Return to Transcripts main page
One World with Zain Asher
Hamas Calls For Gaza Residents To Hand Over Collaborators; Israeli Prime Minister Appears In Court To Give Testimony; DHS: Mexican Cartels Offer Bounties For ICE, CPB Officers; Dad Who Killed His Daughter's Alleged Abuser Runs For Sheriff; How Scammers Are Stealing Millions Using Crypto ATMs; Trump "Very Unhappy With Spain" Over NATO Spending; Renowned Reverend Speaks To High-Profile Figures About Faith; Celebrating Mexican-American Heritage Through Art. Aired 12-1p ET
Aired October 15, 2025 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:37]
ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. We are well into the ceasefire, but we are getting reports that both sides are deviating from the plan.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: The second hour of "One World" starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It will happen quickly and perhaps violently. But they will disarm.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Growing fury. Israel demands that Hamas fulfill what it signed up to, while the U.N. says Israel is still killing Palestinians. Everything
we know about where the ceasefire stands right now.
ASHER: Plus, a bounty on their heads. The Trump administration says that drug cartels are offering up to $50,000 for the assassination of the right
high-ranking officials.
Also ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What is the one thing that people still get wrong about Chicano art?
CHEECH MARIN, AMERICAN COMEDIAN AND ACTOR: Oh, it doesn't have to have a cactus and a guy in a big sombrero sleeping under it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Cheech like you've never seen him before. The comedy legend speaks out on immigration and what it means to be a Mexican artist.
ASHER: And later, it's time for a time out. How to be your best self in a world that is moving a mile a minute.
Today, we're going to be speaking with a reverend who has been getting pointers from none other than Denzel Washington.
All right. Coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. You're watching the second hour of "One World."
As negotiators in Egypt hammer out the finer points days after the U.S. brokered ceasefire agreement in Gaza, there is anger in Israel over the
slow return of deceased hostages. And despair in Gaza as Palestinians return to their wrecked homes.
ASHER: In the meantime, the U.N. Human Rights Office says that the Israeli military is still killing civilians in Gaza. The IDF says it targeted what
it called suspects who crossed a line that was meant to keep them away from IDF personnel.
GOLODRYGA: This amid fear in Gaza as Hamas reasserts control there.
Some disturbing video has emerged of masked fighters carrying out executions in the streets of Gaza, targeting people considered to be
collaborators with Israel.
ASHER: Israel handed over the remains of 45 Palestinians on Tuesday. Gaza's Nasser Hospital says the bodies arrived with hands and legs cuffed and that
some were actually blindfolded and some had suffered gunshot wounds as well.
CNN has asked the Israeli government for comment on that.
GOLODRYGA: In Israel, there is frustration that Hamas has so far handed over just eight bodies under a deal to return the remains of 28 deceased
hostages. Israel says one of the bodies was not an Israeli hostage. An Israeli spokesperson blasted Hamas.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHOSH BEDROSIAN, ISRAEL GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON: We stand clear when we say this. Hamas, the terror organization, is required to uphold its commitments
to the mediators and return all of our hostages as part of the implementation of this agreement. We will not compromise on this and we
will spare no effort until our fallen hostages return every last one of them.
Hamas agreed to release all 48 of our hostages in phase one and made the specific confirmation to President Trump and we are expecting to see the
terror organization uphold their side of this agreement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: CNN's Jeremy Diamond joins us live now from Tel Aviv.
So, Jeremy, a couple of things as it pertains to Hamas. Obviously, there is a lot of anger in Israel about the fact that Hamas has been very slow to
hand over the remains as they had initially promised. And, of course, we've been talking about the fact that one of the remains that was handed over
wasn't even that of an Israeli hostage.
On top of that, in terms of how Hamas is treating Palestinians in Gaza, there is a new reporting that Hamas is essentially approaching
Palestinians, telling them, demanding that they hand over anyone that they suspect who has perhaps collaborated with the Israelis or face dire
consequences.
Just walk us through what this new reporting shows.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. We have seen in the first day since the ceasefire has gone into effect the various
ways in which Hamas is working to reassert its power inside of Gaza and reestablish the element of fear that has allowed it to govern inside of the
Gaza Strip for so long.
[12:05:04]
The most gruesome example came earlier this week on Monday when these videos started to surface of executions that Hamas carried out in a public
square in Gaza City. Eight individuals who were kneeling and blindfolded were executed by what appeared to be Hamas fighters. Several of them were
wearing Hamas headbands when they carried out this execution.
And this is just a part of what we are seeing in terms of the threats that Hamas is making to Palestinian civilians in Gaza overall with the Hamas-
affiliated Security Force, the Radha Force, now also saying that civilians in Gaza will face the, quote, strict hand of justice if they do not turn
over collaborators, individuals who collaborated with Israel over the course of -- of this war.
