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Trump Arrived In Malaysia For Multi-Stop Asia Trip; Trump Oversees Signing Of Peace Accord Between Cambodia And Thailand; Trump To Meet With Chinese President This Week; President Trump Says He'll Increase Tariffs On Canada By 10 Percent; Russia Intensifies Deadly Airstrikes On Kyiv; Israel Carries Out Strike In Gaza Targeting Jihad Militant; Trump Ramps Up Pressure On Hamas To Return Bodies Of Hostages; One Dead, Six Injured In Shooting At Lincoln University; Hurricane Melissa Intensifies, Now Major Category Four Storm; Black Enrollment At Many Elite Colleges Dropped This Fall; Food Stamp Benefits In Limbo Amid Government Shutdown; Suspects Arrested Over Jewel Theft From Louvre Museum In Paris; Turning Vacant Lots Into Eco- Friendly Flower Farms. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired October 26, 2025 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:44]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: It's Sunday, October 26th. Welcome to CNN THIS MORNING. I'm Victor Blackwell.

Here's what's happening this morning. President Trump is in Asia for a busy week of meetings with world leaders. He oversaw the signing of a peace agreement this morning. But the big moment will be a high stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. More on that coming up.

Now, back in the U.S., we're also following the breaking news out of Pennsylvania.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I started to run, too, because, you know, I don't want to get hit by any gunshots or anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Police say seven people were shot during homecoming events at Lincoln University. New details we're hearing from police this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't make stupid decisions like coming out in the middle of the storm.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Jamaica is on alert as hurricane Melissa closes in. This slow-moving storm is expected to quickly strengthen into a rare category five storm in just hours. And have you seen this? A video shows the moment a driver nearly hit a plane that was crash landing on a road in Oklahoma City. We've got the story behind this coming up.

All right. First up this morning, President Trump in Asia meeting with foreign leaders for trade deals and peace agreements. He arrived in Malaysia overnight greeted by officials. You see the president here dancing, he calls it, along with onlookers as he walked down the red carpet.

One of the first events signing off on a peace agreement between Cambodia and Thailand. A border conflict broke out between the two countries back in July.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They really like each other. I'm not used to that. When I do these deals, usually, there's a lot of hatred. They liked each other, so it made it a little bit easier. But millions of people are alive today because of this peace treaty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: He also hashed out a trade deal with Thailand, and he's looking ahead to more. CNN's Ivan Watson joins me now from Kuala Lumpur. So, the Thai and Cambodian diplomats not calling this a peace deal. What do we know about it?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was a joint declaration. President Trump twice referred to it as a peace treaty. Basically, the background is that these two neighboring countries in southeast Asia fought a deadly five-day conflict across their disputed border back in July. Thirty-five people at least killed, more than 200,000 people displaced. And after days of fighting, which involved Thai F-16s carrying out airstrikes into Cambodian territory, rocket fire from the other side into Thailand, they agreed to a ceasefire that was agreed upon here in Kuala Lumpur, their leaders.

President Trump played a role in helping get all sides to agree to this. He actually threatened higher tariffs at one stage. Well, fast forward a couple of months and now you have the leaders of those two countries with President Trump and the prime minister of Malaysia agreeing to a joint declaration which calls for establishing an observer team from southeast Asian countries to verify measures like removing landmines from the border, removing heavy weapons from both sides of the border. Take a listen to what the Malaysian prime minister had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANWAR IBRAHIM, MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER: The world needs leaders who promote peace strongly and to achieve that, you have to break some rules, as you did today. When the president arrived, he asked me to join him in the car. I said, that's against the security and protocol rules, and he was delighted to break the rules. And I --

TRUMP: It was a nice ride.

IBRAHIM: It was a nice ride. And we share a lot of things in common. I was in prison, but he almost got there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: All of these leaders have been lavishing praise on President Trump, crediting him with the peace initiative here. So, he's notching a diplomatic victory. And he has also arrived in a real dealmaking mood, announcing trade deals with Cambodia, with Malaysia. Pull aside talks with the president of Brazil, with whom he has exchanged harsh words in the past.

