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One World with Zain Asher
Exhausted IDF May Face A Manpower Problem; U.N. Warns Of "Horrific Impact" Forced Displacement Will Have; Storm Brings Dangerous Conditions To U.S. East Coast; Parole Hearings Getting Underway For Erik And Lyle Menendez; California Democrats Plan Tit-For-Tat Measure; Trump's Crackdown Hits D.C.'s Homeless Population; Surge In Cases Hospitalizes Thousands In Sudan; Study: Reading In The U.S. Dropped 40 Percent Over Last 20 Years. Aired 12-1p ET
Aired August 21, 2025 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:35]
ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher. You are watching the second hour of "One World."
Israel is moving forward with its planned military offensive to take over Gaza City despite international condemnation and its warning health
officials and aid organizations in Northern Gaza to prepare for the mass displacement and full evacuation of the Palestinian population.
After calling up tens of thousands of reservists, the IDF says it's now on the outskirts of the city that is currently home to more than a million
people -- a million people, excuse me.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls it one of the last Hamas strongholds. And he is expected to give his final approval for the
operation during a security cabinet meeting later today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CHANTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: It comes as Palestinians have now been taken to the streets to protest the war and their forced displacement.
Earlier, the U.N. chief renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire as the Israeli offensive escalates.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONIO GUTERRES, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL: I must reiterate that it is vital to reach immediately a ceasefire in Gaza and the unconditional
release of all hostages and to avoid the massive deaths and destruction that the military operation against the Gaza City would inevitably cause.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Israel also carried out strikes south of Gaza City today as well. Israel has yet to respond to a ceasefire proposal from Hamas and admits
they -- they plan to take over Gaza City no matter what.
But here's what he said earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: This war could end today. It can end it if Hamas lays down its arms and releases the remaining 50
hostages, at least 20 of which are alive. And that's -- that's our goal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: As Israel begins its offensive, its exhausted military may face a manpower problem.
CNN's Oren Liebermann joins us live now from Jerusalem.
When you think about what is being required of the IDF in all of this, I mean, this is Israel's of course longest running war. They face burnout,
obviously, its attrition issues. Just walk us through what they're dealing with here.
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: And these have been concerns that the Israeli military chief of staff raised to the security cabinet,
including the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, before they approved what will be a massive new assault on Gaza City.
And yet, his concerns for the soldiers, for the hostages, for Israel's international standing, for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, that was
brushed aside as Israel pushes forward here.
We are waiting at this point for at least two statements. One of those is the approval of Netanyahu and high-level security officials of the
operational plans to take over and occupy Gaza City.
But as you pointed out, another aspect of that is we're waiting for Netanyahu's response to the ceasefire proposal that Hamas had accepted
earlier this week.
All of this as Israel begins a massive call up of forces with an offensive on Gaza City weeks away.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): The drums of war are pounding Gaza City. A new Israeli military operation has been targeting the largest city in the
northern strip, one that will require a surge of reserved soldiers to go back to fight again.
Avshalom Zohar Sal is a reservist who documented his time in Gaza in these photographs. He says he spent more than 300 days in Gaza on four different
deployments. The last one ended one month ago.
"I'm a little in shock that we're still in this thing," he says. "I'm a little in shock that we're still talking about this war that was supposed
to end a long time ago. And I think if you were to ask everyone in my unit, it's hard for everyone."
The doubts, he says, began creeping in one year ago, and they've only grown. This month, Israel's security cabinet approved the occupation of
Gaza City, a major escalation that could take five months or more. Zohar Sal says he's not going back.
"I think this decision is a death sentence for the hostages," he says. "The government talked and said all the time that we're talking about two
missions for this war, to return the hostages and to defeat Hamas. Now, it's telling us there's only one goal, which I believe is not achievable,
to destroy Hamas, but even this won't destroy Hamas."
[12:05:01]
Amidst some of the largest protests Israel has seen since the beginning of the war, families of the hostages are calling the planned operation a
deception, an unforgivable moral and security neglect.
A recent study of reserve soldiers suggested approximately 40 percent or slightly or significantly less motivated to serve. The military's top
general warned the security cabinet of the burden on manpower, an exhausted army in a war that won't end.
Israel's military relies on reservists to keep fighting, and the military said Wednesday that the takeover of Gaza City will require up to 60,000
more troops.
Dan Halutz is the former Israeli military chief of staff.
DAN HALUTZ, FORMER IDF CHIEF OF STAFF: I believe that some of them will stay home. When something is coming to an end, you feel it, and it comes to
an end.
LIEBERMANN: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised the intense fighting would be over by now.
