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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
WH Urges A Quick Deal To Release Hostages In Gaza; Indirect Israel- Hamas Talks Underway In Egypt; Putin Warns U.S. Against Giving Tomahawk Missiles To Ukraine; French PM Sebastien Lecornu Resigns; OpenAI Partners With Chipmaker AMD; Trump Says He Could Invoke Insurrection Act; Hundreds Of Hikers Stranded Near Mount Everest. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired October 06, 2025 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington, and you're watching
"The Brief."
Just ahead this hour, the White House urges a quick deal to release hostages in Gaza, hoping for momentum in President Trump's ceasefire plan.
Political turmoil in France after the prime minister resigns after less than a month on the job. And a dangerous blizzard strands hundreds of
hikers near Mount Everest. That and much more coming up.
We do begin though with Israel and Hamas holding indirect talks in Egypt on a potential ceasefire and hostage deal. They're discussing the peace plan
proposed by the U.S. which calls for the release of all the Israeli hostages and an end to Israeli military operations in Gaza. President Trump
gave this update from the Oval Office just a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We have just about every nation working on this deal and trying to get it done. Something that you could say 3,000
years if you look at it in certain ways, or you could say centuries, but this is a deal that incredibly everyone just came together. They all came
together. No, Israel has been great. I think we're doing very well, and I think Hamas has been agreeing to things that are very important.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: The president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is along with the U.S. envoy in Egypt. This all comes as Tuesday marks two years since the awful
Hamas attack on Israel which began this war. Joining me now, former U.S. Special Representative for Palestinian Affairs, Hady Amr. He is now a
senior fellow at Brookings. Thanks so much for joining.
HADY AMR, SENIOR FELLOW, BROOKINGS: Thank you. This is an important conversation.
SCIUTTO: So, there have been a lot of false starts in these negotiations, as you well know. Do you believe the pieces are coming together here?
AMR: Let's all hope and pray that the carnage in Gaza that has killed 3 percent of the population per capital equivalent of 10 million Americans
comes to an end and that as many captives as possible go free.
SCIUTTO: Now, for Hamas, Israel is demanding Hamas disarm. Hamas wants a role in Gaza's governance going forward as well as safe passage for senior
figures. Is that something that Israel is willing to give on?
AMR: Look, I think -- I mean, the safe passage is Trump's -- is in the agreement that President Trump puts forward. I think President Trump really
wants a deal. And I think that as leaders around the world have learned, it's hard to say no to Donald Trump. And I think it's particularly hard for
Benjamin Netanyahu to say no to Donald Trump because Trump is more popular in Israel than he is.
SCIUTTO: So, from his perspective, what is going to be hardest for Netanyahu to give up here?
AMR: Look, Netanyahu is in a tough position. His ultra-right-wing, ultra- nationalist coalition partners don't really want to give up on anything. They want to keep fighting in Gaza. They've even talked about wanting to
resettle Gaza. And those are the people that keep his government together, without which he can't keep the government together.
But I think, again, the pressure that Donald Trump is putting on prime minister Netanyahu shows that when an American president does put pressure
on an Israeli prime minister, there's room to work there. And in some ways, it helps whatever positive inclinations they may have move forward in the
right direction.
SCIUTTO: Trump warned of complete obliteration of Hamas if it refused to seize control. Do you believe Hamas is taking Trump's pressure seriously?
AMR: I think Hamas is taking the pressure from its interlocutors seriously, the governments of Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt. I think they're all putting
the screws on Donald Trump. The whole Arab world, Muslim world, Europe, really everyone just wants to see the daily carnage end that's killed, you
know, on average, 60, 70 Palestinians a day. I mean, it's absolutely heartbreaking.
SCIUTTO: Do you believe that the people of Gaza are, because of that carnage, done with Hamas to some degree?
AMR: I think a great many of them are done with Hamas. I think their primary desire is to live normal lives, right? They want to enjoy the same
freedom, the same security, the same prosperity, the same rights that Israelis enjoy. They want to get back on a road that will make that
possible. And clearly, Hamas hasn't brought that.
[18:05:00]
SCIUTTO: In previous ceasefires, if you look, for instance, the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, it was sort of a ceasefire, right? Because when
Israel sees targets, it goes back and strikes. We saw one just in the last 24 hours. Is that likely to be the reality going forward for Gaza, that the
day-to-day military operations would end but that we might very well see a continuation of attacks.
AMR: It's very important that we all understand that this is much closer to a cease fire agreement than a peace deal.
