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Isa Soares Tonight
President Sheinbaum Takes Legal Action After Groping Incident; Venezuela Accused of Using App to Spy with Citizens' Help; Call to Earth Day: Guard Your Green Space. Trump Administration Considering Slashing Flights Amid Government Shutdown Woes; Typhoon Kalmaegi Slashes into Vietnam After Leaving a Path of Destruction Across the Philippines; Mexico's President Presses Charges Against a Man Accused of Groping Her on a Public Street. Aired 2:00-3p ET
Aired November 06, 2025 - 14:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
PAULA NEWTON, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: And a very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Paula Newton in for Isa Soares. Tonight, the longest
shutdown in U.S. history gets longer with each passing hour. The Trump administration is now considering slashing flights. We'll tell you exactly
who will be impacted and how.
Plus, one of the most powerful typhoons of the year slams into Vietnam after leaving a path of destruction across the Philippines. We have the
latest on that. And Mexico's President presses charges against a man accused of groping her on a public street. Claudia Sheinbaum says she's
taking a stand on behalf of all Mexican women. That's coming up.
And we do begin with cautious optimism. And I do want to stress the word cautious surrounding talks to begin and end to a 37-day U.S. government
shutdown. Now, multiple sources from both parties tell CNN, intense negotiations are ongoing to try and reach a deal before the end of the
week.
Now, those sources add that key sticking points remain, including funding for enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, and the pressure is building on
Capitol Hill to bring an end to the longest shutdown in U.S. history. A Senate Democrat says negotiations are moving in the right direction.
Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-NH): I think talks continue to be productive, and hopefully we can get to a resolution. I think we need to get government
back up. We need to make sure that people are getting their benefits so they can continue to eat. We need to make sure that airports are open and
air traffic controllers are getting paid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now, the shock waves of this shutdown are clearly being felt. Millions of federal workers face an incredibly difficult reality, with many
having to choose between paying rent and feeding their families. Now, following a court order, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says food stamp
recipients will now receive slightly larger partial benefits this month.
But here's the bottom line. It will be less than they normally receive. A House Republican says there's only one way to end the standoff for members
of her own party to invoke the so-called nuclear option.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): You know, Democrats should vote to fund the government, but Republicans are equally responsible. And if
they're serious about funding the government, they should use the nuclear option and override the filibuster to get it done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: CNN's Alayna Treene is with us now from the White House. I mean, a couple of things really caught my attention. One was we did hear, in fact,
from House Speaker saying that, look, he's less optimistic right now than he was yesterday. And then we just heard from Marjorie Taylor Greene still
going to this issue, which apparently is a nonstarter in the Senate, that they want to end the filibuster, which would mean a simple majority of 50
Senate votes would get a deal done.
Which means you don't have to deal with the Democrats. The Republicans could do it on their own. What are -- what is your understanding right now
of the negotiations, especially when it comes to White House involvement?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Yes, look, I mean, I think the White House is in a different place at the moment than a lot of people in Congress,
particularly the centrists, both Republican centrists and the more moderate Democrats who are finally having the most substantial negotiations at this
point than they have throughout the entire shutdown so far.
And, of course, that's because this is an untenable position. It always has been. But the longer this goes on, the more pain that Americans feel. And
there's so much concern, particularly as we get into the holiday season, about the safety of travel, about people being able to feed their families.
The list goes on.
So, from the White House and where these negotiations stand, look, they don't need all Democrats and all Republicans to agree on this issue. What
Republicans recognize is that if they can pull a number of Democrats, more so, some of them in the middle, and get them on board with this short term
agreement that could perhaps hit some of the priorities that they want, they could potentially reach a deal to open the government.
[14:05:00]
Now, a lot of Democrats, I should argue, including many of the leaders like Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority leader Hakeem
Jeffries, they are arguing that especially after Tuesday night's elections, even though they were not federal elections, but they were a key kind of
barometer for where a lot of Americans feel right now.
Democrats walked away with many of those wins. And so, some Democrats are saying this is a sign that we should stay with our position and continue to
fight for what their ultimate goal here is, which is to secure real negotiations and secure those subsidies that you mentioned on the
Affordable Care Act and healthcare overall.
Now, when the White House comes into this, the President has, as you mentioned, a very different position than many of people in Congress and in
his own party, which is this idea of going nuclear, which is ending the filibuster. That essentially would mean they could -- Republicans could
pass anything they wanted with just a simple majority vote.
They wouldn't need Democrats to reopen the government. But there's a lot of issues about doing that. This has often been a nonstarter for both parties
because if Democrats, for example, were to win in the midterm elections next year, they could do a lot of damage Republicans argue to their
priorities.
