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One World with Zain Asher

Zelenskyy Meets With British P.M. As U.S. Support Concerns Grow; Judge Says Trump Press Ban Likely Violates First Amendment; Two new Polls Show Texas Senate Race Deadlocked; Investors Join Collectors To Trade Pokemon Cards; North Carolina Will Test "Blue Wave" Expectations; Cornell University Faces Intense Scrutiny After Jane Doe Lawsuit; ; Aired 12-1p ET

Aired October 14, 2026 - 12:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:00:28]

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: The strikes on Ukraine continue and an aid to Vladimir Putin says, Donald Trump's diesel deal with Russia is full steam

ahead.

Plus, damning details, CNN reviews -- CNN reviews how Cornell has punished students accused of sexual assault in recent years. And the findings are

raising serious questions.

And later.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLINE BOU MANSOUR, CNN CREATOR: So, you said that's $40,000?

MOHAMMED, TCG COLLECTOR: Yes.

BOU MANSOUR: And it's just a card?

MOHAMMED: It's more than a card.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Pokemon mania is here to stay. Why the playing cards are worth millions.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is currently meeting with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham as concerns grow about just how much support Kyiv can expect from

the United States. The Ukrainian president's U.K. visit to shore up military aid and financial aid comes at a difficult time.

In recent days, President Trump has announced a controversial diesel deal with Moscow. His administration also threatened to cut off intelligence

sharing with Kyiv, and he has said Ukraine needs new leadership. But Burnham says he hopes to smooth out that relationship.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDY BURNHAM, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: What I have to do in my role is try and repair bridges so that the support comes back. And therefore, I should,

at this moment in time, be careful in terms of laying the ground to -- to bring people back together. That is the role I intend to play. It's the

right role for me to play in this moment. I will listen to President Zelenskyy carefully, but he won't be going away from Britain today empty-

handed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Trump claims the U.S. has not cut off intelligence to Ukraine, but on Tuesday, his new press secretary declined to say if that was the

case.

And earlier, Zelenskyy said Kyiv was not given advance warning from its Western allies about recent Russian missile attacks shortly after Moscow

launched a massive strike on the Ukrainian capital and beyond specifically targeting energy facilities.

Meanwhile, as the U.S. ratchets up pressure on Kyiv to stop attacking Russian oil refineries, the White House's staying silent on Moscow's recent

strikes on American businesses in Ukraine.

It's all happening as Kyiv accused Elon Musk's SpaceX of limiting its Starlink services during Russian attacks that has served as a lifeline for

Ukrainian military communications.

CNN's Jennifer Hansler joins me now live from Washington. So, relationship perhaps between these two countries at their thorniest since that -- that

memorable exchange in the Oval Office last year with the president -- President Zelenskyy.

Just talk about why this is happening right now and how the White House is responding to accusations from Ukraine about intelligence not being shared

and warnings not being given.

JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Well, Bianna, that's exactly right, relations between Washington and Kyiv right now are

incredibly frosty, particularly after that surprise diesel deal and Russian sanctions relief was announced by President Trump on Friday.

This came after, of course, he spoke with Russian president, Vladimir Putin. He posted this on Truth Social as negotiators from Ukraine, from

Europe were meeting with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Miami. Our understanding that this came as quite a surprise to the Ukrainians who were

there meeting with these U.S. negotiators.

Fast forward to this weekend, we have heard from sources that the U.S. had floated this threat of cutting off intelligence to Ukraine. This is, of

course, key in helping to intercept that barrage of Russian attacks that have been hitting the country. The White House did not deny that this

threat was made.

Now, Zelenskyy has floated over the past two nights saying that they have not gotten an advance warning about these deadly strikes. This is something

that is raising a lot of suspicion and frustration in the Ukrainian capital about what exactly is the status of that intelligence.

The White House has pushed back. They say that they are continuing to provide intelligence to the Ukrainians. But Trump yesterday reiterated that

he wants this war to come to an end.

Now, as you noted, overnight, we saw this development with SpaceX's Starlink military-grade service. This is something called Starshield.

Sources told us that they were given restrictions on the Starshield system without any sort of advance warning under these new restrictions if any

sort of entity that's connected to the system goes above 100 miles per hour, it will lose communication with the system.

[12:05:16]

Sources say this could be catastrophic in Ukraine's war because it will limit their ability to intercept drones that are coming in, use their own

drones against Russia, will limit their logistical abilities on the front lines. So, this could be a very significant development.

Our understanding from our sources is that Kyiv has reached out to SpaceX to try to get answers about why exactly these restrictions were put into

place without any sort of advance notice, particularly because they already had an agreement with SpaceX, with Starshield that laid out the terms for

its use.