NETANYAHU: Once we begin the Rafah operation, the intense phase of the fighting is weeks away from completion, not months, weeks away from
completion.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): That was February 2024. 18 months later, Netanyahu says a new operation is the fastest way to end what has long since become
Israel's longest war.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIEBERMANN: There is tremendous domestic and international pressure on Israel to at least accept the latest ceasefire proposal as Hamas did
several days ago and begin negotiations to try to get to a -- a complete ceasefire deal.
And yet, several days on Netanyahu has been remarkably silent on this topic. Zain.
ASHER: All right. Oren Liebermann live for us there. Thank you so much.
And aid organizations are warning the planned Israeli takeover and occupation of Gaza City will exacerbate an already dire starvation crisis.
The U.N. humanitarian agency warns that further forced displacement will have a quote, horrific impact on people already exhausted, malnourished,
bereaved, displaced and deprived of the basic needs for survival. And it's the most vulnerable who always hit the hardest.
The head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, says that cases of child malnutrition have tripled across Gaza in less than six months. And he
says nearly one in three children in Gaza are indeed malnourished.
Tess Ingram is a UNICEF spokesperson and she joins us live now in Al- Masawi, Gaza. Tess, thank you so much for being with us.
So, as a result of recent attacks, you've got a situation whereby a lot of families are constantly being forced to flee. The IDF is drawing closer
into Gaza City right now. That's home to a million people. They're going to have to flee as well.
But the problem is, of course, that there is nowhere safe. Nowhere is safe right now in Gaza. And in these sorts of situations, you always end up with
people who end up being trapped, who end up being forced to stay in Gaza. And the humanitarian situation for them is insurmountable.
It is unbelievable what the people who end up being trapped have to contend with. Just walk us through what you're seeing and experiencing on the
ground.
TESS INGRAM, UNICEF SPOKESPERSON: Yes, that's right, Zain. We're really concerned about the population in Gaza City at the moment with that threat
of the military coming in and encircling the city.
As you say, 1 million people, half of which are children, and many of these children are incredibly vulnerable after the ongoing horrific conflict that
they continue to endure. We're talking about the highest levels of malnutrition among children in Gaza City. We're talking about babies and
incubators, children with disabilities. They may not be able to evacuate. They may not be able to flee.
And if that is the case, they are in extreme danger. The U.N. has been calling for people to be allowed to remain and if they remain to be
protected. And if people choose to leave, the services that they need and the basic supplies have to go with them and they need to be able to return.
This is the basics of international humanitarian law. But unfortunately, we haven't seen that throughout this conflict today. And we really need to see
that if this happens in Gaza City in the coming days.
ASHER: So you are in Al-Mawasi. And that is where the IDF is telling a lot of people who are in Gaza City to go to. This idea that they have to go to
west of Khan Yunis, Al-Mawasi. They're being told that's going to be safer.
But is it really safer? Because the U.N. is also saying that some of the tents that are in that area have also been struck by the IDF as well.
INGRAM: No. Of course it's not safe. And we've seen the evidence of that repeatedly for almost two years. It's not safe because, of course,
bombardments continue on the tents here in Mawasi. But also today in Khan Yunis, just north of us in Deir al-Balah. There is no safe place in the
Gaza Strip.
But Al-Mawasi is also unsafe because there's no basic services for people. People are really struggling to find food, water and medical care in Al-
Mawasi. You then add another million people to that equation. How do we respond to people's needs? That's a major concern here.
Imagine people coming down and not having access to safe water and the incredible heat here at the moment. It's more than 100 degrees, almost 40
degrees Celsius. It's incredibly warm. And without water, we're going to see rising cases of disease and more malnutrition among children which as
we've said is already at catastrophic levels.
[12:10:09]
ASHER: So for our audience who might not necessarily understand, just give us a picture of what people who are being forced to flee Gaza City are
having to deal with at this point in time. Because obviously, they're dealing with many being separated from their families, many being forced to
flee without necessarily knowing where they're going and not -- not knowing necessarily of where they're going to is safe.
They're also dealing with the constant destruction and bombardment of infrastructure. You also have a situation where one in three people in Gaza
is dealing with a desperate lack of food and water as you point out as well.
Just explain to us what ordinary civilians in Gaza having contend with as yet another city is encircled by the IDF.
INGRAM: Let me give you two examples of real people that myself and my colleague met today. The head of our operation was in Gaza City today and
talked to families about this choice that they are facing.
And let's be frank, it's not really a choice they've got an impossible decision before them. And families feel torn. They feel torn about the fact
of staying in their home or moving once again. One family has moved 14 times already and they don't know where they will go this next 15th time to
find safety in a place that's inherently unsafe.
