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What We Know with Max Foster
Pentagon: U.S. Strikes Alleged Drug Vessel In Pacific; Trump To Meet Today With NATO Secretary General; Louvre Museum Opens Back Up To Tourists After Theft; King Charles & Queen Camilla On Historic Visit To See Pope; U.S. Secretary Of State Heading To Israel Soon; Officials: Nine Arrested In Chaotic ICE Raid In New York; Trump: "Could Be" Seeking $230 Million From Justice Department; Ukraine: Putin Is Using Winter As A Weapon; Gold's Frenzied Rally Ends With Largest Sell-Off In A Decade. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired October 22, 2025 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:29]
MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: The U.S. strikes yet another boat it says was trafficking drugs.
This is WHAT WE KNOW.
Trump administration appears to be expanding its military campaign on alleged drug boats attacking a vessel in the Pacific for the first known
time, at least.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth released this video of the strike that he said left two people dead. At least seven other strikes have targeted
vessels in the Caribbean Sea, killing dozens. They've largely focused on boats coming from Venezuela, but Venezuela is not in the Pacific. Colombia
is.
We don't yet know where this latest boat came from, though. But the strike comes as the White House ramps up its feud with the Colombian president,
Gustavo Petro, who it accuses of having narco ties.
Patrick Oppmann is in Havana, Cuba.
Thanks for joining us, Patrick.
Any response from Colombia yet?
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Now that we've seen, of course, have been very vocal over the last few days, accusing President Trump of
carrying out murder and saying that some of these boats have been targeted previously, did not have any ties to drug traffickers. They may have just
been innocent fishermen in the wrong place at the wrong time. So, this is only going to heat up matters even more.
Of course, this is significant because it's the first strike that we are aware of that took place in the Pacific, and many people have been pointing
to the fact that a good amount of drugs, perhaps the majority of drugs, do move through the Pacific. So, certainly, if they're going to expand, expand
to another ocean, to another region of South America, that will just increase potentially the number of strikes and the number of heat that the
Trump administration is feeling from allies and adversaries in the region that are upset that these strikes, you know, literally a war on drugs that
involves the United States acting as judge, jury and executioner.
And the USO is obviously not backing, backing down, as we've seen from the latest strike. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth saying that these are
narco terrorists, that they are like al Qaeda, he said. And that the U.S. will continue to target and kill anyone they believe. And there's not any
proof after these strikes, because, of course, it is destroyed. If these boats were, as the U.S. alleges, actually carrying drugs. So those drugs
are, of course, destroyed in these strikes.
And so this has received criticism both in the U.S. and abroad, because people are, of course, being killed in these strikes. And, you know, these
boats are not boats that really would reach the United States. They're not carrying fentanyl. They're carrying cocaine. And so, this is something that
has led to the Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, saying that the U.S. is carrying out murder and the U.S. has responded by threatening to cut ties,
threatening to cut aid to Colombia. That is so important to crack down on drug trafficking.
And so, while this is increased the outcry in the region as to how the U.S. is approaching this problem, no signs at this point that the Trump
administration is going to change course -- Max.
FOSTER: Absolutely. Patrick, thank you so much for that.
Now, an onslaught of Russian drones has plunged parts of Ukraine into darkness. The attacks were able to penetrate Ukraine's overworked air
defenses. Seven people lost their lives overnight, including a baby. One of the Russian drones hit a kindergarten in the Kharkiv region. The strike was
captured here on CCTV.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said one person died and at least seven others were injured in that blast. Rescue workers scrambled to get
children away from the site and reunite them with their families.
On the diplomatic front, President Donald Trump is meeting today with the NATO secretary general, Mark Rutte, at the White House. They'll likely talk
about the next steps regarding Ukraine. It comes as the U.S. and Russia try to figure out if it makes sense for Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to have
a summit.
CNN's Kevin Liptak is tracking developments for us from the White House.