[06:05:03]

And we're hearing also about progress in talks that have taken place here this weekend between trade delegations from the U.S. and China, the world's second largest economy. And we've just heard from the U.S. treasury secretary Scott Bessent announcing in an interview with CBS that the White House would be removing a threat of 100 percent tariffs on China starting on November 1st as a result of what he's described as productive talks with the Chinese side. And they're anticipating a meeting between Trump and the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, in Korea in the days ahead, still waiting to hear official confirmation of that from the Chinese side, Victor.

BLACKWELL: Ivan Watson from Kuala Lumpur, thank you very much. President Trump is also escalating the trade spat with Canada. He says he'll increase tariffs on Canada by 10 percent. Now, the U.S.-Canada trade minister says that he hopes for, quote, "constructive discussions" with the U.S. all because of an ad Ontario used to criticize the tariffs.

The ad featured a speech from President Ronald Reagan, which his foundation says misrepresented his words. That ad will be paused on Monday to allow trade talks to resume, but it's already aired during the first two World Series games between the Dodgers and Blue Jays.

Russia is stepping up its aerial assault on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. Deadly missile and drone attacks this weekend have used -- have Ukraine's president, I should say, desperately seeking more western air defense systems. The two aerial assaults in 24 hours killed at least three people, wounded dozens more, including six children.

Several residential high rises were hit. President Trump has no plans to discuss a ceasefire with Russian President Vladimir Putin anytime soon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I'm going to have to know that we're going to make a deal. I'm not going to be wasting my time. I've always had a great relationship with Vladimir Putin, but this has been very disappointing. I thought this would have gone long before peace in the Middle East. I could say almost any one of the deals that I've already done, I thought, would have been more difficult than Russia and Ukraine, but it didn't work out that way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Paula Hancocks is tracking the latest developments here. She joins us live from Abu Dhabi. Paula, catch us up.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Victor, it has been a particularly deadly weekend in Ukraine. As you say there have been attacks overnight Friday into Saturday and then again Saturday into Sunday as residents in the capital in Kyiv were sleeping. A number of high-rise buildings were hit.

We have heard from President Zelenskyy of Ukraine saying they've been striking residential buildings, our people, our children. He also had some figures showing just how significant the Russian attacks over the past week have been on Ukraine, saying that there's been more than 1,200 drones, more than 1,300 guided aerial bombs.

And he is also renewing his request for more patriot missiles, to beef up the air defense systems that Ukraine has at this point. Now, just over the past couple of days, the majority of the drones and missiles being fired by Russia have been intercepted. They have been shot down, but not all of them. And this really is showing that there is a shortfall in the air defense system in Ukraine.

We've also heard from President Zelenskyy that he had been pushing for those long-range tomahawk missiles as well, wanting to target the oil and energy facilities deep inside Russia. That has been knocked back by the U.S. president. But we have been hearing words of support from the so-called Coalition of the Willing meeting on Friday.

They have -- we heard from the U.K. prime minister, from NATO secretary general, pushing for more countries to be arming Ukraine, pushing for more countries to be carrying out sanctions on Ukraine as well. The U.K. prime minister says it is crippling Russia's economy and that it is showing there is a clear, coordinated effort from the U.S., the U.K., and the E.U. with their sanctions, Victor.

BLACKWELL: Paula, Israel just carried out a strike in Gaza hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio departed. Israeli military says that it targeted Palestinian Jihad militant planning an imminent attack. What's the possibility that this could jeopardize this ceasefire? What are we hearing from President Trump, if anything?

HANCOCKS: So, this is the first time that we've seen this outbreak of violence in the last week. Certainly, last weekend, there were great concerns of how fragile this ceasefire is. We don't appear to have such significant concerns at this point. But President Trump has not specifically spoken of this strike that Israel carried out against Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

[06:10:07] Now, Palestinian Islamic Jihad has denied that they were about to carry out an attack. But what we did hear from the U.S. president, he was asked on Air Force One, what if this ceasefire does collapse, and he said, quote, "it would be on Hamas." Saying that they would have a very, very big problem.

He's also been very vocal in pushing Hamas to bring more Israeli hostages back to Israel. We know 15 of the bodies of those hostages deceased in Gaza have been released so far, and he is pushing for more over. He said he's watching it very closely over the next 48 hours, Victor.