And that's why you've heard John Thune; the Senate Majority leader, say, look, the math isn't there for this. And a lot of people not really taking
that idea seriously. The President, however, is continuing to put pressure on his own members, saying this is the only way forward. And so, that's
where a lot of these complications come in. Paula.
NEWTON: Yes, you call them complications? Can you give --
TREENE: Yes --
NEWTON: Us some insight into what federal workers and frustrated travelers will be going through over the next few days? Because to me, I'm not sure
this is settling in from what I hear to -- from Democrats to Republicans to the President himself. Do they really understand, you know, that people
feel like they're on the brink?
TREENE: Look, I think at times they do, but so much of this, of course, as well, is also politics. And that's why I think this shutdown can be such an
issue to so many Americans who are feeling the real world impact from their wallets to their travel and so on. To give you a sense, yes, we are seeing
more issues with food stamps and SNAP benefits, as you mentioned.
The Department of Agriculture said they might get a little bit more than was initially anticipated during the shutdown, but it's still less than
what they would expect during a normal month, and if the government was open and operating the way it should, and that is left. I mean, you've seen
and we've done them at CNN, interview after interview with people who say that they don't know how they're going to feed their children or their
families.
And many of these people as well, some of them are government workers that are struggling with this. They're not getting a paycheck right now. Many
government workers, I will say lawmakers are getting paid at something I keep hearing in my conversations with Americans who are dealing with some
of this.
And so, those are some of the issues, and of course, travel is one of the big ones we are watching as well. The Trump administration has started to
warn that they're going to be closing several different air traffic control routes. They said put the number at 40 right now, if this does not end, and
that could start as soon as tomorrow or next week.
We've been hearing now repeatedly from the Department of Transportation as well, essentially saying that it's still safe to fly, but you're going to
see a lot of cancellations, you're going to see a lot of delays. And at some point, the longer this goes, safety could ultimately become an issue
that could cause them to have much more closures in the future.
NEWTON: Yes, and that's non-negotiable, right? Everyone's got to stay safe in the skies. Alayna Treene for us, keeping an eye on things at the White
House, appreciate it. And as Alayna was just saying, the shutdown is forcing a major disruption in air traffic, and that's just ahead. We remind
you of one of the busiest travel seasons of the year here in the United States.
The government has announced it will reduce flights by 10 percent at 40 airports right across the country, a source tells CNN, the administration
is considering beginning with a 4 percent reduction, that would start tomorrow. The cuts increase 1 percent each day as this shutdown drags on.
Now, high traffic airports from Atlanta to Los Angeles to New York will be affected, and of course, we're already seeing thousands of flight delays
and cancellations due to a shortage of air traffic controllers. Passengers are flooding airline customer service hotlines, frantically trying to make
alternate plans. At least, three airlines now are waiving fees for travelers who have to change their tickets.
CNN's Danny Freeman is live for us at Newark Airport. I'm feeling the pain of the travelers there. I mean, look, I couldn't get into New York in that
airport on the weekend. What are you hearing now from both domestic and international travelers about what's coming next, right? Because this could
really lead to quite a bit of chaos.
DANNY FREEMAN, CNN REPORTER: Yes, that's very well said, Paula. And I mean, to be frank, right now, and today feels a little eerie because it's
really the calm before the storm. All the airlines have been saying that despite the regular shutdown influenced delays or the wind here, for
example, at Newark, that flights today will be operating as normal.
[14:10:00]
It's tomorrow, Friday, as you were noting that really the threat of these airline reductions are going to start. And as you noted, Paula, we're
talking about 40 different airports across the country, which means the impact could be felt among thousands and thousands of travelers. And we
actually just got the full list. And, you know, I just -- I want to read off some of these airports, just because if you think that you might not be
impacted here in the states, you certainly will.
Anchorage is going to be impacted. Hartsfield, Jackson in Atlanta, Boston, here where we are at Newark Liberty International is going to be impacted,
LAX, Dallas. Really, there are very few of the largest airports across the country that are not going to be impacted at this point if this goes
through. So, today though, like I said, we've been keeping a close eye on the board.
We've been seeing some of these delays come up. Like I said, because of wind, but also the problem here and the reason why the Department of
Transportation says they've gotten to this point is because of the air traffic controllers, as Alayna was saying to you just earlier, Paula. The
air traffic controllers, they're now going a second pay period with no pay.
Many of them have been calling out sick, others have been just trying to take other jobs, like pick up Uber drivers we've understood, just to try
and make income to pay the bills. That has resulted in staffing shortages, and that's ultimately resulted in this threat to cut 10 percent of flights
across the U.S. over the next several days.
