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One World with Zain Asher
Nobel Prize Winner May Arrive in Oslo Soon; 87 Killed in U.S. Campaign Against Alleged Drug Boats; Ban on Social Media for Children Under 16 Takes Effect; Trump Speech on "Affordability" Veers of Prompter to Many Topics; Syrian Army Driver Reveals Mass Graves Under Assad Regime; Spice Maker McCormic Names Black Currant the Flavor of 2026. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired December 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)
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: Hello, everyone. Live from New York. I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: And I'm Zain Asher. You are watching "One World". We are following multiple developing stories today involving
Venezuela, beginning with that controversial double step strike -- double tap strike, excuse me by the U.S. military in the Caribbean Sea.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, the Republican Chair of House Armed Services Committee says that he's seen enough and he's prepared to end his panel's
investigation into the incident. Now it comes one day after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other top officials briefed lawmakers on the
strike, many of whom have been putting pressure on the Pentagon to release unedited video of the deadly attack.
ASHER: Meantime, Venezuela's Opposition Leader MarA-a Corina Machado was absent from today's Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony in Oslo. Her daughter, who
you see there smiling quite proudly. Obviously, it's a very sort of poignant moment for her. She accepted the award on her mother's behalf.
Machado, who has been in hiding for nearly a year, however, is now on her way to Norway. We're hearing that she hasn't seen her family in about two
years.
GOLODRYGA: For more on the investigation into the follow up boat strike, let's go to Capitol Hill, where CNN's Arlette Saenz joins us now. So, this
breaking news House Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers, per his aide, says that he is now sufficiently convinced that this was a legal action.
Haven't seen this video, but he also would like for more committee members and more members of Congress to have access to this video as well. Tell us
more about what the significance of this means.
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that is why law senior lawmakers are still pushing for is for the full unedited video to be released, at the
very least to members of the House and Armed Services Committee and also the Senate Armed Services Committee.
But this is a significant development from the Chair of the House Committee, Mike Rogers, who has said that he does not, or an aide has said
that he does not believe that this investigation needs to continue. But there are still conversations ongoing about how this is being approached
among the Senate Armed Services Committee?
Senator Roger Wicker has said that he is speaking with the Pentagon about the potential release of that video as they try to determine whether there
is any additional classified information on it that might prohibit them from releasing it. But there really has been a growing momentum among
Republican lawmakers to have this video released. Take a listen to some of those senators voicing those concerns.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Do you think it would make sense for the administration to release this video?
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): I'm OK with it being released, and I'm OK with whatever.
RAJU: You're OK with the second strike that occurred?
GRAHAM: Yeah. I mean, I trust Tom Cotton's judgment.
SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): We got to get the Epstein files released. We got to get any videos that do not in any way compromise mission integrity down
there. Just get the stuff out there.
SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO): There's a way to release the video, which I have not seen, but if there's a way to release that that does not compromise our
intelligence gathering. I would urge him to do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: Now there has been a lot of back and forth from the administration about releasing this video. President Donald Trump initially said that he
had no problem with releasing the video of the follow up strike, but then a few days later, back tracked and said that that's a decision that he is
leaving to the Defense Secretary, who has said that he is still conducting his review into video.
It's worth noting that the Trump Administration has released video of the first strike. They had posted that on social media shortly after it was
conducted. But it's this follow up strike which has drawn a lot of scrutiny and which the video of that is what is under question here.
Now there's still big questions about how the oversight of this follow up strike will carry on. Senator Roger Wicker, the Chair of the Senate Armed
Services Committee, has actually been very careful not to speak too publicly about how he is viewing this moment.
There are members of his Committee, Democratic members of his committee who wants Defense Secretary Hegseth to come and testify publicly. So, we'll be
watching to see whether that is something that can be reached but certainly there are still questions from many lawmakers about the legality of these
strikes, and they've been pushing for the Trump Administration to release more.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, this is President Trump last night in a speech in Pennsylvania, reiterating his support for Pete Hegseth. Arlette Saenz,
thank you so much.
ASHER: Thanks, Arlette. All right, as we mentioned earlier, we are following the movements of the Nobel Peace Prize Winner Maria Corina
Machado is expected to arrive in Oslo today. The Venezuelan Opposition Leader was absent from today's ceremony, despite speculation that she
actually would be in attendance. Her daughter accepted the award on her behalf.