Rutte seems to get on very well with Donald Trump. What's the feeling you're getting in terms of progress, Kevin?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah, he's -- he's seen as something of a Trump whisperer. You know, they developed this relationship
when he was the Dutch prime minister. And so, I think in a lot of ways, he is often sent to the White House as kind of an emissary for Europe at large
to try and convey a point of view.
And I think that's exactly what he's doing here today, essentially, getting on the plane last minute after that meeting on Friday, that turned quite
contentious in the cabinet room between the president and President Zelenskyy to try and get a better read on where the president's head is at.
[15:05:09]
Now, in the time between when that meeting occurred and today, there have been a couple of zigzags, namely, the president seems to have called off
this summit that he was anticipating with Vladimir Putin in Budapest. He said yesterday he thought it could be a waste of time. And so, I think for
Mark Rutte, the goal is to get a better read on where the presidents head is at.
Now, the president did say yesterday that he would update us in two days about what precisely his thinking is on the Russia-Ukraine war. Obviously,
the president blows through deadlines all the time, so I'm not sure we should hold our breath for that, but certainly for the NATO chief, it will
be imperative to get a better sense of where the president is.
I think he's also coming here with some messages from the Europeans to convey some of what they are working on when it comes to trying to resolve
this process. You know, you hear talk about potentially a European plan to bring the war to an end. Now, that would obviously require some pretty
significant buy in from the president himself. And I think for Rutte, the goal will be to convince the president to, you know, take the Ukrainians'
point of view in a lot of ways to encourage him to apply more pressure on Moscow. There are still this outstanding question of sanctions that the
president has enacted on and to potentially ramp up some of the weapons, including the Tomahawk missiles, those long range missiles that Zelenskyy
came to the White House on Friday looking to obtain but left empty handed.
And so, I think quite a stacked agenda and a lot I think, uncertain. As they head into these talks in about an hour's time, about where exactly the
president is landing on all of this.
FOSTER: Okay. Kevin, thank you so much for that.
Now, the Louvre Museum in Paris back open for visitors. This, as this is the first time that tourists have been allowed back since the multimillion-
dollar jewelry heist on Sunday. The Apollo gallery, where the theft took place will remain closed. Prosecutors estimate the value of the stolen
jewels may be worth $102 million.
CNN's Melissa Bell has more on the fallout from the robbery.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The director of France's Louvre Museum has been defending herself in front of a Senate
committee, explaining that she tendered her resignation in the wake of Sunday morning's dramatic heist.
It had been refused, she said, by the culture minister. Both women are saying the culture minister and the director of the Louvre, that the
security systems function, defending their record. This in the face of a great deal of criticism and calls for their resignation, been questions, of
course, about the security breach itself on Sunday morning, how robbers could have got in with such rudimentary tools to what should have been some
of the best guarded crown jewels in the country.
But there are also a not yet published report that has emerged in parts of the French press by France's highest auditing body that was critical
specifically of what it described as security lapses in the museum, between 2019 and `24. The lack, for instance, of CCTV cameras in a number of the
museum's rooms.
So, all of these have been pounced upon by the French press. In the meantime, the manhunt continues, as does the hunt for the jewels
themselves. More than 100 French investigators are working on the case.
We understand and continue to gather clues. Left behind by the robbers a glove, a motorcycle helmet and of course, the truck that was used with its
mechanical ladder on it. That is being scoured for any fingerprints, any evidence they can find to try and help them track down the robbers.
But of course, with every day, every hour that passes, the hopes that that will happen, grow slimmer.
Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: King Charles and Queen Camilla are making an historic trip to meet the new pope for the first time. The royal couple landed in Rome just a
short while ago. They head to the Vatican on Thursday, where they'll be received by Pope Leo XIV. The state visit will focus on two key themes,
Christian unity and care for the planet, as well. Obviously, two issues that they both hold dear.
CNN's Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb joins us now.
Of course, you know, the specter of family dynamics playing into this as well. But just explain why this is so important for the king. This visit,
as in his role as head of the Church of England.
