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One World with Zain Asher
Political Debate Over AI Intensifies Amid Dire Warnings; Russia Strikes Train Near Ukraine-Poland Border; NYC Mayor Announces Legal Action Against "Public Charge" Rules; Airman Shot Down in Iran Recounts His Dramatic Rescue; Hormuz Traffic Remains 90 Percent Below Pre-war Levels; Oil Futures Rise Nearly 3 Percent Amid Middle East Hostilities. Aired 11a- 12p ET
Aired September 14, 2026 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: Live from Dubai, I'm Eleni Giokos. This is "One World". Ahead on the show, Big Tech wants to pump the brakes on AI,
while President Trump is full steam ahead. We're live on Capitol Hill with a look at whether lawmakers can risk being on the wrong side of this issue.
Plus, sky high diesel, oil, and gasoline with the war, with the Iran continuing to drive up prices as tensions remain high in the Middle East.
And it is all coming back to her now. Celine Dion's emotional return to the stage after battling a rare neurological disorder.
Welcome to the show. Now, two letters have been on the minds of politicians, scientists, and tech giants AI, the power it holds is awe-
inspiring to some, but downright frightening to others. Right now, on Capitol Hill, House Democrats are sounding the alarm.
They're demanding House Speaker Mike Johnson reconvene Congress to tackle regulation of the technology. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries says
putting up guardrails cannot wait.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): We should take decisive action now so that we can slow down, as the CEOs have recently acknowledged, slow down the pace
of development in order to protect the American people and ensure that AI is proceeding safely.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, for his part, House Speaker Mike Johnson told CNN Sunday that industry leaders should meet with lawmakers and find out a balanced
approach to this issue, and importantly, to AI guardrails, all this follows several AI-related incidents and warnings from the tech world.
Among them, a Former Anthropic Researcher who quit, saying he and his colleagues believe AI could kill all of us by the end of the decade. Now,
President Donald Trump, in a Truth Social post, says the U.S. government has tremendous criminal and regulatory power over these companies, and he
adds there is a sick conspiracy going on against AI and data centers, and the only happy about is China.
Now we've got Annie Grayer standing by for us. She's on Capitol Hill with the latest on this AI debate. Annie, really good to see you. You know a lot
of alarm bells while slowing things down. You've got President Trump saying something completely different. What is the take right now in terms of
getting more regulation in place?
ANNIE GRAYER, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, lawmakers are really grappling with this issue as industry leaders are really raising the alarm bells. But
the problem with Congress, as we know, is it typically moves pretty slowly on a number of issues, and they're facing a limited number of days to get
their work done between now and the November elections.
The House is only in session one more week between now and November because the Republican leaders canceled some of the later weeks of session for
later this month. The Senate is in for three weeks, starting today, but there's really not a lot of time to pass meaningful reform on such a
complicated issue before the midterm election.
So, leaders are split on really what to do. Democrats in their position in the minority in both the House and Senate are really pushing this issue
forward, saying that there has to be meaningful reform. Democrats were calling on Speaker Johnson to call the House back into session last week
and urging him to keep the House in session as long as possible.
Hakeem Jeffries, who is the top Democrat in the House and would be in line to be speaker if Democrats reclaim the majority in November, says this
needs to be a top issue that Democrats make a lot of legislative priorities around Former President Barack Obama in a private fundraiser last week was
talking about how anyone running for president in 2028 needs to make this central to their campaign and not run away from this issue.
That this needs to be an issue that Democrats lead on. Meanwhile, Republicans are really emphasizing that the changes that need to happen
should come from industry leaders themselves. House Speaker Mike Johnson doesn't want to see Congress play a role in over-regulating this issue and
argues that it could really slow down the U.S.'s progress, where Republicans are really pushing for the U.S. to continue beating China in
this AI race.
[11:05:00]
So, take a listen to what Speaker Johnson told our colleague Jake Tapper yesterday about how he views balancing this issue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE JOHNSON, U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: If they want to slow that down, that's fine. But we also, at the same time, have to resist Congress jumping in and
imposing some sort of emergency moratorium. It's got to be done right, safely, wisely. But we, in order to solve that equation, you need a lot of
bright minds around the table.