SCIUTTO: Right.
AMR: Right. And so, I think there are probably going to be problems. There are probably going to be challenges like that that occur moving forward.
But I'm just -- I think it's -- as we saw with the European recognition of a Palestinian State, everyone is trying to send signals that this carnage
has got to end. The Israeli captives have got to get back home. The Palestinian captives have got to get back home. And we need to find a way
to move forward to that world, which President Trump clearly wants to do, where we can find a solution so that Israelis and Palestinians can enjoy
the same rights and the same freedoms.
SCIUTTO: Getting a cease fire, getting the hostages home, difficult but it's the simpler part of this equation, right, because finding a way
forward for Gaza, who's going to govern, who's going to keep the peace, as it were, will there be peacekeepers on the ground, other forces and so on.
Do you see -- you've been involved in many negotiations yourself before, do you see the ingredients coming together for something more lasting for
Gaza?
AMR: I hope it's there. I'm not sure it's there, but it's possible, what's -- it's -- what's possible is that a new dynamic could be created to move
towards that -- in that direction. We're not there yet, you know, there's no -- peace deals have references to U.N. resolutions and principles and
all that stuff. What this talks about is the basics of getting to a cease fire, the next steps after that.
But ultimately, right, we're not going to see peace unless there's some measure of, you know, lifting up Palestinian lives so that they look like
Israeli lives. Israel's per capita GDP is higher than France, Japan or the U.K., Palestinian per capita GDP is 120th that level, $2,000 a year. So,
we've got to find a way to lift up lives, lift up freedom, lift up security, and that's going to be the pathway to peace.
AMR: Typically, wars end when one or both sides decide they can't win, right, or at least one side decides they can't win, I mean, do you see that
here in this?
AMR: Look, Hamas has been absolutely decimated, they know that, the Israelis know that, for some amazing reason they're still able to hold on
to the -- you know, the Israeli captives and hostages, but beyond that, they are utterly decimated, they have lost this war -- this conflict
militarily, they haven't been -- you remember at the beginning, they were firing rockets, they were fighting back, we barely see a peep of that
anymore, they're just kind of hunkering down.
And so, I think there is -- it's possible that there's a pathway forward, there are seeds of peace, but it's going to require a lot of watering and a
lot of tilling to grow those seeds to where we all want to see this.
SCIUTTO: Yes, no question. Well, long time coming. Hady Amr, thanks so much for sharing your experience.
AMR: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: Well, Ukraine says it successfully struck a factory that produces explosives in Western Russia, as well as an oil terminal in Crimea. Russia
claims it intercepted some 250 Ukrainian drones overnight Sunday, and it claims the attack damaged infrastructure and cut off power in the Belgorod
region. This, as Ukrainian officials say, five people were killed Sunday in Russian missile and drone attacks.
The Western Lviv region, normally safe, especially hard hit. The latest attacks come after the White House said there was consideration of
supplying Ukraine with long-range U.S.-manufactured Tomahawk missiles. Even Russian leader Vladimir Putin admits those weapons could be a game changer
in this war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): You just mentioned the President of the United States. There were questions related to, let's
say, the discussion of problems with the supply of new weapon systems, including long-range, high-precision systems, Tomahawks. I have already
said that this will lead to the destruction of our relations, or at least the positive trends that have emerged in these relations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Retired Lieutenant General Ben Hodges joins me as a former commanding general of U.S. Army Europe. Good to have you. Thanks so much
for taking the time.
[18:10:00]
LT. GEN. BEN HODGES (RET.), FORMER COMMANDING GENERAL, U.S. ARMY EUROPE: Thank you, Jim.
SCIUTTO: You've watched this war closely since the start. Do you believe that the signs point to Ukraine having the upper hand right now?
HODGES: Yes, it sure feels like the initiative is on the side of Ukraine. The Russians, at enormous cost, have achieved almost nothing over the past,
really, year and a half, and I don't see them having the capability to ever overwhelm or break through Ukrainian defenses. The only thing they can keep
doing is, of course, attacking innocent Ukrainian civilians.
So, Ukraine has shifted its effort to going after Russia's oil and gas infrastructure with their own homemade long-range precision weapons, and
that seems to be really turning the tide.
SCIUTTO: Yes, it seems to have changed President Trump's calculation as to who has the upper hand in this war, because he notably said during the week
of the U.N. General Assembly that he now believes Ukraine might be able to win back all its territory. I wonder if you think the Russian leader
believes he's losing this war now, because he's -- well, he's been quite confident throughout, even when the indicators are pointing the other way.
