Return to Transcripts main page

Connect the World

Democrats' Momentum Could Help Spur Deal to Reopen U.S. Government; Former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Retire at End of Term; FAA to Cut Flights if Shutdown Continues; Battle Grinds on for Key Ukrainian City; Call to Earth: CNN's "Guard Your Green Space" Initiative Underway; Paris Launches Lottery for Graves near Famous Artists. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired November 06, 2025 - 10:00   ET

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

[10:00:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Welcome to the second hour of the show from our Middle East programming headquarters. I am Becky Anderson and

you are with me in Abu Dhabi, where the time is just after 7 in the evening.

The United States reeling from the impact of the longest government shutdown in history. Starting tomorrow, major airports across the country

will start cutting flights if no deal is reached.

Plus, Typhoon Kalmaegi has slammed into Vietnam. It's one of the strongest storms ever to hit the country.

And it's Call to Earth Day here on CNN. We've got coverage from across the globe on how young people are facing up to the challenge of climate change.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ANDERSON: Well, it's all about momentum on Capitol Hill as lawmakers there try to end the longest government shutdown in American history. We're

hearing Senate Democrats pumped up from their party's big wins on Tuesday, hoping to capitalize on that momentum to spur Republicans into agreeing to

a compromise.

Now this shutdown is just one of the many problems facing president Donald Trump. For many Americans, the top issue is the economy. And they sent that

message to the president on Tuesday when Democrat candidates trounced Republicans in key races.

In New York, mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani clinched victory with an unrelenting focus on the cost of living. He is pledging to freeze rents for

more than 2 million residents.

Well, it's also important to note a major test of presidential power is underway at the Supreme Court. The justices are continuing to debate

whether Donald Trump exceeded his authority by imposing punishing tariffs on America's trading partners. CNN's Alayna Treene joining me now

Alayna, underscoring all of these issues is the headwinds in the economy, voters appearing to be clearly fed up. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon had some

thoughts on that in an exclusive interview with our colleague, Erin Burnett. Before you and I chat, let's just take a listen to part of that

conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMIE DIMON, CEO, JPMORGAN CHASE: So first of all, both Democrats and Republicans say that affordability is the issue.

ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: Yes.

DIMON: I don't think saying that is a policy. And I think there's truth to it. You can say as inflation, as jobs, wages aren't keeping up. It's kind

of all those things. And I think -- I've already mentioned there is truth to that. The lower income wages haven't gone up for a long period of time.

There's a -- there's weakening in the job market. There's no question, it's not recessionary. It's just weakening. But it'll continue to weaken. I

don't know.

But it goes back to this thing about you got it. When you graduate, whether it's high school or community college or college, the skills and you need

the skills to get the job. It's not enough anymore to say I can work hard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: What's been Donald Trump and his administration's reaction to this?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, there is a saying that comes up in every single election, whether it's national or it's local. And that

they say here in the States and that is, "it's the economy, stupid."

And that's exactly what we have heard in the aftermath of Tuesday night's elections, when Democrats really walked away with major victories across

the board.

Now the president has actually admitted that it was not a good night for Republicans. He said it was not a good night for the party.

But he's actually argued -- and he said this yesterday in an interview as well -- that it's not necessarily a cost-of-living problem that led to all

of this, despite, I should say, a lot of other Republicans, including many Republican allies like Steve Bannon, a fierce MAGA loyalist to the

president, have argued it is affordability and the cost of living.

The president is saying instead, it's messaging.

[10:05:00]

He argued in an interview yesterday that, as Republicans, you have to talk about it. You have to talk about the good things we're doing. And he tried

to say that part of the reason that people are still feeling some economic pain in this country is because of the previous administration under former

President Biden.

Of course, we are now into November. The president, president Donald Trump, took over in January. So not an argument that I think a lot of people are

still buying. But still, that's what he's trying to do, to shift the blame.

And so, look, I think from every conversation I've had, Becky, with people in that building behind me, they recognize that Tuesday night was a warning

sign. And, of course, the midterm elections are still a year away. But they have a lot of work to do. They have a lot of work to do, especially on

focusing on domestic issues.

I've heard from some critics of the president but Republicans nonetheless, who argue, you know, he's spending so much time focused on world issues,

global issues, he needs to also remind voters about what's happening here back home and what they can be doing to make that better for them.