[11:05:00]
GOLODRYGA: Machado has been in hiding, and a decade long, travel ban has prevented her from leaving the country. In an audio message, Machado
confirmed to the Norwegian Nobel Committee that she is indeed on her way to Oslo and hopes to attend the rest of the day's events.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIA CORINA MACHADO, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER: Well in person, I'll let you know, just you and Christian, what we had to go through and so many
people that risk their lives in order for me to arrive in Oslo. And I am very grateful to them.
And I -- this is a measure of what this recognition means to the Venezuela people. Jordan, I want you to know that so well that let's start it,
because I have to fly, literally right now. I have to get on the plane.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Let's go live now to Oslo, where CNN's Pau Mosquera is outside the Grand Hotel. So, Pau, I mean, Machado hasn't really been seen in public for
over a year. I think it was in early January she showed up at a protest in Caracas, and then she was detained after that.
She hadn't seen her family members in two years. The risks, just in terms of her traveling from Venezuela to Oslo is fraught with so many dangers in
terms of getting her out of the country, not only would she have risked her life, I imagine, but a lot of people who she would have had to enlist to
help her would also have risked their lives as well take us through it, Pau.
PAU MOSQUERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's it Zain and Bianna. Machado herself, while maintaining that phone call with the President of the
Norwegian Committee for the Nobel confirmed that many people has risked their lives for trying to get her to Oslo. It's been a very difficult
situation.
And actually, every time that we have contacted the Nobel Institute over these last days to get any details about her travel, they always assured
that she would made it to the ceremony, but they didn't know when or how she would get in here, because all of these difficulties, all of these
complications.
And right now, Mario Corina still has not made it to Oslo. But even so, there are some people here behind me in the Grand Hotel entrance, where
she's supposed to stay tonight, that are awaiting her. The image that you can see right now on your screens is the entrance of the building of the
hotel.
Until few moments ago, on Zain and Bianna, we saw dozens of Venezuelans that were expecting her, all of them inside of this crowd barrier fences
waiting to get a glimpse of her. But well, seems like they are still having to wait a little bit.
And right now, I can also tell you that there are many different activities still happening after the ceremony at 06:00 local time is expected to start
a torch parade where dozens of people bearing torches on their hands are going to commemorate this very special day.
And they are expected to get here in front of the hotel. And this is an important moment when the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to the winner,
because then the winner comes out of the balcony, out of the Nobel Suite to wave to all the people that come here with the torches.
Now getting back to the ceremony, it actually was an emotional one, at least when we talk about the speech that was read by her daughter, Anna
Corina Sosa in front of the audience. This was a part of what she said during the speech. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNA CORINA SOSA, DAUGHTER OF VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER: As I wait that moment to hug her, to kiss her, to embrace her after two years. I think of
the other daughters and sons who do not get to see their mothers today. This is what drives her. What drives all of us.
She wants to live in a free Venezuela, and she will never give up on that purpose. That is why we all know, and I know that she will be back in
Venezuela very soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOSQUERA: Many of the Venezuelans that I've been speaking to over the day actually share the same situation, like kind of Corina Sosa. We're talking
about daughters, sons that have been separated from their families because they have decided to flee the country and search for a better life.
And this is the situation, as we say, of many that they are expecting Maria Corina Machado here in front of this hotel Zain and Bianna.
ASHER: Pau Mosquera in Oslo thank you. Thank you so much for that.
GOLODRYGA: And for more on this and to unpack the situation in Venezuela we're joined by Ambassador Todd Robinson, who previously served as the
Charge D'affaires in Caracas. Thank you so much for joining us, Mr. Ambassador.
If we could stay with Maria Corina Machado and this award, because it's been framed, really, as validation for peaceful democratic change, yet one
could argue her support for military intervention in Venezuela complicates that.
[11:10:00]
What does this say about the current stance of the Venezuelan Opposition Movement right now? Because I know you've suggested it reflects desperation
within the movement.
TODD ROBINSON, FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY, BUREAU OF INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS & LAW ENFORCEMENT AFFAIRS: Well, you know, I think both things
can be true. I think that clearly the award committee wanted to show strong support for democratic change in Venezuela and around the world, peaceful
democratic change.
I think the message is complicated by the opposition's apparent support for some kind of military action. And I think -- you know, I think that does
show a little bit of the -- not -- I don't know if it's desperation, but it's a strong need to do something after so many years of not being able to
bring that change about.
ASHER: And just in terms of some of the other things that Machado is advocating for. I mean, she's also been advocating for, not just
international pressure in terms of military intervention, but also sanctions. Do we know how much her beliefs in terms of how to put pressure
on Maduro has been influencing U.S. policy in this arena, especially if there ever was to be some kind of transition?
