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One World with Zain Asher
Two Children Killed, 18 Other People Wounded in Attack; Kennedy to Name Acting CDC Chief after Susan Monarez Fired; Israel Declares Gaza City a "Dangerous Combat Zone"; ICE Deports Around 200,000 People Since Trump's Return; Fans Celebrate at Tay-Tay Themed Bar; Time Capsule Sealed by Princess Diana Opened 34 Years Later. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired August 29, 2025 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: A Ukrainian Delegation meets with U.S. officials in New York to push forward diplomacy in the war. The talks come
as Ukraine's President accuses Russia of the horrific and deliberate killings of civilians. We'll have the latest on the conflict and the
prospects for peace.
More -- at the CDC, a new acting director is set to be named after the Head of the U.S. Public Health Agency is ousted. And CDC staff rally around
high-level officials who have resigned. And today, we mark 20 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast. We'll show you how New Orleans
is commemorating the somber anniversary. All right, coming to you live from New York. I'm Zain Asher. You are watching "One World".
One day after Russia launched its second largest aerial attack on Ukraine, and what Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls a clear message to the world, the push
for peace continues. The Ukrainian Delegation met with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in New York earlier for talks that Kyiv said focused on
global pressure needed to end the war.
It all comes amid stalled diplomatic efforts by the White House. And two weeks after Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin met for a Summit in
Alaska, but the fighting continues. On Thursday, at least 23 people were killed in a massive Russian missile and drone bombardment on Kyiv.
And earlier, Kyiv claimed it blew up two key Russian bridges using drones to hit Moscow's own mine. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz joins us live now from
London. So, Salma, we knew going into these meetings that the main sort of issues that were expected to come up in these talks were, of course,
security guarantees. What do we think these talks will change on the ground?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think the most important thing to assess here in this meeting in New York is, of course, going to be
President Trump's attitude moving forward. It was only a couple of weeks ago that President Trump met with President Putin.
And seemed after that meeting to indicate that there was positive signs of progress towards that peace process, that peace process that he wants to
see end the conflict in Ukraine. President Trump seemingly took sanctions off the table and instead said that the way to move forward was a bilateral
meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy.
And he promised that his administration would try to facilitate that. But since that time, we have seen almost no signs of progress on that bilateral
meeting. Instead, what we've seen is the Kremlin drag its feet, say that more low-level meetings need to take place first, say that President
Zelenskyy is not the legitimate ruler of Ukraine, and therefore President Putin won't meet him.
I think every political leader right now doubts that any meeting will take place at all. Even President Trump himself doubts a meeting will take
place, saying earlier this week that President Putin simply doesn't like President Zelenskyy, and so he doesn't want to meet with him.
And this was all before Russia launched one of its largest aerial assaults on Kyiv, the capital, overnight, firing some 600 drones and over 30
missiles at Kyiv, killing more than 20 people. So, for that Ukrainian delegation meeting, of course, with the Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, and
with others, that will be the first thing that I imagine that they will bring up.
They will say, this is President Putin's response to peace efforts. And what they're going to want to push for is a more hardline approach from
President Trump. But again, his view on President Putin seems to have always been kicking the can down the road when it comes to making an
assessment, when it comes to determining whether or not he is serious about peace talks, when it comes to issuing those sanctions or trying to push
harder.
So, it will all be about how President Trump perceives this move forward. We did hear from the Special Envoy Steve Witkoff after this attack, and he
said that this threatens the peace effort.
ASHER: All right. Salma Abdelaziz, live for us there. Thank you so much. All right, we now know the names of the two children who lost their lives
in Wednesday's deadly school shooting in Minnesota, 10-year-old Harper Moyski and 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel were identified Thursday by their
families.
They were attending a mass for students at the Anunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis when a shooter fired into the church. 18 other people were
injured during the attack. One of their classmates said people hid under pews and started running when the shooting began. Investigators are now
trying to figure out how a motive.
[11:05:00]
They say that the shooter did leave behind pages and pages of writings which revealed a fascination with previous mass shootings. Ivan Rodriguez
is in Minneapolis, where new details continue to emerge.
IVAN RODRIGUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Even into the night, people are still making their way to the front of the church to put down flowers and cards.
It's heartbreaking to see little children write letters to the two classmates of theirs who were killed in this tragic shooting.
Some of those messages talk about how they will be missed in that now, their little angels were learning more about those two victims who lost
their lives.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RODRIGUEZ (voice-over): In the aftermath of Wednesday's tragic mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church new information continues to
surface, and new details into the deceased shooter, 23-year-old Robin Westman.