ANDERSON: To a degree, I mean, he, you know, he was clearly very disappointed about these results but said that they were expected. He

blames the fact that he wasn't on the ballot as partly why Republicans didn't do well.

He was never going to be on the ballot, of course. These are local elections. And the other issue he suggested hurt Republicans was this

shutdown in the government, which is now the longest in U.S. history.

Any signs of progress at this point?

And any evidence that the Democrats have come together on one strategy at this point, after the voters spoke very clearly about the importance by

sticking by the hardest hit?

TREENE: Absolutely. And look, when it comes to the president, I mean, what he said yesterday was very remarkable. And the fact that he didn't only say

it privately, Becky, he had -- of course, I'm referring to a meeting he had yesterday with Senate Republicans here at the White House.

But he said publicly, when he was still on camera, that he believes Republicans are the ones who are getting the most blame when it comes to

the shutdown. That is essentially trampling all over the message that, of course, Republican leaders in Congress have been trying to argue, which is

that Democrats are to blame for this.

And he said, really, his solution for trying to end it is to nuke the filibuster. of course, that's a decades-old precedent that essentially

ensures that Democrats need to have some say in order to pass any law, including a law that would help reopen the government here.

But to your other point about Democrats and the broader complexity about where negotiations are, it is -- it's a very difficult space that they're

in. But there has been far more movement this week, even after Tuesday's election, than there had been previously.

Part of that is because there are some more centrist Democrats in Congress who are really having the most substantial negotiations now with

Republicans than they have through this entire process.

But I will also argue that Tuesday night's elections and the major victories Democrats saw did embolden some of the Democrats, including

Democratic leaders, to keep this shutdown going, to ensure that they can get what they need out of this process.

That essentially the voters spoke on Tuesday night and it shows that they want Democrats to continue pushing and fighting for their main goal here,

which is to secure some agreement on health care before health care subsidies expire by the end of the year.

However, it's important to note that it doesn't -- you don't need all Democrats, of course, to reopen the government and vote with -- and vote

with Republicans. They only need a couple of Democrats in order to do that.

And so we'll have to see whether or not that actually happens. But negotiations are in a better place from that point of view than they had

been previously.

ANDERSON: A lot of negotiation going on behind the scenes, not just between the two parties but internally, one assumes, in the Democratic

Party as well. Thank you.

Well, that is the party that we're going to focus on for what is our breaking news out of Washington this hour because it involves one of

America's longest-serving and most powerful members of Congress.

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi has announced that she is retiring at the end of her term. The former Speaker was elected to the House nearly 40 years ago.

CNN senior reporter Annie Grayer is live in Washington.

And even now, decades after her ascent to the top of the House Democratic Caucus, she remains one of the most influential voices in the party and in

American politics.

What's the impact of her retirement, not just for the people of her district -- of course we can talk about that -- but for the Democratic

Party as a whole?

ANNIE GRAYER, CNN CAPITOL HILL CORRESPONDENT: There is a huge impact with major ripple effects here for Nancy Pelosi's retirement.

[10:10:03]

She is a giant figure in Democratic politics. She is a prolific fundraiser. She was an expert vote counter. She almost never lost a vote on the House

floor.

And she is the first and only woman to serve as Speaker of the House, both in 2007 and in 2018. And in her second term as Speaker, she provided a

major check on president Trump during his first term in Congress.

But she has provided a major role model for particularly women in Congress, particularly as women, who are younger, running for Congress, are young

mothers. She has made children a major focus of her entire platform and she did not want to go out until she was ready.

She is now 85 years old but she now feels like she has accomplished enough to leave her legacy and for those behind her to carry the baton. Take a

listen to some of her words today as she was announcing her retirement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), FORMER U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER (voice-over): I have truly loved serving as your voice in Congress and I've always honored the

psalm (ph) of St. Francis, "Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace," the anthem of our city.

That is why I want you, my fellow San Franciscans, to be the first to know. I will not be seeking reelection to Congress.

With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service as your proud representative. As we go forward, my message to the city I love is

this, San Francisco, know your power.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRAYER: And it's no coincidence, the timing of her announcement here. Pelosi announced her retirement just two days after she helped California

pass a crucial ballot measure that was going to help Democrats gain more seats in the House of Representatives in the fight for the midterms next

year.

