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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
Federal Food Stamps Ruling; Millions of Americans Set To Lose Food Stamp Benefits; FBI Says It Thwarted Potential Terror Attack In Michigan; Giuffre Family Calls For Audience With King Charles; Challenging Times For Candymakers This Halloween; Pentagon Told WH It Had Enough Tomahawk Missiles To Supply Kyiv; Blue Jays One Win Away From Title. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired October 31, 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]
JESSICA DEAN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Jessica Dean in New York tonight in for Jim
Sciutto, and you're watching "The Brief."
Just ahead this hour, two federal judges say the Trump administration must use emergency funds to help cover SNAP food benefits during the shutdown.
Andrew, the former Duke of York, might not move out of the Royal Lodge until after Christmas, while the family of Virginia Giuffre calls for an
audience with King Charles. And could the Toronto Blue Jays pull off a World Series upset against the L.A. Dodgers? We'll have a Game 6 preview,
all that and more, coming up.
We're going to begin in Washington, at the deserted halls of Capitol Hill there. It is the 31st of October, the 31st day of the U.S. government
shutdown. As the Halloween weekend begins for lawmakers, the fate of emergency funds to feed low-income Americans, mostly made up of children in
that group, remains unclear.
Money runs out for the Food Stamp Benefits Plan on Saturday. It is called SNAP. It stands for Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program. It's a
monthly payment loaded onto a card. It allows low-income individuals and families to buy food.
Now, today, two federal judges ruled the Trump administration should tap into $6 billion of contingency funds to at least partially cover payments
for November. Even so, millions of Americans could still face delays to their benefits. Previously, the Trump administration had said it could not
legally fund that program. But today, the president suggested it could, before arguing it would be simpler for Democrats to reopen the government.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: The shutdown proceeds because the Democrats just don't know what they're doing. I don't know what's wrong with them.
They've never done a thing like this. They've become crazed lunatics. All they have to do is say, let's go, let's open up our country, and everything
snaps back into shape. Let them open up the country, and we'll meet. We'll meet very quickly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: Democrats have been holding out to get an extension of those Obamacare subsidies that Republicans so far have not agreed to, although
some remain open to it. Joining us now, Larry Sabato. He's the director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. Larry, it is good to
see you.
Here's the state of play for people out there watching as they've gathered from the beginning of our show, many Americans could still face delays on
their SNAP benefits. There was also a ground stop at JFK today due to air traffic control shortages and a number of delays across the country.
Enrollment for those Obamacare premiums starts tomorrow, and that's when people are going to start seeing those higher price tags. For some people,
it's thousands and thousands of dollars more. What do you think is the breaking point here where lawmakers will reopen this government?
LARRY SABATO, CENTER FOR POLITICS DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: You've identified most of them. People have to feel them and see them and hear
them. And as of tomorrow, they really are going to see all of it. First of all, we're approaching the American holiday of Thanksgiving. It's only a
few weeks away. And a lot of Americans, in fact, it's one of the biggest travel days of the year, fly. And they're going to find that many of their
flights will be canceled and many others will be very late. And air traffic controllers, understandably because they're not being paid, may not show
up. And TSA agents may not show up because they're not being paid.
You mentioned the 42 million Americans who are going to lose their SNAP or food stamp benefits tomorrow. And there are lots of other pieces to this.
The big one is the one you mentioned last. It's the Obamacare subsidies.
Already we know that people's insurance premiums are going to skyrocket. In some states, 20 or 25 percent. In other states, they're going to double.
People don't have that kind of extra money. They're going to have to do without health care and food and travel to see relatives. I don't think so.
At this point, the parties will have to come together.
And the Republicans are going to have to compromise with the Democrats and give the Democrats what they've been asking for, which is some specifics on
the Obamacare subsidies.
DEAN: Yes. And what's interesting, I've interviewed a number of House Republicans while this has been going on who have said we're open to that.
We're open to a deal. It's not that there's no Republican in the House or the Senate that would sign on to this, it's that there's no conversations
happening.
SABATO: Well, there are some conversations now at last. Problem is they're private and they're just a relative handful of people. But that's a good
sign because that's how change and compromise happen during other government shutdowns.
[18:05:00]
Now, the president also has to come into this. I realize he's been abroad for a long time, but it's time to get focused on peace in America. And he's
going to have to get directly involved. And the leadership in the House and Senate and particularly the House, they have been the ones having closed
the House for a month. The House of Representatives has been closed for a month. And they're being paid.
All of this has to come together. I think it will come together in time to save Thanksgiving. I don't know whether it will save all the other people
from the pain they're feeling.
DEAN: All right. Larry Sabato. Thank you. Good to see you. We appreciate it.
SABATO: Thank you, Jessica.
