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One World with Zain Asher
President Trump to Meet with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa; Senate Breaks Gridlock in Vote Toward Reopening Government; Senate Reconvenes After Reaching Bipartisan Funding Deal; Major Airlines Reduce Flights as Shutdown Continues; Explosion Rocks Delhi, Claiming At Least 10 Lives; Typhoon Fung-Wong Slams the Philippines, At Least Four Dead. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired November 10, 2025 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: A handful of Democrats come to the table, allowing the Senate to advance a measure to end the government
shutdown. "One World" starts right now. After 41 days, the longest U.S. government shutdown in the nation's history is almost over.
Plus, the former jihadist turned Syrian President makes an historic visit to the White House after taking control of the country from Bashar Al-
Assad. And Canada has lost its measles elimination status and a large ongoing outbreak of the disease. Live from Atlanta. I'm Lynda Kinkade.
Zain and Bianna are off today. Good to be with you. This is "One World". Well, a hugely symbolic moment for Syria's new president. Any moment now,
Ahmed Al-Sharaa will sit down with Donald Trump at the White House, an historic meeting that caps his remarkable transformation from a jihadist to
a leader on the global stage.
Well, the visit comes just days after the U.N. Security Council voted to lift sanctions on Al-Sharaa and the U.S. removed his status as a specially
designated global terrorist. Trump and Al-Sharaa last met in Saudi Arabia back in May, months after he led a campaign that toppled the decades old
Assad regime.
We'll have more on that meeting once it happens, but first, the longest U.S. government shutdown in history may be over very soon. The Senate is
meeting this hour after a group of Democrats on Sunday dropped their key demand and backed a Republican funding bill.
Lawmakers must now clear a series of procedural hurdles before voting on that measure, which would fund the government until the end of January. And
while the bill guarantees a vote on expanded health care subsidies, it does not guarantee to approve the subsidies.
The House, meanwhile, which has been in recess for nearly two months, must still vote on the bill. Here's what Speaker Mike Johnson said a short time
ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): I'm thankful to welcome you to what appears to be the beginning of the end of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history
as shameful as that is. It's after 40 days of wandering in the wilderness and making the American people suffer needlessly.
Some Senate Democrats finally have stepped forward to end the pain. It appears to us this morning that our long national nightmare is finally
coming to an end, and we're grateful for that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: CNN's Alayna Treene joins us now from the White House. Good to have you with us, Alayna. So, after 41 days the government shutdown looks
like it is nearing an end, after a handful of Democrats and independents said, enough is enough. Just take us through the next steps right now.
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah. I mean, this is going to be historic already. You know, we are in a record-breaking shutdown, the
longest shut down in history. You said, at 41 days. And it does appear to be ended this week. The Senate went through some procedural votes
yesterday.
They still have other steps to get through before that chamber can actually approve the bill and pass the bill to reopen the government. A number of
Senate Democrats, more centrist, moderate Democrats, who have been working behind closed doors with Republicans to work out some sort of deal to
reopen the government, had voted to approve that.
Now I should note there are many Senate Democrats who are furious with the fact that members of their own party had broken with them to approve this
deal, because one of the biggest sticking points, of course, through this entire fight has been the issue of health care subsidies under the
Affordable Care Act.
This bill that they are approving and are hoping to have officially passed through Congress and the House by the end of the week does not guarantee
that that issue is going to be fixed. They are promised to have a vote on extending the subsidies for health care by the end of the year. But that
doesn't mean it's going to be approved.
[11:05:00]
And one of the biggest issues, of course, is particularly when it comes to Republicans who control both majorities, the House and the Senate. They are
very divided on the approach to health care, and so many other Democrats who did not approve this plan that some members of their party had
negotiated with Republicans, they are very concerned about what this could mean.
So, like I said, by the end of this week, we should potentially see the government reopened if the Senate moves forward with this, and the House is
expected to also approve it as well. And that means, starting next week, we can start seeing some of the biggest pain points from this shutdown be
eased.
FAA, the Federal Aviation you know, having flights go back on time, less cancelations, less delays, safer to travel, particularly as we get closer
to Thanksgiving, Lynda, but also snap, benefits would be restored until 2026 the government reopened until January. Of course, that's only a short
time from now.
That means they're still going to have to have this fight again come early next year. But it would really ease a lot of the suffering Americans have
had, and people are saying you should start to see some of the bounce back immediately once the government opens, hopefully as early as next week.