Now, beyond all this, of course, we have seen Russia escalating its attacks on civilian infrastructure over the past several months. And this has

included U.S. business interests.

According to the president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, Russia has been hitting some of the most notable brands facilities in

Ukraine. This includes Coca-Cola, includes Pepsi, this includes McDonald's. And Andy Hunder, who's the president, said this is sending a sign that

Russia is targeting U.S. business, U.S. money. And he said there has been absolute silence from the White House.

Now, the last time Trump even seemed to address these attacks on U.S. businesses in Ukraine was last year when he was asked about an attack on a

warehouse in Western Ukraine. Up until then, there has been silence on these latest attacks.

Now, Hunder and other sources said there's a mixed view among U.S. businesses about how much they want to highlight this. However, Zelenskyy

has also said that this is sending a message from Russia that they are going after the U.S. in Ukraine. Bianna?

GOLODRYGA: Yes, a massive message being sent and it is stunning and quite telling that the president has said nothing about this. All of his ire

seems to be directed one way and that is towards President Zelenskyy and Ukraine.

Jennifer Hansler, thank you.

Well, it is one of the biggest acts of sabotage in decades. Now, a trial involving a Ukrainian ex-military officer is underway in Germany. Former

soldiers accused of leading a group of Ukrainian agents to explode parts of two Nord Stream gas pipelines. He denies wrongdoing and Ukraine has denied

any involvement.

In September of 2022, explosions ripped through pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm. The incident sparked a cross-border investigation and

heightened the controversy over Europe's continued use of Russian natural gas.

Well, a federal judge is offering the Trump administration to allow CNN, MS NOW and "POLITICO" access the White House while their lawsuit over the

president's press ban plays out. The judge says the ban likely violated the First Amendment with evidence suggesting the outlets were targeted in

retaliation for their news coverage.

Here's how Mark Thompson, CNN's chairman and editor-in-chief, is responding to the news.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK THOMPSON, CHAIRMAN AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, CNN WORLDWIDE: It's the judge saying that our complaint, that our fundamental rights to cover the

president properly inside the White House and the rest of it were violated and that we're likely to prevail in the final trial. to me, it's a vote of

confidence in free speech and our right, not -- not really so much for ourselves, but on behalf of the public everywhere and on behalf of, by the

way, all the people who are subscribers to the T.V. pool which we're part of.

This topic is one we're never going to back down from. And no matter how many court cases, investigations, court appearances, and all the expense

that that entails, we will fight this one to the end.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: CNN's chief media analyst Brian Stelter joins me for more on this. So, Brian, this is a Trump-appointed judge who says the press ban

likely violates the First Amendment. What's the most consequential part of his reasoning here?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Well, it's a landmark victory for press freedom in the U.S., even though it was expected, even though these -

- these news outlets said from day one that this ban was unconstitutional.

Now, you have this judge affirming that and saying that if this does go to trial, as Mark Thompson said, it may over time, go to trial eventually,

that these news outlets -- these news outlets are likely to prevail.

He focuses his ruling on two areas. The Fifth Amendment due process claims he had addressed late last month, and he reaffirms that, that there was no

due process. These networks, these reporters did not have a chance to object before being banned very suddenly.

But on the First Amendment arguments, very importantly, Judge Kelly basically rejects the national security claims that the Justice Department

later came up with in order to justify the ban after the fact.

And I know that was something that was certainly notable to Ted Boutrous, the outside counsel for CNN, MS, and "POLITICO." He was very grateful to

see the judge basically dismantle and -- and -- and dissect the suggestion that actually national security was the reason for this ban.

[12:10:14]

So that's going to be important as the White House and the Justice Department consider appealing. I've been told in the last few minutes the

White House, an anonymous White House official saying, we intend to appeal this misguided ruling.

We'll see if the Justice Department actually does that or not, Bianna, but this could still go on for a while.

GOLODRYGA: Right. And for viewers who see this fight between the president and networks, including ours, what do they lose when a president decides

who gets to cover him and ask him questions?

STELTER: The president's trying to replace real reporters with propagandists and fluffers and -- and folks who will simply serve him up

softballs that make him feel good and look like he's 10 feet tall. That is the clear effort that's been underway for almost two years at this point,

bringing in MAGA media, kind of fringe far-right outlets and bringing them into the press pool.

But outlets like CNN and the "Associated Press" and "The New York Times" have been holding the line and insisting that real independent journalists

still be able to ask those questions as well.

And it seems to me the president, as he gets increasingly frustrated with news coverage, as his approval ratings decline and decline, he wants to

push those remaining real reporters out of the room. That's what Americans, that's what people around the world would lose if he succeeds.

