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Isa Soares Tonight
Democrats Win Key Races; Trump Blames Shutdown for Republican Losses; Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Trump tariffs; Kentucky Plane Crash Kills at Least 9. Democrats Win Key Races Across U.S. Regional Elections in 2025; CNN Goes Inside Gaza After Journalists Urge Israel to Allow Independent Access to the Enclave; Officials Investigate Kentucky Cargo Plane Crash. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired November 05, 2025 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, the Democrats punch back after a sweep
of wins across U.S. regional elections. I'll speak to a Democratic senator about where these results leave the party. Plus, CNN embeds with the IDF
inside Gaza after journalists have urged Israel to allow independent access to the enclave. So, what was not shown on the trip.
And engulfed in flames. A cargo plane crash kills at least nine people in Kentucky. Investigators try to piece together what went wrong. That, and
much more coming up this hour. But first tonight, one year after Donald Trump's re-election, voters got their first chance to go to the polls, and
they appear to have sent a strong rebuke to the President and Republicans on Capitol Hill.
Democrats swept all the major contests including in New York, where Democratic socialists Zohran Mamdani known -- very few votes, in fact, when
he entered the race, will become the city's first Muslim mayor. Other Democrats who enjoyed decisive wins, Abigail Spanberger, who really coasted
to victory in Virginia's gubernatorial race.
Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, as you can see here, the New Jersey governor, both campaigns focused on affordability and didn't wade into quite -- and
this is important to culture wars. And then California Governor Gavin Newsom, who of course, he led a successful measure to rewrite the state's
electoral map, giving Democrats a huge boost ahead of next year's midterms.
President Trump, who blame the election results on the government shutdown, had threatened, if you remember, to defund New York City if Mamdani was
elected. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZOHRAN MAMDANI, NEW YORK CITY MAYOR-ELECT: If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump, how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise
to him!
(CHEERS)
So, Donald Trump, since I know you're watching, I have four words for you! Turn the volume up!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: That will become a meme, no doubt, with Ugandan-born Mamdani seemed to provide the biggest bolt of energy to Democrats. On Tuesday,
fueling the largest voter turnout in a New York mayoral election in more than 50 years.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAMDANI: New Yorkers are facing twin crises in this moment. An authoritarian administration and an affordability crisis, and it will be my
job to deliver on both. I will not mince my words when it comes to President Trump. I will continue to describe his actions as they are, and I
will also always do so by leave -- while leaving a door open to have that conversation.
Because it cannot be understood as if it is an argument between two individuals. I am looking to lead this entire city, and everything that I
do must be to the benefit of this city, and I look forward to delivering for that same city.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Let's get more on this. CNN senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak is traveling with President Trump in Miami. So, Kevin, just give me
a sense of what we've been hearing from the President because it wasn't just New York where Democrats fared well, as you heard there in our -- in
our setup, Virginia, New Jersey, California, all saw a Democratic sweep, a test in many ways of President Trump's presidency. How is he reacting to
this sweep, if he's reacting at all?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, and it's interesting listening to him speak here in Miami. The election that he is focused on is
not the one that occurred last night. It's the one that occurred 365 days ago. His own election victory, which happened exactly one year ago today.
He came out on stage and talked about, you know, the resounding mandate that he achieved on that evening, really kind of brushing aside the
concerns that he may have about Republicans and how they will fare going forward. And you know, this is a lengthy speech that he's been delivering
so far.
But it was notable earlier today what the President was doing, which was convening Republican senators at the White House for breakfast.
[14:05:00]
And I think his message there was a little more sullen, you could say. He did acknowledge that it was a bad night for Republicans, and really, for
the first time, he suggested that the reason that the party fared so poorly was perhaps they were losing the messaging battle on this government
shutdown, which just today reached record length.
And he told them that they were getting killed. You know, that the Democrats were just faring better than Republicans were when it comes to
how people are sort of absorbing what's happening. And his way of solving it is to tell the Republicans to eliminate the filibuster, which is that
60-vote threshold in the Senate.
He seems convinced that, that is the only way to get this shutdown wrapped up with and done. But the mood in the room was, I think, pretty stark. You
know, it was very quiet. It sort of reflected the fact that many Republicans just don't agree with him on that approach. And in fact, when
the Senate Majority leader John Thune was returning to the capitol, he said very frankly, we don't have the votes to do this.