We have also seen reports of clashes between Hamas militants and members of different family clans inside of Gaza, some of whom have been accused of
collaborating with Israel, others who have denied having collaborated in any form or fashion.
We've also seen Hamas reassert its role in Gaza in other ways as well, you know, trying to reestablish civil services in Gaza. We saw the mayor of
Gaza today touting the ways in which bulldozers are working to clear the rubble so people can try and get back to their homes.
All of this, of course, is part of a campaign by Hamas to reestablish its dominance and its power inside of Gaza, which, of course, faces a very,
very uncertain future, especially given the fact that under this 20-point plan, Hamas would agree to hand over power to this transitional authority.
The problem is right now that agreement hasn't actually been finalized, and -- and there is certainly no timeline for when that would actually take
place.
And so, in the meantime, Hamas is taking all of these various steps to show that it is still in charge in Gaza, including with Hamas militants now out
emerging from their tunnels and carrying weapons openly in the streets of Gaza.
GOLODRYGA: I guess this is what Hamas meant when they said yes, but to the deal that President Trump put on the table. President Trump ran with the
yes. We got the release of the live hostages, a ceasefire. But clearly, the but carried with it a lot of hurdles as well, including Hamas laying down
its arms.
Jeremy Diamond, thank you.
Well, despite the difficult timing, the Israeli prime minister had to appear in court today. Benjamin Netanyahu was giving testimony as his
corruption trial resume. Remember this part of the story?
Well, Prime Minister Netanyahu is facing three separate cases. He's accused of taking bribes and illegally trading favors, all of which he denies.
Protesters showed up outside the courtroom.
(PROTESTS)
ASHER: The prime minister's long-running trial began in 2020, but has been interrupted frequently during the two years of war. One protester insisted
Mr. Netanyahu has to face justice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAULA KEUSCH, PROTESTER AGAINST NETANYAHU: Bibi's on trial for a number of files, even though President Trump had requested from our president to
exonerate him from all crimes, he is still in a democratic country. Israel is still a democratic country. We are still with a judicial system, and he
still has to stand on trial for the crimes that he has committed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Israeli journalist and commentator Nadav Eyal joins us live now from New York. Nadav, thank you so much for being with us.
So the next elections in Israel are this time next year, possibly before it could be October 2026, possibly earlier.
When you think about how Netanyahu's reputation among ordinary Israelis have evolved -- has evolved during the course of this war, I mean, a lot of
Israeli families, especially those who have had hostages who have been held in Gaza for a long period of time, have a lot of animosity towards
Netanyahu, because they believe that Netanyahu was essentially protracting and prolonging this war for his own political gain.
However, the tide might, might be turning now that he has at least handed over or facilitated, thanks to Donald Trump, the handing over of at least
the living hostages, remains to be seen what happens to the hostages who have unfortunately passed away.
But just talk to us about how his political fortunes, as a result of this brief potential ceasefire in this war could end up changing.
NADAV EYAL, ISRAELI JOURNALIST AND COMMENTATOR: Well, Netanyahu has seen his poll numbers improving since the beginning of the war. So they
basically dropped, crashed after the beginning of the war.
He has not won a single reputable poll in Israel since March of '23, seven months before October 7. And the reason was, of course, this extreme far-
right coalition and the judicial overhaul that was top of the news before October 7. But after October 7, his numbers significantly worsened. He
managed to improve them on a personal basis.
[12:10:14]
So Netanyahu standing within the Israeli public, improved significantly since November of '23. However, Israel is a parliamentary democracy. And
that means that he needs to have a coalition government. That coalition government is composed of a bloc.
And his bloc still is losing significantly in the polls. One of the biggest questions, probably a question to Prime Minister Netanyahu is asking
himself right now is, will he get the bump in the polls as a result of this deal?
We're seeing signs that this is happening. He will also present to the Israeli public the success in the war against Hezbollah and Iran. Netanyahu
is a fantastic campaigner just based on his results. He won more election campaigns than any other leader on the world stage right now. So burying
his political career is definitely not something I would advise anyone to do at this stage.
GOLODRYGA: Right. And to that point, I -- I think it's probably a bit overstated or misguided this narrative that there's this division or
animosity between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu. I mean, you saw on that unprecedented speech before the Knesset over the weekend there on
Monday when the president essentially said that he will always have Israel's back, but unless they elected somebody who he didn't like.
I know he said that in gist. But clearly, throwing his support behind Prime Minister Netanyahu whenever that next election will be because it will
still fall under Donald Trump's presidency.
