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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
CNN International: Mamdani Leads Democratic Victories; California Voters Approve Gov. Newsom's Congressional Map; Trump Blames Shutdown for Republican Losses; U.S. Supreme Court Expresses Skepticism on Tariffs; Deadly Cargo Plane Crash; Launching Call to Earth Day. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired November 05, 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]
PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a very warm welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Paula Newton in New York. Jim
Sciutto is off. You are watching "The Brief."
Just ahead this hour, Democrats sweep the board in the first major election since Donald Trump's inauguration. U.S. Supreme Court appears skeptical
over the legality of the president's sweeping tariffs, and CNN's annual Call to Earth Day begins as we celebrate those who work to protect this
planet.
And we do begin with those major losses handed to Republicans across the United States, starting right here in New York City.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZOHRAN MAMDANI, NEW YORK CITY MAYOR-ELECT: I continue to believe in the importance of delivering relief for the eight and a half million people who
love this city, who live in this city, but cannot afford to continue to be here. That, for many New Yorkers, is now the reality, where they have to
live elsewhere because they can't afford to live in the place that they love. And that has to be our compass in guiding the work that we do to
ensure that we can make this a city that is livable and make this a city that finally turns the page on an era of big money and small ideas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: That was mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, and he is a self-described Democratic Socialist who ran on a platform of affordability. Now, his
ambitious proposals include freezing the rent in rent-stabilized apartments and universal child care. Not surprising, then, the day after to see
President Trump posting on social media talking about last year's victory and affordability.
Democrats won big right across the country in the first major political test of Mr. Trump's second term. Virginia is getting its first female
governor, Abigail Spanberger, and her fellow Democrat, Mikie Sherrill, won the governor's race in New Jersey.
Joining me now, CNN Senior Political Analyst Ron Brownstein. Always love to dissect this with you, the day after. Ron, so let's get into it. Big day
and big night, obviously, for Mamdani. You know, his victory speech was quite triumphant, but I have to say, Ron, I also found it quite divisive.
He took direct aim at the president. What do you believe that says about what's to come between these two?
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST AND BLOOMBERG OPINION COLUMNIST: Yes, I think, you know, clearly, there's going to be a lot of
conflict. I mean, President Trump sees him as a useful foil. And Trump has already been, in a general way, seeking to force blue jurisdictions to
adopt red state policies.
I mean, you know, there's -- I think there was a decision yesterday in court about stopping them from cutting off transportation money to blue
cities that will not fully cooperate with immigration enforcement. I think you're going to see Trump trying to turn all of those levers.
You know, we kind of lose sight of how the lines get moved in the Trump presidency. But for him to basically put out on social media that he
intends to cut off federal aid to New York solely because of who it elected as mayor, I mean, I'm just trying to imagine if Joe Biden had said that to
Texas in 2022 when Greg Abbott was running for reelection. So, we'll see where this goes, but I think the forecast is for more conflict than not.
NEWTON: You know, we talked about the fact that the Democrats swept here. And I have to say, it's not like that's unexpected. I mean, they would have
likely won. I think the margins, though, here were impressive, especially for Mikie Sherrill. Now, the new governor -- and she's the new governor of
New Jersey -- what should we read into her victory, but also that of Abigail Spanberger over in Virginia?
BROWNSTEIN: Yes, your point is right. I mean, you know, traditionally, at least since the '70s, in almost every instance, New Jersey and Virginia
have elected governors from the party that lost the race for the White House the year before. So, in that sense, it wasn't a total surprise that
Democrats won.
The size of their margins did win, and the nature of their coalitions, I think, were extremely important. You know, if you look at Virginia, and
especially New Jersey, the two groups where Trump made his most important advances in '24 really pulled back from Republicans. I mean, the thing that
was talked about the most after Trump's win in '24 was how much he had improved among working-class nonwhite voters, basically nonwhite voters
without a college degree.
Jersey was one of the best symbols of that anywhere in the country. And what you saw in places like Passaic and Union City and Perth Amboy and, you
know, all across Newark was a real movement back toward the Democrats. Same thing in some of the diverse parts of Virginia. 85 percent of nonwhites
without a college degree voted for Spanberger. 76 percent of them voted for Sherrill. Young men moved back.
[18:05:00]
So, I think you saw a pretty broad kind of recoil from the first nine months of the second Trump term among the most important voters who moved
toward him in 2024.
NEWTON: Yes. And yet, that also leads us to what is going to happen in the midterms, right. Gavin Newsom, we know, has it top of mind. He won that
redistricting battle by a landslide. This will mean the Democrats -- I guess, you correct me if I'm wrong, around 10 seats perhaps in the
midterms, as much as that from California. But what's your takeaway from that victory? Because it was a statewide fight, but it was really about a
national Democratic cause.
