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One World with Zain Asher
Trump Heads To Alaska In Marathon Campaign Week; Elon Musk Spends Big To back Republicans In The Midterms; Protests Enter Fourth Week As Government Eyes Budget Cuts; Next hour: Duane Davis Sentencing In Tupac Murder Trial; Philippines: Americans Fuel Child Sex Abuse; Leaders Of Cockroach Janta Party Detained In India; Six Flags Closes Nine Rides After Fatal Incident; Could GLP-1 Drugs Be Anti-Aging Medications?; Aired 12-1p ET
Aired October 13, 2026 - 12:00 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 ANCHOR: All right. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga. You are watching the second hour of "One World."
Still to come this hour, midterm blitz. Donald Trump adds new stops to his tour as Democrats eye key results to retake Congress.
Also ahead, tragedy 60 meters high. How Six Flags is responding after a stunning roller coaster death?
And later, research shows GLP-1s could do more than just help with weight loss. We'll have more on that, ahead.
Twenty-one days, the U.S. midterm elections are right around the corner, and early in-person voting is now underway in a major battleground state.
Millions of voters in Georgia will decide whether to reelect Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff or hand the Senate job over to Republican lawmaker,
Mike Collins.
On the campaign trail, Ossoff gained national attention when he mentioned President Trump's working relationship with his executive assistant,
Natalie Harp.
President Trump, meantime, is in a marathon week of red state campaigning. Today's objective, Alaska. There, Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan is in
the hot seat over America's affordability crisis.
If the Democratic candidate, Mary Peltola, wins, she would become the first Alaska native to serve in the U.S. Senate.
For the latest on these tight races, let's bring in Patrick Svitek, live from Washington. Patrick, it's interesting to see what's playing out in
Georgia, where Democrats seem to think they have the momentum and do not need to continue spending to support Jon Ossoff and his race. Vice
President Vance says there's still a chance. He's campaigning there, so who's right here?
PATRICK SVITEK, CNN REPORTER: Yes, so Democrats are feeling pretty confident in this race, so much so that their top super PAC and Senate
races announced this morning that they would be canceling their ads in Georgia for at least the upcoming week, and they're going to be assessing
on a week by week basis whether they continue to advertise there.
But there's no doubt that Democrats are feeling increasingly confident in some of these races that were thought to be top Senate battlegrounds. And
you're seeing that Republicans are having to play defense now at the end of these midterms in Senate races in -- in red states.
I mean, today, Vice President J.D. Vance is heading to Tyler, Texas, which is a very red part of a very red state, at least historically speaking, to
try to shore up Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee in the Senate race there.
And at the same time, you've seen Republicans have to make kind of last- minute decisions to send money to other states, other red states such as Kansas, such as South Carolina. And so this is a really tough political
environment for Republicans right now. And they're having to make some tough decisions at the into this election cycle to try to shore up some
Republican areas, some places where they haven't had to spend money in before.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Patrick Svitek, for us. Thank you.
SVITEK: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: Elon Musk is spending big yet again. He's giving at least $276 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. That is according to
his political action group, which says much of that money is going to Senate races.
Musk said last year he'd spend a lot less on politics in the future after falling out with President Trump. They've since mended their relationship
and it seems things have changed financially as well.
Money is one thing, but what do voters actually make of his input? CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten is here making our viewers' days as well as
my mom's. That's all that matters. OK. Nothing else to talk about.
HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: No. We're done.
GOLODRYGA: Harry, we love you, the viewers love you, my mom loves you. How do Americans feel now about Elon Musk and his continued role in these
elections?
ENTEN: Well, the love fest continues for me, but the love fest does not continue for Elon Musk. I'll tell you that much, because Americans, not
only dislike Elon Musk, they hate Elon Musk. I mean, what a trend line that we are seeing, Bianna, from just a few years ago.
You know, take a look here. OK, this is Elon Musk's net favorability rating. You know, back during the 2024 cycle, when I really think Elon Musk
made a name for himself when it comes to the politics game and spending do- re-mi.
You know, Americans were lukewarm on him, not too hot, not too cold. Two points underwater, the net favorability. And that's favorable minus
unfavorable.
But look at it now. Look at it now. He's 22 points underwater. Overall, that's a 20-point drop. That's some pretty easy mathematics. Going in the
wrong direction. He's now deep under the Hudson River. That's what we're talking about with Elon Musk when it comes to his overall popularity.