HODGES: Well, of course, I couldn't be confident in understanding exactly what Vladimir Putin is thinking about or his own assessment. It's clear
that this war will continue as long as he remains in power. But if he really was a KGB agent for all these years, he has to be able to kind of
see what's going on, who he can trust of his own subordinates. And he can look at a map also and see that they're making zero progress.
And now, that Ukraine has been able to so significantly increase their own arms production, and he sees European countries seriously increasing what
they provide to Ukraine. So, that's a bad trend for Vladimir Putin. And then, President Trump. I mean, if he really has decided to provide things
like Tomahawk, although that was not really clear from his statement, that's good news for Ukraine.
SCIUTTO: I was going to ask you that, because he did reference that just a short time ago in the Oval Office saying he's -- seems to have said he's
pretty much decided, just wants to know where those will be used. The collection of indicators from Trump saying that he now believes Ukraine can
win back all its territory, saying that he's at least considering sending those Tomahawks. We had reporting last week that the U.S. is providing
intelligence for Ukrainian forces to strike inside Russia.
Do you look at all those indicators and does it convince you there's been a substantive change in the way Donald Trump views this war and his
willingness to help support Ukraine?
HODGES: I would like to believe that. But you know, Jim, there's been over the past eight months, so many times where the president had threatened to
do something to Russia, big, huge sanctions, you know, things like that, and they never really did happen.
And of course, I should not presume to know exactly all of what's going on in terms of agreements on intelligence or weapons being delivered, but
certainly the sense is much more positive. It's important that the Congress, in a bipartisan way, has very strongly supported Ukraine all
along. And perhaps some of that is finally helping to influence how the president thinks about things as well.
SCIUTTO: Russia is waging a hybrid war over Europe in the form of continued drone attacks as well as other methods they're using, for instance,
damaging undersea cables, et cetera. I just wonder, when you look at these drone attacks which are continuing as are other air incursions, has NATO's
response been too weak so far?
HODGES: So, far, yes. I think it's appalling that after watching Ukraine for the last several years, battling hundreds of drones and missiles every
night, that we are still unprepared. Now, my sense is that after NATO launched their Operation Eastern Sentry, right after the attack against
Poland, we're going to see a significant increase in readiness and capabilities. But the problem is we still have not come to grips with how
do you inflict consequences on Russia for these drone operations, the operations that violate Estonian airspace, the things happening to undersea
infrastructure that you alluded to when it's not always immediately attributable, too many people are still like, well, you know, it could have
been an accident or I'm not really sure.
[18:15:00]
The Russians are at war with us, whether we recognize it or not. And the sooner we start recognizing that, then we can have the sense of urgency
required to do the things that will inflict real consequences on Russia before it ever gets to a kinetic conflict.
SCIUTTO: Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, thanks so much for joining.
HODGES: Thank you, Jim.
SCIUTTO: Well, turning now to those reports of new drone sightings over European airspace and the continuing disruptions they've caused at airports
across the continent. Oslo Airport temporarily paused at least one landing on Monday after a pilot said he thought he saw drones during his approach
for landing, it's a safety concern. In Germany, more than 6,000 passengers were delayed by reports of drones at Munich Airport on Saturday. That's a
major hub. The airport was first disrupted overnight Friday. The German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said he assumes that Russia is behind those
drones. The Kremlin says the accusation is baseless.
French prime minister, Sebastien Lecornu, has now resigned after less than one month in office. It is the country's shortest premiership in decades.
Political instability has rocked France since the snap election that President Macron called back in 2024, a gamble to block the far-right that
has not paid off. No party has an outright majority with five prime ministers in less than two years.
Now, the pressure is on the President Macron once again. He does not have a whole lot of options if he wants to see his budget through. He may have to
call snap parliamentary elections again or some are calling for him to step down. Melissa Bell has the story from Paris.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Another French prime minister steps down, this time after just 27 days in office
and only hours after naming his government, parts of which appeared unhappy from the start.
SEBASTIEN LECORNU, OUTGOING FRENCH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): The very principle of building a compromise between political parties is to be
able to combine green lines and take into account a certain number of red lines, but we cannot be at both extremes.
BELL (voice-over): Sebastien Lecornu becomes the fourth French prime minister to fail to build a stable majority since the June 2024 dissolution
of Parliament. A staunch ally of President Emmanuel Macron, he took office after Francois Bayrou was ousted by lawmakers in September. Before him,
Michel Barnier had also lost the confidence of Parliament and much for the same reasons.
