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One World with Zain Asher
Behind-The-Scenes Senate Negotiations On Ending Shutdown; Trump, Xi Agree To Lower Tariffs, Ease Trade Tensions; Hamas Hands Over Remains It Says Are Two Deceased Hostages; Cuba Suffers Significant Damage From Hurricane Melissa; Teacher Testifies in $40M Lawsuit Against School Administrator; Crowded Chaos Yosemite National Park After Budget Cuts; New York City Marathon To Take Place Sunday; Aired 12-1p ET
Aired October 30, 2025 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:36]
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: Thirty days and counting. If Congress can't agree to end the government shutdown, 42 million Americans could go hungry
this weekend.
"One World" starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never thought in a million years I would be in line to get some food. It's humiliating.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Left, right, we just want to get paid for what we do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: The clock is ticking and it's the 11th hour. Can Congress come together to save the programs that millions of Americans are depending on?
Also ahead, the green light. The U.S. Treasury Secretary says China has approved a TikTok deal and the resolution could be happening within weeks.
Plus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: The most popular Halloween costumes of the year and pretty much the entire list is, you guessed it. Six out of 10 are all
from "KPop Demon Hunters."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: They're the hottest costumes on the market, and chances are you aren't going to be able to find them. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
But fear not, we've got a solution that could be even better.
Hello, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga. Zain is off today. You are watching the second hour of "One World."
Donald Trump is due back at the White House in a few hours after his Asia trip as the U.S. government shutdown drags on.
After weeks of little to no progress, there is a word that a bipartisan group of senators is now talking about how to reopen the government. It
comes amid rising concerns about how the shutdown is now impacting everyday Americans.
Some 40 million people could lose access to the government food assistance program known as SNAP this weekend.
And while some states and local charities are trying to pick up the slack, many people are worried.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONOVAN MIKESELL, SNAP FOOD PROGRAM RECIPIENT: I'm very concerned. I don't know what I'm going to do. I know you can go to food pantries and stuff,
but it's going to be so out of control. I mean, you might be standing there five six hours to get any food.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Well, the shutdown is now 30 days old and will become the longest in American history early next week.
It is clear that lawmakers are also feeling the pressure. The top Republican in the Senate got unusually emotional as he blasted Democrats on
Wednesday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN THUNE (R-SD): SNAP recipients shouldn't go without food. People should be getting paid in this country. And we tried to do that 13 times.
You voted no 13 times.
This isn't a political game. These are real people's lives that we're talking about. And you all just figured out 29 days in that, oh, there
might be some consequences.
Thirteen times people over here voted to fund SNAP. Thirteen times they've voted to fund WIC. My aching back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Our chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju is tracking the shutdown talks for us.
And, Manu, that is one of the only times I've seen that kind of emotion from John Thune. But we all know, also know that he just now was saying
that he's not open to passing a full year government spending bill until Democrats agree to open the government.
I know some Republicans are hoping that more moderate Democrats will come on board here and meet them somewhere in the middle. Where do things stand
now?
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. There are two tracks of negotiations that are happening right now to try to figure out any way
out of this very bitter stalemate that has dominated Washington that has shut down this government for 30 days. We are approaching the longest
government shutdown in American history, if it exceeds 35 days, which all signs are that it absolutely will.
I'm getting some mixed minus in my ear here. But the -- the ultimate question is going to be whether or not the two -- the -- there's a
negotiation that can actually produce any sort of outcome here.
What Democrats are calling for is a full year -- there are two things they want. They want an extension of subsidies under the Affordable Care Act
that are expiring at the end of the year that helps people in the United States pay for their healthcare premiums. If the Republicans say that there
will be no negotiations on that issue, at all, until the government reopens. That has been their demand from the very beginning here.
And then there's a second negotiation as well. That is for the fund at least part of the federal government for a full year. That would include
agencies like the Department of Agriculture, which provides money for food stamp recipients. People who are getting federal food aid. That food aid is
set to expire by this weekend.
[12:05:17]
The question is going to be whether or not Republicans will be OK with just funding part of the government and leaving the rest of the government
closed. That is what is the ongoing consideration right now in the United States Senate.
And just moments ago, the Senate Majority there, John Thune, said that he would not agree to simply reopen a portion of the government while the rest
of the government remains closed. He said, first, they need to reopen the entire government, then we can worry about funding individual pieces of the
federal government for a full year.
So the process fight is a one that is still continuing to dominate with everything that's going on, on Capitol Hill.
So another big question here too, Bianna, is what will happen if when Donald Trump returns back to the United States from this trip overseas?
Will he engage with Democrats and Republicans to try to cut a deal to reopen the government?
