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One World with Zain Asher
Trump Met with Democratic Leaders on Monday, But No Deal was Struck; Netanyahu Accepts Trump's Gaza Plan, Hamas yet to Respond; Report: Russia's Warning if U.S. Sends Tomahawk Missiles to Ukraine; Less Than 13 Hours Until U.S. Government Shutdown; Authorities Target Cartel Smuggling Operations in U.S.; CHATGPT Says it will Alert Parents to Signs of Self- Harm. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired September 30, 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]
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: We are just 13 hours away from a possible shutdown of the U.S. government. "One World" starts right now.
Republicans and Democrats dig in as hopes for a solution fade will have the very latest live from Capitol Hill. Plus, President Donald Trump and his
defense secretary lay out a stark new vision for the military at a gathering of generals.
We'll have the very latest on that. And CNN reports on how drug cartels are using social media to reach new recruits, young Americans in border states.
Live from Abu Dhabi. I'm Eleni Giokos. Zain Asher is off today. This is "One World". At this point, it seems inevitable that the U.S. government
will shut down at midnight, about 13 hours from now, Republicans plan to hold another vote in the Senate today on their funding bill.
But there is almost no chance Democrats will approve it without major changes to health insurance subsidies. Donald Trump doesn't seem
particularly worried about the looming deadline, and he seems confident the American people will blame Democrats for the shutdown and layoffs of
government workers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How many federal workers do you plan to lay on?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Well, we may do a lot, and that's only because of the Democrats. And as you know, they want
to be able to take care of people that have come into our country illegally, and no system can handle that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, Democrats, who have very little power in Washington say this is their only chance to prevent Republicans from getting rid of health
insurance subsidies that impact tens of millions of Americans. CNN's Manu Raju caught up with a top Democrat in the House to get his side of all of
this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): We're not asking for things to be added on.
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You've health care.
JEFFRIES: We're working on dealing with an issue health care that is central to the quality of life of the American people.
RAJU: I mean, you're asking, you're opposing to a clean CR?
JEFFRIES: It's not a clean continuing resolution that is before the House of Representatives or the Senate right now. It's a dirty spending bill.
RAJU: -- It's a straight extension.
JEFFRIES: It's not a straight extension of a bipartisan agreement. A straight extension of a bipartisan agreement would have been extending the
bill that was actually reached in late December, not the march spending agreement. The March spending agreement was a partisan bill that hurt
veterans, hurt children, hurt families, hurt seniors, hurt the health care of the American people, which is why Democrats in the House strongly
opposed it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Over the latest let's go to Capitol Hill. We've got CNN's Arlette Saenz. Time is running out. Sometimes we see an 11th hour agreement. But
give me a sense of how the negotiations are going right now. I mean, we'd have to see one side make concessions on the health care funding bill, so
give me a sense of what's going on.
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Eleni, lawmakers heading into today have been expressing a lot of skepticism that they will be able to reach an
agreement to avert a shutdown in just less than 13 hours. Democrats and Republicans still remain incredibly far apart about how to handle
government funding.
Republicans want Democrats to get on board with that clean, short term funding bill for the next seven weeks, but Democrats say that they still
want to see concessions when it comes to health care. Those expiring Obamacare subsidies are really at the heart of this debate.
Democrats want to see a permanent extension of those subsidies, but Republicans and the White House have indicated there won't be any
negotiations on health care unless the government is kept open. So, there's a lot of questions going forward about how this might play out in the
coming hours.
We do anticipate at some point today, Senate leadership to bring up that seven week stop gap funding bill, but they would need seven Democrats to
get on board in order to advance that measure. So far, only one has said that he will vote to keep the government open, and that is Senator John
Fetterman of Pennsylvania.
So, a lot of questions about what happens next after that vote, which is expected to fail. Now, Republican leadership has said that they plan to
just continue holding vote after vote on that seven-week funding bill, even if the government has shut down, because they think that's the only way out
of this.
They think eventually Democrats will cave, but Democrats insist that they will hold firm, and they want there to be negotiations on health care. But
certainly, a lot of this still remains up in the air. And the state of the federal government, millions of federal workers, what will happen to their
paychecks?
Really have they're all facing major questions as this government shutdown is barely even closer at the midnight deadline.
GIOKOS: Yeah, so Arlette, I mean, if you look at the history of us shutdowns, and frankly, this is a negotiation conversation that happens far
too often, some would say, especially when you got 11th hour agreement. But the last time we saw a significant shutdown was in 2018, 2019, we saw that
in 2013 as well as 95 to 96.