But Paula, I want you to take a listen to what Sean Duffy; the head -- the Secretary, I should say, of the Department of Transportation, had to say
specifically about the impact that these air traffic controllers are really feeling, which led to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN DUFFY, SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION, UNITED STATES: They missed a partial payment in early October. They missed a full payment a week-and-a-
half ago. This morning, they're getting their pay stubs that they're going to get another big fat zero, no paycheck for the second time.
They've all told me it's really hard, really hard to navigate a full month of no pay, missing two pay periods. So, I think you're going to have more
significant disruptions in the airspace. And as we come into Thanksgiving, if we're still in the shutdown posture, it's going to be rough out there,
really rough.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FREEMAN: So, you see, Paula, a warning there from the Department of Transportation Secretary that if things don't get resolved, not only is it
going to get bad this weekend, but it could get even worse heading into the holiday weekends to come. I will say though, the hope is, as Alayna said,
that maybe Congress can try and strike a deal, but that doesn't seem to be on the horizon at the moment. Paula.
NEWTON: Yes, and even when they do, it might take a few days just to get things back to normal anyway. OK, message noted, Danny, if you're flying in
within the United States or to the United States, yes, check with your airline. Appreciate it. Danny Freeman for us at Newark. Now, one of the
most powerful tropical cyclones of the year has made landfall in Vietnam.
Typhoon Kalmaegi hit central Vietnam with a strength similar to a category 3 hurricane. The typhoon -- the typhoon left at least 114 people dead in
the Philippines with more than 100 now still missing. CNN's Mike Valerio reports another potentially dangerous storm is on the way.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): What we have here is actually not just one, but two typhoon paths moving through the region. We have
Vietnam in the path of a recharge Typhoon Kalmaegi, and then we have the Philippines that is getting ready, girding itself to be hit by a second
typhoon in just a few days.
So, let's look at those tracks that we have here on the map. Typhoon Kalmaegi on its course through Vietnam and Fung-Wong, Typhoon Fung-Wong,
which is locally going to be known as Uwan in the Philippines by Sunday, poised to potentially hit the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The
catastrophic scenes that you're looking at are in the Philippines, Cebu specifically, tourist hot spot.
This is damage from the first typhoon. And putting this into greater context, you know, parts of Cebu are still recovering from a magnitude 6.9
earthquake that rattled the region on September 30th, just over a month ago. So, to that end, and to the damage that is now been experienced by
this region of the Philippines, we spoke with the head of the Philippine Red Cross earlier on CNN, and listen to what he told us.
RICHARD GORDON, CHAIRMAN & CEO, PHILLIPPINE RED CROSS: And that right now, the Red Cross is putting in several water tankers, all of them, and we have
front-end loaders to help clear the debris along with the government. They have other equipment, of course, but the important thing is to get to the
heart of the damage so that we can start distributing food.
VALERIO: So, adding to what the area is going through, six people were killed when a Philippine air force helicopter crashed. That chopper was on
a humanitarian mission responding to this storm damage. And this comes after we've reported on protests throughout the Philippines, people furious
that flood control projects have been inadequate or they say, non-existent, with allegations of corruption tied to some of the new flood control
projects.
[14:15:00]
So, where exactly does this leave us? Where is the story line going here as it relates to these two storms? Well, Vietnam is preparing for, again,
Typhoon Kalmaegi with ground in the area of this storm path that is already saturated and cannot take too much more rainfall. And then we have the
Philippines again, Luzon Island, and northern stretches of the Philippine archipelago preparing for that second typhoon, Fung-Wong or Uwan as it's
known in the Philippines, that's expected to arrive by late Sunday. Mike Valerio, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: OK, joining us now from CNN weather center is meteorologist Derek Van Dam. I mean, Derek, I cannot believe some of the pictures that I'm
looking at. And now, this storm is not done yet. And now there's another on the way.
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, so now, we're bracing ourselves for a second typhoon across the Philippines. But it was Kalmaegi that caused
the destruction here, right along the central Visayas islands, where Cebu is located. Now, it raced across the super-charged ocean waters of the
South China Sea.
It picked up some water and moisture, and it just slammed into central Vietnam as the strongest typhoon to impact this region ever recorded. Now,
it's kind of ringing itself out now, but there's still a lot of rain associated with Kalmaegi. We've already seen some impressive totals, so,
these are over the past 24 hours, but much of the rainfall you see here occurred within a 12 to 15-hour span.
Of course, that amount of rain that quickly will lead to flooding, and that's likely what's happening on the ground, especially across Vietnam.