DEAN: One in eight Americans relied on -- rely on those food stamps. And without a resolution to the whole snap scheme, 42 million Americans, as
Larry just noted, face a food security crisis. And these recipients say they're going to be forced to make some very difficult choices.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm very concerned. I don't know what I'm going to do. I know you can go to food pantries and stuff, but it's going to be so out of
control. I mean, you might be standing there five, six hours to get any food.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm at every food bank I can find to keep my kitchen full for my children.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It would be a matter of do we or do we pay rent there? And right now, the way things are going, it looks like, you know what, it's
just pay rent.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It won't stretch. It doesn't. So, we'll pull from other parts of our budget. And that means my kids will go without.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: Linda Nageotte is the president of Feeding America. That's a nonprofit network of 200 food banks across the United States. Thank you for
being here with us. So, bring us up to speed with what today's ruling means and what people should anticipate tomorrow.
LINDA NAGEOTTE, PRESIDENT, FEEDING AMERICA: Well, we're waiting to learn what will happen as a result of this ruling alongside everyone else. But
what we know to be true is that there are 42 million Americans who tomorrow will see their SNAP benefits disrupted. And that is 42 million Americans
who don't know where their next meal is coming from.
DEAN: And to give people kind of an overall view of what's going on in food banks right now in America before all of this, and then after tomorrow,
even if they do get those benefits, it's likely they're going to be delayed. And there's no final resolution to all of this. So, what were we
seeing before all of this? And also, what do you anticipate happening starting tomorrow?
NAGEOTTE: Meat was already up at food banks all across the country. In the last five years, rent prices have increased on average 31 percent. Food
prices have increased on average 25 percent. But incomes have not increased as quickly as that. And so, so many families are trying to piece together
enough resources to make it through the month just to cover the basic necessities. And far too often, there is just too much mouths (ph) for
money.
Food banks are trying in every way that they can, using all of their power to amass the food and financial resources that they will need to meet that
increased demand. But the stark reality is that for every meals worth of food distributed by food banks in this country, the SNAP program provides
nine meals. That gap is so large. The charitable food system simply can't fill that gap.
DEAN: Yes. And certainly, they can't do it and certainly not in a tight time frame like this. Linda, the other thing that I think is important to
remember here is that this affects people in every state, blue states, red states, people who are Democrats, people who are Republicans. It doesn't
matter how you vote or what your political beliefs are. If you have children that need food and get and you feed your family through this
program, you're going to -- you're in trouble. You're really feeling that.
NAGEOTTE: That's absolutely right. Hunger transcends politics. And these people aren't bargaining chips. It's important that we keep SNAP benefits
flowing because everyone deserves the right to sit down to a full table at the end of the day and to thrive in their communities.
And you're absolutely right, there are impacts that will happen in all kinds of places, not only will people who are facing hunger experience
problems, but retailers will miss out on all of those sales. In Illinois, for example, where I live, there are one point nine million people who rely
on SNAP. But retailers in the State of Illinois will miss out on four hundred million dollars' worth of sales in the month of November if SNAP
benefits don't come through.
DEAN: All right. Linda Nageotte really laying it out for us. Thank you for your time. We appreciate it.
NAGEOTTE: Thank you.
DEAN: The FBI says it has thwarted a potential terror attack in Michigan. FBI Director Kash Patel saying on social media that the attack was planned
for Halloween weekend.
[18:10:00]
In this video, you can see FBI activity in Dearborn, Michigan. Law enforcement officials telling CNN the plot was inspired by ISIS and
unfolded in online chat rooms. One of those officials says two people have been arrested and three others are being questioned.
Now, I want to bring in CNN Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller. John, I know you've been reporting on this all day. What is
the latest with what you found out?
JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE IN MICHIGAN: Well, they're going through the results of their search warrants. They have
questioned some people. We believe that they are about to charge at least two of those people. This ranges, Jessica, in range from a 16-year-old
young man, an 18-year-old, a 20-year-old, and a female who is part of the investigation as well.
So, it looks like you've got about five people, 16 to 20-something years old, who were involved in this platform where they were communicating, not
just with each other, but this separates this from other cases, with people overseas, people who may be associated with ISIS.
Just for framing purposes, you know, the last ISIS-inspired attack we saw here on the ground in the U.S. was New Year's Day in New Orleans. You'll
remember the ramming attack with the man in the pickup truck who, inspired by ISIS, came with two separate IED devices, shot it out with the police
after running over people, killing 15. But there's no evidence that he was talking to people overseas or had been radicalized any other way but
online.
This case is different. You've got people who are working together as a unit, conducting firearms training together as a unit, plotting to do some
kind of targeting, some kind of attack, it appears, as a unit. And once they started talking about the possibility of Halloween as a holiday that
was symbolic and perhaps a date for an attack, that's when the FBI decided we're going to have to move in and shut this down because we don't know 100
percent if an attack suddenly is spun up over the next 24 hours, if we'll be able to stop it in time without doing this first.
