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U.S. Slaps Sanctions to Maduro's Nephews and Firms Accused of Transporting Venezuelan Oil; Indiana Republicans Defy Trump, Rejects His Redistricting Push; Historic Flooding Leaves Thousands at Risk; New Photos from Epstein Estate Show Trump, Bill Clinton and Others; Trump Predicts Partnership After Health Care Votes Fail; Kilmar Abrego Garcia Speaks After Release from ICE Custody; Disney Makes Deal to Give OpenAI Access to Its Characters; Inside Abu Dhabi's New Elite Equestrian Arts Center. Aired 10- 11a ET
Aired December 12, 2025 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:39]
ERICA HILL, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome to the second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Erica Hill in New York.
U.S. President Trump is dialing up the pressure on Venezuela with new sanctions on shipping companies and oil tankers. And one of the most
significant Republican rebukes of President Trump to date, Indiana rejecting a White House pressure campaign to rewrite its electoral maps in
Trump's favor. Plus, catastrophic flooding in the U.S. state of Washington. We're going to take you there live.
The Trump administration is stepping up the pressure on Venezuela's government and its president, Nicolas Maduro. The White House announcing
sanctions for three of Maduro's nephews, along with sanctions on shipping companies and vessels that the U.S. says are part of an illicit Venezuelan
oil trade.
All of this, of course, following the seizure by the U.S. of an oil tanker off Venezuela's coast earlier this week. The U.S. sanctioned the tanker in
2022 for facilitating oil trades for Hezbollah and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The White House says the ship will sail to a
U.S. port, where the U.S. will then take possession of the reported 1.8 million barrels of oil on board.
Stefano Pozzebon is back with me now this hour from Caracas with more.
So walk us through not only what we have seen, but also how these sanctions and these latest developments are being received there in Caracas.
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, absolutely, Erica. And I think that one point that we always make -- we need to make sure when it comes to
Venezuela, especially to an international audience, is that it's hard to put into words how dependent the local economy is from those oil shipments.
We're talking about up to 90 percent of the foreign income of Venezuela as a country, as a whole, is dependent on oil exports.
So if the president of the United States goes after these shipments, and we need to understand whether this will be just a one off or it will be a new
tactic employed time and again to prevent Venezuela to export oil that is currently under U.S. sanctions, well, things could escalate here very, very
quickly. I think that that is much more of a groundbreaker compared to, for example, the sanctions against the three nephews of Nicolas Maduro, which
of course they will hurt them.
If they're going to have a Christmas dinner in a couple of weeks' time, they will definitely not be happy about that and complain about it. But
these are people that have been under scrutiny and sanctions since at least 2017, when the Treasury -- Department of the Treasury started to sanction
top Venezuelan officials, including Maduro himself. The fact that they are going after the oil instead is something completely new, something that we
have not seen in the past because even though, yes, there is an oil embargo against Venezuela and this oil is under sanctions, Maduro has always been
allowed one way or another to send this oil to countries like Iran, Russia, China or India who have the appetite to take up the risk and the risk for
the financial burden of the sanctions.
The fact that the U.S. are now instead taking on and sending Black Hawk helicopters with SWAT teams to take control of those tankers and seize the
oil and bring them to the United States, well, it's a complete change in tactic, and it's complete different paradigm, especially for the companies,
which some of them, like you said, have been sanctioned in the last 24 hours, especially for the company that have responsibilities over those oil
and need to pay insurance, make sure that their cargo arrives at the destination.
So Venezuela has always been isolated. But this morning, this Friday, it's waking up even more isolated and even more alone on the international stage
-- Erica.
HILL: Stefano, really appreciate it. Thank you.
Also joining me to discuss, James Story. He's a former U.S. ambassador to Venezuela.
It's good to have you with us. So, you know, picking up where Stefano just left off in terms of Venezuela's isolation, how much of an impact do you
believe these latest sanctions will have?
JAMES STORY, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO VENEZUELA: Well, the sanctions themselves, I don't think they're going to have such a huge impact,
frankly. But I do think the taking of the Skipper sends a chilling message to any of the ghost fleet that are looking to illicitly traffic in
Venezuelan oil, that they could be facing a big problem.
I think, I think this is opening a new front, an economic front against Maduro, and certainly puts additional pressure on him and his ability to
pay those that keep him in power.
[10:05:01]
HILL: In terms of that pressure, too, I was struck by some comments from President Trump, who has talked, as we know, when it comes to the boat
strikes, talking about the impact on drugs. This is all about drugs flowing into the United States. But yesterday, the president talking more about
this campaign, saying it's about, in his words, quote, "a lot of things," also touching on immigration. How do you think that changes even the
narrative moving forward?