BRAIN O'HARA, MINNEAPOLIS POLICE CHIEF: This is an individual that harbored a whole lot of hate towards many people.
RODRIGUEZ (voice-over): Police say they've recovered approximately 116 rifle rounds.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry to my family, but that's it.
RODRIGUEZ (voice-over): And they're looking into disturbing videos that Westman posted on social media, along with hundreds of other pieces of
evidence.
JOE THOMPSON, ACTING U.S. DISTRICT ATTORNEY, MINNESOTA: It's going to be hard to hear, but it's important to the question of why this happened. More
than anything, the shooter wanted to kill children, defenseless children.
RODRIGUEZ (voice-over): One of those targeted children recounting her experience.
CHLOE FRANCOUAL, WITNESSED SHOOTING: The teacher was in the middle of saying our prayers, and then we heard just one shot. It felt I smelled
smoke before everything, but I heard one shot, I thought it was a firework like everybody else.
RODRIGUEZ (voice-over): The people of Minneapolis are mourning the lives that were lost, 10-year-old, Harper Moyski, an 8-year-old, Fletcher Merkel,
the two children killed.
JESSE MERKEL, FATHER OF VICTIM FLETCHER MERKEL: Please remember Fletcher for the person he was and not the act that ended his life.
RODRIGUEZ (voice-over): Principal Matthew DeBoer welcomes community prayers, but is urging for more.
MATTHEW DEBOOR, PRINCIPAL, ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC SCHOOL: Never again can we let this happen.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
RODRIGUEZ (on camera): Paramedics transported the first patient to the hospital within 10 minutes of being called, according to the EMS Chief, at
this point, it's unclear when classes will resume. We did hear from a father of a 12-year-old girl. He says that his daughter is very anxious and
doesn't want to go back to the school or the church in Minneapolis. I'm Ivan Rodriguez.
ASHER: At this hour, federal judge is hearing arguments over Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook's request for a temporary restraining order
against her firing by Donald Trump. Meantime, a member of the Trump Administration is alleging a second instance of mortgage fraud against her.
Trump Housing Official Bill Pulte previously claimed Cook committed mortgage fraud involving loans on two other homes. Let's go straight now to
the White House and CNN's Betsy Klein with more on this. So, we know there's a hearing going on right now on this issue. It started around 10:00
a.m. it is still ongoing.
One of the things that Cook's lawyers is saying is that, essentially, even if there was any kind of wrongdoing as it pertains to mortgage, that still
would not justify her removal because it took place prior to her being Fed Governor, walk us through that.
BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's exactly right Zain. This hearing still ongoing, about an hour into it right now, as lawyers for
Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook are appearing in a Federal Court in Washington as she seeks to challenge President Donald Trump's decision to
fire her earlier this week.
Now today's hearing really marks just a first step in this process. Cook and her lawyers are asking a judge to rule that Trump's attempt to remove
her from her post as Federal Reserve Governor is unlawful, and that she remains an active member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.
Now the Trump Administration, for their part, has accused Cook of committing mortgage fraud involving two properties that she owns, both of
which she appears to have designated on some forms as her principal residence. And Cook, we should mention, has not been charged with any
wrongdoing.
She says that President Trump and his team are violating her due process rights. But this also raises so many questions about the independence of
the Federal Reserve, which sets U.S. monetary policies, as well as President Trump's executive authority. You have seen time and time again as
the president has railed against the Federal Reserve and particularly its Chair, Jerome Powell, saying they are not doing enough fast enough, to
lower interest rates.
The president speaking out time and time again, but the president does not have the power to remove a member of the Federal Reserve Board, unless it
is for cause. And we heard from a White House Spokesperson, Kush Desai, who says, quote, the president determined there was cause to remove a governor
who was credibly accused of lying in financial documents from a highly sensitive position overseeing financial institutions.
The removal of a governor for cause improves the Federal Reserve's Board, the Reserve Board's accountability and credibility for both the markets and
the American people.
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And as you mentioned, Zain, in addition to those mortgage fraud organizations, top Trump Housing Authority, Official Bill Pulte, alleges in
a new filing, sending a criminal referral to the U.S. Justice Department against Cook alleges that she identified a property in Cambridge,
Massachusetts as a second home on official documents, instead using that home as an investment property.