But we've seen this many times, Bianna, in Trump 2.0, when media outlets exercise their rights, they win. When they go to court, they win. And this

is another example of that phenomenon.

GOLODRYGA: And another example of some of our competitors, all of these networks. And Mark Thompson highlighted this putting --

STELTER: Yes, together, yes.

GOLODRYGA: -- their own -- their own politics, their own coverage aside and realizing that this is a collective fight here. It's been done before and I

imagine it will continue.

Brian Stelter, thank you so much.

STELTER: Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: Well, President Trump is stepping up his campaign blitz ahead of the critical midterm elections. On his itinerary today, Arizona and later

Montana. Then it's on to Georgia Friday and Kentucky on Saturday. His goal to help Republicans in red and battleground states with just 20 days until

the midterms.

Even in deep red Texas, the Republican candidate for Senate is facing a very tight race. A new Marist poll shows that only two points separate

Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton who was endorsed by President Trump.

Coming up tonight, CNN and Jubilee Media will host a town hall with Talarico as he makes his final campaign push. The race is one of the most

closely watched and most expensive Senate races in the country.

CNN's Jeff Zeleny has more on what we can expect from tonight's town hall.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Bianna, an extraordinary Senate race in your home state of Texas really tells you all

you need to know about the closing stretch of this midterm election campaign, how Republicans are on defense in Trump country. And this Texas

race between James Talarico and Ken Paxton certainly underscores all of that.

President Trump has been to the state many times in recent weeks. Vice President J.D. Vance came here on Tuesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And when we get started -- I love you too, sir. In a totally platonic way. To be clear. I'm the vice

president, not James Talarico.

The best part about this guy is, you know, he was asked what he loves in life, besides his own family and friends, and he responded without skipping

a beat, and I quote, trans children.

Now, you got to wonder what the internet search history of a man like that looks like.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: So, the vice president clearly trying to, not only fire up Republicans, but also perhaps stop some other Republicans and independents

from supporting James Talarico.

As we've been spending time here in Texas talking to many voters, there is a strain, at least a share of Republicans who are frustrated with the

economy and also do not find Ken Paxton to be an acceptable Senate candidate.

So, some are supporting Talarico, perhaps more interesting, will be the ones who decide to not vote in the Senate race. We are hearing that as

well. So, that is one of the reasons that J.D. Vance, the vice president, was here taking several shots at James Talarico.

But there's also a sense that polls are showing this race to be extraordinarily close. The new University of Texas poll is showing it to be

within the margin of error, but also showing it to be that James Talarico has a strength among voters who are concerned about moral values and public

corruption.

So, heading into the final days of this campaign. Early voting starts on Monday. There is no doubt that this town hall tonight in Fort Worth is

going to be quite interesting because James Talarico will be taking questions directly from voters.

[12:15:06]

And in a bit of a twist, there'll be a segment called Change My Mind. So, he'll be sitting directly across from voters just face to face with them,

sparring, but also trying to persuade them. And, of course, that's what this is all about, trying to win over some undecided voters as well as

getting those Democrats and others to the polls.

So, there's no doubt this half a billion dollar Texas Senate race is one of the key cornerstones of the fight for control of the Senate. Bianna.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: I want to bring in Joseph Morton. He covers Washington for "The Dallas Morning News." Thanks so much for joining us.

So, I grew up in Texas. We have covered many past races where it looked like perhaps Democrats and their candidate had a chance on winning only to

be dashed with polls showing such a close race now and specifically with Paxton being, I would argue, an objectively weak candidate here.

Do you think this time will be different? What are you hearing from voters?

JOSEPH MORTON, WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Yes, some extent that remains to be seen as you allude to. Democrats were pretty

fired up in 2024. They thought Ted Cruz in that cycle was a particularly vulnerable incumbent. They poured massive amounts of money into the state

only to have Ted Cruz win by like nine points. So, I -- I don't know if there's a little bit of a hangover effect there.

I've heard Democrats here in D.C. say they see it as a sort of cumulative process. So, they think the money they've spent in those past races has

laid the foundation for Talarico this time around.

And once again, they are very hopeful. Polls show it to be a very competitive race. We're going to find out in a few weeks and early voting

starts Monday.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. Well, today's Marist poll has Talarico running ahead of his party's congressional candidates. How much of that is enthusiasm for him

and how much of that is resistance, once again, to what we've highlighted in the particular weakness here in Ken Paxton?

MORTON: Yes. I mean, this is clearly what Ken Paxton is fighting against. If all the Republicans show up and all the Democrats show up and -- and

vote for their guy, then Ken Paxton wins. Republicans have a numerical advantage in the state. The problem is that a lot of them are not sold on

Ken Paxton.