Can I ask you, Nadav, about what we're seeing in Gaza right now with Hamas really trying to flex whatever might it still has, airing these brutal
videos, assassinating, publicly, clans that they believe are rivals or anybody that they say collaborated with Israel.
President Trump was asked about this and said that they will quickly and perhaps violently disarm, perhaps even by us. And no one really knew what
us meant.
How is that being interpreted in Israel?
EYAL: It's seen as Hamas being Hamas. It was absolutely to be expected that Hamas will do that to anyone that they see as threat to their rule, anyone
that they see as collaborators with Israel.
And Hamas is -- is doing, you know, exactly what it's been doing since 2006, since they took control by force of the Gaza Strip from the
Palestinian Authority.
But it also testifies that Hamas is still the most important force politically, militarily in the Gaza Strip, in the areas it controls.
The only difference here is that Israel holds dozens of percentiles of the Gaza territory. The IDF is still there.
Hamas is much more far away than the Israeli border than it was on the morning of October 7, and that's a big difference.
Now, the -- the test here for Israel, for the international community, for the result of the United States, is indeed if Hamas will be disarmed, if
Gaza will be demilitarized.
If this is not going to be the case, I suspect that these countries that have committed themselves to rebuilding of Gaza will think again, because
it's only a matter of time until we'll see another confrontation between Israel and Hamas.
ASHER: All right. Nadav Eyal, thank you so much. Appreciate it.
GOLODRYGA: Good to see you. Thanks, Nadav.
EYAL: Thank you.
ASHER: All right. In Los Angeles, county officials are taking a stand against President Trump's immigration raids.
(CHANTING)
GOLODRYGA: The L.A. County Board voted on Tuesday to declare a state of emergency. A move that gives them the power to provide financial assistance
impacted by the ongoing federal immigration raids.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LINDSEY HORVATH, LOS ANGELES COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS: The scale of this harm, the depth of the fear, the urgency of this situation, demand action,
are residents deserve to know that we are willing to act on their behalf, not just say we stand with them, but actually show up in the community with
protection for them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: In Chicago, the Department of Homeland Security says it has acquired intelligence that Mexican drug cartels are now offering bounties on
immigration and border patrol personnel.
CNN's Priscilla Alvarez joins us live now. So, Priscilla, what more do we know about this?
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know as much as the Department of Homeland Security has shared so far, which is, as you
mentioned, that they have credible intelligence that suggests that Mexican criminal networks are working with their connections in the United States
to, quote, monitor, harass, and assassinate federal agents.
[12:15:12]
And according to this intelligence, that the Department of Homeland Security has cited, there has been sort of a tiered bounty system of $2,000
for gathering intelligence, $5,000 to $10,000 for kidnapping and non-lethal assault, and then up to $50,000 for the assassination of high-ranking
officials.
Now, we do know that last week, there was an arrest of an individual who the Department of Homeland Security said was tied to a gang and had put a
hit on Chief Patrol agent Gregory Bovino. He is the Homeland Security official, charged with the federal immigration enforcement crackdown in
Chicago.
Now, they had also released a screenshot of a Snapchat conversation which shows this $10,000 reward for placing a hit on Bovino. That hit, by the
way, was $10,000.
So, this new statement from the Department of Homeland Security comes after that arrest last week. The Department of Homeland Security is saying that
this is not essentially just something that happened on this one occasion, but rather something that they're seeing in terms of targeting their
federal agents.
Now, the Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly said that their agents are facing increasing threats and assaults. And this is yet another
data point that they're pointing to in this case citing this intelligence that puts it on Mexican criminal networks, working with people in the
United States to target federal agents.
ASHER: All right. Priscilla Alvarez live for us there. Thank you so much.
GOLODRYGA: Still to come for us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AARON SPENCER, LONOKE COUNTY, AR SHERIFF CANDIDATE: Through my own fight for justice, I have seen firsthand the failures in law enforcement and in
our circuit court. And I refuse to stand by.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: The father who killed his teenage daughter's alleged abuser is hoping to win a top spot in law enforcement. We'll bring you his story,
just ahead.
Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: This is a scam. You know it and I know it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm talking to the reporter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: A con artist, a con rather with a modern twist. How Americans are losing millions to scammers at crypto ATMs.
GOLODRYGA: And later, Donald Trump taking aim at Spain, where the U.S. president is threatening new tariffs against U.S. ally.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:20:06]
ASHER: An Arkansas father who took the law into his own hands by killing his young daughter's alleged abuser is now running for sheriff.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPENCER: My name is Aaron Spencer. Many of you know my story. I'm the father who acted to protect his daughter when the system failed.