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Max, it is a historic visit because it's going to see for the first time in at least 500 years,
an English monarch praying with a pope. And of course, that's so important given the history of the English Reformation when King Henry VIII broke
with Rome and established himself as leader of the Church of England and the relationship between the papacy and the monarchy was marked by
suspicion and tension.
But in recent decades, that's changed. And King Charles in particular has been very keen to engage with the Catholic Church.
[15:10:02]
He's visited the Vatican a number of occasions, and his visit will also include him taking part in a service at the Roman Basilica of St. Paul's
outside the walls, where he'll be given a special title, and a specially commissioned chair, which I think we have an image of, has been put in
place for him to use during an ecumenical service. It has the royal coat of arms on it, and the motto in Latin "Ut unum sint" which means that they may
be one. So very much focusing on unity between Catholics and Anglicans.
And this trip, as you say all about unity. But of course, taking place with difficulties for the king, with the allegations against his brother back
home.
FOSTER: Yeah. In terms of the pope's perspective on this, he's got, you know, world leaders queuing up, hasn't he, to meet him. So, I guess quite
an honor for the king to be quite near the top of the list.
LAMB: Yes, that's right. The Vatican have taking this visit very seriously. They've been meticulous preparations for it, and it's important
for the pope to meet with the king, of course, is the supreme governor of the Church of England. It's important for Pope Leo to emphasize good
relations and dialog between different Christian denominations. So, he wants to prioritize that.
And, of course, King Charles had been scheduled to make this state visit, when Pope Francis became very ill and it had to be postponed. They did
manage the king, and the queen did manage to meet with Pope Francis briefly less than two weeks before he died. But this, state visit to the Vatican is
something that was planned during Francis's time and is something that Pope Leo wants to honor and wants to -- he wants to meet the king, and he wants
to take part in this.
FOSTER: Okay, Christopher Lamb, it would be fascinating. The big day tomorrow when we see the pope and, the king, praying in a way we haven't
seen, as you say, you know, half a millennium.
Now, the French interior minister says two police officers stayed in a nearby jail for Nicolas Sarkozy's first night in prison. And the former
French president is serving a five year term for criminal conspiracy. Sarkozy will continue to receive protection in prison as long as necessary,
given his status and what the minister called threats he faces. Sarkozy's lawyer had insisted his client wouldn't get any special treatment.
President Donald Trump says the U.S. government owes him hundreds of millions of dollars. Why he's demanding that huge payout and who would have
to pick up the tab?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:15:57]
FOSTER: U.S. Secretary State Marco Rubio is set to arrive in Israel on Thursday, part of a diplomatic blitz by the Trump administration to shore
up the Gaza ceasefire. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem today. They said they have
big plans for the day after in Gaza, but gave no details. Vance said maintaining the ceasefire will take a lot of work, but says he's
optimistic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's not easy. I never said it was easy. But what I am is optimistic that the ceasefire is going
to hold and that we can actually build a better future in the entire Middle East, but that requires some work. So, it's not about monitoring in the
sense of, you know, you monitor a toddler, it's about monitoring in the sense that there's a lot of work, a lot of good people who are doing that
work. And it's important for the principals and the administration to keep on ensuring that our people are doing what we need them to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: The top U.N. court says Israel must ensure the basic needs of Palestinian civilians are met, including adequate food, shelter, medical
services. The court weighed in today on Israel's restrictions on aid into Gaza during the war.
Jeremy Diamond has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: The United Nation's top court has rebuked Israel's efforts to restrict humanitarian aid into Gaza, and
its refusal to work with a key U.N. agency. The International Court of Justice in a ruling issued on Wednesday, says that Israel, as the occupying
power in Gaza, must facilitate humanitarian aid there and is obligated to ensure that the basic needs of the civilian population are met. And this
ruling not only rebukes that weeks-long blockade, total blockade of aid into Gaza, that we saw Israel impose earlier this year, but also a law that
Israel passed effectively banning any cooperation with and the operations of UNWRA that U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees within Israeli
controlled territory.
