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One World with Zain Asher

Soon: Opening Statements In Tupac Shakur Murder Trial; U.S. Envoy Kushner Meets Israeli P.M. On Stalled Gaza Plan; Four Renaissance Works Stolen From Sicilian Museum; Vigil To Be Held For Former Cambridge University Professor; Social Media Reacting To Mamdani Speaking Mandarin And Spanish. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired August 17, 2026 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:00:51]

ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. The second hour of "One World" starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VANESSA MURPHY, REPORTER: Did you have anything to do with the murder of Tupac Shakur?

DUANE "KEFFE D" DAVIS, ACCUSED OF ORCHESTRATING MURDER OF TUPAC SHAKUR: No, ma'am.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: The search for justice, 30 years later. This hour, the trial of the man accused of orchestrating the killing of Tupac Shakur will begin.

ASHER: Data confirms this Ebola outbreak is the deadliest the Democratic Republic of Congo has ever seen. Why the spread isn't showing any signs of

stopping.

GOLODRYGA: And later, a mayor of many talents. Why Zohran Mamdani's message to international New Yorkers is going viral.

All right. In less than 30 minutes, opening statements set to get underway in one of the biggest high-profile legal cases this year.

Almost three decades after hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur's murder, the only person ever charged in his death is going to trial.

ASHER: Yes. Let's take a live look now at Las Vegas, Nevada, where Duane Keith Davis, also known as Keffe D -- Keffe D, excuse me, is on trial last

week during the jury selection process. Fans of the late artist packed the courtroom.

Davis is accused of orchestrating Shakur's killing via drive-by shooting on September 7th, 1996. This after his nephew got into a fight with Shakur and

his entourage in Las Vegas. Prosecutors will argue Davis planned the attack and supplied the weapon.

GOLODRYGA: Davis has pleaded not guilty to one count of first-degree murder. Some law enforcement says the violent rivalry between two Los

Angeles-based gangs contributed to the violence leading to Shakur's death. However, some involved have contested that assertion.

Let's get straight to Josh Campbell, who is joining us live from Las Vegas, Nevada.

So much interest in this case, Josh, understandably, Tupac Shakur was one of the world's most famous entertainers, but that was 30 years ago, his

murder. Now finally, we have a trial. What are we expecting to see and who are we expecting to hear from?

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right. I mean, we're talking about three decades in the making. This remains one of the most

infamous unsolved murder cases in entertainment history.

Because this occurred back in 1996, where I am here in Las Vegas, and just to take our viewers back to that place and time, there was Tupac Shakur as

well as rapper Suge Knight that were at the MGM Grand Hotel. They were watching a Mike Tyson fight.

And afterwards, there was this brawl between Shakur's entourage and Duane Davis' nephew. They all leave, but it's after that when Tupac Shakur is

driving near the Vegas strip in a black BMW, alongside them comes a white Cadillac sedan, shots ring out both Shakur and Suge Knight are struck.

Shakur ends up dying several days later.

And there's always been this question, well, who was responsible for that? Authorities claim that Duane Davis, known as Keffe D, he didn't fire the

shots, but he's the so-called shot caller, the person who had orchestrated what actually occurred that day. And he was arrested just a few years ago

and charged in this case.

Now, it's interesting what we're waiting to hear to see is what the ultimate evidence is that is used in this trial. And we expect a lot of

that will be Davis' own words himself. He's given many interviews. He wrote a book, talking about what transpired in that vehicle.

Interestingly, he was also interviewed by the FBI several years ago as part of a separate case involving drugs. He was provided immunity to talk about

what happened that night here in Las Vegas.

And he said that allegedly, he had handed the gun to the backseat where it was his own nephew who fired that ultimate shot.

Interestingly, what Davis says now, talking to the media, is that he made all that up. He was simply trying to make money. He said he didn't even

write the book that's purported to be written by him.

So again, that will come down to, well, who -- whose word does the jury ultimately believe? And then we're waiting to hear whether prosecutors have

any other evidence we don't know about that they introduced from that day.

[12:05:05]

As far as who was on the witness list, it is an extensive witness list. We don't expect all 200 some people to be called. But on that list include

Suge Knight, a famous rapper himself. He's currently in jail in California serving a lengthy sentence on an unrelated case, as well as Sean "Diddy"

Combs, also on that list. He is also currently incarcerated in New York.