BLACKWELL: Paula Hancocks joining us from Abu Dhabi. Thank you. President Trump has presided over what he calls a peace deal or a peace treaty between Thailand and Cambodia, two countries with a long- standing border dispute. The president calls it historic. But Thailand's foreign minister is refusing to go that far, does not describe it as a peace deal.

The document the countries signed refers to it as a joint declaration on the outcomes of their meeting. CNN global affairs analyst Kimberly Dozier joins us now. Let's talk first about the significance, good morning and welcome, of what was signed by Cambodia and Thailand. What is it? And does it go as far as the president says?

KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: It is good that the fighting stopped, but essentially what President Trump did was use the threat of tariffs on two fragile nations that need trade with the United States for their economic survival, to wedge them into this peace agreement. But all it is, when you look at the details is some agreement on demining and to talk about future talks. It didn't resolve any of the border agreements that have been driving -- the border disagreements that have been driving this. But they were over a barrel.

Essentially, that is what Trump has done. That whole adage of walk softly and carry a big stick with Trump, it's walk softly and carry the threat of big tariffs.

Will this last? A lot of regional actors say no, but each of these leaders needs to make nice with Trump. So, they're going to make it look at least like if it falls apart, it's the other guy's fault.

BLACKWELL: OK. Let's look ahead now to this meeting with Xi Jinping of China. The president says that first he wants help from Xi to get Russia to a deal to end Putin's war on Ukraine. Is that -- is that any more than wishful thinking?

DOZIER: China does have a certain amount of leverage over Russia. It is supplying Russia's economy, which helps drive its war machine. And the two have a new long -- new very strong alliance. At least it's an enemy of my enemy is my friend sort of situation.

That said, China wants an end to this. But Russia has set its sights on capturing as much of Ukraine as it can. So far, we haven't seen any sign that Putin has been dissuaded from that. China has asked Putin in the past to step back from this, that this war isn't a good idea. But that hasn't stopped it.

So, will Xi tell Trump that he can have some influence as part of this larger trade deal bargaining? Perhaps but I don't think you're going to see China really tighten the screws on Moscow.

BLACKWELL: President Trump also said that he's not going to have any meetings with President Putin unless he's -- he believes that Putin is serious about a deal. There are new sanctions for the first time on Russia in -- of this term, I should say. How does that resonate the Kremlin that the president says, well, I'm not meeting with you until you're serious?

DOZIER: Well, some of the advisers around Putin have dismissed this, but it does show a serious change in Trump's emotional state that he recognizes that he rolled out the red carpet literally for Putin and that despite the nice phone calls and that reception in China -- in Alaska, it hasn't stopped any of Putin's war making on the ground.

And so now Trump is saying, I'm not going to invest my time and my imprimatur on another meeting unless Putin is serious about a ceasefire. So, perhaps President Trump is learning that Putin is just going to draw this out for as long as he can to get as much territory as he can, and that no longer works for Trump.

BLACKWELL: And for the Europeans, I mean, they've been here before, right?

DOZIER: Yes.

BLACKWELL: They thought that the president was on board with the sanctions ultimatum until he wasn't, that he was on board with going after a ceasefire until he wasn't. There was a meeting in Budapest that was coming until it wasn't.

[06:15:00]

So, to hear the president now say that, well, I'm not going to meet with you until I hear that you're serious, do they take that seriously?

DOZIER: The fact that it was followed up with sanctions against major Russian oil companies, that they take seriously. They feel like that's action that follows the words, and that hurts Putin. So, that could possibly put some pressure on Putin ahead of a winter when they're already fuel supply shortages in Russia. And Putin needs energy supplies for his people, or he's going to face a certain amount of unrest. So, the Europeans are happy with this development.

BLACKWELL: All right. Kimberly Dozier, thank you so much. Breaking overnight, at least one person was killed and six others injured in a shooting at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania during the school's homecoming festivities. The shooting happened outside the school's international cultural center late Saturday night. It sent crowds running for cover. Officials say one person with a gun was arrested, but police are still working to piece together what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTOPHER DE BARRENA-SAROBE, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, CHESTER COUNTY: We don't have a lot of answers about exactly what happened. What I will tell you is that today we're operating as if this is not an incident where someone came in with the design to inflict mass damage on a college campus. We're collecting ballistic evidence and going through that evidence.