[11:05:00]
And I'm just curious here, because the last one was during the first Trump Administration. It was 35 days long. I want you to explain what kind of
services will be impacted here. What kind of consequences are we looking at?
SAENZ: Well, this would have widespread impacts across the federal government. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers would likely be
furloughed. There are others that would have to work without pay, that includes members of the military, air traffic controllers, TSA agents,
working at airports.
But what's a little different from this shutdown to past shutdowns, typically, in the past, agencies have released detailed plans about how
they plan to handle all of these furloughs, and that is not something that has come out from every agency in the Trump Administration.
And the Trump Administration, specifically, the Office of Management and Budget have really taken a step further in asking agencies to draw up plans
for mass federal layoffs of federal workers if this shutdown goes into effect. Just this morning, President Trump said that they may have to fire
a lot of federal workers if this shutdown does occur.
So, there's a big question mark for so many across the federal government trying to determine, are they going to be furloughed, working without pay,
or completely lose their jobs? There are some essential services that will continue. For instance, Social Security and Medicare checks will continue
to go out.
But there's also economic concerns about what kind of impact this could have on the broader economy if the country is in for a longer, prolonged
government shutdown.
GIOKOS: All right. Arlette Saenz, thank you so much for that update. And of course, we'll have much more on the story later this hour. A Republican
Congressman will be joining me to talk about why it seems so hard to reach a deal this time. That's coming up right here on "One World".
Now, a new name and new marching orders. That's the theme for today's meeting of top U.S. military brass with this Defense Secretary and his
boss, President Trump, Pete Hegseth, called the meeting to outline his reinvention of the Department of Defense as the Department of War. In his
speech, President Trump talked about what he wants out of today's military. Listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: -- commitment to every patriot who put on the uniform is to ensure that American military remains the most lethal and dominant on the planet,
not merely for a few years, but for the decades and generations to come. For centuries, we must be so strong that no nation will dare challenge us.
So powerful that no enemy will dare threaten us, and so capable that no adversary can even think about beating us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: The meeting comes just days after the president said he was ordering National Guard troops into Portland, Oregon to combat what he
calls domestic terrorism. CNN's Zach Cohen joins us now live from Washington with all the details. I mean, we heard from Pete Hegseth, a very
long speech from President Trump and a lot of key messages here. Take me through some of the salient points and how consequential they are?
ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yeah, President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth both making clear that they want generals
who are almost singularly focused on fighting wars. Now, part of that is also looking the part.
Pete Hegseth in particular, really outlining a series of new directives that relate to physical fitness, relate to standards, grooming standards,
even that they want generals and admirals who are almost typecast out of central casting, as President Trump likes to say. Now, this is all part of
the so-called warrior ethos that Hegseth has really been hyper fixated on since becoming Secretary of Defense.
I mean, take a listen to what he told those senior military officers today during this unusual gathering at Quantico, Virginia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Either you protect your people and your sovereignty, or you will be subservient to something or someone. It's
a truth as old as time. And since waging war is so costly in blood and treasure, we owe our republic a military that will win any war we choose or
any war that is thrust upon us.
Should our enemies choose foolishly to challenge us, they will be crushed by the violence precision and ferocity of the War Department.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COHEN: So, part of this too, though, is Hegseth and Trump both sort of casting their message in the context of decades of erosion within the
military, saying that their predecessors, in particular under the Biden Administration, had let wokeness or impact the standards and have
contributed to a slipping of standards within the military.
That is not necessarily what we've heard from uniformed officials and sources inside the Pentagon who have said that the standards and the
requirements that heads up the setting forward are largely already consistent with what the U.S. military is doing on a rank-and-file basis.
[11:10:00]
But again, Hegseth telling these senior officers that these new directives include things like combat standards, returning to the uniform male
standard. They're adding a combat field test and weight and height requirements for all military officers up from the top ranks of the
military down to the junior enlisted officers and enlisted troops.
We're also seeing new directives related to combat jobs. Must passing a service fitness test. Again, that is of the male standard, and that is
something that Hegseth in particular, has been focused on, is really taking out any sort of gender or racial standard requirements that had been
implemented in the past and tried to return the military to this uniform sort of requirement standard.