BROWNSTEIN: Well, it is a reminder, you know, to invert what Tip O'Neill used to say, all politics is national. I mean, to me, the most important
thing that happened yesterday is that we saw the traditional relationship hold between attitudes toward the incumbent presidents and outcomes in the
off-year elections.
I mean, views about the incumbent president, Paula, have been the driving force in off-year elections in the 21st century, I think, without question.
But all year, you've had strategists in both parties who said, well, maybe the fact that voters in poll after poll after poll are showing a lot of
doubt about Democrats will kind of offset the mounting discontent over Trump's record. And the answer yesterday was pretty clear, not that much. A
majority of voters in Virginia said they had a negative view of the Democratic Party.
In New Jersey, it split 50-50. And yet, Spanberger and Sherrill won by double digits. Why? Because the view they have of Trump weighed more in
their decision. Each of them won over 90 percent of voters who disapproved of Trump. Even Jay Jones, the scandal-tard attorney general candidate for
Democrats in Virginia, won 89 percent of voters who disapproved of Trump. That's pretty close to what happened in 2018. And I think it is a warning
for Republicans in 2026 who are running pretty much anywhere outside of the red states where Trump remains very popular.
NEWTON: Yes, you've got to think that the alarms went off in the White House. And the president himself was quite sober today in terms of
discussing what had gone on. But he also apparently behind closed doors said that, in his words, the shutdown was killing the Republicans. What's
interesting here is that we're now hearing Republicans complaining about the tariffs, affordability, the shutdown.
Now, I'm going to point to Don Bacon from Nebraska, a congressman. You're going to tell me, of course, that he's retiring, I believe, so he's got
nothing to lose. But still, when we're hearing from skeptical Republicans, that's telling us something, even those that are about to retire.
BROWNSTEIN: Well, look, Donald Trump was pointing at any other cause but the most obvious one, which is, as I said, a significant majority of voters
in all of the big races, New York, California, New Jersey and Virginia, said they disapproved of his performance. And a vast majority of those
disapprovers voted Democratic. That is the real threat to Republicans. That relationship held last night is likely to hold in 2026. He wants to blame
the shutdown.
It was really, I think, a much broader sense that he has not made progress on what they elected him to do, which is get their cost of living under
control. And he's done a lot of things that they haven't wanted him to do, which is, you know, from sending the National Guard into cities to tearing
down the East Wings to having a very aggressive approach to deportation.
You know, for Republicans, I think, the challenge going forward is that Trump basically gives them no room to deviate -- you know, to kind of
separate themselves from him. We saw the Republican gubernatorial nominees in Virginia and New Jersey refuse to criticize him, even for policies that
directly hurt their states. And yet, on Election Day, they face this reality of losing 90 percent plus of people who disapprove of Trump. This
is going to be the choice faced by a lot of Republicans in swing states.
Mike Rogers in Michigan in 2026 running for the Senate, does he line up with Trump up and down and face the reality that 90 percent of voters in
Michigan who disapprove of Trump are going to vote against him? Hard to see him surviving that. So, the choice, I think, is really framed for
Republicans. Are they going to lash themselves to Trump, you know, come hell or high water, or are they going to establish some independence in the
service of trying to survive what may be a negative environment about him next year?
NEWTON: Yes. And we'll see if that -- you know, Representative Bacon was a canary in the coal mine with that, even though, like I said, he doesn't
have much to lose. Ron Brownstein, always so grateful. Good to see you.
BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.
NEWTON: Now, as we were saying, New York City has now elected a new mayor. And New York City's neighborhood convenience stores were hesitant at first
to support Mamdani. The United Bodegas of America initially opposed Mamdani's plan to create city owned supermarkets. Now, after meeting with
the group, Mamdani finally, in fact, won its endorsement.
Radhames Rodriguez is the president of United Bodegas of America, and he joins us now. Really good to have you on this day after the election. We're
trying to just get more insight into who voted for whom and why. You know, after Mamdani won the primary, as we just explained, your association
really didn't want to support him.
[18:10:00]
That could -- you kind of believed that that could potentially hurt your members. What changed your mind about all this?
RADHAMES RODRIGUEZ, PRESIDENT, UNITED BODEGAS OF AMERICA: Yes, thank you. Thank you for having me here. I really appreciate this. But over 14,000
bodegas that we have in New York, we are on the first minute that we heard that he's going to have some bodegas competing with us, we have a press
conference saying that we're not supporting Mamdani or anyone who come against us.
But after I have a private meeting with him and discussing the key issue, and I was surprised that he was especially flexible with his position, that
made me very comfortable and being able to endorse him because I see that he's open to different approach for what he's trying to do and our concern.