So, super saturated environment, doesn't take much to flood and overspill some of the rivers and the banks and the streams here, as more rain
continues to fall from the atmosphere.
We already know what this storm did in the Philippines. I mean, this is just astounding aerial imagery of the destruction. Remember, in this new
warming world that we all live in, the ability for these typhoons, hurricanes and cyclones to hold more water vapor goes up, more water vapor
equates to more frequent and more intense heavy rain events, especially during tropical systems.
So, we've seen that unfold, and now we've got to prepare for a second storm. So, here it is. Kalmaegi, that is departing, Fung-Wong that is
approaching the Philippines, second storm here in about a week, and it is forecast to officially strengthen, teetering on a category four Atlantic
hurricane equivalent, by the time it reaches central and southern Luzon in the northern Philippines by the weekend, you can see the wind radius just
expand with this system.
And obviously, a lot of rain to contend with as it picks up some of the warm ocean waters over the western Pacific. Paula?
NEWTON: Yes, and as you just pointed out, Derek, you know, this has been a brutal typhoon season for the Philippines --
VAN DAM: Yes --
NEWTON: This storm hit very hard. The next one also a hard hit. There have been nine landfalling typhoons and so many close calls now. What -- why
does it seem that there is something going on here in the weather patterns? Is there something that has made 2025 worse than other years?
VAN DAM: Look, I wouldn't call it the weather patterns that are dictating these storms paths per se. I would put it more squarely on the fact that
the islands here, specifically the Philippines, are right smack-dab in the middle of bathtub warm water. We're talking near 30 degree Celsius. And
look where it finds itself, right across some of the warmest waters of the central and western Pacific ocean.
So, warmer ocean waters means the potential to hold more water vapor in the atmosphere. We talked about that a moment ago, but the potential for the
storm to strengthen and strengthen quickly, and we've seen that, unfortunately, with the landfalling hurricanes, Ragasa, remember that just
ripped through northern portions of Luzon earlier this year.
On average, we have about 8 to 9 landfalling storms in the Philippines throughout the course of the year. The most was 19 in a single year, the
fewest was four. But of course, that doesn't count the storms that make a close pass or a near miss. We still have these large typhoons that can
create very heavy wind and rain for these regions. So, even a close call is too close for comfort. Paula.
NEWTON: Yes, absolutely. And just with some of the video that you were showing, I mean, this is not damage. This is utter destruction in so many
cases --
VAN DAM: Yes --
NEWTON: So difficult --
VAN DAM: Yes, catastrophic --
NEWTON: Yes, so, difficult for people to recover. Derek Van Dam, thank you, really appreciate that update. Still to come for us --
VAN DAM: Yes --
NEWTON: An upcoming football match in Britain is fueling protests. We'll tell you why in a live report from Birmingham. Plus, a show of unity among
Miss Universe contestants. Details ahead on what led to this dramatic walkout in Thailand.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:20:00]
NEWTON: British police are mounting a major security operation in Birmingham to prevent trouble ahead of a controversial football match. Now,
in less than an hour, Aston Villa will take on Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League. And although, Maccabi fans won't even be
attending the game, pro-Palestinian groups waving flags are already gathering outside the stadium in Birmingham, which has a large Muslim
population.
There have been some calls on social media for counter-demonstrations. More than 700 police officers are on the streets at this hour. CNN's Nic
Robertson is there with them now. Nic, look, there's been a lot of controversy, as we were just saying, surrounding this match. Can you just
give us an update in terms of what you're seeing at this hour, but also the security posture and why it's necessary?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, Paula, I have to say the music, I don't know, and the chanting, I don't know if you can hear
me, but it's pretty loud, making it hard for me to hear you precisely. There is a relatively large crowd at this protest, but maybe just a few
hundred people.
I'm going to get out of the way, Tom's going to show us here some of the signs here. "Maccabi not welcome", that's a message to the Tel Aviv team.
"Show Israel the red card", and then, Tom, if you pan along, you can see some of the other signs there, "Freedom to Palestine", "free Palestine" are
the signs there.
But what you're seeing as well here, Paula, are the police, you mentioned 700 police that have been deployed to this area. I'm going to walk away
from the center of the protest, take you towards the stadium so you can see where some of the soccer fans are going in. It's a bit quieter over there.
But 700 police, some of them are up mounted on horses. They have enhanced powers at the moment in this area to stop and search people. But we've been
here for about an hour or so, and I have to say you have the protest going on, you have the fans going into the football stadium over here.
You have the police sort of creating a buffer across the road. If you look down here, you see all the police vans, but what you don't have here this
evening is really any violence. But you certainly understand that if there were Maccabi fans here, which there are not, because the club was told by
the council on the advice of the police here that they should not come to the match, they wouldn't be allowed to come and support their team.