They're worried about leaving elderly grandparents behind who cannot move, but they want to take their children out of the offensive in Gaza City. So,
what do they do? The family will likely be separated and they know that they're going again to a very difficult circumstance that's a parent's
nightmare decision.
And then a mother I met today in Deir al-Balah is another perfect example of a nightmare decision. She is malnourished. She's got a child with
malnutrition and she's seven months pregnant.
She has been told that she has to bed rest to keep that baby in her belly alive, but she can't bed rest because every day she has to collect food and
water to try and keep her malnourished one-year-old alive.
What is that mother to do? All I could say to her was I'm sorry because she has no options. She has run out of coping mechanisms.
ASHER: And when you think about -- I mean that is one example, but obviously, that -- that's a very common type of situation for a lot of
people throughout the -- throughout the enclave.
And when you think about just the sort of options that -- that exist for the people in Gaza in terms of gaining access to food, I mean, it's
severely limited. You have not enough aid convoys obviously getting through to the territory, but you also have a situation where even though there are
some sort of aid supplies being dropped, air supplies being dropped, I mean that also carries risks, right, because it's extremely inefficient, it's
extremely expensive as well. And there are huge risks because of overcrowding and people sort of clamoring for food.
Just walk us through that aspect of it because you -- you -- there's not enough aid coming into the enclave. And on top of that when food aid is
dropped, there are all sorts of problems on that frontier.
INGRAM: Yes, that's right. We're desperately trying to get aid into the Gaza Strip. We face two key problems, one not enough aid is still being
allowed to enter. And then the aid that does enter, it left it a crossing for us to collect.
And this crossing is not a drive-through, we can't just go there whenever we like. We have to coordinate with the Israeli authorities to get
permission to go there and then to leave down specified routes to take the aid to the families that need it. That's a very complex process.
To collect one cycle of aid can take us up to 20 hours because of all of these bureaucratic measures in place. We need to be able to collect the aid
faster and bring it to people safer that's key, but that remains the best way to get aid to families because when it works, we can do it at scale. We
can get 600 trucks in a day and that's far more efficient than aid drops, which as you say a small scale and they present a danger to people. So we
need to ensure that those crossings are open and that aid floods in. And then that the environment for us to take that aid to people in Gaza is
conducive.
People are desperate. They are trying to take the aid off our trucks. But that's because of the engineered scarcity that they've faced for almost two
years. It's like the parents that I met today and that my colleague met. People are faced with impossible choices. And they're doing what they can
to survive.
If we bring in more aid, that desperation will drop because people will know when they can get their next meal.
But the thing, Zain, is we need to resolve this situation. We've been talking about this now for two years, and yet, it goes on. We need to see
the international community take concern of that action, not just to address this problem with aid but also for a ceasefire. It's well beyond
time. And for people hearing Gaza, that is the main thing that they're asking me for.
ASHER: Yes. I mean a ceasefire cannot come soon enough. Tess, thank you so much for the work you're doing on the ground. Remarkable work you and --
and UNICEF are doing on the ground there.
It is vital. You provide such a vital lifeline to not just the children but everyone in the enclave who, as you point out, extremely desperate for
supplies at this point in time.
[12:15:05]
Tess Ingram live for us there. Thank you so much.
All right. Donald Trump is showing his frustration over the lack of progress towards peace in Ukraine on social media, offering a rationale for
Ukraine to go on the offensive.
In a new Truth Social post, he writes that it is, in his words, "impossible to win a war without attacking an invader's country." Then slamming his
predecessor, writing, "Joe Biden would not let Ukraine fight that, only defend. How did that work out?"
Meantime, Russia continues its bombardment, launching its largest drone and missile assault in weeks. The attack sent Kyiv residents into the subway
for safety. Ukraine says nine civilians were killed in the strikes, as well as shelling on the eastern part of the country overnight.
Meantime, Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he's open to compromising on a ceasefire before any talks take place. The U.S. Vice
President says that could be the key to progress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JD VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Let's have the meet regardless. You don't have to figure out every issue. And sometimes leaders
sitting down face to face can break the log jam that their teams don't necessarily have the ability to do.
We've made a lot of progress, Laura, like, look, who knows what's going to happen? The president tells me this all the time. You can never say with
certainty what the outcome in this situation is going to be.
But we now have the Russians talking to the Ukrainians. They're talking details about what would be necessary on each side to stop the fighting and
stop the killing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Ukraine's military says it just took a key village in the Donetsk region. They just released this video of that.
All right. Turning now to Hurricane Erin. The massive category two storm is racing up on the U.S. East Coast after pushing past North Carolina. The
latest update shows Erin's winds have dropped slightly to 160 kilometers per hour. It's churning up dangerous waves and rip currents across multiple
coastal states.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Erin is larger than 90 percent of tropical systems typically seen in that part of the Atlantic.