Now, Suge Knight has said that even if called, he's not going to get in the any details about what actually happened that night. In fact, he said --

told one media outlet that, I wouldn't wish prison time on anyone. So, who knows if that will be fruitful if he is ultimately called?

Again, all eyes here on this courtroom. Again, this three decades in the making still unsolved. We'll wait to see what the jury ultimately decides

whether Duane Davis is responsible in part for Shakur's murder guys.

GOLODRYGA: Viewers will be able to follow all developments in this trial as it begins on cnn.com.

Josh Campbell, thank you.

ASHER: All right. Millions of T.V. viewers are in shock after the death of actress, Hayden Panettiere, who starred in a series "Heroes" and

"Nashville." She was found unresponsive in an apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina on Sunday.

GOLODRYGA: So devastating. Panettiere had stepped back from the public spotlight as she battled addiction and mental health issues.

In a recent memoir, she wrote about her struggles and spoke publicly about the pain of losing her brother.

ASHER: Panettiere soared to stardom in the early 2000s, portraying an indestructible cheerleader in the hit series "Heroes" following that up

with her role as a country music sensation in "Nashville."

Just a few weeks ago, she spoke publicly about her hopes for the future.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAYDEN PANETTIERE, ACTRESS: I've closed one door and another door is opened. And -- and I-- and can feel it open. And -- and I can feel all the

possibility, all the possibilities, all the exciting possibilities. I -- I feel like I have a lot more life to live.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: It was just three months ago, Jay Shetty, who was speaking with Hayden Panettiere there, says, I can't believe it. Our friendship had just

begun and I was so moved by the conversation we shared earlier this year.

So far, no cause of death has been released.

All right. Turning overseas, Washington is making a new push to revive a stalled peace plan for Gaza. The 15-point plan proposed by Donald Trump's

Board of Peace was hailed as a major breakthrough by the U.S. president last month.

ASHER: And Donald Trump's envoy and son-in-law held a four-hour meeting with the Israeli prime minister today following talks with the Hamas leader

on Sunday.

An Israeli source says that Jared Kushner pressed Benjamin Netanyahu to move forward with the plan. But Netanyahu told him, Israel would not

withdraw its forces in Gaza or allow reconstruction to begin until Hamas completely disarmed.

GOLODRYGA: CNN's Jennifer Hansler joins us now from Washington, D.C.

And, Jennifer, this was reported to be a three-hour meeting between Jared Kushner and Prime Minister Netanyahu. Netanyahu's office describing it as

deep and constructive, these talks, but it also came after something that we rarely see, though it has happened with this administration before, and

that is direct communication with members of Hamas in leadership there in Egypt.

Walk us through what transpired this weekend.

JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Well, Zain and Bianna, this was clearly a full court press by the Trump administration to

try to revive what seems to be another agreement that might be on the rocks here.

You had Kushner, who was one of the architects of this agreement, traveling to the region, as you said, meeting with a senior Hamas official in Egypt

yesterday, and then today meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

And from what we understand, so far, it does not necessarily appear that they were able to bridge any of the major gaps here when it comes to that

meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu.

A source told our Tal Shalev that Netanyahu doubled down on his rejection that they would not allow reconstruction in the Gaza Strip, and they would

not do any sort of full withdrawal from the Strip until there was complete disarmament from Hamas.

Hamas, for its part, has said that they will not completely disarm, that they would do it in phases that are contingent on Israeli action. So, there

seems to be a major chasm here that has not been resolved.

Another source told our colleague that Netanyahu conceded that it would be, quote, problematic to have any sort of progress on that 15-point plan that

was unveiled by the administration in late July ahead of those October elections in Israel.

Netanyahu has been lagging in the polls and has been trying not to make any major moves on Gaza ahead of that race.

[12:10:07]

Now, the U.S. has not put out any sort of readout of these meetings, thus far. However, we know from the sourcing that Tal had, that Kushner had

pushed Netanyahu not to create obstacles to this deal.

Now at the same time, under that 15-point plan, Israel was supposed to stop its military operations in the Gaza Strip. That has not happened. There has

been a continuation of strikes on that enclave in recent days.

There had been a pause earlier this month, but that has once again picked up here. So, hard to see this moving forward quickly, at least out of these

meetings. Zain, Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Jennifer Hansler reporting for us from Washington. Thank you.

ASHER: All right. Let's take a closer look at the latest developments with Aaron David Miller. He's a former U.S. State Department Middle East

negotiator, now a senior fellow with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Aaron, thank you so much for being with us.