You can see there would have been a lot of anger here. Now, the police say they took their decision to disallow, if you will, the Maccabi fans the
right to come here and watch the match in the stadium because they say of the possibility of violence, they say they had seen Maccabi fans at their
match in Amsterdam several months ago.
[14:25:00]
I've talked to many of the Maccabi fans in Israel today, yesterday. They're deeply frustrated that they can't be here. They don't feel that they're
getting heard. They feel that they're being judged wrongly. And of course, in Amsterdam, there were Maccabi fans who were literally chased down the
street and beaten up by angry crowds.
You can get the sense and apply it here if you will, if those fans were here today, there would be the potential where they could be chased again,
beaten again. But it looks very much like the police really have this situation under control. There's no violence. Fans are able to come and go,
get inside.
The Aston Villa fans get inside and see the match. And the Maccabi team arrived in the country yesterday and I think from inside the stadium,
they're probably not going to be able to hear a lot of the anti-Maccabi chants that are going on from the crowd here. But for now, this match and
the fans match about to happen, fans seem to be having a good time.
Protesters getting their chance to protest, but no Maccabi fans. And I think some people I've talked to here say that's a disappointment. It would
have been far better if they'd been allowed to come. The prime minister called it a bad or wrong decision that the local council stopped the fans
coming, and the leader of the opposition called it actually a national disgrace. So, its' a political issue here, as well as a sports thing as
well as obviously a big issue in the community here in Birmingham.
NEWTON: Yes, and for this hour and the coming hours at least, there's still a security issue. Nic Robertson there on the ground for us, we'll
continue to get updates from you. Still to come for us tonight, a disturbing incident raises questions about the Mexican President's security
and the safety of all women in public life.
Hear why Claudia Sheinbaum is taking legal action. That's next. Plus, a mobile app that was supposed to serve as a helpline for the Venezuelan
people, is relaunched with a different purpose. The red flags just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:00]
NEWTON: So, Mexico's first female president now taking legal action after a disturbing incident went viral. Claudia Sheinbaum pressing charges
against a man who seemingly groped her after breaking through a crowd of people on Tuesday. Mexico City's mayor says the man is now in custody at
the Sex Crimes Investigation Unit. And the president described him as, quote, "completely drunk," and calls this episode an assault on all women.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, MEXICAN PRESIDENT (through translator): And my reflection is, if I don't file a complaint, even though this is a crime,
then what position does that leave all Mexican women in? If they do this to the president, then what will happen to all the young women in our country?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now, over the past five years, Mexico's National Electoral Institute has recorded more than 500 cases of violence against women in
politics. We want to discuss all of this with Valeria Leon. She joins us now from Mexico City.
Certainly, the incident has shocked the country, but maybe not surprised too many people, right, given what so many Mexican women go through and
report similar experiences. I want to ask you how the country is reacting, and also to the fact that this was just such a security breach on any
level, how close this man came to the president.
VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Paula, it was a very unsettling moment what happened to the president yesterday, and now it's sparking
outrage and reflection nationwide. For many women, it wasn't just about the president, it was about something deeply familiar. Online, the conversation
quickly turned into an outpouring of stories, frustration, and also solidarity. Women have been sharing their own experiences of harassment,
saying the video simply exposed what women face daily on the streets, at work, and even in public transport.
Many say this moment has brought to light a painful reality, that not even the nation's most powerful woman is safe from harassment. And for others,
it's a call to action, a reminder of how much still needs to change in a country where violence against women remains widespread and often goes
unpunished.
The incident on Tuesday has brought renewed attention to an issue that runs deep in Mexico. Official data shows that about 7 out of 10 women in the
country have faced some form of violence, and nearly half say they've experienced sexual violence.
Women's rights groups say this moment could be a turning point, forcing authorities and also society to finally confront what's long been
normalized, that a walk down the street can still feel unsafe, Paula.
NEWTON: Yes, I am listening to everything you're saying and noting that, as you said, it is deeply familiar to so many Mexican women. Claudia
Sheinbaum is in an office a little bit over a year now. So, we will see if any policies come to fruition. Appreciate your time.
Now, Sheinbaum also weighed in on the drama surrounding the Miss Universe competition, this after an organizer from the host nation Thailand berated
Miss Mexico, Fatima Bosch, for failing to post promotional content.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHEINBAUM (through translator): I mean, women look more beautiful when we raise our voices and participate, because that has to do with a recognition
of our rights, so I recognize this young woman.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now, here you can see fellow contestants staging a walkout earlier. The Miss Universe organization condemns the organizer's actions,
and he has since apologized.