So many questions going forward about how this judge will rule? She has signaled she is open to acting very quickly, but there will be much to
watch in the coming days and weeks ahead on this Zain.
ASHER: All right, Betsy Klein at the White House. Thank you so much. All right, it's not just the independence of the U.S. Federal Reserve that's in
jeopardy right now, but also the nation's preeminent public health agency. And right now, it is not clear who is in charge of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention following days of chaos.
Sources say the White House has tapped Deputy Health and Human Services Secretary, Jim O'Neill to serve as Acting Director. Susan Monarez was
ousted as CDC Director on Wednesday, just weeks after she was sworn in. Her dismissal caused four senior officials to resign in solidarity.
CNN's Jacqueline Howard has more on growing concerns about the CDC and what critics are calling the dangerous weaponization of public health.
JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: There are drastic changes happening among CDC leadership right now and the atmosphere at the agency. It's one
of confusion, turmoil and a lot of emotion. At a ceremony on Thursday to salute departing CDC officials.
I spoke with current CDC employees. I asked them about how CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez was ousted. They told me it was because she clashed with HHS
Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr., on vaccine policies and priorities. And they told me she refused to fire several veteran CDC officials.
They said they admired her strength and her commitment to science. Now they say there is some worry around whether science may be suppressed under new
leadership. And I asked one retired CDC employee whether he has seen this type of chaos at CDC before? Dr. Daniel Pollock retired in 2021 after a 37-
year tenure. Here is how he answered my question.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. DANIEL POLLOCK, RETIRED CDC EMPLOYEE: I was at CDC for 37 years through COVID. Left in November of 2021, I started in 1984 during the Reagan
Administration. I've never seen anything like what's happened in the last 24 hours. It's unprecedented.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWARD: And now we expect HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O'Neill to step in to serve as Acting CDC Director. He has some history at the Department of
Health and Human Services. He worked for HHS during the George W. Bush Administration. At that time, he led changes to food regulation and
emergency response.
More recently, he had spent years as a Technology and Biotech Investor in Silicon Valley. This was before joining HHS under the Trump Administration
in June. Now we expect to see him to be named as the CDC's Acting Director moving forward.
ASHER: Jacqueline Howard, reporting there. Joining us live now is Dr. Georges Benjamin. He's Executive Director of the American Public Health
Association. Thank you so much for being with us. So, from your perspective, what does the continual upheaval at the CDC mean for the CDC
role in public health in this country?
DR. GEORGES BENJAMIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION: Zain, thank you very much for having me today. You know what
they've done here with this -- is they've created enormous chaos and confusion, and it means that the agency is going to be much more
dysfunctional over the next several months to years, probably because of what they've done.
ASHER: Public health officials obviously have been vilified right since the pandemic. And you have a lot of critics who are talking about the fact that
HHA Secretary RFK Jr., is really waging a war against science, just from your perspective as well. What is all of this going to do to America's
scientific expertise when and if there is another crisis, like, for example, a pandemic or another public health emergency?
DR. BENJAMIN: Yeah, we're concerned that they're breaking the agency, in fact, the whole department, in such a way that our ability to respond to a
very serious public health emergency would be severely hampered. But I got to tell you, you know, the Center for Disease Control Prevention is working
24 hours a day, 7 days a week right now.
You know, it's not like -- you know we're waiting around for some other kind of emergency. There's stuff happening all of our country right now.
There's food born outbreaks. There's a pertussis outbreak. There's a Legionella outbreak in New York.
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So, there's already public health crises occurring that have been impacted negatively by what's happening at the CDC.
ASHER: Yeah, that really is an important point. And just in terms of vaccines, more specifically, we don't know whether or not the new COVID
vaccine will be recommended by the CDC, or whether or not it will be easily available to people in the U.S.
We are about to enter, specifically, you know, cold and flu season, and obviously cold -- COVID season as well, coming up to winter in this
country. So as a physician, you know, what is your recommendation in terms of what people should do if they want to get vaccinated? How should they go
about getting their jabs during this really confusing time?
DR. BENJAMIN: This is very much confusing, as you may have seen these CVS has pulled out of some states pending a firmer recommendation from the CDC,
but they've already constructed this in such a way that there's great confusion. Certainly, if you're over the age of 65 or you have chronic
diseases, you should be able to get a COVID shot.
I would recommend you get that for sure. But there are many other people that, for a variety of reasons, either want to protect themselves or they
want to protect a loved one from getting COVID by them not getting infected. And want to get vaccinated, they're going to have a much more
difficult time getting vaccinated.