STORY: Well, you know, when you put 10 percent of the U.S. Navy into the Caribbean and you have exquisite resources and tools like an aircraft
carrier, a nuclear submarine, this was never just about counter-narcotics mission. This is about stability mission in the region. It's about
messaging to Maduro. It's about a lot of things. It's about migration. It's about human rights. It's about democracy.
It's about the fact that illegal armed groups are using Venezuela as a launching pad for the rest of the region. And even state actors such as
Iran and Russia and Cuba. So, yes, there is a -- the president is right. It's about a lot of things. And those are some of the things that it's
about right there. If you think 25 percent of the Venezuelan population have left that country, that's a destabilizing impact across the region.
HILL: You mentioned, too, so there is, yes, an important to note that 25 percent of the population leaving but you mentioned other groups operating
within Venezuela in terms of destabilization, as there is this desire, it would seem, very clearly for regime change. How much of a concern are those
groups, potentially, if Maduro were to leave power in terms of stability and safety within the country?
STORY: Well, I think the first thing to recognize is there already a problem with Maduro in power and then with Maduro in power, you can't
really go after them. So I would say that the FARQ and the ELN, these are two Marxist drug trafficking terrorist organizations from Colombia, they're
inside Venezuela with the support of the Venezuelan state, if you will. Hezbollah from Iran has free reign as well inside of Venezuela.
Then you have the other groups, such as the Tren de Aragua, the Cartel of the Suns, and smaller groups such as the Colectivos that terrorize the
political opposition. All of those people currently operating inside of the country, currently creating all the problems, including enforcing the
outmigration of eight million or nine million Venezuelans, that happens today. So getting rid of Maduro won't be necessary, of course, to deal with
these issues.
I think this is why it's important to be careful in how the military engages, because you're going to need a Venezuelan military to help you
secure stability in the peace -- in a post-Maduro world.
HILL: You talk about the military engagements, are you -- you're referencing the U.S. Military when you say that?
STORY: Right. Right. If we had a broad attack against the Venezuelan military, I think that would be a net negative. I think you're going to
need the Venezuelan military eventually under civilian control and under review and revised and updated control from their own institutions to help
secure the peace inside of Venezuela.
You know, when I served in Afghanistan, I watched almost every day as the Taliban and the Haqqani Network went over to Pakistan and came across the
next day to attack us. That will happen if we don't have the coordination and cooperation with Colombians as well. The FARC and the ELN will use that
border to go back and forth. So, yes, you know, it's a problem to deal with in the future. But I want to underscore, it's a big problem today with
Maduro in charge.
HILL: Well, in terms of the issues, too, that will need to be dealt with both now and in the future, you talk about the importance of cooperation
with Colombia, which we know that that is incredibly important when it comes to also fighting drugs flowing into the U.S.
STORY: Right.
HILL: As we know, Colombia not so happy with what they have seen in terms of those U.S. boat strikes. How much could that potentially hinder that
cooperation?
STORY: Well, I've stated from the very beginning that I believe we should be judicializing cases. I think the taking of the Skipper was a righteous
judicial action by the Coast Guard. I think we should be doing the same thing when it comes to these narcotics traffickers. And again, I'm not
sympathetic to the plight of narcotics traffickers, but we lose intelligence when we don't capture the crews and capture the drugs.
And certainly most of the intelligence we get, we get from the region. To some extent, Colombia will pull back on their intelligence sharing. The
Brits and the French and the Dutch will pull back on intelligence sharing. And we have to attack transnational criminal organizations transnationally.
We have to work with partners in the region in order to go after this really difficult problem set.
HILL: Really quickly before I let you go, what do you think the impact is of the fact that Nobel Laureate Maria Corina Machado actually did make it
to Norway? A little late, as we know, her daughter did the acceptance, but the fact that she made it there in terms of the pressure that that
potentially puts on Maduro.
[10:10:01]
STORY: Well, you know, it's not just Maria Corina leaving, but Juan Guaido was able to escape. Leopoldo Lopez, Simonovis, so many people. And what it
does do is it gives the world a message here that there's the right side of history and a bad side of history. Just this week, the Venezuelan regime
blocked Cardinal Porras, the highest ranking Catholic figure in the country, from leaving the country. They annulled his passport.
So the world is getting a -- is getting to see exactly who they're dealing with here in real time. The question for me will be, is it checkmate when
Maria Corina goes back? If she goes back like Guaido did through the front door, Maduro lets her in. He shows his weakness, or he arrests her, which
will draw the ire of the United States. I think that will be the real test going forward.
HILL: James Story, great to have your insight. Thank you.
STORY: Thank you.
HILL: Ahead here on CONNECT THE WORLD, historic flooding hits western Washington state with rivers reaching record levels. What officials are
telling residents as those floodwaters slowly begin to recede.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: Turning to the war in Ukraine, the White House on Thursday saying it's still deciding whether to send a representative to peace talks in
Paris this weekend with Ukrainian and European officials. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says that President Trump is, quote, "sick of meetings
just for the sake of meeting." The president did say, however, the U.S. would help with security should Russia and Ukraine ach a ceasefire
agreement.