Human rights advocates are concerned about how the Venezuelan government could be using an app to spy on its own citizens. They say the government
appears to be encouraging citizens to inform on each other by reporting on suspicious people or seditious or disloyal activities. CNN's Stefano
Pozzebon reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR (voice-over): Imagine living in a country where the government appears to ask your neighbor to spy on you.
The Venezuelan government revamped an application this month to invite citizens to report on irregular activities.
[14:35:00]
NICOLAS MADURO, VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT (through translator): A new application so that the people can safely report everything they hear,
everything they read.
POZZEBON (voice-over): CNN had a rare look at the app. It was originally launched in 2022 to report issues with utility services, like water counts
or blackouts. But now it allows citizens to denounce attacks against the state or other disloyal activities, drone sightings or the presence of
suspicious people.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We haven't seen in our community any threat or anything similar. But if that were the case, I wouldn't
hesitate a second to use the app.
POZZEBON (voice-over): Venezuela lives under tight control from security forces and hundreds of dissidents have been jailed or forced to flee. But
this has worsened as the United States has deployed warships and aircraft, putting pressure on Maduro and his government. The government claims this
is done to defend the fatherland and denies there are political prisoners in Venezuela. Civil society groups denounced the app, saying it promotes a
system of social vigilance and militarization.
ANDRES AZPURUA, DIRECTOR, VENEZUELA SIN FILTROS: I would say that in 2024 we definitely saw a psychological campaign to intimidate and make people so
afraid that they wouldn't speak out. It's not clear if this is what's going to happen, although the way Nicolas Maduro announced this re-edition of
this form on the app is definitely Orwellian.
POZZEBON (voice-over): Apple and Google both removed the application from their app stores, but it still works for those who downloaded it and on a
browser. Not everyone sees it as a problem. CNN spoke with a user of the app. We're hiding his identity for fears of retaliation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): For the utility reports, I can tell you it works really well.
POZZEBON (voice-over): I asked him if he found it weird to put the two things in the same space, the defense of the nation and utility outages.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We are prepared to defend our fatherland, our country, as the good revolutionary we are.
POZZEBON (voice-over): Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, Caracas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: OK. Still to come for us tonight, celebrating the beauty of our natural earth. A closer look at how each of us can make a difference in an
increasingly urban world.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:40:00]
NEWTON: CNN is celebrating its annual Call to Earth Day, showcasing how people are coming together to protect our planet. And we have a team of
correspondents right across the globe, from Los Angeles, Atlanta, and London, all the way to Nairobi, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. This year's
theme is Guard Your Green Space, encouraging us all to take action towards a more sustainable future by nurturing our parks, forests, and gardens.
And our Stephanie Elam is at Carmonita Middle School in Los Angeles County, where students are working on their garden program. And I'm sure you're
excited about this. You can almost feel that optimism and enthusiasm. It is so contagious from kids this age.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is awesome, Paula. And you know what? I know it's Call to Earth Day 2025, but it's actually a way of life
here at Carmonita Middle School. They are about it. And we've already seen it in progress today. I want to introduce you to Tyler Watts. He's the
director of the program here. How important, Tyler, is it for them to actually be able to put their hands in the soil and be a part of this
growing?
TYLER WATTS, CARMENITA MIDDLE SCHOOL COMMUNITY GARDEN ADVISER: Oh, very important. I mean, having a space where the kids can connect with the foods
that we eat and the ecosystems that we depend on to be able to get those foods, it's really important for those kids to have that hands-on
experience.
ELAM: And it's like 74 kids who are involved in this, right?
WATTS: Yes. And we've actually doubled the number from last year. So, it's really great to see all of these students that are wanting to be a part of
growing their own food.
ELAM: All right. Well, we're going to go meet some of the students. Come with me, Paula. We're going to go around here and talk to Clark first.
Clark. Clark, tell me, you have a show off here today. Tell me about this guy. He just opened up today, right?
CLARK WAINWRIGHT, 7TH GRADE STUDENT: Yes.
ELAM: So, like, he's just ready to be on camera, I guess. But how long have you been growing him?
WAINWRIGHT: For almost the whole school year. We planted him when he was just this tall.
ELAM: Oh, wow.
WAINWRIGHT: He's grown a lot.
ELAM: And then down here, you've got something you're about to show us, right?
WAINWRIGHT: Yes.
ELAM: What do you got down there?
WAINWRIGHT: Some beans and --
ELAM: Are they ready to be harvested?
WAINWRIGHT: Yes.
ELAM: All right. Go ahead and do it.
WAINWRIGHT: I'm going to harvest them right now.