There's a broader redistricting battle happening across the country, so she has nothing by accident. Everybody knows that. And this timing of this

announcement is no different.

ANDERSON: Job done, she will feel.

Good for you. Thank you, Annie.

Well, as we've been reporting, the U.S. government shutdown is impacting air travel. And a warning to people flying in the U.S. this weekend, the

Federal Aviation Administration, the FAA, says it will reduce flights at dozens of major airports as early as Friday if no shutdown deal is reached.

Our aviation correspondent, Pete Muntean, following the story for us from Washington.

I mean, this is very -- this is -- this is big news.

Do we know which specific airports will be impacted if indeed flights are cut, Pete?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We think it's the core 30 airports, the biggest airports in the U.S., plus a few more. You know, supporters say

this is about safety but critical thinkers here, critics say, this could be really about political leverage.

With millions of travelers waking up to emails overnight from airlines warning about changes to their flights, this is now the most direct

consequence this government shutdown has had on air travel. And airlines were really blindsided by this directive.

I'm told carriers were given less than an hour's notice that the FAA would order flight reductions nationwide by Friday morning.

Here's the reasoning from the Trump administration. Air traffic controllers just received their $0 paycheck, the second of this government shutdown.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says that's built stress into the national airspace system. And it's reached a point where it is no longer

safe to operate flights at full capacity.

Here's the new directive. If there is no deal to reopen the government, the FAA will reduce flights by roughly 10 percent at 40 of the country's

busiest airports. An FAA source tells me that list is expected to include the core 30 airports, the busiest, most operationally critical airports

nationwide.

FAA administrator Brian Bedford says the new policy was guided by safety reports from pilots, not air traffic controllers, that these reductions are

intended to protect. Controllers tell me there's a lot of confusion among their ranks about how exactly this will be implemented.

Also, a lot of confusion from airlines, which are now scrambling to adjust their schedules. All four major U.S. airlines say they're complying with

this directive. They're giving passengers ways to change their flights free of charge.

And then there is this reaction from Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle. He called the directive unsustainable, saying, quote, "You cannot run the

national airspace system like this. This is not how a modern aviation system functions."

He even suggested travelers consider booking a backup ticket on a different airline. Unprecedented to hear that from an airline CEO.

Let's put it into context here. The U.S. handles about 45,000 flights a day. A 10 percent reduction is equivalent to the worst cancellation day of

the past year, every day, until the shutdown ends.

[10:15:05]

So this is not a small tweak because aviation is a multibillion-dollar industry. And when you slow down the system, you slow down commerce, you

slow down travel, you slow down supply chains, deliveries.

The clock is really ticking now. And never in modern U.S. aviation history, as the federal government has done an across-the-board cut flight capacity

like this, now seems passengers will be the ones paying for it.

ANDERSON: Good to have you, Pete. Just three weeks away from Thanksgiving, of course, which is the busiest weekend of the year. One has to assume that

this will be over by then. But we don't know that for sure. Good to have you, sir. Thank you.

Typhoon Kalmaegi has made landfall in central Vietnam. It barreled onto the coast with winds equivalent to a category three hurricane. Flooding rain is

expected to continue along the storm's path. The typhoon has already left at least 114 people dead in the Philippines. More than 100 others are

missing there.

(WEATHER REPORT)

ANDERSON: Well, today is "Call to Earth" day on CNN. It is a special day of action led by CNN to raise awareness about environmental issues

impacting our world. Later this hour, we're going to head to Atlanta, Georgia, to look at efforts there to nurture green spaces. More on that is

after this.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:20:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ANDERSON: Russian president Vladimir Putin says that Moscow is exploring the possibility of carrying out nuclear tests if the U.S. resumes its

nuclear testing. U.S. president Donald Trump recently instructed the Pentagon to do that, something neither country has done since the 1990s.

It wasn't clear whether Mr. Trump was referring to a nuclear weapons test or a test of a nuclear-capable weapons system. As Fred Pleitgen reports,

Putin is also promoting nuclear technology at home.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Russians certainly are pushing ahead with the modernization of their strategic

nuclear weapons program, something the Russian leader Vladimir Putin says is, of course, very important for the safety and security of this country.