And look, there is a political element to all this as well. Usually that is something that these officers are not used to hearing from their secretary
of defense or the president. And so, it remains to be seen, ultimately, what the impact of these new directives and what today's gathering was.
But it's clear that Pete Hegseth convened these officers in Quantico, Virginia to send a message that the military will be changing under
President Donald Trump.
GIOKOS: All right. Zach Cohen, thank you so much. It's not a done deal yet. Sources say the latest U.S. proposal to end the war in Gaza is still
subject to negotiations as we wait for both Hamas and the Israeli government to respond.
Standing by President Trump at the White House on Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threw his support behind the plan, which includes an
immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages, but the Israeli cabinet must still approve some key clauses.
And a short time ago, one of the far-right ministers in the Israeli government described the initiative as a quote, resounding diplomatic
failure. The proposal also has some red lines for Hamas, including the surrender of its weapons. Earlier, the U.S. President said he's giving the
militant group three to four days to respond.
We've got CNN's Jeremy Diamond on the ground, live in Jerusalem. Netanyahu agreeing to this plan publicly, but needs to have buy in domestically,
particularly from right wing ministers. And I'm just curious in terms of the response from Israelis, knowing that this deal could bring back home
hostages.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's no question that there is a lot of hope at this moment in Israel, among the Israeli public,
for the possibility of a grand deal that would secure the release of all of the hostages and end a war that has now stretched on for almost two years.
But there are big questions about whether or not it can be achieved in terms of the Israeli side, there's no question that the Israeli Prime
Minister is already beginning to face heated criticism from his right-wing allies. Although it is important to note that Bezalel Smotrich, the finance
minister, for example, while he is very critical of this deal, as it has emerged, thus far.
He has not yet expressed his outright opposition to it, or threaten to leave the government over it. Although he did recently release a list of
red lines that would prompt his exit from government and could potentially topple the Israeli Prime Minister's coalition.
The real question now, in terms of how this can go forward is what Hamas reaction will be to a proposal that includes several provisions that cross
Hamas' red lines. And that, in many ways, is also a downgrade from previous offers that Hamas has received, in terms of the number of Palestinian
prisoners who would be released in exchange for those 48 hostages.
In terms of how far the Israeli military would have to initially withdraw from the Gaza Strip once Hamas releases all of those hostages, and of
course, the big red line of Hamas being required to disarm here. And there's no question that there is a lot of pressure being brought to bear
on Hamas.
We just heard from President Trump a few hours ago saying that Hamas has about three to four days to respond to this proposal. And he's also made it
quite clear that the alternative to Hamas accepting this is the United States basically giving Israel it's full backing to quote, unquote, finish
the job from a military perspective, in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas officials are set to meet this evening with three key countries, with leaders from Qatar, from Egypt and from Turkey. These are the three
countries that have really been involved at various points in mediating and in speaking directly to Hamas, and they will be trying to get Hamas on
board.
But as has been stressed to me as well, this is not just a take it or leave it offer to Hamas, even though that's very much how President Trump kind of
presented things yesterday. There will be an opportunity, and there is an expectation that Hamas will be asking for changes to this proposal will
have demands of its own, just as the Israelis had an opportunity to shape the proposal before it was announced yesterday by the United States.
[11:15:00]
So, a lot more road to go through here before we can even get to the point where it's a yes or no or a make-or-break moment, but certainly a lot of
diplomatic might being brought to bear in the Middle East at this moment.
GIOKOS: Yes, indeed. Jeremy Diamond, great to have you on this. Khaled Elgindy is a Visiting Scholar at Georgetown University Center for
Contemporary Arab Studies, and joins me now live in Washington. Khaled, great to have you with us. We're just hearing from Jeremy Diamond in terms
of the current deadline that Hamas has.
President Trump says three to four days, there are clear red lines. The question is, will Hamas agree to this plan? Will we see some kind of
revision? Does it favor, in some way both sides?
KHALED ELGINDY, VISITING SCHOLAR AT GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ARAB STUDIES: Well, I mean, I wouldn't say that the proposal,
as it's been put out favors both sides. It really does not. It's very much kind of front loaded with Israeli demands and interests and priorities, and
much less so for Palestinians, and specifically for Hamas.
There will be a lot of things in there that Hamas, of course, wants to see like the immediate surge of aid, an end to the carnage in Gaza. These are
priorities for Hamas, as well as for Palestinians in Gaza and elsewhere, the parts that they will not like and will probably seek to modify in some
way relate to Hamas' weapons and decommissioning those.