So, what I recommend people do, at least right now, is, if you want to get vaccinated and you're not in the group that they're recommending, go see
your doctor so you can get a doctor's note, and then we have to go through the process of getting it approved so you can get vaccinated.
But I recommend all people over the age of six should be vaccinated. I go with the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for kids and the
American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists recommendations for women in childbearing age, and of course, pregnant women. I think that's very,
very important. Pregnant persons should get vaccinated for COVID as well.
ASHER: And just in terms of, obviously, after -- in the aftermath of Susan Monarez's ouster on Wednesday, it looks as though Jim O'Neill is going to
be elevated to that position, at least in the interim. So, this is a man who was a Former Investment Executive, obviously, he served -- he did serve
at the Federal Health Agency under President George W. Bush, but he doesn't have any sort of specific medical background, so to speak. What do you make
of that?
DR. BENJAMIN: Yeah, he can make the trains run on the paperwork day to day. And you know, my understanding, he's a good manager, but having said that,
he doesn't have the scientific expertise to make sure that we're not making a mistake, and so he's going to have to rely on the experts that are there
in the agency.
I want to point out, however, some of the most important people in the agency quit the other day. They lost four highly competent individuals who
are going to be very, very difficult to replace. I hope, as a manager, he has the skills expertise to rely on that expertise of his scientists.
And if it doesn't have it in the agency, to reach out of the agency and get advice from people out in the field, because there are lots of experts that
can advise the agency. And then when Secretary Kennedy wants to make an ill decision that's going to hurt people, that he'll stand up to Secretary
Kennedy, just like the Former CDC Director did.
ASHER: I mean, that is obviously the big question. Because, as you point out, in the aftermath of Susan Monarez being ousted, you had an additional
four officials, or three officials at least, who resigned from their roles. They were senior officials. They resigned in solidarity with Dr. Monarez.
Do you anticipate, or do you fear that those officials will end up being replaced with people who are essentially yes men to RFK Jr., and what will
be the consequences of that do you think?
DR. BENJAMIN: Well, you know, hope Jim isn't a yes man. And yeah, we're always worried about them getting people that are going to simply go along
with what the Secretary says. We're already seeing that at the NIH and the FDA. So that is a real concern that I have.
That we don't have people with an independent thought line who are going to follow the science and follow the evidence and be able to effectively
communicate that to the public. It's not that we don't need to restudy things and rethink things. Everybody agrees that we should always do that.
That's what science is. It's an iterative process, but you have to explain what you're doing, and you cannot. You have to do it with a great deal of
humility. And unfortunately, Mr. Kennedy has not been doing that, and we're going to have to push back against the disinformation that he is purposely
putting out in the -- in the -- in the community with a very, very large bullhorn.
ASHER: All right. Dr, Georges Benjamin, thank you so much for joining us today. We appreciate it. All right, you are watching "One World" as the IDF
ramps up attacks on the outskirts of Gaza City.
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Israel says it has recovered the remains of two hostages. Up next, a live report on what's happening on the ground.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right, Israel has declared Gaza City a, quote, dangerous combat zone ahead of its planned major assault. The Israeli military is already
ramping up its attacks. This video from social media shows explosions on the outskirts of Gaza City today. Israel is also suspending humanitarian
pauses in the city, which were a way to bring in aid.
Earlier, the prime minister announced Israel how to recover the remains of two deceased hostages. There are now 48 remaining hostages in Gaza. 20 of
them are believed to be alive. CNN's Jeremy Diamond joins us live now from Tel Aviv.
So, now the IDF is in the initial stages of this ground assault on Gaza City. Obviously, this will lead to the displacement of possibly up to 1
million people, and, of course, worsen the humanitarian crisis that is ongoing. Jeremy take us through that.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, that's right, Zain. And it is important to keep that in mind critical context as we watch these
videos of the bombardment and the artillery shelling that is intensifying in Gaza City itself.
Oftentimes, aerial and artillery shelling are indeed a prelude to the movement of ground troops as military will kind of prepare the ground
softening targets before actually moving ground troops into those areas. And that is exactly what we are seeing in particular in the northern
neighborhoods of Gaza City.
And that's because we know that there are Israeli troops just north of Gaza City in the City of Jabalia, who could be preparing to make their first
ground assault inside Gaza City itself. As you noted, the Israeli military now declaring the entirety of the city a dangerous combat zone, removing
those tactical pauses that were taking place for about 10 hours per day.