But something that does have many other countries in the world quite concerned.

Now Vladimir Putin gave out awards -- state awards, to some of the scientists who are working on this strategic nuclear weapons program. And

he says that some of the things that are being developed will put Russia ahead of the competition, not just in the coming years but will be

important for the entire 21st century.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): All our objectives for creating advanced weapons systems, developing the defense systems and

equipping the Russian army and navy with modern hardware and weaponry are being fulfilled.

PLETGEN: Now if we look at some of the weapons that the Russians have introduced recently, they are quite remarkable. There is, for instance, a

missile, a cruise missile, called the Burevestnik.

Now the Russians say that it's actually nuclear-powered. It has a nuclear- powered engine in it, meaning that it can travel almost an unlimited amount of time and almost an unlimited distance. The Russians are saying that

that's something that will give them an edge over other countries that also have nuclear weapons.

And then just a couple of days ago, the Russians also launched a new submarine called the Khabarovsk. And that is actually a submarine that can

carry Russia's new, also nuclear-powered torpedo, called the Poseidon.

And the Russians say that this torpedo indeed is capable of unleashing what they say would be a radioactive tsunami against coastal targets but, of

course, also against enemy ships as well.

The Russians are saying that they don't want to threaten anybody with all of this, that this is purely for their self-defense and for their national

interest. But, of course, we know that the U.S., for instance, is quite concerned, that even U.S. president Donald Trump has announced that the

U.S. as well will start nuclear testing again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, we are getting new video from the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, where a battle is underway for control. The footage that we get -

- that we've got here shows a Ukrainian soldier operating a remote- controlled vehicle amid heavy damage in the city.

Ukraine says up to 300 Russian troops are in Pokrovsk and they are closing in on the last supply lane -- line for the Ukrainian defenders. CNN's Clare

Sebastian with more details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: New satellite imagery like this is now offering a glimpse into the stakes of Ukraine's fight for the key eastern

city of Pokrovsk.

You can see immediately on this photo showing the town. This is a fire in a residential area. Fighting, we know, is active in various parts of the

city.

But our analysis suggests, especially up here in the northeast, if we zoom in on that area, now there is new video which we have geolocated from

Ukraine's special operations forces, showing ground troops just about around here in this block, just north of this roundabout.

In the video, you can see them moving through these apartment blocks and fighting in the park.

[10:25:03]

Now this same cluster of apartments appears again on another video, which also emerged on Wednesday from an unofficial Russian Telegram channel.

And in this clip, which also emerged on Tuesday, you can see what appeared to be soldiers walking through the ruins of a gas station. That's just

about around here now. We don't know exactly when these videos were shot or the exact sequence of events they show.

But a Ukrainian captain, whose brigade is operating in Pokrovsk, told us they are facing near-constant attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOHDAN, UKRAINIAN OFFICER, RUBIZH NATIONAL GUARD BRIGADE: The enemy is trying to advance deep into our defense every day. And so every day our

defense forces are face to face with our enemies and destroying them. Also, there is many drones in the sky. It's very difficult.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: Now Russia has claimed Ukraine is encircled in this city. And there's evidence that Russia has been gradually moving in on the flanks.

Take a look at this.

This is a rail line that was cut earlier on in this battle. Ukraine denies it's encircled. But the reason the fighting is concentrated up here in the

northeast -- we need to go out to the battlefield map to explain that.

3it's because this is the area we're talking about and this other town of Myrnohrad is at risk of being cut off. So Ukraine is trying to widen this

gap here to keep vital supply routes open and to stop Russia's advance into the rest of Donetsk -- Clare Sebastian CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, still to come, Mexico's president taking legal action after what she calls an assault on all women. The latest on a groping

incident that's raising new concerns about Claudia Sheinbaum's security in 2025.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Your headlines this hour.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ANDERSON (voice-over): Nancy Pelosi says she won't seek reelection to the U.S. Congress after nearly 40 years in Washington. She's the first and only

female Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and has been one of the most powerful figures in Democratic politics for decades.

Pelosi has devoted her recent years in Congress to fighting president Donald Trump and his remake of the Republican Party.