CNN's Dianne Gallagher joins us live now from Nags Head, North Carolina, on the state's Outer Banks.
Dianne, just walk us through, you know, what you've heard from residents in that area and -- and what it's like where you are.
DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, Zain, what it is like right now here in Nags Head? I'm going to give you a chance to kind of look out at
the ocean at this point.
You can see, we've got some stormy, spicy, angry seas a little bit, but some big waves in the distance. But overall, as long as you do not get in
the ocean, it's fine out here. And that is basically the law right now. They have a complete ban on swimming effectively from parts of Florida all
the way up through New England in the United States because of these dangerous and deadly rip currents they're experiencing.
Now, there are a lot of people here in the Outer Banks who are actually out enjoying the beach right now. They have shut down a good portion of that
main highway that connects all of the islands. It's kind of the only way on or off most of these barrier islands.
But we are getting reports from some of those islands like Ocracoke and Hatteras that had the mandatory evacuation orders from residents who stayed
that there's been some overwash on the highway, there is sand, there's debris.
Right now, transportation crews are working to clean some of that up. They're going to do that throughout the day to determine just how bad the
damage is or if there's actual physical damage, it may just be messed.
That's going to determine how long it's going to take to sort of dig out of this and repair things and allow the free flow of people between the
islands and off the islands into the mainland again.
Now, you can see I've got a little bit of wind kicking up around me right now. We've had some strong gusts throughout the morning. That started to
dissipate some, but we've been told to expect again, a little bit of storm surge, high tide in the evening today and repair there could still be some
minor issues at that point.
But overall, it appears that the Outer Banks did what they do. They withstood this hurricane. They are digging out right now, assessing the
situation. Thus far, we've not had any injuries or deaths reported to us due to this storm here in the Outer Banks.
ASHER: And that's obviously extremely good news. Dianne Gallagher live for us there. Thank you so much.
All right. Today is a key moment in a case that has captivated the U.S. for decades. The 1989 murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez by their sons, Erik
and Lyle, in their Beverly Hills home.
Right now, Erik Menendez is facing a parole hearing in California, while his brother will do the same tomorrow. The parole board must decide if the
siblings can be released from prison after more than 30 years behind bars.
In the last hour, CNN spoke to L.A. district attorney, Nathan Hochman, who opposes their bid for freedom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NATHAN HOCHMAN, L.A. COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: They had a pre-planned alibi to see "Batman," the movie and actually tried to buy tickets after the
murders to prove their alibi.
They shot their parents to make it look like a mafia-style killing. Shooting their dad in the back of the head, their mom who lied bleeding on
the ground. They reloaded a shotgun and shot her at point blank range in her cheek and shot each of their parents through their knees.
[12:20:11]
We basically then showed methodically how they prepared their alibi. It did not work ultimately. And then when the tapes came out where they confessed
to the crime, they then said that the reason for the first time they shot their parents was because of this self-defense.
If and when the Menendez brothers finally come clean and say that those lies that they've been telling for 35 years are just that, they're lies,
then at that point, we believe they'll be qualified for parole. Until that happens, we believe they're not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: CNN's Jean Casarez joins us live now. So, Jean, just explain to us what their factors, what the sort of most important factors are going to be
here just in terms -- just in terms of determining their eligibility for parole. And also whether there could be one outcome technically for Erik
and a different outcome for Lyle.
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's true. We -- you've got two defendants. You've got potentially different records. One's going into
incarceration.
But the thing that is the same is that there were two victims here. This was a double homicide. It was their parents. And they're going to look the
parole board. And there's only going to be two or three members of the parole board that will be assessing this.
But they will be looking at the crime itself. And this was a premeditated murder that they had gone to different stores to buy guns. They couldn't
get them because of their age. Finally, they went to San Diego and they were able to use fake names and they got pump shot guns with birdshot.
But then they realized the next day, birdshot's not going to kill. They needed buckshot. So they went and got buckshot at another store in the Los
Angeles area. Their parents on that Friday night were sitting on their sofas watching television.
They busted in and they -- they fired at least 12 rounds at their mother and father. Shooting their father in the back of the head and the two knees
later to say it must have been a mafia hit. Shot their mother. She was still moaning. She wasn't dead. They went out and reloaded the guns,
brought them back in and made sure that their mother died. And so that's going to be taken into consideration.
But I think the pivotal question is, are they an unreasonable risk to the community by releasing them now? So, what they've done in prison during the
last 36 years is going to be important. Thirty-five years.
Do you know it was 35, 36 years yesterday that this all happened, August 20th, 1989? Which is so ironic.