ROBINSON: Well, I think I mean, you know that different varying administrations have been working with the opposition for a number of
years. We certainly were when I was there in 2018, and I think everything is on the table, right? I think sanctions have been one way to try to
pressure the regime.
Obviously, marches on the ground in Caracas have been another way to try to pressure the regime. And I think international support, both in the
hemisphere and around the world, has been important. During the first Trump Administration, there was quite a bit of coordination and collaboration
with the opposition that continued through the Biden Administration.
I worked with my colleagues, both at the State Department and at the White House, to try to get this done. And I suspect -- you know, I can't say for
sure, because I'm not currently at the State Department, but I suspect that there is still a lot of trying to coordinate and figure out the best ways
to bring about democratic change peacefully, if possible.
GOLODRYGA: Well, reporting does indicate that the administration is quietly preparing for a post Maduro reality in Venezuela. And President Trump last
night, in a speech in Pennsylvania alluded to more strikes, perhaps not even off the waters and the coast there, but on land.
He said, now we're going to go do land, and that is once again, talking about threats against unspecified facilities in Venezuela. You've noted
that removing Maduro and his family would only be the beginning. Given your experience, what are the other complexities that would be involved with
such an endeavor? And do you think this administration is prepared and equipped enough to handle these complexities effectively?
ROBINSON: Well, I certainly think there are enough experts in Washington to help this administration. Should they -- should they avail themselves to
that support? I -- you know -- I think that it is a very, very complicated -- obviously a very complicated situation. Maduro is just one piece of the
puzzle.
Once you remove Maduro, there's a whole network, a whole coterie of people around him, and someone is going to have to figure out what their off ramp
is. I think security is going to be a huge issue. Right now, security in Venezuela is very much tied to the regime. It is violent. It has a
perpetrated human rights violation on the Venezuelan populace.
[11:15:00]
I think that figuring out all of those different pieces, what's going to happen to the people that have been supporting this regime? What's going to
happen on the security front? What role the opposition is going to be, is going to immediately be able to play? Will they have to maintain some of
the people that have been part of the regime?
All of those questions need to be worked out. I don't think it's just a simple matter of putting Maduro on a plane and getting him out. That's part
of the part -- a piece of the puzzle. But I think it's a much more complicated puzzle.
And I would, you know, assume that certainly the Trump Administration is talking about this every day. That you know, my experience in the past is
that the national security process is one where you're discussing every part of the puzzle, every piece of the puzzle before you -- before you make
a move, before you take action.
ASHER: Quickly, in your view, should that mean, perhaps even granting clemency to some of those who have been around Maduro, his security
advisers and top military brass, even those that have clearly been corrupt and part of this repressive regime.
ROBINSON: Well, as I said, you know, this is a very complicated issue. And it's been going along, going on for decades. I think in often times, in
these situations, we've seen it in Iraq, we've seen it in other areas of the of the Middle East. We've seen it in other countries around the world,
decisions are going to have to be made, and they're not always going to be popular decisions.
They're not always going -- not everyone is going to get everything at the end of the day. And you know, I think this is going to require, again,
quite a bit of discussion between the administration, between other allies in the international community and certainly the opposition in the regime.
I didn't -- you know I think very rarely does everybody get what they -- what they want in these kinds of situations.
GOLODRYGA: All right, we'll have to leave it there. Ambassador Todd Robinson, thank you.
ASHER: Thank you, Ambassador. All right, turning now to the latest peace efforts aimed at ending Russia's war on Ukraine. Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, preparing to send a revised version of the U.S. backed peace plan.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, that proposal expected to be sent today. And later, Zelenskyy says delegations from Ukraine and the U.S. will likely talk about
post war plans for reconstruction and economic development. This comes just days after President Trump claimed Ukraine is losing the war and that
Moscow has the upper hand.
That's even though multiple officials tell CNN that there are no new U.S. or European assessments that suggest there have been significant changes on
the battlefield. Meanwhile, Russia's Foreign Minister sending out this new warning against the possibility of any NATO troops being deployed to
Ukraine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: As the president emphasized, we do not intend to fight Europe. We don't have any thoughts of this. But if
there is any hostile step, including deploying European contingents in Ukraine, or expropriating Russian assets, we will respond, and we are
already ready for this response.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Well, let's bring in Melissa Bell on this. So, Melissa this idea that Zelenskyy is actually sending this revised sort of peace plan to the
U.S. to have a look at it. I mean, obviously, on the surface, it looks like progress.