The ICJ, in this ruling says that Israel must cooperate with the United Nations, including with its agencies, and that UNWRA has not violated its
impartiality. Israel has repeatedly accused UNWRA of harboring a slew of Hamas affiliated employees. But the top court from the United Nations here,
finding no substantial evidence to substantiate those allegations, a U.N. investigation had previously found that nine employees may have been
involved in the October 7th attacks, but that's out of a total of some 13,000 UNWRA employees in Gaza.
Now, this ruling from the ICJ is non-binding, but it does carry a lot of legal and political weight, and it could affect how member states are
interact with Israel in the future, how they choose to respond to any future attempts by Israel to restrict humanitarian aid or its work with
U.N. agencies.
Israel, for its part, is rejecting this opinion outright, saying that this is a political ruling by this top U.N. court and also making clear that it
has no plans to reverse course on its cooperation with UNWRA. It's the ministry of foreign affairs saying in a statement that Israel will not
cooperate with an organization that is, quote, infested with terror activities. And they insist that Israel is and will continue to uphold all
of its obligations under international law.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: A chaotic scene on the streets of New York on Tuesday after an ICE operation. The Department of Homeland Security said nine people in the
country illegally were arrested during the raid on Chinatown's Canal Street, the popular area well known for its street vendors who sell
knockoff designer goods.
In Los Angeles, two people were injured in an ICE operation, one of them an undocumented TikTok influencer. The other a U.S. marshal. The Department of
Homeland Security says the incident took place during a targeted traffic stop with a TikTok streamer when an ICE officers weapon discharged after
smashing the suspect's car window.
[15:20:02]
Prosecutors allege the suspect tried to ram law enforcement vehicles in an attempt to dislodge his car during the arrest.
Our Veronica Miracle joins us from Los Angeles with more.
I mean, the one advantage we have from TikTok is, is there's lots of video of these events, Veronica.
VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, certainly.
And there was a lot of chaos. There was a lot of people in the area. We have video in fact of the individual, the suspect being taken away in an
ambulance on a stretcher after his injuries and of course, here in Los Angeles, a lot of helicopter chopper from local news. So, we have aerial
footage of that.
Federal prosecutors have identified Carlitos Ricardo Parias, a 44-year-old Mexican national, as the suspect in this case. And as you mentioned, he is
a well-known TikToker in the local area known for streaming ICE operations in and around the Los Angeles area.
Now, investigators say that all of this took place when they were surveilling him. They were surveilling him in and out and around his home
as part of a targeted ICE operation. And they said that he was leaving his home and got into his car when agents blocked him in with their cars. And
that's when he started to ram agents vehicles with his car.
That's what, according to investigators, they say, as you mentioned, when they were trying to get Parias to comply and get out of the car, a weapon
was used to smash a window and a bullet flew the weapon, discharged, and Parias' elbow was hit, as well as a bullet ricocheted and hit a deputy U.S.
marshal in the hand. Both of them went to the hospital and are recovering from their injuries.
But Parias' lawyer says that he's a citizen journalist who in fact was honored by a Los Angeles City Council member in the past for the work that
he has done for the immigrant community.
Take a listen to what his lawyer had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARLOS JURADO, ATTORNEY: You can tune in to his to his TikTok page, and you can see that there's thousands of people watching him at all times.
There are people who have been taken off the streets by people in masks where if it wasn't for his reporting and the reporting of other members of
the community, we wouldn't even know that they were taken.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MIRACLE: Now, Parias has been charged with assault on a federal officer, and he is due in court any minute now here in Los Angeles.
Back to you, Max.
FOSTER: Okay, Veronica, thank you so much for that update.
President Trump says he's owed a whopping sum of $230 million from his own Justice Department. Mr. Trump is demanding damages from the federal
government over two investigations launched against him after his first term. And that's according to a "New York Times" report. Trump
administration officials could be the ones responsible for approving a settlement to the president, which will be paid for by American taxpayers.
So, what we want to know is, can Donald Trump force the DOJ to pay him $230 million?