Now, we have detained one person. That person was in possession of a firearm.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro says that he has been briefed on the shooting. He also offered his administration's full support to the university and local law enforcement.

Still to come, hurricane Melissa is barreling toward Jamaica. We'll have the latest on the storm's path and how people are preparing for this extreme weather.

Plus, a major gathering of Catholics in Italy calling for greater inclusion of the LGBTQ community. We'll have more on the proposal ahead.

And we're following breaking news out of Paris. Two people have been arrested now in connection with that heist at the Louvre last weekend. What we know about that just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:21:58]

BLACKWELL: Hurricane Melissa is now a major category four storm, and forecasters warn that it could intensify into a rare category five hurricane by tonight. This is a slow-moving storm, and it could drop up to -- up to 40 inches of rain on parts of Haiti and Jamaica, which looks to be the epicenter for the worst of Melissa's rainfall, the strong winds, the storm surges.

A hurricane warning is in effect for all of Jamaica, parts of Haiti also where preparations are happening now for what could be the strongest hurricane to ever make landfall in Jamaica. And residents there say they're worried for what's to come.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DIANE THOMPSON, KINGSTON RESIDENT: I want it moving slowly. It's not the right thing. It's the worst because no one knows what's next. Do you understand? Me and my God have no problem. And I asked him this morning to see if he can turn back the storm. Because no matter what, we cannot manage it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: CNN meteorologist Chris Warren is tracking the storm for us now. Chris, she says they can't manage it and it is coming.

CHRIS WARREN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is. You used the word epicenter.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

WARREN: And when this is over, some of the damage is going to look like a major earthquake, right? So, there's going to be structural damage. And what's going to be different from an earthquake is that a lot of vegetation is going to be wiped out because of this major hurricane.

Now, we talked about major hurricanes. That's a category three, four, and five. And that's when hurricanes go from being dangerous or very dangerous into being devastating at category three. Category four, category five, catastrophic damage can be anticipated, can be expected with this.

An eye right there, very obvious. The more symmetrical, the more, I hate to say it, but beautiful looking a storm is, the more organized it is, and the more dangerous the storm is. This is a category four hurricane, had extreme rapid intensification.

Yesterday, talking about tropical storm. Now, a major hurricane that is going to last for days as it moves across Jamaica. This is another way to look at that. The yellow, the tropical storm force winds. The orange, stronger tropical storm force winds. But the very dangerous red circle within the two other circles, that is going to be the hurricane force winds.

And if this is making landfall as a four or a five, there will be, along with the very heavy rain, that could be a catastrophe in its own right, we're going to be seeing storm surge as well. Another way to look at this, here is tonight at 11:00, heavy rain going into the mountains, which rings out even more moisture and causes more problems.

It's not leaving until Tuesday morning. Wednesday -- or Monday looks to be the worst. And then by Wednesday is really when things will be calmer for Jamaica. But then the threat moves on.

And then here's that surge. So, Victor, when we look at the surge, the winds pushing water inland and up to about nine feet while water is trying to drain out of the mountains, this is a very, very bad situation.

BLACKWELL: All right. Chris, thank you very much. Let's get now to Andrew Reid. He is a general manager of the Island Village Plaza in Lilliput, Jamaica.

[06:25:00]

Mr. Reid, thank you for being with me. Before we get to the worst of the winds and landfall, which is still a little while off, what's the weather like there now? Are you starting to see the beginning of this rain? ANDREW REID, GENERAL MANAGER, ISLAND VILLAGE: Yes. So, actually, the plaza is in Ocho Rios where I work, Island Plaza. But I'm in Lilliput, which is just outside of Montego Bay. So far, we have -- we're having intermittent rainfall and winds. I think it's picking up.

However, as we speak now, the rain is coming down and the wind -- different parts of the island, however, that are being affected much worse. We have flooding. We have trees down. We have power outages in more in the eastern side of the island.

BLACKWELL: Yes. Obviously, Jamaica has been hit by hurricanes before. This might be the strongest one to hit Jamaica. What's your greatest concern?

REID: Well, the strongest one I've been in was in Gilbert in the 80s. And where I was in Ocho Rios, we had a lot of wind and rough seas.