MICHEL BARNIER, FORMER FRENCH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We proposed a budget, a difficult budget, where everything was difficult, to
reduce our deficit. This deficit did not disappear by the magic of a no- confidence vote.
BELL (voice-over): After just three months in office, Barnier had been the shortest serving prime minister in the history of the Fifth Republic. Now,
he's been beaten by Lecornu, who served just days rather than months, with the pressure on President Macron to call another parliamentary election
growing.
MARINE LE PEN, NATIONAL RALLY'S PARLIAMENTARY PARTY LEADER (through translator): I'm calling on him to dissolve the National Assembly because
we've reached the end of the road and there is no solution. And therefore, the only wise decision in these circumstances is to return to the polls and
for the French to give direction to the country.
BELL: Those calls from the far-right growing all the more insistent that polls suggest that the party would do even better in a snap election today
than it did in 2024. The problem for President Macron is that with this latest resignation, he's fast running out of any other options.
Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: A brand-new mega deal in the artificial intelligence sector. Why OpenAI is partnering with NVIDIA competitor, AMD. What it all means for
A.I. stocks after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:20:00]
SCIUTTO: Welcome back in today's Business Breakout. The S&P 500 and NASDAQ closed at yet more record highs. Stocks getting a boost from tech and
banking deals. Investors remaining optimistic despite the ongoing U.S. government shutdown. White House Economic Adviser Kevin Hassett says it is
costing the U.S. economy about $15 billion per week in lost growth.
Checking some of today's other business headlines, two of America's biggest regional banks are now joining forces. Fifth Third Bancorp announced Monday
it's buying Comerica in an all-stock deal worth almost $11 billion. The deal will create the ninth largest U.S. bank with almost $300 billion in
assets.
President Donald Trump says 25 percent tariffs on medium and heavy-duty trucks will take effect November 1st. There are no other details about
these latest tariffs, including whether there will be any exemptions, there often are. The tariffs take effect just four days before the Supreme Court
hears arguments in a landmark case which could undo the bulk of Trump's tariff power.
Paramount Skydance, the owner of the CBS Broadcasting Network, announced Monday it is buying the online publication The Free Press for an estimated
$150 million. As part of that deal, Bari Weiss, the CEO and co-founder of The Free Press, will become the editor-in-chief of CBS News. Weiss left her
job as an opinion columnist at The New York Times five years ago, criticizing the paper for being too far-left and not giving conservatives
enough of a voice.
Calling it a case of ripping up the rule book in the fast-growing field of artificial intelligence, OpenAI plans to build so much computing power it
is now striking a major partnership with the chipmaker AMD.
Under the deal, OpenAI will buy the company's high-end chips to run its data centers. It could also end up owning a 10 percent stake in AMD. This,
despite the fact that NVIDIA, AMD's biggest rival, is a major investor in OpenAI. The deal highlights OpenAI's need to hedge its bets, work with
multiple partners to reach the massive scale of computing power it is seeking.
Paul La Monica joins me now, senior markets analyst for Barron's. Hey, good to have you on. I mean, I wonder if there's some good news here for the
chip sector, given it spreads some of the chip wealth beyond NVIDIA, which is soaking so much of it up. I mean, it's really the main reason the stock
market's jumping so much.
PAUL R. LA MONICA, SENIOR MARKETS ANALYSIS WRITER, BARRON'S: Yes, definitely. You've got NVIDIA is a company that is now worth four and a
half trillion dollars and is the most valuable company in the world. And I think that this news, Jim, really shows that with OpenAI needing such
massive computing power, they do require more than one chip supplier. So, AMD, a top rival to NVIDIA, once was, you know, playing second fiddle to
Intel in the -- you know, the microprocessor business for PCs and desktops and laptops, they're now worth almost twice as much as Intel as that
company struggles.
So, this is good news for AMD and their CEO, Lisa Su. She's a billionaire now as a result of this and that stock surging, you know, as much as it
has. And then don't forget Broadcom. Broadcom stock actually fell today, but there are reports that OpenAI may have a deal to buy some chips from
Broadcom as well. This really just shows that OpenAI can't afford to wet itself to only one semiconductor partner.
[18:25:00]
SCIUTTO: Yes. And also, it's got a lot of money. It's valuation just jumped. Before we go beyond computing power, there's a power question with
A.I. Where's all the electricity going to come from? How are they going to solve that problem?