KINKADE: Yeah, you can only hope so for those going without pay right now. Alayna Treene for us outside the White House. Thanks so much. And we are
going to stay on this story. I want to welcome Larry Sabato, the Director of the University of Virginia, Center for Politics, and the Editor of a
Return to Normalcy the 2020 election that almost broke America.
He joins us now. Live from Charlottesville, Virginia. Great to see you, Larry.
LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR OF CENTER FOR POLITICS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Nice to see you, Lynda.
KINKADE: So, Larry, essentially Democrats voted to reopen the government, but without a deal on the health care subsidies, essentially kicking that
can down the road. Critics are calling this a capitulation. Is it?
SABATO: Yes. Remember, it's only eight Democrats, the vast majority of Democrats, stayed loyal to the plan. The reason the eight changed, I
believe, well, they had individual reasons, but mainly it was because they didn't see an end to this. There was no hope that the Republicans were
really going to cave. They didn't seem to care very much about the consequences, and they were willing to hang on.
And President Trump insisted that they hang on. And so, in the end, it was up to Democrats to decide whether they wanted to put Americans through a
nightmare as Thanksgiving approached, when basically the air system, if not shut down, would be so greatly limited that people couldn't get to their
family and friends, that would really have been a disaster, and the public reaction would have been intense.
KINKADE: Yeah, 100 percent. We are seeing open frustration. We heard from the California Governor Newsom, who called this pathetic, also from
prominent senators like Bernie Sanders and John Hickenlooper. I just want to play some of that sound.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT): I know as part of this resolution that the majority leader is going to say, well, Democrats can create, put together,
their own bill and will come to the floor here in the Senate for a vote. As everybody here knows, that is a totally meaningless gesture.
SEN. JOHN HICKENLOOPER (D-CO): I mean, I voted no just because -- I so piss off. I'm just frustrated that you're right 40 days and they still -- we
gave them every chance to negotiate. A moderate doesn't have to put the whole thing back, and they wouldn't do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Larry, does this expose deeper divisions within the left?
SABATO: Well, it does now. They were pretty united for the first 40 days or so. But essentially, Bernie Sanders is absolutely correct there. Anybody
who thinks that this Republican Congress or this Republican President is going to go along with the health care bill that was passed under President
Obama.
It's known as Obamacare, is really smoking something you can't buy at the local drugstore. They're not going to do it. So, Democrats are going to get
a vote on some kind of proposal that they're going to put forward. They actually get to write the bill now why would the majority leader, a
Republican of the U.S. Senate, give Democrats that opportunity to write the bill?
Because he knows it isn't going to pass, and if somehow it passed the Senate, it's going to be killed in the House. And if somehow two miracles
occurred and the Senate and the House passed it, President Trump is not about to let Obamacare go by his desk. The Republicans have always opposed
this health care and they're going to do it again?
KINKADE: Yeah. Congressman Ro Khanna is now openly calling for Chuck Schumer to be replaced as Majority Leader, saying he's no longer effective.
This is what he said. He said, if you can't lead the fight to stop health care premiums from skyrocketing for Americans, what will you fight for to
your point, Larry as well, how serious is that kind of talk?
[11:10:00]
Could we see a shake up within the Democratic leadership heading into 2026?
SABATO: It's fascinating. We've already seen candidates, Democratic candidates, running for the U.S. Senate in 2026 some in primaries coming
out and demanding that Chuck Schumer step down, either retire or simply step down as majority leader. The rank and file are furious.
Look at social media. The Democratic rank and file are climbing the walls. Now there are a few people that support this compromise, but mainly there's
deep anger, and that's going to persist for a while. They put a lot of chips down on the table, and basically the Democrats said to the
Republicans here, have our chips.
KINKADE: Yeah. Speaking of that leverage, I mean, at the end of the day, you pointed out this fact earlier, millions of Americans did not want this
government shutdown to continue going into the Thanksgiving period. We've already seen mass cancelations and delays of flights across the country.
Politically speaking, did the Democrats simply just give up their leverage too easily?
SABATO: Oh, I think they did. What's amazing is the Democrats were winning. Now, yes, the American people were the losers, as everybody always says,
and the air traffic controllers and the TSA of people and military, all those waiting for larger paychecks and their paychecks to come back.
They were losing, no question about it. But the American people were blaming Republicans heavily, disproportionately Trump and the Republicans
running Congress were getting the blame. Plus, Democrats won a landslide nationally last Tuesday in the off-year elections, and the Democrats have
just given all that up.