We cannot put a moratorium on this because China will overlap us, and that's the challenge, its national security balanced with the immediate
security of making sure the models are safe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRAYER: Just to show how this issue brings different factions from different political parties together, tomorrow in Washington D.C. Senator
Bernie Sanders, a far left progressive, and Steve Bannon, a right-wing Trump ally, are going to be two of the speakers at this event about how to
regulate AI better.
So, this issue is bringing all sorts of politicians together who are bringing forward different ideas, but there is not a clear path forward on
what regulation in Congress should look like, and what even the role of Congress should be on this issue, Eleni.
GIOKOS: All right, Annie Grayer, thank you so very much. Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance is casting doubts on the intentions of tech
leaders. Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: You know, it's something that we're concerned by, but we want to make sure that we
actually regulate smartly, and we're thoughtful about the risk here. So, there are obviously risks to AI. There are some benefits to AI.
I have to say, just personally, I feel a little bit weird about the fact that you have so many frontier AI tech companies, kind of coming to the
government and begging the government to regulate them, it feels a little bit to me like a bit of a Trojan horse. So, I think we just have to be
careful about this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Right, Trojan horse. Interesting perspective there, but I want to get more perspective on the situation. We're now joined by Larry Sabato,
Director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. And he's also co-authored "Campaign of Chaos: Trump, Biden, Harris, and the 2024
American Election".
Larry, really good to have you join us today. I mean, we are seeing so much concern around regulation, AI guardrails, President Trump having a totally
different perspective. We just heard from J.D. Vance. He said it's a Trojan horse, given that some of the companies that are, you know, up and coming
are sounding the alarm bells. What's your perspective on this?
LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR POLITICS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Well, the chances are next to zero that they're going to pass
anything quickly, there isn't enough time. Remember, they're all out campaigning, even when they're supposed to be in session, and the session
itself is ending in a matter of days for all practical purposes.
And beyond that, people don't agree on what needs to be done. Maybe the major companies do, at least to a certain degree, at least superficially.
But if you just listen to even what your correspondents are reporting, you've got lots of different perspectives, not just in the two parties, but
within each individual party.
Good luck trying to bring everybody together quickly, no matter what the threat is, you know, it's maybe it is what people are saying potentially,
you know, a 9/11 in terms of technology, but we don't see the towers collapsing. By the time we see the towers collapsing, it'll probably be too
late.
But you know, good luck to people who are trying to make this happen quickly. And Trump has more or less indicated he didn't say it in so many
words that he'll veto any legislation that comes through that has actually tough regulation. He's not in favor of that. Probably Vance would go along
with that in the Senate if it were a tie vote.
So, I guess you could pass a resolution, but I don't think this bunch in Congress could get a resolution supporting mothers together in a week or
two.
GIOKOS: Yeah, I mean, what's interesting is the alarm bells have been sounded many times before. I mean, remember there was a petition a few
years ago by some of the corporates saying this is dangerous, it is moving too fast. And then what happened was we get into this race.
Do you think it's a geopolitical issue for the United States because they are worried about being dominated by China, and that China is not going to
want to slow down?
SABATO: Yes, it is geopolitical, and of course everyone's mentioning China because China is advanced in this field, as is the United States and the
corporations that are speaking out. But it's worldwide. If there's no international regulation or international agreement on this threat,
assuming it's real.
[11:10:00]
What they're saying is real, then I don't see how it ever works because it will fall apart if even one actor continues forward and continues
developing AI to the point where it becomes a super intelligence. At that point, it's you can't do anything. I assume unless there's a kill switch,
they keep saying that they can do it, and we'll find out what it really is.
GIOKOS: Yeah, I mean that's the sort of interesting side of things. Can you turn it off once it becomes a super intelligence? I also wonder, you know,
when I look at the amount of money and investment that's been thrown at data centers, at new technologies, at AI chips. I mean, at mining of some
of these raw materials.
It's really hard, I'm sure, for corporate America and every other company that has been investing heavily into this, and governments that have been
investing heavily into this, to pull back. It's interesting because it is a political question, in as much as it is an investment issue.
SABATO: That is absolutely true. Data centers, of course, came before the realization that AI could eliminate humanity. I know people were talking
about it, but it wasn't on the front pages. It wasn't leading the news broadcasts. Now both of them are out there, and many in the public are
missing the connection between the two, which often is no connection because they're very different things.