So far, the president has stayed out of this completely, leaving it all to Republican leaders who have called for Democrats to vote for their bill to
reopen the government. But Senate Democrats have blocked that 13 times in the United States Senate as they have made their own demands. And those
demands have not gone -- have gone unheated so far.
So the question is, will anything change at the moment? It does not seem like it's going to change, but these are some discussion happening in the
United States Senate to try to -- try to see if there's any sort of resolution that can be worked out by sometime next week. Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Both sides dug in. At least the president is back in Washington, D.C. now.
Manu Raju apologies for the technical issues, always the consummate journalist, and just plowing through it. Appreciate it. Sorry about that.
RAJU: No problem. No problem. Thanks.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Well, a landmark meeting between the leaders of the U.S. and China appears to be thawing frosty relations after months of a
crippling trade war.
Donald Trump said he and President Xi reached agreement on almost everything as they met in South Korea on the sidelines of a summit.
President Trump said a trade deal between the two rival superpowers could be signed pretty soon. And he said Beijing would resume U.S. soybean
purchases, keep rare earth exports flowing, and crack down on the fentanyl trade.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I've agreed, as you know, I put a 20 percent tariff on China because of the fentanyl coming in, which
is a big tariff.
Based on the statements today, I reduced it by 10 percent. So it's 10 percent instead of 20 percent, effective immediately.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Separately, Trump's Treasury Secretary says China has approved a transfer agreement for TikTok's U.S. operations and expects the process to
move forward in the coming weeks and months.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT BESSENT, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: In Kuala Lumpur, we finalized the TikTok agreement in terms of getting Chinese approval. And I would expect
that that would go forward in the coming weeks and months. And we'll finally see a resolution to that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: All right. Let's take a closer look at the meeting between the American and Chinese leaders with Mira Rapp-Hooper. She is a partner at the
Asia Group and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Mira, it is good to see you.
I want to get to your piece that you just wrote, I think yesterday or so, ahead of this meeting in a moment. But let's talk about the big picture of
what came out of this meeting between these two leaders.
How should we weigh this one year truce and rare earth's relief and unresolved flashpoints that still remain, like chips, Taiwan, military
risks?
MIRA RAPP-HOOPER, SENIOR FELLOW, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: Well, thanks so much for having me, Bianna.
And the way that you've just put it is exactly right. The way we should think about these U.S. China understandings is as a bit of a tactical pause
between these two great powers, but not a long-term truce by any means.
While there are certainly a few modest announcements that have come out of this meeting, there are just as many issues such as what the United States
is doing about its export control over critical technologies or whether we can actually ever persuade the Chinese to keep rare earths flowing
indefinitely that remain unresolved.
So there's a significant potential for this tactical truce to return to a relationship of more volatility in the coming months.
GOLODRYGA: So your pace in foreign affairs is titled, "Structure Trumps agency in the U.S.-China Relationship: Why the competition is Here to
Stay."
And it traces how the Trump administration's first term really shaped the policy that the Biden administration then picked up and expanded upon. And
now we're seeing a -- a different approach from President Trump, seemingly not having those advisors around him and dismissing people at the NSA who
had been viewed as China hawks and really focused on export controls, on IP theft, on military encroachment and build up.
[12:10:08]
And instead now Trump is more focused, it appears in the first few months of his administration, on more transactional deals. The -- the trade deals
that they negotiated, fentanyl, TikTok, for example.
How is President Xi taking advantage of this shift in policy from President Trump?
RAPP-HOOPER: Once again, exactly the right question. President Xi sees this second Trump administration as a moment of real opportunity for him,
precisely for the reasons you laid out.
While the first Trump administration was quite competitive in the way that it saw the relationship with the People's Republic of China and saw that
competition taking place in defense, on technology, in economics, the second Trump administration has really narrowed its view to focus on the
trade deficit as well as commercial transactions, whether that be over the TikTok algorithm or whether that be about selling more American ships to
China, as President Trump said, just this morning was a good idea, though many of us would disagree.
The Chinese see this as an opportunity to really push forward their objectives and do things like persuading President Trump to pause on
American technology export controls, which is something they've been hoping to do for a very long time.
So for Xi Jinping, it's easy enough to meet Trump where he is and promise some commercial wins, like more soybean purchases or the sale of the TikTok
algorithm, because that leaves him with much more room to maneuver in areas like critical technology, where he wants to give China a leg up in the
coming years.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. It appears that he's thinking much more long term here. And in terms of the purchasing, again, the resumption of soybeans here in the
U.S., I may be mistaken, but it appears that they're going back to the levels that have been in place before they stop. So it's not even as if
President Trump got them to purchase more soybeans. Instead, he's sort of cleaning up what the -- the sort of confusion and chaos that -- that had
been laid out in this tariff war over the last few months.