And so, how the Republicans move forward there, I don't think it's clear. The other sort of point that the President has been trying to make, and he
made this on social media last night, is that one of the reasons that Republicans fared so poorly was that he wasn't on the ballot, suggesting
that they can only be successful when he himself is up for election.
Of course, Donald Trump will never be on the ballot again. He cannot run for President again. And so, what that portends for his own party going
forward, I think is something that he and his fellow Republicans are going to have to work out.
SOARES: Let me pick -- with what you say, pick on what you said just for a moment on the shutdown and stay with that, because CNN's exit poll -- this
is really interesting. Found that Abigail Spanberger, of course, won 61 percent of the vote, Kevin, of those -- 60 -- one, a significant part of
the vote, but 61 percent of those, pardon me if I mis-presented that.
Six -- 61 percent of those had a federal worker in their household. You know, this is day 36 of this shutdown. I know you're talking about the
filibuster. I wonder what then the strategy is from the Democratic side in terms of what you are hearing, in terms of what the strategy may be given
this Democratic sweep.
LIPTAK: Yes, and I think it depends on what Democrat you're talking to here. There are plenty of Democrats who, even before last night's results,
seemed to believe that there could be a resolution to this if they were able to get a commitment from the President and from Republicans to have a
vote and have a debate on these healthcare programs, which has been at the core of their argument, to extend some of these healthcare subsidies.
And they seem to be willing to vote on a clean extension of funding if there was an agreement to get those programs voted on and passed. I think
there's going to be a different subset of Democrats who, after the election last night, will feel emboldened and sort of press their party mates to
insist that those programs be included in the funding extension.
And so, there, I think, will be a debate going forward about which pathway to take. You know, there's about a dozen Democrats in the Senate right now
who, according to sources, do seem willing to go that first route to vote for the clean extension if they get a commitment, that would be more than
enough to open the government if all of the Republicans join them.
And so, how that moves forward, I think remains to be seen. I think what is very clear is that the effects of the shutdown are becoming more and more
apparent to the American people, and you know, Abigail Spanberger is now the governor of Virginia. That's the state that borders Washington D.C.,
huge number of federal workers in the northern part of the state.
But in the southern part of the state, there's also a huge number of military families who themselves are facing a huge amount of uncertainty.
You know, the President has moved a lot of money around to get the military paid, but that by no means is limitless funding. And so, I think as these
effects pile up, whether it's in aviation, whether it's people not getting paid, whether it's people only getting partial food assistance this month,
there will be greater pressure on both sides of this to try and find a resolution.
SOARES: Kevin, do you stay with us. Kevin is in Miami for us as President Trump is speaking. I want to go to Washington D.C., Lulu Garcia-Navarro,
CNN contributor joins us now. Lulu, great to have you with us. I just -- we were talking about some of the pressures, of course, on the White House now
following this Democratic sweep.
And I want to focus in particular on Zohran Mamdani, who is the talk of the town, it seems, even on this side of the pond. He looked -- he ran a really
effective campaign. And it seems -- and he wasn't the only one. It seems he focused on the cost of living, affordability, right? And economic populism.
The question now is, how does a -- how does he deliver on those come next year? And what are the challenges you think that he will face going forward
with President Trump? Of course, who is already being quite open about where he stands and how he sees Mamdani?
[14:10:00]
LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, JOURNALIST, NEW YORK TIMES: Well, there's two things happening here. There's how President Trump sees Zohran Mamdani, and
there's how Zohran Mamdani sees President Trump. And you saw in Zohran Mamdani's acceptance speech or victory speech, rather, last night. He
challenged President Trump very directly.
This was not a speech of appeasement. It was not a speech that most Democrats would have given. This was a speech that was directly defiant.
And that has been noted here on both sides of the aisle. And it's a question of tactics. You know, what we are seeing at the moment is
Democrats' rank-and-file are very eager for a fight and are very eager for Democrats to challenge President Trump.
Now, Zohran Mamdani, of course, is a Democratic socialist. He is not the standard bearer of the Democratic Party despite what the Republicans would
like to make him be. But he is going to be the face of a new iteration of what politics means in this country. It is the most populous city. It is
the financial capital of the United States.