Now, Russia, of course, wants to take the Donbas region. Part of that is still under Ukrainian control. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has
said the U.S. has proposed creating a free economic zone in parts of the region from which Ukraine would withdraw. Zelenskyy has repeatedly said
that he opposes giving up any more territory as part of a peace plan.
Republicans in Indiana state Senate are rejecting a Trump backed bill to redraw congressional maps for the state. President Trump's allies had
pushed to redraw those maps to be more favorable toward Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Republicans, however, voting against that
bill on Thursday. Take a listen to the reaction from one lawmaker.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEAN LEISING, INDIANA STATE SENATE: You won't change minds by being mean, and the efforts were mean spirited from the get go. You know, if you were
wanting to change votes, you would probably try to explain why we should be doing this in a positive way. That never happened. I wish that President
Trump would change his tone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Following the defeat, President Trump taking aim at the state's Senate Republican leader Rodric Bray predicting that he would lose his next
primary.
CNN's Alayna Treene is following the story for us from the White House and picks up with more.
So in terms of this rejection by a fair number of Republicans we should point out here, are there concerns about the president's dominance over his
party, that he may be losing some of that control?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, there are definitely questions that that could be happening.
[10:15:01]
And I think those are questions that the team, particularly the political team that's in that building behind me, Erica, is kind of dealing with at
this moment. I mean, this is a stunning defeat. One of the biggest defeats, really, that the president and certainly those who are focused on the
politics ahead of the midterms next year, one of the biggest defeats they have seen yet.
And really the reason for that is this is so core to their strategy for the midterms. I should note that the president and his team have been very
focused on what those elections are going to look like and what they can do to try and tilt the scales in Republicans' favor. Ever since the president
actually went into office back in January, this has been very much on their minds. Part of that, of course, is because they want to use this
redistricting strategy.
And it's not just in Indiana. They're having -- they're trying to deploy this strategy in a number of states because holding on to the majority is
going to be so important for them, particularly for Trump, who of course this will really decide in his last two years whether or not he's going to
be able to get major legislation through Congress. And then there's also this idea that if Democrats win the majority in the House, of course, we're
still a long way off from that, but if that were to be the result, that could mean investigations, subpoenas, hearings on Capitol Hill into the
president and many of the officials who work under him.
I'd remind you that a lot of the people who are in the White House right now were also with the president back during his first, and when they had
to face a lot of that. So this has really been a strategy to avoid that outcome.
But I want to get into Indiana specifically because this Indiana Senate, Republicans in the Senate I should say, resoundingly rejected kind of a
pressure campaign we've seen from this White House and the administration for months now. Now, President Trump did address this last night, although
he argued that he really hadn't put an effort into this fight. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I wasn't working on it very hard. Would have been nice. I think we would have picked up two seats if we
did that. You had one gentleman, the head of the Senate, I guess, Bray, whatever his name is. I heard he was against it. He'd probably lose his
next primary, whenever that is. I hope he does. But because he's done a tremendous disservice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TREENE: You could hear there, President Trump really kind of ratcheting up criticism of Rodric Bray. He is the state Senate GOP leader in Indiana.
But, look, there was a lot of pressure, direct pressure, I should say, not only coming from people in the White House, but also many different
conservative groups throughout Washington. I'd remind you that the vice president, J.D. Vance, he traveled to Indiana twice to meet with Indiana's
state Senate Republicans about this issue.
We also know that some of those lawmakers came to the White House a couple months ago, where members of the president's political team sat down with
them and tried to urge them to get in line. And the reason Indiana is so important is there are really two seats in the state that Republicans, in
particular this administration, were hoping they could flip to, of course, try and insulate some of the members ahead of next year's elections.
But I have to say, Erica, this is just one of a series of losses, really, we've seen from this political strategy regarding redistricting. There were
losses, I should note, in Ohio, Utah, Kansas. We're also looking potentially there could be others in Missouri. Now, we should note some
Democrats have also had losses in certain states. Republicans did have a big victory in Texas recently on the redistricting fight.
But on scale, if you look at all of the different pushes we're seeing from both sides of the aisle, this effort by the president and Republicans to
make redistricting a core part of their strategy to get as many seats as they can, it looks like it's going to be a wash at this point. We'll have
to see what ends up actually happening. But we also are running out of time. Republicans, both parties, Democrats as well, running out of time
because primaries are coming up.
You got to get their names on the ballots. And so all of this really going to make the broader strategy much more difficult as they face the midterm
fight, which will really get into earnest early next year.
HILL: Yes, absolutely. Alayna, really appreciate it. I appreciate you putting it all in perspective for us at this hour.