But I'll tell you, I've seen polling in the last two months that has shocked me because data centers, other than in certain localities in the
United States, with you know 4000 localities, other than a few of them, I haven't seen strong public opinion about it, and we haven't had enough time
to get good polling in on AI.
But just based on data centers, some of the polling is stunning. 5 percent of Democrats support data centers in their general vicinity, with
independents, it's not even 10 percent either. With Republicans, who normally are in favor more of the corporate perspective, it's 18 percent.
Look, that's as close to unanimous as American public opinion gets. So good luck to the people pushing data centers, and I think the same thing will
end up applying to AI.
GIOKOS: Yeah, I mean, look, in reality, as every sector is regulated in some way, even the banking sector. In fact, it became a lot more regulated
after the 2008 financial crisis. I mean, do you think we need to get to that point where we go, OK, we need to start really looking at AI and
regulating it.
You know, sort of in hindsight, or do you think that there's a chance to be proactive about it? How do you think lawmakers are going to view this?
SABATO: Well, the lawmakers in the midst of an election, a third of the Senate and every member of the House will come out with their own positions
and their position supposedly will solve all the problems, even though you know a one-page memo or a 30-second TV ad isn't going to solve the problem.
But they'll pretend that's true to make their own constituents relax. They have to worry about November 3rd. Once the election is over, there's a
chance for getting people together. Though I'll still be surprised. Everything's political. Everything is partisan these days. There's too much
money involved in this.
GIOKOS: I think you hit the nail on the head. There's too much money in this. It's political. There's a lot at stake, more than we know and
realize. Larry, really good to have you with us as always. Much appreciates for your insights. Right, Russia is stepping up its attacks on Ukraine,
striking targets on the Ukraine-Poland border.
Ukraine says a Russian drone hits a passenger train about two kilometers from the Polish border on Sunday. Ukraine's Foreign Minister posted on
social media saying, quote, this is Putin's terror knocking directly on the doors of the EU and NATO. Two separate trains carrying Former CIA Director
as well as David, as Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson narrowly missed the drone attack.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin is welcoming Donald Trump's call on Ukraine to stop targeting Russia's diesel fuel. The U.S. President blames those strikes for
a diesel fuel shortage in the world. Take a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I've asked President Zelenskyy not to hit the diesel plants refineries.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it potentially that Ukraine war could end? Is it potentially that --
TRUMP: -- diesel is being driven up by the fact that it's having a hard time coming out of Russia, and that's a case that hurts the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[11:15:00]
GIOKOS: All right, we've got Clare Sebastian tracking developments for us from London. Thank you so much for joining us on the show. And we've just
seen that post by President Trump on social media. What does he say?
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, this is a post that just came out in the last few minutes, Eleni, on Truth Social. President Trump saying
Ukraine, and I quote, has agreed not to hit Russian energy targets. Russia has agreed to do likewise. He then goes on to say the world's diesel price
rise is mostly caused by the Russia-Ukraine war, not Iran.
So, this is a fair bit to unpack here. We don't know if what he's saying is actually happening. We've only heard it from him so far. Russia and Ukraine
have yet to actually comment or confirm this. If they are going to refrain from attacking each other's energy sites, then you know there are questions
about how long, what are the terms, how is it being enforced and monitored.
All of this has arisen when we've seen previous limited ceasefire proposals on both sides. It has fallen apart because you know one side has
unilaterally announced it and the other hasn't agreed to it. So, there's a lot of questions surrounding this. On the second part, the world's diesel
price rise is mostly caused by the Russia-Ukraine war.
These are the stats that I've got from Lipow Oil Associates, which is an oil firm in Texas. They're saying that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz
impacted 1.2 million barrels per day of exports. We're talking about diesel here, which is what President Trump has been pressuring President Zelenskyy
not to hit in Russia.
And the Russia -- the hits on Russian refineries by Ukraine have impacted 800,000 barrels a day. So, he is suggesting that the closure of the Strait
of Hormuz has had a greater impact, even though it has been a significant impact as well from the Russia-Ukraine war.
So that would suggest that, that is not true coming from the U.S. President. But either way, look, this is new out just now. We don't know
exactly what it means as of yet, but certainly Ukraine's position all along has been that it would stop attacking Russian energy sites if Russia
afforded it the same courtesy, Eleni.