Areas where there would not be any bombardment or shelling, according to the Israeli military in order to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid.
We also know that Israeli troops have been operating in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, which is just on the outskirts, really, of that
city itself.
And over the course of the last 24 hours, the Palestinian health ministry says that 59 people have been killed. Many more could die, not just because
of the bombardment, but because of the effect that this military operation could have on the nearly 1 million people now living in Gaza City.
[11:25:00]
Some of whom are already being displaced from the edges of the city, closer inside as well. But of course, what the Israeli military is vowing to do
here would involve the displacement of the entirety of that population, putting them at risk in terms of their ability to access humanitarian aid
that has been coming in at a trickle.
But in increasing numbers over the course of the last few weeks, and indeed, we are continuing to see people who are still dying of starvation
in Gaza and many people who are struggling to find sufficient food in order to be able to survive. And this military operation, the concern from the
international community that we have heard is that it could worsen the humanitarian situation in Gaza overall.
ASHER: All right, Jeremy Diamond live for us there. Thank you so much. All right, so much was lost in Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall 20 years
ago today. But in the City of New Orleans, so much has been gained since then as well. Take a look after the break. Plus, on track for a record rate
of deportations under Donald Trump. ICE removes tens of thousands of migrants from the U.S. We hear from a man who says that he was treated
brutally.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right, welcome back to "One World". I'm Zane Asher in New York. Here are some of the international headlines we are watching for you today.
Israel has started pounding the outskirts of Gaza City ahead of an assault on the city center. Earlier, Israel declared Gaza City a dangerous combat
zone. Its words saying pauses in fighting for aid deliveries have been suspended.
A Ukrainian Delegation met with U.S. Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff in New York earlier today. Kyiv says the talks focused on pushing forward real
diplomacy to end the war. The talks come a day after Russia launched a massive air assault on Kyiv killing at least 23 people, according to
Ukrainian officials.
[11:30:00]
President Trump has revoked Kamala Harris's Secret Service detail. Trump canceled an order quietly signed by Joe Biden extended her protection
beyond the standard six months for former vice presidents. The move comes just weeks before Harris begins a high-profile book tour raising new
security concerns.
The Trump Administration has approved the sale of more than 3000 extended range missiles to Ukraine. It's a deal worth $825 million that could shift
the battlefield. The weapons with ranges of up to 450 kilometers. Comes as Russia pounds Kyiv with new strikes and peace talks stall.
All right, 20 years ago today, a major American city was underwater. On August 29th, 2005 Hurricane Katrina slammed into the U.S. Gulf Coast,
bringing powerful winds and rain. New Orleans, sitting below sea level and between a lake and a river, bore the brunt of Katrina's wrath. The levees
broke, water rushed in, and then people had nowhere to go.
Many of the New Orleans citizens also had nowhere to go. Some were stranded on rooftops. Others were evacuated to overcrowded facilities like the
Superdome. Help was slow to come, and in many cases, it was too late. In all, nearly 1400 people died in the storm and its aftermath.
There was plenty of blame to go around for the botched Katrina response, but those along the Gulf Coast began the daunting task of rebuilding. New
Orleans is honoring that spirit of resilience with marches, rallies, memorials, and of course, music. CNN's Gustavo Valdes takes a look at the
city's long road to recovery.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUSTAVO VALDES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: 20 years after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. You can see signs of the new life in the city.
These houses are an example of the recovery in the Lower Ninth Ward, one of the city's most affected areas.
VALDES (voice-over): Angelica Rivera is one of the many workers who helped bring it back to life.
VALDES: Is the New Orleans you see today, same New Orleans you came to?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, not at all.
VALDES (voice-over): With small children, one barely a few months old, she moved from Orlando after the storm, following her husband, a handyman who
saw an opportunity working in construction.
ANGELICA RIVERA, PRESIDENT, COLMEX CONSTRUCTION: I'm not going to lie, I cry a couple times because I was like, I don't want to be here.
VALDES (voice-over): Because basic services like drinking water and electricity were slow to return, but they didn't give up. Growing their
business from a small team only doing house framing to a full-service construction company helping many homeowners who they say were swindled by
contractors who took their money and left town.
RIVERA: So, a lot of people were without money and without a house.
VALDES (voice-over): Their growth was fueled by thousands of workers who came from across the country and outside the U.S. to work in construction.
RIVERA: Because most of the people that was here was Latinos.