Alayna Treene joining us there from the White House.
We are keeping a very close watch on the flooding in Washington state. We've been talking so much about these devastating pictures. The governor
warning as well that it is not time for people to go home. About 100,000 people in the state are under evacuation orders following those torrential
rains and of course, the widespread flooding. While officials say they do believe the water levels are beginning to slowly recede, the governor says
no fatalities have been reported, but again is warning that these next 24 hours are really critical here.
Our Veronica Miracle is there on the ground. She's been looking at some of these local communities. The impact is really something.
Veronica, where do things stand this morning?
VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Erica, we are here in Burlington, Washington, where we watched the National Guard and police go door-to-door
this morning because water is rushing towards this neighborhood.
[10:20:02]
And there are, you know, huge concerns that this neighborhood could flood. And I'm actually going to introduce here, introduce you rather here to
Julia, one of the evacuees.
You got a knock on your door this morning. You're so gracious to stay and talk with us. We really appreciate it. I know all of your neighbors are
leaving and we want to get you out quickly, but can you just tell us, you know, you've been here for two years, have you ever experienced anything
like this?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
MIRACLE: Yes. What has it been like this morning for you and your family?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not sleeping all night because they say, like, in 4:00 p.m. or something like that, it's need to be leave. But I'm not
sleeping like all night so.
MIRACLE: I can only imagine that you must have been anxious all evening, not sleeping through the night. You were just telling me also that you left
Ukraine. You fled because of the war, and now you're here in the United States and you're having to leave your home here because of all of the
flooding. I mean, that has to be just so much, so much anxiety and so much that you've had to deal with over the last few years.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. I don't know what to say.
MIRACLE: Yes. I mean, your whole family is here with you. Is everybody safe at the very least?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. For now, yes.
MIRACLE: Yes. And what have you guys decided to pack?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like, I don't know. All our stuff, like, more what we can do. Like, I don't, I don't know.
MIRACLE: Yes. Will you have somewhere to go? Do you know where you're going?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, yes. We want to, like, go somewhere in Morrisville or -- yes.
MIRACLE: OK. So you're going to get to higher ground. Yes, I imagine, I'm super grateful that you're talking to us. I know it's been a very long
night. Thank you so much. We hope you guys get to safety.
And, Erica, this is really what we're seeing here is just a lot of residents who are exhausted. It's been a very long few days. As you
mentioned, the governor of Washington saying that this 24 hours right now is a really critical time for so many communities, and you're seeing
exactly why. So we're just hoping everybody gets to safety, and we're glad to see that at least everyone in this neighborhood has been heeding the
warnings and the evacuation orders, as authorities have come door to door.
Back to you, Erica.
HILL: Yes, absolutely. Veronica, appreciate it. Thank you so much.
And stay with us, CONNECT THE WORLD continues after this quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD. Here's a look at your headlines.
The U.S. is sanctioning three nephews of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, along with shipping companies and vessels the U.S. says engaged in
deceptive practices to transport Venezuelan oil.
[10:25:03]
Now, this move follows the U.S. seizure of a tanker off Venezuela's coast earlier this week. The White House says the U.S. will take possession of
that ship, and its reported 1.8 million barrels of oil.
The Republican-led Senate of Indiana defying the Trump administration's pressure campaign to redraw congressional maps. We'll have more on that in
a moment. But right now, I want to turn to my colleague, Wolf Blitzer, in Washington, D.C., with some breaking news.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: -- convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and they show powerful figures like President Trump, Trump adviser Steve Bannon
and former president Bill Clinton. None of those released images depict any sexual misconduct nor are believed to depict underage girls. It was not
immediately clear when or where they were taken, or by whom, for that matter.
I want to go live right now to CNN anchor and chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins, who's been working this story for us.
Kaitlan, what are we learning from these new images?
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (via phone): Wolf, this is some reporting I've done with my colleague Annie
Grayer. And basically what we're getting and what we're seeing being released today are photos from the Democrats on the House Oversight
Committee. It's from Jeffrey Epsteins estate, which has been turning over e-mails and other records of his from his life.
This latest production is over 95,000 photos that he had on his computer, on his e-mail server. And basically what they do, Wolf, is just reinforce
and shed new light on the extent of the many powerful people that were in Jeffrey Epstein's orbit. I mean, you can see this when you look through
these pictures and they're available to scroll through in our story on CNN.com right now. And there are people including the current president,
President Trump, former president Bill Clinton, Steve Bannon, Bill Gates, Richard Branson.
A lot of these people that we knew had been linked to Jeffrey Epstein in the past, Wolf. But basically, this is just showing new angles of those
relationships. And they're incredibly personal photos. And some of them and others, they're a bit silly. Some, you know, it's kind of hard to even
explain what you're looking at. We published the ones that we've been able to online though. And basically they just show all the high and powerful
people in his orbit.