And so, everything Zohran Mamdani does is going to be heavily scrutinized. He is sending signals at the moment. He is staffing his transition team
with trusted and known faces, including Lina Khan, who is someone very much beloved on the left of the aisle, who was part of the Biden administration.
So, it remains to be seen what signals he will be sending to Wall Street, to the Jewish community, which is -- parts of which are very nervous about
him. And of course, to his allies in the Democratic Party and to his enemies in the Republican Party.
SOARES: Lulu, thanks for laying it all out for us. Lulu Garcia-Navarro there in Washington D.C. Kevin, for us in Miami this hour. Thank you to you
both. Well, at just 25 years old, Senator Zaynab Mohamed was the youngest woman ever elected to the Minnesota state Senate. She is in Munich,
Germany, right now for the One Young World Summit, where she will receive the Politician of the Year Award.
It's a global honor for leaders under the age of 35. Senator, welcome to the show and congratulations first of all.
ZAYNAB MOHAMED, MEMBER OF THE MINNESOTA STATE SENATE: Thank you so much for having me.
SOARES: Great to have you on the show --
MOHAMED: Good --
SOARES: Let me start, if I may, senator, with us. Your reaction, the discussion that we were having just now to Mamdani's historic win, the
first south-Asian, the first Muslim mayor of New York City and the youngest person in a century to hold that office. Just your reaction, first of all,
senator.
MOHAMED: Yes, I mean, Zohran Mamdani's win excites me, I am here, like you mentioned in Munich, Germany, with the One Young World Summit where I am
amongst hundreds of young people who are representing over 190 countries globally, and all of these young people know about this election, know
about New York.
These are people who don't live in America. I think Zohran represents something bigger than him. He's -- of course, a young person, somebody who
understands what people are struggling with in New York City and across the country, but also a Muslim man, to have a Muslim person lead the city post
9/11 is extraordinary. And it shows how much our country has gone forward - - has come forward.
SOARES: And as you heard from my conversation there, senator, you know, he also drew the largest turnout in New York, in New York mayoral race in
years. And I wonder then, when you speak to so many people there in Munich, so many young, the younger politicians, of course. What is the message?
What do you think the message is -- his message that resonated so strongly with voters? What did he get right? And has he found potentially the
formula for the Democrats here?
MOHAMED: Yes, what Zohran has gotten right is talking to people. He's meeting people where they're at. He was canvassing in transit stations.
He was transferring -- he was canvassing at mosques, at synagogues, at churches everywhere there were people. He was talking to people about the
issue -- about the issues that were impacting them.
And for so long -- when, for so long, young people have not had power. And I think he's showing them that if you talk to people about the issues that
are impacting you, you can actually not only bring large crowds, but you can expand the base. I think Zohran has given the Democratic Party not
only a new formula, but a way for us to move forward in this moment.
It's been a tough election cycle the last few years, but I think last night was an extraordinary win across the country. We've sweept many seats.
Zohran's seat being the biggest one, but I think it shows that the Democratic Party is ready to get back to working people, to talk about
affordability and to bring back the base. And the base is young people.
[14:15:00]
SOARES: Yes, Let's expand on that, if I may, senator, because, you know, his victory, along with the others, like you clearly mentioned in Virginia,
New Jersey, being seen in many ways as a message to President Donald Trump and his kind of brand of politics. What is that message to the President of
the United States, you think?
MOHAMED: The message is the President lied to people. He ran on a message on affordability. He told people grocery prices were too high, and he did
nothing about it. The government is shut down in this moment because of Republicans. They control Congress. They control the United States Senate.
They control the White House.
They're cutting healthcare. They're cutting SNAP. And I think American people are fed up with it. And so, this is a message to the Republican
Party and to Donald Trump that 2026 is going to be a sweep for the Democrats.
SOARES: And like we mentioned, senator, you are in Munich, in Germany receiving there the Young World Politician of the Year Award at a time like
you said, you know, kind of deep political division, public distrust, of course, in leaders. What is your message to young voters, especially those
following you on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, how do you inspire them?
