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at Kyoto University and joins me live from Japan.

Thanks so much for being here with us.

So, we're seeing this gunfire again just days after Thailand suspend the peace deal. From your perspective, was this agreement ever really stable enough to hold, or were we just sort of waiting for the next incident to set things off? PAVIN CHACHAVALPONGPUN, PROFESSOR AT CENTER FOR SOUTHEAST ASISN

STUDIES, KYOTO UNIVERSITY: I think that is very doubtful because the ceasefire did not really specifically tackle the core issue. You know, in the Thai, Cambodian conflict, basically, this is about a number of reasons overlapping, you know, territorial claims and also, you know, the issue that they do not want to talk about it. Scammer. You know, and, and cyber fraud along the border.

So that's why, you know, as long as the two countries do not want to talk about this issue, I don't think the ceasefire deal. You know brokered by President Trump would work.

[02:45:01]

And as you can see right now, the deal is still in limbo.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. Where exactly on -- on just exactly on that. Where is this heading? I mean, is this deal actually dead, or are we looking at another round of serious fighting, as we've seen?

CHACHAVALPONGPUN: Well, we can't really say because this is basically unilateral move from Thailand or the Thai prime minister, just said it out loud that, you know, we would like to, basically throw it away. The deal and Cambodia, Cambodian side did not respond to the Thai move yet. And the Thai prime minister even challenged that, you know, they would they would not care what President Trump would have to say.

So, I guess that there would be some kind of, you know, two, sort of two things that could that could be happening. One is, could be a renewed conflict along the border. And maybe it might be a renewed attempt on the part of ASEAN, you know, especially by the chairmanship, Malaysia, to try to save, you know, peace between the two countries.

BRUNHUBER: Well, what pushed Thailand to taking this move? Do you think?

CHACHAVALPONGPUN: I think essentially, essentially, this is about the internal, you know, nationalist sentiment, you know, among a large number of Thai people. And, and this, this kind of sentiment, nationalism has been sort of, you know, buttressed by conservative forces, including the army, as we know army around the world would like to see war happening, you know, because it could justify their role and especially in the context of Thailand. The military has been involved in politics for so much, so long.

And one other thing I would like to mention also that is happened at this point in time when the role of China in this kind of conflict, and, and also because of the peace brokered by President Trump I think you could see the interplay between, you know, two superpowers in this -- in this bilateral conflict between Thailand and Cambodia. And at this point in time, the Thai prime minister and the king they are visiting China at the moment.

BRUNHUBER: Okay. So let's talk about the consequences of this then. So when Thailand tears up a peace treaty brokered by the Trump administration -- I mean, what does that do to Bangkok? Standing in the region. And then also, I mean, President Trump held this up as one of his diplomatic achievements.

So, given his reputation for taking umbrage, what kind of pressure consequences might there be from the Trump administration for this?

CHACHAVALPONGPUN: Well, definitely. I mean, Trump talks so much about ceasefire agreements, not just in this particular case, but elsewhere in the world. This is perhaps, you know, would be leading up to what he what -- he would like to have is basically Nobel Peace Prize. But I think the Thai case, the Thai Cambodian case, seem to show that, as much as we talk about peace between the two countries brokered by the U.S., is so much. So more into form rather than substance.

As I said, you know, there would be no focus on the real issue behind the conflict. It seems like people would like to talk about peace, but do not want to talk about how to resolve the conflict in the first place. So, I think this would jeopardize, the position and the image of President Trump.

And more than that, you know, it would bring, instability back into Southeast Asia. It would discredit the hard work of ASEAN as well.

BRUNHUBER: You talk about that instability. I want to talk about, before we go, the consequences of this for civilians. I mean, we saw dozens killed, some 200,000 displaced in July before this peace deal was signed. As you say, we don't know how Cambodia will respond to this, but if the agreement does, does collapse completely. I mean, what are the possible consequences here in terms of the human cost for civilians?

CHACHAVALPONGPUN: Well, definitely. The collapse ceasefire would rest the risk of the renewed cross-border, you know, clashes. You also talk about civilian impact, right? For example, civilian harm, including displacement.

It would, as I said, again, undermine regional forum like ASEAN, you know, which has helped push for, the peace making and also impact on trade, security, partnerships and also stability of Southeast Asia as a whole. So, yeah, it's going to be a devastating, devastating, you know, not necessarily for Thailand and Cambodia, but for Southeast Asia as a whole.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, so much at stake. Exactly. As you say, Pavin Chachavalpongpun, thank you so much for speaking with us. Really appreciate it.