So, Talarico is trying to capitalize on that. And I'm sure we'll see that in the town hall tonight of him reaching out to those independents and soft

Republicans trying to bring them over.

And you see it in their advertising. His -- Talarico's his attacks on Paxton really focused on morality, allegations of -- of corruption, you

know, just trying to portray him as outside the -- the mainstream on those morality issues and hoping that that'll turn some of those voters.

You see on the other side, Paxton and his allies really attacking Talarico on trying to portray him as -- as too liberal for the state. It is still a

red state, a conservative state, so we'll see which of those two messages wins out.

GOLODRYGA: What are you hearing from voters in terms of the vice president, and as specifically we've seen the president campaigning in Texas and

endorsing, I guess in his own way, why Ken Paxton is the stronger of these two candidates.

Does tying Paxton to the White House and to Trump, does that help him with voters who are undecided, even Republicans, or not?

MORTON: Well, certainly when you listen to the president's endorsements, they seem to always come with this sort of backhanded. He's a great

attorney general, pay no attention to how he dresses, looks or speaks. So, it's kind of a curious endorsement sometimes from President Trump.

It is kind of a question of how much it helps. We have this leaked audio that we've gotten from a -- from a fundraiser where Ken Paxton seemed to be

suggesting that -- that the president and his Trumpapalooza midterm convention that we had in Dallas actually pulled down Republican numbers

because of all that kind of, you know, headwinds that the administration's facing now on affordability, gas prices, the conflict in Iran, all of that.

It does still seem though like the polls show that Ken Paxton's biggest challenge is consolidating his side of the aisle and trying to get

Republicans convinced that they need to show up and vote for him.

So, they keep bringing President Trump in and -- and J.D. Vance. So somebody thinks it's helping. I don't know if it may be a situation where

you can't really turn the president down if he wants to come.

He's convinced. President Trump, I think, is convinced that -- that the state loves him. And -- and this is great for Ken Paxton. So, I'm not 100

percent sure the -- the attorney general agrees, but I'm not sure how you turn down President Trump saying he wants to come rally for you.

[12:20:02]

GOLODRYGA: Yes. We wouldn't be in this position. I think most would agree if John Cornyn was the one who was challenging Talarico, but that is not

the case, surely. Thank you.

MORTON: I think it's -- I think it's --

GOLODRYGA: Yes.

MORTON: I think it's fair to say it would be a much different race, yes.

GOLODRYGA: Much different race and much cheaper race for Republicans, I would imagine, as well.

Thanks so much for joining us. Really appreciate it.

And still to come on "One World," big names and big issues at CNN's inaugural Asia edition of Global Perspectives. Top government and business

leaders gather in Bangkok to talk trade, A.I., and the climate crisis.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: All right. Let's take look at the markets. Red arrows, the Dow down about three-tenths of a percent. The NASDAQ down a little over one and

a half percent. The S&P 500 down a little over one percent. This is your Business Breakout.

New numbers show U.S. inflation rose last month mostly due to those high gas prices. September's annual inflation rate was up 3.7 percent compared

to a year ago and 0.6 percent from August. It's the last consumer price reading we'll get before the midterm elections.

Netflix is cutting about six percent of its workforce or about thousand jobs. That is according to multiple media reports, citing an internal memo

from Netflix chiefs Greg Peters and Ted Sarandos. The cuts are reportedly blamed on a more consolidated media landscape and slowing growth. Netflix

hasn't officially commented on these layoffs.

And CNN's first Global Perspectives conference took place in Bangkok today. Dignitaries, visionaries and business executives came together to explore

the big ideas, bold leadership, and dynamic economies, and cultural structure shaping global transformation.

At the conference, European Central Bank President, Christine Lagarde, signaled that she won't intervene in France's growing debt crisis. Instead,

she said the solution should start with domestic fiscal policies, which she doesn't plan to be involved in for now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR-IN-LARGE: Are you going to run to be president of France?

CHRISTINE LAGARDE, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK: No.

QUEST: Hang on. Hang on. Is that a central banker's no? Or is it a politician's no?

LAGARDE: I'll tell you something. I am a central banker and I'm not moving out of my lane as long as I'm a central banker.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[12:25:06]

GOLODRYGA: And there's plenty more coverage from CNN's Global Perspectives in Bangkok over on our website.

Well, trading card games has always been a battle of one-upsmanship, except now the stakes are much higher. No longer just about who has the strongest

card, the industry has morphed into a multi-billion dollar global market with cards traded as major investment assets.

CNN creator Charline Bou Mansour reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RIAD, TCG COLLECTOR: The whole set is worth about $20 million.