DEAN: Wow. And, John, when you're talking with the ages, I can't help but notice how young, 16, not even a legal adult, involved in all of this. And
I know we were talking, too, about them being online. We see that more and more with people connecting online and being radicalized in that way as
well.
MILLER: Well, that's true. And, I mean, one of the things that they are finding, particularly now in the counterterrorism world, is a lot of these
cases where they are -- their attention is brought to someone who says, I want to do something, I want to do something violent, I want to do it now,
I want to do it soon, is involving teenagers.
And when they are talking either to people on the other end of this, you know, whether it's terrorist inspirers or potential partners, they don't
reveal their age early in these conversations. It's often very late in the game that you figure out you're dealing with a kid who's in high school. In
this case, it's complicated because once the federal government decides to bring federal charges against a minor, they're really restricted from being
able to release any information about the minor's identity, about the minor's role in the plot, even about the actual charges, sometimes
courtroom proceedings will be sealed. But in this case, you have a range of ages.
So, I suspect over the next few days, we will get this information in some kind of charging documents.
DEAN: All right. John Miller with the very latest. Thank you for that reporting. Andrew, the disgraced brother of Britain's King Charles, has
lost his royal titles and his mansion. However, a royal source telling CNN Andrew is not expected to leave that lodge until after Christmas. He is
expected to move to Sandringham, where the royal family traditionally celebrates Christmas.
He's already, though, been disinvited from this year's celebrations. And, of course, this follows the release of the posthumous memoir by Virginia
Giuffre. She accused Andrew of sexually assaulting her as part of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Andrew has repeatedly denied those allegations.
CNN's Nic Robertson explains how we reached this point. He reports now from Buckingham Palace.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, look, it's been a slow roll, if you will. 2019, when Prince Andrew, as he was then, got taken
off of royal duties. 2022, the queen takes away his military titles. Then just less than two weeks ago, he voluntarily says, well, I won't use the
Duke of York title. Now, it's gone way beyond that. This is something historic, monumental. It hasn't happened in the U.K. for over 100 years.
No longer the Duke of York. No longer the Earl of Inverness. No longer the Baron of Killelea. No longer a prince. Quite simply, Andrew Mountbatten
Windsor, forced to leave this 30-room mansion on the royal estate in Windsor.
[18:15:00]
Where he is going, he is still sort of, if you will, auspices of the king. But it's a private estate, privately owned residence that he'll be moving
to, privately owned by the king. So, no burden on the taxpayer there.
It is something that has been met, I think, on the streets of the U.K. with support, certainly at the beginning of the week. King Charles was actually
heckled by people saying, what did you know about Epstein and Andrew at an early stage? So, this is something that has been building. And it is really
going to remove, it certainly seems, Andrew very much from the public eye.
Sandringham Estate is about 100 miles north of London. Monumental, historic, and I think for a lot of people in the country, this was
something that was a long time coming. And inevitable for the king, albeit a tough decision not to push him entirely out of the royal family.
By the way, no longer a prince, but Andrew does remain still eighth in line to the throne.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEAN: All right. Nic Robertson from London, thank you. And earlier, our Max Foster spoke to Virginia Giuffre's brother, Sky Robertson, his wife,
Amanda. And they told him they want to meet with King Charles.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMANDA ROBERTS, SISTER-IN-LAW OF VIRGINIA GIUFFRE: It's a really big opportunity for him to paint the way forward and use his status and
influence to call on global leaders, especially our president, with whom, you know, the U.K. has a relationship with the United States. And so, I
would say that this is the time, this is the opportunity, because our president has not shown the same courage, the same respect and
acknowledgement that these survivors deserve.
And I think if the king can even remotely acknowledge and put his brother in that position, then our president should be able to do the same thing.
And not only that, but I also feel the issue of President Trump not even ruling out a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell is atrocious. And if he can't
step forward and do that now, after the king has stripped his brother of the prince title, what are we doing here? You are falling short in your
leadership right now because Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted.
And so, I think we would lean on the U.K. and help us put that pressure on our very own governments, because, again, we hold the key to that door to
justice and it's right there.
MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: So, you would sit with the king and you'd explain the story so he fully understood it and say what you wanted and then ask
him effectively to speak to Donald Trump about it? Is that what you're suggesting?
ROBERTS: 100 percent. I think I think that would be what we are asking for next. I really do. I think he has his influence. He has that relationship
with Donald Trump. Donald Trump is in the position to do the right thing here. And we're looking for that collaboration. I think it's really
important that global leaders begin to collaborate.