And through my own fight for justice, I have seen firsthand the failures on law enforcement and in our circuit court. And I refuse to stand by while
others face these same failures.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Aaron Spencer admitted to killing the man accused of grooming and sexually assaulting his 13-year-old daughter. The alleged child
predator was out on bond at the time.
While Spencer runs for Sheriff, he is also facing a murder charge. His trial is set to begin in January.
CNN's Brynn Gingras joins us now with more.
Just chilling and heartbreaking to read some of the details here. The fact that his daughter was just 13 years old at the time. I would imagine God
forbid any parent be in that situation.
Just talk to us about what more we've learned about this man and now his bid to run for Sheriff.
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Bianna, you kind of hit it right on the head there. The fact that, you know, anyone in this
position, any parent, that is resonating with a lot of people as they learn more details about this case.
That alleged abuser who was killed this name by Aaron Spencer, he was out on bond on 46 counts of child abuse and the number of charges against
already this 13-year-old victim, Aaron Spencer's daughter. There was a no contact order and yet that still didn't stop him from seeing this 13-year-
old girl. So there was a lot there to unpack.
What this family says is in the middle of the night, really this time last year, they woke up to the daughter's dog barking. They went to go look into
her bedroom and she wasn't there.
And immediately, Aaron Spencer says he got in a car and he went looking for his daughter eventually finding her in the truck of this alleged abuser. He
tried to ram the car, the truck rather, off the road and then there was a fight between the two men and Aaron Spencer admits he fired his gun killing
Michael Fosler, again, 67 years old. That's who you're looking at right there.
And he says, ever since then, it's really been hell for him and his family. They went through a gag order with the courts. He was immediately charged
with second-degree murder. They weren't allowed to talk about the case.
Eventually, this year, just a few months ago, that gag order was lifted and he has been able to talk a little bit about the case, still being a little
bit apprehensive considering it hasn't gone to trial yet.
But as you saw in that video, he is running for office. And he has a lot of support behind him just to the point that you already made, Bianna, because
people are saying if that was my daughter, I might want to do the same thing. I might be that upset too.
There's actually a change.org petition out there with more than 350,000 signatures of people saying that they are backing him, that they should
have these charges dropped against him.
So it's really bringing up a lot of conversation about people taking the law into their own hands. But, yes, he is facing trial in January. And this
election, the primaries begin in March with the general election in November.
Of course, he can't run or actually hold the seat if he actually wins sheriff of that county in Arkansas. But he'll be on trial while he's also
campaigning. It's an interesting twist.
GOLODRYGA: No doubt in a situation, as we noted, no parent wants to find themselves in or wherever you stand on this story. The fact that this man
was out of prison and still a threat to society is shocking.
Brynn Gingras, thank you so much.
GINGRAS: All right.
GOLODRYGA: We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:25:20]
GOLODRYGA: All right. Welcome back to "One World." I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher.
You've likely gotten a call, a text or an email from a scammer, no, I have, trying to trick you into sending the money.
GOLODRYGA: Things are so annoying.
ASHER: Once a day, honestly.
GOLODRYGA: And the sad thing is some people really fall for them. The newest scam convinces people to feed their cash, usually thousands of
dollars into a crypto ATM.
Well, our senior investigative correspondent, Kyung Lah, has had enough and she shows us how the scams unfold and how they tried to steal money from
her.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no, no, no, no, no.
LAH (voice-over): You are watching a victim get scammed --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're scamming you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, they're not.
LAH (voice-over): One of thousands of Americans caught in a growing global crime spree that's no secret to police.
OFFICER: This is the police department.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't care.
LAH (voice-over): Or even store clerks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of people have been scammed recently.
LAH (voice-over): From Georgia --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Somebody on the internet, some scam caller told him to do this.
LAH (voice-over): -- to Massachusetts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did they tell you to do?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Take $31,000 out and then put it into a Bitcoin.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, no.
LAH (voice-over): Texas.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know there's an elderly lady feeding thousands of dollars into the cryptocurrency machine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please, I have the bank on the phone and I'm in danger. This is Chase Bank.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. No, you're not, ma'am.
LAH (voice-over): And Ohio.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How much money have you already sent to them?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's $10,700.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jesus Christ.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, man.
LAH (voice-over): I even talked to one of these scammers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You need to withdraw $9,500 from your account.
LAH (voice-over): And you'll see how he tried to steal 10 grand.
LAH: This is a scam. You know it and I know it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why does it seem like I'm talking to the reporter?
LAH (voice-over): In all of these cases, these machines called crypto ATMs become the getaway car for the scammers who prey on victims like Gus Cason.
CASON: After I stepped in $100 bills, it would prompt you for everything that come up and I had him on the phone, too.
LAH: Had you ever seen this before?
CASON: Never been here before. Never been here after.