Wolf, there's one where it's got Bill Clinton with Epstein. There's one that includes Steve Bannon, who, as you remember, was a huge adviser to
President Trump from his 2016 campaign and also worked for him in the White House. And they're just really remarkable images showing what Jeffrey
Epstein's life was like before he became ensnared in all of this trouble and when he was eventually, of course, charged and indicted for sex-
trafficking young underage women.
And I should note, Wolf, as you noted, none of the pictures that we're releasing today that we -- that we've gotten our hands on show any sexual
misconduct. We don't believe that it showed any underage girls. It's really just really speaking more to Jeffrey Epstein's life and what that looked
like. And lawyers for his estate basically told the committee that they had photos. They have videos that were taken at any property that was owned,
rented, operated or used by Jeffrey Epstein for about 30 years, Wolf.
So that just kind of tells you the span of what you're looking at here. Jeffrey Epstein was surrounding himself with a lot of powerful people,
which, of course, we now know also helped insulate him at times from the crimes he was committing.
BLITZER: Kaitlan Collins reporting for us. I know, Kaitlan, you'll have a lot more coming up later tonight on your show, "THE SOURCE," 9:00 p.m.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:30:31]
HILL: The Indian Ocean contains the second largest concentration of plastic waste on the planet. This week on "Call to Earth," we join the conservation
group Environmentalist Foundation of India and the scores of volunteers working to clean up India's coast as part of the Rolex Perpetual Planet
Initiative.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARUN KRISHNAMURTHY, FOUNDER, ENVIRONMENTALIST FOUNDATION OF INDIA: India's landmass opens up through its rivers into the ocean. All that we do on land
has its impact on the ocean. Pesticides, fertilizers, sewage, garbage, anything that we put in a lake or a pond goes to the river, eventually ends
up in the ocean. So wherever you are, you still have a connection to the ocean out there.
ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: Indian environmentalist Arun Krishnamurthy has taken on the enormous task of restoring his country's blighted waterways
against a growing national water crisis fueled by shrinking lakes, polluted rivers and diminishing groundwater. The impacts ripple all the way out to
the ocean.
KRISHNAMURTHY: We're at the Ashtalakshmi Beach in Besant Nagar, Chennai, and the beautiful Bay of Bengal right behind us. EFI's focus is largely on
freshwater body conservation. Is EFI an expert in marine conservation? No, but this is our backyard. This is where we live.
We are going to clean the shore to remove plastic and rubber Thermocol. You'll find everything. This is almost like a dirty supermarket. Yes? We
are supremely grateful that each of you is here.
ASHER: More than 70 percent of India's landscape drains into the sea, carrying everything from industrial runoff to plastic debris from as far
north as the headwaters of the Ganges, located nearly 2,500 kilometers away in the Himalayan mountains.
KRISHNAMURTHY: The marine life does get affected. Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, the olive ridley sea turtles down south, we have the dugong and
the fishing community, whose local economy also depends on the ocean. So the bay is as important as the landmass of the country.
ASHER: These cleanups could not happen without the help of volunteers who stand at the heart of EFI's mission.
KRISHNAMURTHY: Our tagline is volunteer for India and her environment with EFI. 100,000 to 125,000 volunteers every year across 19 states is a lot of
work. To believe that these people came out there based on your invitation, their interest, of course, is very rewarding.
GOWTHAMI ASHOK, VOLUNTEER, ENVIRONMENTALIST FOUNDATION OF INDIA: I joined EFI when I was 12 or 13. Arun Krishnamurthy came to our school and he kind
of environment. It hit me like a truck and that's the day I think a lot of our lives changed, and I used to not be such an environmentalist before
that. I used to litter. The kind of trash that we used to accumulate, say, 10 years back was way worse. But there's still a long way to go, a lot more
to do and a long way to go.
KRISHNAMURTHY: Thanks, everybody, for coming today.
ASHER: Arun estimates they removed between 20 to 40 kilograms of trash today.
KRISHNAMURTHY: If you can choose any one item that you thought dominated the beach today, take a photo of that and put it in your WhatsApp status,
Instagram, and this is what I found in the beach today. It will really help us.
ASHER: These routine cleanups serve as a reminder that their work is never finished. Every lake or pond they've brought back to life also required
ongoing attention. It's their belief in renewal that fuels Arun and his team as they continue to restore India's ponds, rivers and lakes for
generations to come.
KRISHNAMURTHY: I'm of the strong belief that nature conservation is no choice. It's no compulsion. It's common sense, and it's something which we
all should take as moral responsibility. And through participation, conservation is a possibility.
ASHER: For Arun, it comes down to one simple truth. If we all take care of nature, nature will take care of us.