Because, again, this is not just a small instance of sexual abuse, we're talking about a global sex trafficking ring that was allowed to operate for
decades because of the abuse of powers. Our systematic our systematic justice systems have failed these survivors. And it's time to take a look
underneath of what we need to do to change that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: Still ahead, will it be tricks or treats for candy makers this Halloween as people cut back on spending? We'll discuss this in the sweets
industry. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:20:00]
DEAN: Welcome back. In today's Business Breakout, green arrows on Wall Street. Tech stocks were the big winners, thanks to strong quarterly
results from Apple and Amazon. Amazon shares rallied almost 10 percent after the company said demand for its cloud services remains strong. It
sees no slowdown whatsoever from corporate spending on A.I., and that could help ease concerns raised by many on Wall Street that A.I. stocks are
highly overvalued.
Checking on some other business headlines today, Donald Trump says he has no plans to restart talks with Canada. The U.S. president called off
negotiations a week ago after the Canadian province of Ontario released an ad criticizing his tariffs. He also said he would raise tariffs on Canada
by an additional 10 percent. The Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says his country is ready to resume negotiations.
President Trump also says Hungary's prime minister has asked for an exemption from U.S. sanctions on Russian oil. Trump says Viktor Orban asked
for permission to continue buying Russian crude, but the U.S. has not granted that waiver. The U.S. announced the sanctions last week, exposing
Hungary to secondary sanctions if it keeps buying oil from Russian firms. Orban says he will bring the issue up when he meets with Trump next week.
NVIDIA has announced a brand-new chip deal with South Korea. The A.I. giant says it will sell more than 250,000 of its most advanced chips to South
Korean government and some of the country's biggest businesses. The tech world might have been tipped off something was brewing when NVIDIA CEO
Jensen Huang sat down for fried chicken with the heads of Samsung and Hyundai. The restaurant where they ate in Seoul was absolutely mobbed by
photographers.
It has been a spooky Halloween season for candymakers. The CEO of Hershey's warning sales have been, quote, "somewhat soft." One big factor, clearly a
more cautious consumer. Retailers say they've been discounting Hershey's products due to weaker sales after the company hiked prices earlier this
year. The CEO of Mondelez, whose candy brands include Sour Patch Kids and Cadbury bars, says people are now very concerned about the economy. But the
business of candy is still pretty sweet.
The National Confectioners Association says Americans spent $7.5 billion on Halloween treats last year. The industry as a whole generates $54 billion
worth of annual sales. And nearly 58,000 people are employed in U.S. candy manufacturing jobs.
Carly Schildhaus joins us now. She's the communications director for the National Confectioners Association. Thanks for being here with us. Happy
Halloween to you.
CARLY SCHILDHAUS, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, NATIONAL CONFECTIONERS ASSOCIATION: Thank you so much for having me.
DEAN: So, how is this Halloween -- yes. How is this Halloween shaping up for candy makers?
SCHILDHAUS: You know, people are so enthusiastic about the Halloween season. 94 percent of people say that they plan to share chocolate and
candy with friends and family for Halloween. So, we are seeing that enthusiasm. And even as people face higher prices for food, they're leaving
room in their budgets for chocolate and candy, especially for moments like the Halloween season, when chocolate and candy can really enhance those
occasions.
DEAN: Yes. And so, chocolate prices have surged nearly 30 percent since last year, almost 78 percent in the last five years, according to the
Bureau of Labor Statistics in Circana. So, how does the industry adapt to that?
SCHILDHAUS: You know, again, people see a lot of enthusiasm for the category, and manufacturers are working closely with retailers to make sure
that chocolate and candy products are available, accessible, and affordable to consumers.
DEAN: And so, what is most popular right now? What have you guys seen growth in particular -- I don't know, particular candies, or what have you
noticed?
[18:25:00]
SCHILDHAUS: It's a really great question. We did this hard research so no one else has to. Coming in at number one, most popular for Halloween is
probably not a surprise, chocolate, super popular year-round and great for trick-or-treaters. Coming in at number two is gummy candy. So, if you think
about some of those spooky shapes and flavors for the Halloween season, you see a lot of that in gummy. And at number three is the admittedly
controversial one, it's candy corn. And really, no matter how you feel about it, you have to admit that candy corn is an iconic part of the
Halloween season. Rounding out the top five are hard candy and lollipops.
And we are really seeing a lot of growth in that non-chocolate candy category. While chocolate does still make up the largest market share of
the confectionery category, we are seeing a massive growth in non-chocolate candy. And a lot of that is driven by Millennials and Gen Z.
DEAN: That's so interesting. So, why do they like the non-chocolate so much?
SCHILDHAUS: It's a great question. And it's really -- what it really comes down to is that they're looking for kind of more of an adventure when it
comes to candy. They're looking for things that are bold flavors and maybe really sour, something spicy and unusual flavor. And you see a lot of that
in that non-chocolate candy.