VALDES (voice-over): Who worked in difficult conditions, battling the intense heat and humidity to rebuild this iconic American City. Their
efforts are celebrated in this sculpture in the infamous Ninth Ward ground zero of the deadly floods.
DR. JUAN JORGE GERSHENIK, NEONATOLOGIST: I really believe that they were key in trying to get the New Orleans area back.
VALDES (voice-over): Juan Gershenik commissioned the sculpture after speaking with children of those workers who he says were shy about their
parents' profession. He wanted them to be proud of the work their parents did.
DR. GERSHENIK: Undoubtedly, that was my first goal.
VALDES (voice-over): High praise coming from a person considered one of the heroes of the post Katrina tragedy, evacuating premature babies out of the
hospital, manually blowing oxygen to one of them for hours. Accolades he'd rather be given to others.
DR. GERSHENIK: The understanding of how much the contribution of the Latinos were made during the post Katrina recovery time.
VALDES (voice-over): Many of those came thinking their stay in the big EC would be temporary, but now they call it home. According to the U.S.
Census, the Hispanic population of Metropolitan New Orleans has doubled in the past 20 years. The number of black and white residents has decreased.
RIVERA: Someone say that if you drink water from the Mississippi River, you stay in New Orleans and you will never leave. I think I did that because
this is -- this is our home now.
VALDES (voice-over): Gustavo Valdes, CNN, New Orleans.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement has now deported around 200,000 people since Donald Trump's return to Office, is
according to a senior Homeland Security Official. The agency is on track for its highest rate of removals in at least a decade, but the numbers
still fall short of the White House's overall stated goal.
CNN has spoken to a deported migrant about his arrest and that of his brother. The video of that arrest has gone viral.
[11:35:00]
Maria Santana has that story and a warning some of the images we're going to show you in this report are disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEONEL CHAVEZ, MIGRANT DEPORTED TO MEXICO: You can't do that. You can't do that.
MARIA SANTANA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 42-year-old Leonel Chavez captured his own arrest in Norwalk, Connecticut. He says he was driving to
work with his brother, Ricardo, on the morning of August 15th, when federal immigration agents surrounded his truck, demanding they get out.
He says the agents gave no explanation before they smashed his window, cut his seatbelt and shocked him with a taser.
CHAVEZ: What are you looking for?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out of the car.
CHAVEZ: Why?
SANTANA (voice-over): Speaking from Mexico, Leonel shows us the scars left by the taser, but he says the wounds run much deeper.
CHAVEZ: I'm screaming because I scared. But after that, try and pull me up, like I said, the seat belts on the place, and he caught the seat belt and
just pull me up.
SANTANA (voice-over): After being detained for about a week in a Massachusetts Detention Center he was deported, forced to leave behind his
family and the life he built in the United States.
CHAVEZ: I don't feel home like because all my life in the U.S. I miss my kids, I miss my wife, my church, my community.
SANTANA (voice-over): Leonel says he was just 17-years-old when he moved to the U.S. He started his own masonry business, married an American citizen,
and has three U.S. born children. He says he has worked with an attorney over the years to file for legal status, but was never able to get his
papers.
SANTANA: I could see in one video how proud you were when your daughter graduated college. What is it like being away from your children and your
wife and knowing that you may not be part of more big moments like that?
CHAVEZ: It's sad. It's sad because my son is graduation this year, and my daughter too for high school, and my son for college, but after that, I
leave everything in God's hand.
SANTANA (voice-over): Leonel says his brother, who had been in the U.S. since 2008 was also deported. In images shot by a passer-by Ricardo, can be
seen running from an agent who shocks him several times after he falls to the ground with his face bloodied. Ricardo is then handcuffed.
That video of his brother's arrest has drawn questions from officials in Connecticut. Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum went further calling it a
possible human rights violation. But in a statement to CNN, the Department of Homeland Security said their agents followed protocol and used only the
minimum force necessary.
They also called Lionel an illegal immigrant with a long criminal record. Court documents show Leonel has several decades old misdemeanor
convictions; mistakes he says were made in his youth.
CHAVEZ: But that's in my past, like my teenagers. You know, after maybe 25 I do everything right and try to be the better person.
SANTANA (voice-over): He now longs for the day he is reunited with his family in the only place he's ever called home.
CHAVEZ: I love America. I love USA because I got all my family there, all my -- like I say, all my friends, families, church. Sooner or later, I will
be back. But I got to do this the right thing. You know, legal, straight, everything, so I can start a new life.