MOHAMED: Yes, this week has been beautiful to see so many young people coming together globally who are making difference in their own countries.
There are young people who are running organizations here at the summit, who are elected -- who are in elected office, who are interested in running
for office.
And all of them have one mission, to do better, and to do differently than the world that they grew up in. I think for me, my message to young people
is, as long as we organize, as long as we talk to people, as long as we stay true to our values and we don't sway away from it, we will have a
better world, and we can win -- we can not only win seats, but we can actually make a difference in policy in the ways that we bring people into
the kind of politics that we want.
SOARES: Senator Zaynab Mohamed, thank you very much for taking the time to speak to us. Thank you, senator. We're going to leave U.S. politics for a
moment, turn our attention to the Middle East, because the family of another hostage in Gaza could soon get closure after enduring an agonizing
wait. The armed wing of Hamas says it will hand over the body of a hostage this hour.
Yesterday, Israel said it received the remains of the final U.S.-Israeli hostage held in Gaza, Itay Chen. He was an IDF staff sergeant who had been
stationed at the Gaza border on October the 7th. We have spoken to his father on numerous occasions, and some closure for his family, of course,
we're thinking of the entire family.
Well, U.S. President Donald Trump is trying to win support for his vision of Gaza's future. His administration is drafting a U.N. resolution that
would deploy an international stabilization force and establish a transitional government. But for people actually living in Gaza, there are
much more immediate concerns.
This, you're looking at right now is home for many Palestinians. They're living in rubble as the chill of Winter approaches, struggling to find
food, water as well as other necessities of life.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We have no life here. We've lost all hope. We returned to a pile of rubble. We have no water. We have no
food. We came back to rubble. We hoped our house would still be there, but there's no suitable place for us to live. We need a tent to live in for us
and for our children.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: The U.N. says nearly all of Gaza's 2 million people have been displaced, and Israel has shot and killed Palestinians accused of
approaching the yellow line, you can see it there, marking off the area it controls. But unlike what you see on the map we're showing you, the line is
not this clearly demarcated on the ground.
Journalists, including our own Jeremy Diamond, have repeatedly urged Israel to let them into Gaza without restrictions to independently show the world
what is happening. While we are still waiting for that, Israel has allowed Jeremy and other journalists to embed with the IDF and visit part of
northern Gaza. Have a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (on camera): So, we just arrived at this Israeli military position along the yellow line inside the
Gaza Strip, and you can see all around me the first thing that catches your eye, obviously, is the enormous extent of destruction here.
We are in Gaza city's Shujayya neighborhood, or at least, what's left of the Shujayya neighborhood, because you can see that there is almost not a
single building that is still standing in this area. This is about as far as we foreign journalists can get into Gaza right now. The Israeli
military, the Israeli government has only allowed us in, in limited circumstances on these types of military embeds.
For more than two years now, Israel has barred foreign journalists from freely entering the Gaza Strip. We would, of course, like to go further
down where there are actually Palestinian civilians, to be able to talk to them directly and cover their experiences.
[14:20:00]
But you can see in this area, there are no Palestinian civilians, just an established Israeli military position and so much destruction beyond.
You've taken us on this military embed today, but we as foreign journalists cannot independently access Gaza. We can't cross that yellow line and go
and speak with Palestinian civilians. Why not? The war is over.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, that's a question I think that you should ask people above my pay grade, and I'm in charge of embeds. I am an IDF
spokesperson. I'm in charge to bring reporters to see what IDF is doing. I do my best.
DIAMOND: We asked where exactly that yellow line is, and I was just told that it's slightly beyond some of those few remaining buildings that are
still standing there, but it's almost impossible for us to distinguish exactly where that yellow line is. And we know that it's also the case for
the Palestinians on the ground who have been shot at.
Some of them have been killed as they have approached or accidentally crossed that invisible yellow line. How are Palestinians on the ground
supposed to know where that line is?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, the line was also published publicly, social media, leaflets and so on. But also our troops are extremely careful.
There's warnings in real time. One does not get lost into IDF fire. In most cases, the people crossing the yellow line are Hamas, it's not an accident.