[12:05:06]
But what about with independents? You think that these numbers are bad. Independents, it's even worse. It's even worse. I mean, look at this. Look
at this drop.
OK, back in the fall of 2024. Again, not too hot, not too cold. Right there in the middle at about minus five points. Look at it now, minus 27 points.
That's, of course, a 22-point drop. That's not just under the Hudson River. That's under the Atlantic Ocean. That's how low it goes.
But to me, you know, popularity is one thing, but I think it speaks to some larger problems that Republicans have at this point with working class
voters. And that is, you go back a few cycles ago, Republicans were running against the Democrats, the Democrats, they are the party of the elites.
Well, that is not the case anymore.
And I'm not quite sure spending all this do-re-mi and trying to come in and influence these Senate races is really going to help the cause very much
for Republicans.
OK. The party viewed as more elitist among non-college voters. Look at this. Back in the fall of 2022, Democrats, were viewed more as elitist by
five points, by five points. But as the Trump administration has taken hold, and Americans have seen the actions of the Trump administration, look
at this.
Now, Republicans are seen as more elitist by 10 points. That's a 15-point switcheroo in a way Republicans simply put do not want to see. And I think
this idea of billionaires or trillionaires, depending on which hour you look at the real time billionaire list from Forbes puts out, Musk is either
barely a trillionaire or the as high up as a billion you could possibly go. I don't think that those millions of dollars are necessarily going to help
with that.
And more than that, Bianna, the whole point is, OK, maybe I'm unpopular, but I'll still take the money. You know, if I'm a Republican going, you
know, yes, put those ads in the air because maybe it can help us win some races.
But there's no sign that the money being spent right now by Republicans is actually helping them when it comes to voters' perceptions and who voters
want to win. Because you could see it in the prediction markets. I mean, just look at this. OK, chances that the Democrats win the Senate. Look at
this, you go back a few months ago, you go back to July, what is that? That's now three months ago. I can't believe it was three months ago.
Summer feels like so far away, I guess. It was just 44 percent.
Now look at this, Democrats with a 62 percent chance to take back the United States Senate. So, despite all that money coming in that all those
outside groups are spending, including from Elon Musk, Democrats are actually now in a better position than they were just a few months ago.
Like I would like to think that our viewers are now in a better position to understand what's going on. And your mom's in a better position because she
got to see me smiling right here with you, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Well, you were breaking it all down the way you always do, that's talent. That is talent, Harry.
ENTEN: It is talent.
GOLODRYGA: I have to say, perhaps a bit of perspective even from President Trump and some honesty too when he was asked before he departed for Alaska
how difficult both the Senate and the congressional races are going to be, and he said both. Both are going to be rather tight. That must have come
from seeing those numbers that you've put up on our air, Harry.
ENTEN: You know what? And I know he -- I know he watches me, so maybe he was seeing those numbers.
GOLODRYGA: Oh, he's a big fan of yours, Harry.
ENTEN: he is. He's a big fan. Your mom and President Trump. It's -- it's one thing they can agree upon is Harry Joseph Strasburg Enten.
GOLODRYGA: Harry, always good to see you, my friend.
ENTEN: Nice to see you.
GOLODRYGA: And have a good rest of your day.
ENTEN: You too.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Try to top that, Toluse. Let's get some more on these midterms just 21 days away, Toluse Olorunnipa is the award-winning
journalist and staff writer at "The Atlantic" here to discuss. Don't worry, Tolu, my mom is also a fan of yours.
So now that we've got that clear, let's just talk about the uphill battle Republicans are facing, the president putting on a strong face here, at
least, saying that when -- when he shows up that all of the supporters are there for him and that he wouldn't be going on this whirlwind tour across
the country campaigning in final few weeks, if he didn't think that it would end up with more Republicans turning out and supporting the
candidates that he's endorsed. Is he right or wrong?
TOLUSE OLORUNNIPA, STAFF WRITER, THE ATLANTIC: Well, time will tell if we are just basing this on history. I covered President Trump in 2018 when he
did a lot of traveling in the weeks before the 2018 midterms on behalf of Republican candidates. And that was a wave election in which a lot of
Republicans lost their seats.
The president suffered a pretty major defeat in those midterms, and he ended up sort of criticizing the Republicans that lost and saying that they
didn't stay close enough to him.
And so the president has a long history of doing well when he's on the ballot, getting a lot of turnout from his voters, from his supporters when
he's on the ballot, but that does not usually translate to other Republicans when he's not on the ballot.