LAH (voice-over): Just outside Cedar Rapids, Iowa is where Gus Cason calls home. Age 71, a retired union worker and super fan of the band Nickelback.
Two years ago, as he was recovering from a stroke.
CASON: I got a phone call. Well, he told me he was president of the bank. I said, now you tell me. I want you to swear that you're not a scam. I swear
I'm not a scam and all that. He convinced me. He was good. He was good.
I just had a stroke. I wasn't thinking right at all.
LAH (voice-over): The scammer told Gus that he would be arrested unless he withdrew $15,000 in cash and deposited it in that crypto ATM.
It looks like a normal ATM, but a crypto ATM is different, put in cash and it converts it into cryptocurrency in an instant. Victims like Gus have
lost about $240 million so far this year, says the FBI, double the pace of last year.
[12:30:07]
CASON: I should have known better. I should have known better. I was stupid enough, I fell for it.
LAH (voice-over): The scammer took off with Gus' cash in the form of cryptocurrency. But the crypto ATM company also made money from the
transaction.
Our investigation found the companies that operate crypto ATMs profit off the fees and markups, often at 20 to 30 percent that they charge on
transactions, scam or legit.
And when police have seized the scammed cash out of the ATMs, the crypto ATM companies hit back hard in court to get that cash back, which is what
happened to Gus Cason.
CHAD COLSTON, LINN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, IOWA: This is our evidence processing room.
LAH (voice-over): Major Chad Coltson and his deputies at the Linn County Sheriff's Office managed to recover the $15,000 in cash that Gus had put
into that crypto ATM as evidence in a crime.
LAH: How confident were you that the victim would get that money back after you took it out of the machine?
COLSTON: So we were very confident.
LAH (voice-over): His confidence was short-lived. Bitcoin Depot, the company with the most crypto ATMs in the U.S. fought in court to get the
$15,000 back.
The company points out its machines, like many crypto ATMs have multiple on screen warnings, alerts of scams and requires that customers agree that
they're only sending money to their own accounts. So in court, Bitcoin Depot won.
COLSTON: We ended up getting a communication from Bitcoin Depot. They said it was a glorious day, gentlemen, when can we come get our money which was
our victim's money.
A multi-million-dollar company is overjoyed that they get $15,000.00 and our victim is, you know, hurting. I mean, that's their life savings.
LAH: Bitcoin Depot has used tough tactics to stop police from seizing money for evidence like threats to immediately litigate or suspending fee refunds
in entire states if a single officer tries to seize cash.
LAH (voice-over): Bitcoin Depot even sent an Amazon gift to mock one police department, a copy of the U.S. Constitution with a note calling the seizure
of a scam victim's money a Fourth Amendment violation.
After we reached out to Bitcoin Depot about these messages to police, the company told us the messages were unacceptable and the employee responsible
is no longer with Bitcoin Depot.
LAH: What do you think, Gus, that everybody seemed to get money, but you who saved that money?
CASON: You know, Bitcoin had no business getting that money at all. I mean, really, when -- especially when it's a scam.
LAH: Do you think that's fair?
CASON: Well, hell no.
LAH (voice-over): Lawsuits from attorneys general accuse the top three crypto ATM firms of profiting from scams and not protecting customers.
Iowa's A.G., "More than half of all money taken in by Bitcoin Depot in Iowa over three years came from scams."
Washington, D.C.'s A.G., "At least 93 percent of deposits over several months from Athena Bitcoin machines came from scams."
Athena Bitcoin tells CNN it strongly disputes the allegations in the complaint and says it has strong safeguards against fraud.
Bitcoin Depot tells us, "We do not profit from scams. And the vast majority of our customers use our kiosks for lawful purposes." The company adds, "If
it can't stop the transaction, it reviews every potential scam case individually for possible fee relief or refunds."
But we spoke to nearly a dozen victims who were tricked by scammers while using Bitcoin Depot machines, and only one said she got a fee refund.
LAH: These scammers are so convincing that a lot of the victims actually say it's almost as if they're hypnotized. They are fully convinced that
they're going to get in trouble if they don't insert all of this money into a crypto ATM.
We actually spoke to a scammer on the phone. He tried to steal $10,000 from me. And it wasn't until I told him that I was a news reporter that he hung
up.
Kyung Lah, CNN, Las Vegas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:35:39]
ASHER: All right. Let's take a look and see how the U.S. markets are doing, relatively flat but still green across the board. We know that the markets
seem to like the fact that Jerome Powell intimated that there could be more rate cuts on the horizon.
On top of that, we've had a solidly strong start of the earning season.
This is your "Business Breakout."