Once you're not in a flood prone area, then your biggest concern is wind. You know, and so that was devastating for Ocho Rio. A lot of signs came down the sea, came up a bit. So, this one is terrible because the warnings have been prolonged and there's a lot of activity more yesterday than even during the coming week with supermarkets being crowded, the gas stations being crowded.

People are now -- seem to be taking it serious as there's more news. All the ministries have now been online, on TV, on radio, giving warning and giving hints and explaining where shelters are. So, I think the people now are taking it serious and have taken it serious, especially in areas where -- are affected already.

BLACKWELL: Certainly, some dire warnings coming from meteorologists. You likely just heard what Chris says is coming. What do your personal preparations look like?

REID: Well, I came home and I put ply around my windows. I've taken up furniture and other things that can be blown around.

I've also got flashlights. I got my generator going and we have just according to you, we're hunkered down, you know, hoping for the best. A lot of prayers, you know, going out and just riding it out.

But as I said, Gilbert was a little bit scary. So, we are just hoping that, you know, we're -- we'll be able to keep safe in this one.

BLACKWELL: All right. A challenging couple of days ahead for you. Mr. Andrew Reid there in Lilliput. Thank you so much for your time. And we, of course, will be thinking about you.

A new analysis finds that black enrollment is waning at many elite colleges after the Supreme Court banned affirmative action in admissions. We'll discuss more with an admissions expert after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:32:36] BLACKWELL: In Italy more than a thousand bishops, clergy, nuns and believers called for an end to LGBTQ discrimination within the Catholic Church. An assembly they are approved a proposal urging the church to do more to support gay and transgender Catholics and their families. It's also calling for a greater recognition of women's roles in the church.

This marks a major shift for Italy's Catholic community, which has long opposed same-sex unions and anti-homophobia laws.

A South Dakota company is recalling more than two million pounds of Korean barbecue pork jerky over concerns that they may condemn metal.

The company pulled the jerky from Costco and Sam's Club after customers reported finding pieces of wiry metal in the packaging. The fragments were traced back to a conveyor belt used in production. No injuries have been reported and customers are urged to bring or throw it away or return it for a refund.

Look at this, this moment caught on video a driver in Oklahoma City just barely missed slamming into a plane that was crash-landing on the road.

That aircraft struck two power poles, sparked a small grass fire. But crews were able to quickly put out those flames. Officials say the two people on board walked away from the crash without injuries.

Black enrollment at several Ivy League universities dropped this fall, that's after steady increases over decades.

Analysis by the Associated Press shows the decrease two years after the Supreme Court prohibited affirmative action as a factor in admissions. The decline coincides with the President's scrutinizing elite colleges and their policies.

Now there is one exception of these elite schools, Smith College. The number of Black students enrolled there has risen.

Joining me now is the Vice President of Enrollment at Smith College, Joanna May. Thank you so much for being with me.

So, the AP looked at 20 schools and they found a decrease from 2023 to 2025 of Black students in the freshman class except for Smith. You see, we'll put the numbers for Smith up, the increase there.

So, what do you attribute that outlier status? What are you doing that the others are not?

JOANNA MAY, VP FOR ENROLLMENT, SMITH COLLEGE: Well, I think it's a testament to Smith as an institution and to the admission staff and how they articulate the value of Smith education to students. We overall enrolled one of our largest classes in history this year in one of our most selective admission cycles. We actually have a similar number of Black applicants to past years and admitted slightly fewer Black students this year.

[06:35:17]

But our yield on Black students, so the number of admitted students who chose Smith increased significantly. And the reasons that happen, I think, of course, are very individual for every student and family. But I think that as a whole -- as a whole, the students are looking for college, the kind of college environment that Smith provides and that our mission resonates with students, particularly students of color.

V. BLACKWELL: Let's put up some of the comparable schools here in the decreases from 2023 to 2025. Columbia in 2023, 20 percent of their freshman class was Black, 13 percent this year. Harvard 18 percent versus 11.5. Princeton 9 percent in 2023, 5 percent this year.

Diversity at the Department of Education has become in some ways a dirty word. And there are universities or schools that are shy of using it. I've read some of the interviews you participated in, even internally within the school, and it's a word that you all don't shy away from.

Do you believe that this outlier status and your attention to diversity makes you a target?

