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One World with Zain Asher

Feminist Icon & Ms. Magazine Founder Gloria Steinem Dies at 92; Sources: Hegseth's Culture War Fixation Damages Army Progress; Thousands Take to Ceuta's Streets to Protest July Border Crossing; DOJ: States Must Share Immigration Data or Risk Losing Federal Funds. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired September 03, 2026 - 11:00   ET

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

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BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: Hello, everyone. Live from New York. I'm Bianna Golodryga. Zain is off today. You are watching "One World". And

we have breaking news with breaking barriers and blazing trails, and leaving an indelible mark on the global fight for women's equality.

This, as tributes from around the world are pouring in for Gloria Steinem, the feminist powerhouse who has died at the age of 92, no cause was given.

The Founder of "Ms. Magazine" wasn't just a household name; she was the face of an entire movement, and it's one that incorporated all women, not

just those of a certain race or social class.

Besides being an activist, Steinem was also a celebrated journalist and author who had a profound impact on American culture and politics. She was

also a lightning rod for conservative criticism for her opposition to traditional gender roles. Sara Sidner has a look back at Gloria Steinem's

life and legacy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Any philosophy that tells us that there's only one way to live is got to be wrong for some people.

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Like few in her generation, Journalist and Feminist Leader Gloria Steinem helped shape the national

dialog on some of the most contentious issues of our time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The point is not what we choose, but that we have the right to make a choice.

SIDNER (voice-over): A Phi Beta Kappa Graduate of Smith College, Steinem, burst onto the national scene in 1963 with an expose of the working

conditions of Playboy Bunnies. She applied for and got a job as a bunny at the New York Playboy Club to get the inside scoop.

She revealed the long hours and stingy salaries of women who worked in the clubs where rich men spent their leisure time. Steinem became a tireless

advocate of what came to be called the Women's Liberation Movement. She was an eloquent and sometimes poignant champion of women's issues, including

equal rights and abortion.

GLORIA STEINEM, FOUNDER, MS. MAGAZINE: I can assure you, as a woman who has had one, that abortion is not a pleasurable experience. It is only a last

resort. And if the anti-abortion forces were not also anti contraception and anti sex education in the schools, we would have millions fewer

abortions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You were the one who coined the phrase reproductive freedom. Now, how did that happen?

STEINEM: It was reproductive rights, reproductive freedom, but clearly the ability to control to make decisions over our own physical selves is

fundamental to democracy, but because democracy did not in the beginning include female human beings, we didn't necessarily include reproductive

freedom.

SIDNER (voice-over): Her refusal to shy away from hot button issues provoked a backlash.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I teach my children to hate just like me, car cheats, horse leads, baby killer and --.

SIDNER (voice-over): In 1971, Steinem launched "Ms. Magazine", the first national women's magazine run by women. The preview issue sold out, and

within five years, its circulation reached half a million. She hobnobbed with the rich and famous and received the Red-Carpet treatment as a

celebrity in her own right.

In September 2000, Steinem married David Bale, father of Actor Christian Bale. They were together for less than four years. Bale died of brain

lymphoma at age 62. Steinem, though, remained active as a mentor and educator. The 2011 HBO documentary "Gloria in Her Own Words" introduced

Steinem to a new generation of women.

And in 2013, President Barack Obama awarded her the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

BARACK OBAMA, 44TH U.S. PRESIDENT: Her one piece of advice to young girls is, I love this. Do not listen to my advice, listen to the voice inside

you, and follow that.

SIDNER (voice-over): Steinem's reaction, I'd be crazy if I didn't understand that this was a medal for the entire women's movement.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: Our thanks to Sara Sidner for that. And we should note the Equal Rights Amendment, something Steinem fought fiercely for throughout her

life, is still not part of the U.S. Constitution. Gloria Feldt is Co- Founder of "Take the Lead Women" and Former President of Planned Parenthood, and she joins me now live.

Gloria, thank you. Another Gloria. There's something about Gloria's that is empowering. And a real champion for women's rights. So, thank you so much

for joining us.

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I'm so sorry that it has to be under these circumstances and for the loss of your friend who lived into her 90s, working until her last day. She has

a book coming out, I believe, later this month. So really looking forward to reading that. You knew her for decades, and everyone's talking about the

aviators, her personal look, her personal style obviously, "Ms. Magazine". Tell us about the Gloria Steinem that you knew.