KRISHNAMURTHY: Human beings and nature have to coexist. And if we just spend more time with nature, I'm sure each of us will be able to revive
that spirit and passion. We just have to look deep within.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Be sure to tune in this weekend to see the full documentary, "Reviving India's Waters," only on CNN
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:36:26]
HILL: President Trump making a surprising and rare bid for bipartisan action, even praising Democrats at Thursday's Congressional Ball in
Washington. The president promising a new approach to health care after the Senate rejected separate proposals from both parties.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: What a nice group of Democrats. We do. We have a lot of Democrats, and we welcome you. Honestly, we do. And I think we're going to start
working together on health care. I really predict that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Millions of America's -- Americans, rather, are facing higher monthly premiums with the subsidies for Obama health insurance set to collapse at
the end of December.
Joining us now from Washington is CNN correspondent Arlette Saenz.
So, Arlette, obviously things did not go well in the Senate for either party yesterday in terms of health care, but that are rather welcoming
moment from President Trump. Is there a sense of whether that could actually continue and whether something can get done on health care?
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, lawmakers are really operating with a very short timeline. And right now, even though the
president said that he might be willing to work with Democrats, it's entirely unclear if that's something that can actually happen in the coming
week. Now, we know that House Speaker Mike Johnson this morning was meeting with leaders from various caucuses within the GOP conference to hammer out
a plan on what they will vote on next week.
Johnson and his leadership team had presented some smaller scale options earlier in the week to address health care costs. But that those proposals
that they had talked to their members about did not include an extension of those expiring Obamacare subsidies. That is something that there are many
moderate Republicans within Johnson's conference who argue that there does need to be action on extending those premium tax credits. Many of those
lawmakers have 2026 in mind as they are worrying about what it might mean if millions of Americans see their health care costs spike in the new year.
Now, in these conversations, one idea that has been floated is attaching an amendment to any vote that the House GOP might have next week, an amendment
that would vote on a plan from Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, a moderate from Pennsylvania. He has rolled out a plan that would extend those
Obamacare subsidies for two years with some additional reforms. This is something that leadership has been talking about in their meetings, but
it's unclear if this would actually get a vote as part of what the GOP is trying to present next week.
But Fitzpatrick is still moving ahead with an effort to try to force House Speaker Mike Johnson's hand on this. He has filed a discharge petition,
something we have seen Republican lawmakers turn to repeatedly in this Congress to try to force a vote on his bill. It's unclear whether it would
get enough signatures from Democrats. There's a separate proposal from a Democrat Josh Gottheimer and Republican Jennifer Kiggins. Gottheimer has
filed his own discharge petition.
So those are some of the things that have been circulating up here, as there are some lawmakers who want to try to force a vote on this from
happening. But I think that one thing people will be watching for in the coming week is whether President Donald Trump actually does get involved in
this, whether he talks to the GOP about potentially getting on board with extending those Obamacare subsidies as millions of Americans are expected
to see their premiums spike if there is not action in the coming week.
HILL: Yes, there really is not much time to deal with this. And certainly it is not a new problem.
Arlette, appreciate it. Thank you.
[10:40:02]
We are following a potentially controversial move involving COVID vaccines in the United States. Sources speaking exclusively to CNN say the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration intends to place its most serious safety label, what's known as a black box warning, on these medications. That designation
is normally reserved for drugs with potential side effects that include death or disability.
While the FDA has not publicly committed to the plan, our sources say it is being driven by the agency's new leadership under the Trump administration.
Medical experts tell CNN such a move seems to bypass standard scientific review and would indicate the FDA was pursuing a political agenda rather
than following the science and the data.
A man who has been a focal point of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown is now out of detention and speaking about his case. A federal
judge ordering Kilmar Abrego Garcia be released from ICE custody on Thursday. The Salvadoran man was mistakenly deported earlier this year
before being returned to the U.S. and detained again for several months.
CNN's Julia Benbrook is following all these developments for us from Baltimore, Maryland, where Abrego Garcia reported to an ICE office just a
short time ago, and also spoke to people who were gathered there.
So, Julia, what did he say?
JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Erica, it's quiet here now, but just a couple of hours ago, we saw a group of supporters gathered and
Kilmar Abrego Garcia spoke for the first time since a judge ordered his immediate release from immigration custody. In that 31-page decision, the
judge found that he had been detained for months without lawful authority. Just hours after that order, he appeared here.
This is at an ICE field office in Baltimore for a mandatory check in. And before he went in, he told supporters that he could walk into that building
with his head held high. We also heard from a member of his legal team who said that this does provide relief. This is a win. In fact, they were
granted a temporary restraining order.