Let me ask you also about something that seemed to surprise everyone, perhaps even President Xi, in an announcement that President Trump made a
change in policy ordering the resumption of U.S. nuclear tests. That's a major shift in policy after more than 30-plus years of the U.S. not testing
nuclear programs and weapons.
What do you make of this and the timing of it? Obviously, it comes after Vladimir Putin once again said that they successfully test flown a nuclear-
powered and nuclear-capable cruise missile. We also know that China is quickly ramping up its nuclear arsenal as well.
RAPP-HOOPER: Yes. It's a really important point. Certainly not something that any of us had on our bingo cards coming out of this summit, Bianna.
And my estimation would be that there's going to be a lot of resistance to the idea of resumed U.S. nuclear testing, whether we're talking about
coming from Congress, from our national labs, which are the stewards of our nuclear program, or from friends and partners around the world who see the
United States as totally critical to the nonproliferation and test ban regimes.
It could be, as you say, that President Trump is saber-rattling against Russia. It could also be that he's expressing disappointment because we
know he wanted to meet with Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea on this trip. And it seems like Kim Jong Un did not take him up on that invitation.
But whatever the reason, I would caution us not to assume that the United States is resuming nuclear testing just because it was announced today.
This would be such a dramatic move and would erode so many critical international norms that I do expect many parties to have something to say
about it.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Including even members of his own Republican Party here in the U.S., I would imagine would be alarmed when they hear that one.
RAPP-HOOPER: No doubt.
GOLODRYGA: Like that one.
I also want to ask you about what was and wasn't discussed, at least from the readout from President Trump, from the U.S. And that is Taiwan. Taiwan
was not raised according to the U.S. readout, but Ukraine was.
Do you take any solace in that? What do you read into it?
RAPP-HOOPER: I do take some solace if it's true that Taiwan was not raised in this meeting. And that reason sort of harkens back to your question
about how President Xi is trying to take maximum advantage of the opportunity he may have with President Trump at this moment.
We know that for the Chinese leader, making some progress towards reunifying Taiwan with Mainland China on the watch of his tenure is one of
his overarching objectives. It's something he has said time and again, and we know it's a critical national priority.
And, of course, Taiwan is a longstanding partner of the United States, to whom we have many defense commitments.
GOLODRYGA: Yes.
RAPP-HOOPER: But over the course of last few months, we've seen several steps taken in which the Chinese side has clearly asked the U.S. government
to downgrade or step back from its ties with Taiwan. That includes doing things like downgrading some planned defense dialogues, not allowing the
Taiwanese president to briefly transit through the United States, and not approving a major arms sales package that had been teed up for President
Trump to sign.
[12:15:19]
So we know that the Trump administration backed away from these forms of support, presumably trying to create a good climate for negotiations with
Xi Jinping.
The fear going into this meeting was that he might make more concessions still, saying something that could amount to a change in U.S. policy
towards Taiwan that would make President Xi feel like he had even more advantage when it came to his control over the island.
GOLODRYGA: Right.
RAPP-HOOPER: So from the perspective of analysts like me, the fact that it may not have been mentioned is a relief. And we certainly hope that there
will be no further thought given to making concessions over the status of Taiwan in exchange for things like soybeans or export controls.
GOLODRYGA: Right. And the last thing you want is sort of a miscalculation or misinterpretation about whether there was, in fact, a policy change that
then President Xi could act upon if he senses a change in the U.S. posture towards Taiwan.
We also know the two are expected to meet again, both in the United States and perhaps China as well in next year.
Mira Rapp-Hooper, it's an excellent piece. Thank you so much. Good to see you.
RAPP-HOOPER: Thanks for having me.
GOLODRYGA: Well, we are following breaking news out of Gaza, where Hamas has handed over what it says are the remains of two deceased hostages.
This is video of Red Cross vehicles earlier as they waited to receive the remains. Names of those hostages have not been disclosed yet. If the
remains are positively identified, that would leave 11 deceased hostages who are still unaccounted for in Gaza.
CNN's Jeremy Diamond is live in Jerusalem. Jeremy, obviously, now these bodies will go through testing in Israel to determine whether there are DNA
matches here.
Just give us a sense of the response among the Israeli government that more bodies are being handed over and where that puts the state of this fragile
ceasefire.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, a lot of that will obviously count on these bodies being positively identified as actually
belonging to the one of the 13 remaining deceased hostages who have been in Gaza.
We've seen incidents in the past where Hamas either handed over the wrong body or more recently handed over their additional remains of a deceased
hostage whose body had already previously been recovered in Gaza by the Israeli military.