So, just in terms of what really could come out of this meeting between Jared Kushner and Benjamin Netanyahu after Kushner met with the leader of

Hamas, I mean, what are your expectations, especially given that Netanyahu's calculations at this point are going to be primarily political?

AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT MIDDLE EAST NEGOTIATOR: Yes. And -- and, Zain and Bianna, thanks for having me.

Look, my calculations and expectations when it comes to Israeli-Palestinian anything these days is pretty low.

I mean, "The Odyssey" is very much involved and the prime minister is trying to navigate a very fine line between, let's say, Scylla and

Charybdis from "The Odyssey." In this case, it's his right-wing constituency, on one hand. And Donald Trump on the other.

He needs both of them in his corner as he approaches the most consequential elections of his political life.

You know, President Trump has been offered four chances to endorse Benjamin Netanyahu and has refrained from doing so. It's not beyond the realm of

imagination to assume that Jared Kushner in the not so subtle way made an unmistakably clear that, in fact, this -- there's got to be reciprocity

here.

Father-in-law's prepared to do big endorsement. What kind of flexibility are you prepared to show between now and October?

And I noticed Jennifer's report indicated, according to the source, that the Israelis committed to no full withdrawal. The question is whether or

not Kushner could persuade Netanyahu to agree to a partial pullback in exchange for, under monitoring and supervision, in exchange for significant

and serious Hamas demilitarization. It was going to proceed in phases anyway. That's certainly a possibility. But again, I think any -- any

breakthroughs between now and October slimmed in on.

GOLODRYGA: And no one should be under the illusion that Hamas would just willingly lay down their arms as well. So, it is understandable why

Israelis, regardless of an upcoming election, would be very skeptical of that happening.

At the same time, it is reported that the United States, or at least Jared Kushner, speaking for the president coming out of this meeting, has allowed

Israel to continue some of its limited strikes inside of Gaza as these talks are ongoing.

Prime Minister Netanyahu did something rare in the last few weeks, and that is publicly rebuke President Trump as it relates to this particular issue.

Just how much wiggle room do you think this administration is willing to give Netanyahu?

MILLER: Look, I think the rebuke was a bit of kabuki here. I mean, my understanding is the Israelis, number one, have agreed now for some

deployment of the International Stabilization Force.

And -- and let's be clear. I mean, you've got six countries; Uganda, Morocco, I think Kosovo, Albania, Kazakhstan signed up, maybe 200 troops.

That is not ready for prime time. But the Israelis have conceded that, in fact, they can deploy, presumably in an Israeli-controlled area.

And they, apparently now, any strikes against Hamas targets need to be signed off by the chief of staff.

And, look, I think the Israelis are not going to completely stop their kinetic activity in Gaza. And I don't think Benjamin Netanyahu has a lot of

wiggle room.

Again, the question is, how insistent is President Trump going to be? Look, this announcement came out of nowhere. The president is stuck in Iran. He

has very bad options. He was looking for a piece of good news.

Hamas kind of provided it by agreeing to demilitarization, assuming the Israelis were prepared to withdraw. So, I think there was something there

that was worth pursuing.

But again, I think the -- the chances of a significant breakthrough, an agreement which would commit the Israelis to full withdrawal in exchange

for Hamas giving up all of its weapons.

[12:15:05]

And, by the way, closing down what is -- what is still probably a -- a third length of tunnel systems, a third of the New York subway system. This

is going to take time, guys. It took the IRA and protestant paramilitaries in the wake of Good Friday, seven years to agree to a decommissioning

process. It was completed in 2005. And there was a political agreement before decommissioning even began. So, again, hard to imagine breakthroughs

here.

ASHER: And just in terms of Kushner's, you know, sit-down meeting or meeting rather with the leader of Hamas in Egypt, Bianna was talking about

this idea that Hamas is actually going to disarm. A lot of people are skeptical about it.

What sort of verification would there -- there need to be? And what sort of guarantees and assurances would Kushner be trying to get from the Hamas

leader despite all of the skepticism surrounding that?

MILLER: I mean, this really gets to the issue of why the demilitarization plan is not ready for prime time. You've got three elements here, which

simply are not ready to engage in serious -- in -- in serious monitoring.

Number one, you have International Stabilization Force, which is supposed to monitor the confrontation line once the Israelis withdraw. That's number

one.