NEWTON: So, after speaking to him, you think that the bodegas can coexist with city-owned grocery stores and it's not the competition you feared?
RODRIGUEZ: Exactly. What we are suggesting to him is to have, to make like a wholesale for the bodegas to buy the merchandise at low price and those
price we could pass to our community. So, like that, the neighborhood could have the price that he wanted to give. And those are stores and like that,
you don't want to hurt our stores.
NEWTON: Well, we'll wait to see, you know, definitely how that's rolled out over the next months or years. I want to ask you though, corporate
business leaders, the big CEOs, some of them in New York have been warning for months that they're going to leave New York because of some of
Mamdani's plans like raising taxes and rent control. Do you believe they will go through with that? I mean, obviously, if people leave the city, if
there's a corporate exodus, it is going to hurt the bodegas. So, do you believe they're going to follow through on that?
RODRIGUEZ: I don't think that that's going to happen. I mean, this country is got to be by -- you know, there has to be a discuss for many of the
official elected. And I don't think that whatever he's planning to do is going to happen. And I don't think nobody's going to leave New York. I
think this is the best city. And I think what we should do is trying to work with him and making him to change his mind that what he's planning to
do.
And I know nobody, those big companies are going to leave New York. This is the city that they've been doing business for many, many years. They have
all the money that they make it over here and they're not going to change. They're not going to quit. What we have to do is trying to work with him
and making him do a better for every New Yorkers.
NEWTON: Before I let you go, I do want to ask you about Mamdani's immigrant background. How do you feel that influenced the support that
people feel about him being the mayor now?
RODRIGUEZ: I mean, I believe that this is a country that, you know, receive -- it's the immigrants. And to see that somebody like him be like
the mayor today, I mean, I think that's something that we have to look like this is a country that you have opportunity no matter who you are, where
you're coming from. So, I mean, I think I see Mamdani and I see my daughter, 27 years old, my son, 22 years old, that they can do and they
could be whatever they wanted to do over here.
NEWTON: Well, Radhames Rodriguez, you basically quoted my immigrant parents to me right back there. It is certainly a lot of faith and hope
rests within Mamdani right now. And I'm sure as so many people have said from every political aisle, it is time to support him because they want
what's best for New York. We thank you and we'll continue to check in with you.
RODRIGUEZ: That's what we have to do.
NEWTON: All right. We'll check in with you again.
RODRIGUEZ: Thank you so much.
NEWTON: Thanks so much. Now, one of the world's most influential business leaders tells CNN he's is willing to help Zohran Mamdani in New York.
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon says helping political leaders is part of his duty as an American. There's been skepticism, as you and I were just
hearing there from Wall Street and other corners about Mamdani's business proposals, which have included raising taxes on corporations and New
Yorkers who earn more than a million dollars a year.
Now, Dimon sat down with our Erin Burnett alongside Detroit's outgoing mayor, Mike Duggan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[18:15:00]
JAMIE DIMON, CEO, JPMORGAN CHASE: I consider myself patriotic, so I will help any mayor, any governor in the way I feel appropriate. I'm not going
to do what they want sometimes. And I've seen a lot of mayors and governors, political leaders, some grow into the job. They fix the job.
They fix the lights. They fix the crime. They fix the hospitals. They fix the ambulance times. And I've seen a lot of who swell into the job. They
never get around to it. They're so befuddled with politics and ideology.
I'm hoping any mayor does what's right to help the citizens of that city. If you do it right, it benefits all the citizens. If you do it wrong, it
hurts all the citizens. And so, you know, yes, I would help someone if they wanted my help.
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST, OUTFRONT: And I want to ask you more about that. But, Mayor, The Washington Post --
DIMON: Right. But I hope he calls up this governor -- I mean, this mayor, because that's the way you learn. You don't talk to him and say, how did
you do it? What did you do?
BURNETT: Today, the Supreme Court is hearing one of the most consequential cases that there may be in this administration. It's about tariffs and
whether President Trump has the authority to go ahead with them. Were the tariffs a mistake?
DIMON: If you look at the economy and the world and politics and this great country of ours, it's a factor. And it may not even be the deciding
factor whether we grow or not or something like that. But I think they're starting to do a better job, you know, particularly to look at what's
working, what's not working, making adjustments, having the conversation with Canada and Mexico, having the conversation with China, you know,
making adjustments they see fit. So, I'm hopeful that we're making a lot of progress to get this in a place that's better for everybody.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Now, we will have more on today's historic tariff debate in the Supreme Court right after a break. It is a major test of presidential
authority with global economic implications.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: And welcome back. In today's Business Breakout, U.S. stocks finished the session higher. Tech was the best performer as some A.I.-
related stocks rebounded from losses on Tuesday. Now, those were solid results as well from chipmaker AMD that helped sentiment. In an interview
with the Financial Times, the CEO of NVIDIA says China will beat the U.S. in the A.I. race. Jensen Huang said China benefits from lower energy costs
and looser regulations.