And so he's traveling the country, going to a lot of red states, going to a lot of places where a lot of his voters live. But there's not a sense,
especially with the war going on, the price of gas being as high as it is, the cost of living crisis that he said he was going to solve, continuing
deep into his presidency.
[12:10:03]
There's not a sense that his voters, Republican voters, are excited about these midterms, excited about voting for Republican candidates up and down
the ballot. And so he's going to do the -- the work of -- of going to these various places.
But if history is any indication, it's not likely that you're going to get the surge in turnout on the Republican side that could match the highly
enthusiastic Democratic and independent voters that are wanting to send a message to this president by turning out in large numbers.
They've already started with early voting and that's expected to continue all the way through Election Day.
GOLODRYGA: Of course, one of their biggest areas of frustration is with the economy, specifically gas prices, energy prices across the board, but the
latest focus has been on diesel. And the president clearly aware of this and wanting to go as far as to, once again, put Republicans on the hot seat
by announcing, out of the blue, that he has a deal with Russia, violating law to sell Russian diesel here in the United States.
Aside from every economist suggesting at best this would just bring down prices marginally, what position has he put the Republican Party in right
now when you have many members of his party speaking out publicly against this deal?
OLORUNNIPA: Needless to say, the president did not coordinate this, not only with economists who say that this is not going to do much to bring
down gas prices in the short-term. Definitely not in the long-term, but he did not coordinate with his Republican candidates across the ballot, across
the country, who are now having to answer for this.
And some of them are putting distance between themselves and the president, saying that this is not the right move on a foreign policy basis to be
aligning ourselves with Russia, the aggressor in the war between Russia and -- and Ukraine, and helping Putin have an economic lifeline at a time when
he is killing Ukrainians and -- and even in some places, helping to support Iran in its war against the U.S.
And so the president has not made a lot of friends among his Republican colleagues in -- with this move. There's not a sign that it's going to help
people in the midterms. Instead, it's giving them an uncomfortable question to have to answer when they're asked on the campaign trail about whether
they support President Trump's lifeline to Putin and the Russians at a time when they're in a war with our ally, Ukraine.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Toluse Olorunnipa, thank you so much.
We want to take you now to France where the fourth week of student protests have become increasingly violent. You look at some images right there as
protesters are facing off with police there. Protesters demanding urgent action to address teacher shortages, a lack of funding and crumbling
schools.
The French government recently suspended the use of stun grenades, this after one teenager lost a hand.
As of last week, police have made more than 6,000 arrests nationwide. So, there you are seeing images. We're going to go -- so let's just listen in
as these protests clearly are escalating.
(PROTESTS)
As we've mentioned, is the fourth week of protests, clearly not dying down, an area of big concern for the country, for the government as well, trying
to establish some middle ground and come up with a resolution here that will satisfy these protesters. Everything being proposed thus far seems to
not have worked.
And we have Saskya Vandoorne, I believe, on the phone with us who is there and has been covering these protests. Saskya, talk about these scenes that
we're looking at right now.
SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN PARIS BUREAU CHIEF (through telephone): Yes, Bianna, so we were just at Invalides (ph) and it was the end of the protest. I
mean, this is what happens these scuffles. And overall, it was a peaceful process, but we know that this is how they always end as the riot police
try and clear out the remaining protesters.
We saw the riot police using water cannons, using tear gas grenades. And instead of holding their ground, the riot police do have this new technique
where they move towards the protest and they confront them directly. And this is an approach that some say risks escalating the violence. And
violence has really been at the heart of these protests because as they have unfolded, it really has been a major issue.
[12:15:04]
The extraordinary levels of -- of violence we've witnessed and now their police tactics are coming under intense scrutiny. I think it's for
reminding viewers that police have arrested over 7,000 people since the unrest began and they're mostly minors.
We've seen these horrifying incidents involving teenagers, of course. And this violence appears to have galvanized support for the movement rather
than weakened it. So, I think these, you know, scuffles at the end will only have more people turn out for these protests on Saturday to show their
solidarity to these -- with these high school students, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Yes, and we -- as we're looking at these images, I recall last week we spoke with a teacher who was giving us a sense of what situation
was like in the classroom. This has clearly been a frustration and concern, not only for students, but for teachers as well for a number of years.
The lack of funding for schools, the lack of additional teachers and professors. These classrooms are extremely crowded. We had a professor on
who said that his classrooms, on average, were 30, 35 students to one professor, Saskya, so this is nothing new.