GLORIA FELDT, CO-FOUNDER, TAKE THE LEAD WOMEN: Well, thank you for having me. The first time I actually saw her, I didn't meet her. She was speaking

at when she was 50-years-old, and the theme of her speech at that time was, this is what 50 looks like. And she really gave women the realization that

it doesn't matter what your age is, you have something to contribute to the world.

And I think her legacy is that more than anything else. You have something to contribute to the world. You deserve to have your life. You deserve to

have the freedom to be who you want to be. And she also had a great sense of humor, by the way.

And she -- I will say that even my own computer calls up Gloria Steinem before when I start typing in my name, Gloria, it calls up Gloria Steinem

first. And so, we joked with each other that we called each other our middle names. That my middle name is Ann, and her middle name was Marie.

So, we distinguished ourselves that way.

And so, we had a really nice, really nice friendship. But what I want to say about her is she was so kind and generous. And it is sometimes happened

that when leaders have the kind of, I would say profile and notoriety that she had, that you know you can get a little bit a little bit conceited I

guess I would say.

I don't believe that she ever got that way. She was always kind, generous. The last time she did something for "Take the Lead" completely, you know,

just as a friend, was on our 10th Anniversary in 2014 in her living room, a mutual friend and mentee Jamia Wilson interviewed the two of us Glorias

together, and she that was she always said yes. I'm just going to say she always said yes.

GOLODRYGA: What was it about her that kept her so grounded do you think?

FELDT: I think it was that kindness and generosity. She was empathetic. She did -- you know she did have a wicked way of talking about people that she

didn't like, and there were some people she didn't like. But somehow, she was the one feminist leader who, by and large, everyone could relate to.

And they -- you know, people could see her warmth and could see her empathy. And they --you know she used to say to young women who would say,

well, I didn't know who you were. She would say, oh, but do you know who you are? And I think that's really an example of her empathy and her

kindness.

GOLODRYGA: She broke through so many barriers, so many things that women today just take for granted. Something that she really had to fight through

throughout her career, throughout her life, having to come to terms with a world that didn't accept women as equals here in the United States.

It's hard to believe this was only a few decades ago. Sexual discrimination in the workforce was just known as life in reality at that point. And yet,

despite all of the achievements, reproductive rights, she lived to see Roe overturned. She was brave enough to come forward and disclose her secret

abortion in 1957 when she was in London.

You ran Planned Parenthood for nearly a decade, where does that leave her legacy on this particular issue?

FELDT: Social movements are always like that. You take some steps forward, and then there's a backlash, and you may take some steps backward. But I

believe that her legacy will continue to rise in power, in strength. And I Co-Founded "Take the Lead" because I realized if women do not have equal

power, pay, and leadership positions, we will keep fighting the same battles over and over and over again and never win them.

So, I see that as being where we need to go now, and I think that Gloria was pretty much on that same page. And she also was a great mentor for

younger women. And she always realized that, as she said, I'm not giving up my torch, but I am going to light many other torches with it. And she has

lit so many other torches of young women.

There are young women who spoke at our recent Take the Lead Conference just this past week. And that I would say I would follow their torch anywhere.

We're going to be fine. We're going to regain these rights and gain more.

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GOLODRYGA: That is always the best part of this country, I think. Just the optimism, right? Not naivete, but optimism that we can achieve.

FELDT: Yes.

GOLODRYGA: We can continue to fight another day. Great to have another powerful Gloria on this show as we remember Gloria Steinem, Gloria Feldt,

Gloria Ann Feldt. Yes.

FELDT: Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: Thank you for taking the time.

FELDT: Great.

GOLODRYGA: Well, now to the U.S. war with Iran. Washington now seems to be focused on efforts to chip away at the leverage Tehran holds in the crucial

Strait of Hormuz. Two U.S. officials say the military escorted 40 commercial vessels carrying 18 million barrels of oils through the Strait

Tuesday. That's the most oil transiting the waterway since the war began.

The officials say the U.S. also struck about 60 Iranian targets in the area on Tuesday. The USS Abraham Lincoln, meantime, has pulled into Thailand

after nearly 300 days at sea. It was covered in rust from bow to stern. The aircraft carrier left its home port of San Diego last November. Rust is not

the only problem associated with its marathon deployment, including for operations in the war with Iran. CNN's Ivan Watson has more.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Just look at the rust coating an American aircraft carrier as it arrived at a port in Thailand

this week. The USS Abraham Lincoln wrapping up what has been one of the longest deployments in U.S. Navy history.