However, at the same time, Donald Trump is putting pressure on Zelenskyy to accept the plan as it is. And also accusing him of clinging on to power not
holding elections, even though there's Marshall law happening in Ukraine right now and they really can't hold elections because of security reasons,
but accusing him of dragging on the war to hold on to the power. So just walk us through what is happening on the ground, Melissa.
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. President Zelenskyy has been speaking precisely to that Zain, that attack that came in the shape of that interview given to "POLITICO" earlier this
week by President Trump saying that he's ready to hold elections within 60 to 90 days if security can be assured, explaining that it's very difficult
to hold an election when the military is receiving missiles regularly.
So, he says he's prepared for it. That is not an issue. Also speaking with some hope to what this peace plan, these peace efforts, might become. What
we've seen really over the course last few days where Europeans gather around President Zelenskyy to try and bolster his efforts to have some say
in this peace process.
[11:20:00]
And to have that 20-point peace plan go in a better direction for Ukrainians. What President Zelenskyy is now calling for, once he's
delivered this revised 20-point peace plan with more of a Ukrainian bent to it to the Americans, is that there should be, he says, leadership level
discussions between Ukraine and the United States within the next couple of weeks in order to hammer out the details.
Essentially, there are three documents being discussed right now by the parties. One is that 20-point peace plan that Ukrainians hope to get a
revised version of to the United States tonight. The other that you mentioned, that U.S. allies are working on today, we understand with
president -- with Ukrainians, that looks at post peace, reconstruction of the country.
And then there is, of course, the very important document that involves the Europeans, perhaps most of all, which looks at the security guarantees that
Kyiv can hope to get from its allies. That will be at the heart of further discussions that are to be held in a session that will be presided by Paris
and London that involve the Ukrainians as to be held tomorrow, being organized by the French Presidency.
And really the idea has been of Europeans to try and gather support behind President Zelenskyy. Their fear, really, that in his frustration with the
slow progress has been made. President Trump might be willing to go further than will be acceptable to Ukrainian.
So really, huge efforts being made now to try and ensure that Ukrainian voices are heard on what needs to happen to the future of the country that
20-points revised, 20-point peace plan we understand making its way back to Americans today, Zain and Bianna.
ASHER: All right, Melissa Bell, live for us. Thank you. After the break, social media has gone dark for those who are under 16 in Australia, as the
move divides the country. We'll look at whether other countries will be following suit. We know that Denmark is looking to plan to -- looking at a
plan to do exactly that.
GOLODRYGA: Oh, please if the U.S. could follow suit as well. So many of us parents would be grateful. Plus, just hours after President Trump gave
himself an A plus, plus, plus, plus for his economic performance, he insisted that Americans are doing financially much better than they have
before.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Safety or censorship? Teenagers and social media companies are pushing back again. Teenagers pushing back are pushing back against
Australia banning those under 16 from using social media. Now the goal is to protect their mental health and online safety.
[11:25:00]
Parents and child advocates applauded the move after it officially went into effect Tuesday. However, it's receiving push back from social media
giants. Meta, for example, says that the ban will make those under 16 less safe.
Meta is among the 10 social media platforms affected by the ban. Australia's high court is expected to hear arguments about the impact this
will have on the freedoms of young people to engage in political discourse. Amidst the controversy, Australia's Prime Minister firmly stands behind the
measure.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTHONY ALBANASE, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: Make no mistake, this reform will change lives for Australian kids and allowing them to just have their
childhood. For Australian parents, enabling them to have greater peace of mind. But also, for the global community, who are looking at Australia and
saying, well, if Australia can do it, why can't we?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: All right, for more on this, let's bring in CNN's Anna Cooban joining us now from that. I mean, we Bianna and I've been talking about
this so much, so many questions, especially for us parents. I mean, when it comes to enforcement, I would just imagine that a lot of younger kids would
end up using VPNs, private networks, trying to get around it.
There's going to be so much push back and obviously getting social media companies on board. What is the consequence for them if they don't do
everything, they can to remove the accounts of under 16s?
ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS & ECONIMICS REPORTER: Well Zain, they are liable to be fined up to 50 million Australian Dollars. That's around $33 million.
If they don't show that they're really putting the effort to make sure that kids under 16 aren't accessing these platforms.