But what is it, over the last few weeks, and now even this week, that has led things really to -- to these circumstances?
VANDOORNE: Over the last few weeks, the government has begun to make some concessions. For example, last week, the education minister did announce
that 3,000 substitute teachers would be deployed this week. And so though that has been seen as a win for many today.
The students say that this just doesn't go nearly far enough. What they want are more teachers and billions more in education funding.
And as we've seen, it's not the type of (INAUDIBLE) students, teachers trading and they're all coming out (INAUDIBLE) need to be taken seriously.
More money needs to be put into their education so that they're not forgotten, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: And we know local time, a little after 6:00 P.M. there, we see water being dispersed and sprayed at the crowds there to -- to quell what I
would imagine would be a worst-case scenario for these police because so many of these protesters, these students are underage. They're minors.
There had been a lot of concern about just how physical some of these confrontations had become.
Saskya, as it relates to trust in government, I know that officials said there would be no more teacher cuts. And that as you just noted, at least
temporarily, more teachers would be brought in, but the budget won't come for another few weeks. So, where does the trust stand here between these
two sides?
VANDOORNE: Well, I think the trust really has been broken. And that's because instead of being heard, what these student protesters say is that
they've been met with violence. You mentioned some of the teenagers who've been injured. We've seen one who lost an eye after he was hit with a rubber
bullet. Another had his teeth smashed in after he was hit with a tear gas canister.
More than 20 investigations have been opened by the police watchdog into allegations of police misconduct. So, this has done so much to really
damage the relationship between authorities and these young people.
Though the interior minister did temporarily ban the use of stun grenades last week after a young man lost his hand, after he reached for a stun
grenade, that there are politicians and NGOs here who say that rubber bullets and grenade launchers should be permanently banned.
And I think it's worth pointing out, Bianna, that, you know, these weapons aren't used by police in many other European countries. So, the violence
needs to de-escalate. These student protesters need to feel like they are being heard. And there just needs to be a dialogue between the government
and these student protesters, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Saskya, do we know how many schools remain closed today?
VANDOORNE: Today, there were 200 schools, so that's fewer than last week. We don't have the exact figures on how many people turned out today. We
know that last Tuesday, 250,000 people turned up. Today, they were expecting 200,000.
[12:20:03]
So, the momentum is still there. There is a process that has been planned until today where we expect the Yellow Vest to come forward, taxi unions,
other trade unions. So Saturday is going to be another big day of protest and potential violence.
GOLODRYGA: And you'll be covering it for us the way you have been so diligently. Thank you so much, Saskya. Please stay safe out there.
And still to come on "One World," justice is about to be served in the shooting death of icon rapper, Tupac Shakur. Duane Davis will learn his
fate in a Las Vegas courtroom.
If there is anything else, we will be covering also taking you to what is happening in Tennessee, the latest on that story as well. We'll be back
after the break.
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GOLODRYGA: All right. Happening in the next hour in a Las Vegas courtroom, Duane Davis will learn his fate for the murder of rapper, Tupac Shakur.
Davis was convicted of first-degree murder in August, 30 years after Shakur was killed. He could get life in prison without the possibility of parole.
25-year-old Shakur was gunned down in 1996 on a Las Vegas Strip. The killing of the rapper mystified hip-hop fans for decades, with authorities
seemingly unable to nail down a culprit.
CNN's Nick Watt joins us ahead of the sentencing. So, Nick, when can we expect to see the sentencing come down?
NICK WATT, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bianna, the court's going to sit at about an hour from now. We expect maybe some statements from both
sides, maybe some victim impact statements from Tupac's family. A number of them did attend the court hearing.
Now, Keefe D, Duane Davis, he's also known as Keefe D, is the only person ever charged in the killing of Tupac. And we will shortly find out what
price he's going to pay for that.
Now, Tupac, as you mentioned, was 25 years old when he was killed. He was at the peak of his fame. And the whole background to this was just fodder
for the tabloids. You know, there was the East Coast, West Coast rap battle. There was the Bloods, the Crips gang rivalry. All of that was the
background to this when Tupac was shot driving from a Mike Tyson fight to a club in Vegas more than 30 years ago.
Now, there was no weapon found. A lot of the witnesses were unwilling. There was the omerta of gangland. And there was also some, let's say,
suboptimal police work.
[12:25:05]
Keefe D was eventually charged based on his own words. He gave an interview to police back in 2008 in the FBI regarding the death of Biggie Smalls, in
which Keefe D outlined his own involvement in Tupac's murder.