BOU MANSOUR: So, we're literally standing right next to $20 million?

RIAD: Exactly.

BOU MANSOUR: Are you getting this? Well, I'm at Doha's first TCG and collectibles convention. Now you might be thinking, what is that? Think

Pokemon, think trading cards, and people are not only playing, buying, and selling, but they're also investing in these cards. Some of these cards are

worth millions of dollars.

RIAD: This box probably costs half a million today.

BOU MANSOUR: Just this box here?

RIAD: Just this booster box. Yes, yes.

BOU MANSOUR: We used to buy this box when we were younger. And we used to just open them and just --

RIAD: Exactly --

BOU MANSOUR: -- rip them up as if nothing played with them in the playground.

RIAD: Exactly.

BOU MANSOUR: So, how much is this worth?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This card's a little bit over 20,000. This will go to her one day. So, hold this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hopefully she'll get into it.

BOU MANSOUR: Do you support his hobby?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do. I do.

BOU MANSOUR (voice-over): And it's not just Pokemon cards. Hundreds of TCGs or trading card games have emerged over the decades, which has grown into a

multi-billion global market fueled by nostalgia, social media, and investment interest.

BOU MANSOUR: So, you said that's $40,000?

MOHAMMED: Yes.

BOU MANSOUR: And it's just a card?

MOHAMMED: It's more than a card.

BOU MANSOUR: OK, sorry.

MOHAMMED: It's emotion. It's what the card brings you, about souvenirs.

RIAD: This is a bit like the art but for people. There is a lot of art that are in museum. Yes, of course, there's people that has art in their house,

but for me, this is also more accessible art.

BOU MANSOUR: So, this is your Mona Lisa?

RIAD: This is my Mona Lisa, to be honest. Yes, 100 percent. Hundred percent. I prefer to have that in my house than a Mona Lisa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: All right. Still to come on "One World."

JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The president's poll numbers are simply so bad. Are Democrats going to have a good midterm

election night or is there a big blue wave brewing?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: CNN's John King takes us to North Carolina. Hear why Democrats have a chance at making a big impact in this long-time red state.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:30:39]

GOLODRYGA: Only 20 days left in the final stretch of the U.S. midterm elections. CNN's John King is back in North Carolina to talk with voters

there. Critical races are playing out in a state where President Trump has won three times. Here is the latest All Over the Map report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KING (voice-over): Up before the sun, a crisp fall morning wrapped in a thick blanket of fog.

ROBERT RUSSELL, NORTH CAROLINA VOTER: Baby (ph).

KING (voice-over): Robert Russell breaks the silence.

RUSSELL: Baby (ph).

KING (voice-over): A wake-up call in Appalachia.

RUSSELL: So, I will be in business here in a couple of minutes.

KING (voice-over): It takes a bit, but then remarkable precision. The goats emerge from the hillside, wander down, and line up.

KING: They come at their pace, right?

RUSSELL: That's pretty much it. So, they -- they wake up, and the first thing they want to do is eat.

KING (voice-over): Milking comes first on Russell's long list of daily chores.

KING: Oh, sorry.

KING (voice-over): Busy, but patient with a novice.

KING: Yes. She says new guy. There we go.

RUSSELL: OK, now you're good.

KING: All right.

KING (voice-over): Pigs to feed, chickens to check on, and yes, baby goats to break up the chores with some morning joy.

Fifty acres, days that run 19 hours, a small farm barely breaking even.

RUSSELL: Yes, from the outside, that's a life that you would never want to live. But, I mean, I can tell you that -- that in 10 years, I've never had

a single moment when I've regretted do it and taking this step.

KING (voice-over): Leicester is Western North Carolina, the Blue Ridge Mountains, rugged, rural, Republican.

Yet this fall, full of these, perhaps another wake-up call. Roy Cooper is the Democrat now favored to flip a Republican Senate seat.

Jamie Ager, a farmer and a Democrat, hoping to flip a deep red House seat. Russell is an Independent, tired of rising prices, tired of broken

promises.

RUSSELL: No, I'm not particularly happy. You know, I think that -- that a lot of stuff that -- that was implied or promised has kind of been

backtracked, walking -- walked back, and that's, you know, that's frustrating.

KING: Like what?

RUSSELL: No wars. That's a big one.

KING (voice-over): Inclined to vote for change, but not sure yet. Not sure because he doubts even giant change in Washington will help him.

RUSSELL: The government is not interested and has -- is not set up to help small farmers. I don't have any hope that -- that any -- there's going to

be any possible change in Washington that's going to affect and -- and benefit me.

KING (voice-over): That's a recurring theme of our travels here and in many rural communities where people feel forgotten.