Some 286 days at sea. Much of that spent involved in combat operations in the Middle East, supporting the ongoing U.S. war against Iran. And if you

take a look at the ship back in January and today, you could just see this rust along the hull of this 1,100-foot-long warship from bow to stern.

Now, some Navy experts say that this is not actually that much of a surprise. That Navy ships will start collecting rust in these areas after

just two months of operations in the ocean. It's going to be a lot of work for crew members to clean this up.

This is going to be now this port visit to Thailand, the first time that thousands of sailors and marines are getting to set foot on dry land,

really since winter. And one of the officers on board had this to say about that.

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CAPTAIN DANIEL J. KEELER, COMMANDER, USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN: We're very, very happy to be here in Pattaya Beach. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, for welcoming us.

It is a well-deserved break for all of the crew, and we really look forward to our time here to get a little rest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: And perhaps in the cases of a lucky few, there were relatives waiting on shore to greet their loved ones.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHAKEIRA FAIRFAX, MOTHER OF USS ABRAHAM CREW MEMBER: I just can't wait to see her smile. I can't wait to hear Mom. I know that's the first thing

she's going to say.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: The Abraham Lincoln's long deployment became a political issue in Washington, with some U.S. lawmakers criticizing what were reports of

plunging morale among the crew, of supply shortages, interruptions of postal service. And of one crew member who reportedly went overboard in

what the Navy considered to be a mental health episode.

The Pentagon and President Trump have dismissed that criticism. President Trump actually saying that the Abraham Lincoln's deployment was quote not

nearly long enough. Ivan Watson, CNN, Hong Kong.

GOLODRYGA: Well, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is coming under increasing criticism. One retiring Republican Senator is calling for

President Trump to replace him. Thom Tillis says Hegseth is creating a leadership void with what he calls inept management. Several sources say

Hegseth is focusing on culture wars and damaging the Army's efforts to adapt to the modern battlefield.

Hegseth has fired or pushed out several key leaders, including Dan Driscoll, who ran the U.S. Army. CNN's Alayna Treene joins us now from the

White House with the very latest developments. We got Dan Driscoll yesterday sending out his final letter to those who worked for him,

thanking Pete Hegseth.

But at the same time, a number of very frustrated members of Congress, Democrat to be expected, but even some Republicans, are publicly signaling

their frustration with how Hegseth is running the Pentagon. Just talk about how the White House is responding to this.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Bianna look, I mean it wasn't just Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican who is, I should note,

planning on leaving Congress after the November midterm elections.

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But you also heard from Republicans like Don Bacon or Senator Mike Rounds also raising these concerns about Hegseth and specifically calling into

question the high rate of turnover we've seen in senior positions of the military and throughout the Pentagon. Those are some concerns we hear. We

also hear concerns about the lack of a clear plan for ending the war with Iran.

Obviously, Hegseth has been a key leader in the military strategy of this war. And then also, the failure of the administration to reach out to

Democrats and specifically to build support among them and explain the reasons that they're going to need to pass a $70 billion emergency funding

package to make sure that the military is in a place for national security and other reasons to keep this war going at the intensity that it has been.

That is really something I think where we could see a collision course and really see Hegseth and the Pentagon clash with members of Congress on

Capitol Hill, Republicans again included, when they have to find you know this encouragement to get them to push that $70 billion package across the

finish line.

But look, as if you asked about the administration side of this, I think it's clear that the president himself specifically has continued to show

that he stands with Hegseth and he believes he's doing a good job. It was just yesterday when the president came out and said to Hegseth, he said you

did a good job last night in Iran.

By the way, he was talking about the strikes that we saw the U.S. issue toward Iran. He said you knocked the hell out of them. That was very good.

We're winning. We're winning that one very big. This is the kind of rhetoric you hear from the president when he's asked about Hegseth.

Now the president was also asked, though, about the vacancies in the military this week, particularly of course after what you mentioned,

Bianna, which is that the Army Secretary Dan Driscoll submitting his resignation. He's one of many leaders we've seen step down during Hegseth's

tenure during the second administration.

I remind you, just a couple week, a couple months ago, back in the spring, we saw the Navy Secretary John Phelan. He also left the administration and

left his post after clashing with Hegseth. And Hegseth has also pushed out a lot of senior military leaders who were very well respected in the

military, that includes people like General Randy George, the Former Army Chief of Staff.

There's also General Christopher Donahue, the top Army Commander in Europe. Both of them leaving as well, and there's been a ton of reporting from our

colleagues, our great colleagues who cover the Pentagon about the issues and the tensions that have been arising over Hegseth's decisions too, and

sometimes really hedges and reluctance to modernize the military in the way that some of those generals and secretaries had been pushing for.