And he also then wrote a book in 2019, "Compton Street Legend," that laid it all out. So, it was Keefe D's own words that have led to this moment.
Nobody says he actually pulled the trigger. He was what is called a shot caller according to the prosecution for the South Side Crips. And he handed
the gun to his nephew in the back of the car. And it was his nephew who actually killed Tupac.
Now, Keefe D is the only person who is still alive in that car. It is his own words that sunk him. His defense was basically -- his defense lawyer
said, don't believe him. He's a liar. He's making it up for money and notoriety. That didn't wash with the jury. It took him about three hours of
deliberation to deliver a unanimous verdict.
Now, Keefe D, he waived his right for that jury to decide the sentence, so it will be the judge who will decide that sentence.
And as I say, the court is going to sit in about an hour from now. Keefe D, now age 63, could be facing the rest of his life behind bars for a murder
over 30 years ago. Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Over 30 years ago, this mystery has hung over Tupac fans, for those that have been following this story for so long, and of course, those
family members as well. Hopefully this brings some sort of closure on that end. Thank you so much, Nick Watt. Appreciate it.
WATT: Thanks.
GOLODRYGA: Well, 911 calls show emergency help for Tennessee death row inmate, Christa Pike, was delayed by confusion following her failed
execution last month. The recordings, which were obtained by the "Associated Press," show that several minutes elapsed as prison officials
and first responders tried to figure out whether a request for help in the execution chamber was legitimate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, we have a medical call for service at the River Bend prison saying that they --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- carried out the execution, the subject didn't pass away, and they need an ambulance because she's not breathing normally.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are trying to find out if that is an actual thing that is happening and we need to send an ambulance and/or if you need
police assistance or if this is someone that is just basically prank calling or like swatting us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: The state's Department of Corrections has not said what went wrong in Pike's attempted execution. As for what's next, the Tennessee
governor has paused further execution attempts pending a review. It's unclear whether the state will try executing Pike again.
A CNN investigation finds that American men are directing and paying for the live stream sexual abuse of children in the Philippines, children who
are often forced by their own families into producing content for profit.
CNN's investigation also finds that the Philippines is now the global epicenter of this trade with U.S. buyers sending millions of dollars over
encrypted apps for images. This report contains graphic descriptions that some viewers may find disturbing.
CNN's Hanako Montgomery has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATE, CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE SURVIVOR: He told me that when he goes to the Philippines, he will bring one of his guns and -- and then put it inside
me.
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One of the fastest growing crimes online is live-streamed child sex abuse. The Philippines is
a hotspot for this content. Up to half a million children a year are put in front of cameras, usually by people the kids trust most.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through text translation): That's my child. I don't use other children, sir.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): For Kate, who was 13 at the time, it was her adoptive sister.
KATE (through text translation): Instead of thinking, why is she making me do this? I just kept thinking if we don't do something at all, we won't be
able to survive.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Kate can't remember the number of men she had to perform for, but a lot of them, she says, were American, exploiting
families desperate for money.
JOHN TANAGHO, IJM CENTER TO END ONLINE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN: A lot of the perpetrators in the Philippines are women, are people in their
20s and 30s. And they're not sexually motivated.
The only reason they're abusing a child and live streaming it is because somebody in the U.S. is willing to pay for that abuse.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): For over a decade, the U.S. has been the number one buyer of child sexual abuse materials from the Philippines, according
to the country's Anti-Money Laundering Council.
This material was harder to find, traded largely in hidden corners of the dark web. But in recent years, sellers have moved to encrypted messaging
apps like Telegram. Private channels let horrific abuse material fester unchecked, making it just a few clicks away. We entered some of these
groups.
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MONTGOMERY: I mean, it's just video after video of naked girls in extremely compromised positions with their genitals out.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): We try reaching out to a few sellers advertising content. Almost all got back to us within minutes.
MONTGOMERY: It's only taken us three exchanges with an anonymous user to be offered pre-teen child sexual abuse content. This is how easy it is for
people to get this type of abuse of thousands and thousands of Filipino children.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Well, protests are escalating in India as supporters of the youth movement, Cockroach Janta Party, or CJP, continue to demand the
resignation of the country's chief election commissioner.
Police in New Delhi detained the party's leaders after they climbed over gates to enter a heavily guarded protest site. There have been nearly daily
rallies this month after India's voters' lists were revised. Critics say the changes benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party, which it denies.