Well, airline passengers in the United States take note: the Trump administration is planning to reduce the number of flights in 40 American

airports if the government shutdown doesn't end by Friday.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced 10 percent of air traffic will be cut, though it is still unknown exactly which airports will

or would be impacted.

[10:30:00]

Typhoon Kalmaegi has made landfall in Vietnam with winds equivalent to a category three hurricane. The typhoon has already passed through the

Philippines, with at least 114 deaths reported there. More than 100 people remain missing in the Philippines.

ANDERSON: Well, Mexico's first female president is pressing charges after a public groping incident. And we should warn you, these images may be

disturbing for some of you.

The video, which has since gone viral, shows a man breaking through a crowd of people who were greeting Claudia Sheinbaum in Mexico City on Tuesday.

And you can see him try to kiss president Sheinbaum. Then he appears to touch her.

Sheinbaum describes the man as completely drunk and calls the confrontation an assault on all women. Mexico City's mayor says the man is in custody.

CNN's Valeria Leon is live in Mexico City.

What are we hearing from Sheinbaum since this incident?

VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi, Becky. President Sheinbaum today presented a new plan, anti-harassment for all women in the country.

They are trying to find higher punishment against men or any person that can do this on public, you know, the streets.

As president, she suffered this yesterday. And Mexico City police said preliminary findings linked to the same man to the alleged harassment of

two other women that same day. We're talking about a Tuesday incident.

And this video spread fast online, reigniting a national and even global conversation about harassment and the safety of women in public life.

President Sheinbaum later said that if they do this to the president, what happens to all women in our country?

She's pressing charges, saying this isn't just about her but about something women in Mexico face every day.

Authorities confirmed the man, who Sheinbaum said appeared to be drunk, has been arrested and now in custody at the Sex Crimes Investigation Unit and

the incident on Tuesday has brought renewed attention to an issue that runs deep in Mexico.

Official data shows that about seven out of 10 women in the country have faced some form of violence. And nearly half said they've experienced

sexual violence.

The episode has also raised questions about Sheinbaum's security. When asked whether she would consider increasing her protection, given how

easily the man approached her, Sheinbaum said she will continue as usual, insisting there is no risk against her.

And she confirming during her news conference that she has no intention of changing her policy of interacting closely with supporters.

But Becky, for many women in Mexico, this viral video was a proof of something they already knew, that even a simple walk in broad daylight can

be risky, at least in Mexico -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Good to have you. Thank you.

Next up, 30 years, 2 degrees and one summit aiming to tackle a global crisis. Leaders gather for climate talks at the COP30 in Paris -- in

Brazil.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:35:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ANDERSON: Well, today is the fifth anniversary of CNN's annual Call to Earth Day, a day that celebrates the people who are coming together to

protect our planet. We started back in 2021 with the participation of 500 schools. Over the years, that number has grown exponentially.

In 2024, nearly a quarter of a million people joined the activities. And this year's theme is "Guard Your Green Space." More than 600,000 people

around the world today taking part in 100 countries.

We are asking participants to show us how they are guarding their shared spaces for future generations. And we've got CNN correspondents fanned out

across the globe covering today's special event.

This hour, we're going to head to Midtown High School in Atlanta, in Georgia, where CNN's Lynda Kinkade is standing by.

So Lynda, who have you got with you?

And what is going on there?

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Becky, Happy Earth Day. Atlanta, of course, as you know, is a city surrounded by green space. And

it is known as the city in the forests.

And the largest owner of that land is the Atlanta Public Schools. And this is one of their beautiful campuses. This is Midtown High and this is the AP

environmental science class. And I've got here two of the students.

You guys are in grade 12, Harper and Orlando. They've been testing soil and planting native wildlife.

What are you testing for?

HARPER, 12TH GRADER, MIDTOWN HIGH SCHOOL, ATLANTA: So we're testing for nitrogen and phosphorus and other natural elements in the soil, which can

like nitrogen and phosphorus, can support plant growth and strong roots and strong leaves.

So if there's ever like a deficiency in any of those things, then we can find natural ways to add it back in to the soil rather than adding

fertilizer, which can be harmful and cause runoff and negative effects.

So later today, we're going to add some seeds that can grow into the soil and have these like nitrogen bulbs, which has nitrogen fixation and has

bacteria that can add nitrogen naturally.

KINKADE: Amazing.