GIOKOS: Right. That's really interesting, fascinating numbers in terms of the impact of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and also the Russia-
Ukraine war, Clare Sebastian, good to see you. Thank you so much. And still ahead on "One World", critics say a new Trump Administration policy could
have a chilling effect on hundreds of thousands of immigrant families who need public assistance.
Ahead, what the New York Mayor is doing about it. Plus, the story of an American airman shot down behind enemy lines over Iran. His harrowing tale
of survival and rescue that is coming up after the break. Stick with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:20:00]
GIOKOS: Welcome back. New York City is fighting back against the U.S. President's latest attempt to curb legal migration. Mayor Zohran Mamdani
just announced a lawsuit targeting the Trump Administration over its new public charge rules. The rules which go into effect on Friday, could deny
green cards to immigrants who use public benefits like Medicaid, food stamps, and housing assistance.
Mamdani has described the policy as a backdoor immigration ban and a desperate ploy meant to hurt vulnerable communities. We've got CNN's Gloria
Pazmino joining us now live from New York. Good to see you, Gloria. We're seeing, from what I understand, live images as well of the press
conference. You know what kind of legal options is Mamdani pursuing here?
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the City of New York, along with the state of New York, you were just seeing live pictures there of the New
York State Attorney General Letitia James, which is also filing suit, is seeking the blockage of this new rule.
They're asking the federal courts to step in and stop this rule from being applied. Letitia James, the Attorney General, is being joined by 21 other
states around the nation. And New York City is being joined in their lawsuit with by several cities around the country. Now, I want to explain
what the public charge is, because the public charge rule itself is not new.
In fact, it's been part of the immigration law here in the United States for a long time. But the Trump Administration recently expanded the
definition of that rule, giving immigration officers wide discretion to determine whether people who are applying for green cards or visas or enter
into United States may, at some point, become dependent on government benefits.
Now that is a lot of discretion for officers, and what the city and the state are saying in their lawsuit today is that this change is going to
create a lot of fear among immigrants, especially families of mixed status. Right, this doesn't apply to U.S. citizens or people seeking U.S.
citizenship, but families of mixed status may be afraid to apply for benefits that they are very much entitled to because of this rule change.
So, we're talking about benefits like food stamps, housing assistance, Medicaid, school lunches, for example. Many of these programs that are both
provided by the federal government but also by local governments, which receive federal funding from the government in order to help pay for those
programs.
So, part of what New York City is arguing today is they're saying people are going to be afraid to enroll in these benefits. And as a result of
that, those people are going to be exposed, and we're going to have to take on the risk, people will get sicker. People will not have access to the
food that they need, and they will not get the resources that they are entitled to.
So again, they're asking the court to stop this rule from taking effect. It's supposed to take effect on September 18th. And advocates have argued
that this is just part of the Trump administration's efforts to curb legal immigration, we should make it clear that federal funding benefits like
Medicaid and food stamps are not eligible for undocumented immigrants.
Undocumented immigrants cannot apply for those benefits. But once you have legal status, you can. And city officials are warning that people are going
to be afraid to apply as a result of this new rule.
GIOKOS: All right, Gloria Pazmino, thank you so much for that update. Well, an American airman shot down in Iran in April is speaking publicly for the
first time about his harrowing escape and rescue in an interview with CBS "60 Minutes". The weapons systems officer identified only by his call sign
Bravo described his ordeal. CNN's Brian Stelter reports for us.
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: The U.S. military sharing new video and new detail about that rescue mission that ensued after an F-15 was shot
down over Iran back in April. The American airman who spent 50 hours behind enemy lines spoke for the first time in an interview that aired on the CBS
News magazine "60 Minutes".
The man was identified by his mission call sign, Bravo. He said his parachute was damaged in the attack, so he basically free fell out of the
sky, and the fall broke his back, an arm, and a shoulder. Correspondent Norah O'Donnell asked how he mustered the strength to hike up a 7000-foot
ridge and contact the U.S. military.
[11:25:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NORAH O'DONNELL, CBS NEWS SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Given your injuries, how did you find the strength to make it up the mountain?
"BRAVO", RESCUED WEAPONS SYSTEMS OFFICER: Never let a lack of motivation put you on Iranian TV.
O'DONNELL: You were thinking that?
"BRAVO": Absolutely.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STELTER: Now, this interview was a big deal for the Pentagon and for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth personally. Sources tell CNN that Hegseth
and political appointees in his office pushed for both crew members who were aboard the F-15 to give interviews and to tell their stories.