Abby Norton is the mayor of Tiny Hot Springs, population 600. Not a politician, she insists. Not one who believes replacing Republicans with

Democrats in Congress will change much.

MAYOR ABBY NORTON, HOT SPRINGS, NORTH CAROLINA: There are going to be people out there who think I'm just totally crazy, but no, I don't think

it's going to affect the way we live and the way that we work.

KING (voice-over): This is Marshall, about 15 miles upriver from Hot Springs. The floodwaters here rose 27 feet.

KOREY HAMPTON, NORTH CAROLINA VOTER: Ready to start the adventure?

KING: I'm ready. I am ready. I am excited. It's a beautiful day.

HAMPTON: OK.

KING (voice-over): Korey Hampton's outdoor adventure business offers rafting, rappelling, ziplining, and bike tours through the spectacular

countryside. The floodwaters changed the path of the French Broad River. Homes alongside it are still being rebuilt. It was not a good summer.

HAMPTON: It's hard to know how much of that is still storm-related and how much of that is because people aren't sure if they should spend money to,

you know, go out to eat or to go on a family vacation.

KING (voice-over): Hampton and good friend, Josh Kopras, are Democrats. They know they're outnumbered here. Trump won 61 percent of the vote in

Madison County, but both believe eight months of a war, the president said would be over in weeks, is changing minds here.

HAMPTON: A direct impact of the war is that fuel costs more, and I -- I don't have a way around using fuel. I live in a -- live and run a business

in a rural town that's 30, 45 minutes from where my guests are. And my locations where we go on outdoor adventures are 45 an hour plus out into,

you know, the remote wilderness.

[12:35:01]

KING (voice-over): This isn't the only North Carolina house race critical to the balance of power in Washington. A second is 400 miles east, along

North Carolina's Atlantic coast.

KING: It's a big late campaign question because the president's poll numbers are simply so bad. Are Democrats going to have a good midterm

election night? Or is there a big blue wave brewing? Well, where I'm standing right now will be a big part of the answer.

This is North Carolina's First Congressional District. Democrat Don Davis is the incumbent. Back in 2024, Congressman Davis narrowly won reelection,

but at the same time, President Trump carried his district by three points. So, Don Davis was going to be a top Republican target this year anyway.

But then North Carolina Republicans redrew the lines. They took away from the district several predominantly black Democratic counties, and they

added a handful of Republican counties like this one.

Under the new lines, President Trump would have carried the district by 11 points. So by that new math, in 2026, Congressman Davis should be toast,

right?

KING (voice-over): Laurie Buckhout is the Republican candidate.

NICK MCFERRAN, NORTH CAROLINA VOTER: It's a side-charging.

KING (voice-over): Nick McFerran bought this gun shop in Morehead City 10 years ago, says business is pretty good. His politics could not be clearer.

KING: What is it you like about him?

MCFERRAN: What's not to like about him? I think he's straightforward. I like what he does.

KING (voice-over): He's confident Republicans will turn out and flip the House seat.

MCFERRAN: Constantly people talk about the election.

KING: And the question is, could she win?

MCFERRAN: I think definitely she will win.

KING (voice-over): Morehead City is in Carteret County. Trump won 71 percent here two years ago. Local Democrats, though, insist that even here,

the midterm mood is change.

LISA HOLMAN, 1ST VICE CHAIR, CARTERET COUNTY DEMOCRATS: We're going to roll it blue. People are angry. They're ready for a change.

KING (voice-over): Remember, looks can be deceiving. A roomful of excited Democrats on a weeknight is impressive, yes. But the math around here in

recent years is pretty lopsided, in favor of the other party.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The time is now to get involved.

KING (voice-over): But it is worth listening, among those on hand are several local candidates who suddenly think maybe they can flip seats in

the Republican legislature.

Lisa Holman is in charge of getting out the vote for them and for Congressman Davis. All insist the fall mood here is very different from the

spring.

HOLMAN: I just talked to several people on the phone bank today, and they go, I cannot wait to get to the polls. I cannot wait. We weren't seeing and

hearing that back in May initially. It was like, yes, no. And so blue wave, yes, I really am feeling the blue wave.

KING (voice-over): Be skeptical, especially when it comes to this House race. But North Carolina hugging the Atlantic coast has two big pluses.

One, it's gorgeous. And on election night, it gives us a giant early test of the midterm blue wave debate.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:40:20]

GOLODRYGA: Later today, Cornell University's faculty senate will discuss a possible no-confidence motion over the school's response to sexual violence

on campus. It comes on the heels of the Jane Doe lawsuit accusing fraternity members of a gang rape in 2024.