And Orlando, you're planting some native plants today. It's not spring.

How are these plants going to survive the colder months?

And what are you planting?

ORLANDO, 12TH GRADER, MIDTOWN HIGH SCHOOL, ATLANTA: Well, since these are native plants, they've really adapted to the soil here. So being able to --

they're able to preserve into the soil, making sure that like we can also provide like frost covers which are really helpful.

But also like non-native plants can really die easily for that. So we're trying to plant them to make sure they look beautiful in our garden but

also like provide just culture to our community.

KINKADE: And as you know, Becky, this year's theme is "Guard Your Green Space." So we're going to talk to some of these students back here about

the importance of green space. We've got some of our students here.

Just tell us why -- what your favorite green space is and how it brings you happiness.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would definitely say my favorite green space is my grandparents' garden in Canada. They tend to it every day. It's like their

dream. They love doing it.

And my grandma makes lots of vegetables in her garden. And she always uses them to make us soups and stews and it's just really memorable, that memory

of having that green space that we can use for something good, like food.

KINKADE: I love that. And talk to us about why you got involved in this Call to Earth initiative.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just think it's so important, like, in this city, like we're like forests in the city. We need to protect our green space.

And I feel like adding this, this garden here, really just exemplifies that right there, that we need to keep planting. And even though we're in a

city, we need to keep it green.

KINKADE: Absolutely. This is a beautiful green space.

Of course, Becky, as you probably know, the world is losing forests at the equivalent of about 27 football fields a minute. I'm going to work my way

around here to get back to this teacher.

Hi.

Madison (ph) is overseeing this incredible initiative.

Just talk to us about why you got involved.

Because, you know, green spaces are so important for mental health as well, right?

And how good is it to see students outside gardening and understanding the importance of the environment?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. So I'm the AP environmental science teacher here at Midtown. And I put a big emphasis on like small changes you can do in

the community to really help the environment.

And so when -- this is my second year here at Midtown and I didn't even really know we had a garden. And it was kind of neglected a little bit.

[10:40:00]

But that offered a blank slate for us to kind of do whatever we wanted with it. And so I thought it was really important to plant native plants here

because it's helping to support native pollinators as well as, you know, giving a nice like respite for students.

We have this beautiful outdoor classroom behind us that hasn't really been used. And so I'm really excited for this to be like a fun, calming space

for students to come. I'm going to bring my classes out here in the spring. And so -- and other classes can use it as well. So I'm really excited about

that.

KINKADE: And Madeleine (sic), is it true that this garden was in neglect before your class took hold of it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. When I initially came out here to kind of scope everything out, the grass was like growing above my head. And I'm 5'5", so

it was pretty tall. And so thankfully we were able to come out here.

We did a community day as well to help with kind of cleaning everything up to get a good look at what we needed to happen here.

KINKADE: Excellent, excellent.

And I'm just going to ask these students, you -- do you guys can tell us what you're planting here?

These are native plants, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, they are.

KINKADE: What are we planting?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).

KINKADE: You know?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know how to pronounce it.

KINKADE: You don't know how to pronounce it?

Difficult name?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Button bush.

KINKADE: Button bush, button bush.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sorry.

KINKADE: And just tell us, finally, what is your favorite green space and why?

Favorite outdoor garden?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Piedmont Park.

KINKADE: Piedmont Park.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Piedmont Park.

KINKADE: Who doesn't love Piedmont Park?

Becky Anderson, back to you. We will be here for the recycling part of the project later today.

KINKADE: That is all terrific stuff. Thank you very much indeed.

Lynda Kinkade in the house in Atlanta with the students there.

Well, can a city with a population of 6 million rebuild a rain forest?

Rio de Janeiro is trying to do just that. CNN's Julia Vargas now shows us how a community-driven program there has regrown native forest in the heart

of a packed metropolis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN PRODUCER (voice-over): Armed with their tools, seedlings and even little ones, this crew has a very important task.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We are in the global south, in one of Brazil's principal biomes, the Atlantic Forest, in a city that was

profoundly colonized and went through a period of extensive agriculture that eliminated a significant portion of our original forest.