Both airmen initially expressed reservations about doing so, but after meeting with Hegseth, one of them agreed to go on camera. For the "60
Minutes" broadcast, the military also declassified some of this video showing the moment when elite Air Force pararescue operators arrived to
rescue Bravo. Here's more of what he told CBS.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
"BRAVO": This is not a story about what I went through. Instead, it's a story of the teamwork, the training, of the faith, of the decisions and the
leadership to do something that will live in history. As an example of what America is willing to do in order to uphold our promise and leave no man
behind.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STELTER: Now that is a powerful message, and it's understandably one that Hegseth would want to have out there, given the political undercurrents
that he has been up against. The U.S. war in Iran has become as unpopular as past U.S. actions in Iraq and Vietnam. Poll after poll shows that most
Americans do not believe the war is worth fighting.
So, Hegseth has been trying to come up with ways to push back against that and to change public perceptions. Sources told CNN that he wanted the April
rescue mission to be shared and dramatically recounted for the public, and that's what happened on Sunday night on the most watched news program on
U.S. TV.
It was a big moment for CBS News as well, coming three months after CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss basically overhauled all of "60 Minutes",
firing several of the top producers and correspondents. Weiss has been rebuilding the program, and she's been under pressure to prove that "60
Minutes" can still land big exclusive interviews.
So, for Sunday night's season premiere, she certainly showed that the program is still capable of doing so. Brian Stelter, CNN.
GIOKOS: Right. Still ahead on "One World" instability and high oil prizes. We bring you details on the -- the Strait of Hormuz stocks. And we also
look at where the oil markets stand this hour. We'll be back right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
GIOKOS: Welcome back to "One World". I'm Eleni Giokos, live in Dubai. Here's some of your headlines and what we're watching today. AI-related
stocks are falling after tech giant CEOs all back slowing down development of the technology on Capitol Hill. Democrats are calling for a special
session to address AI concerns.
Republicans balk at that, and they say that the U.S. needs to keep up with China. Social media footage shows passengers at a train station running
amid a Russian drone strike close to the Ukraine-Poland border. The town is a major pathway for Western military and humanitarian aid into Ukraine.
Poland is warning of the wider implications of such attacks, calling it an escalation. Sweden's Centre-left opposition is narrowly poised to take
power after a tight election, with a slim majority over the ruling right- wing bloc. It confirmed the election would reserve Sweden shift to the right, but is unlikely to bring back the country's open immigration
policies.
The final results are due on Wednesday. Gulf diplomats and Iranian officials were set to meet today to discuss a plan to reopen the Strait of
Hormuz. But one key player would not have a seat at the table, the United States, according to the Omani Foreign Minister. The meeting has been
postponed in the interest of consensus.
Iran says Saudi Arabia requested the delay. Right, traffic in the Strait of Hormuz remains about 90 percent below pre-war levels, while President Trump
insists the state of the waterway is acceptable. It's costing Americans more at the pump. Right, I want to take a look at how oil markets are doing
right now, and Brent crude and WTI both to the upside.
Look at that, Brent up 3.6 percent. It's just below $110 a barrel, and WTI, the American benchmark, is just below $104 a barrel. That is up 4 percent.
And it's really indicative of the concerns, the continued worries about the bottlenecks in the Strait of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandab Strait, another very
important waterway, also raising alarms.
We've got David Goldman live for us in New York to take us through all the numbers that matter. David, here we are again. We don't have a timetable of
when this will end, and talks have been delayed.
DAVID GOLDMAN, CNN BUSINESS SENIOR REPORTER: Yeah, you've summed it up really well, and I want to add one more factor to all of this. One of the
reasons that we're seeing close to.
GIOKOS: Yeah.
GOLDMAN: As you mentioned, 110 dollars a barrel is because one of the key ways around this problem, around the Strait of Hormuz, has been this East
West Pipeline that the Saudi Arabian government has used to get oil from well, what was normally a path to the strait out of the Strait of Hormuz
all the way to the Red Sea.
And ships have been using this Bab al-Mandab Strait to get out to the Indian Ocean to serve customers in India and Asia. But we know that the
Houthis that are aligned with Iran have been placing themselves here and have made a kind of blockade, and that's been a leaky blockade.