SANTANA (voice-over): Maria Santana, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right, for years, Americans have been shopping online for cheap goods from China, but a new tariff change by the Trump Administration could
end all of that. Just ahead, will the end of the de minimis exemption means for low-cost shoppers?
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[11:40:00]
ASHER: Americans who love to shop online for goods from overseas are soon going to have major sticker shock. For years, the U.S. has waived tariffs
on package shipments valued at less than $800 but that exemption expired a few hours ago. Donald Trump says the change is permanent. Anna Cooban has
more.
ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS REPORTER: De minimis it's a term you may be hearing a lot today. It's Latin for something lacking in
significance or importance. Some people may not quite agree with that. You see, President Donald Trump has scrapped the so called de minimis
exemption, a rule that has allowed products worth $800 or less to enter the United States from all around the world without, crucially, paying an
import tax.
That exemption has allowed low-cost goods, like clothes, makeup, home decor, really, anything that you can think of to flow into the U.S.
relatively easily and helped fuel a booming global E-Commerce Industry like these brands here.
And as you can see here, over the last decade, this number has grown significantly, and that is partly why Trump is ending this de minimis
exemption is to help discourage Americans from buying overseas and incentivize homegrown manufacturing. U.S. Customs and Border Protection
estimated that over 1.36 billion shipments entered the U.S. during the last financial year under this de minimis exemption.
And that more than 4 million were processed every single day. Sellers will face different tariffs depending on which country they are in. They'll face
an $80 tariff if per item for if they're in a country with an overall tariff rate of 16 percent below 16 percent and an up to $160 tariff per
item. If they're in a country with an overall tariff rate of between 16 and 25 percent.
And then a brutal $200 per item tariff if they're in a country with an overall tariff rate above 25 percent. Right now, for example, Brazil and
India have a 50 percent tariff placed on most of their goods flowing into the United States. Sellers may decide to pass those extra costs on to U.S.
consumers, and that means that those late-night impulse purchases will come with an even bigger dose of morning regret or they may simply not arrive at
all.
Postal services around the world, including in Japan and Australia and across Europe, have temporarily suspended shipments to the United States.
That's because some say they are simply unsure of how to navigate the new system. How do they make sure the tariffs are paid? What paperwork is
needed?
And it's not yet clear when these services will back up and running. For now, Americans wanting to indulge in some retail therapy will simply have
fewer options. Anna Cooban, CNN, London.
ASHER: All right, still to come here on "One World", Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are out and about since getting engaged. We'll talk with a
professor and author on the cultural significance of this megastar couple.
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[11:45:00]
ASHER: What a week it has been for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce? The couple made their first public appearance since announcing their
engagement. They were spotted last night sitting in box seats at Arrowhead Stadium for the Cincinnati Nebraska College Football Game. The stadium is,
of course, home to Kelce's Kansas City Chief.
And the Swifties fans in New York celebrated the fab singer's engagement to Kelce at Champagne problems. The Taylor Swift themed bar in Manhattan, one
bartender said that the staff erupted when the engagement was announced.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMANDA FLOWERS, "SWIFTIE": We were freaking out. Everybody was just cheering. Like, we're all texting each other like, oh my God. Like, Tay-Tay
and Travis got engaged. This is crazy. What are we going to do? We're going to be going to be giving out roses to Taylor fans today and just do
whatever we can to spread the love.
ISABELLA ANASTASIO, "SWIFTIE": I was so excited. I'm also engaged myself right now. And I had been saying to my fiance, like, I really hope Taylor
gets engaged soon so we can be engaged at the same time, because that's really fun. And I got like, 10 texts, like, in like the first five minutes
of it being up, and it was -- it felt so fun to be like the person that people text and have people know like she's going to be excited about this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: So cute. Tay-Tay fans posed for pictures while Swift's loud music blasted. Some said the couple's careers make them a good match, and one
thinks that Kelce is doing a really good job. Stephanie Burt is the Author of Taylor's Version: The Poetic and Musical Genius", rather of Taylor
Swift. She's also a professor at Harvard University, where she actually taught a class on Taylor Swift. Stephanie, thank you so much for being with
us.
I mean, people love this couple. I mean, I know people grown -- grown-ups who are jumping for joy when this engagement is actually announced. And,
you know, I think that it's really about their relatability. I mean, Travis is a guy that you feel like you can -- you know go and grab a beer with.