But if indeed these two additional remains are confirmed to be the remains of some of those outstanding deceased hostages, then that would leave 11
deceased hostages still in Gaza. It would also, you know, be the strongest indication yet that the ceasefire is back on track, you know, indicating
Hamas' cooperation with the agreement and also satisfying Israeli concerns about Hamas being in violation by taking too long to hand over some of
these remains.
And -- and that's important, of course, because just two days ago, we saw the Israeli government accuse Hamas of multiple violations of the ceasefire
and decide to carry out very punishing strikes that we saw across Gaza that killed more than 100 people, nearly half of whom were children, according
to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.
Since then, we've heard both Israel and Hamas say that they are committed to the ceasefire agreement. But again, if -- if indeed Hamas has handed
over the remains of two additional deceased hostages, that is a very good signal for all parties involved, both, you know, the families of deceased
hostages here in Israel, but also Palestinians in Gaza who suffered as a result of Israel's strikes there that the ceasefire is back on track, even,
of course, we know that the road ahead will likely still be bumpy. Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: All right. And two of those 13 deceased hostages are American- Israeli citizens as well.
Jeremy Diamond, thank you so much.
Well, still to come for us, new body cam video is released at trial where a former first grade teacher shot by a six-year-old is now suing an ex school
administrator. We'll bring you what she said in court, coming up next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEN YAGER, PRESIDENT & FOUNDER, YOSEMITE CLIMBING ASSOCIATION: I'm concerned definitely. I've seen this kind of stuff before in the past. This
one feels a little different.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: America's national parks were already understaffed and under siege. Well now the shutdown is making matters worse. We'll bring you
details ahead.
And later, it's time for a time out. Peloton star Becs Gentry will be joining me on "One World."
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[12:20:22]
GOLODRYGA: Well, the storm that won't quit. Hurricane Melissa is now headed for Bermuda as a Category Two storm. Even though landfall is not expected,
the island could still feel strong winds and rain in the coming hours.
This has recovery efforts are underway in the Caribbean after Melissa unleashed a path of death and destruction over several days. At least 30
people are dead, though officials don't yet know the storm's true death toll.
CNN's Patrick Oppmann is in Cuba with a look at the damage there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You see streets blocked by debris like this one all over Santiago de Cuba. There are trees down. There's a lot of
roof damage, flood damage. It's also the sense that it could have been much, much worse.
Certainly compared to what their neighbors in Jamaica suffered. Cuba got off much, much luckier. People had feared the storm would come and hit here
like it did in Jamaica as a devastating Category Five hurricane. It became as a powerful storm that could do impressive structural damage, but not the
absolute catastrophic damage that we are seeing now in Jamaica.
The main issue, of course, here is the power continues to be off. It was -- it's been off since before the hurricane. Already in places like Santiago
de Cuba, the power system was so fragile. There was about off half the time on a regular day.
Problem now is the longer the power is off, people's food begins to spoil. The tempers begin to flare. Over the summer with some of the widespread
power outages, we saw protests here in Santiago. That's something the Cuban government has very little tolerance for. They've asked people to be
patient.
Of course though, the longer the hot days here go on and hot nights without power, patience begins to wear thin.
Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Santiago de Cuba.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: A demand for change in East Africa. That's one of the longest ruling parties on the continent tries to maintain its power. The aftermath
of Tanzania's disputed election on Wednesday spilled over the border earlier as protests broke out along a border town in Kenya.
In the main city of Dar es Salaam, police fired gunshots and tear gas and imposed an overnight curfew when demonstrators took to the streets for a
second day. They're furious that presidential candidates from the country's two main opposition parties were barred from running.
The CCM party has been in power since 1961 with incumbent President Suluhu Hassan looking to extend her rule. But the opposition says, it comes with
consequences.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KITOKA, CHADEMA CHAIRPERSON: No one is safe now. No one is safe. Except to those who support the government.
[12:25:03]
But anyone who dares criticizes Samia's regime or criticizes the -- the way he -- the way she conducts herself and the -- the way she runs the
government, none of -- none of us is safe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Tanzania isn't the only African country facing discontent. Anti- government protests have also swept through major cities and towns across Madagascar and Cameroon.
Well, still to come for us, should members of Congress get paid during a U.S. government shutdown? We'll tell you more about a move by one
Republican senator.
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GOLODRYGA: All right. Welcome back to "One World." I'm Bianna Golodryga.
We go now to the U.S. state of Virginia, the Commonwealth of Virginia, actually, where a teacher who filed a $40 million lawsuit against her
former assistant principal is testifying in court after being shot by a six-year-old student in 2023.