The oil's still been getting out, but what happened? Well, they attacked the East West Pipeline on Friday, and now it is shut down. It's a
significant pipeline too: 7 million barrels per day flow through that pipeline. That is up 4 million barrels from the normal amount.
There is about 5 million that go around the Strait of Hormuz, and then there's around 2 million that go to refineries. And this is a big issue
because we know that diesel prices in the United States just eclipsed $6 a gallon, and they are also facing a big issue in Russia because the
Ukrainians continue to bombard Russian refineries.
There's a big diesel shortage. This is not going to help. Now there's a port city of Yanbu that is stockpiled with oil, but it only has one week's
worth of supply, and so if the Saudis can't get that pipeline fixed in about a week's time, you could see oil prices go even higher, Eleni.
[11:35:00]
GIOKOS: Yeah, you're the bearer of bad news, David Goldman.
GOLDMAN: I'm sorry.
GIOKOS: Today we will -- all of these realities, I know --
GOLDMAN: And it's Monday that's more about news.
GIOKOS: -- geopolitics. And it's Monday. It is. Who knows when this will end? We're just seeing the ticker go up and up. Thank you so much, sir.
GOLDMAN: Thank you.
GIOKOS: All right, I want to bring in our next guest. We've got Tom Kloza, who is the Chief Energy Adviser at Gulf Oil, Tom, really good to have you
with us. I mean, we just heard our correspondent there, David Goldman, really breaking this down. You've got the East-West Pipeline attack, you
know Yanbu filling up.
You're worried about Bab al-Mandab Strait, Strait of Hormuz is still very much sort of you know seeing massive bottlenecks there. So, in light of all
of this, where is oil headed? What are you pricing in?
TOM KLOZA, CHIEF ENERGY ADVISER AT GULF OIL: Well, I still think we're seeing subdued crude oil prices. If this were normal, in other words, if
President Trump hadn't had verbal interventions that frightened the financial players out of -- we'd be seeing 160 or $170 because the price of
diesel is about $217 on both sides of the Atlantic right now.
You know, David in his report mentioned the East-West Pipeline, and he kind of skirted over that major issue, which is that pipeline just doesn't take
crude oil to the rest of the world via the Suez Canal and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. It supplies those Saudi refineries. And we've already lost about 7
million barrels a day of global refining, and that's about another 1.8 million barrels a day.
You know we've learned to cope when refineries are getting knocked out by drones, but to get knocked out because there's no coop supply that would be
another issue to deal with in the next few weeks.
GIOKOS: So, I mean, you mentioned something very pertinent, and frankly, since the start of the war, there was a major surprise that oil Brent and
WTI didn't, you know, skyrocket to much higher levels. So, do you believe we're going to get to $160 a barrel? Is that your prognosis?
KLOZA: Well, if you look at refined products prices and you look at the price of diesel internationally, and it's 200 to 220 dollars a barrel. Over
the last 35 years of futures trading, the price for Brent crude should be about 83 percent of that price of diesel, and that would give you a price
of about 170 dollars a barrel.
So, there's a lot of strange things in this marketplace, but what's not strange and what is very clear is that the price of diesel has gone higher
than we've ever seen it before. If you're on a road anywhere in the world right now and a transport truck passes you hauling diesel, the product that
they're hauling is worth $20,000 more now than it was today before the Iran war.
GIOKOS: Yeah --
KLOZA: And the problem, the other problem coming into the seasonal demand surge for diesel.
GIOKOS: And you know, I was looking at AAA in the United States. Diesel prices are at $6.23. A year ago, the average was 3.69, 3.69 versus 6.23
right now. What's interesting is that that President Trump posted something quite interesting on X, and he was saying that the Russia-Ukraine war is to
blame for high diesel prices and not so much the Strait of Hormuz.
What's your take on this? Is it true?
KLOZA: I would disagree with the notion that it's the main reason. I mean, certainly Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries have had an impact,
but so have drone attacks in the Persian Gulf, and now we've had drone attacks in the Red Sea, so it's a combination.
And certain problems in the Strait of Hormuz and the problems in the Red Sea are something that may really lift all oil prices for a while. So, I
know it's easy to blame President Zelenskyy, and you know he's struggling to basically stay in the battle, and you know struggling to keep some sort
of you know reasonable lifespan for Ukrainian people.