Now, amid the protests, Modi has maintained that India is the mother of democracy.
Time now for The Exchange to break down what is driving these protests and how much of a threat they are to the prime minister's BJP party, we're
joined now by Ravi Agrawal. He is the editor-in-chief of "Foreign Policy Magazine."
Ravi, this isn't the first time that we've heard of the protest movement that, for so many around the world, they identify with its rather unique
name, the Cockroach movement. Just talk about why we're seeing these protests flare up again now and the range in those who are turning out from
young to opposition leaders to even now Bollywood actors.
[12:35:11]
RAVI AGRAWAL, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, FOREIGN POLICY MAGAZINE: A group that was born out of satire. It was responding to an offhanded remark by an Indian
leader saying that students who were critical of these examination paper leaks, they were like cockroaches who couldn't get jobs. That led to the
formation of a party and a first wave of protests in the summer that led to the resignation of an education minister.
This latest round of protests, again, with the cockroach party and other affiliated groups, is more focused this time on alleged election
interference. And that stems from a bombshell report from "The Indian Express," an Indian newspaper.
Now, protests in India are not new. What makes these ones exceptional is that Modi has now been in power for 12 years. He has often projected
himself as a man who does not give in, as someone who, you know, is immensely popular in the country. And these protests really crack at that -
- at that edifice of popularity.
They crack -- they -- they sort of show that Modi is not as all powerful as he might have seemed. But also, Bianna, they kind of reflect a confused
approach from the administration. One day, over the weekend, for example, they crack down brutally on protesters, detained journalists and opposition
leaders.
But today, we're seeing that they've largely allowed some of the bigger protests to go ahead. So, all of this reflects a confused response from the
government that seems a little bit taken aback by the scale and scope of these protests.
GOLODRYGA: And as you noted, issues of voter rolls now are at the heart of these protests. A nationwide revision of voter rolls over last year, as you
said, that had been revealed by this investigation showed that more than 130 million names had been called.
Protesters are alleging that is deliberate disenfranchisement. Removal of these names, we should note, in and of itself, doesn't establish
wrongdoing. So, what evidence supports the allegation that this is indeed a political purge?
AGRAWAL: Look, of those 130 million, some were undoubtedly necessary. There were millions of people who were dead who were on those voter rolls. There
were millions of people who couldn't be traced.
But the problem for the government is that there were many millions of people who feel now, who are alive, who are saying we were disenfranchised.
And there's a lot of reporting across the country of these people coming forward and saying, why should it be so hard to prove that I exist and to
prove that I should be allowed to vote?
Critics say that these purges, disproportionately, affected minorities who tend to vote for opposition groups and groups that did not support the
ruling BJP.
The -- the crux of these protests, the reason why all of this started is that the investigation I pointed to in "The Indian Express," it alleged
that of the three-member Indian Election Commission, two of the members were agreeing that there had been some inconsistencies. And they were
blaming their boss, the person who ran the election commission. He -- he denies all of this. And -- and after that, the three of them came together
to say that there were in fact no irregularities.
So, it's -- it's very confusing, Bianna, but -- but the larger point, I think, to take away from all of this is that these protests are enduring.
They are large in scale. They show a sense of anger at the government.
And it almost doesn't matter at this point what specifically the protests are about, since there have been quite a few now over the last few months.
I think the larger trend line is that after 12 years in power, Modi, who long promised that good days are ahead, is now struggling to show that good
days are here. There is a jobs crisis. There's an inflation crisis, sparked largely by the war in Iran. And Modi is struggling to project the image of
power and self-sustenance that he once did.
GOLODRYGA: The protesters are at least right now demanding the resignation of India's chief election commissioner. Give us more on -- I know you just
went through a bit of this, but give us more on his role here specifically.
And if he does resign, do you think that will quell some of the images and outrage that we've been seeing the past few weeks?
AGRAWAL: Were he to resign, you can almost bet that the protesters will ask for something else as well. And that is because these protests, as I've
said, have gone on for a while on a range of different issues. So, the protesters clearly smell blood.
[12:40:02]
I think what the government is struggling with here is, A, transparency, which it owes the people, B, a sense that were it to give in on one thing,
will it have to give in on many other things? And then, C, finally results. That -- that ultimately is the biggest challenge that Modi faces.
By the way, India has always faced it, always had the challenge of creating enough jobs to keep up with the explosion of -- of young people who are
entering the workforce. None of that has gone away. It's just gotten a lot worse this year because of the global macro environment.