Taylor Swift, to me, has always felt like -- you know my college roommate who just did really, really well for herself, like, really well, like, a
billion dollars, really well. And so just in terms of why they're so popular, is it just about their relatability, or is there -- is it more,
more than that?
STEPHANIE BURT, AUTHOR, "TAYLOR'S VERSION": So that's absolutely part of it. They're both very good at being themselves in public, and they don't
mind the spotlight. They as they've ascended to really hard to imagine, heights of fame and prominence and doing things that take a lot of work and
are really hard to do.
They worked at it, and they both don't mind letting you know how hard they work. As they have become more and more sort of admired and in a lot of
ways admirable. They have remained relatable. We are able, many of us in their lives, at least in Taylor's life, for me and in Taylor's songs, both
to see people we could be to find ourselves in that music.
And to see people we wish we could be or want to be, and that's part of her genius as a songwriter, is to keep writing songs that let us enter into
them in that way.
[11:50:00]
And those of us who've been following the emotional life that she presents for us in her music for years and years and era after era, I think, are
happy to see her find a guy who treats her well, who she's really into, and who doesn't mind how famous she is and how much she owns her ambition,
which is something that has derailed some of her previous relationships.
And if you remember the song "You're losing me", or if you remember "So Long London" from Portrait Poets, you've seen some of that. I think there's
another aspect to the joy a lot of Swifties, and I suppose NFL fans are taking in this relationship as well.
It's not just that they are relatable and they're fun to watch, and they're so happy together that that happiness is shareable. It's not just that so
many of us have seen different kinds of relationships and romances that struggle to get off the ground or stay off the ground that we love seeing
one that works.
And if you're in a straight or straight passing romance, that's maybe a direct model for you. And if you have a queer romantic life, then it's
great to see that the straights can do pretty well for themselves. Either way, it's -- but there's something else there, which is that when you are
as ambitious and successful and also conventionally attractive, which she is.
And obviously hard working and really good at stuff, and as famous as Taylor is, that becomes a barrier to your dating life. And she's written
about this and sung about it, that has been a problem in past relationships. There are, unfortunately, I'm told, a lot of guys out there
who would feel threatened or overshadowed or like, you know, what good am I when she can do everything for herself, and have trouble dating a woman who
is that successful and that apparently self-confident and that together.
And one of the reasons I take joy in seeing how their relationship has played out is that Travis is not only you know in her appropriate dating
pool. He's got cultural power of his own. He's together, but he's clearly not threatened by who she is and what she does. And that is awesome. And I
would love to see all of you know, my friends and acquaintances who are women, who date men, find boyfriends, and if I guess that's what Taylor
wants husbands who are like that, that's another reason I celebrate.
ASHER: Absolutely. I mean, also, you know, she's just very open. You know about her love life, as you pointed out, ups and downs, and I think about -
- you know her closest quote, unquote rival, in a good way, Beyonce. I know virtually nothing about her relationship with Jay Z, like almost nothing.
And they've been together for decades --
BURT: That's right.
ASHER: -- but Taylor is so open, and that's why she has been considered so relatable.
BURT: Lemonade was a pretty good album.
ASHER: I know about the elevator issue with Beyonce and Jay Z, that is pretty much it, honestly. But Stephanie Burt, we have to leave it there.
Thank you so much. We appreciate it.
BURT: Thank you.
ASHER: All right, a new exhibition in London is giving fans a glimpse at the Beatles when they were on the cusp of super stardom. The photographs
were taken by Paul McCartney in 1963 and 1964 they chart the early years of the Beatles success just after the release of their debut album "Please,
Please Me".
It's the period where the Beatles were popular in the UK, but not yet a global phenomenon. McCartney discovered the long-lost photos during the
COVID pandemic. They're now in display at London's Gagosian Art Gallery. And finally, this hour, staff at the hospital -- at a hospital in London
have opened a time capsule sealed by Princess Diana more than 30 years ago.
Diana visited children at the hospital regularly. And two children selected the items that were preserved, including a pocket-sized TV, some tree seeds
and a CD of Kylie Minogue songs. The capsule was unearthed to make way for construction of a new cancer center.
Other memorabilia recovered include a solar powered calculator, a European passport and a collection of British coins. Some items were damaged by
moisture, but the hospital intends to restore them.
[11:55:00]
All right, still ahead here on "One World", President Trump's fight with the Federal Reserve and Governor Lisa Cook heats up. Stay with us "One
World". We'll be right back.
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