CNN also investigated how the school has dealt with 51 past complaints about alleged sexual assault on campus. Those formal complaints were filed

over a four-year period starting in mid-2020.

In 16 of those cases, the university panel found the accused was responsible for sexual assault. For nearly half of them, the administration

doled out relatively lenient punishments like reprimands or disciplinary probation. You can see the full report on cnn.com.

Time now for The Exchange. Joining us is Amherst College psychology professor Catherine Sanderson. She's also the author of "Why We Act:

Turning Bystanders into Moral Rebels." Welcome to the program. Thank you so much for being with us.

So, just going back to this report and investigation that CNN conducted, given that nearly half of these Cornell students found responsible for

sexual assaults received punishments as we noted, extremely lenient, extra study times or those written reprimands without suspension or expulsion.

What kind of message does that send to survivors and to potential future perpetrators?

CATHERINE SANDERSON, PSYCHOLOGY PROFESSOR, AMHERST COLLEGE: So, the problem with that sort of very lenient punishment is it really kind of conveys an

institutional acceptance and lack of perceived severity about that type of offense.

And I think that's what we've seen far too often, not just at Cornell, but at many institutions in which issues of sexual violence are seen as a he

said, she said, and not really given the appropriate punishment that would convey an attitude that this is unacceptable behavior in a community.

GOLODRYGA: Well, in that report, one survivor described going through Cornell's investigation as a, quote, illusion of accountability.

What happens psychologically when an institution you turn to for protection leaves you feeling betrayed?

SANDERSON: So, research has shown time and time again that if you go to an institution saying this really serious and impactful thing happens and your

concerns are underplayed, they are ignored, they are treated as trivial or not important or just kind of get over it, it conveys a sense that you're

not really an accepted and valued and respected part of a community.

It also deters other people from reporting similar offenses because people learn very quickly in a small enclosed community, hey, nothing's going to

happen. There's no point in reporting this. Nothing is going to change.

GOLODRYGA: That leads me to the question of others who bore witness to either the assault itself. And again, speaking about this case in

particular in 2024 at Cornell or others that we know take place far too often at university campuses around the world.

In Cornell's case, there were those in the room and there were dozens on this text chain. So, psychologically for students who perhaps were not

involved in the attack itself, but were privy or had knowledge of it and didn't come forward, talk about the psychology involved there and the

teachable moment going forward.

SANDERSON: So to me, that's actually the most important opportunity that we have to intervene. And that's because in this particular case, and -- and

frankly, and in many others, there are people aware of what is going on. They may not be physically witnessing it, but they are aware that something

is going on.

In the case of Cornell, it certainly appears that dozens of men were copied on this text chain. And that gives us a real opportunity to intervene

because my feeling, and this is again based on the research, is that most men, including men at Cornell, including college men, including men in

fraternities, do not believe that sexual violence is OK.

And yet, when something goes out indicating that some really inappropriate, whether or not it's illegal to be determined, but certainly inappropriate

behavior is happening, any of those men have the opportunity to say, hey guys, I'm not comfortable with this, or this is a bad idea, or hey, let's

cut it out, or whatever. And if one person had done so, others might well have followed, and this whole tragic experience might have turned out very

different.

[12:45:04]

GOLODRYGA: So Cornell, as we know, has now suspended fraternity parties for the rest of the academic year. What would make that a meaningful step

forward to preventing incidents and crimes like this alleged crime from happening again? Is -- could this be a case study for other universities as

well?

SANDERSON: Absolutely. And I think it's really easy to sort of trivialize this as this is just Cornell or this is just fraternities, but sexual

violence happens at schools with and without fraternities. Sexual violence happens on campus, not just in fraternities.

And to me, the teachable moment here, looking forward, is to think about how we can use this experience to make colleges safer, more accepting, more

inclusive for both men and women.

And let me be clear, teaching men to speak up when they see problematic behavior, that in and of itself could go a long way. Because what we know

is that most men are not in favor of sexual violence, but when they believe that most other men are, they don't speak up. And that's what allows the

problematic behavior to continue.

GOLODRYGA: Catherine Sanderson, I'm sure we'll continue this conversation in the weeks and months to come. Really appreciate your expertise here.

Thank you.

SANDERSON: Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: And we'll have more "One World" after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:50:00]

GOLODRYGA: The creator and co-director of "KPop Demon Hunters" remembers growing up in Toronto as a Korean, thinking her culture wasn't so cool. But

fast forward a few years, add in some K-Pop and the likes of "Squid Games," and Maggie Kang's whole outlook changed.

She decided Koreans had already produced so much animation for so many others, it was time for her to do something Koreans could call their own.