And when it is civilians in most cases, they are able to move back and heed(ph) to the warning --
DIAMOND: But you have -- but the Israeli military has killed civilians who crossed the yellow line accidentally. There was a family that was traveling
in a vehicle, they were fired upon by an Israeli military tank shell. Do you need to revise those policies?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it's a work in progress. As I said.
DIAMOND: The Israeli military has begun to deploy these yellow concrete blocks in order to distinguish where exactly that yellow line stands. But
it's still not covering the entirety of that yellow demarcation line. We have heard talk, of course, of establishing this international
stabilization force. There are efforts now at the United Nations Security Council to actually establish a resolution that would send that force into
Gaza.
But for now, all of that has yet to actually be implemented on the ground, and you can see behind me the enormity of the challenge that remains.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And our thanks to Jeremy Diamond and team for that report. Still to come here tonight, the battle for a key city in Ukraine. CNN diagrams
exactly how the fighting is shaping up. Clare Sebastian has that report after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:25:00]
SOARES: Vladimir Putin says that if the U.S. resumes nuclear testing, Russia will too. The Russian President is asking government ministers to
summit plans for how nuclear testing would be carried out. And it comes days after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. would resume nuclear
tests. Neither nation has conducted a test of a nuclear weapon in more than 30 years.
Well, CNN is getting new insight into a key battle on the frontlines of Russia's war with Ukraine. And our Clare Sebastian has all the intel on the
fight that we've been talking about on the show, the fight for Pokrovsk.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, 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. 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 Ukrainian captain whose
brigade is operating in Pokrovsk told us they are facing near-constant attacks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 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.
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 is because, this is the area we're talking about, and
this other town of Mymohrad 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)
SOARES: And our thanks to Clare Sebastian for that report. The death toll from a fire retirement home in northern Bosnia Herzegonina(ph) --
Herzegovina, pardon me, has risen to 11. Around 30 more were injured in the blaze, with some said to be in critical condition. Local media report many
of those who died had disabilities and were unable to make it out of the nine story building.
Authorities say the cause of the fire remains unclear. We'll stay across that story, of course, for you. New momentum, same old shutdown. Details
ahead on what Tuesday night's electoral wins means for the Democratic Party, and which paths they might pursue to actually end the government
shutdown.
And then later this hour, new details are emerging about a deadly cargo plane crash in Kentucky. We'll hear from the state's governor with an
update. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:00]
SOARES: Frustrating new record. The U.S. government shutdown now in day 36 becomes the longest in American history. And it topples a 2019 record
during Donald Trump's first term. President Trump, who has repeatedly framed the shutdown in a positive light, now blames it for Republicans
losing several elections on Tuesday. Some Democrats are hopeful this moment of uneasiness could spur Republicans to move quickly to compromise. Though,
it remains unclear if Senate Republicans are willing to budge.
Outside the halls of Congress, millions of Americans are not getting benefits needed to feed their families, and staffing shortages have been
causing delays at major airports. It is starting to bite.
Annie Grayer is tracking the shutdown's widening impacts, and she joins us now live from Washington. Annie, great to see you. Look, President Trump,
we've heard this in the last, what -- well, since this morning, I think, he's been addressing the shutdown, according to several sources. He told
Republicans this morning that they were getting killed, right? Those are the words, getting killed by the shutdown. Now, day 36, what is the plan?
Is he prepared to fold? What are you hearing?
ANNIE GRAYER, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, we're still waiting to see what the impacts are going to be and how lawmakers respond. But the president
had Republican senators at the White House this morning where he talked about the impacts of the shutdown and how he thought that the shutdown hurt
Republicans in Tuesday's elections. He even was calling again for Republicans to get rid of the filibuster, which is the 60-vote threshold,
and have Republicans pass a government funding bill without any Democratic support.
But Republican leaders in Congress have been dismissing what Tuesday night's election results mean, saying that it's an off-year election, that
it is not a referendum on the party at large, and are wanting to stay the course on their position in this government shutdown, which is to not
negotiate in earnest until -- on anything else until the government is reopened.
But Democrats, particularly progressives, are really emboldened after Tuesday night. They don't want to see their party leaders give in on voting
for a government shutdown without getting key concessions when it comes to the prices of health care in this country and securing those expiring
Affordable Care Act benefits that were set to expire at the end of this year.