Abby Zwerner, seen on the left, is testifying right now. She is suing Ebony Parker, who you see there on the right. Newly released body cam footage
also shows the dramatic moments after Zwerner was shot and badly injured.
Zwerner says, Parker ignored warnings that the young student had brought a gun in his backpack that day to school.
This civil trial comes ahead of a criminal trial next month when Ebony Parker will face eight counts of felony child neglect.
Joining us now is CNN correspondent Jean Casarez. So, Jean, what stood to you so far from Abby Zwerner's testimony this morning?
[12:30:05]
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Abby is still on the stand right now. And I think it's remarkable that you have a living victim that is able
to describe as difficult as it was for her what actually happened to her on that day.
But I think the headline here is that she was shot in the hand and in the chest by one of her students in the first grade with a nine millimeter gun.
He was six years old. He had brought it to school that day.
And he was upset at her because he had just been suspended. He took her cell phone two days before that, slammed it to the ground, and the glass
front of it was -- was cracked.
He was suspended for one day, brought back to school. Two days later with his mother. He had a gun on him. And then the school began. And he pulled
out that gun and shot her.
But I think what stands out here, and the reason we're here, and this was such a big case, I'm going to -- you remember it because it happened about
two years ago, teacher getting shot by her six-year-old student.
But this is the first time that we're hearing sworn testimony from this surviving victim, as well as the teachers. And that day, the teacher that
taught next to her, also a first grade teacher in the next classroom, heard from her two female students that -- that there was a boy in her class that
had a gun.
And so her fellow teacher said, I'll go down and tell the assistant principal. Now that is the defendant here, Ebony Parker. Ebony Parker is
the defendant because at that elementary school, the vice principal is in charge of crisis management.
If there is a crisis, she is the one that controls. She is the one that rules. She is the one that makes the decisions. And she did make decisions
that day because teachers went down, one after the other, to say, we believe this student has a gun.
Abby was trying to maintain control of her classroom. And the teacher refused -- the -- the assistant principal refused to do anything at that
time. She was involved in something else. And that's when the gun came out and shot her.
But on cross-examination now, what the defense is doing is they're trying to focus that Abby should have done something. She should have taken
control of the situation. The student was in her room. She should have gone up to the student. And that's really placing blame on -- on Abby right
there. We'll see how that fares with the jury.
But under the auspices of the Newport News School District, it was always the vice principal that was the one to act. Teachers could only report.
GOLODRYGA: We've become all too familiar with school shootings and tragedies here in this country. But even this, the fact that the shooter
was a six-year-old student is just stunning.
Jean Casarez, thank you so much.
CASAREZ: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: Well, we turn back to our top story. The second longest U.S. government shutdown in history is just days away from breaking the all-time
record, and this weekend, funding for a food aid program that serves 42 million Americans will run out.
But we're also learning about a series of bipartisan negotiations currently underway in the Senate that could possibly reopen a significant part of the
government.
The House, however, still isn't in session, and Speaker Mike Johnson is refusing to call lawmakers back to Washington. He appeared on CNN a few
moments ago and had this to say to my colleague, Dana Bash.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): We cannot deviate from the number one job and responsibility of the U.S. Congress, and that is to keep the government in
operation for the people. And the simplest way to fix this is to reopen all of the government, not just parts of it, so they can alleviate a little bit
of the pain that they themselves are causing.
Let's alleviate all the pain and get that done. They have no logical argument why they would not do that. And that's why we're so angry and
frustrated about this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: They're not the only ones angry and frustrated about that. The people working at national parks across the U.S. are also concerned about
what could happen to some of America's most scenic spots during the government shutdown.
Currently about 9,000 national park service employees are off the job. That means some of the country's most well-known lands are without caretakers.
CNN's Bill Weir takes us there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After Elon Musk took a DOGE saw to the National Park Service, America's best idea was
already understaffed and under siege. About a quarter of the service staff and their combined experience was lost.
Then came the shutdown with furloughs and threats of more layoffs. And under Trump, parks like Yosemite stay open with no one at the gates and a
skeleton staff. One of the worst ideas for national park health, according to 43 former superintendents.
They tried but failed to convince Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to protect the nation's most cherished landscapes from unmanaged crowds.
YAGER: I'm concerned definitely. I've seen this kind of stuff before in the past. This one feels a little different. I have a feeling it's going to
last a lot longer.
WEIR (voice-over): As founder of the Yosemite Climbers Association, Ken Yager has been a fixture on rocks like El Capitan for over 50 years.