But -- but right now, I think what the -- these groups of protesters are doing very cleverly is to laser focus on smaller issues or specific issues
that get -- that are very easy to get around.
The Indian people, by and large, do not want examination papers to be leaked. By and large, they do not want election interference or corruption.
Those are easy things to get around. The answers are much harder, however.
GOLODRYGA: Are we expecting to hear for Modi addressing this particular crisis? And should he, I mean politically, is he -- is it advisable to him
to speak to these students? And as we know, these protests have become quite diverse over the last few weeks, extending beyond just students.
AGRAWAL: Far be it for me to advise the prime minister, but I -- I do think he's gotten this one wrong. He owes the Indian people a response. He has
not publicly addressed these particular protests. He owes it to the people to speak to them directly and clearly.
I will remind your audience, he is a masterful communicator. He's a very good orator. He's a very good speaker. That is what he's done for 12 years.
He owes people a better response than he has given them so far.
I think part of the challenge again here is that he has been caught back footed. He is defensive. He did not anticipate that these protests would
continue as they have, would be as large as they are, would be as diverse as you pointed out, in terms of who they have brought on board.
This is what happens usually when people are in power for a very long time. They forget how strong people power can be. And I think that is what Modi
is facing right now.
But again, I would be very cautious about making longer term predictions about whether this is the end of Modi or whether the government will fall.
Too early to say anything like that.
Again, I'll remind people that Modi has won three consecutive terms, often with huge majorities. And it remains to be seen how he deals with this. And
the next election is still several years away.
GOLODRYGA: All right. So, I mean, it's fair to say don't bet against Modi, given his track record. But given that we've seen that this movement, this
party, the Cockroach Janta Party, in particular, continue to resurface with their grievances, it's pretty safe to say we'll continue to hear from them,
even once this does die down.
Ravi, thank you so much for your analysis. Really appreciate it.
And we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:45:51]
GOLODRYGA: Well, Six Flags has shut down nine rides at its amusement parks across the U.S. following a deadly roller coaster incident in Georgia.
Officials say a man fell from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags over Georgia near Atlanta. Police have not released details about how he died or
the number of others injured on Monday's ride.
Our Isabel Rosales is at that Six Flags in Georgia and she has more details on the aftermath of this tragedy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I want to push in the camera a little bit closer here so you can see in that incline over there. You can still
see a car that's up on the incline. Now, to be specific, that is not the car involved where this man lost his life, but the car that was following
up behind it and understandably an employee saw that there was an emergency situation happening and likely hit the pause button on that. This is the
car where people were being evacuated down the service there.
So, what happened here? Well, witnesses say that a man fell from the roller coaster. One witness telling RCN and affiliate WXIA that she witnessed this
man hitting the car three different times before falling down into the roof of a haunted house attraction down below.
Police have not said -- have not given out this man's identity, how he died or how many people have been injured, but detectives are looking into the
circumstances surrounding this incident.
Now, this roller coaster behind me, Goliath, according to the Six Flags' website, is what's known as a hyper coaster, made of steel, going up to
speeds of 70 miles per hour, and that incline up to 200 feet.
I want you to listen now to a mom who saw the aftermath of all this chaos. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two of my children had just been on that ride maybe 20 minutes before.
Whenever you go to amusement parks, whenever you get in a car, whenever you live your life, it's always subject to risk. So, you just never know when
something's going to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROSALES: And I do want to share this new statement we have now from the Swiss roller coaster manufacturer behind Goliath. This is Bolliger and
Mabillard. They said the following, "We are deeply saddened by this tragic accident. Our thoughts are with the family and those affected. We are
actively investigating the incident and have no further comment until we have a better understanding of what transpired."
We also heard back from Six Flags who told us that there's nine roller coasters across six different Six Flag parks that are now temporarily
closed out of, quote, an abundance of caution.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Our thanks to Isabel Rosales for that report.
Well, scientists are learning more about how GLP-1 medications could potentially help people live longer. Early research now suggests that drugs
like Ozempic and Zepbound may do more than help you lose weight or manage diabetes.
CNN's health reporter Jacqueline Howard has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: One of these studies shows that semaglutide medications may reduce the biological age of organs in your
body.
Now, this study hasn't been published yet in a peer-reviewed journal, but it is part of a larger collection of research that's getting a lot of
attention.
What researchers did, they looked at data on more than 10,000 people. This was across five clinical trials. And they found that among those people
taking semaglutide medications, the medications reduced the biological age of their hearts by up to four years.