I think the president is lashing out at diesel because all of a sudden diesel got picked up by the media as something that would impact the
economy, but picking on Zelenskyy doesn't do it right now.
GIOKOS: Yeah, I mean we've also done some analysis at CNN. The sort of estimation of a 30 percent jump in heating oil costs for the winter period.
[11:40:00]
And frankly, this is a crisis that's affecting everyone around the world. How concerned are you that the supply bottlenecks, that the supply chain is
going to be further disrupted?
KLOZA: I'm very worried because, unlike gasoline, which tends to see demand drop after you know Labor Day, demand for diesel moves higher, and diesel
the molecule in diesel is the same as the molecule for heating oil, whether you're heating your home in Europe or in the U.S. Northeast.
So, it's not easy to determine. With gasoline, you know that if prices go above 4 or 4.50 or $5, people cut back and you get demand destruction. With
diesel, you're not going to leave the crops in the field to fallow, and you're certainly going to be operating the trucks and so forth to get goods
from one point to another.
So, this is happening at the worst possible time, and the fact that the Houthis have now entered into the theater of war and are threatening things
in the Red Sea, you know that makes it absolutely critical for the next few months. I will mention that it looks as though there might be some sort of
truce between Russia and Ukraine in terms of bombing each other's energy facilities.
And that's probably you know led the market to give up about half of the gains they had today. But it's difficult to see anyone selling short in
this kind of a marketplace. It is really untethered.
GIOKOS: Yeah, and sadly with no real timeline, and as you mentioned, the Houthis entering this in a very big way, and also taking over Perim Island
and Bab al-Mandab Strait's major concern as well. There's just so much to discuss. And Tom, I appreciate you jumping in on this and for your insights
today.
Tom Kloza for us. Well, there's still more on "One World" right after the short break. We'll be right back. Stick with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Ghana is aiming to boost exports to the United States, with more entrepreneurs setting their sights on the American market. For our Africa
Inc. series, Adefemi Akinsanya profiles one of the businesses seizing on this opportunity, making its mark at a premier wholesale marketplace.
[11:45:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ADEFEMI AKINSANYA, CNN HOST "AFRICA INC." (voice-over): Retailers and buyers gathered at the New York Now trade show in early August, all hoping
to walk away with a deal.
DOROTHY BELSHAW, CEO OF NEW YORK NOW: New York Now is a wholesale business- to-business trade show that focuses on the gift, lifestyle, and home industries. The show has a long history of international participation. For
the last 10 plus years, Ghana has had a presence in the show.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many buyers have you interacted so far?
AKINSANYA (voice-over): Ambrose Nsarko, Deputy CEO of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, is making the round. He's greeting business owners
whose products met the criteria to represent Ghana at the show.
AMBROSE NSARKO, DEPUTY CEO OF THE GHANA EXPORT PROMOTION AUTHORITY: Our mandate is to help export the non-traditional products, of which handicraft
is one of them.
ENID DELA AKONKOR, FOUNDER OF BLACK PEACOCK: The support we've received has been tremendous. Most of it has been with linking with the organizers of
New York Now.
AKINSANYA (voice-over): Nsarko says the show has been profitable for GEPA. He says export revenues rose from more than $3 billion in 2024 to more than
$5 billion in 2025. Lily Eminsang is representing one of those Ghanaian handicraft companies, Tekura Designs. It's a furniture and contemporary
deco brand.
LILY EMINSANG, U.S. PARTNER OF TEKURA: I am the U.S. partner for Tekura. What we're looking for is to be able to close deals with small, medium, and
large partners.
AKINSANYA (voice-over): As Amazon meets with buyers in New York, more than 8000 kilometers away in Accra, Tekura CEO Audrey Forson checks in with the
artisans who craft the company's products by hand.
AUDREY FORSON, CEO OF TEKURA: What we do is we make craft for export. We make customized furniture, bespoke furniture, and then we also do interior
design.
AKINSANYA (voice-over): The company says it exports to businesses in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
FORSON: So, to get products from here, Ghana, to the U.S. for instance, there's a process we go through, and the first stage will be production
planning, and from there you go to quality control. From there you go to export documentation, and then from there you go to your freight
coordination.
We send out catalogs of our samples, and they go through, and then they give you appeal, which is a purchase order, and based on that you now start
your production planning.