[12:35:06]
YAGER: I worry about damage in -- in a lot of ways to these parks. When you've got so many people in a national park like this, it disrupts the
wildlife, disrupts the plant life. Trash gets left everywhere. I clean up trash. That's what I've been doing for 22 years with a bunch of volunteers
in Yosemite Facelift, and we've cleaned up 1.2 million pounds of trash.
WEIR: Wow.
YAGER: So, it can show you how much and how quickly it'll build up.
WEIR (voice-over): A reservation system is supposed to control the numbers hiking up Half Dome, but social media shows moments of crowded chaos.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Never seen that before.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right in the middle of the (BLEEP) meadow. Insane.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow
WEIR (voice-over): Bolder base jumpers and drone pilots. Last year, there were 15 campground rangers in Yosemite Valley. This summer, just six who
also had to pitch in on basic maintenance alongside goodhearted citizens.
WEIR: I know a lot of volunteers are sort of filling the gap in these shutdown days. Who -- who are these folks?
AVA LEWIS, YOSEMITE VOLUNTEER: A lot of them are maybe furloughed employees or folks that work with concessionaire or like people in the local
community and people that just really care about this place and care about this park.
CORY GOEHRING, OUTDOOR PROGRAMS MANAGER AND NATURALIST, YOSEMITE CONSERVANCY: For the most part, I think we're seeing the best of people
come out at this time.
WEIR (voice-over): Volunteers like Corey Goehring from the nonprofit Yosemite Conservancy are trying to provide as much basic info as they can.
But he says days like these remind Americans that the park belongs to them, and it's time to be a good steward.
GOEHRING: Number one, and I think the most important, plan ahead and prepare. Number two, travel and camp on durable surfaces. Number three,
dispose of waste properly. Number four, basically leave what you find. Take only pictures, leave only footprints.
WEIR: That's the one my dad hammered into me.
GOEHRING: Yes. And number five, you know, only use established fire rings. Number six, respect wildlife.
WEIR: Ooh, OK. I love that.
GOEHRING: So, keep wildlife is a difference.
WEIR: Yes.
GOEHRING: And then number seven, yes, respect each other while you're here, while you're visiting.
WEIR (voice-over): But good campers can't control invasive species or protect wildlife from poachers or identify archeological wonder like the
pros can.
LEWIS: More traffic through the park. And, you know, people going off trail and litter and all -- all those things really add up when you don't have
full staffing in the park.
WEIR: Right.
LEWIS: So, you know, folks like me will go around and -- and we fill in the gaps where we can. But it's -- it's not nearly enough.
WEIR: That's not sustainable long term.
LEWIS: No, it's not. Yes.
WEIR: Yes.
LEWIS: And a lot of us, you know, we're just passing through or visiting.
WEIR: Yes.
LEWIS: People are coming for their weekend vacation or something. So, we need -- we need the people that are here. Boots on the ground.
WEIR (voice-over): Bill Weir, CNN, Yosemite Valley, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: Thanks to Bill for that report.
We also want to remind you once again that American lawmakers are getting paid during this shutdown. One Republican wants to change that. South
Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham is introducing a bill that would see members of Congress giving up their paychecks during any government
shutdown.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): I'm going to introduce a constitutional amendment that would say that if the government shuts down, members of
Congress have to forfeit their pay.
I really do believe that if we not only, you know, miss a paycheck but we forfeit our pay, you know, apply it to the national debt, it would change
things. We need to be punished when we do this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Graham is one of several lawmakers that have announced that he will donate his paycheck during the cut current shutdown.
All right. Coming up after the break, a centuries old hat is becoming an unlikely in-demand item this Halloween. We'll explain, up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:40:15]
GOLODRYGA: All right. Let's check on how the U.S. markets are doing right now.
About flat last check. The Dow is up about three-tenths of a percentage point, up 154 points. The S&P 500 and NASDAQ both down slightly. NASDAQ,
down nearly one percentage point. S&P 500, nearly half a percentage point.
This is your "Business Breakout."
For the second time this year, the U.S. Federal Reserve lowered interest rates in an attempt to keep unemployment from surging. That officials voted
for another quarter-point rate cut yesterday, bringing down their benchmark lending rate to a range between 3.75 percent and four percent. That is the
lowest in three years.
YouTube CEO is telling staff that the company is restructuring and offering voluntary buyouts to U.S. based employees. The changes are part of its next
frontier, artificial intelligence. YouTube's restructuring does not involve outright layoffs, but comes amid growing concerns about A.I. taking human
jobs.
Chipotle's shares have dropped amid rising costs and weakening demand. On Wednesday, Chipotle cut its full-year sales outlook for the third time this
year. Not since shares down as much as 19 percent earlier today.
The company CEO says younger consumers are cutting back due to uncertainty about the economy, jobs, and wages.