LA MONICA: Yes, that is something that may not be in the hands of the chips companies as much as it is utilities. And, you know, a lot of electric
companies are going to potentially face some strains because of the massive power demands for A.I. But that's why, Jim, you've also seen a lot of those
utility stocks that are powering data centers, they used to be stodgy companies that people only bought for their dividends, they're now sexy
growth stocks as well.
SCIUTTO: I mean, A.I. -- the A.I. economy is the root of the U.S. economy right now. It's amazing to see. Paul La Monica, thanks so much for joining.
LA MONICA: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: Still to come on "The Brief," President Trump says he may invoke the Insurrection Act to bypass court rulings that have been preventing his
use of the National Guard. What exactly is he threatening and what's the significance? We're going to take a closer look coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Jim Sciutto. Here are the international headlines we're watching today.
Israel and Hamas are holding indirect talks on a possible ceasefire in Gaza. Sources say the talks are taking place in Sharm El-Sheikh. Egypt,
with the help of international mediators, the U.S.-backed plan calls for the release of all remaining Israeli hostages and an end to Israel's
military operations in Gaza. Tuesday is going to mark two years since the deadly Hamas attacks on Israel, which began this war.
[18:30:00]
Gaza flotilla participants welcomed as they arrived in Greece. They were intercepted and deported by Israeli authorities while trying to bring aid
to Gaza. One of those deported activists, Greta Thunberg. She denounced the Israeli government, accusing it of genocide in Gaza.
An investigation is now underway after a South Carolina judge's home burned to the ground over the weekend. Drone footage captured dark smoke billowing
into the air, rapidly spreading flames engulfed the house on Saturday. Officials say three people were hospitalized. The property belongs to State
Circuit Court Judge Diane Goodstein and her husband, a former state senator.
"We have the Insurrection Act for a reason," that is a quote from President Donald Trump just over an hour ago. It comes after Chicago and the State of
Illinois filed a lawsuit to stop the White House from sending National Guard troops to Chicago, one of many cities around the country President
Trump has tried to do the same. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We have an Insurrection Act for a reason. If I had to enact it, I'd do that. If people were being killed and courts were
holding us up or governors or mayors were holding us up, sure, I'd do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: On Saturday, the president ordered 300 National Guard to Chicago to, he says, protect a federal immigration facility which has seen protests
and law enforcement activity like you're seeing on the screen right now. The governor of Illinois rejected the president's rationale earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. J.B. PRITZKER (D-IL): We don't want troops on the streets of Chicago. There was never an insurrection or an invasion on the ground that justified
the deployment of the military to our American city. We stood out there on a beautiful day at River Point Park to make that point. Donald Trump's
deranged depiction of Chicago as a hellhole, a war zone, and the worst and most dangerous city in the world was just complete BS.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: That new lawsuit comes after a federal judge blocked Trump from deploying guard troops to Portland, Oregon. He tried a couple of different
ways from a couple of different states. The judge said protests in Portland do not rise to the level of a rebellion, that's the legal standard.
Stephen Collinson joins me now. This is clearly a national strategy here. He wants to and is attempting to deploy National Guard to multiple cities
around the country. Have courts so far proven a reliable backstop?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Well, so far, you've had a Trump-appointed judge in Oregon twice stop Trump's attempt to send National
Guard reservists into the state, some from the state, some from California. You've had another legal suit that was filed today by Chicago and Illinois
against the administration basically saying that the administration's rationale for sending troops to Chicago is patently false.
I think, Jim, this is going to be one of the key standoffs of this administration because it's going to define the MAGA project in many ways,
the extent to which the Constitution can withstand a president who is determined to test it with expansive presidential power at every turn. Ever
since the founding of the United States, the idea that troops could be on the streets in a domestic situation has been seen as a threat to liberty.
We're seeing that tested right now.
SCIUTTO: And just explain to our audience who may not know this how rare it is that presidents have done this in the past. I mean, quite specific
circumstances. I think of, you know, National Guard helping African American kids go to school after the Supreme Court ruling desegregating
schools. But this is the rarest of the rare in our country's history.
COLLINSON: Right, it's very unusual. Many presidents have deliberately stepped back from taking this step because they understand the
implications. What Trump was talking about today, the Insurrection Act, that is a step he hasn't taken so far, but he could. That allows a
president to suppress a rebellion in the states against the federal government.