Joining me now, CNN's senior political analyst, Ron Brownstein.
So I guess he --
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hey, Max.
FOSTER: I guess he's in a strong position because he appointed the people running it.
BROWNSTEIN: Yeah. I mean, look this is a this is a situation that really, I think brings to a powerful symbolic, culmination almost of what we have
seen in the early months of the Trump presidency. I mean, this is really right at the intersection of two big priorities for him. He's worked in a
lot of different ways to try to discredit the investigations against him. And this kind of upside-down world, pardon the January 6th rioters, while
firing the prosecutors, you know, who took who brought them to justice.
And at the same time, he has been systematically transforming the federal government into a giant mechanism for punishing perceived adversaries and
rewarding friends. And I think at the top of the friends list is himself and his family.
So, if he engineers, in fact, a payment from the taxpayers to himself for $230 million at the same time that he's spending hundreds of million
dollars to do a kind of a grandiloquent, you know, remake of the White House and has, hundreds of millions, if not billions coming in through a
crypto business. I think there's going to be a lot of Republican officeholders who are uneasy about the symbolism of all of that, at a time
when many American families are still struggling.
FOSTER: I guess it depends if he's taking the money himself or its going into, you know, some other project.
BROWNSTEIN: Yeah. I don't -- I don't think its going to matter a heck of a lot. I mean, you know, basically, look, the core argument Democrats want to
make in 2026 is that Donald Trump ran on solving your cost-of-living problem, and that was indeed, polls show, as the principal issue that
people cited who voted for him. And all he's done is further enrich himself and his wealthy buddies.
That's the case they want to make, right? That he hasn't really solved your problems. In fact, he's compounded them with tariffs and cuts in health
care support. But he's cut taxes and he's enriched himself in a -- cut taxes for other, you know, his allies and enriched himself in a variety of
ways.
[15:25:04]
And I think if in fact, there is a payment from the federal government to Trump, it becomes just a very powerful -- I think, a very resonant
symbolic, you know, kind of, focusing point, focal point for that, for that kind of argument. And I think you see, in the initial reaction of some of
the Republicans on Capitol Hill that Manu Raju and others have been buttonholing today, they're not that comfortable with the idea of this
going forward, either.
Again, like this is all against the backdrop. You know, where average families are saying that they do not feel the economy is improved, they do
not feel their cost of living has gotten more, more manageable. And Trump's approval rating on the economy is now systematically lower than it was at
any point during his first term.
FOSTER: I imagine lots of people are very uncomfortable with it because, you know, the principal, but also the huge amount of money, which taxpayers
are going to have to dish out on this.
BROWNSTEIN: Yeah.
FOSTER: But who's going to stop him? Where's it going to be prevented?
BROWNSTEIN: Well, I think the only way -- the only way is prevented is if, you know, in private channels, enough Republicans say like, this is a
really bad idea. I mean, you are moving heaven and earth to try to keep control of the House, by pressuring all of these states to do mid-decade
redistricting, which is, you know, so unusual in American history. And you could kind of, you know, undo all of that, by creating this kind of
symbolism.
I, you know, I don't -- look, this Justice Department has not shown itself very willing to say no to him on anything, whether it's indicting people
that he openly calls for to be indicted or dropping cases like the Eric Adams case, against people you know who are allies. And there was strong
evidence again.
So, to your question, I don't think any resistance to this is going to come from within the ranks of the Justice Department. I think if there is any
way that this is going to be slowed, it's going to be other Republican elected officials who realize this is terrible symbolism. At a time when so
many average families say they are still struggling and in fact, and in fact, in their consumer behavior, are still struggling.
FOSTER: Yeah, absolutely. Thank you so much, Ron Brownstein, for that. It is a fascinating idea, isn't it?
We'll be back in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:30:41]
FOSTER: Returning to one of our top stories, Russia unleashing a swarm of drones on Ukraine today, including this attack that struck a kindergarten
in the Kharkiv region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said one person died. At least seven others were injured in the blast. Zelensky said the attack shows
Russia isn't interested in a ceasefire. He urged the West to put more pressure on Vladimir Putin.