So, when you think about gummy candy, chewy candy, even things like gum and mint are taking a lot of risks and being really innovative, which is a true
cornerstone of the confectionery industry. Always looking to innovate while also offering those nostalgic favorites.
DEAN: All right. Carly, thank you so much. We really appreciate it.
SCHILDHAUS: Thank you so much for having me. Happy Halloween.
DEAN: Happy Halloween. Coming up on "The Brief," CNN has learned President Trump was told the U.S. has enough Tomahawk missiles to supply some to
Ukraine. We're going to look back at his decision to deny Kyiv those weapons and what could potentially come next. That's after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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DEAN: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Jessica Dean, and here are the international headlines we're watching today.
Two federal judges now say the Trump administration must tap into a rainy- day fund to at least partially pay for a program that millions of Americans rely on for food. Regular funding runs out Saturday because of the
government shutdown. A top White House economic adviser says the administration will comply with the courts. About one in eight Americans
rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP. That's roughly 42 million people.
In the Caribbean, rescue efforts are underway as Melissa loses strength and moves north of Bermuda. In the powerful storms wake, a trail of devastation
across Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti that left dozens of people dead. Southwestern Jamaica bore the brunt of the hurricane as a category five. It
slammed the island nation with 185 mile an hour winds and torrential rains wiping out roads, homes, and entire villages.
Meanwhile, in Vietnam, the government there says at least 13 people have died due to heavy flooding. Record levels of rain have left some homes in
central Vietnam with water coming up to their roofs. The cleanup operation there is underway.
The Pentagon had apparently given the green light for President Trump to supply Kyiv with Tomahawk missiles earlier this month, saying it would not
affect U.S. readiness. Now, that's according to three U.S. and European officials. They say the decision to share those weapons was ultimately left
up to President Trump before he sat down with Ukraine's President Zelenskyy. During that meeting, Trump expressed his reluctance to let
Zelenskyy use those Tomahawks against Russia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: They're an amazing weapon. They're a very powerful weapon, but they're a very dangerous weapon. And it could mean big, you know,
escalation. It could mean -- a lot of bad things can happen. Tomahawks are a big deal. But one thing I have to say, we want Tomahawks also. We don't
want to be giving away things that we need to protect our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: Ukraine has been relying and set on long-range drones to strike energy facilities deep inside Russia. One commander says 160 such strikes
have been carried out successfully so far this year.
Let's bring in CNN military analyst and retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton. Thank you so much for being here with us. So, when you got
this information about that the Pentagon had told the President it wouldn't affect America's readiness and that the decision, ostensibly, still rests
with the President if he would ultimately want to give these Tomahawks to Ukraine. What did you think about that, Cedric?
COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST AND U.S. AIR FORCE (RET.): Yes, Jessica, it's a very interesting dichotomy between what the
president said in several different instances. The last one being the one where he talked about not having enough, potentially, in the U.S. arsenal.
And now, you have the Pentagon saying, actually, we do have enough in the U.S. arsenal.
So, the real answer is basically what the Pentagon said, we have enough weapons within the U.S. arsenal that will allow us to provide potentially
Tomahawks to Ukraine. So, what that leads me to basically conclude is that we not only should be providing those weapons to the Ukrainians, but we
also have to give them all the wherewithal that's needed for this.
Now, this is not the panacea that a lot of people think it is. The Tomahawk will require some modifications to be launched from land. And there will be
some training that will be required of Ukrainian forces to do this. But it's certainly something they can do and they would be capable of doing.
DEAN: Yes, and this is something we've been talking about for a long time. It's something President Zelenskyy has been asking about for a long time
because there was -- you know, the Biden administration also faced this question.
LEIGHTON: Yes, they certainly did. And one of the key things that the Biden administration was concerned about, Jessica, was the fact that this is a
long-range missile, you know, for the purposes that we're dealing with here. It's really called an intermediate-range missile. But the basic idea
is that it has this range. Some models have the range of 1,550 miles. That means that cities like not only Moscow and St. Petersburg, but all the way
to Yekaterinburg and all the way basically to the Ural Mountains, to Omsk in Siberia. Those areas are basically within range, potentially, of
Ukrainian Tomahawks should the Ukrainians get them.
So, the Russians are, of course, worried about that because they have most of their production for their war economy is all centered in the European
part of Russia for the most part. And that means that all of that would be at risk. And what also is at risk, of course, are the military
installations, many of which provide the type of forces, whether it's the air forces that the Russians use to attack the Ukrainians, the missile
emplacements and the missile launch sites, plus, of course, all the logistics centers. So, all of that would potentially be in range of
Ukrainian Tomahawk missiles.
[18:35:00]
And, of course, the other weapons that the Ukrainians have, like the drones that you mentioned earlier.
DEAN: Yes, and let's talk about those drones for a second, because while we await what may or may not happen with the Tomahawks, what the Ukrainians
have been relying on are these long-range drones, which they've had, frankly, a lot of success with.