MAY: I think we're staying focused on Smith and we're thrilled with the increased diversity of the class. And we were founded 150 years ago at a time where women were not allowed to attend elite colleges and universities. And so that mission of access and academic excellence has been a hallmark of Smith from the beginning. And I think students are connecting to that more now, you know, perhaps given the political moment.

But I think we're, you know, we're just staying focused on us and we're following the law that was established by the Students for Fair Admission decision. We don't consider racial classification in our admissions process, but we still strive to enroll a diverse student body and diverse across every different metric, not just race and ethnicity, but geography, socioeconomic background, academic interests, extracurricular talent, because we know Smith is a better and stronger place when students are exposed to people who are different than them.

V. BLACKWELL: And so you say you don't consider race in admissions, as is prohibited by law now after the ruling from the Supreme Court. But the President and the administration have been zeroing in on some of those racial proxies, as they say, at the ways to get to the question of race without asking it explicitly. And you also say that you are not using those?

MAY: Correct. We actually don't get access to the racial demographics of the applicant pool, either for individual applicants or for the pool as a whole, until after the student is enrolled. And so, we don't really know what the diversity of the class or the pool is until that information is revealed over the summer once the classes is closed.

We've always strove to enroll a socioeconomically diverse student body. We offer one of the best financial aid programs in the country. We meet the full demonstrated need of every student, and we do that with grants and not loans. So our students are able to graduate debt- free.

We just announced a new financial aid initiative called the Next 150 Pledge in honor of Smith's 150th anniversary, where students coming from families who make up to $150,000 annually can actually attend tuition-free, and many of them qualify for aid and access to that. And that helps all students, helps all low-income students, including students of color and other students as well.

V. BLACKWELL: Joanna, I know that several times in our interview you said we're focused on us, we're focused on Smith, we're focused on what we do.

But let me ask you to look a little beyond your own campus and some of these other schools where we're seeing the drop-off of Black members of freshman classes after the end of affirmative action. And there are some opponents of affirmative action who say, see, this evidences that there were members of these classes, there were admissions of Black students and other students who were elevated to schools and positions that they weren't qualified for, and because affirmative action is no longer the policy, those students are not being enrolled at the same rates.

What would you tell someone who believes that we're seeing this decrease at the other schools because of the end of affirmative action, and affirmative action was bringing in people not based on merit?

MAY: I think that's a false narrative. And actually, if you look at students, all students, even students who are first-generation college or low-income or students of color, they actually do equally well at most schools to other students.

[06:40:01]

So, I think the diversity of the student body is really important. And we've always, even prior to the SFFA decision race was only one factor of many first and foremost, we are bringing students who are academically prepared and qualified and also students we think are going to contribute to the student life community and actually community of our colleges. And that's what we're trying to do.

V. BLACKWELL: All right, Joanna May of Smith College. Thank you for the conversation this morning. Enjoy the Sunday.

MAY: Thanks so much. Bye.

V. BLACKWELL: All right, people are bracing for food stamps to run out as the government shuts down goes on.

What else is being impacted by the shutdown? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:45:26] V. BLACKWELL: Welcome back. Millions of Americans are at risk of losing access to food stamps and their benefits next month if the government shutdown continues.

The federally funded Supplemental Nutritional Program known as SNAP feeds more than 42 million low-income Americans each month. Now added to that number is the thousands of government workers furloughed who've also filed for aid.

President Trump responded with these remarks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you going to direct the Department of Agriculture to fund food stamps next month --

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES: Yes, everybody's going to be in good shape. Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

V. BLACKWELL: Yes, no details on what exactly the next steps will be as Congress remains at an impasse over funding the government.

We're following breaking news out of Paris. Two suspects have now been arrested in connection with that heist at the Louvre last weekend.

According to the Paris Prosecutor's Office, the suspects were taken into custody last night. Sources familiar with the investigation tells CNN affiliate BFMTV that one of the two suspects was captured just as he was about to board a flight to Algeria.

Let's go now to CNN senior international correspondent, Melissa Bell. She joins us live from Paris.

All right, Melissa. What do you know about the arrests?

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on-camera): Well, it comes just under a week since this dramatic heist. You remember it was last Sunday morning Victor, when these main -- these men gained entry to the Apollo Gallery taking away what we now know represented more than $100 million worth of jewelry, all of these necklaces, tiaras, earrings worn by the 19th century queens of France.