ELAM: And what do you like gardening?
WAINWRIGHT: I like gardening because everyone can be in, like, a community where we can all communicate and like garden and get beans.
ELAM: And get your food. Awesome, Clark. Love it. OK. I'm going to come down here. I'm going to pass you by. I'm going to come down here. And we're
going to go talk to Jayden. Jayden, why did you decide to work out in the farm here, in the garden here?
JAYDEN LEE, 8TH GRADE STUDENT: I decided to garden because my mom told me kids of -- told me stories of how when she was a kid she lived on a farm
with lots of small animals, like chickens and small dogs. So, I want to experience that through this.
ELAM: This is cool. And what are you growing?
LEE: I'm growing corn, potatoes, strawberries, and peppers.
ELAM: Nice. All right. Jayden. Let's go around and talk to Sophia. Sophia, you are growing what over here?
SOPHIA YOUNG, 8TH GRADE STUDENT: Oh, these are potatoes. We have corn, strawberries, radishes over there, and a bell pepper.
ELAM: OK. And so, what do you love about being out here?
YOUNG: I joined the garden because I think it's so cool that we can grow our own food. When I'm in the garden, I feel calmer. It gives me a break
from screens and stress. A lot of kids have busy lives, and I feel like the garden gives us a space where we can slow down together.
ELAM: That's awesome. Right here in the middle of Los Angeles County. And Hayden is here. Hayden, what's growing in your box?
HAYDEN KANG, 8TH GRADE STUDENT: So, I have tomatoes. I have a bell pepper plant. I have some lettuce over there, strawberries, and a basil plant.
ELAM: Nice. OK. It looks like at least one of your fruits over here is ready to make its debut. Are you going to go ahead and do that now?
KANG: Yes.
ELAM: What do you like about being out here in the garden? Being in the garden is really nice because it reminds me of when I used to garden with
my grandparents, and it taught me a really important lesson about watering your plants because you shouldn't water your plants on the leaves because
it creates downy mold, which is really bad for your plants. You should always water them at the roots.
ELAM: Paula, do you hear this? They're like straight-up farmers. They know so much. There's so much education that I've gotten while hanging out with
these middle schoolers here, and they're just so thoughtful. You should see. There's -- snack time is when they come out to take care of those 74
students, and we saw snack time. They came out. They were watering their plants. They were making sure that everything, all the dead leaves were
coming off. They did a little bit of harvesting, and then off to their next class they went. They're all doing this just because they want to, and
they're enjoying this, and they're learning how to do all of this here in their garden right on their campus. It's pretty phenomenal.
NEWTON: It looks phenomenal. I know they get so much energy from it, and it stays with them, right? And I love what one of the students said about
staying calm, getting off the screen, and obviously protecting their green space. I'm learning a lot just from the cinder block little garden spaces
they have there too. Good tip to me when I'm looking for something.
ELAM: I know, right?
NEWTON: I know. I know.
ELAM: And they added more this year.
NEWTON: I know.
ELAM: It's great.
NEWTON: It's just like with, you know, some seeds and some materials. There you are. Stephanie Elam, thanks so much for bringing it to us, and
enjoy your day, Earth Day. Appreciate it.
ELAM: Thanks, Paula. Thanks.
[14:45:00]
NEWTON: Now, Kerstin Forsberg is a marine biologist and conservationist who has been fascinated with the ocean since she was a child. Today, she
aims to empower communities to look after the ocean as part of the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, starting with the youth in her native Peru.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KERSTIN FORSBERG, FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR, PLANETA OCEANO: Youth aren't only the future, youth are the present. We need to get the message, the
environmental message across. But we need people to understand that every one of us can create change. And that starts from being really young.
My name is Kerstin Forsberg, and I'm founder and director of the nonprofit Planeta Oceano. Our work is focused on marine conservation. I'm a biologist
by training. But if we want to solve any sort of environmental challenges, we need to start working with people. And youth and children are critical
within that sphere.
I started as a young social entrepreneur myself. I was 22 years old when I founded Planeta Oceano. And so, it's sort of my mission to make sure that
all youth can understand that they have the power to transform their communities as well.
So, the Marine Educators Network of Northern Peru is a network composed of schools. We started it in 2009. When I first approached schools to try to
understand how much they were talking about marine issues, I was really surprised to see that they weren't talking about marine issues as much.
Even though we're talking about coastal communities, sons and daughters of fishers, we all depend on the ocean. And so, we set out to develop this
Marine Educators Network, which basically what it does is brings together schools to incorporate marine issues within classrooms.