They've killed the joy that their rank and file had, and they've taken Democrats from Cloud Nine and sent them to purgatory.
KINKADE: Larry Sabato, always great to get your analysis. Much appreciated. Thanks so much. Well, in last few minutes, President Trump took to social
media to demand air traffic controllers get back to work. And he's promised bonuses for those who worked through the shutdown and penalties for those
who didn't.
There have already been more than 1500 flights canceled in the U.S. today alone. That was after a weekend that saw widespread delays and cancelations
as airports deal with staffing shortages among air traffic controllers and TSA agents. Flyers say all of this is making them pretty nervous.
And the transportation secretary told CNN that things could get worse every day the government remains shut down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The main thing is not really the wait time is just getting home safe.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a little nervous about that. I know my mind starts swelling. OK. What are we going to do? What's plan B?
SEAN DUFFY, U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: So, I'm going to get worse. I look to the two weeks before Thanksgiving, you're going to see air travel
be reduced to a trickle. We have a number of people who want to get home for the holidays. They want to see their family.
They want to celebrate this great American holiday. Listen, many of them are not going to be able to get on an airplane, because there are not going
to be that many flights that fly if this thing doesn't open back up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: CNN's Ryan Young is at the nation's busiest airport here in Atlanta, at Hartsfield-Jackson. Good to have you with us. So, we just had
the worst weekend of travel since the government shutdown began. How are things looking right now?
RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, it's been tough. Maybe it looks like this guy passing me just randomly. You never know what
you might see. One thing is, let's not forget, this is the world's busiest airport. So, you have a lot of travelers coming through here. There were
delays here this weekend today not so bad.
I want to show you something, though, folks who are flying frontier, look at the line. These are all the people standing in line waiting to be
rebooked. As you can understand, a lot of frustration on that level. But something else that I want to show you, Lynda, as we kind of walk you
through this airport.
Look at the wait times at the checkpoints here, north checkpoint, only a minute, main checkpoint, a minute, south checkpoint, two minutes. Folks who
are used to Thanksgiving in this airport, when they come in here, they know that luggage can pile up very quickly.
And you know, let's look back down the line here, you can see all the folks and this frontier who are just waiting to sort of get through and maybe get
rebooked to another flight. We talked to folks who were stranded this weekend. It's not only waiting for a flight, but it's also trying to get a
hotel in this busy, busy time. Take a listen to one traveler we talked to.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three times, and then we waited three hours, then they cancel the last second, and it was a stressful situation. I got a one-year-
old. We had to find a hotel. All the hotels are booked because everybody's about to cancel. Big headache.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YOUNG: Yeah, I look down at my little notebook here, and I see there was 79 delays and 203 cancelations so far at the airport here.
[11:15:00]
But you've been here before, you know the impact this is where everybody spills out to when the TSA lines back up. You barely see anybody sitting
here, but obviously you're frustrated. Prices for these flights super expensive right now. You have families having to pay for an extra hotel
night.
You understand the impact. And then when you add security involved in this, and all the federal workers who haven't gotten paid, and the folks who work
in air traffic control, you understand this is grinding to a hole for a lot of people, they're so upset. As you heard someone going by, they're very
upset about having to be delayed again.
Some folks jumping in the Greyhound, some folks try to get on a train to get out of here as things sort of boil over, and they're upset that they
can't get to their destinations.
KINKADE: And Ryan, you mentioned some of those federal workers that haven't been able to get a paycheck during this period.
YOUNG: Yeah.
KINKADE: Have you heard from any of it, of those sorts of staff or the airlines, in terms of reaction to the fact that this shutdown might be
coming to an end?
YOUNG: Well, not since that has happened. We talked to him before, and there were people who were struggling with making bills or getting food.
That's something that we've seen, looking to hopefully talk to the union director here a little later on to figure out, do they feel a little relief
coming?
But at the same time, as you know, you can't really write in that bill slip or that check. Hey, I haven't been paid just yet. I know in the City of
Atlanta, they made sure that folks could not get evicted. But across this country, the people who have those jobs have been really holding on and
trying to figure out what the next steps are. So, I'm sure they're glad to see what's happening in D.C. at this point.
KINKADE: Yeah, exactly, and the impact far and wide. Ryan Young, good to have you there at the airport.
YOUNG: Thank you.
KINKADE: And good that those white lines are getting smaller for now. Thanks.
YOUNG: -- yeah --
KINKADE: Well, Donald Trump has issued pardons for Rudy Giuliani and many other people who allegedly plotted to overturn the results of the 2020
presidential election. The list contains dozens of names, not only Giuliani and fellow lawyer Sidney Powell. It also includes the President's Former
Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows.