Now, the White House says that's already happening with these so-called attacks on ICE immigration agents. That is a very individualistic, let's
put it that way, reading of what is going on here. You've got Democrats who are basically saying that the big problem is ICE agents are actually
instigating contact with protesters to portray the situation as out of control.
[18:35:00]
That situation in Portland, there has been unrest in contact with protesters, but it's been confined to a few blocks. It's no way that the,
you know, entire city is on fire, as Trump is saying. If the Insurrection Act was invoked, I think you'd have a lot of legal challenges, but it's
very vague, the language of that act. And that is a reason why so many people are very worried that Trump could use that as a pretext for a much
more wider crackdown of troops in cities to bolster his strongman persona and his own authoritarian instincts.
SCIUTTO: Stephen Carlson, thanks so much. All right. So, what is the legal standard? Joining me now, former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of
Pennsylvania, former Deputy Assistant Attorney General Harry Litman. Harry, good to have you on. Thanks so much for joining.
HARRY LITMAN, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY, WESTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA AND FORMER DEPUTY ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: Thanks, Jim.
SCIUTTO: What is the legal definition of rebellion that would justify a president invoking the Insurrection Act?
LITMAN: You know, there really isn't one. The courts that have taken it up have just gone to the dictionary, but the Insurrection Act, Jim, is really
precise. It's not, is there a rebellion? It's, are one of three things happening. The states have asked, please come in. Last time this happened,
and as Stephen mentioned, very rare in U.S. history, was in 1992, wake of the Rodney King verdict. Pete Wilson, governor of California said, please
come to us.
The second, if the laws cannot be enforced by the normal judicial processes, like literally the courts are not functioning, that's not
happening here. Or third, the states will not enforce the law. That's what you refer to in the Little Rock situation. Then and only then can you have
this proclamation that says these are happening and a severe action follows, which is military boots on the street doing domestic law
enforcement, like Tiananmen Square.
Now, the important point here, though, in history, and it's only been about 10 times, courts have tended to defer. But here you have Trump making
outlandish representations of why they're needed, and courts in these settings, including in Portland, have rejected it. They're saying, no,
there's no insurrection. No, that doesn't apply. Would they do that in the case of the Insurrection Act, which is seen as the sort of bolder, more
kind of emergent situation? That's the question.
But we have the exact same problem, which is unique to this administration. They'll just make claims that aren't true on the facts and say, now we need
to invoke the act.
SCIUTTO: By law, who has the power to define, right? The president has a right to invoke. It can be challenged in court, but --
LITMAN: Yes.
SCIUTTO: -- you say courts have given deference. If the president just claims it, do courts say, well, the president's claiming it, the law
supports it?
LITMAN: That is where we are today in this country. To date, in the 12 times, literally, the courts have, at most, pushed back a little. They've
always deferred, but they've never had this very problem where a president will just make some dystopian fantasy that isn't true. And that's the
actual issue that courts now will be encountering in the event that Trump invokes the Insurrection Act.
In the past, they've given real deference, but as the Portland judge just said over the weekend, deference doesn't mean we have to accept claims that
are untethered to the facts. If the facts just don't play out, we're not giving you this authority in under 10 U.S. C. 1246, and the same reasoning
should apply for the Insurrection Act.
SCIUTTO: So, the federal judge has now blocked the deployment of National Guard to Oregon for now. It's going to be reviewed by the Ninth Circuit,
what's most likely to happen there? I'm asking you to read the tea leaves a little bit.
LITMAN: No, no, no.
SCIUTTO: And after that, if it were to get up to the Supreme Court?
LITMAN: It's a great question, and I think it's precisely what we've been talking about. So, there was another case in which the Ninth Circuit
reversed a hold saying you didn't give a deference, but they didn't really explain. The great point about the Portland judge's opinion is that she
says, I understand. Ninth Circuit says I owe deference. Deference is not the same thing as blind obedience. It still has to be within the realm of
judgment. This was untethered to the facts.
I think the same thing should prevail because it's so clearly the case and courts shouldn't let themselves be flummoxed by a falsehood, but that will
be the very issue. Will the Ninth Circuit and the Supreme Court say deference in a way that the administration wants, which is simply whatever
you say goes, or will they say deference as the court in Portland has said, which is, we'll give you -- you know, we'll lean in, but that doesn't mean
we'll lie down and give you anything you want. The facts are the facts.
[18:40:00]
SCIUTTO: It's quite a test for this country. I don't think we could sugarcoat it. And Harry Litman, it's good to have you on to explain it all.