GOLODRYGA: China says Donald Trump reignited trade tensions between the two countries. According to Beijing, it tightened its grip on rare earth
minerals exports after the U.S. put new restrictions on Chinese firms. Tit for tat threatens to derail progress made in trade negotiations over recent
months and cast out over plans for a meeting later this month, Trump and -- between Trump and China's Xi Jinping.
ASHER: It's the kind of geopolitical uncertainty that has been driving many investors towards safe haven investments. Silver is one of the commodities
that has been skyrocketing in price today. It's up to more than $51 an ounce. A jump of more than 20 percent in the past month. This year, it's
risen faster than gold, which has also seen a strong rally too.
GOLODRYGA: And a crucial program for lower income U.S. families just got a lifeline. The Women, Infants, and Children program, otherwise known as WIC,
received $300 million to keep the food assistance program afloat during the shutdown.
The money came from tariff revenue. WIC helps nearly seven million pregnant women, new mothers and young children.
ASHER: All right. U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening more tariffs against Spain. He says it would be punishment for refusing to increase NATO
defense spending to five percent of its GDP.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I think what they did is not nice. I think it's very disrespectful to NATO. In fact, I was thinking about giving them trade punishment through
tariffs because of what they did. And I may do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said Madrid only needs to spend 2.1 percent to reach NATO's capability requirements. NATO says
Spain is among the lowest defense spenders in the Alliance.
CNN's Pau Mosquera joins us now from Madrid.
What's the reaction been from Spain?
PAU MOSQUERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bianna, Zain, here, the government tries to downplay those remarks by Donald Trump. And they actually
considered that those were just some informal remarks.
And actually, when I reached them out for a comment about this, they emphasized that the relationship between Spain and the United States is a
very good one. It is a cordial one. And they wanted to demonstrate that by insisting on the images that we saw on Monday in Sharm El-Sheikh when Trump
and the Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez were shaking hands.
In fact, also the prime minister himself insisted in that good relationship that they maintain with the United States and also stressed that they have
never kept themselves far from the country, even though they maintain different political attitudes regarding different aspects of the daily
life.
Now, why is it Spain so reluctant to increasing the spending in security and defense? Well, it is important to say, Zain and Bianna, that over the
year, the government has managed to mobilize around $12.1 billion to reach for the first time the two percent GDP target that was set back in 2014.
[12:40:19]
Now, getting to the five percent, it would be quite a challenge for the country. And that's why Pedro Sanchez in NATO's last summit during June
declined to reach to that figure. He said actually that it would be very difficult because that would compromise, amongst others, the social and
environmental spending in the country and also would mean raising taxes.
So, so far, we have heard from Trump expressing his frustration over Spain not meeting the spending that was accorded in the alliance last summit. But
we can expect to hear more about that, because as you just said, Spain is just going to spend 2.1 percent of the GDP in defense and security over the
next years. Bianna, Zain.
ASHER: All right. Pau Mosquera. Thank you so much, Pau.
GOLODRYGA: Well, Cheech Marin may be best known for his comedy, but now the "Cheech and Chong" actor is celebrating his Mexican heritage with a museum.
We'll take you there after a break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. We are going to take "Time Out" now for a new segment on "One World" that takes a step back from the stress and the chaos that comes
from living in an increasingly divided and politically polarized world.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. It can be tough to retreat from the headlines that bombard us each and every day. Listen, it's tough for us and we're the ones who
bring you these headlines, whether it's the war in Ukraine, the international rise in right-wing extremism, anti-Semitism, the humanitarian
crisis gripping some of the poorest parts of the globe.
ASHER: And while many of us can turn off the T.V. and simply walk away, the question we've been asking is, how do world leaders keep their wits about
them while dealing with all of the pressure? Some of them lean on their spirituality and their faith to govern.
The Reverend Russ Levenson knows a thing or two about that. He is the author of "Witness to Belief: Conversations on Faith and Meaning."
GOLODRYGA: He's also an Episcopalian priest and served as a spiritual advisor to George H. W. Bush. You can see him here presiding over the late
U.S. president's funeral, who's also very close with his wife Barbara Bush.
[12:45:07]
Before he retired from America's largest Episcopal parish last year, Dr. Levenson explained the importance of leading with love in a world that can
often seem overwhelming.
And he joined us now live from Washington.
Russ, I should also notice a good friend of mine. So it is wonderful to have you join us as we launch this new segment, "Time Out." We all need it.
I know you need it as well sometimes.
RUSSELL LEVENSON, RETIRED PASTOR, ST. MARTIN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH: I do. Yes.
GOLODRYGA: And you're the one that everyone turns to for guidance. Congratulations on yet another book.
You have interviewed some remarkable people in this book. Figures like Condoleezza Rice, Denzel Washington, who I believe prayed with you at the
start and at the --
LEVENSON: Right.