For us, environmental education isn't just about going to a classroom, it's about really building a system, a collaborative system of teachers that
sustainably incorporate these messages throughout generations that ensure that kids are not just learning, but they're also acting and that are
taking the message to their communities. So, it's much more than just going and giving out information, it's really about developing leadership.
So, we're here in the main square in Tumbes, and we are hosting a fair with over 20 different eco clubs from the area. But really excited because I
think that it's going to be a really nice opportunity for youth to celebrate with each other. We're going to have art. We're going to have
dance. We're going to have music. We're going to have games. We're going to have lots of fun. We're going to have lots of color. And I think it's going
to be the way that we wanted to do when we wanted to create this fair was try to develop something that kids could remember forever.
At the end of the day, I just feel so inspired and really grateful for the opportunity that we have to see that mobilization within the community.
There's so many kids here in Peru, just in Tumbes, that can be benefited from these messages. There's so many kids around the world. This is just a
small example of all the young generation that we need to empower globally. And we can't do that by ourselves, we need to do that as a strong global
network and community.
And so, I think it really is a responsibility for all of us around the world to think and rethink what we can do to celebrate and conserve the
environments that we have.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: And we'll be right back with more news in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:50:00]
NEWTON: The Canadian government has been given the go-ahead to kill more than 300 ostriches living on a farm in British Columbia. The ostriches are
infected with bird flu and Canadian officials say culling them is the best way to prevent the spread. The owners of the farm say the ostriches have
survived for almost a year with the disease and appear to have developed an immunity to it. Now, the farm owners and their supporters gathered today
hoping the Supreme Court would hear their appeal. Some burst into tears when the court declined to listen to their arguments.
And now, we go to Japan where they are actually sending in troops to deal with wild bear attacks in parts of the country. More than a dozen people
have been killed and more than 100 injured in the past six months in confrontations with bears. CNN's Hanako Montgomery has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Japan is deploying its self-defense forces to help stop bear attacks after a record year of deadly encounters.
At least 13 people have died and hundreds have been injured this year alone. But the troops aren't actually legally allowed to cull wild animals.
Instead, they'll be providing logistical support like helping lay down traps, transporting local farmers and also transporting bear carcasses.
Now, the actual culling will be left to the local hunters. But they say they're having a hard time controlling the bear population because of
Japan's demographic crisis. Because the population is aging so rapidly, there just aren't enough hunters to help keep the bear population under
control.
TATSUHITO YAMAGISHI, BEAR HUNTER (through translator): In a few years' time when we hunters are all over 70 years old, will there even be anybody
left who could teach people how to hunt the bears even if they wanted to?
MONTGOMERY: Now, experts partially blame climate change for this crisis. They say that because the bears' natural food resources are getting more
and more scarce, they're having to go into towns and cities in search for food. We've seen bears at schools, nurseries, even supermarkets in search
for food. In fact, a university in northern Japan had to cancel classes for two days because a bear was spotted on campus. That's how bad this problem
is getting.
Now, troops are being deployed to a specific part of northern Japan where the problem is especially severe. But the entire nation is on high alert.
In fact, the central government is currently drafting up a list of countermeasures by mid-November which they hope will help address this
issue. But they've yet to propose a solution that actually deals with the problem in the long term besides simply culling these wild animals.
Hanako Montgomery, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: The Louvre Museum's leadership is being slammed for its lax security in a new report. It comes after a brazen heist last month. Now, a
security audit began a decade ago but recommended updates and those won't be completed until 2032. One auditor found a password used at the museum
was simply Louvre.
Now, the recent daylight robbery by four thieves who made off with France's crown jewels raised doubts over security while four suspects have been
charged. The jewels have yet to be recovered.
[14:55:00]
Now, apparently the royal life can't keep the acting bug away. The Hollywood magazine Variety says Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is returning
to the big screen. She's rumored to have a cameo role in a film called "Close Personal Friends" starring Lily Collins, Brie Larson, and Henry
Golding, formerly known as Meghan Markle. She met Prince Harry while starring in the TV show "Suits." Meghan stepped away from acting when she
married Prince Harry, making this her first role in eight years.
Now, if you are not in the computer programming world, there's a decent chance you have never heard of the word vibe coding. But the Collins
Dictionary has named vibe coding its word of the year. Vibe coding is connected to a different phrase that has certainly been popular in the past
year, A.I. It's a form of computer programming where a software developer just says to A.I. what it wants a program to do. The A.I. writes the code
to accomplish it. You speak it, A.I. codes it. Collins Dictionary says it's vibe coding and it perfectly captures the way the English language is
evolving.
I want to thank you for watching tonight. Stay with CNN. "What We Know" with Nick Watt is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
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