There are meaningful negotiations, though, happening behind the scenes. There's a group of about a dozen lawmakers in the Senate, bipartisan
Republican and Democrat, who are trying to negotiate a path forward that could both reopen the government and extend those Obamacare subsidies that
are causing people's health care prices to rise. But there's a ton of questions of what those negotiations are going to lead to and if party
leaders on either side are going to accept this.
But as we are now in the longest government shutdown in history, the pain for people is only getting worse. And time is really running out for any
sort of decision to be made.
SOARES: Annie Grayer for us on Capitol Hill. Thank you, Annie. Good to see you.
[14:35:00]
Well, the U.S. Supreme Court has wrapped up arguments in a landmark economic case that could have profound consequences for the country, as
well as the presidency, justices will decide whether President Trump acted lawfully when he imposed sweeping emergency tariffs against most global
trading partners. Companies challenging the policies they'd be on, again, off again announcements have driven costs and uncertainty to intolerable
levels.
The lawyer representing the Trump administration faced some deep skepticism as he argued that tariffs are regulatory in nature, not taxes. Just have a
listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
D. JOHN SAUER, U.S. SOLICITOR GENERAL ARGUING FOR THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATOR: What we have here is two layers. There's the layer, the bedrock of the
president's, you know, inherent Article 2 powers and layered on top of that is a sweeping delegation of authority from Congress. When you put those two
things together, Congress is saying you have inherent powers to address international emergencies and we're conferring on you the tools, including
Article 1 tools, like, for example, the power to regulate foreign commerce.
And I want to make a very important distinction here. We don't contend that what's being exercised here is the power to tax. It's the power to regulate
foreign commerce. These are regulatory tariffs. They are not revenue- raising tariffs. The fact that they raise revenue is only incidental. The tariffs would be most effective, so to speak, if no person ever paid them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And now, we'll just have to wait for the decision from the Supreme Court justices. Turning to the U.S. State of Kentucky, we are learning new
details of Tuesday evening's deadly cargo plane crash. I would like to warn you, the video we're about to show you is disturbing. At least nine people
were killed when the UPS freighter plane crashed shortly after takeoff in Louisville. The crash triggered an explosion at a nearby petroleum
recycling facility.
And images released from the scene seem to show the engine from the 34- year-old plane lying, as you can see there, on the ground. The governor gave an update just a short time ago. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ANDY BESHEAR (R-KY): Following yesterday's events, I'm declaring a state of emergency to help us deal with this plane crash. It allows us to
move resources more quickly through emergency management and the Kentucky National Guard. It allows state resources to be used also through our
agencies to be readily available, including disaster resource management, expenses related to response, and more, as well as reimbursement.
(END VIDEO CLIP) SOARES: Let's get more on this story. CNN Aviation Correspondent Pete Muntean joins us now. Pete, good to see you. We're hearing from
authorities, of course. We now have this video, really hard to watch at times, of the incident. When we put these two together, what kind of image
are you getting of how it happened, how this unfolded?
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: A big image here. Important to stress, though, no clear cause yet. And investigators tell me much too
early to speculate on why this unfolded. But the early visual clues are painting this picture that UPS 2976 was really doomed from the very start.
I want to show you this, our clearest view yet of the moments leading up to the crash. Investigators will likely go through this video frame by frame.
You can see a few key things here. The flames coming from the left side of the jet may be from the left engine. That is possible. You can also see the
nose of this airplane is up, but it is struggling to get airborne.
Just want to give you some context here. The same airplane was photographed back in 2021. It's a MD-11F built by the McDonnell Douglas Company before
the company became part of Boeing. You can see it has three engines. The number 1 engine is the one under the left wing there. The number 2 engine
is the one back on the tail, the number 3 engine obscured in this photo under the wing on the right side.
Also, some really big forensic clues for investigators on the ground. And the video that's coming out in daylight is starting to show what appears to
be the outer portion of an engine, a cowling next to the takeoff runway. There's also this image surfacing of an entire engine lying next to that
runway used for takeoff.