But in prison, they have established programs for the -- their inmates. They've been instrumental in getting groups going, whether it be
understanding yourself and your identity, focusing on -- on retribution for what you have done, environmental programs, lots of things.
They have gotten in trouble in there. They've got around six or more infractions there in the prison. We don't know exactly what they are.
That's looked at.
Another thing that's focused is self-control at the time of the offenses. That's interesting. Self-control at the time of the offenses. Their
institutional behavior, their personal changes.
And one of them, Lyle has a college degree. Erik is working toward a college degree and they've got family. They've got 12 family members that
are going to testify saying they want them released. Twelve others will be by video. And so they've got a lot of support.
So you can see there's -- there's -- there's -- it weighs in both directions. But depending upon what the decision is, if it is yes, they
should get out, goes to the governor. And Governor Newsom in California did not grant parole for Sirhan Sirhan because he never accepted the
responsibility of his crime. And this is what the district attorney is saying here that they've never fully admitted all the lies they gave. So
we'll have to see what happens.
ASHER: Yes. Very interesting that the governor, I mean, especially for our international audience, the governor in California is the one who gets the
final say in terms of whether or not convicted murderers should be granted parole or not.
CASAREZ: And -- and he did not allow Sirhan Sirhan to be paroled, Governor Newsom.
ASHER: Right.
CASAREZ: Even though the board recommended it, he said no.
ASHER: All right. We'll see what happens. And their -- their office has been very tight-lipped on which way the governor's going to go --
CASAREZ: Yes.
ASHER: -- this time around. So nobody knows --
CASAREZ: Nope.
ASHER: -- apart from the governor himself.
All right.
CASAREZ: Right.
ASHER: Jean Casarez, live for us there. Thank you so much.
CASAREZ: Thank you.
ASHER: All right. Still to come, redistricting battles in the U.S. Why Democrats in California are going up against Republicans in Texas in hopes
of shaping next year's midterm elections.
Also ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Target is depreciating. It is not because of tariffs. It is not because of the stock market. It is because of the power of black
unification.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[12:25:07]
ASHER: Reaction from the pastor who led boycott against Target stores about the decision of the company CEO to step down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I said, Uncle Chong, is that a bite? And the whole rod went down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: How this boy could be making records after he caught a fish weighing nearly as much as he does.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): We're walking down a damn different path. We're fighting fire with fire and we're going to punch these sons of (BLEEP) in
the mouth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Tough talk from California Governor Gavin Newsom as democratic lawmakers in his state take action to counter Texas Republicans and their
redistricting bill today. California lawmakers kick off a complicated process.
Democrats hope will withdraw their state's congressional map. If it succeeds, Democrats could gain five more seats in the U.S. Congress to
match the five seats Texas Republicans are expected to pick up as well.
Joining us live now, senior reporter Steve Contorno live from the capital of California, Sacramento.
It's interesting because there is a big if at this point. And it's worth pointing out to our -- our viewers that it works very differently in
California compared to what we're seeing in Texas.
In California, it is up to voters to decide. And -- and we've seen a very sort of aggressive stance from California Governor Gavin Newsom, but this
is a bit of a political gamble for him, especially if voters don't go for it.
STEVE CONTORNO, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: That's absolutely right, Zain. And we expect the California legislature to pass this redistricting plan today.
Newsom will sign it.
But then, as you said, the real challenge for him -- for him begins. They have just 75 days to sell California voters on this redistricting plan and
convince them to bypass what has existed in California for nearly two decades, which is a independent redistricting commission that is very, very
popular.
And it will be some notable opposition that he will be facing in, some well -- well-funded opposition that includes Charles Munger Jr. He is the son of
the late Berkshire Hathaway Vice Chairman, as well as the popular former governor and actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Now, it will be up to Newsom to convince voters of his states that this is a fight against Donald Trump and -- and that this is simply just a
temporary way to get around the Constitution.
[12:30:09]
But I --I will tell you, in talking to organizers on both sides, they believe that that will be a challenge for him and it's going to be an
expensive one. When it's all said and done, this might end up being the most expensive political race on the ballot in any state in America this
year, Zain.
ASHER: Steve Contorno in Sacramento, California, live for us. Thank you so much.
All right. The pastor who led a boycott against Target over the rollback of some of their DEI policies is speaking out about the departure of the
retailer CEO.
Yesterday, we learned that Brian Cornell is stepping down as Target CEO following a tumultuous year for the brand, which included that boycott led
by Pastor Jamal Bryant. He spoke to CNN's Kate Bolduan saying the boycott played a major role in Cornell's downfall.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PASTOR JAMAL BRYANT, LED BOYCOTT AGAINST TARGET: This was the most significant boycott of black people since the Montgomery Bus boycott 70
years ago. They lost 12 billion in valuation. The CEO's salary was cut by 42 percent. Foot traffic was down by 7.9 percent. So, I would say it would
be a hurtfully impart (ph) of what would happen in the downfall.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN HOST: If you could talk to the Target's -- new target CEO today, what would you say?