GOLODRYGA: -- conclusion of your interview. Amy Grant, Jane Goodall, Admiral Bill McRaven. Each of them opening up to you about how their faith
helped shape them both personally and professionally.
If there was one through line between all of these incredible people with diverse backgrounds, what would that be?
LEVENSON: I think it would be -- and you opened the segment perfectly. It's great to be on with both of you. Good to see you again, Bianna. And thank
you for inviting me on.
I think you're exactly right. We're living in times that don't seem to be really getting better. They seem to be getting more difficult, more
challenging.
And I -- and I retired about a year ago from full-time ministry and began this project. I reached out to these 12 folks, I should say, for everyone
who said yes. I had about three or four years to say no. But these 12 said yes. And we engaged in a lot of conversation about their faith. And it was
really touching a movie.
I think my purpose was these are people who certainly have fame, wealth, power, influence. A lot that the world thinks brings them peace and -- and
wholeness. And yet, what I found in my discussions with these folks, who would all say they're grateful for the gifts they've received, but that's
not where peace and wholeness comes from.
There's some great wonderful quotes in here. One of my favorite is -- is when Amy Grant and I were finishing up, I said, what -- what would you say
to people who think this is where it's at? And she said, I'm happy I can put a roof over my head and feed my children. And what Vince Gill and I
have together is great.
But relying on those things, it lasts about as long as the dopamine hit you get from a thumbs up on your Facebook page.
And -- and so what we did was spend a lot of time exploring what is it that nourishes you, gives you peace. And what I found in these 12 people is
their -- their faith, their participation of worship, their prayer life, their meditation life, and their giving of themselves to others. All of
them even are involved in some form of philanthropy, service, and ministry.
ASHER: Thank you so much, Father Levenson, for coming on.
I think that one of the things I've always found quite interesting is this idea that if you look at the world's three major religions, Christianity,
Judaism and Islam, they all teach, they all teach --
LEVENSON: Right.
ASHER: -- that loving others is the primary way to live your life. It's something that I completely agree with.
However, in practical terms, religion, as you know can be is, not can be, is a major source of division.
Since October 7th --
LEVENSON: Right.
ASHER: -- 2023, we've seen anti-Semitism across the world spike. Bianna and I have talked about this many times. This idea that, you know, Israeli
staffers being killed outside an embassy in Washington, D.C.
You also have the governor of Pennsylvania having his home, the governor's mansion, set on fire. You have also Muslim students who are, by the way,
U.S. citizens and all green card holders arrested on campus, threatened with deportation for none other than exercising their First Amendment
rights.
My question to you is, what distinguishes leaders who use faith as a bridge rather than as a weapon?
LEVENSON: Well, it's interesting. Tomorrow evening, actually in Atlanta, I'm doing a program with Tony Lowden who was President Carter's pastor. And
we're doing that together. And we're going to talk about this.
But I -- my -- what I have learned and what I've learned from President Bush and other people and that worked around him is that you can either use
your faith as a weapon or you can use it as a resource.
And I think what I found in my relationship, particularly with the Bushes's, Secretary of Mrs. Baker, became good friends. What I learned from
Secretary Rice, William McRaven, these people in positions of leadership is their faith was a source to turn to, to inspire them to make the world a
better place to make people feel like they have dignity, that they're loved by others.
I mean, that is the purpose of our faith. And you're exactly right, all three of the Abrahamic religions proclaim that my -- my house in the ice
cream shops as, you know, the way in which others will know your disciple of Christ is if you love one another.
One of my favorite quotes, and I've shared this with Bianna before, Rabbi Ben-Shoshan (ph), who said, you know, before each human being there goes a
procession of angels shouting, behold the image of God.
[12:50:01]
And I think we have got -- those -- particularly those in my work, but all of us have got to reclaim the fact that every single person is a person
that is brought into this world in the image of God and deserves the dignity of God.
And as long as we forget that and treat each other in ways that harm each other, hurt each other, divide each other, we're not being faithful to the
-- the traditions in which we were born or brought up or -- or that nourishes.
And these 12 people really, we all do kind of land -- they do kind of land in the same place. They come to the faith in very different ways. They
certainly do from Jean Becker (ph) to Jane Goodall, which was a fascinating conversation, not too long before her death.
You know, she wrote a note to us just about my wife and I, just about eight weeks ago in which she said, the world can be a very dark place, but there
is one thing we can all do and that is we can pray to the great spiritual force of the universe that you and I know to be God.
And then there are a few others who would say yes, pray, but also do something about it. Certainly she did by helping preserve the creation and
encouraging others to do the same.
All these would say loving other people is the key factor in the --
ASHER: One hundred percent.
LEVENSON: -- of our faith. Yes.