The challenge now for investigators is fitting all of these clues into a timeline of events that was very, very short. And according to the publicly
available flight tracking data, the time from the moment this flight lined up on Louisville's runway 17 right to the moment of impact was only about
one minute. Takeoff, probably the worst time for a fire to break out. Any pilot will tell you it's low to the ground. You have low airspeed with the
fewest possible options. It's exactly why pilots drill for takeoff emergencies all of the time in simulators.
SOARES: Let's speak, you know, about the victim. Nine dead, many with some significant injuries. Do we know from authorities if everyone is accounted
for, Pete?
MUNTEAN: There are still some who are not accounted for. And officials now expect the death toll to rise some. They were trying to get in touch with
folks who were not accounted for last night. They are not holding out much hope.
[14:40:00]
The problem here is that the debris field and the impact area is so, so large. And this airplane went down into an industrial park just off of the
end of the runway there as it was headed to the south. This airplane also assumed you can assume that it was fully loaded with fuel, about 30,000 to
40,000 gallons for this eight-hour-plus flight from Louisville to Honolulu, Hawaii. So, this created a large fire.
Thankfully, the airplane just narrowly missed a restaurant there, although folks at that restaurant and a nearby trucking company captured so much of
this on video. Of course, this is video that investigators will now go through as they really try to piece together what went wrong. Every piece
of video, every frame is now evidence.
SOARES: Without a doubt. And in the next hour, I think the NTSB is about to -- will bring us up to date on where they are on the investigation. I
know you'll be across that for us, Pete. As always thank you very much indeed.
And still to come tonight, the U.S. carries out another airstrike against alleged drug smugglers, a move that could further inflame tensions between
Washington and Caracas. A live report from Venezuela, just ahead.
And then later, hear from Prince William about climate and the future as our own Christiane Amanpour sits down with the royal.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. The U.S. has conducted another military strike against an alleged drug smuggling vessel in the eastern Pacific
Ocean without, once again, providing any evidence. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says two people were killed in Tuesday's attack. Since early
September, such strikes have claimed the lives of at least 67 people.
The U.N. says attacks against ships in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean violate international human rights law and is calling for an investigation.
The Trump administration says the strikes are necessary to stop the flow of drugs into the U.S.
CNN Contributor Stefano Pozzebon joins us now live from Caracas in Venezuela. And, Stefano, I feel that you and I have been speaking probably
twice, three times a week as we see these strikes just, you know, increasing. Give us a sense of what we know about this strike in the
Eastern Pacific, first of all.
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, Isa. And we're monitoring, by the way, the words of President Trump, who is speaking in an event in Miami.
[14:45:00]
He's speaking right now and boasting what he says is the goals, the success of this campaign that has been spread out, not just in the Caribbean, but
just like you pointed out correctly, it's been spread out to the Eastern Pacific because we have told our audiences time and again that the vast
majority of drugs from South America up to North America are coming through the Eastern Pacific. So, from that corridor, from the likes of Peru,
Ecuador, and Colombia, move up towards the Pacific coast, towards Mexico, and then the United States.
The fact that, as we learned last night, that the U.S. are conducting strikes in that region, in that particular stretch of water, suggests that
they are looking at the intelligence and understanding that the drugs are coming in from that part as well, as we're learning yesterday with the 66th
and 67th victims in this campaign, unfortunately. But we also understand that the focus is still laser-tight on Caracas, where I am, on Venezuela,
and those words from President Trump just minutes ago from Miami really seem to suggest so.
SOARES: I remember the interview he did with 60 Minutes just over the weekend where he insinuated that President Nicolas Maduro's days were
numbered, I think were his words. This, of course, as we see incredible amounts of U.S. firepower coalescing, right, in the Caribbean. Just give us
a sense of what the mood is in Caracas, what are we hearing from Nicolas Maduro?
POZZEBON: Yes. Well, Maduro has been silent on that particular issue. He has been telling his people and the world that he is the victim of an
aggression from the United States and that he intends to stay put, Isa.