So they had confidence that when he was going into this building today that he would not be arrested again, that he would be able to walk out, to go
home and spend some time with family members. That lawyer, though, also said that they expect this fight to go on. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIMON SANDOVAL-MOSHENBERG, KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA'S ATTORNEY: The government has a lot of tools in their toolbox, but he also has a number of options
available to him. And now that he's got at least a brief reprieve and some assurances from the court that he can't be arrested today, he'll have time
to consider those options in terms of his immigration status, whether he chooses to apply for asylum or not, that will be one of the many choices
that he has.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BENBROOK: Abrego Garcia's story has become a flashpoint in the Trump administration's mass deportation efforts. He was wrongly deported to El
Salvador. It took a long time and a lot of back and forth for him to come back to the United States, and they have been looking for other countries
that they could deport him to.
Now, we don't know exactly when that next hearing will take place, waiting on that timeline. But the Trump administration has made it clear that they
will likely appeal this order.
HILL: All right, Julia, appreciate the update. Thank you.
Still ahead here, Abu Dhabi is putting a fresh spin on classical horse riding. And this new equestrian school is the main attraction.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:45:02]
HILL: Disney striking $1 billion deal with OpenAI giving its video generation platform access to Disney's famous characters. Of course, if
you're thinking, hey, didn't Disney fight fiercely to protect its intellectual property, well, you'd be right.
Here's CNN's Brian Stelter with more.
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: We know that these A.I. systems have been trained on copyrighted content. There are lots of lawsuits now
unfolding about that. And even this week, Disney sent a cease and desist letter to Google over its use -- over the use of copyrighted material to
train A.I. systems. But Disney, like other media companies, also looking around trying to figure out how to be a part of this revolution, how to
involve its content, knowing that that's what users want to do.
So, for example, under this new deal, you'll be able to create a video of you having a lightsaber battle from "Star Wars," a video of you right
inside the movie "Toy Story." People will be able to create short little mini movies with more than 200 Disney characters, and also using different
Disney props and things like that. Notably, though, you won't have access to the voices, so, you know, that's one guardrail that will still be in
place.
And Disney has lots of other guardrails in place about a lack of violence, not interacting with characters from other media companies, et cetera. So
Disney is saying this is an interest -- in its interest, as well as in OpenAI's. And as you mentioned, Disney taking a $1 billion investment in
OpenAI. But we don't really know how this is going to end. I'm so curious about this, because other Hollywood studios will probably follow.
There will probably be other deals like this. Disney wanting to get in on the ground floor, so to speak. But we're just at the very beginning of this
generative A.I. revolution where you'll be able to insert yourself, I guess, with Mickey Mouse now.
HILL: It will be interesting. Brian, thanks.
Abu Dhabi is bringing a centuries old tradition of horsemanship back to its roots. Becky Anderson takes us inside the royal school, where art, culture
and equine mastery come together.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voice-over): The language of this equine ballet is suitably French, with terms such as the pirouette, the
piaffe and the passage. But the power, poise, and precision of this seemingly European tradition is the result of a much deeper relationship
between horse and human, which was inspired by the East.
Here at ADREA, Abu Dhabi's Royal School of Equestrian Arts, it's time to reflect on the homecoming of horsemanship.
SHAMMA AL MAZRUL, ADREA VICE CHAIRWOMAN: The Arabs had a code for life, a code for leadership called Furusiyya, which was the art of uniting,
especially for riding, training. So discipline of the body and the technique, care, the science of horse welfare united with ethics. The moral
conduct of a horseman and its ethics, honor and courage, and then wisdom. When to pause, when to move in battle and in life.
ANDERSON (voice-over): The gallery tells the fascinating story of Furusiyya through almost 200 exhibits, paintings, poetry and artifacts from 330 B.C.
to contemporary art. Here, the hoof prints of horses performing each classical movement are captured in sand from each of the Emirates.
MAZRUL: This is beautiful. This is a move that the horse does called a passage in the art and the ballet. But here it reflects how during war it
was a battle skill to protect the rider, to protect the rider from getting shot. And today you see it as art. So battle skill goes into a fusion of
power and grace.
ANDERSON (voice-over): ADREA runs a number of courses ranging from a three- day introduction to a four-year degree for elite professionals. There are also programs for ceremonial riders who perform at state occasions, and
other high profile civic duties. In a twist on the expression, horses for courses, there are even courses for horses here. Equipping the four-legged
applicants with advanced skills for top performance. And his care of the horses is a treasured skill here. There's also a hands on course in
grooming.
MAZRUL: We need grooms who are experts and specialists to understand the horse's body, his hygiene, his well-being, equipment, because we feel that
care is not just below artistry. I think it's the soil above which artistry goes. And that's the excellence you see in the arena.
ANDERSON (voice-over): For ADREA's chief rider Gonzalo Obeso, the arena is his playground, both as a performer and mentor. With four decades of
horsemanship under his saddle, he's the heartbeat of the ADREA team. Yet his heart lies in a different arena. The stables here are home to the
school's most valued and valuable occupants, so that is where I'm meeting Gonzalo.