BRYANT: I would say to them that it pays to give dignity where people are giving dollars, is that what we're looking for is not a favor but to do
business.
And by them losing almost 20 percent of their stock today with the change, it'd be less expensive and less cost if they would just do right by
humanity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Target sales have fallen for three straight quarters.
All right. Trump is trying to clear the homeless from the streets of Washington, D.C. But is he doing more harm than good? We'll look at the
fallout from his crackdown in the nation's capital.
Plus, it looks like the number of Americans reading for pleasure has actually dropped. Coming up, why it's happening and who it's affecting and
trends that are fixing it. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:35:46]
ASHER: All right. Welcome back to "One World." I am Zain Asher.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance and other top Trump administration officials were met with a chorus of loud protesters Wednesday as they staged a lunch
to thank National Guard members deployed to Washington, D.C.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANCE: I heard you, buddy.
(BOOING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: The Guard was activated last week to support an increased federal law enforcement presence after President Donald Trump declared a public
safety emergency in America's capital.
Mr. Vance dismissed the chants and booing, saying he believes statistics don't show the full scope of crime levels in D.C.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANCE: You have vagrants, you have drug addicts, you have the chronically homeless, you have the mentally ill who harass, who threaten violence, who
attack families and they've done it for far too long.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: His comments come as fear and confusion spread among Washington, D.C.'s homeless population. Sweeps of homeless encampments began Wednesday
amid President Trump's crackdown on what he calls bloodshed, bedlam and squalor.
Some 800 people live on the streets of D.C. on any given night. White House officials have said they'll send homeless people to shelters or jails if
they refuse. The advocates claim this would be not only unlawful but counterproductive and costly.
Time now for "The Exchange." We're joined live now by George Jones, head of the nonprofit Bread for the City which provides services to those in need
in Washington, D.C. George, thank you so much for being with us.
I mean, so this idea of homelessness being sort of targeted and this idea of homeless encampments being cleared from Washington, D.C. So you have a
massive issue as to where people in these encampments actually end up going.
Just walk us through what you think the Trump administration is missing here.
GEORGE JONES, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, BREAD FOR THE CITY: Well, you talked about some of it earlier on that they're missing that the solution they --
they think they have is -- it sounds like it will be much more expensive than simply providing housing.
We -- what we need is if we have money for extra police and for National Guard. We need to use that money to house people. As -- you know, as you
said the 800 maybe as many as a thousand people on the streets at night.
I don't know what kind of crime it is for being poor and being unhoused. That seems un-American to me.
And so I think we should use those resources to solve the problem. And the -- the problem we have is not enough home -- housing for people who are
unhoused and not enough support for those people.
If we've got dollars to -- to send out extra police and the National Guard, I would think we'd use those dollars to house those folks.
ASHER: And part of the problem, I mean, there's obviously so many issues here just in terms of where they end up going. I mean, the Trump
administration is saying that, you know, if they don't go to these homeless shelters, if they can't end up taking them there or treating them there,
that they end up going to jail.
So, there is this idea of sort of punishing people for just being poor and -- and not being able to afford a place to live.
But part of the issue is that when these encampments are cleared, a lot of their personal belongings end up being destroyed in the process, whether
it's their bikes, clothing, identification. These are things that would have helped them be able to get back on their feet and so you end up
exacerbating the problem in a sense.
JONES: I think that's right. In fact, we heard stories early on when -- when the police and National Guard would deploy it about -- people losing
their belongings and sort of their possessions being callously thrown into the trash and into piles. That's just sort of unthinkable.
And in organizations like Bread for the City and a number of the homeless services groups have really tried to reach out to community members to make
sure that they can preserve those possessions and their identification because they think it's important to -- to treat folks as humans and to try
to make sure that they get the kind of support they need and not to be criminalized for being poor.
ASHER: So, what is the short-term solution? I mean, obviously, you talked about, you know, something we can all agree on this idea of being able to
sort of invest and spend more money on housing for those who cannot afford their own place to live, but that is a longer-term solution.
[12:40:09]
What do you think is the correct solution in the interim?
JONES: Well, I mean, certainly, it is not putting people in jail. Jail calls probably twice as much. And I hate to keep harping on this as it
would cause to house someone.
So, if we think we -- we want to have people off the streets, then we have to -- we have to speed up that process to find adequate housing.
But to -- to incarcerate people, I think it costs 40 to $50,000 a year to incarcerate one person in the district. Certainly you could house people
for a lot less than that.