And also, to the broader vision outlined in this proposal, which is kind of a strange animal in that it's not just talking about the release of
hostages and ending hostilities in the short term, but also has this vision for Gaza's interim governing that is quite problematic, not just for Hamas,
but for, I think, for all Palestinians, because it really excludes them from future governance in Gaza.
GIOKOS: Yeah, I want to talk about sort of this interim government, you know, stabilization force. There's been a lot of talk about what that would
look like. You know, would Arab States be involved in some way? Who will be involved? How do you think this will ultimately play out?
What do you think the right process would be? Because there's a lot of room for interpretation on some of these points.
ELGINDY: There is room for interpretation. A lot of it is vague. There are no timetables. But the things that Hamas will be looking at are an Israeli
withdrawal. Right now, there aren't any timetables for that. And it's, sort of, you know, it's up to Israel to has the ability to maintain indefinite
presence inside Gaza.
So, to the extent that the language can be changed to reflect, to specify more detail in terms of an Israeli withdrawal and other things. I think
that's what Hamas will be looking to do, and I think there is room for that. You know, this grand vision isn't something that people necessarily
have to like.
But it can be the basis for changing realities on the ground in an entirely different direction, whether it's exactly the kind of interim authority
that's envisioned or stabilization force, those can be tackled later on. But right now, it's important to at least bring Palestinian interests into
the discussion.
GIOKOS: Yeah, you know, I want you to listen to President Trump and Netanyahu at the press conference yesterday after the bilateral meeting.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: You've proven time and again what I've said many times, you are the greatest friend that Israel has ever
had in the White House. And Mr. President, you and I both know it's not even close.
TRUMP: I think it's a very popular thing you do because he's a warrior. He doesn't know about getting back to a normal way of life, but he is a
warrior, and Israel is lucky to have him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: All right. So, I mean both men propping up their relationship, showing that they're very strong allies, a very important message, I think,
for the global community.
[11:20:00]
And I wonder when I see this kind of exchange, what -- does bring to question is where they do differ. And one of the things that is a big issue
is the annexation of the West Bank, where they clearly have differing views. Do you think that is going to be a red line for the United States?
ELGINDY: I'm not so sure that their views differ all that much on an individual basis. We know that inside Netanyahu is ruling coalition, there
are very, even more extreme voices than his that are openly calling for annexation in the West Bank, the same people who are calling for the
expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza.
I think Netanyahu understands that annexation in the West Bank will bring costs. It could bring, very well bring sanctions from European countries
and others, and that it's a risky proposition. And in any case, why trad -- you know, tread down that path when Israel can eat its cake and have it
too, right?
They control all of the West Bank. There's a massive surge in settlement expansion, more or less with the acquiescence of the international
community. You know, they're able to do with Palestinians as they please in the West Bank. And so, there isn't a sense of urgency for Netanyahu to move
towards annexation.
GIOKOS: Yes, and in the words of Donald Trump, three to four days. So that's the timeline Hamas has to respond to this, and of course,
consequential week. Thank you so much Khaled Elgindy for your time. Good to have you on the show. Right ahead on "One World" is the U.S. getting closer
to supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.
What Moscow is saying about it, coming up next. Plus, an easy pay day for a dangerous lifestyle. CNN investigates how cartels are recruiting desperate
young people in the U.S. to do their dirty business. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Russia is again warning the Trump Administration supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine would be a step towards a direct military
confrontation. According to Reuters, the Kremlin is analyzing where the U.S. supplied long range missiles would be used for Ukrainian attacks deep
inside Russia.
[11:25:00]
According to Russia's Foreign Minister, European governments have put pressure on the U.S. to let Ukraine have the missiles. But Sergey Lavrov
said he doesn't think that the White House has made any decision on that yet. In Poland, the U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine has been telling the
Warsaw Security Forum that Vladimir Putin is on shaky ground.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEITH KELLOGG, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY TO UKRAINE: We know where the Ukrainians are. We're in a pretty good position with the Ukrainians, and Putin doesn't
want to go there. And I think part of it is the fact that he -- I think, in his, probably in his heart of hearts, he realizes he can't win this.
This is an unwinnable fight for him, long term. What he intended to do? He intended to subjugate Ukraine. It's not going to happen. You want a change
of government not going to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Russia's Defense Minister has signed a new conscription order, drafting 135,000 more people into the army through the end of the year.
This comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin insists his country is fighting what he calls a just cause in Ukraine and winning the war.
Putin says Russia will accomplish all its goals in eastern Ukraine, though he acknowledges much remains to be done. Afghanistan has plunged into
what's being described as a total internet blackout. Internet watchdog net block says telephone services have also been severely disrupted.
Earlier this month, the Taliban vowed to cut off Internet access to crack down on what he says is immoral activities. Observers warn the shutdown
could further isolate Afghans from the outside world and have devastating consequences for the education of girls who are already barred from most in
person learning.
Who will blink first. Coming up, we'll look at the looming U.S. government shutdown and how millions of Americans will be affected. Plus, due to
growing concerns about chatbots and teen safety, parents will now have new controls to help their children safe when using ChatGPT. That's coming up
minutes from now. Stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
GIOKOS: Welcome back to "One World". I'm Eleni Giokos, live in Abu Dhabi. Here are some of the international stories that we're watching today. The
clock is ticking. About 12 and a half hours until the U.S. government shuts down. Neither Democrats nor Republicans seem close to making a deal.
The last shutdown during Donald Trump's first term ended up lasting more than a month. President Donald Trump tells the top military brass they must
reawaken their warrior spirit. His comments come during a meeting called by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The goal is to get them up to speed on the
reimagined Department of War, which Hegseth says focuses on winning wars, not just defense.
Uncertainty looms as last-ditch talks take place in Washington over a U.S.- Africa trade deal. It comes as a landmark 25-year agreement is set to expire today. African Union war, more than a million indirect jobs are on
the line if the deal isn't renewed. A White House official says the Trump Administration supports a one-year extension of AGOA.
Prosecutors urged a New York judge to sentence Sean Diddy Combs to more than 11 years in prison ahead of his Friday sentencing. A jury convicted
Combs on prostitution related charges in July, but acquitted him of racketeering and sex trafficking charges. Combs' lawyers are pushing for no
more than 14 months behind bars.
Right, I want to return now to our top story, the looming U.S. government shutdown for now. Senate Republicans plans seem to keep voting on a short-
term funding extension until the Democrats give in and they're trying to stop cuts to Medicaid already passed, but Republicans aren't ready to
concede.
In the meantime, each side is blaming the other for putting the government in danger of a shutdown at midnight. We've got Manu Raju on the ground.
He's been covering more than a few government shutdowns over the years, and he joins us now live from Capitol Hill. Good to see you.
I mean, this is intense, and we've seen this. We've experienced this before. There's a hope that there'll be an 11th hour agreement of sorts,
maybe an extension. How are the negotiations debates going?
RAJU: Well, there's actually, there are no negotiations right now, which is why there is widespread expectation here on Capitol Hill and in the White
House that this will be the first government shutdown that this country will experience since 2018, 2019. Donald Trump was in office, then he had a
big feud with Democrats.
Then it led to a 35-day government shutdown, the longest ever in history. And the real fear is that that could be replicated. It could go even
longer, and the damage could be severe, both the federal workers here in the United States who could see their jobs gone. Trump Administration is
threatening to fire scores of federal workers, going beyond furloughs that have been happening in past government shutdowns.
And also, the loss of government services while federal agencies are shut down that could impact millions of Americans, which is why there's so much
concern right now about the impact of this standoff on the Hill that Democrats are calling for changes to national healthcare policy.
They want to reverse cuts to the program called Medicaid that deals with healthcare insurance for low-income individuals, disabled individuals, the
cuts that were enacted as part of Donald Trump's signature domestic policy achievement. They want those reversed. They also want to extend subsidies
that go to individuals who get their insurance under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
Those are set to expire at year's end. They also want to constrain Donald Trump's ability to cut federal spending without the consent of Congress,
something they say is blatantly unconstitutional. So, they want to have all those things that Republicans say they will not go for.
Republicans are calling for a straight extension of government funding up until November 21 for seven weeks. They said, negotiate those issues later
and catching up with Democrats, they're making very clear that they're digging in. And the Republicans who are concerned about those health care
cuts are saying that, let's wait on that and let's fund the government now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): I think the Republicans are making a real mistake here to shut the government down. But understand this, sometimes
you got to start, stand and fight and a fight to protect Americans who can't afford their health care is a fight worth having.
SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO): If they want to talk about, how do we protect rural hospitals. Hey, great. If they want to talk about how to keep
premiums low, and we need to do that. But I don't understand why shutting down the government. What does that gain? I mean, that hurts all these
people we're talking about.
I just I'm genuinely mystified by it. I don't understand why they're doing this. There's still time to avert it. I would just say, don't do that like
don't shut down the government. Nobody wins in that scenario. It's terrible for people, horrible farmers. Terrible, terrible, terrible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: So, Eleni, if and when this government shutdown does happen, starting at midnight Eastern tonight, then Republican leadership in the Senate is
expected to continue to put that seven weeks stop gap measure to keep the government open, the one that they've been pushing, that Democrats are
resisting.
[11:35:00]
They're going to put that on the floor again for votes in the Senate tomorrow, maybe Thursday, Friday and into the weekend and next week and the
like. They're warning of repeated votes. The strategy is this, they hope that public pressure will build on Democrats in the Senate to vote to
advance this bill, because remember, in the United States Senate, you need 60 votes to advance legislation.
The Senate has broken down, 53 Republicans, 47 Democrats. So that means at least 7 Democrats need to vote yes. Will they get there after weeks of
pressure, days of pressure? That's a big question at this really perilous time here in the United States, Eleni.
GIOKOS: Yeah, high stakes. 13 hours to go. Manu Raju, great to have you on the story. Thank you so much for breaking that down for us. I want to get
some perspective from Republican Congressman Mike Haridopolos from Florida. Congressman, great to have you with us.
Thank you so much for taking the time. We just heard from Manu Raju saying there aren't any talks, negotiations happening right now. We've got 13
hours until a government shutdown. Are you expecting one? Do you think there'll be some kind of miracle 11th hour coming together of forces to
ensure this doesn't happen?
REP. MIKE HARIDOPOLOS (R-FL): Unfortunately, I think we are headed towards a government shutdown. I think the magic number is 13. 13 times Democrats
agree that we should have a clean CR as it's called, to keep the government open as we continue to negotiate.
Unfortunately, they want to play political games, as you just saw Elizabeth Warren, who actually created some of the health care crisis we have today,
saying that they want to, quote, stand up against Donald Trump. It's this very simple philosophy, let's keep the government open.
Everybody wins when we continue to negotiate some of the health care issues that people are concerned about. But when you shut down the government, you
actually take away the benefits that people have earned. And remember, Chuck Schumer and the Democrats in the Senate.
GIOKOS: Yeah.
HARIDOPOLOS: 13 times said that they thought that shutting down the government's a bad idea. Why is it suddenly a good idea to shut down the
government? Makes no sense to me.
GIOKOS: So let me ask you, this Congressman, the White House's own budget office has threatened mass firings if Congress allows a shutdown. This is a
big deal. Do you support it?
HARIDOPOLOS: Well, I think it's pretty simple what's happening right now. Again, this problem goes away really easily, if the Democrats just agree to
what they agreed back in March, keep the government open under current government standards and agreements, that's all they have to do, and then
we continue to negotiate other matters.
But if you shut the government down, you have to make tough decisions. Of course, will shut down national parks, it'll be more difficult to get
certain benefits. That's not the right thing to do. As you probably know, right now, we have a growing economy --
GIOKOS: -- mass firings. Yeah, but on the mass firings, you know, what would you say to the employees that will lose their jobs?
HARIDOPOLOS: Well, I would say something really simple. All the Democrats have to do is say we need to keep the government open. This way they
continue to get paid and we continue on our economic comeback. As you probably know, we had a massive inflation problem the last four years
because of the prior administration.
It's the reason why people like me were elected this past year, because the chaos in the United States. Right now, our economy is growing at 3.8
percent the strongest economy in the world, and the Democrats think it's a good policy to shut this down. If they want to put jobs at risk, it's their
decision to make.
And that's why the Senate should follow the lead of the House last year, last week, excuse me, we agreed to keep the government open.
GIOKOS: Yeah.
HARIDOPOLOS: We want to do the same thing, and it just is a lot of rhetoric going back and forth. I came to Washington to solve problems, not play
political games.
GIOKOS: Yeah. So, let's talk about the sticking point here, because it is health care. And the Democrats are insisting that any spending bill must
also ensure that the expanded Affordable Health Care Act and the subsidies do not expire at the end of the year. Republicans are saying that you're
open to extending those subsidies, but the issue should be handled separately.
One of the pledges of your campaign was to champion a solution that provides patient centered health care. So, do you believe there will be,
should be an extension on Obamacare subsidies?