[10:50:02]
Look at you. Look how beautiful you are. Hello.
GONZALO MARQUEE OBESO, ADREA CHIEF RIDER: Even we have a welfare program here with us. You see, we have cameras inside the stables. We have sensors.
We have an application to show us how they are 24 hours. I love to monitor the horses all the time in case of sickness or strange movements. They will
straightaway jump alarms into our mobiles so the team came straightaway to check them.
ANDERSON: That's amazing.
(Voice-over): If the stables are the place for the horses to be pampered, the tack room is its human equivalent. It's like the haute couture parlor
for riders, neatly stacked with gleaming saddles, bridles and uniforms.
Oh, wow. This is remarkable.
OBESO: This is amazing.
ANDERSON: This is your favorite room.
OBESO: Without any doubt, yes.
ANDERSON: Without any doubt. Look at this.
OBESO: We have our saddles or these ones in particular for the gala. OK. They are this white color with this very amazing stirrups created by
Salomon Khalfan. Even the wallpaper, you know, we have 40 horses which are the Founder Horses of ADREA.
ANDERSON: Yes.
OBESO: We have that one with (INAUDIBLE). That is my solo horse. We have Maheboob with this a little bit gray.
ANDERSON: Oh, this is lovely. Yes.
OBESO: They are the founders, yes. We have --
ANDERSON: So over the years they'll be remembered. This is their legacy. Amazing. Goodness.
(Voice-over): It took over four years to carefully select, acquire and transport these special animals to Abu Dhabi. The time had come for me to
see some of these equine stars and their riders at work. So I accompanied Gonzalo to the stage where the patience, perseverance and talent of both
horse and human combine in total harmony.
OBESO: Now we are in the arena of ADREA. OK. This is where the magic happens. In this space we train, we perform, and the most important thing
is we enjoy. So this is passage. Passage is one of our movements. More significant in (INAUDIBLE). OK. As you see, it's a trot with more
suspension. And for me it looks super elegant, to be honest.
ANDERSON: Wow. It's beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.
OBESO: Alfonso, please. A little bit of piaffe. So you see, we went from the passage with this horse. The horse was moving in front and now we stop
in one single spot doing piaffe.
ANDERSON: How difficult is it to get the synchronicity between rider and horse?
OBESO: It's trust.
ANDERSON: Yes.
OBESO: It's a matter of trust.
Bruno, please show us a little bit of a Spanish walk.
ANDERSON: A little bit of a Spanish walk. Now, oh, look at that. But what is the rider doing to ensure that the horse understands?
OBESO: We -- I'm going to tell you the truth, OK? I would love to tell you just with the mind. But you can hear his sound.
ANDERSON: OK. Of course. Yes. Yes.
OBESO: OK? So that's a matter of hours of training and years of training. So we reached the point to teach them with our voice so we don't use the
legs, we use the spurs very gently. We can't even touch with the whip. So everything is nearly with the mind, nearly with mind. There is a brain
connection.
ANDERSON: So there is a sense of telepathy.
OBESO: It is. It is. 100 percent.
ANDERSON (voice-over): The royal gala to mark ADREA's official opening presented an historic moment. All four elite riding schools from France,
Spain, Austria and Portugal gathered for the first time outside Europe, joined by their new equestrian siblings from Abu Dhabi. The event was
billed as a show, not a competition, and while no points were officially awarded, I guess there was plenty of unofficial point scoring between the
riders.
I know it's a show and you're all getting together, but there must be a sense of competition, right?
OBESO: Of course. Of course. You know?
ANDERSON: But you said there wasn't. I wouldn't have believed you.
OBESO: No, no, no, no. That's totally true. You know, all of us for the schools, we are very good friends. But trust me, good friends. But we are
in the arena we say we don't have friends here. And which horse jump better? OK, so that's something to push us also to try to be better.
ANDERSON (voice-over): The royal gala was attended by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan, whose vision has guided the ADREA project. He joined
hundreds of other spectators in watching a spectacle of horsemanship provided by riders from Europe and homegrown talent from the Emirates.
[10:55:09]
As you reflect on the gala and the performances, the riders and the horses from the European schools, what was going through your mind?
MAZRUL: The gala is cultural diplomacy on horseback and it's like the Davos convening all the guardians of horsemanship from Vienna, France, Lisbon and
Spain. One of the things that people misunderstand, they think it's only for people who ride horses. Just like you get goosebumps when you're at a
concert and you don't play the piano, or you don't play the violin. To see a stallion levitating in a capriole suspended between the sky and earth,
but also inspiration.
ANDERSON (voice-over): And if all this hasn't given you an appetite for all things equestrian, here's a message straight from the horse's mouth.
Furusiyya is back where it belongs.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: And our thanks to Becky for that beautiful report.
That's going to do it for CONNECT THE WORLD. Be sure to stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