CHACHAVALPONGPUN: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: All three Chinese astronauts are returning to Earth more than a week later than planned. Their journey home from China's space station was delayed because tiny debris in orbit is suspected to have cracked a window on their spacecraft.

[02:50:08]

Now the three had to wait nine days to voyage home using a backup plan.

I want to bring in CNN's Mike Valerio, who has more from Beijing.

So, Mike, you know what we're talking about here. A crack in the window, obviously much more serious than, you know, us getting a crack in our in our car window, right?

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, it could be devastating with the heat and pressure. And we know in our public consciousness from history, from cinema what something like that can do when there's a tiny crack in space or in any kind of space travel environment. So we're hoping, Kim, within the next hour to see these three brave astronauts return back to terra firma, touching down in the inner Mongolia region of China, sizable road trip away north from our position here in Beijing.

So, our window that were looking at is likely from 4:20-ish to around 4:50. Our time here in Beijing.

So, the background as you so lovely outlined there. This is a mission to Chinas space station. And thank goodness when we're talking about the backup plan, Kim, there were two spacecraft docked at Chinas space station, one for the incoming astronauts, one for the outgoing astronauts.

And we learned in greater detail this morning that we knew that there was some sort of damage because of likely space debris a few days ago, but China's manned space agency came out this morning and said it was a slight crack in the window of one of these spacecrafts that had formed that had made conditions not safe for a proper return for these astronauts. So essentially, for the sake of simplified conversation with the astronauts and the space agency did, is the outgoing astronaut said, can we borrow your car? We need a better spacecraft to go back home.

So that's exactly what they did. And, you know, wrapping up here, the greater, when you open the aperture of why this matters in a greater sense is because this is such a huge moment for China's space program. Within this month, were expected to see Chinas first private space company land a rocket booster, a reusable rocket booster like SpaceX has been able to do for years. Blue Origin just did it for the first time only a couple hours ago.

So certainly, a moment for Chinese -- China's space program. It's trying to show the world, that it has moved into this arena that has been long dominated by the United States, and it doesn't want to blemish its safety record in any respect. So we're expecting the safe return of these astronauts in just a couple of minutes, hopefully within the next hour, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. So, as we watch for that, that leads to the obvious question. You talked about these three astronauts borrowing the car of the other astronauts that are still at the space station. So how do the ones who are on the space station actually get back home? VALERIO: They're going to send a new car earlier than expected. The

Shenzhou 22 was scheduled to go up to the Tiangong space station. You know, at some point next year, in 2026. The expectation is that the new spacecraft goes up a heck of a lot sooner, because right now, to your point, they don't have a safe option to get back down to Earth.

The remaining astronauts. So, it's the expectation they'll send up a new spacecraft much sooner than expected, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Interesting. All right. Well, well keep monitoring those astronauts return. Really appreciate it.

Mike Valerio in Beijing, thank you so much.

All right, coming up, Blue Origin's new Glenn rocket successfully launches into orbit and aces a critical test. We'll explain next. Stay with us.

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[02:56:18]

BRUNHUBER: We'll see it there. Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin has launched a landmark mission to Mars towering new Glenn rocket took off Thursday from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It was carrying a pair of satellites that are now on a long journey to the Red Planet. Blue Origin also landed the first stage of its rocket back on a seafaring platform for the first time. That's a major milestone in making new Glenn reusable.

Tennis superstar Carlos Alcaraz has secured his year-end world number one ranking. The 22-year-old Spaniard is moving on to the semifinals of the ATP tournament in Turin, Italy. Alcaraz edged out Jannik Sinner, who topped the men's field last year. The two faced off in the finals of the French Open, the U.S. Open, and Wimbledon, with Alcaraz winning the first two. Alcaraz last held the number one ranking in 2022.

Well, talk about an extreme sport, 34 of the world's finest aerial athletes took part in the first 15 stage ultimate aerial obstacle course that was billed as the first event of its kind to take place globally and included elite wingsuit pilots, paragliders, aerobatic pilots and drone teams to complete challenges like human catapults, sky slalom through the alps and jet skis dropping from plane in famous locations across Europe, the Middle East and the Americas.

Well, that wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back in just a moment with more news.

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