Number two, you have the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, 12 very notable and -- and consequential Gazan technocrats who are supposed

to set up a governing structure, and they are to be the repository for the collection of -- of weapons, both small weapons and -- and heavy weapons.

And number three, who is going to maintain security in Gaza? You have 5,000 Palestinian police which are waiting approval to go to Egypt for training.

The only problem there is that the Israelis will let them out but have not given them guarantees that they can return.

So, again, serious demilitarization and decommissioning, I can't imagine this without -- and I can't imagine Hamas fundamentally agreeing to give up

all of its guns without substantial concessions from the Israelis.

And between now and October 27 and probably, even if Gadi Eisenkot, the front runner now, becomes prime minister in a government without the hard

right and without Benjamin Netanyahu, it's very hard to imagine in the shadow of October 7 with the looms dark and heavy still in Israel that

you're going to see much progress well when it comes to Gaza.

It's sad and tragic, clearly for the two million Palestinians who are suffering food insecurity, lack of adequate medical care, potable water. I

mean, it really is a catastrophe.

And I think we -- we have to be very sober here. Israel suffered an extraordinary trauma on October 7. And the prosecution of its war against

Hamas inflicted an extraordinary trauma on the Palestinian civilian population of Gaza.

It's not going to -- these traumas, this historical wounding is not going to be able to be ameliorated quickly or easily. You need new leaders who

are serious about making headway. And frankly, I don't -- I don't think they exist anywhere.

GOLODRYGA: All right. And that's over now. We'll have to leave it there. Aaron David Miller, thank you.

ASHER: Thank you for your perspective, Aaron. We appreciate that. Grateful. Thank you.

MILLER: Thanks for having me.

ASHER: Of course.

GOLODRYGA: Well, the Democratic Republic of Congo is suffering what has officially become the deadliest Ebola outbreak in its history.

ASHER: All right. Rebel -- rebel conflict about roads, works stoppages, weak health infrastructure are all making it even more difficult to reach

remote areas.

And our -- as our Larry Madowo reports, the proportion of people infected who are dying from the virus is higher than ever before.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is officially the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the history of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Government

data has confirmed 2,325 deaths surpassing the previous death toll record from the outbreak between 2018 and 2020.

The current one is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has no approved vaccines or treatments. Its fatality ratio is nearly one in every

two cases.

At this point, nearly 5,000 cases have been confirmed and that number is expected to rise. This outbreak has gained momentum since it was declared

on May 15. But officials believe it may have started as early as February.

Efforts to stop it from spreading have been handed by weak health infrastructure, community resistance, and political instability. Ebola

spreads through direct contact with a bodily fluids of infected people, living or dead. It can cause fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and in severe

cases, internal and external bleeding.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[12:20:07]

ASHER: All right. Still to come on "One World," heavy rains hammer the Philippines and bring floods that are making things difficult in the

nation's capital.

GOLODRYGA: Plus, have you seen these works of art? If so, here we go, in a museum in Sicily would like to talk to you the amazing details of how some

thieves got away with them.

And also ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CHEERS)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Cameroon's football faithful celebrate a tournament triumph. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: All right. Floodwaters have submerged homes and roads in Manila, as the southwest monsoon has brought heavy rains across the northern

Philippines. Residents say the water rose quickly, reaching chest level. The situation is extremely difficult there right now. The enhanced monsoon

hit Metro Manila and several areas of Luzon.

GOLODRYGA: And turning to Italy, where police are looking for the thieves who stole four Renaissance artworks from a Sicilian museum.

Investigators say the highest happened Saturday evening after the thieves bypassed alarm and security systems. Museum officials call the theft a

tremendous loss.

The stolen pieces are by painter Antonello da Messina. They're more than 500 years old and are considered some of his most important and well-known

works.

Stefano Pozzebon has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Investigators are still trying to piece together what happened at the Messina Regional Museum in Sicily, where four

Renaissance paintings were stolen over the weekend.

According to preliminary information, the thieves broke into the museum on Saturday evening, taking advantage of a national holiday when much of Italy

shuts down for the summer on August 15.

They made out with three panels from the Polyptych of San Gregorio, and the portrait of the Virgin Mary. They're all from Antonello da Messina, one of

the most famous artists of the late 15th century.

ENZO CARUSO, COUNCILLOR, FOR CULTURE OF MESSINA (through translator): More than a loss, this is a real disaster. Because Messina without Antonello is

robbed of the very essence of the greatest artist of the European Renaissance.