LEIGHTON: Yes, they sure have. And not only have they had a lot of success with it, but they've basically brought the war home to a large portion of
the Russian economy, which is, as we mentioned, a war footing economy.
And the basic idea that the Ukrainians have is by using their own indigenous production capabilities, they've created a system where they've
created long-range drones that have impacted the Kremlin directly. They have impacted the basic installations around Moscow, military
installations, as well as intelligence sites. And they've also impacted the oil production and refining capacity of Russia. They've caused all those
gas lines that you see in Russia. And that is a really big deal, not only from an economic standpoint, but it also points to the vulnerabilities that
Russia is dealing with.
It is not a robust economy. The Russian economy is not a robust one. And it is also basically a one-track economy now focused on producing material for
the war effort and just enough of a consumer-type activity so that the population is basically satisfied. But once the oil goes away, once there
are long lines for the oil, that consumer-facing aspect of the Russian economy is really threatened at this point. And the Ukrainian drones and
other instruments of Ukrainian power have done a significant damage to that.
DEAN: Yes. And that's also, too, where these sanctions come in to play a large role as well. Colonel Cedric Leighton, always good to see you. Thanks
so much.
LEIGHTON: You bet, Jessica.
DEAN: And straight ahead, the capital of North Korea getting more modern, but not everyone is reaping the benefits. A look inside what some people
are calling Pyonghattan after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:40:00]
DEAN: Fancy restaurants, marathons, traffic jams, it's all part of city living, right? Well, apparently, they're all new for North Koreans. The
country seems to be working on boosting the standard of living, at least for the very upper crust there. It's a change for tour guides to the hermit
kingdom, some now nicknaming the capital Pyonghattan. Will Ripley has this report from Seoul.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Driving through Pyongyang, North Korea, American filmmaker and tour guide Justin
Martell was absolutely stunned.
JUSTIN MARTELL, FILMMAKER AND TOUR GUIDE: Honestly, Pyongyang feels very much like a modern city. We kept joking with our Korean guides that it was
-- now it was Pyonghattan.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Entire neighborhoods have sprung up since his last trip in 2017. Fancy restaurants, futuristic skyscrapers.
MARTELL: And they were completely modern restaurants. I was there, we ate there. Western menu, Asian menu, Korean menu, high-end liquor, also car
dealerships as well.
RIPLEY: That's new. And you mentioned there was even traffic in Pyongyang. I don't ever remember being in a traffic jam in Pyongyang.
MARTELL: So, if you're staying at the Yanggakdo International Hotel, one end of the city, and you want to go out in Hwasong District, it's going to
take you about 40 minutes to get there by taxi. Just because of how big the city has now become, how sprawling it is.
RIPLEY (voice-over): The North Korean elite appear to be enjoying a higher living standard these days, with more access to modern technology and
amenities.
MARTELL: They have apps on their phones where they can order taxis, order food, use social media.
RIPLEY (voice-over): And not just in the capital. On North Korea's east coast, Kim built a brand-new beach resort, luxury hotels, even a water
park, a project President Trump talked about when he met Kim.
TRUMP: They have great beaches. You see that whenever they're exploding their cannons into the ocean, right? So, I said, boy, look at that view.
Wouldn't that make a great condo behind? And I explained, I said, you know, instead of doing that, you could have the best hotels in the world right
there.
RIPLEY (voice-over): For North Korea's privileged, at least, sanctions seem to be doing little to dent their lifestyle.
One name barely mentioned in Pyongyang these days, Donald Trump.
TRUMP: I know Kim Jong Un very well. We get along very well.
RIPLEY (voice-over): North Korean state media ignored his Asia trip, never reporting Trump's public calls for a repeat of his 2019 meeting with North
Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Justin says his government minders pretty much shrugged off the idea.
MARTELL: If it happens, great. If not, doesn't also change really much anything at all.
RIPLEY: So, you think it didn't really matter to them either way whether Kim and Trump met?
MARTELL: They don't necessarily see themselves as needing the United States.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Just days after Justin left North Korea, Trump called for the U.S. to restart nuclear weapons testing without elaborating. A
response to Russia and China's nuclear programs.
At last month's military parade in Beijing, Kim stood side by side with China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin, projecting unity against
the U.S. and the West. But Justin says Trump has not been erased from Pyongyang's official memory.
RIPLEY: So, there was a large picture of Kim and President Trump in a North Korean museum?