Now there are lots of people praising this, saying that this is a world first, and this is going to go a long way to protecting young people
against the litany of harms of being on social media. We know that it causes anxiety, depression, body image issues. But there are people that
are saying that there are some problems with this, with the implementation.
They're saying, how can you accurately guess somebody's age? There are these techniques using AI video selfies that will purport to be able to
identify somebody's age. But then that brings up issues around privacy, around data, but also there are issues around efficacy.
Is this even going to work? Is this simply going to push young people to find other ways to access these platforms, through these VPNs, or to find
other parts of the Internet to communicate? But it's important to note that Australia is very much characterizing this not as a ban, but as a delay,
and this is the eSafety Commissioner for the country making that distinction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JULIE INMAN GRANT, AUSTRALIAN ESAFETY COMMISSIONER: We're reframing this really as a social media delay. There are exclusions for certain messaging
apps and online gaming apps, because when Parliament deliberated, they didn't want to be cutting off young people's digital lifelines or their
ways of communicating, connecting and creating.
But wanted to keep them away and give them a reprieve from the persuasive and pervasive design features that are designed to keep us all hooked.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOBAN: Now, other countries jurisdictions are watching very closely to see what's going to happen with this? What the data shows about its impact on
young people and potentially might follow suit in the coming years?
ASHER: All right. Bianna, I think you want the U.S. to join.
GOLODRYGA: Oh my gosh. I mean, listen, I'm all about giving kids their own space and liberty, but at the same time, a 16-year-old is not in the same
frame of mind as a 30-year-old. Their brain is just not developed --
ASHER: Let's be honest, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. And I dare find any bit of evidence suggesting that it is good for them to spend as much time as they are on social media right now.
So, I feel, I feel their pain about having this right now.
ASHER: -- lecturing -- it's like oh my God I hearing --. I didn't do anything, why you guys yelling at me?
GOLODRYGA: This what they're signed up for. But I do think this being a collective movement, because the issue is when one child isn't allowed to
but their friends at school are then they feel excluded. But yes, so well - -
ASHER: This is a collective yes, --
GOLODRYGA: Well.
ASHER: My younger kid would just go with my older kid, and they would just use it all day long. You know, it's been all the time together.
GOLODRYGA: We should do a two-hour special, "One World" to address on this issue, and maybe we'd let you speak as well, Anna, because I know you're
like, what are they throwing it? But we clearly have a lot of --
ASHER: Her face was like, oh my God.
GOLODRYGA: -- clearly have a lot of opinions on this issue. Anna Cooban, thank you so much for breaking it down for us.
COOBAN: Thank you so much.
ASHER: All right, it's been a year since the fall of Bashar al Assad, and we are learning more about the atrocities committed under his regime.
Coming up a former Syrian Army driver tell CNN his story.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
ASHER: Welcome back to "One World". I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: I'm Bianna Golodryga. Here are some headlines we're watching today.
ASHER: In Australia, social media has gone dark for those under 16, this after a ban was put into place to protect the online safety and mental
health of teens and children. However, social media giants like Meta are pushing back calling an infringement on freedom of speech.
GOLODRYGA: The Republican Chair of the House Armed Services Committee says that he's ready to end the probe into the U.S. military strike on an
alleged drug boat. This comes one day after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other top officials briefed lawmakers on the so-called Double Tap
attack. Lawmakers from both parties want the unedited video of the attack released.
ASHER: Nobel Peace Prize Winner Maria Corina Machado was unable to attend today's ceremony in Oslo. But she's expected to arrive there soon. The
Venezuelan Opposition Leader has been living in hiding, with a decade long travel ban preventing her from leaving the country. But she has confirmed
that she's on her way to Norway for the rest of the day's events.
GOLODRYGA: On Thursday, the U.S. Senate is set to vote on a Republican led health care bill, if passed, it will not extend the enhanced subsidies
Democrats are fighting to preserve. Right now, those subsidies are set to expire at the end of the month. If they expire, it could then send premium
skyrocketing for millions of Americans.
All right, and here's a live look at the U.S. markets right now. We see the DOW about half a percentage point. The S&P 500, about 1/10 of a percent and
the NASDAQ, down about two tenths of a percentage point. We, of course, are waiting for today's highly anticipated announcement from the Federal
Reserve, when interest rates will be decided and it's likely that they will be lowered.
ASHER: Yeah, Wall Street is actually expecting a quarter point cut this afternoon, coming amid a time of uncertainty for the U.S. Central Bank.
This would be the third rate cut so far this year.