Presidential pardons only apply to federal charges, not state or local charges, and none of the people listed have been convicted of federal
crimes. So, the pardon also explicitly states that it does not apply to President Trump himself. Well, still to come, one month into the Israel-
Hamas ceasefire and a new warning from the U.N.
We'll have the details just ahead. Plus, streets become rivers in the Philippines, after the second storm there in a week hits the country. We've
got an update on the damage and where the typhoon is going next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:20:00]
KINKADE: You're looking at live pictures from New Delhi in India right now, where at least 10 people were killed in an explosion earlier today near the
landmark Red Fort. Now it's about 10:00 p.m., almost 10:00 p.m. there in the evening. And police say the explosion originated in a car packed in the
densely populated area.
They add that the fire spread to several other cars and auto rickshaws. The cause of that explosion is under investigation. Our Nada Bashir is joining
us from London with the details. So, Nada, this explosion happened near a major landmark in Delhi. What more are you learning about it?
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, we've been getting updates from police officials and hospital officials as the injured and victims are
taken in for emergency care. At this stage, hospital officials say at least 10 people have been killed in that blast in Delhi.
A further 30 are said to have been injured. A doctor hospital official within this hospital saying that some of them have been badly injured, in
his words, also saying many are not in a position of recovering. That is what has been told to local reporters in Delhi. We do understand that the
police are still carrying out their investigation into what caused the deadly blast.
We've seen distressing video emerging showing fire engulfing several vehicles in Delhi. This is a very crowded, densely populated area, and we
have been hearing from police officials giving us a slight update on that investigation as they continue, saying that at about 06:42 p.m. local time,
a slow-moving vehicle came to a stop near the red light.
An explosion occurred in that vehicle, and the passengers in the vehicle and people in surrounding vehicles were impacted. And they are now looking
into investigating this blast from every possible angle. Of course, this is an ongoing investigation. There are emergency services on the ground
dealing with this incident.
And we are still waiting to hear more particularly with regards to what actually caused the blast, Lynda.
KINKADE: All right. We will check in with you again really soon. Nada Bashir, thanks very much. We are one month into the first phase of the U.S.
broken ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. President Trump's Envoy Jared Kushner, is in Jerusalem today, where he's been meeting with Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A source telling us that talks were expected to focus on moving the Gaza agreement towards the next phase. Over the weekend, protesters in Tel Aviv
called for a stable democracy in Israel while demanding Hamas release all the deceased hostages remains which is required under the first phase of
the agreement.
Hamas returned another body on Sunday afternoon. Israel says it was that of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, an Israeli soldier who was killed in Gaza back in
2014. Well, the past month has seen aid deliveries to Gaza restart, but a United Nations agency says Palestinians still face the threat of a winter
without protection from the elements. CNN's Oren Liebermann has more from Jerusalem.
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: It was one month ago, on October 9th, that the U.S. announced a ceasefire would go into effect,
ending nearly two years of war in Gaza. And since then, it has largely held. It has certainly been tested on two separate occasions in October.
It was severely tested. And yet here we are, and it has held to this point, even as the processes and the conditions within the ceasefire agreement
itself brokered by the U.S. have continued to play out. One of the key elements of the first phase that is still ongoing here is the return of the
remaining deceased hostages in Gaza.
And we have seen Hamas continue to transfer the remains to Israel. In fact, five times over the course of roughly the past week, they transferred the
remains of deceased hostages to Gaza, including over the weekend, when we saw the transfer of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, the longest held hostage in
Gaza, who was killed at the end of the 2014 Israel-Hamas war.
His remains were in Gaza for more than 11 years before they were returned and confirmed over the weekend. And that leaves the remains of four
deceased hostages held in Gaza. Meanwhile, the U.S. is working on transitioning from the first phase of the deal into the second phase, and
this is where it gets incredibly difficult.
This requires a mandate for and the creation of an international stabilization force to deploy to Gaza, not only to secure the battered
territory, but also to ensure the disarmament of Hamas. And that's where there have been disagreements, some have been voiced publicly, between the
Arab and Muslim states that are supposed to take part in this.
Meanwhile, the countries who are or may be involved, are looking for a United Nations mandate under which to operate. The U.S. is trying to push
that process forward, having circulated a draft resolution among Security Council members that's a key element here.