MARTELL: Yes, there was a photo of him and President Putin. There was a photo of him and Lavrov, photo of him and Xi Jinping. Dennis Rodman was
still there and President Trump was still displayed there very prominently.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Will Ripley, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEAN: A business manager in China has gone viral for his impression of one famous American. Take a guess.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN CHEN, TRUMP IMPERSONATOR: When the Westerners say soup, they often mean something thick, mushy. That's boring, like porridge. But if you
really want to drink decent soup, you have to come to China. Today, I'm --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: That is Ryan Chen, clearly a Trump impersonator. He's got the mannerisms down. He's never stepped foot in the U.S. Mike Valerio has the
story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHEN: We're in Chongqing, China. It's so high. It's so high. Vintage style. I love the facade, right? They're doing a pretty good job. They're doing a
pretty good job. It's a harmony. It's a harmony. I love this city.
People ask me, how do I feel today? I'll tell you, I feel fantastic.
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Call it a different kind of U.S.-China summit with the Chinese Trump.
CHEN: Ladies and gentlemen --
VALERIO (voice-over): Meet Ryan Chen, a 42-year-old business manager who started making imitation videos of the U.S. president only a few months
ago.
CHEN: China. People from Qingdao, China, they love dumplings. They really do. Trust me, nobody does seafood like Qingdao people. They literally turn
all of their seafood into dumplings. I think it's vegan food. It's still good. It's still good.
I went into a truth and dare with my friend, and I lost this dare. And he dared me to do Trump and put it on my account. And it turned out that the
video went viral. You want to take a picture with me?
[18:45:00]
VALERIO (voice-over): He's now exploded into one of China's biggest online stars, with more than a million followers on the Chinese version of TikTok.
Trump's mannerisms? Down. And even more astonishing --
VALERIO: It's incredible that you've never been to America, and you have Trump just spot on that you're able to do it.
CHEN: Yes, yes. That -- because I'm a little bit gifted in acting. Actually, a lot of people, after they see my video, they come to Chongqing.
VALERIO (voice-over): Chongqing is his hometown, a megacity of more than 32 million people. Chen highlights the metropolis and its culture in his Trump
videos, trying to entertain and monetize, while staying clear of any political landmines that would run afoul of censors on China's tightly
controlled social media platforms.
With the U.S. and China increasingly at odds with each other on the global stage, Chen says he aspires to act as a comedic ambassador between the
superpowers.
CHEN: I can help bridge the gap of -- you know, bridge two cultures so -- that spread happiness. So, I can help foreigners to see what real China is.
VALERIO (voice-over): Starting with the best of Chongqing's famous spicy cuisine.
CHEN: We call it thousand-year egg. And it's really delicious.
VALERIO: Wait, what does this taste like?
CHEN: MSG, right?
VALERIO: MSG. All eggs should be like this.
CHEN: Oh, really?
VALERIO: Yes.
CHEN: I love this guy. He likes everything. He likes every controversial food. So, the CNN people, they come to Chongqing. Oh, now all they want to
do is to shoot me getting my hair cut. That's crazy. Well, today I'm doing it. OK. Let's go. Let's go. Hey, Mr. Tan. Mr. Tan. That's my guy. That's my
guy. The best barber in town.
He's very professional, this guy. I'm going to look 30 pounds lighter after this. We had a promise, right? A deal is a deal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you like it?
CHEN: I think it's tremendous. Tremendous.
VALERIO (voice-over): After their meeting in South Korea, President Trump gave his assessment of the talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
TRUMP: From zero to 10, with 10 being the best, I would say the meeting was a 12.
VALERIO: Ryan, on a scale of zero to 10, how would you rate this interview?
CHEN: Interview with CNN people?
VALERIO: With us CNN people.
CHEN: I give it a 67. It's a big number. It's a big number.
VALERIO (voice-over): Mike Valerio, CNN, Chongqing, China.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEAN: Coming up, it could all come down to this. Game six of the World Series is tonight. Can the Toronto Blue Jays finish the job on their home
field? The preview is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DEAN: Baseball fans around the world getting excited as Game 6 of the World Series is set to begin in about an hour. The Toronto Blue Jays just one win
away from clenching the team's first championship since 1993. If the defending champion L.A. Dodgers win tonight, that means we head to Game 7
tomorrow. It is a rematch of Game 2 for starting pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto for the Dodgers and Kevin Gausman for the Blue Jays.
Let's bring in Keith Law. He's a senior baseball writer for The Athletic. Keith, good to see you. So, what are you thinking tonight?
[18:50:00]
KEITH LAW, SENIOR BASEBALL WRITER, THE ATHLETIC: I like the Blue Jays to end up winning the series, but they've got a pretty big challenge ahead of
them tonight. Yamamoto has been the best pitcher this entire postseason. He's thrown complete games in his last two starts. We haven't seen anyone
do that in the playoffs in 24 years, and he really shut the Blue Jays down in his first appearance in this series. So, I wouldn't be surprised at all
if it did end up going to a game seven.
DEAN: And what do you think? Is there any X factor tonight that you're watching, either the fact that the Blue Jays are playing in their stadium,
what do you what are you watching for?