[11:35:00]
Decision makers are divided over whether to prioritize America's slowing labor market or rising inflation. Don't believe your own grocery bill,
though, and if you're angry, blame it on Biden, that was essentially the message from U.S. President Donald Trump from that speech that he gave
yesterday in Pennsylvania that was actually meant to alleviate growing costs of living concerns for Americans.
But over the course of more than 90 minutes, the president talked about windmills, he parroted a Scottish accent and then verbally attacked Somali
people, among other things.
GOLODRYGA: When he was on target, Trump mocked the word affordability and he insisted that Americans were doing better than they had ever before.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I can't say affordability hoax, because I agree the prices were too high. So, I can't
go to hoax, because they'll misconstrue that. But they use the word affordability, and that's their only word. They say affordability.
And everyone says, oh, that must mean Trump has high prices. No, our prices are coming down tremendously from the highest prices in the history of our
country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: On the whole, prices are not down, and neither is inflation. In his latest piece for CNN, Stephen Collinson writes that Trump had fun during
his speech. He failed to feel Americans pain on prices. Stephen Collinson joins us live now from Washington.
So, this was really supposed to be about affordability, Stephen but obviously he went on a massive tangent, and at times the speech became
quite racist and rooted in bigotry in terms of his attacks on the Somali people. But you know, worth noting that we are about a year away from the
midterms, and this is Trump basically back on the campaign trail.
A lot of people in his inner circle believe that if his name or are worried, rather, that if his name is not actually on the ballot, that next
year, people aren't simply going to show up. So, we're basically in for a year of this. Is that correct Stephen?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Yeah. And the problem, I think, for the Republicans, is this is not a sustainable message. It's one
thing to convince millions of people that the 2020 election was stolen. That's somewhat of a remote occurrence for many people.
But when you go to the grocery store and you see that you're getting less for your money than you did four years ago, and Trump tells you, actually,
everything's great. We're in a golden age for the economy. And you know, it's not that is undermining the Republican position.
There are lots of Republicans in Washington who are now willing to say, we need to do a much better job in trying to bring down prices for people. But
Trump is Trump. This isn't the first time he's gone out into the country and given an economic speech and mocked the entire idea of giving an
economic speech.
So that's a problem, and blaming Biden for it. You know, there are things that Biden should get blamed for. There was an inflation crisis. The
Democrats didn't really elucidate, at least a public message for how they were going to bring prices down in the election.
The Vice President Kamala Harris, who was the Democratic Nominee, has since admitted that she didn't do enough to tackle that problem. But that was a
year ago, the election, and blaming Biden in a year's time, I don't think isn't going to get it done.
GOLODRYGA: And we know that Trump's advisers are aware of how the American public is feeling. They are following the polling. They had scripted out a
lot of talking points for him to address last night, and it appeared that he avoided or bypassed a lot of them and just sort of ripped on a number of
issues those that Zain had laid out.
But you described a president who was more focused on foreign policy, Ballrooms, Mar-a-Lago weekends, than on grocery prices. And how everyday
Americans are feeling, the sort of I feel your pain Bill Clinton gift that he had really and winning in 2016 and then again, running solely on the
economy in 2024 we've seen quite a shift from him now.
What are you hearing from Republicans about what that means for them, given that he's not on the ballot now, but they surely are.
COLLINSON: Yeah, we had Nancy Mace, who's running for Governor of South Carolina, a Republican, on CNN last night. She was saying, this is the
number one issue in the country. And if the president isn't going to address it, his presence in mid-term election rallies is perhaps not going
to be that effective.
In fact, it could turn away middle of the ground voters, some of whom went for him in 2024 because they thought that he would be able to improve the
economy. So, this is going to be quite an issue, I think. I don't think Republicans have that much time on this by the way.
Normally in a midterm election, by the time you get to the summer perceptions of the economy and the various policies of the parties are
pretty much set.
[11:40:00]
So, the Republicans really need to get back to Washington early next year and try and fix this. They do have problems, though. There's this issue of
expiring Obamacare subsidies, without which some people's premiums are going to double or even more. They can't really find an answer for that.
Early next year, there's another big government funding crunch that could end up in another government shutdown. So, things are a real mess in
Washington. It's very difficult for the Republicans to change course. I do think there is a question, though, about whether the Democrats, apart from
standing up and saying, affordability do they have plans to fix this situation we're going to see next year.
ASHER: And just in terms of this Miami Mayor race, Democrat Eileen Higgins won the race on Tuesday. I mean, that was -- this is obviously not great
news for Republicans, because Miami had actually been held by Republicans for about 30 years or so. So, this is not -- this does not bode well for
the midterms next year, Stephen, what's your take on this?