[11:25:00]
And the U.S. is trying to make sure there is progress, even if some of the key details here are still being worked out. Still one month into the
ceasefire, it has proven durable. It has proven resilient, even as it has been tested. Oren Liebermann, CNN in Jerusalem.
KINKADE: Next hour, we'll have more on the status of the Gaza ceasefire deal with CNN Military Analyst Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric
Leighton. Well, for the first time in a week, a typhoon has slammed into the Philippines. More than a million people were evacuated before typhoon
Fung-Wong made landfall on Sunday night.
It caused mudslides and floods on the main island of Luzon and claimed at least four lives there. It's now headed towards Taiwan. Mike Valerio has
the details.
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And of course, this is all happening just a few days after the first typhoon, Typhoon Kalmaegi, killed more than 200
people in the Philippines, five people in Vietnam. And to give you an idea of the power of the storm surge for this new typhoon Fung-Wong that hit the
Philippines on Sunday evening.
Let's take you to this video, you can see the incredible storm surge in the waves crashing above the roofs of those buildings. So, our latest reporting
here at CNN, according to the Office of Civil Defense in the Philippines, about 1000 houses have been damaged from this latest storm.
And they say the Office of Civil Defense, in terms of the number of people evacuated. Their estimates translate roughly into 426,000 families who have
left their homes seeking safety and shelter elsewhere. 6000 more or less evacuation centers have opened across the Philippines because of the storm.
In terms of a deeper human dimension, you know, we were able to speak with a 21-year-old who took refuge in his home as the storm passed over his
home. Listen to what he told us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROMEO MARIANO, SANTIAGO CITY RESIDENT: We felt the wind and some rain picking up around 06:00 p.m. and it got stronger around 09:00 to 10:00 p.m.
until the early morning. Almost all the tree branches nearby fell, and when we got out to check our home, we saw the damage.
As you can see, even the electrical post was damaged, so it might take days for our power to get restored.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VALERIO: So, in terms of the track of this storm, Dinalungan is the oceanside locality where the storm made landfall, around 115 mile an hour
sustained winds when it made landfall. It's about 185 kilometer an hour sustained winds again when it made landfall Catanduanes Province, one
reported drowning.
Firefighters were able to wade through waist deep high water in Catbalogan city and recover a body after a structure collapsed. The body of a woman
after a structure collapsed on top of her. Our latest reporting, as of Monday, 318,000 people were still in evacuation centers.
And the local authorities have said that storm surge of up to three meters, roughly twice as tall as I am, could still be a problem, could still be
something that people need to take seriously until the evening hours of Monday, where this storm is going. It's in the South China Sea headed
towards Taiwan on Wednesday.
The Associated Press quoting an official saying that the United States and Japan stand prepared to help, but the Philippines has not requested
international assistance. Mike Valerio, CNN, Beijing.
KINKADE: Well still ahead more on a high stakes historic meeting, the first ever visit to the White House by a Syrian Head of State. We'll have expert
analysis, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
KINKADE: Welcome back to "One World". I'm Lynda Kinkade. Here are some of the headlines we're watching today. The end of the government shutdown is
inside the U.S. Senate is in session right now voting on a series of procedural measures after a handful of Democrats broke ranks with their
party to support a Republican funding bill.
The measure would keep the government funded until the end of January, but it is not guaranteed backing for extended health care subsidies, which was
a key demand from Democrats. At least 10 people have lost their lives in an explosion in New Delhi, India. It happened in a densely populated Red Fort
area.
According to police, the blast originated in a car and then other vehicles caught on fire. More than two dozen other people are being treated for
injuries. No word yet on the cause of that blast. A typhoon headed towards Taiwan is happening this hour after ripping through the Philippines.
The powerful storm claimed at least four lives and triggered flooding and landslides. More than a million people were evacuated ahead of typhoon
Fung-Wong. It was the second major typhoon in a week to hit the Philippines. Well Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is out of prison
at least for a while.
Paris court ruled he could be freed while his lawyers appeal his recent conviction for criminal conspiracy. French media report that he is back at
his Paris home. He was convicted in a scheme to finance his 2007 campaign with funds from Libya in exchange for diplomatic favorites.
Well, more now on a historic visit to the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to meet with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa this
hour. It comes less than a year after Al-Sharaa's lightning offensive to claim power in the war-torn country. Since then, the 43-year-old has tried
to break with his past as the jihadist with links to al Qaeda and present a more moderate image.