LAW: Definitely an advantage to play at home. The thing I'm going to pay the most attention to Blue Jays are also starting their ace Kevin Gausman,
and that top of the Dodgers lineup. Dodgers scored more runs than any team in the National League this year. The top of their lineup Shohei Ohtani,
Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, they have all underperformed in this World Series. Are they tired? There's a bit of an older lineup, or is
it just that the Blue Jays pitching has been really good?
Probably a combination of the two, but I think as that first four -- as that quartet of hitters at the top of the Dodgers lineup goes, that's how
the Dodgers offense is going to go. And that's probably going to determine who ends up winning this series, is whether those bats continue to stay
quiet or start producing in the last game or two games.
DEAN: Yes, that is certainly something to look forward to. And just generally, as we've gotten to this point, what's been what's been kind of
some memorable moments from this particular series? I know one of these games went until was like 3:00 in the morning.
LAW: It was 3:00 in the morning. It was -- this was big conversation. I was the only one awake in the house. My stepdaughters were very amused by the
fact you got to bed at what time?
DEAN: You did what?
LAW: I thought a baseball game was only nine innings. It was great. I thought it was a great game. We've had some big home runs. Just the fact
Davis Schneider, who's barely been in the big leagues, leads off game five with a home run against two times Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell.
Something I love about the World Series is how relatively unheralded players often just have big moments that become the defining moments of
their entire careers. You just get that in baseball. I don't feel like we get that as much in other sports. It's part of why I think the World Series
can be special, even if you're not rooting for one of the two teams.
DEAN: Yes, for sure. It's a fun ride to go on. And you mentioned Shohei Ohtani and some of these other players that obviously are very well-known.
What might his role be as a potential relief pitcher for the Dodgers? And I know you said they've been underperforming a little bit.
LAW: He's certainly not performed well at the plate, except for that one 18-inning game. So, Dave Roberts, the Dodgers manager, has said he will not
use Ohtani out of the bullpen in game six, which I think is probably the right move, given he's had two elbow surgeries, he just pitched the other
day. However, it's all hands-on deck in game seven. Everybody who didn't start the game is available in the bullpen in a game seven. It's the last
game of the season, no matter what.
And I would much rather see, if I were in the Dodgers front office, Roberts going to Ohtani than going to say Blake Treinen, who he keeps using in high
leverage spots in this series. It hasn't worked yet. At that point, you've got to go to Roberts and say, look, we don't want to see -- if we've got a
late lead, we want to see Ohtani. We want to see rookie Sasaki, one of our best relievers in that situation. And Ohtani would be as good as anybody
they could throw late in the game.
DEAN: All right. Game six tonight. Keith Law, thanks for setting the stage for us. Really appreciate it.
LAW: My pleasure.
DEAN: More than two decades in the making and countless delays later, Egypt is unveiling its new billion-dollar museum next to the famed pyramids. It's
one of the biggest museums in the world and the largest dedicated to a single civilization, ancient Egypt. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz takes a look at
the artifacts on display.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A building worthy of the pharaohs. That has been the vision for the Grand Egyptian
Museum from the start. And two decades and a billion dollars later, the largest archaeological museum in the world is finally opening its doors.
HASSAN ALLAM, CEO, HASSAN ALLAM HOLDING: The world has been waiting for this museum to open up for a few years. Everyone's excited.
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Visitors will be welcomed by the more than 3,000- year-old statue of Ramses II. But that's just one of the highlights. There are over 50,000 restored artifacts detailing life in ancient Egypt to
explore, with the collection of King Tutankhamun as the main attraction.
I visited as part of a CNN team in 2018 and saw firsthand how conservationists worked around the clock to restore objects thousands of
years old, including King Tut's very degraded sandals.
MIHAMED YOSRI, CONSERVATOR, GRAND EGYPTIAN MUSEUM: We create a new technique by using some special adhesive. As you saw its condition it was
very bad. And here I think it's come to life again.
[18:55:00]
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Construction started in 2005, but was delayed several times over the years. First, because of the Arab Spring. And later,
the COVID-19 pandemic. But now the museum is finally opening.
The building is part of a wider infrastructure development in the Giza area, with millions being poured into roads, parks, even an airport, in the
hope of boosting tourism.
AHMED GHONEIM, CEO, GRAND EGYPTIAN MUSEUM: A museum of this size is expected to increase the number of tourists to Egypt. We're anticipating
that this will increase definitely the numbers of tourists coming to Egypt by at least 10 percent or 20 percent.
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): In a land where history and culture are counted not in centuries, but in millennia, the hope is that the Grand Egyptian Museum
will become a unique part of that heritage.
Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEAN: And thank you for your company. I'm Jessica Dean here in New York. You've been watching "The Brief." Have a wonderful weekend.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:00:00]
END