COLLINSON: Yeah. Almost every election we saw it with the New Jersey and Virginia Governor's races. There was another election yesterday as well. A
Democrat picked up a State House seat in Georgia, very important state where there's a very important Senate race the Democrats need to win if
they have any hope of winning back the Senate next year.
All of these are going in the Democrats direction. So, if you're a Republican House member in a vulnerable seat as two members were in the
area where Trump was on Tuesday night. You've got to be very worried about the political signals. I think what we're seeing, in fact, is a
prolongation of something we've seen in American politics over the last decade or so.
It seems that every two years we get an election and the party that has any power gets kicked out because voters believe that the change they're hoping
for never gets enacted. And I don't think there's any reason to believe that Republicans who are in power now are going to get a vote of confidence
and they're going to be able to change that trend.
ASHER: All right. Stephen Collinson, live for us there, thank you. We have much more on the story next hour with, actually Trump's Former Economic
Advisor Stephen Moore, who's going to be joining us on the show. So do stay tuned for that.
All right, whether it's carbonara or pizza, there is no doubt that Italian cuisine is a world. I love Italian food.
GOLODRYGA: Pizza, really Italian?
ASHER: It is a worldwide crowd. My favorite is gnocchi. Now UNESCO has given it a long-awaited recognition. Italian food being recognized by
UNESCO. We'll explain after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:45:00]
ASHER: All right, today, Israel is set to reopen a key border crossing with Jordan to the passage of goods and aid.
GOLODRYGA: The Allenby Crossing has been closed to cargo since September when a driver bringing humanitarian aid to Israel to Gaza shot and killed
two Israeli military personnel. The crossing reopened to passenger traffic shortly after the attack.
An Israeli security official says the crossing will have tightened screening and a dedicated security force. Now it comes as the UN children's
agency says a shockingly high number of children in Gaza remain acutely malnourished.
ASHER: That's right. UNICEF says 9300 children were treated for severe acute malnutrition in October. That's when the first phase of an agreement
to end the two-year Israel Hamas war went into effect. The agency says that while aid flow has improved, obstacles remain, including denials of cargo
at crossings and security challenges and even where food is available, high prices are prohibitive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TESS INGRAM, UNICEF COMMUNICATION MANAGER: Mothers cannot afford to buy their children the nutritious food that's available in the markets. Fruits
and vegetables, which are now here, remain very expensive, and animal products, like dairy and meat even more so. For example, UNICEF market
survey done in November found that meat is still on average cost about $20 a kilo, so most families can't access this and that's why we're still
seeing high rates of malnutrition.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: We'll return to Syria now, where people took to the streets this week to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Bashar Al Assad's fold.
GOLODRYGA: But the country is still struggling to heal after more than half a century of brutality that became synonymous with the Assad Dynasty. CNN's
Clarissa Ward speaks to a man who saw firsthand the regime's atrocities.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This man says he transported the bodies of hundreds of Syrian prisoners every week
back in 2014. Now he's revealing where he says they were buried.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was a truck driver. It was a big fridge.
WARD: Like a freezer truck?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The bodies came without name. They only had a body number and the number of a security branch.
WARD: His job was basically to drive the bodies from the military hospital and to bring them here to be buried in these mass graves.
WARD (voice-over): Abu Ali, as we're calling him, does not want to reveal his identity, out of fear of retribution, haunted by the shame of his past
role under the regime of Bashar Al Assad.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We used to come here every week.
WARD: So, for the period of the year, he was bringing bodies every week.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sometimes 80, 100, 150, 200, 250 up to 300 bodies, approximately.
WARD: 100, 200 every week?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
WARD: Monitoring groups and investigators believe that there are dozens of mass graves around the country with tens of thousands of bodies in them,
but the trouble they have right now is that there simply isn't the expertise, the equipment to do the excavation.
The forensic investigation that would be needed to try to identify these people and give their families the closure that they're so desperately
seeking.
WARD (voice-over): U.S. based advocacy group, the Syrian Emergency Task Force, discovered this site earlier this year. The hope is that Abu Ali's
account could help some Syrian families find their loved ones. Clarissa Ward, CNN, Altal, Syria.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:50:00]
ASHER: All right, crack open a bottle of Prosecco, because there is reason to celebrate.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, Italian cuisine has become the first gastronomic style to be recognized by UNESCO, which is the UN's cultural body. The recognition
is the culmination of a three-year campaign by Italy's agriculture ministry. They want Italy's traditional way of preparing and harvesting
food to be recognized.