Checking some of today's business headlines, a new survey shows private employment grew last month in the United States for the first time since
July. The payroll firm ADP says U.S. employers added 42,000 jobs in October. That's more than economists were expecting, but still a very
modest number.
[18:20:00]
A separate report for the U.S. services sector expanded -- said the U.S. services sector expanded faster than expected, that was last month, in
direct contrast to prolonged slump in U.S. manufacturing.
McDonald's is among the latest corporations to warn on the state of the U.S. consumer. The fast-food giant says in its latest earnings -- in this
latest earnings report that it continues to see a drop-off in business from lower-income consumers. It says the environment remains challenging, but
sales were able to top forecasts, thanks in part to the popularity of its more affordable food menu items.
France is working to temporarily cut off online access to Chinese fast fashion company SHEIN. The country's anti-fraud office accuses SHEIN of
allowing third-party firms to sell child-like sex dolls on its site. The government says it needs time to judge whether all of SHEIN's products are
in conformity with French laws. The news comes as SHEIN opened its first physical store in Paris, inside BHV, one of the city's largest department
stores. A crowd of shoppers as well as protesters turned up for that opening event.
Now, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments today in what President Trump calls a, quote, "life-and-death issue for the U.S.," the legality of many
of his global tariffs. Several conservative justices, including Amy Coney Barrett, appeared skeptical as the U.S. solicitor general tried to lay out
the White House case. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUSTICE AMY CONEY BARRETT, U.S. SUPREME COURT: You just told Justice Kavanaugh that wasn't your lead argument, that your lead argument was this
long history of the phrase regulate importation being understood to include tariff authorities. So, my question is, has there ever been another
instance in which a statute has conferred, used that language to confer the power? Putting aside Yoshida.
D. JOHN SAUER, U.S. SOLICITOR GENERAL: I mean, obviously, the other statutory example is just imports. The cases we rely on are cases where,
for example, in Gibbons, it's Ogden and Justice --
BARRETT: But that just shows the word can be used that way. None of those cases talked about it as conferring tariff authority.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now, earlier today, I spoke with one of the lead plaintiffs in the case, the CEO of Learning Resources, which makes educational toys and other
products. Rick Woldenberg says he came away from today's hearing optimistic. I asked him what a victory for him would look like.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK WOLDENBERG, CEO, LEARNING RESOURCES: A win for us, I believe, leads to a refund of the tariffs we've paid. And, you know, that's really
important. We could use that money. It's millions of dollars. And we'll put it to good use here in the United States, which is where we live and where
we operate our business.
NEWTON: In terms of that refund, Amy Coney Barrett made the -- you know, she said it could be upwards of $100 billion. She agreed that it would
likely be a mess. She asked and got the answer.
WOLDENBERG: Well, you know, it's a little difficult for me to have my heart bleed for the administration. If the money was taken from us
unlawfully, if it's $100 billion or $100, they're very, very efficient at taking the money from us, just turn the spigot on backwards and send it
back to us.
I don't really think it will be that difficult to figure out what they took from us unlawfully. I can circle the numbers on a piece of paper and send
it to them. The tariffs went from an average of like 1.5 to 2 percent to over 100 percent in some cases. It's not going to be that hard to figure
out. And they took the money unlawfully, so they have to give it back. I apologize that it's inconvenient.
NEWTON: If you don't -- if you do not -- if you win, but perhaps there is a way that you don't actually get the refund, do you think it's still a
significant ruling? And many people have pointed out that, look, this is not exclusive to a Republican administration. Democrats, if Trump wins
here, Democrats can and may use the tariff power themselves.
WOLDENBERG: You know, I can't speculate on what they will do or they won't do. I think that our case is important for a couple reasons. First of all,
it's about a lot of money. That is a massive tax increase. I think all Americans agree that taxes are not the greatest thing. So, nobody is in
favor of more taxes, and this is a massive one.
The second thing is that we're all dependent in our daily lives with the assumption that the rule of law will be respected. We make all kinds of
decisions when we buy a house, when we get a mortgage, when we put our money in a 401(k). All of those things is dependent on the rule of law.
This case, in some respects, is a referendum on the rule of law, and it will hopefully do something to restore confidence to people that they
understand the rules of the game and that the rules of the game will be observed fairly and impartially for everyone's benefit. That is, I think,
fundamental to the American way of life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: David Weinstein joins me now. He's a former federal and state prosecutor and a current partner at Jones Walker LLP. It is good to see
you. A lot to go through here, and I do want to point out to everyone that, look, at issue here is the rule of law.