Together with the mayor, we want to be close to the museum. And we hope these works may return home as soon as possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[12:25:04]

POZZEBON: The arts stolen in Messina is believed to be worth millions of dollars. Less than 50 paintings all around the world are attributed to

Antonello, which makes this type of art extremely rare, and also extremely hard to sell for criminal networks.

Just the last week, the Italian cultural police successfully recovered the three paintings worth more than $10 million collectively in the northern

Italian city of Parma.

Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: All right. People are gathering for a vigil in London for former Cambridge University professor, Jason Arday. The 41-year-old was found dead

on Friday.

GOLODRYGA: Arday, who's the youngest black professor in university's history, had been accused of plagiarism and resigned earlier this month. He

had also faced intense scrutiny around various statements that were attributed to him, such as a claim that he had run 30 marathons in 35 days.

ASHER: Media attention to multiple aspects of Arday's life and background grew to fever pitch in the weeks before his death. His family maintained he

was the victim of a sustained campaign of abuse that started after his appointment as a professor.

Let's bring in CNN's Anna Cooban at the vigil in Trafalgar Square.

I mean, listen, a lot of people, over the past few weeks, have been talking about this story, the elements of race that run through this story, of

course, and just really the fact that the British media essentially, you know, honed in on him and -- and covered him relentlessly, and whether or

not that played a role in his death.

I -- I mean, I assume you've been talking to people. What have they been saying, Anna?

ANNA COOBAN, CNN REPORTER: Well, many people here were here at a vigil for Jason Arday. They believe that he was the subject of a -- essentially a

racist witch hunt that a white professor would not have been given the same level of vitriol and attention as Jason Arday was given.

And just to give you a sense of this barrage of media scrutiny he was facing, he was hounded to a point where he resigned his post as a professor

(TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY). So, on the basis of agreeing with the accusations against him, the accusations of plagiarism, he denied those.

But he said that he just simply could not withstand that level of scrutiny any further. And even after he resigned, the media attention, the scrutiny

continued. You know, there were articles being published citing anonymous students that he had once delivered a lecture to and they were, you know,

recounting silly things that he had done and humiliating anecdotes. And this just kept coming thick and fast.

And so now we're in yet another period for the British press of -- of a reckoning. Did this go too far? I think many people would argue that it

did.

And -- and Jason Arday became a symbol very quickly. This is -- this was not a very famous man. He achieved some degree in public attention a few

years ago when he was -- made the first or the youngest black professor at Cambridge.

And he is a symbol of academic excellence for many people. But then other people on the right used his appointment as a way to sort of air their

grievances about wider issues, about D.I., about supposed diversity hires.

And so this man, this human being, very quickly became a symbol. And now just a few days after this media onslaught began, he is no longer with us.

And rightly so, people are incredibly angry in asking many, many questions, Zain.

ASHER: All right. Anna Cooban, live for us there in Trafalgar Square, thank you so much.

GOLODRYGA: Still to come for us on "One World," we are moments away from opening statements in the Tupac Shakur murder trial 30 years after his

death.

Also ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZOHRAN MAMDANI, NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Reaching out to young people, New York City's mayor is speaking their language and creating a buzz online. Details, a little later in the

show.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:30:01]

ASHER: All right. Welcome back to "One World." I'm Zain Asher.

GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga.

Let's update our top story today. Opening statements in Tupac Shakur's murder trial are expected any minute now. Nearly 30 years later, the deadly

shooting of a legendary musician is being brought back into the spotlight.

Here now is a live look at Las Vegas, Nevada where Duane Keith Davis, also known as Keffe D, is on trial. Davis has pleaded not guilty to one count of

first-degree murder.

ASHER: Davis is accused of orchestrating his -- Shakur's killing during a drive-by shooting on September 7th, 1996. This after his nephew got into a

fight with Shakur and his entourage in Las Vegas. Shakur was only 25 years old when he died.

His music often touched on social justice issues and is still beloved by several fans to this day. Prosecutors will argue Davis planned the 1996

attack and supplied the weapon as well.

GOLODRYGA: Much of what we know about Davis comes from his 2019 memoir, "Compton Street Legend." At one point in the book, Davis says he had a

conversation with rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs. Combs allegedly asked Davis for help with a, quote, "couple of problems I need to be handled." This

conversation appears to be referencing Shakur.