HARIDOPOLOS: Well, I think that's something we're going to discuss. But also make sure your viewers understand that if you're a family of four in
Arizona and you make $600,000, you're eligible for a subsidy. That's a little ridiculous. Or you're an individual in Vermont making 180,000,
should the government really subsidize your insurance?
Because what happened during the Biden years, just so that your viewers understand, is they expanded the payments because they thought that by
growing Obamacare would somehow make prices go down. That did not happen. Prices are still going up. We want to take on waste, fraud and abuse and
help people most in need.
[11:40:00]
And I have to correct the previous reporter when he said there would be cuts to Medicaid for the disable, for the elderly, that is 100 percent
false. The only people that would lose Medicaid benefits in the United States starting in 2027 not 2026 would be people who are illegal aliens or
able-bodied people unwilling to work.
If you're disabled or you're a senior citizen in nursing home, you keep your Medicaid. So, the rhetoric needs to be very clear here about what's
really happening, as opposed to the hyperbole that happens too often in Washington, D.C.
GIOKOS: Yeah. Congressman Mike Haridopolos, thank you so much for your time. Great to have you on. The countdown has begun. All the best. 13 hours
to go. All right, still to come on, "One World".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Have you had to kill people?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: CNN goes inside the world of cartels and how they entice young Americans to break the law. You're here the rest of that interview right
after the short break. Stick with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Welcome back, and the CNN investigation has revealed cartels are using social media to recruit young Americans to smuggle drugs and even
people into the United States. They're using platforms like TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook and offering large amounts of cash to lure these
individuals.
But law enforcement is hot on their trail. CNN's David Culver goes inside the case. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll do another drive by westbound.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- I'm moving it -- I will do kind of like a -- stuff.
CULVER: Right now, we're with several Cochise County deputies in several different units as they're moving in on their targets. Some of them, you'll
notice are undercover. You won't see their faces. You won't hear their names.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there anyone else in the car with you?
CULVER: And they're fanned out here just north of the U.S. southern border. To dismantle a smuggling network, one arrest at a time. An investigation
minds you, that's been going on for 18 months. It's not just her everyday criminal. It's definitely taking the bigger fish off the streets.
The suspect just handed over his phone, revealing what investigators say are key details about a migrant smuggling operation that's happening right
now. To coordinate a pickup, that's all playing out in real time. There's several more that you're trying to arrest.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 18 in total.
[11:45:00]
CULVER: 18 in total --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- right now -- So alive in the car --
CULVER: These Americans we're talking about?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With the exception of one, all are U.S. citizens. They're tied to a faction of the cartel. They are a tight knit crew all
working together for the betterment of a larger organization.
CULVER (voice-over): Cochise County spans 83 miles of border, south of this line, an underground network tied to the fractured but powerful Sinaloa
Cartel. Plaza bosses control each corridor, deciding who and what gets through with lookouts posted on nearby hills, constantly watching for U.S.
patrols to keep undetected migrants and their cartel backed guides often dress in camouflage, moving through the rocky desert terrain.
They follow a pin drop, often to a road a few miles from the border. Drivers race in for the pickup and cash payout. Many are young Americans
recruited online. For six months, we tracked hundreds of cartel recruitment posts on social media, some aimed at luring teens.
Coded language emojis and cash offers, offering thousands per pickup. Deputies are going after the drivers. In the past six months, the Justice
Department reports 431 people charged with smuggling in Arizona alone, many recruited online. Attorneys say most of their clients are between 18 and
25.
After the pickup, drivers had to stash houses on the U.S. side, run by cartel syndicates. To understand the impact this cartel cracked down his
patent. We spend weeks trying to get a senior cartel leader to speak with us. He finally agrees meeting us in a Phoenix parking lot.
From killing to coordinating smuggling operations, he says he's done it all.
CULVER: Do you help in bringing people drugs --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People and drugs.
CULVER: Are you a citizen here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, sir.
CULVER: No, and so you're able to still come in and out?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
CULVER (voice-over): Among those helping with transportation, U.S. citizens.
CULVER: You all are using social media to get to young people, young teens, and recruiting them to be part of it. Some of them, many of them are
American citizens too. That's life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like that, you know.