But with Halloween just around the corner, like literally tomorrow, Google says you're likely be seeing plenty of this character out during
celebrations.
Rumi, one of the leads in the Netflix musical hit "KPop Demon Hunters," is expected to be a top costume this weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Well, the film's popularity has left parents across the country scrambling to piece the costume together. But if you are still looking, you
could try a gat. That is a traditional Korean hat worn by the antagonist, the Saja Boys.
We have this report on its origins.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These traditional Korean hats called gat are making a comeback, thanks to the hit Netflix movie "KPop Demon Hunters."
Once worn by noblemen during the Joseon Dynasty hundreds of years ago, they've lately been seen on the film's Saja Boys, and cheaply made versions
are popping up online for Halloween.
Google's annual list of 25 trending costumes show characters from "KPop Demon Hunters" taking top spots, including Saja Boys' leader, Jinu.
Besides the holiday, tourists often dressed in period costumes and wear gat in front of well-known landmarks in South Korea.
But a real gat requires intricate handwork and patience, according to one of the last masters of the century's old craft.
Chung Choon-mo makes them by using traditional techniques and bamboo, silk, and horse hair.
The base of the hat, known as yangtae, is made by weaving bamboo strands. The same goes for making the crown, (INAUDIBLE). The two parts are pieced
together. Finally, the hat is dyed with ink.
CHUNG CHOON-MO, "GAT" MASTER ARTISAN: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
GRAPHIC: Gat was the symbol of a man's dignity and the pride and the class of our country.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): In 1991, Chung was designated a human cultural asset by the Korean government.
Now in his 80s, he wants to pass on his skills to the next generation of hat makers.
CHOON-MO: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
GRAPHIC: The gat's future looks bright and positive. It spreads our country's culture and history to the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: Some news you can use there. You still have time to get yourself a gat before Halloween.
[12:45:04]
Well, on your mark, get set, go. New York is preparing for the best weekend of the year. It's annual marathon through the five boroughs.
Up next, Peloton instructor Becs Gentry and CEO of New York Road Runners, Rob Simmelkjaer, tell us how to get the race ready.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: All right. We're going to take time out now, a step back from the stress and chaos of everyday life. One of the best ways to blow off
steam is running. The activity is more popular than ever with more people running in marathons than ever before.
This Sunday, the Big Apple will be the backdrop for more than 50,000 runners, each one taking part in the 42 kilometer or 26.2 mile race for a
different reason, whether it's for a charity or as a personal challenge.
The marathons director is excited for the moment runners cross that finish line.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TED METELLUS, RACE DIRECTOR, TCS NEW YORK CITY MARATHON: A real special number to me is that 66 percent of the runners are going to be doing the
TCS New York City Marathon for the very first time.
Those runners will be crossing this finish line and this incredible medal will be waiting for them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: The medal is a beauty this year too, I have to tell you.
For some of those attempting to cross that finish line, Peloton is among companies partnering with the marathon organizers. And, of course, it says
it can help you get there yourself marathon ready.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BES GENTRY, PELOTON INSTRUCTOR: In three, two, one, let's go.
This is a very fast run, but you got this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Running can be empowering and also a good tool to boost mental and physical health.
I want to bring in Peloton instructor and elite runner Becs Gentry, along with the CEO of the non-profit New York Road Runners Rob Simmelkjaer. Becs,
Rob, it is good to see you.
Becs, I -- I follow you. I've taken your classes. We have exchanged messages on social media, as people do these days. Rob, I've known you for
years back in your day when you were a journalist. And I want to talk about that transition to the New York Road Runners in a minute as well.
But -- but let's start with -- with the question of what this marathon actually means for you both. Because it's not just about getting a personal
record or logging the miles. It represents something unique to each and every one of, I think, the 50 plus thousand runners expected this year.
[12:50:14]
What does the New York Marathon mean for you, Becs?
GENTRY: Oh, my gosh. Well, thank you for having me, Bianna. It's great to see you.
This weekend is truly so special for me and the thousands and thousands of members at Peloton, who we coach to get to the finish line and the start
line of the race. It means pride. It means achievement and it means celebration.
Because you well know that the toilet can put on you going through the weeks and months of training leading up to Sunday is huge. But that day,
it's a victory lap. It's a love letter from the City of New York to every single runner and it is truly beautiful to be out there.
GOLODRYGA: It is. This is the first time in four years I'm not running the New York Marathon, so I will be cheering. I will be cheering the runners
on. I've had my share this year.
But, Rob, explain to viewers at home who say -- I don't quite understand how waking up in grueling hours, running for hours, sweating, exhausting
yourself can actually be so mentally therapeutic and addictive and take your mind off of the everyday stresses that so many of us are facing.