Davis is standing by his claims that he had nothing to do with the killing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MURPHY: Did you have anything to do with the murder of Tupac Shakur?

DAVIS: No, ma'am. No, ma'am.

I wasn't even in Nevada. I wasn't in Nevada, period.

MURPHY: Do you regret the book and the interview?

DAVIS: Yes. I was just after the money. And they said I was covered.

I did it for the money.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Let's discuss with our legal analyst Joey Jackson live from New York.

A couple of questions here at the top, Joey. So, Davis is the only man ever charged with Tupac's murder. He spent years narrating his killing, as we

mentioned his memoir, there's a BET interview. He had a play-by-play of what went down. His defense says that he was just embellishing for money

and his own credibility.

A, how hard is it to convict a man who is basically all of the evidence comes from his own storytelling? And, B, I mean, I think a more simple

question is, why has it taken 30 years to finally get to this point?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Great questions. Good to be with you, Bianna and Zain.

Listen, this trial is going to be about the battle of the narratives. And to your point, prosecutors are going to really lean in on the issue of this

a number of things, really, you mentioned the media issues, but there's more as we look at him there.

They're going to talk about the 2008 proper agreement. What does that mean? It means that the government offers you immunity if you speak. But what

happened in that proper agreement, from the perspective of the prosecutors, is that he told chapter and verse, that is Keffe D who we're looking at

there, Mr. Davis, as to his involvement, as to procuring the white Cadillac, which was the car, as to getting the murder weapon, as to doing

everything. Why would he say that? Because, right, he was actually asked to say it and was really given immunity for saying it.

[12:35:21]

Now, the defense will argue that he was saying that in the context of being investigated for a federal drug conviction. And the whole reason he spoke

with them is because he was given immunity. And so the defense will say that he said what they wanted to hear. And that's how they will distance

themselves, the defense will, from that statement.

But then you have to really get into, Bianna and Zain, as we look at the live pictures there of him being in court to start this trial 30 years

later, is you have to look at what he said on the podcast, what he said on Netflix, what he said on YouTube, which really was, again, referencing his

involvement, referencing the shooting, referencing the murder weapon, referencing the gang. And the defense has to distance themselves from those

statements.

Last point, the defense, though, will also argue that, listen, all you have are those statements which could be discredited. My client had to make a

living. And he is, of course, going to go out there and say fictional things, which are going to line his pocket.

This case comes down to the defense will argue the evidence. And, by the way, if we look at the evidence, where is it? Where's the murder weapon?

Where's the getaway car? Where's the DNA? Where are the fingerprints? Where are the eyewitnesses? Where's anything, other than his fictitious words

when he was telling the police what they wanted to hear, and then repeating it in public to make money, what connects him to guilt in this case?

Nothing, the defense will say, why are we even here? And that's going to be the battle of the narratives in this case.

ASHER: So no evidence other than, you know, as you've talked about, his own words. I think that prosecutors will look at the fact that there is

somewhat of a, you know, in their view, a believable motive, given that he is the uncle of Orlando Anderson, who got into that famous altercation with

Tupac Shakur at the MGM Grand, after that Mike Tyson fight in Las Vegas.

But we're about to see the jurors come in. And no matter how good your lawyers are, as I'm sure you know yourself, Joey Jackson, it really does

come down to the jurors.

When you have somebody as famous and as beloved as Tupac Shakur who died so young, just 25 years old, and made such an impact, you know, on -- on this

country, especially culturally, but also around the world, you're now picking these 12 individuals who represent a cross-section of society who

are supposed to be impartial. How difficult is that just to sort of pick the jurors in a case like this?

JACKSON: Yes. So, it's definitely a challenge. And they, of course, that is both sides talked about getting a jury and talked the jury through the

issues of pop culture and the feelings of the jury about that. The issue of gangs, the issue of police conduct and misconduct, right, the issue of just

in general what they thought and they felt about Tupac Shakur himself, the celebrity status.

So, they vetted the jury and they hope, both sides, that they have a jury that's fair and that's impartial.

When you have jurors that say, hey, I can't be fair. I love Tupac. I hate the police. I hate gangs. I love gangs. If you have any of those outliers,

they could be challenged for cause. And you could get rid of jurors like that all day and all night. It's unlimited.