However, I want to go back to that conference in Miami. It's no small coincidence, Isa, that Donald Trump is on stage right now. He's speaking in
Miami. Miami is the core of a core constituency that propelled Trump to power both in 2016 and in 2024 and is the core of the anti-Maduro sentiment
in the United States. And guess what? Just a couple of hours before Donald Trump, another person, Venezuelan, was speaking in Miami. It was Maria
Corina Machado who made this speech, basically, to the American community, to the U.S. business community of why it is the time now for a stronger
intervention against Maduro.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIA CORINA MACHADO, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER AND NOBEL PEACE LAUREATE: We had offered Nicolas Maduro from day one, after we won by a
landslide, the possibility of a negotiated transition. He has rejected it over and over again. And on the contrary, he has unleashed the worst
repression wave in our history. We have dozens of innocent citizens that have been disappeared, tortured, abused. People whose houses have been
marked just because they defended the votes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
POZZEBON: Those were the words of Maria Corina Machado, freshly winner of the Nobel Peace Prize last month. We must say, of course, that the Maduro
government denies all of those allegations. They say that there are no political prisoners in Venezuela. However, we do feel, at least from within
Caracas, the sentiment of siege, the sentiment of a government under pressure from the mightiest power in the world, from the U.S. military,
with even more firepower arriving into the region, just like you pointed out, Isa, and again, calls from the business community as well as the
diplomatic community to signal that Maduro's days are gone. So, we'll see how will Maduro react to this other call, Isa, for him to step down.
SOARES: Yes. Interesting to see whether Maduro's allies come to his rescue. Iran, China, Russia, we shall see. Stefano, as always, good to see
you, my friend. Thank you.
Still to come tonight, as many of you as think about living a wonderful life, some Parisians are considering where to be laid to rest. They could
win a lottery and be buried near celebrities. Our Paris Bureau Chief has that story next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:50:00]
SOARES: World leaders are heading to Brazil ahead of the upcoming U.N. climate summit there. Britain's Prince William is also there for the
conference and to host his own gathering for his annual Earthshot Prize. Now, in its fifth year, the winners will be announced at a ceremony later.
Our Christiane Amanpour sat down with the prince in Rio de Janeiro to discuss some of the climate innovators nominated for awards this year and
why they give him hope.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRINCE WILLIAM, FOUNDER, EARTHSHOT PRIZE: It's really important. Again, it's -- you have to provide a leadership and a vision that there's good
things to come and that it's not all negative. And for my children particularly, knowing that the planet's going to be in a healthier, better
state because of the brilliant people in this room is something that I love to tell them when they go to bed. It's like, it's going to be great. Your
future is going to be as bright as the future's gone by.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: It's one among a number of passion projects for Prince William as he looks towards the future of the monarchy. Christiane also asked the
Prince about his difficult year, of course, and the health challenges his family has faced. The prince deflected the question.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Given the fact that, you know, there's been a lot of change in your own family recently and you
yourself have talked about this change, just talk about that a little bit. Where do you see the change? What do you think needs to happen?
PRINCE WILLIAM: I think the Earthshot Prize is a classic example of change. Rather than talk about it, we're doing it. And that's where I want
it to be, is that these people in here are the true action heroes of our time and change will come by backing them, not by what I do. And so, I want
to surround myself with people who want to make change and do good in the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Battered that question away very nicely. Now, e-commerce giant SHEIN opened its first brick-and-mortar store in Paris earlier today
despite the growing controversy, if you remember, they were talking about yesterday, the Chinese e-commerce chain giant is setting up shop in one of
French capital's most famous department stores.
It has fueled outrage with scores of protesters denouncing the fashion retailer over SHEIN's reputation for so-called disposable fashion and its
past sale of childlike sex dolls. The government started proceedings to ban SHEIN's French website and told the company to prove all of its products
listed there are legal.
Do stay in Paris -- let's stay in Paris for you because people there are dying to get in on some of the city's most exclusive real estate. Pere-
Lachaise is a famous cemetery and the final resting place of celebrities as well as historical figures. And now, officials are giving people a chance
to be buried here. Our Saskya Vandoorne has the story.
(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.
[14:55:00]
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 is 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. The
upkeep of these tombs falls to the families, not the city. So, many graves do fall into disrepair over time. Now, there are 30 neglected tombs across
three cemeteries, Pere-Lachaise, Montparnasse and Montmartre that are part of the program.
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)
SOARES: What a great opportunity. A bit for community. That does it for us for tonight. Do stay right here. "What We Know" with Max Foster is up next.
I shall see you tomorrow. Have a wonderful day. Bye-bye.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