Thanks so much.
LITMAN: Thank you, Jim.
SCIUTTO: Well, it's now day six of the U.S. government shutdown. With no end in sight, the Senate has reconvened, is voting again on a series of
bills that could bring an end to the stalemate, but fact is, it's unlikely. They just don't have the votes. The House remains out of session. Party
leaders continue to lay blame across the aisle.
The White House still says federal firings are on the table, but they haven't happened yet. They may see some political risks there themselves.
We're going to keep watching.
Still ahead, history could soon be made in Japan. The country's ruling party has paved the way for the country's first ever female prime minister.
We're going to take a look at how Japan could change under her leadership. All that and more coming up.
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SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief." In historic time in Japanese politics, Sanae Takaichi won the presidency of Japan's ruling party over
the weekend and is now on track to be appointed prime minister of the country's coalition government next week. If she gets the nod, she will
become the country's first ever female leader.
Takaichi is one of the most conservative members of her party, which is already conservative, and her appointment is said to represent a rightward
shift in the country's politics. She is a China hawk. Supports robust defense spending. She is also a fiscal conservative in the mold of her
mentor, the former prime minister, Shinzo Abe, supporting both fiscal and monetary stimulus. Hope for new stimulus propelled Japanese stocks to
record highs. The benchmark Nikkei stock index rallied almost 5 percent.
Joining me now is Tobias Harris, the founder and principal of Japan Foresight LLC. Thanks so much for joining. I wonder how significant a shift
right you would see Takaichi's appointment as prime minister.
TOBIAS HARRIS, FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL, JAPAN FORESIGHT LLC: Well, personally, as you mentioned, I mean, her views, I mean, she's definitely
been the leader of the LDP's right-wing since the late prime minister Abe was assassinated in 2022. She's very committed to his view.
[18:45:00]
It's sort of a national greatness conservatism. The idea that the state has to be strong enough to defend the country's national interests, to fend off
a bunch of threats that the country faces. That's really the essence of what she's promising. And it's a much more assertive way of dealing with
the world. Of course, you mentioned higher defense spending, but just everything, Japan needs to be stronger to deal with a dangerous world.
That's really the essence.
SCIUTTO: Does that include a more -- an expanded military, a more open challenges to China and the region?
HARRIS: So, I think within the LDP as a whole, I mean, there's pretty much a consensus in favor of the spending plan that was announced in 2022, where
Japan would raise its defense spending to 2 percent of GDP over the following five years. The question that I think she has left open is how
much beyond that Japan would go. And there's certainly, I think -- certainly in the more right-wing parts of the LDP, there's interest in
going in some cases, maybe well beyond 2 percent.
And of course, that's where some of the fiscal dovishness comes in where to pay for that, well, you have to be a little more comfortable maybe with
deficit spending and maybe just running, you know, bigger deficits for longer to ensure that Japan can actually pay for that military spending.
And that really is what ties that all together.
SCIUTTO: There's concern in some quarters of Japan that the relationship -- the defense partnership with the US is less reliable today under President
Trump than it would have been in the past, and that Japan has to rely more on itself for its own security. Would she fall into that category?
HARRIS: So, she is definitely at the intersection where, you know, of course, Prime Minister Abe was very committed to the relationship with the
United States. In some ways, the more conservative parts of the LDP have been committed to a much more active alliance with the United States, with
Japan playing a much more spirited role in the context of the alliance. But I think what you're hearing, certainly on the more right-wing parts of the
LDP and in other parties as well, is a recognition that Japan actually needs to be more autonomous and have more capabilities of its own.
We've heard LDP lawmakers hint at the need for a debate about nuclear weapons, Japan acquiring its own nuclear weapons. That didn't really come
up during this leadership campaign, but those whispers are there and they're a little more vocal. She certainly has, I think -- you know, one
thing that she talks about frequently is just the need for Japan to be able to defend itself. And that's in military terms, but that's also economic
security. That's also food security. It's a whole gamut of threats that Japan faces.
And yes, of course, they're not rushing to dismantle the alliance with the United States, but I think there is this undercurrent of we need to be able
to rely on our own first and foremost. And then, you know, the alliance with the United States is part of that relationship with other countries in
the region are part of that. But fundamentally, getting Japan's own capabilities stronger is the first priority.
SCIUTTO: I mean, listen, the prospect of possible nuclear program would be quite significant. And of course, there are similar discussions in South
Korea right now. How about from an economic perspective? I mean, she's a fiscal dove, open to more spending, to boost the economy. That would be
quite a change as well.