CULVER: So even though they may get caught and spend many years in prison, that's their fault, as you see?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
CULVER: When you see, for example, the impact of violence and everything that is caused from the cartel movements, from essentially your employer,
do you feel like you are part of this problem?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, you know, because I got a kid, like a you know, family, you know when they want to kill you, and you defend.
CULVER: So, you see it as defending yourself.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that's what I say. I don't like throw it. You have something wrong to me. I do something bad to you.
CULVER (voice-over): And not so subtle threat, and yet he seems to regret some of his own life choices.
CULVER: What is your motivation for wanting to talk?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why they come clear.
CULVER: Exactly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What people listen and I tell them, it's not a life, it's not a good, you know, it's not good.
CULVER: Have you had to kill people?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, yeah --
CULVER: And does that not weigh on you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because I'm not bad. I'm not bad --
CULVER: You don't think you're a bad person.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- I do what I have to do.
CULVER: Why do you say you do what you have to do? Couldn't you stop doing this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I --
CULVER: You can't.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- not --
CULVER: Once you get in, you can't get out. Do you think what President Trump has been doing has been making your job tougher.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh yeah.
CULVER: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
CULVER: But it's becoming more difficult you think?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
CULVER (voice-over): For now, the cartels are still at it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CULVER (on camera): Now you heard that cartel boss say that his job is getting tougher, and because of that, officials say cartels are now
charging much more to get migrants across. It's jumped from about $6,500 a person earlier this year, that's what they were charging, to nearly $10,000
a person is what they're charging now, according to deputies.
The thing is, a lot of migrants simply cannot afford that, and deputies say roughly a third who have crossed through Cochise County alone admit that
they still owe the cartels even after crossing. It's something called migrant debt. Some are essentially put on cartel payment plans, according
to officials, others are forced to work for the cartels in some capacity so as to pay down their debt.
[11:50:00]
It's just another layer of this constantly evolving criminal enterprise that law enforcement is battling.
GIOKOS: Big thanks to our David Culver for that report. We'll be right back after the short break. Stick with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Welcome back. New parental controls are now in place with ChatGPT amid growing concerns about the safety of teens using AI chatbots. OpenAI
says parents can now link their accounts with those of their children. And they have access to new safety options, allowing them to reduce exposure to
sensitive content and implement quiet hours to block access during selected times.
OpenAI also says it will alert parents if their child's account indicates that they are thinking of harming themselves. CNN Tech Reporter Clare Duffy
has more on ChatGPT.
CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH REPORTER: This comes just weeks after open AI was sued by the family of 16-year-old Adam Raine, who claimed that ChatGPT
contributed to his suicide, including by advising him on methods. Just days after that lawsuit was filed, OpenAI said it was working on new teen safety
features.
And now, as of yesterday, this new parental control system is available to all ChatGPT users. Now this system is going to rely on teens and parents
both opting in to link their accounts, but once they do that, teens with linked accounts will be placed under new content protection, so the chatbot
will be less likely to serve them graphic content.
It will also be less likely to engage in romantic or sexual role play. And parents will also have a number of control features that they can turn on,
such as quiet hours where ChatGPT won't be available to their teen. They can turn off voice mode, which is often the thing that draws people into
deeper relationships with these chatbots.
They can turn off the ability to generate images, and they can also turn off the ability for OpenAI to use their teens data to train its AI model,
so a privacy feature there as well. Interestingly, OpenAI said it was will also notify parents if their teens conversations with ChatGPT indicate that
they might be at risk of self-harm.
So, we'll see how well that works. Now, I do think it's interesting that in the case of social media platforms, it took them years, in some cases, to
develop teen safety features. OpenAI has moved quite quickly to roll out these new features, but they are clear on the fact that this is just the
first step.
I mean, certainly the system will be limited by the fact that teens need to opt in, to have these safety features in place.
[11:55:00]
OpenAI says it is working on an AI age estimation feature where they could guess which of their users are teens and automatically place them at least
into those content restrictions. But a lot more to watch here in terms of how well these features work and how many teens actually end up using them.
Back to you.
GIOKOS: All right, thanks to our Clare Duffy. Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are separated after being married for nearly 20 years. The Oscar Winning
Actress and Grammy Winning Country Musician are no longer living together, and they have two daughters, 14 and a 17-year-old.
CNN has reached out to representatives for both parties for comment. Right, stay with CNN, my colleague Bianna Golodryga will have more "One World" for
you right after the short break. Live from New York, and I'm Eleni Giokos in Abu Dhabi. Thanks so much for joining us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