Meanwhile, we should just make sure that people are safer on the streets. We need, rather than having police, so to respond to people who are
experiencing mental illness and other kinds of difficulties as they live on the street, we need mental health professionals, because they are much
better equipped to help people think about what the options they have.
We are not thinking to be reunited with family or to go into what -- to be honest with you, are limited shelter options. The last time I heard we had
maybe 80 beds that were available, but we said we had 800 to a thousand people on the streets.
So, we don't actually have enough shelter space right now. So, we're going to have to figure out how to house people and to support them in just in a
more humane -- humane way. And clearly, we have the dollars to do that.
ASHER: Yes. I mean, it's such an important point you bring up about mental health services, because this is not just about poverty, it's not just
about not being able to afford a home, it's also about mental health, as -- as you point out, because a lot of people who are homeless are dealing with
mental health issues and also addiction in many cases as well. So, there does need to be services to assist them from that perspective too.
George Jones from Bread for the City, live for us. Thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it.
All right. Still to come, a deadly outbreak is spreading fast, hospitalizing thousands of people in the country torn apart by civil war.
What's fueling the surge?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. Welcome back.
You are looking at widespread flooding in India in the western states of Gujarat. Nonstop rain has caused rivers and lakes to overflow, submerging
the state's farmland. It is monsoon season there, but massive sudden downpours have killed hundreds across India and Pakistan this year.
Meantime, in Sudan, dozens of people have died and thousands more have been hospitalized as the country faces a deadly surge in cholera cases. The
waterborne disease is quickly spreading in the country already ravaged by conflicts.
[12:45:04]
CNN's Lynda Kinkade has more on what's driving the outbreak.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): In a country torn apart by war, the most immediate threat at this makeshift clinic in Sudan isn't combat but
cholera. Rows of patients lie sick on cots weakened by the waterborne disease that has quickly spread through the Tawila displacement camp in
Northern Darfur.
MOHLA IBRAHIM, SUDANESE CHOLERA PATIENT (through translator): I had something like dizziness and there was diarrhea. I was brought here. I was
somehow better, but I became very sick when I came here. I've been here for four days.
KINKADE (voice-over): More than 300,000 people have fled to Tawila to try to escape the fighting between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid
Support Forces or RSF.
But it's rainy season in Sudan which is making it more difficult to get clean water in the camp. The Norwegian Refugee Council reports that only 10
percent of people in camps there have reliable access to water, and even fewer have access to toilets, conditions where cholera thrives.
The international aid group Doctors Without Borders says it's the worst cholera outbreak the country has seen in years. In just one week, its team
saw 40 deaths from the disease in the Darfur region alone.
DR. AHMED DAFALLAH, DOCTOR IN SUDAN (through translator): Currently and over the past few days, the number of cholera patients is increasing so
much. In a single day, we would receive 50 or 60 patients.
KINKADE (voice-over): Aid groups are ramping up efforts to curb the outbreak, but the ongoing fighting has choked off access to critical
supplies and the crisis is deepening faster than they can respond.
DR. TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: People are dying from a lack of access to health services and
medicines. Ongoing fighting has displaced more people than any -- in any other crisis in the world. Health facilities are either out of service or
only providing limited care.
KINKADE (voice-over): Experts warn the window to contain the outbreak is closing fast.
In neighboring Chad, more than 400 suspected cases have been identified since mid-July, most in Sudanese resettlement camps, a deadly threat for
those who have already endured so much.
Lynda Kinkade, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:50:03]
ASHER: Here in the U.S., reading for pleasure has gone down 40 percent over the past 20 years. That's according to a new study published in the journal
iScience.
But there is a surge in reading popularity for genre books like romance, fantasy and mystery. One expert tells CNN strategies for more reading is
finding what you like and then creating community.
For all the numbers associated with the study, let's bring in our chief data -- and, oh, there he's putting on his reading glasses. Harry, are you
a big reader? Are you a big reader, Harry?
HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Well -- well, I can tell you that right now I'm reading --
ASHER: If you have to stop that, that means no.
ENTEN: No. I'm reading "Let Me Finish" by Chris Christie. No, I'm -- I'm -- I'm -- I am not that much of a reader. I -- you know, I don't even have
reading glasses granted my reading is perfect.
But I'll tell you, I'm more of a reader than Americans are these days, Zain, although to be perfectly honest. It's not exactly --
ASHER: For an American view.
ENTEN: It's not exactly hard to be more of a reader than Americans are these days. I mean, we can all strive to be, Zain. That is what I can say.
You know, we talk -- see, right there.
ASHER: He loves me. He really does.
ENTEN: I do. I do love you. But not as much as you love reading. See.