JONES (voice-over): The Atlantic rainforest once covered approximately 15 percent of Brazil's massive territory but only one-quarter of the original

forest remains. In addition to cattle ranching, the construction of highways and railroads as well as other factors contributed to that

significant loss.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We are here in the middle of Rio de Janeiro's west zone, where there is the memory of a forest that no

longer existed. And over the last 40 years, we've been rebuilding the forest's density.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

JONES (voice-over): This special task force is part of Reforest Rio, a city program designed to engage communities along the edges of the forest

in its restoration. Today, they are replanting vegetation long gone from these steep hills, so steep even the plants need extra help.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It's a cool technique. These small terraces are very necessary. So water stays here and doesn't just roll down

the hill.

JONES (voice-over): Fabiano Moreira is one of the forest neighbors who has joined the efforts.

FABIANO MOREIRA, COMMUNITY TREE PLANTER (through translator): I wanted to help the community somehow. That was the main idea. I saw a lot of

deforestation, burning, animals let loose any which way since they cleared the forest to make pasture. And I thought, this has to change.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

JONES (voice-over): And it already has. Today, parts of Rio look wrapped in rainforests but that wasn't always the case. In the 1990s, the city's

iconic Dois Irmaos or Two Brothers Hills were almost bare. But thanks to the program, it is once again a lush paradise.

Since 1986, Reforest Rio crews have turned yellowed grass into living forest, planting 10 million trees across an area roughly 10 times the size

of New York City's Central Park. And some of Brazil's largest favelas have seen the most dramatic results while providing steady work in low income

neighborhoods.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I was born and raised in this neighborhood, so I used to hang out in these hills. And there were no

trees, no vegetation. It was all just weeds.

When I started working here, that's when I saw the results of the biodiversity of the different trees that we planted. We started seeing

animals return -- capybaras, parrots, toucans, boas.

JONES (voice-over): The native trees come from city nurseries that can produce up to 1 million seedlings a year, including 200 native species. The

city's view, reforestation begins in the heart by renewing their bond with the rainforest.

[10:45:00]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): First, people need to fall in love with the forest again, understand that they are part of a great forest

-- or they once were.

When we reforest, the idea is, of course, to rebalance this biome, to rebalance this ecosystem. But above all, we reclaim quality of life, well-

being. That connection, this silence we are hearing here.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

JONES (voice-over): Residents who once watched these hills burn now lead the plantings, guide the maintenance and teach the next generation.

Reforest Rio's goal for 2030 is to connect current patches of forest to form green corridors throughout the city.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We are actually able to restore environmental quality, the quality of life across hundreds of hectares in

the city of Rio de Janeiro.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: And we are back after this.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON (voice-over): More than 50 heads of state arriving in Brazil to mark three decades since the start of global climate negotiations. There

are, though, notable absentees from COP30, including leaders of some of the world's top polluters -- China, India, Russia and the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: From the world's top five polluting economies, the E.U. is the only one whose leader will be there.

While some progress has been made, scientists say too little is being done to prevent extreme global warming in the coming decades. The U.N.'s

Development Programme is launching a new campaign to fight misinformation around climate change. Climate Counts breaks down some of the most

important facts and figures on global warming in a clear and accessible way.

For example, it says 29 percent of all species on Earth are at a critical risk of extinction by 2100 if global emissions remain high. That's a third.

Carbon pricing now covering all of -- also, now covers 28 percent of global emissions and nearly half the world's population is under 30. These are the

people with the most to lose in a world under threat.

Well, Cassie Flynn is the Global Director of Climate Change at the U.N. Development Programme and she joins us now from Belem in Brazil, where

COP30 is taking place.

Donald Trump called climate change the big con job. So tell us about this campaign and what you are trying to achieve.

We should probably start with this current Donald Trump administration, correct?

CASSIE FLYNN, GLOBAL DIRECTOR OF CLIMATE CHANGE, U.N. DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME: Well, certainly, I think -- and Becky thank you so much for

having me. And here in Belen, as these negotiations start to really take off, I think that is a question on everyone's minds.

You know, how will the biggest economies step up?

And I think this is where everyone is looking to, as you said, China, India, the E.U. and, of course, the United States. They play a key role in

keeping global temperature below 1.5 degrees.

[10:50:00]

And we know that they have to take action. They have to do it first.

ANDERSON: So what is the --

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: Yes.