[18:25:00]
I mean, normally Congress is supposed to be involved in this, and the key question is whether the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act
actually gives the president the ability to set tariffs for any country at any level whenever they decide that there's an emergency.
SCOTUS has -- the Supreme Court has never actually examined this before. Do you feel there's legal room for them to green light these tariffs just from
what you heard in the arguments today?
DAVID WEINSTEIN, FORMER STATE AND FEDERAL PROSECUTOR AND FORMER ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY, SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA: Well, I think that there's at
least three justices who believe that there's legal room for them to green light these tariffs, Paula. I mean, you hit it right on the head there.
This is the first time they've looked at it, and it's going to have an impact not just today, but down the road. That's what their rulings do, and
we've seen that in the prior rulings unbridled power to the executive branch.
And if they decide that the word regulate includes tariffs and that not using the word tax means that he could still, the executive -- or she,
regulate by tariff, then that's going to set potentially a really dangerous precedent down the road. So, I think that's why there are a lot of people,
not just here in the U.S., but globally who are looking at what this ruling is going to be and fixating on what is really just a couple of words in a
statute.
NEWTON: Right, and that is for the Supreme Court to interpret. You know, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, liberal justice, called these tariffs exactly what
she believes they are, taxes. Despite the administration continuing to say their regulations. How strong is the argument that collecting revenue
through tariffs, y ou know, is supposed to be for Congress, as I was just indicating?
WEINSTEIN: That is a very strong argument, and that's one of the primary arguments that the defendants in these cases were making. Look, we have a
constitution that has articles that separate the powers, and the one for taxation, taxation without representation, that's why everybody left
England. And so, they gave that power to the legislature to tax and create taxes. They didn't give it to the king. That's why they left.
And so, here the interpretation is it's Congress who taxes, and they've collected revenue. There was a series of arguments and discussions and
questions about, well, it says regulate. Why can't he just deny certain imports? That's not taxing. And the answer to that was, well, taxing is
regulating. So, it's sort of circular here. But you hit it on the point, the power is with Congress to tax.
NEWTON: So, I do want to talk to you about whether or not Trump, though, could do this. President Trump could do this anyway, because Scott Bessent
has said several times, look, OK, you guys strike this down. We can -- there are other provisions we can use. And some of them -- and some of the
sectors have already been used, right, in terms of national security concerns like steel or aluminum.
WEINSTEIN: There are other ways, Paula. I mean, he chose to do it this way, and that's why we're here. And so, when you play the game, there are
rules. And now, they've established that these are the rules. So, then you go back and you look, OK, well, if I can't go by this rule, is there
another way for me to do exactly the same thing?
And so, if they fail with this first plan and they're shot down, then they're going to go to the second plan and they're going to try to use a
different statute. They're going to declare a different emergency. They're going to look at some other legislation or other statutes to have the same
effect to collect these same tariffs.
NEWTON: And then that brings us to the issue of remedy. If it does go against the Trump administration in favor of the companies, Amy Coney
Barrett today suggested it would be a mess, her words. Can the court find a middle ground here, though, so that it wouldn't turn out to be a chaotic
mess?
WEINSTEIN: They can, but that shouldn't be the determining factor. The way to unwind what happened should never be what drives a decision. The law
should be what drives a decision. The middle ground might be we are going to stay the implementation of this and give you some time. First of all,
stop collecting the tariffs. That'll cut down on some of the chaos.
Then come up with a plan. How are you going to get it back? There are customs brokers who are involved in collecting these tariffs. Those people
are going to have to be made part of this as well. The money's there. It's been collected. It just needs to be given back. It may be a mess, but it's
not a mess that wasn't created. And so, now they'll have to undo it.
As for a middle ground, I think simply delaying when the money goes back will be that middle ground so they're not trying to scramble and do it
immediately.
NEWTON: Right. And then we have the issue of those other provisions, which you and I were just discussing. I'm sure that -- and in fact, Karoline
Leavitt, the press secretary in the White House, said that, look, we have a plan B, so let's wait and see. We may have to wait months for this
decision, but grateful for your insights in the meantime. David Weinstein, thank you.
WEINSTEIN: You're welcome.
[18:30:00]
NEWTON: Straight ahead for us, officials give an update on the deadly cargo plane crash in Kentucky. We'll have the latest on the plane's black
boxes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: And welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Paula Newton. Here are some of the international headlines we're watching today.