Earlier today, Kang spoke to -- at CNN's Global Perspectives in Bangkok.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAGGIE KANG, ACADEMY AWARD WINNING CREATOR AND CO-DIRECTOR OF "KPOP DEMON HUNTERS": I think just also growing up in Toronto, which is a city that

just really embraces multiculturalism and it's really a big part of the city's identity is that it's multicultural. It kind of gave me the license

to -- to celebrate my own culture, even though I didn't have too many people to do that with.

And my parents were a huge factor in that too. They -- they really instilled in me this like Korean pride and not just like -- not just

telling me that I'm Korean, but really teaching me the history of it.

So, I feel like even at a young age, like I had a pretty like, you know, not like intensive, but a general knowledge of like, why our language was

created and, you know, how as this tiny nation between two powerhouses, like Japan and China, like we -- we survived.

And just knowing the history of that and how my people thrived and through, you know, a lot of suffering, I think that kind of gave me just -- just

really allowed me to create like a -- a deeper relationship with my culture, just understanding where our people come from.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: oh, a fascinating perspective there.

All right. Well, two men out fishing off of New York's Long Island caught a startling moment when a whale crashed into their boat.

The fishermen say they noticed the whale off in the distance and stopped their boat. But the whale pushed the bait fish toward the boat and then

suddenly the whale crashed through the boat's door, sending fish and water flying.

They estimate that it was a humpback whale about 25 feet long. They say they've seen plenty -- look at that. They've seen plenty of whales over the

years but never anything this big or this close. Wow. And they caught it all on film.

Well, it's never too late for spice in your life. At least that's the case for romance novelist Ethel Ann Shaffer. And at 97, she's proof that there's

always time for a plot twist. Kara Finnstrom from our affiliate KCBS in Los Angeles has this story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ETHEL ANN SHAFFER, 97-YEAR-OLD NOVELIST: What a nice surprise, huh?

HELEN MARTIN, WRITING PARTNER: Yes, quite surprised.

KARA FINNSTROM, REPORTER, CBS NEWS LOS ANGELES (voice-over): Ethel Ann Shaffer showed us you're never too old to make a new bestie.

SHAFFER: I can't believe we finished that in three months though.

FINNSTROM (voice-over): Or to publish romance novels. She's 97.

SHAFFER: "The Last of the Red Hot Lovers," and it's about my husband and I falling in love at 80.

FINNSTROM (voice-over): Ethel Ann's second published book is a sweet story about second chances. It's also a steamy read.

SHAFFER: Love was so magical, it really was, but it's an adult book. Everybody wants to know. Are the body parts still working? You know, what's

going on in your lives?

FINNSTROM (voice-over): A publisher agreed, "The Golden Girl of Romance" now has a website.

FINNSTROM: And Ethel Ann's book started selling online at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is a dynamic little spitfire. I've never seen her not come down looking dressed, matching her face or makeup.

FINNSTROM (voice-over): Ethel Ann doesn't believe life's experiences should be stamped with expiration dates. She got her English degree in her 50s and

is now working on book number three at Sunrise Assisted Living.

SHAFFER: I told them how we met on the bus and you were such a reader.

FINNSTROM (voice-over): Helen Martin stepped into her life last year.

SHAFFER: So, you want to start reading at chapter 27?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This was one secret she planned to keep.

FINNSTROM (voice-over): Her husband had begun battling health problems and her own macular degeneration made it impossible to read.

SHAFFER: She's my eyes.

MARTIN: And I said I was the world's best proofreader because I'm always finding mistakes in the novels that I'm reading.

SHAFFER: How could I keep writing if I didn't have Helen?

For the purchase of the property.

MARTIN: He's going to have to want to give her a gift.

FINNSTROM (voice-over): The two now team up four times a week to edit and to giggle.

MARTIN: Oh, I love her books.

FINNSTROM (voice-over): Helen says they'd live surprisingly parallel lives.

MARTIN: Since I had the love of my life when I was 78 --

FINNSTROM (voice-over): They experienced similar joys and heartbreaks.

SHAFFER: We were married to abusive men, the first marriage. We had to raise our children alone.

FINNSTROM (voice-over): The title of Ethel Ann's next book, "She Always Gets Her Man." These two plan to have it ready in time for a German book

tour.

[12:55:02]

SHAFFER: I think I'll just write out that last chapter.

FINNSTROM (voice-over): And that's just the start of Ethel Ann's big plans.

SHAFFER: There's so many books. I'm just lining them up. This one next, that one next, the other one next, you know.

I think we could do that, don't you?

MARTIN: Yes.

Kara Finnstrom, L.A.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: That does it for "One World" today. I'm Bianna Golodryga. "Amanpour" is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:00:00]

END