ASHER: OK.
ENTEN: Read for leisure in a given day in 2004, it was 28 percent. Now, what are we talking about in 2024? It's down to 16 percent. This is seen
across the spectrum, though I will point out that it's specifically true with younger Americans.
I was even looking at a separate survey of those 13 year olds. And what we see is just the number of folks who are reading for leisure has absolutely
plummeted.
Now, of course, we're looking at reading for leisure in a given day. But I was also interested in a year and how much we actually read, you know,
books, not just magazines, right?
So, how much are we reading actual books, literal books. Read a book for leisure this year. Look at the trend line here. In 1992 with 61 percent,
2,257 percent. 2012, 55 percent. You can see the trend going on here.
And then finally in 2022, look at that. We've dropped below 50 percent in terms of the percentage of Americans who read one single book, one book,
one book in a given year. The majority of Americans don't even read a single book for leisure.
My father will be having a connection. I always remember his night side stand. There were always tons and tons of books on it.
So, if we're not in fact reading books, what the heck are we doing instead of reading books for leisure? Get this. How about hours playing games or
being on the computer for pleasure? Up like a rocket. We're up 97 percent since 2003. We are all stuck on our phones. Although I will tell you, I do
think most Americans have a more up to date and nicer phone than I do, Zain.
ASHER: Is that really your phone, Harry?
ENTEN: Yes, this is absolutely my --
ASHER: Is that actually your phone?
ENTEN: Yes. This is my --
ASHER: Is that the only one you rely on? What?
ENTEN: This is the only -- this is the only phone that I have.
ASHER: You know, I do miss the Blackberry. I do miss it.
ENTEN: This -- this is why -- you must -- it's a great --
ASHER: It's the BBM.
ENTEN: It's a great -- it's still great, right?
ASHER: Blackberry Messenger. I loved the Blackberry Messenger. BBM was so good. It was so good. I can't believe that's your phone though. I can't
believe --
ENTEN: That's -- that is why got me with the --
ASHER: I'm going to have to get you new shoes. What is it? New shoes. What did we say yesterday? A new phone?
ENTEN: We said new shoes.
ASHER: And --
ENTEN: New shoes and new phone.
ASHER: I think you need to get a haircut. And a haircut, remember?
ENTEN: And there we -- I -- I feel like we have a Saturday that we have all planned out already together.
ASHER: Yes. The three of us. And we bring your lovely girlfriend as well.
ENTEN: Perfect. And keep on reading kids because reading is important.
ASHER: OK. Harry Enten, you always make my day. Lovely to end the show with you. It's makes me smile. Thank you.
ENTEN: Thank you.
ASHER: All right. Despite all the AI hype, talk of a brave new world, the future is now. It seems corporate investment in AI is yet to pay off with
one survey finding no ROI or return on investment for 95 percent of companies.
Tech CEO Sam Altman believes we're in an AI bubble. The head of OpenAI told reporters he believes investors are overly positive about AI development.
He said, quote, "When bubbles happen, smart people get over excited about a kernel of truth. Are we in a phase when investors as a whole are
overexcited about AI?" And his answer is yes.
More now from CNN's Clare Duffy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH REPORTER: I mean, really stark results from this study, especially because we keep hearing, including from leaders of this
industry, how every enterprise needs to have an AI strategy, needs to be adopting this technology. And yet, according to this study, only five
percent of the companies that have rolled out AI pilot programs are actually seeing meaningful increases to their revenue.
And certainly, I do think that Sam Altman might have a point given that we've seen so many AI startups breaking in these huge valuations, often
with only two or three people, a handful of people running the companies before they even make a profit. They are raking in these huge valuations.
It's likely that not all of those will succeed.
[12:55:59]
But I also think it's worth noting in terms of this enterprise adoption, this study finds that often the problem is not the quality of the AI model,
but rather that companies don't yet really understand how to implement this new technology, how to update their processes to really make the most of
AI.
This is sort of a reality check moment where we've heard a lot from Silicon Valley about how AI is growing exponentially, advancing exponentially. And
yet, I think what you're starting to see from this study and from what companies are saying about their use of these systems is that this adoption
and the development of AI is not actually going to be that linear.
Something that I long have just sort of personally thought watching this space is that we're going to see a lot of companies looking to outsource
some of their work to AI, laying off workers, only to realize that computers can't necessarily do the job and the way that humans do and maybe
having to bring some of those folks back.
So, I won't be surprised if we do see a bit of a boomerang here as companies try to figure out what to do with this technology.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right. That does it for this hour of "One World." I'm Zain Asher. I appreciate you watching. My colleague Bianna Golodryga has
"Amanpour" after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:00:00]
END