The mayor-elect of New York City says, in his words, the beautiful prose of governing has just begun. Zohran Mamdani galvanized New Yorkers with a
campaign that focused on reducing the cost of living. He defeated the state's former governor, Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa in a
three-way race. It was a strong night, in fact, for Democrats overall, with the party winning governor races in both New Jersey and Virginia.
The U.S. Supreme Court has wrapped up arguments in a landmark case. U.S. justices will decide whether President Trump acted lawfully when he imposed
sweeping emergency tariffs against many U.S. trading partners. Companies challenging the policy say they on again, off again. Announcements have
driven costs to intolerable levels.
Typhoon Kalmaegi is barreling towards Vietnam after leaving a path of destruction right across the Philippines. The storm is forecast to gain
strength as it crosses the South China Sea. At least 85 people were killed in the Philippines with heavy rain, causing widespread flooding and power
outages. Dozens are still missing after winds of more than 120 kilometers or 75 miles an hour that swept across the nation. It's the 20th storm to
hit the Philippines this year.
Now, investigations are underway after a UPS cargo plane crashed shortly after taking off in Louisville, Kentucky. Surveillance video shows the
moment of the crash, and the images, I warn you, are disturbing. Authorities now say at least 12 people have died. Three of them are likely
to have been the crew members. Investigators recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, which suffered heat but no intrusions.
[18:35:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TODD INMAN, MEMBER, NTSB: These recorders are built for that. And just before we get the question, these recorders were updated from its original
manufacturer. They are L3 Harris, installed at two different dates. We're going back and verifying that. But we feel comfortable once we get these to
our lab in D.C. that we will be able to get a good readout of the applicable data. And that will be yet another point of information that
will really help us understand what happened during this point of flight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Isabel Rosales is live for us from Louisville tonight. And given what the governor said, given what you have seen there, just so terrifying
and really such a huge swath that this inferno engulfed.
ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, an incredible loss of this community that we've heard. Paula, by the way, this is my hometown. People
know that UPS is Louisville. So, is Ford, the car company. So, is Humana. This is one of those big legacy companies that make up a big employer here
in Louisville.
Now, at Louisville, Muhammad Ali International Airport flights to and from Louisville. They are back on, though, in a limited fashion out of one
runway. All as an NTSB crew of at least 20 people are on the ground trying to figure out what exactly went so horribly wrong shortly after takeoff.
And as the owner of one business that was mowed down by that crashing plane is demanding answers and accountability.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GOV. ANDY BESHEAR (R-KY): Two businesses were directly impacted. Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and Grade A Auto Parts.
ROSALES (voice-over): One of those businesses, Grade A Auto Parts, belongs to Sean Garber.
SEAN GARBER, CEO, GRADE A AUTO PARTS AND RECYCLING: I've never been in a war zone, but I would have to imagine it is what a war zone looks like. All
of our buildings in the path of the airplane are destroyed.
ROSALES (voice-over): As a business owner, Garber says he never could have imagined dealing with something like a plane crashing into his company. He
received the tragic news over a FaceTime call with his CFO.
GARBER: Right when she was FaceTiming me, a massive explosion occurred. She said to me, the scrap office blew up. And I couldn't imagine how any of
our offices would blow up.
ROSALES (voice-over): Garber says 25 of his employees were at the facility at the time of the crash. Three of them are still missing. He says watching
the videos of the impact was beyond difficult.
GARBER: I believe that people didn't do something they should have done, which means this was an avoidable incident. And that, to me, does not sit
right and is upsetting.
ROSALES (voice-over): The crash ignited up to 38,000 gallons of jet fuel, sparking a fire that stretched nearly half a mile. And at least 16 families
have reported loved ones unaccounted for, according to Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. The NTSB says investigators have recovered the plane's black
boxes and that all the video footage of the crash, including airport CCTV video, is already proving critical to the investigation.
INMAN: We have viewed airport CCTV security coverage, which shows the left engine detaching from the wing during the takeoff roll.
ROSALES (voice-over): For nearby business owners, the focus now is finding those still missing and eventually on rebuilding.
GARBER: The most important thing for us is figuring out where these three people are and identifying the customers that were there so we can provide
information to their families, comfort them and make certain that that process is as painless as it can be for them. And then turn our focus on to
our business.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROSALES (on camera): And as I was speaking with Sean Garber, there was this moment of a sobering confession where we were talking about those
three missing employees and he said to me, I think they're gone. He said to me, that is an unsurvivable -- not a survivable condition. He actually got
to go back today, enter beyond the police line, back to his business, which he calls a total loss, really just mangled metal and chaos. And he says
nobody could have survived that. Nobody who's accounted for already could have survived that.
And that brings him not just pain, but also, we heard from him there a sense of anger. He wants these answers and he wants them out of UPS.