And then, of course, you go into this other issue where you have these what's called peremptory challenges where you could excuse jurors for any

reason or no reason as long -- as long as it's not discriminatory, excuse me, predicated upon race. You have eight of those challenges and then two

for the alternates.

But I think to your issue, Zain, and your question, it's always difficult because jurors tell you kind of what you want to hear, but you would hope

that in the vetting process, they've gotten people who can really be receptive.

The issue is not have you heard about the case. The issue is whether you like Tupac or not whether you like him. The issue is, can you base your

decision on what you hear in the courtroom?

Last point. You mentioned something very important, Zain, and that's motivation. And I think the prosecutors are going to say, everything, no

matter what jury you have, has to make sense. And wouldn't it make sense, the prosecution would argue, right? That the statement that he made, Keffe

D, was credible.

Who's the one who would want revenge? That would be Keffe D. Why? Orlando Anderson, the one who got beat up at the MGM Grand, was his nephew. And

when did he seek revenge? Immediately after his nephew got beat up. And why would he seek revenge? Because he was a shot caller for this gang.

So, I think they will, of course, talk about prosecutors, the motivation, try to make that motivation make sense, connect it to his prior statements

and argue, we don't need a murder weapon. We don't need the getaway car. We've got the guy who told us he did it.

And you could believe what the defendant says, because the dots connect, the motivation connects, and it was him. That'll be their argument, of

course. But as I noted earlier, the defense will have an awful lot to say about that.

[12:40:12]

GOLODRYGA: Yes. And opening statements by the prosecutor is just now beginning. A big question is, how does a jury waste secondhand decades old

at times, you know, in this case gang testimony and who does the passage of time benefit more, the defendant or the prosecution here. We're going to

keep a close eye on all of it.

Joey Jackson, thank you.

JACKSON: Thanks, Bianna. Thanks, Zain.

ASHER: Of course.

All right. New York City's mayor is getting applause on social media for his language skills.

GOLODRYGA: Zohran Mamdani is using multilingual videos to get the word out to local high school students about free Broadway tickets.

CNN's Zane, not you.

ASHER: Really, it's not me?

GOLODRYGA: Zane Heinlein has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAMDANI: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

ZANE HEINLEIN, CNN PRODUCER (voice-over): New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is turning heads for something you might not expect; speaking

Mandarin.

MAMDANI: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

HEINLEIN (voice-over): The video is grabbing the attention of millions of people on social media and many are surprised by his skill. People took the

TikTok to weigh in on Mamdani's Mandarin with some saying it shows he's trying to connect with his constituents.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's what we should be expecting of our leaders.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Honestly, his Chinese is better than yours.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When did Mamdani learn how to speak Mandarin?

HEINLEIN (voice-over): Mamdani, who is known for his social media savvy, used the video to promote a lottery giving New York City high school

students free tickets to shows On and Off Broadway.

He also made a version of the video in Spanish.

MAMDANI: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

HEINLEIN (voice-over): In addition to his original post in English.

According to New York City public schools, 42.3 percent of students enrolled in the 2024 to '25 school year were Hispanic. And 18.7 percent

were Asian and Pacific Islander.

Mamdani's administration, in partnership with the Theatre Development Fund, is giving away more than 2,000 tickets to shows like "In the Heights" and

"The Lost Boys," according to TDF.

He says he hopes the lottery makes theater more accessible for kids and their families.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: All right. Well, for the first time in history, Cameroon have won the Women's Africa Cup of Nations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cameroon are the champions of Africa.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: The indomitable Lionesses won the final in Rabat, Morocco on Sunday with a three to zero victory over tournament debutants, Malawi.

ASHER: Yes. Back home in Cameroon, celebrating the long way to the win. This after their team finally clenched the title in their fourth final

appearance. Their team actually reached the final in three previous tournaments losing to Nigeria.

I'm Nigerian, obviously, every time.

GOLODRYGA: Next year. There's always next year.

ASHER: And although they may not have brought home the top prize, sisters, Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga, carried Malawi to the final. The duo combined

for nine of Malawi's 12 goals during the tournament, securing the country's first ever qualification for FIFA's World Cup next year in Brazil.

GOLODRYGA: All right. That does it for "One World" today. I'm Bianna Golodryga.

ASHER: I'm Zain Asher. She'll be back in 15 minutes with "Amanpour." You're watching CNN. "African Voices Playmakers" is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:45:00]

(AFRICAN VOICES PLAYMAKERS)

[13:00:00]

END