For more on this, let's bring in Barbie Latza Nadeau, who is at a Christmas market in Rome ready to sample traditional Italian food. Listen, Barbie,
you drew the winner today in terms of assignments here.
ASHER: We're so lucky you live there Barbie.
GOLODRYGA: Amazing in general. I love Rome, but the food and the fact that you're going to go on a food test with us is quite the feat for you. Just
talk about the reaction to this news.
BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: Yeah, you know, I mean, this really is a product of a lot of hard work by the agricultural ministry, because they
are so tired of people impersonating and imitating and creating fake Italian food.
And part of this UNESCO recognition is going to help, in some ways, protect that. We have seen in recent weeks, jars of pre made carbonara in the
parliament, European Parliament, you know, grocery store, and those are the types of things that this is the Italians really want to stop. You look at
this incredible food. This is from Sardinia. This at this market here.
These are created by traditions that are handed down over centuries. You know, this man has been here for 16 years. He comes every Christmas
festival. I've seen people come up here so glad he's back, because they want his particular sausages or some of the breads they make. There's
Puglia here.
The region of Puglia behind us. And it really is much more than just a plate of pasta and a glass of wine. This is really about the very fabric of
Italian society, the traditions held down. It's about sustainability, it's about seasonability, it's about biodiversity. All of these things play a
role in Italian cuisine.
And you know, if you eat Italian food anywhere in the world, and then come to a place like Rome, or any city, I'm partial to Rome, obviously, and you
eat real Italian food at even the smallest of little Trattoria Restaurants anywhere here, you realize the difference. And it's seasonal.
You don't get broccoli in the summer. You don't get artichokes in the summer. You get what's in season. You get what's at the market, and it's
always good. This man was telling us earlier, one of the things is they've never abandoned tradition. And any region in Italy, you're going to eat
good food, and that's because they care about the food.
It's part of the culture. It's part of the heritage, and it's a joy to experience it on a nearly daily basis living here.
ASHER: Barbie, what's your favorite Italian dish tell us.
NADEAU: It depends what region I'm in, you know? I mean, I think that in anyone who lives in Italy, if you go to you know, you're out in Rome, maybe
you're going to need a Cacio Pepe, sort of pasta. If you go to Tuscany, you're going to want to eat a steak. If you go to Puglia, you're going to
want to have those little Orecchiette Pasta with broccoli. All of those sorts of things count, because you should eat it sort of in situation.
And I can tell you that Italians, no matter what the conversation starts with, politics or whatever they're talking about, it always ends with food.
And it's just something that is just delightful, but people care about it. And there are rules. You can't have cappuccino after a certain hour in the
morning. You can't eat certain things at certain times.
[11:55:00]
And it may seem kind of a little bit picky, but it counts and it matters. And if you follow those rules, there are rewards to that. And that is also
part of the Italian culture. And if you can get yourself invited to some grandma's house for lunch some day when you're in Italy, next that is the
true reward. That is real Italian cooking.
ASHER: You know, maybe I'll come to dinner with you, Barbie next time --
GOLODRYGA: Good to be invited.
NADEAU: I'm sure.
GOLODRYGA: Take me out.
ASHER: Come on, we --
NADEAU: I'll take care of you.
ASHER: Go restaurant hopping.
GOLODRYGA: One of those rewards is that you never feel or bloated or just immune --
ASHER: Yes, she was saying that --
GOLODRYGA: -- and in the U.S. And I mean, it's amazing, good reward to have. Barbie Latza Nadeau reporting for us live from Rome, the assignment
of the day. Thank you so much. And finally, this hour, the McCormic's Spice Company believes we'll be seeing black currants everywhere next year.
They have designated the berry as 2026's flavor of the year, predicting it will be a major trend on restaurant menus and in kitchens in 2026.
ASHER: Black currants have been as popular. Haven't been as popular, rather, in the U.S. as they are elsewhere in the world. Thanks to a century
long ban on commercial cultivation, that ban is over now, more Americans are enjoying the tart fruit in cocktails, jam and even savory dish. This
was like a food vlog.
GOLODRYGA: Yes.
ASHER: We just focused on food. Now I'm really hungry.
GOLODRYGA: Lunch time. All right, we still have another hour, Zain. Stay with us. We'll have some potato chips in the break. We have more "One
World" after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