ASHER: One hundred percent.
GOLODRYGA: Well, Father Levenson, I urge everyone to go out and read this book. There's so much they can connect with here and learn about these
fascinating people. And I would imagine, you know, you only being human as well --
LEVENSON: Right.
GOLODRYGA: -- also need a time out.
And so I hope you are taking care of yourself and your wife, Laura. I -- I know that without you, so many people would have no one to turn to for
spiritual guidance.
So thank you for continuing --
ASHER: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: -- to bring us these words of wisdom and all of these books. I don't know when you have time to write them, but they --
LEVENSON: Thanks.
GOLODRYGA: -- they all help us.
ASHER: And for --
LEVENSON: Well, I will say I learned -- I learned something from every single one of these people. And I've been ordained for 32 years. So I
learned a lot.
ASHER: And how important is to show people that you can embrace and love your faith while at the same time embrace people of other faiths as well.
LEVENSON: Absolutely.
ASHER: It does not have to be one or the other, can be both.
LEVENSON: Absolutely.
GOLODRYGA: All right. God bless. I'll see you very soon, Father Levenson.
LEVENSON: God bless us all. God bless us all.
GOLODRYGA: Appreciate you. Thank you.
ASHER: All right. Today, October 15th is the last day of Hispanic Heritage Month. It's a time when Americans celebrate the many contributions made by
the Hispanic and Latino communities.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. American actor Cheech Marin, born to Mexican parents, is perhaps best known for his work in the comedy duo, "Cheech and Chong,"
alongside Tommy Chong.
Well, together, they made nearly a dozen movies, including this 1978 classic "Up in Smoke."
ASHER: But now, Marin is shining a light on art that reflects his Mexican heritage.
CNN's Julia Vargas Jones caught up with the renowned comedian in Riverside, California.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS JONES (voice-over): It's art that reflects America as much as a Norman Rockwell painting, more so even around these parts.
Inside this bright modern space, comedy legend turned arts patron, Cheech Marin has built a museum where the art reflects the lives, dreams, and
perspectives of the tens of millions of Americans of Mexican heritage or Chicanos.
MARIN: It is a viewpoint of America and American population that a lot of people don't ever get to see if they don't travel out of their own local.
VARGAS JONES (voice-over): He says Chicano artists never gave up the brush. A handmade painterly tradition that has resisted trends and keeps the work
grounded in skill and touch.
VARGAS JONES: What is the one thing that people still get wrong about Chicano art?
(LAUGH)
MARIN: It doesn't have to have a cactus and a guy in a big sombrero sleeping under it to be Chicano art. That -- that was the concept before.
The Chicano artists, by-- by means of sticking to the -- the brush, you know, have -- have become great painters and there's a lot of great
painters in this -- in this collection, a lot.
VARGAS JONES: What do you think that having Chicano art in -- in a space like this gives this community, gives a family of mixed data, so it gives
like the child of a -- of a farm worker when they see a space like this?
MARIN: Oh, they get -- feel great pride because they go into -- if they ever go into other museums. They don't see that in -- in other museums.
Our roots are in Mexico and we're very proud of those. And you see it -- you see that verified in -- in -- in the work that they do, but we are of
both countries, you know, both -- at the same time. But our flag is planted here. We are part of this culture.
You know, this is the first Chicano museum and -- and it's here in Riverside.
VARGAS JONES (voice-over): Riverside, a city at the heart of California's inland empire where nearly half the population was Latino and where Cheech
wants Chicanos to claim space in a country that hasn't always welcomed them.
[12:55:00]
MARIN: Hey, get over here. Somebody, I'm an American citizen.
VARGAS JONES: In your 1987 movie --
MARIN: Yes.
VARGAS JONES: -- "Born in East L.A.", you play an American citizen who is arrested during an ICE raid in Downtown Los Angeles. I am curious --
MARIN: Yes.
VARGAS JONES: -- about how you felt in the past few months when all of that played out again in front of our eyes.
MARIN: That's played out many times already, you know. I mean, it's just curious that we have not adapted laws or programs to enshrine that, you
know, and how we depend on Mexican culture and always have.
VARGAS JONES (voice-over): Julia Vargas Jones, CNN, Riverside, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: Wow. What a -- at the last 15 minutes of the show, I just honestly, I feel like we just had a wonderful -- I needed that.
ASHER: Yes, we need it.
GOLODRYGA: And it's wonderful to get that.
ASHER: To hear from the reverend.
GOLODRYGA: Right. And -- and to hear more about Cheech. And I don't know, just feel so informed. Hope you do as well.
That does it for "One World" today. I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: I'm Zain Asher. Appreciate you watching. "Amanpour" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:00:00]
END