And when the researchers then looked at other organs like the brain, kidney, pancreas and lungs, they also found reductions of up to four years.
And this was compared with their peers.
So, overall, this suggests that maybe GLP-1 medications can help people live longer. And there has been separate research already showing an
association between GLP-1s and a reduced risk of heart disease and kidney and liver disease too.
But researchers say they really want to dig deeper into this to determine are these anti-aging effects from the medications themselves? Or are they
simply a result of losing weight and getting better control of your blood sugar levels? That's the next question that needs to be answered in this
body of research.
[12:50:12]
But for now, like I said, this association is getting a lot of attention. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: All right. I'll be right back with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: All right. Forget happy hour, how about driveway talk? In one North Dakota neighborhood, folks pull up chairs, park the politics and get
real about life. No small talk, no sparring, just people listening, learning, and reconnecting one driveway at a time. I love this.
Kevin Wallevand from our affiliate WDAY in Fargo has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PRAKASH MATTHEW, STARTED DRIVEWAY DIALOGUE: We're going to call this the Driveway Dialogue.
KEVIN WALLEVAND, REPORTER, WDAY (voice-over): On a street full of elm trees and fresh fall leaves.
MATTHEW: Hello, Mark. Thanks for coming.
WALLEVAND (voice-over): South Fargo's 9th Street is filling up with listeners.
MATTHEW: There's -- there's more chairs.
WALLEVAND (voice-over): This is called Driveway Dialogue, the brainchild of Prakash Matthew.
People living nearby pulling up a chair in front of his house, one night every two weeks in the summer.
MATTHEW: I think -- I think we'll get started. Is that OK? OK.
GREG CARLSON, NEIGHBOR: It's no small talk. I don't mind small talk, but when Prakash introduced this idea that we would -- we would go into and
deeply into meaningful, thoughtful kinds of conversations, I thought, OK, I'm going to give this a try.
WALLEVAND (voice-over): Not everyone here knows each other. Some live close by, others a few blocks away.
BRIAN CLARK, NEIGHBOR: I'm Brian Clark. We're down on 9th Street, right across from Bill. Yes. So, good to see you.
WALLEVAND (voice-over): But word of mouth has spread. What started as Prakash and his wife, Jane, sitting in their driveway, talking with people
walking by after dinner --
MATTHEW: Welcome.
WALLEVAND (voice-over): -- has transformed into this.
MATTHEW: Thanks for coming.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
MATTHEW: You're doing OK?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm doing OK, yes.
MATTHEW: What if we do something very intentionally? Creating a community.
WALLEVAND (voice-over): People filling his driveway to discuss a topic from love your neighbor to building trust to --
MATTHEW: And today, today's topic is you reap what you sow.
WALLEVAND (voice-over): Politics here, not allowed. Everyone contributes, listening, talking.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to start with a story.
WALLEVAND (voice-over): Their opinion or contribution to the conversation, valued and respected.
SCOTT HOLDMAN, NEIGHBOR: Maybe we're not really that divided anyway. You know, people are not really rude. If somebody has an opinion that's a
little different, you know, I don't think it's unusual that there's kindness exchanged.
WALLEVAND (voice-over): This at a time when conversations with your neighbor could be a challenge.
MATTHEW: But what is happening in our country right now, I'm -- I'm shocked what is going on. And something is happening.
HOLDMAN: When we're listening to what's on people's hearts and minds and we're not contributing to the noise, that's making a difference.
[12:55:00]
WALLEVAND (voice-over): But instead of complaining about isolation or divided country --
DEB SEMINARY, NEIGHBOR: But why don't you either pick up the phone or go next door or go volunteer or go do this and do something about it.
WALLEVAND (voice-over): For Prakash, this is healing. The driveway conversations were his wife, Jane's idea. She died suddenly a year ago. Her
dream of community has exploded and Prakash finds comfort in that.
MATTHEW: I think it is very therapeutic, very therapeutic. I think because we -- this is family.
WALLEVAND (voice-over): At the end of the evening, neighbors know each other a little better, care more for their town, and leave knowing our
great big, complicated country just got smaller.
MATTHEW: And so here, my life is richer because of them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: We could use people like Prakash in Washington. That is for sure. What a great idea.
All right. That does it for "One World" today. I'm Bianna Golodryga. Thanks so much for watching. I'll be right back with "Amanpour."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:00:00]
END