HARRIS: Right. And we saw, you know, the first day of trading after the LDP leadership election, we saw the different ways that can cut where, of
course, the stock market went up, but we also saw bond yields rise, you know, bond prices were falling and the end weekend for the -- you know, to
lowest levels it's been in a couple months, that's going to cause a lot of problems domestically.
You know, if the yen weakens, you're going to see the inflation that they've been trying to deal with will shoot up again and you're going to
really -- households are going to feel the pinch. Bond yields rise, it's going to be a lot harder to fund those defense spending increases. There's
going to be a lot of pressure on the Bank of Japan to keep interest rates lower for longer, which of course would keep -- possibly keep the yen lower
for longer. So, there's a lot of conflicting pressures, I think, on the policies that we might get from the Takahashi government.
And that's without even getting to the question of how exactly she's going to govern the country because, of course, the LDP does not have a majority
in either House of the Diet. There's a lot of questions about how they can get a majority back by maybe bringing new coalition partners in. But if she
can't figure that out, there's going to be a lot of questions about what exactly she's going to be able to do at all. And really, her government
could run into trouble very quickly if they can't sort that out.
SCIUTTO: Tobias Harris, thanks so much for joining.
HARRIS: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: Still to come on "The Brief," hundreds of Trekkers battle a shock blizzard, possible hypothermia as well, as they wait to be evacuated from
the area around Mount Everest.
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[18:50:00]
SCIUTTO: Hundreds of climbers near Mount Everest are now awaiting rescue after a sudden blizzard pummeled the Himalayas over the weekend. Some 350
trekkers have already been guided to safety in the heavy snow and sometimes rain, but an expedition leader says it could take up to a week to reach
some 200 people still stranded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GARRETT MADISON, FOUNDER, MADISON MOUNTAINEERING: There's three, four, five feet of snow in places and that has to melt first before the rescuers can
get their vehicles into where these people are stranded. So, it's going to take some time, probably four, five, six days, maybe a week before the
roads will be clear and they can get in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Well, it's a long time to wait in those conditions. CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): Yaks clearing a path for hundreds of hikers stranded on the Tibetan side of Mount Everest.
Firefighters carrying some hikers to safety after a heavy snowstorm pummeled the Himalayas, leaving experienced mountaineers trapped in knee
deep snow.
GARRETT MADISON, FOUNDER, MADISON MOUNTAINEERING: I think this was a big surprise that caught a lot of people off guard.
VAN DAM: October is a favored month for trekkers to visit Mount Everest because of its typical dry and stable weather patterns, but that wasn't the
case this weekend as a tropical infused area of low pressure moved across the region and the Himalayas effectively acted as a wet sponge being pushed
against a wall, wringing out all the available moisture in the form of heavy snow.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's critical to have a station here on the glacier.
VAN DAM (voice-over): The lack of weather information on Earth's highest mountain has always been a challenge.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know more about the weather on Mars than we do on the highest peaks of the Himalaya here on our planet.
VAN DAM (voice-over): That's why Dr. Baker Perry and a team of scientists installed weather stations on Mount Everest in 2019 to gain more insight.
He says this is the biggest storm observed since they installed the instruments and the snowfall rates are similar to some of the highest we
see in the Western U.S.
The blizzard leaving some still waiting for rescue. The same storm system hit Nepal. Heavy rains triggered landslides and flooded farms, killing at
least 44 people with some still missing.
Derek Van Dam, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Let's hope they get out safely. Fireballs fell from the sky during a National Day drone show in Southern China. Social media videos captured
spectators running for cover as fiery debris rained down. No injuries reported according to local media citing authorities, but wow, that looks
dangerous.
Three scientists have won this year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their research into the body's immune system. The Nobel Committee cited
one Japanese and two American researchers pictured there. Prize carries a cash award, about a million dollars, as well as a whole lot of prestige.
In today's Good Brief, good news for street wear fans. Adidas has launched a collection of pet clothes. You heard it right.
[18:55:00]
They included the company's iconic tracksuit as well as T-shirts with the company's logos. No news about a line of pet Adidas sneakers, though, yet.
How would they fit? Some of the clothes have a more practical component like a water-resistant hoodie to protect your pooch. But fashionistas
outside China will have to wait. The clothes are reportedly exclusive for the China market, but they're not for sale yet. Pricey stuff.
Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. You've been watching "The Brief." Please do stay with CNN.
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