A hundred investigators have been working on the case ever since. And finally, the breakthrough moment we were all waiting for, two men arrested last night. One of them at on the on the way out of the country, we understand on his way to Algeria.

The prosecutor is remaining pretty tight lipped about the rest of it as is France's interior minister speaking to the fact that whilst this investigation continues and as they keep making progress on this case they want to keep as much information themselves, keep their cards as close to their chest as they can. We understand there may be other arrests but these two men certainly now in custody one had been trying to get to Algeria. We understand also from French press reports Victor that their men in their 30s. But there had been such pressure on this particular unit of French police, the BRB as it's known to try and get to the bottom of this case and fears that they might not be able to at all given the complications involved. What we understand as well is that it was thanks to DNA evidence Victor that was left on the scene of the crime that they managed to make these arrests.

We wait for more details of this, but certainly a big moment here in France when there had been such shock and horror that this theft could have taken place at all.

They have now got their hands then on two of these suspects. They believe what they don't have for now we understand from French media is any idea yet of where the jewels themselves might be Victor.

V. BLACKWELL: That was going to be my follow up and you hit it right at the end.

Melissa Bell for us there from Paris. Thank you so much.

The shocking jewelry heist at Paris's Louvre Museum in broad daylight. How did it happen. Investigators closer to learning the identity of maybe the others that they're looking for.

Watch "THE HEIST THE LOUVRE'S STOLEN CROWN JEWELS," tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:53:14]

V. BLACKWELL: On Chicago's south side, the neighborhood of Englewood is a classic example of what many call urban blight. But where many only see decay.

This week's CNN Hero sees potential. Quilen Blackwell is bringing life to these empty spaces and creating much-needed jobs for young people in the community.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUILEN BLACKWELL, OWNER, SOUTHSIDE BLOOMS: Most people wouldn't expect to see a full-flower farm here on the south side of Chicago. It's really cool to be able to bring that beauty to places where people least expect it.

I've been living in Englewood since 2015. It's one of the more dangerous neighborhoods, high poverty, high urban blight.

So you can kind of see storefronts that are boarded up. The building gets condemned. They'll knock the building down, and now it's a vacant lot.

Yes, these aren't parks. Most people will see the trash, the vacant lots. But for me, I see potential. We're here to try to bring life. Southside Blooms is a farm-to-vase florist. We'll take over vacant lots, grow our own flowers, design them in our flower shop, and then we do retail bouquets, weddings, corporate events, and everything in between. This is about creating opportunity in a place that desperately needs it.

Try to get some good stem length, you know the drill. A big part of what we do is creating jobs in the floral industry for at-risk youth.

What's your favorite flower?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The lily, cosmos.

Q. BLACKWELL: My favorite, it would be the red rose.

Growing up, I was very fortunate. I had a bevy of opportunities. I came to Chicago, started tutoring at a high school in Englewood, and I started to just realize I could be any one of these kids.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to do them tiger lilies and geese.

Q. BLACKWELL: There are people who want a chance at something better.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have to grow up fast around here. I lost a lot of friends, ended up in jail. I was looking for a job.

One of my friends, he was like, hey, bro, I got a job. I'm like, bro, flowers, what?

[06:55:04]

Working here, I see myself changing. Calmer, into nature. This was just an empty parking lot. We did this. We started all this. We cleaned it up. It's our community. I'm proud.

Q. BLACKWELL: Ready for the event?

HANNAH BLACKWELL, OWNER, SOUTHSIDE BLOOMS: Getting there.

Q. BLACKWELL: My wife, Hannah, trained at the floors. Figured out the youth training program.

H. BLACKWELL: It's a feel, so teaching kind of the basic concept and then kind of letting their creativity go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I learned, I paid close attention, I asked questions, and I fell in love with it.

I'm an example. I purchased my first apartment. I purchased a car. I try to tell everybody it's an opportunity. Every place you step in, you take advantage of it.

Q. BLACKWELL: Our young people are blossoming and blooming every single day.

(END VIDEOTAPE) V. BLACKWELL: For the full story about Quilen and his work, go to CNN.COM/HEROES.

Still to come, Kamala Harris is hinting at another run for president. What she said in a recent interview. Ahead.

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