AKINSANYA (voice-over): And after the products are made. Forson says they are inspected, labeled, and shipped. Sometimes taking up to 10 weeks to
reach the U.S. and 4 weeks to reach Europe.
FORSON: We've been able to be consistent with our quality for 25 years. We've had amazing milestones working with top-level buyer companies, having
our products on movie sets, so that tells you that we have what it takes. We can do the work.
AKINSANYA (voice-over): But Tekura, which is trying to rebuild its global clientele, hasn't been without challenges.
FORSON: In 2023, we had a fire attack, so we've been set back, or we were set back for a couple of years.
AKINSANYA (voice-over): Despite that setback, the company says it is fully open for business and have opened a warehouse in the U.S. to make buying
easier for their customers.
EMINSANG: Now, with the convenience of the warehouse, partners can now come in and have a feel of the products, and then select what products they're
interested in. Secondly, also they're able to get the product shipped to them within days.
AKINSANYA (voice-over): With companies like Tekura strengthening their presence in the global furniture market, Nsarko's hopes might soon be
realized.
NSARKO: Our success is to see the non-traditional Ghanian products on all the shelves of the U.S. supermarkets, U.S. shops, and all the shops around
the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[11:50:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CELINE DION, CANADIAN SINGER AND ENTREPRENEUR: I believed, I believed, and voila, the sun is here, the sun before me. So tonight, I want to sing for
you, to sing for me, to sing for life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Just incredible. That's after six long years. Celine Dion is finally back where she belongs, in front of a cheering crowd. On Saturday,
the superstar made a comeback in Paris, kicking off a series of concerts in 2022. She was forced to step away from the mic as she battled a rare
neurological disorder. Melissa Bell has more on her emotional return.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Celine Dion fever has hit Paris hard. Ahead of the Canadian superstar's first
concert in six years, a giant karaoke was organized over the weekend, full of the songs that the French know by heart.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For me, it's like it's all what Paris is about just gathering people in open spaces and having a moment together, singing
together.
BELL (voice-over): The hotel that will serve as Celine's base throughout her 26-concert residency has turned into a place of daily worship for her
fans.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's not every day that we get to see Celine Dion up close like this, so this is amazing.
BELL (voice-over): With more than 200 million records sold, Celine Dion is the biggest selling Canadian artist of all times, and in the French
speaking world, an icon. But a rare neurological disorder had forced her to cancel her last tour.
BELL: Which is why her first performance here on Saturday night was so keenly awaited. I was lucky enough to be inside, and the emotion was
unbelievable. It was a performance full of energy with that tremendous voice of hers, but she could feel at the end of her first song the emotion
of the crowd, and she then started crying, really struggling for a moment to regain her composure.
And for that moment, there really wasn't a dry eye in the house.
BELL (voice-over): It's expected that overall, Celine fever could bring as much as a billion dollars of revenue to the French economy. 9 million fans
joined a lottery for access to tickets, and all of her shows were sold out in a matter of hours. And for those fans who didn't get a ticket, there are
still those daily hopes outside her hotel for a glimpse, a smile, and even a kiss from the star who's finally returned to them. Melissa Bell, CNN,
Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Gotta love the Celine T-shirts. What an incredible moment. All right, so in the meantime, Germany's Alexander Zverev has won the U.S. Open
men's singles championship, capping his breakthrough here with a second Grand Slam title. The top seed defeated American Ben Shelton in four sets,
regaining control after Shelton rallied to take the third.
Zverev then dominated the fourth, denying Shelton a comeback in his first Grand Slam final appearance. Right, and finally, before we go this hour,
there are just hours left until the 78th prime time Emmy Awards television's biggest night, and stars will gather to honor the best shows
and performances.
[11:55:00]
The Television Academy has already handed out two nights' worth of trophies, but the biggest awards are still to come tonight show will be
held in Los Angeles and hosted by Mariska Hargitay, the star of Law & Order SVU. The nominations are dominated by medical drama "The Pitt".
It is on HBO Max, which is owned by CNN parent company Warner Bros. Discovery. Apple's TV's "Widow's Bay" is also a major contender, which I'm
actually watching at the moment. Super interesting as well. All right, I'm Eleni Giokos live in Dubai. Stay with CNN.
There's more "One World" with my colleague Bianna Golodryga.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