Answers that ultimately only the NTSB will be able to give this community in not a matter of days, probably not even weeks, probably months to figure
out the cause of this.
And this particular business owner is helping the investigation, Paula. He's looking through his data, his cloud, and he's hoping to be able to
recover surveillance footage that will be helpful to these investigators to figure out those final moments.
[18:40:00]
NEWTON: And, Isabel, I didn't know it was your hometown and you would know better than most just exactly how terrifying it still is given that UPS is
there and has always been a part of the community with people left wondering how safe are we right now. Isabel Rosales for us, really
appreciate the reporting.
Now, CNN has been surveying firsthand the scale of destruction in Gaza caused by the war. Israel has restricted full access to the enclave.
Instead, our Jeremy Diamond was allowed to embed with the IDF and he brings us this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: So, we've just arrived at this Israeli military position along the Yellow Line inside the Gaza Strip,
and you can see all around me, the first thing that catches your eye, obviously, is the enormous extent of destruction here. We are in Gaza
City's Shuja'iyya neighborhood, or at least what's left of the Shuja'iyya neighborhood, because you can see that there is almost not a single
building that is still standing in this area. This is about as far as we foreign journalists can get into Gaza right now.
The Israeli military, the Israeli government, has only allowed us in in limited circumstances on these types of military embeds. For more than two
years now, Israel has barred foreign journalists from freely entering the Gaza Strip. We would, of course, like to go further down, where there are
actually Palestinian civilians, to be able to talk to them directly and cover their experiences.
But you can see in this area, there are no Palestinian civilians, just an established Israeli military position and so, so much destruction beyond.
You've taken us on this military embed today, but we, as foreign journalists, cannot independently access Gaza. We can't cross that Yellow
Line and go and speak with Palestinian civilians. Why not? The war is over.
LT. COL. NADAV SHOSHANI, INTERNATIONAL SPOKESPERSON, ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCES: Well, that's a question I think that you should ask people above
my pay grade. And I'm in charge of embeds. I'm an IDF spokesperson. I'm in charge to bring reporters to see what IDF is doing, I'll do my best.
DIAMOND: We asked where exactly that Yellow Line is, and I was just told that it's slightly beyond some of those few remaining buildings that are
still standing there. But it's almost impossible for us to distinguish exactly where that Yellow Line is. And we know that it's also the case for
the Palestinians on the ground, who have been shot at.
Some of them have been killed as they have approached or accidentally crossed that invisible Yellow Line. How are Palestinians on the ground
supposed to know where that line is?
SHOSHANI: Well, the line was also published publicly, social media, leaflets and so on. But also, our troops are extremely careful. There's
warnings in real time. One does not get lost into IDF fire. In most cases, the people crossing the Yellow Line are Hamas. It's not an accident. And
when it is civilians, in most cases, they are able to move back.
DIAMOND: But the Israeli military has killed civilians who crossed the Yellow Line accidentally. There was a family that was traveling in a
vehicle. They were fired upon by an Israeli military tank shell. Do you need to revise those policies?
SHOSHANI: Well, it's a work in progress, as I said.
DIAMOND: The Israeli military has begun to deploy these yellow concrete blocks in order to distinguish where exactly that Yellow Line stands. But
it's still not covering the entirety of that yellow demarcation line. We have heard talk, of course, of establishing this international
stabilization force.
There are efforts now at the United Nations Security Council to actually establish a resolution that would send that force into Gaza. But for now,
all of that has yet to actually be implemented on the ground. And you can see behind me the enormity of the challenge that remains.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Still coming up for us after the break, our annual celebration of those who strive to protect our planet. We're kicking off Call to Earth
with efforts in Japan to keep its beaches free of plastic pollutants.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:45:00]
NEWTON: And welcome back. Right now, CNN's annual Call to Earth Day is swinging into action in celebration of how people come together to help
protect the planet. More than 600,000 people of all ages are taking part in a day-long event right around the world on TV, digital, and social media in
English, Spanish, and Arabic.
This year's theme is called Guard Your Green Space. We are asking participants to show us how they're guarding their shared spaces for future
generations. CNN has a team of reporters covering Call to Earth Day right across the globe, Los Angeles, Atlanta, London, Nairobi, Beijing, Hong
Kong, and Tokyo.
And Hanako Montgomery brings us the first report, and a shocking number for you. Did you know the world produces about 400 million metric tons of
plastic waste every year? Daily, that amounts to 2,000 garbage truckloads dumped into our oceans, rivers, and lakes. Now, despite our best efforts,
scientists estimate that only 9 percent of plastic products are actually recycled globally, and cleaning our beaches is no easy task, especially in
uninhabited parts of the world. CNN's Hanako Montgomery found out firsthand how bad the problem is, and joined the cleanup.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With its rolling green hills and pristine waters, Japan's Tsushima Island seems untouched. But
look closer, and its coastlines tell a far different story.