So, this is an issue I think that we're starting to see really percolate, particularly as this war drags on past the six-month mark. One other thing

I'll just note on all of this is we often do see a lot of turnovers after a midterm-elections, depending on how these go for Republicans, and I think

that is something as well that Trump Administration officials are keeping in mind as they hear these concerns from members on the other end of

Pennsylvania Avenue.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and this coming as "The Wall Street Journal's" reporting that Pete Hegeth is extending some deployments well into next year, as

well. Thank you so much, Alayna Treene. Good to see you. And still ahead on "One World", thousands take to the streets to protest the Ceuta migrant

crisis. More after the break.

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GOLODRYGA: It has been nearly five weeks since 72,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish Enclave of Ceuta. In an address to Parliament

earlier today, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the government had not received any advance alerts or special notices about a possible mass

border crossing from state security services.

Still, the issue remains a divisive one, with protests in Ceuta and other cities on Wednesday. CNN's Clarissa Ward has more from the heart of the

crisis.

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Thousands and thousands of people have taken to the streets of this relatively small City

of Ceuta, just 84,000 people actually live here. And so many of them are out tonight to demonstrate just how fed up they are with this crisis.

You probably remember it was just over a month ago that more than 70,000 migrants came in from the border with Morocco. The majority of them

returned to Morocco, but the Spanish government says at least 5,000 migrants still remain. The local authorities here say the real number is

actually 9,000.

As many as 9000 migrants, including more than 1000 unaccompanied minors, which creates huge problems for a small community like this in terms of

feeding them, housing them. A lot of these migrants are sleeping rough in makeshift shelters on the beaches, and people here, you can hear it. They

are saying, enough is enough.

You see over and over again the slogan; Ceuta is not for sale. Ceuta will defend itself. It wants Spain and the government to take the initiative to

bring this crisis to a rapid end.

GOLODRYGA: Well, here in the United States, the Justice Department is putting states on notice, share information about undocumented immigrants,

or risk losing federal funding. The Trump Administration is changing a longstanding legal interpretation to pressure states into cooperating with

its immigration crackdown.

The threat targets two public assistance programs, potentially putting safety net funding on the line. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez reports.

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Trump Administration has launched yet another effort to compel states to assist President Donald Trump's

aggressive immigration crackdown, or face the consequence of having their federal funds pooled.

Now, this stems from a new legal opinion from the Justice Department that, again, requires agencies within a state to provide information on

undocumented immigrants or lose federal funding for two key public assistance programs. They're known as Temporary Assistance for Needy

Families and Supplemental Security Income.

Now, this is a sweeping legal interpretation that is different from a previous opinion from the Clinton era, which was far narrower and more had

that reporting requirement for agencies within the state that were administering the programs. In this case, in this opinion, the reporting

requirement would be true for all agencies within a state government.

Now, the Justice Department said in a statement, when a state chooses to participate in TAMP, it accepts the obligation to report illegal aliens in

the United States. Tax dollars intended to help vulnerable Americans should not perversely encourage illegal entry into the United States, but rather

should reinforce our laws and our borders.

Now, it's worth noting that undocumented immigrants are not eligible for federal benefits with limited exceptions. And it's unclear how exactly the

administration would implement this, though it is likely that it will face legal challenges, particularly from critics who say that the administration

is trying to coerce states into participation in the administration's immigration crackdown by leveraging welfare benefits.

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We saw something earlier this year in courts, the Federal Judge issuing a preliminary injunction blocking the administration from another similar

effort by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to try to gain more information about undocumented immigrants receiving food stamps.

So that is an indication that this is likely to also face legal challenges. But of course, we're still trying to get more details on how the first step

of all this will look like from the Justice Department, as it requires this information from the state. So far, according to the opinion, we know that

it is going to apply to future funding and not previous funding. Back to you.

GOLODRYGA: Thanks to Priscilla for that report. And finally, this hour, a man takes a direct hit from a lightning bolt in New York and survives. He

was also all caught on a neighbor's doorbell camera. Unbelievable. The man says he felt incredible numbness, a strange tingling all over, and burning

pain, but wasn't seriously injured.

Thank goodness, he said. He went to church on Sunday to thank God, and then bought a lottery ticket. I think surviving this is a lottery ticket win in

and of itself. All right, stay with CNN. There's a special edition of "One World" in about 90 minutes' time. "CNN Creators" is next, and then it's

Amanpour at a special time.

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