So what does the absence of these four of -- four of the world's top five polluters mean for the outcome of these talks?

I mean, this was supposed to be a major COP but it is overshadowed by politics, not least the absence of these four major countries and the

narrative that's out there, which you are campaigning to knock back.

FLYNN: Well, I think something that's very clear here in the hallways of Belem is that climate change is not just an environmental issue. It is an

economic issue. It is a security issue. It is a technology issue.

And this is what the climate camp -- Climate Counts campaign is all about, that, to really be able to break down the complexity of the climate crisis

-- because we hear a lot of numbers and they can be really overwhelming.

You hear about 2.0 versus 1.5 and you hear about 450 parts per million, a lot of these really complicated concepts. But at the end of the day, what

it's about is people.

And we want everyone to feel, no matter what background you may have on climate change, whether you know next to nothing or, you know, a whole lot,

that these are 30 numbers that really are important.

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: So the younger generation -- Go on, Cassie, go on, go on. I --

FLYNN: Oh, I was just going to say, one of my favorite numbers actually speaks to what you were just talking about. And when we see some of these

major economies making big political decisions about climate change, the number 8 comes to mind.

Because eight out of 10 people in the world want their leaders to take action on the climate crisis. This is a remarkable result. And poll after

poll tells us this. And so we know that, even though we see the politics swing, the people want climate action and they want it now.

ANDERSON: And when you talk about the people, very specifically a younger generation, it seems to me, is not knocking around with the idea that, you

know, there is no science to back up this idea of climate crisis. They just get it.

What they also understand is that the doom-laden narrative can be disconcerting at best and downright, you know, damaging to our prospects

for a cleaner future going forward.

So how do we ensure that we are talking solutions-based projects and opportunities as often as possible?

FLYNN: And solutions are critical and, as you said, so often we talk about the climate crisis in terms of what we're losing, in terms of all of the

hardships because of the climate crisis. And that's very real.

We can't tell anyone who just survived Hurricane Melissa that the climate crisis isn't going to bring immense risk to lives and livelihoods around

the world. We know we lost over 60 lives just in Hurricane Melissa alone.

But there's also an immense moment of opportunity. We know that the countries that are investing in renewable energy, for example, when a

dollar invested in renewable energy is three times more jobs than a dollar invested in fossil fuels.

If you invest in adaptation, helping keep people safe from the climate crisis, a dollar invested there is $7 to $10 of return. It's really a no-

brainer when it comes to the opportunity. And I think young people see this.

You know, as you said, they're looking around and they're saying, this is our future. We didn't cause this and yet we're living it. And we want world

leaders to step up and we want real solutions and we want them enacted as quickly as possible.

ANDERSON: Well, the more gas is involved, the better, as far as I'm concerned, because, you know, you're telling -- you know, you're bang on

with the narrative. This is about storytelling. It's about getting it right. And it is about bringing people in rather than keeping people out of

the tent.

And it's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed for joining us from Belem in Brazil.

Right. For today's "Parting Shots," a lottery with a most unusual prize. Instead of cash, Paris is offering the chance to be buried in one of the

French capital's most celebrated cemeteries, the final resting place for several famous artists. My colleague, Saskya Vandoorne, has more from

Paris.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN PARIS BUREAU CHIEF: People are entering a lottery to be buried in the same cemetery as celebrities such as Jim Morrison and

Oscar Wilde.

This is the Pere-Lachaise cemetery in Paris, one of the most visited in the world. But back in 1804, no one wanted to be buried here because it was far

outside the city center and people preferred traditional church cemeteries.

So officials moved the remains of figures, like Moliere, La Fontaine, and it worked.

[10:55:05]

The once-empty cemetery suddenly became the place to be buried in Paris and it's been that way pretty much ever since.

Now the city's trying another unusual idea and it's organized a modern-day lottery that gives regular Parisians a chance to win a burial plot here if

they help restore one of the cemetery's neglected tombs.

Each plot costs around $4,500 and, if you win, you're responsible for restoring the old tomb and you'll earn a burial plot next to it. It's a

rare opportunity since space in these cemeteries has been nearly impossible for more than 100 years -- Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: And that is it for CONNECT THE WORLD. Stay with CNN. My colleagues with "ONE WORLD" up next.

END