Here's some of that effort. You can see him playing basketball with top U.S. military officials this past weekend. The Syrian Leader has a number
of goals to achieve, including the lifting of all sanctions against his country. I want to take a closer look at the Syrian President's White House
visit with longtime journalist and Author Robin Wright.
She is a Columnist at "The New Yorker", and joins us now from Washington, D.C. Great to have you with us, Robin.
ROBIN WRIGHT, COLUMNIST AT "THE NEW YORKER": Great to be with you, Lynda.
KINKADE: So, from a jailed al-Qaeda militant to the White House. Just how extraordinary is it for someone who fought Americans in Syria to now be
meeting with the U.S. President?
WRIGHT: Not only to have fought Americans, but who has been detained by the United States.
[11:35:00]
This is such a remarkable moment in history, such a reversal. I mean, this is a man who has transformed Syria in a very short time come to the White
House. Now there's a lot of business the two men have together. And today they're only likely to address some of it, some of it being just tokens,
symbols of a different kind of relationship, but this is a signal that the United States is very much engaged in Syria's future.
KINKADE: Yeah, he is, of course, the first Syrian President ever to visit the White House since Syria's independence back in 1946. And he was only
removed from the U.S. State Department terrorist list a few days ago, on Friday. I'm wondering what the White House hopes to get out of this
meeting, because we've heard that you know, Washington believes that they can get Syria on a U.S. led coalition in terms of its, you know, its fight
against the U.S. militant group ISIS.
But given the territorial defeat already how big a threat is ISIS, ideologically speaking?
WRIGHT: ISIS remained a threat in both Syria and Iraq. It has cells operating. It engages in kidnappings and killings of local officials. So,
it is still a threat, as perceived in Damascus and in Washington. Now, one of the biggest things to come out of this meeting will be Syria's agreement
to join the 85 nations in the anti-ISIS coalition.
And of course, this is also a moment the United States is going to ask for access or to a military airfield. So that it can monitor a potential
softening of relations between Syria and Israel. Ultimately, the United States wants Syria very much to join the Abraham Accords, which have
cemented peaceful relations between Israel and several Arab countries, and this could be the biggest of them all so far.
KINKADE: And of course, the last time these two met was back in May, in a meeting that was reportedly brokered by the Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman. Mohammed bin Salman back in May, and we heard back then that Trump called him a young, attractive guy with a very strong past.
What do you make of that assessment and the fact that some sanctions were lifted as a result?
WRIGHT: There's still a lot of sanctions in place, and this will be one of President Al-Sharaa's key requests. Nothing, I think, is going to happen
very quickly. There are layers of sanctions, including the Caesar Act, which needs involve some congressional approval. They can begin again
taking further steps.
But Al-Sharaa wants to indicate to the outside world that the United States believes there is a future and it's worth the investment. So, in some ways,
this is a transactional meeting as well. The damage from a 14-year civil war is estimated to be in the hundreds of billions of dollars.
And Syria needs outside investment to reconstruct and actually to stabilize the country in ways that are at the heart of not only Al-Sharaa's future
politically and physically, but in terms of Syria's place and ability to provide for its citizens.
KINKADE: And of course, Robin, Syria has traditionally been aligned with Russia and Iran. Is this a sign of a major pivot, or is the Syrian
President just expanding his options?
WRIGHT: Well, I think it's a little bit of both. He's expanding his options and looking he knows where the money is. It's certainly not in Iran, which
is lost much of its influence in the region over the past year, it's certainly not in Russia, which is absorbed in the war in Ukraine.
The investment is clearly from the west and potentially from China. But the preference among Syrians, among even Al-Sharaa and the former jihadi
groups, is to look for real money that is long term and that can deal in more sophisticated ways. Syria has a long history, and it wants to reclaim
its place.
I think that the Iranians and the Russians are going to try to keep a stake in the country, and Al-Sharaa will clearly negotiate with him, but he's
really looking beyond those two for a future.
KINKADE: And I just heard moments ago, President Al-Sharaa of Syria has just arrived at the White House to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump.
[11:40:00]
Robin, given your long reporting U.S. sanctions regimes. Do you think the lifting or suspending of the sanctions under the Caesar Act risks
legitimizing a new authoritarian regime under this new president?
WRIGHT: Well, President Al-Sharaa clearly has a lot to prove. Still, in terms of protecting minorities, there are tensions with the Kurds that are
it's a very important relationship. We've relied in the United States on the Kurds for years to lead the anti-ISIS fight. There are tensions between
the regime, which is predominantly Sunni, with the Druze in the south.