TOSHIYA FUKUSHIMA, CITY OFFICIAL, TSUSHIMA (through translator): You wouldn't want to show this to anyone. For a tourist spot to be this dirty,
it's shameful.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Japan is one of the world's biggest consumers of plastic. Nowhere is that more visible than here on Tsushima. Debris
blankets its shores, more than half of it plastic and non-biodegradable.
FUKUSHIMA (through translator): These plastics turn into microplastics, then even smaller nanoplastics. Fish eat them, crabs eat them, and in the
end, we eat the fish.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Tsushima's geography makes it especially vulnerable to marine pollution. Wedged between Japan and South Korea, the
island sits where seasonal winds and ocean currents collide, sweeping in trash from neighboring countries.
Each year, the local government collects enough garbage to fill thousands of these bags. They sort what can be recycled by hand, targeting materials
like Styrofoam that crumble easily and scatter through the water. But only around 10 percent ever gets recycled.
FUKUSHIMA (through translator): When I go fishing or take my kids to the beach, I want them to see what I saw as a child, clean, beautiful
coastlines with no garbage in sight.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): To see how far the problem spreads, we paddle out to one of Tsushima's remote islands.
MONTGOMERY: We're on one of the 102 uninhabited islands of Tsushima, and it's a beautiful place to visit as a tourist. But because no one lives
here, there's no one to pick up the trash that washes ashore, which is why they're getting volunteers to come here in canoes and pick up the garbage.
[18:50:00]
KOJI ASANUMA, VOLUNTEER (through translator): I never realized this problem even existed until I came here. I worked in a plastic manufacturing
company for five years, and I found myself thinking about what responsibility we have after creating it.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): But Tsushima's trash crisis is also a demographic one. With just 30,000 residents and almost 40 percent over the age of 65,
there simply aren't enough hands to gather what the sea brings in. That's why, says Michinao Suenaga, everyone, everywhere, needs to rethink their
lifestyle.
MICHINAO SUENAGA, TSUSHIMA CAPPA, LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP (through translator): Beach cleanups are just a starting point, a way to make
people reflect on their habits and how much of what they buy they truly need.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): With that in mind, I join in too.
MONTGOMERY: So, you've been doing this work for 20 years, and no matter how much garbage you clean up, there's still more that gets washed ashore.
How do you not lose hope?
SUENAGA (through translator): If we work together, we can clean it. When you're alone, it feels impossible. But when people come together, little by
little, it starts to change.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Hanako Montgomery, CNN, Tsushima, Japan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Now, we're keeping our oceans and beaches clean, and that should remain front of mind. CNN recently spoke with legendary oceanographer and
Rolex testimony Sylvia Earle to discuss her lifetime of experience, the future of our planet, and why she says the 21st century is full of, quote,
"lucky kids." Here's a clip from No Blue, No Green, a conversation with Sylvia Earle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: I'm curious about your lucky kid philosophy. As a reporter, as a dad, why? Why are kids today fortunate?
SYLVIA EARLE, OCEANOGRAPHER AND EXPLORER: I tell kids, you're the luckiest kid to ever arrive on Earth because you're a 21st century kid. Imagine what
was not known when your parents were kids, and what is now known that you know, and the opportunity to be really at this cutting edge of exploration
and care. Things that we didn't know and could not know before the middle of the 20th century now are widely known. And it gives us an edge.
If we didn't know, that would be a problem, and it's still a problem with the ocean that we're just beginning to explore and to see who lives there.
So, I think part of me is deeply invested with my daughter and son-in-law and scientists and engineers working together to push the edge.
When I first began exploring the ocean back in the 1950s, we were just beginning to take photographs underwater that are black and white. No one
had been up in space. No one had been to the deepest part of the ocean. No one really had begun to appreciate the role of microbes that govern our own
bodies, that have shaped rocks and water into a habitable planet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Join CNN chief climate correspondent Bill Weir as he sits down for an exclusive conversation with oceanographer Sylvia Earle. No Blue, No
Green starts at 1:00 p.m. in London, 9:00 p.m. in Hong Kong, right here on CNN. And we will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:55:00]
NEWTON: In today's Good Brief, sightings of a super moon. Take a look at the view from Beijing where the moon took on a pale red tinge through all
the mist and fog and a similar scene above Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. Now, November's full moon is also called a beaver moon because
it marks the time of year when beavers start to get ready for winter by fortifying dams and lodges while stocking up on food. And yes, that is why
they're called busy beavers.
I want to thank you for your company. I'm Paula Newton in New York. You've been watching "The Brief." Stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:00:00]
END