So put into words how that works for you.
ROB SIMMELKJAER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, NEW YORK ROAD RUNNERS: Yes, Bianna. Thanks for having me.
I -- I think that I kind of compare running to like making your bed but a lot more, right? When you wake up in the morning and you're not sure if
you're going to have a good day or not, you're not sure whether you want to have a positive attitude. Doing that one positive thing to start the day
can kind of get some positive momentum going oftentimes. And for some it's just making your bed and then you've done something great.
Well, imagine then going out and running three miles, five miles, maybe longer, right, and getting your body moving, getting your heart rate up. It
just starts to build positive momentum for your life, which you can then take and use for something else, right?
So we've talked to so many people. If I go out on the floor of this expo right now where I am right now, runners are back here behind me picking up
their bibs for the marathon., and I asked 10 people, why do you run marathons?
The most common answer I would get was it's, quote, free therapy, right? A lot of people feel that it's the thing that it keeps them most in balance
when it comes to their mental health.
GOLODRYGA: I feel the exact same way. It is therapeutic for me. And it sounds cliche to say, Becs, because everyone can literally do it. Everyone
can get up and run a mile, a two and train their bodies to -- to cross that marathon finish line.
And it is so inspiring when you see people who are physically challenged, whether they are amputees or in wheelchairs or blind and are running there
alongside you.
Talk about how -- because you've been very vocal. You're obviously an elite athlete. But for you, it's also about that mental therapy and taking a step
back from everyday life challenges as well.
GENTRY: It absolutely is, Bianna. It is the reason why a lot of people wake up, as Rob said, just to get their bodies moving. And it's not about the
time on the clock. You can take as long as you want to finish the TCS New York City Marathon. There will be people cheering you all the way.
But the process is so therapeutic for your mind because whether you run solo or whether you run with a group, you can disconnect from everything
else that is happening.
As you said at the top of this interview of the world, you can take that time and you can give it back to yourself, which I think personally, we
don't do enough of anymore. We give a lot to other people and we don't center in on what we intrinsically need.
And for a lot of people, at least 55,000 this weekend, have discovered that running really does help heal them from the inside out. And it does it for
me, it allows me to step away from the commitments of my job, of family, of just the day.
And it feels really, really good afterwards, whether it's a run, a hard run, a walk, it's just moving your body, that's going to make you feel
fantastic.
GOLODRYGA: And it's your time, it's your time to spend away from the everyday stresses of life.
And as Rob said, I love how he described it, the analogy of making your bed, because then you're inspired to make better life choices throughout
the day.
Rob, let me -- let's talk about your choices. Because as I said, you and I worked together years ago at ABC News, you were a journalist there, you
worked at ESPN, you were a -- a corporate executive as well.
And now here you are, the CEO of the New York Road Runners. Tell me about that evolution and how you landed here. Because I see you and I've never
seen you this happy. I've never seen you smile as much as you do now.
[12:55:02]
SIMMELKJAER: Oh, Bianna, thank you so much. And you -- you totally have it right. I mean, I think I have one of the best jobs in the world because we
are really making people's dreams come true. We're changing lives.
I mean, New York Road Runners, as you mentioned earlier, is a not-for- profit organization. Our mission is to create healthier lives and stronger communities through the transformative power of running.
And we see that transformative power all the time. So in this job, I'm able to take a lot of what I did as a journalist or an executive in the sports
industry and apply that to something that is really changing lives and see it with my own eyes.
And I get to do so many fun things. Like I host a podcast actually every week with Becs. She and I get together every week. It's called Set the
Pace. And we have conversations with runners and people about how running has changed their lives, right?
So it's a lot of fun. I get to use my on-air skills a little bit from the ABC News days with Becs on Set the Pace. But I'm very, very fortunate. It's
a lot of fun.
GOLODRYGA: And, Becs, quickly, just leave our viewers with one piece of advice. Again, if it's not necessarily about running, about moving, about
building a community, there are so many people that go out and do this together now.
Give one tip to viewers who think, I just can't do it. It's too intimidating.
GENTRY: I say this to every single person I come across forward as a pace. You just have to take one step and you are moving and that's forward. And
you keep that momentum going. You build it at your pace and you'll get there.
GOLODRYGA: All right. And that is a good way to take a timeout as well.
Becs Gentry, Rob Simmelkjaer. Good to see you. Good luck to all the runners this weekend. Thanks so much.
SIMMELKJAER: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: And that does it for "One World" this Hour. I'm Bianna Golodryga. Thanks so much for watching. "Amanpour" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:00:00]
END