So, there are internal ethnic and religious tensions. Remember, this is a country that has significant Christian community. It has Alawite community,
a minority that led the country for 50 years. And so, there's a lot of sorting out in terms of making sure that Syria is one country and doesn't
split and doesn't have to hold together by authoritarian rule.
KINKADE: All right. Robin Wright for us Columnist at "The New Yorker", great to have your analysis today. Thanks so much for your time.
WRIGHT: Thank you.
KINKADE: Well, still to come, the World Health Organization is stripping Canada of a title it's carried for nearly three decades. What health
officials are saying about a measles outbreak in Canada, just ahead.
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KINKADE: Welcome back. Well, Canada has lost its measles elimination status amid a large, ongoing outbreak of the virus. The World Health Organization
removed Canada's former designation due to a measles outbreak that's been in progress for the last 12 months.
This year, more than 5000 measles cases have been reported, more than twice as many as Canada has had in total in the past 25 years. CNN's Paula Newton
joins us now with more. Thanks for being with us. So, vaccines in a post- COVID world have become so politicized.
We've seen declining vaccination rates. We've seen measle outbreaks in multiple countries. Just take us through how bad it is in Canada.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, you know, Lynda, this is alarming, and it should be alarming for so many countries, Canada, certainly, its
public health care system has a lot of flaws, a lot of them exposed during COVID-19. But let's make things clear, it spends a lot of money on this,
and the system is robust.
And yet, as you can see from the map I'm showing you right now, this has been quite a persistent outbreak that has touched nearly every corner and
crevice of Canada, which is why it was stripped of this designation.
[11:45:00]
I want you to read a statement now from Health Canada that you know, concludes Canada is currently experiencing a large, multi-jurisdictional
outbreak of measles. It was informed that it would lose its status that it has had for more than a generation now, over 27 years.
It says that is collaborating with the PAHO, which is a branch of the WHO and that is focused on improving vaccination coverage and continuing to
share data. Look at that chart. Lynda. I mean, look, you would go into a hospital or a clinic in Canada and doctors wouldn't even know what the
measles were because they hadn't seen it in so long.
Not the case this year. And I do want to point out that, you know, there were two deaths of infants in Canada this year due to the measles that
contracted them while their mothers while they were in womb. And this continues to be a serious concern. I want you to look now also to the
United States, which has been dealing with its own outbreak.
Now we do not know if they also will be stripped of their status. But concerning 2025, almost 1700 cases of the measles and counting. Why is this
so concerning? Lynda, I have to tell you, as any medical professional will tell you, when you start to see these cases, and you see the wide case
spread, if you bring in people who are immunocompromised.
If you bring in a young mother, if you bring in children of a very young age, measles is incredibly dangerous to their health. It can have long
lasting implications. And also, doctors for viruses do not have a lot of tools at their disposal, especially given the severity of how the virus
takes hold in children.
I want to point out as well that Health Canada says that 90 percent of the cases occurred in people who were unvaccinated. And again, that also brings
up the prospect, though of the other 10 percent and that there are vulnerable groups that might need a booster. And then that includes older
people of all ages, really, who are over the age of 65.
KINKADE: Yeah, it's quite shocking, really, not only people getting sick, but as you point out, two infants are dying because of this break, outbreak
in Canada. And the U.S. might soon lose its elimination status too. Just how bad is it here? And talk to us about the similarities you are seeing in
terms of public health messaging.
NEWTON: There perhaps are not similarities across state to state or province to province. Now, Canada does have a provincial system as well,
much the same way in the United States that a lot of the states handle this public health. But I can tell you in studies done across both the United
States and Canada.
And I point to one specifically done at McMaster University in Canada that indicates that there needs to be more study done on the interaction between
social media and the rates of vaccination. And there is disinformation, there is misinformation, but also there is always that assumption that
parents act in a rational way when it comes to their children's health.
And what they have seen is they've seen kind of a break in that. Now it is not the case that there aren't side effects from vaccinations. Of course
they are, but they are starting to see that people, when they pull away from their primary health providers, either because of misinformation or
disinformation, or, quite frankly, in the United States, lack of access to a primary care physician, that this is when things start to go awry.
I will also note that the President Trump himself, has weighed in on whether or not and how vaccines should be timed, and that's also added to
the confusion and the decision that parents have to make. I do want to underscore, again, that as opposed someone who's looked at this outbreak in
Canada for the last year.
And as a mother, that when you present a child with a virus, any virus, especially a young child, sometimes, even if you bring them to the best
hospital, you see the best doctors, it is very difficult to treat these viruses. And I think that what underscores that the best advice is always
to see your primary health provider.
If you have any questions at all about the vaccines you should be getting? And again, Canada a long road ahead in order to bring themselves back into
that status as this outbreak has moderated a bit in Canada, but really continues to rage on.
KINKADE: Yeah. Key message, listen to your doctor, not the latest trend on TikTok. Paula, great to see you. Thanks for joining us from New York.
Appreciate it. Paula Newton, there. Still to come another alleged betting scheme inside American sports. Players in Major League Baseball are now
facing accusations. We'll have a live report, next.
[11:50:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: -- I --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: There you hear the loud boos as President Donald Trump read an oath for new military members at an NFL game in Maryland on Sunday. Trump
was the first sitting president to attend a regular season NFL game since President Jimmy Carter. He and football fans watched the game at the
Northwest Stadium in Maryland as the Detroit Lions -- the Washington Commanders.
Meanwhile, there's some big news in Major League Baseball, two current players now indicted, accused in a betting scheme. CNN's Sports Coy Wire
joins us now. So, these two pitchers facing potentially up to 65 years behind bars if convicted. What can you tell us?
COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yeah, prosecutors say that two Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, face charges including
wire fraud and money laundering the indictment and claims they tipped off gamblers on throwing certain types of pitches, including throwing a ball
instead of a strike as an example.
The scheme brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars. Both players were already placed on leave in relation to the sports betting probe. MLB says
it's cooperating with investigators. Ortiz is in custody, set to appear in federal court in Boston today. His attorney tells CNN that Ortiz looks
forward to fighting these charges.
If convicted, these two players could face decades behind bars. Now in the NFL, what's better than -- football. First ever game in Berlin, Falcons and
Colton an overtime thriller. Atlanta's revamped defense going all out against the league's top offense. They had Daniel Jones down in the --
sacking him seven times, held Indy to two of 12 on third down.
Like the rest of the NFL, they could not stop Jonathan Taylor making his case for NDP, give this man his own auto bond. He rushed for 244 yards, 3
touchdowns, a 31-25 overtime win for Indy, who moves to eight and two on the season. Incredible stuff. Now, in a season where it seems like nobody
can figure out who's going to be the top dog come the end of the season.
The Patriots are making their case, now seven straight wins after beating a very good bucks' team. Drake Maye throwing one of his two touchdown passes
72 yards to Kyle Williams for his first ever NFL TD. And Lynda, rookie running backs, TreVeyon Henderson, he's fast, he's strong and he's smart.
Lynda, watch him in the middle of the run, turn to the sideline ask his coaches, should I score? Should I go down? Run out the clock. Go ahead and
score big man, 147 yards for him as the Pats and New Head Coach Mike Grable win 28 to 23 to move to eight and two on the season.
[11:55:00]
Finally, Lynda, some of the wildest scenes you'll ever see in the other football, soccer in the snow, Canadian Premier League final in Ottawa,
Atletico, Ottawa, facing Cavalry FC. Look at the players out there with shovels during the game. Now, this game, we had this absurdly beautiful
bicicle kick.
Call it the icicle kick. Atletico's David Rodriguez, equalize this. That is a framer. Hang it in the louvre. Make sure it's on lockdown. Change the
password -- Rodriguez --
KINKADE: -- is the password.
WIRE: Yeah, incredible stuff. They eventually went two to one in extra time. And this Rodriguez is 23 years old. He moved to Canada just nine
months ago from Mexico. He had never seen snow before, and there he was out there scoring the game winner in the most frigid conditions.
You can imagine. Their feet, their toes are probably all numb, feeling like their feet were cracking and breaking every time they kicked that ball.
They didn't even have beanies on.
KINKADE: That's insane. Have you ever played in those sorts of conditions?
WIRE: Well, I played six years in Buffalo, New York. So, yes.
KINKADE: Right.
WIRE: And for football, it's a little more normal. We're all bundled up without our pads on and everything. My goodness, those guys --
KINKADE: You are prepared. They were not prepared for that.
WIRE: They were not prepared. But they had a blast afterwards. They said they knew it was going to be a good day, even though some of the teams were
from West, players were from West Africa. You know, they're not used to the snow --
KINKADE: Not at all. It's making me cold. Coy Wire, thanks for warming up the studio for us. Appreciate it.
WIRE: -- it --
KINKADE: I'm Lynda Kinkade. Stay with us. I'm going to have much more "One World" in just a moment.
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