All of this comes as Donald Trump is due to meet with NATO secretary general in the next hour or so. You can bet that Ukraine will be top of the
agenda. A Ukrainian official told CNN that Putin seems to be preparing for another winter of brutal attacks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEORHII TYKHYI, SPOKESMAN, UKRAINIAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: On the streets of our capital and other places, some people, some communities,
lack access to power and water and heating, and the temperatures. Believe me, here in autumn they are dropping. So yes, we can see that Putin is
trying to use winter as a weapon.
He wants to use cold as a weapon against Ukrainians. He tried to do this in the past. We had already three wartime winters, but now he's trying to do
this again. And that's why we are appealing to all of our partners and asking for additional support, additional air defense capabilities,
additional energy assistance, equipment, repair equipment, you know, volumes of gas and other stuff.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: For some perspective on what to expect from Trump's meeting with the NATO leader next hour, we are joined by the former NATO deputy
secretary general, Rose Gottemoeller.
Thank you so much for joining us, Rose.
I mean, there's so many -- we've got a sense there, didn't we, about how much Ukraine needs from so many different sources. What do you think Russia
is going to focus on? Is it going to be the long-range missiles, the air defenses?
ROSE GOTTEMOELLER, LECTURER, STANFORD UNIVERSITY: I think we could see some signs of what he's going to focus on from his meeting on Capitol Hill
this morning. He was meeting with the chairman of the foreign relations committee, Thom Tillis, and Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking Democrat. And they
talked about very wide-ranging assistance to Ukraine, including essentially putting in place the legislation in the United States that would allow
Ukraine and its allies and partners to make use of the Russian frozen assets, so to say, in order to be able to make wide-ranging weapons
purchases.
So, these are some of the important steps that are needed now. And I think what we saw on Capitol Hill this morning is a prelude to what Trump and
Russia will be talking about.
FOSTER: Yeah. So, the meetings on hold, isn't it, between Trump and Putin. What did you make of that pushback from the president?
GOTTEMOELLER: I think the president said it perfectly. He said it would be a waste of time. And we saw that in Alaska. Also, you know, he cut short
that meeting in Alaska by a full two to three hours, saying, we finished here. It'd be a waste of time to do any more talking. And he flew away,
leaving Vladimir Putin there in Alaska.
So, it's clear that the president we've known for a long time really likes to make those deals, and he likes to get to them fast. So if he's not
seeing any chance of progress, he just cuts his losses and turns away.
FOSTER: There's also this discussion, isn't it, about Tomahawks. And this is all part of a new front, really, from President Trump realizing he's not
getting enough from Putin. And, you know, calling off the meeting, perhaps allowing NATO as well to use at least some of its longer range missiles,
even if they're not the American ones, but giving his approval for that, that would be another big, strong message to Russia, wouldn't it?
GOTTEMOELLER: Well, it would be, frankly, the Ukrainians have done so well with their own indigenous missile programs. I don't see the Tomahawk as a
game changer. And in fact, from time to time, the Kremlin and Putin himself have said it's not really a game changer, but it would be a strong symbol
of the U.S. supporting longer range attacks into Russian territory from Ukraine. And also, it places some pressure on others, such as the Germans,
to provide longer range missiles as well. The German Taurus missile has been on the table for quite some time, and there hasn't been a decision out
of Berlin to give that to the Ukrainians.
FOSTER: Is it a good idea to keep pressuring Putin, or is there a risk it could tip into a really severe reaction in Ukraine?
GOTTEMOELLER; Well, were already seeing tough, Russian action against Ukraine constantly that he is he is pounding Ukraine.
[15:35:05]
And I really think that the amount of civilian damage and destruction is incredible and so evident of Russian overall approach to war. So I think
that, of course, there's always concern about escalation, involvement of NATO in a more general war in Europe. But I do think that Putin responds to
military pressure and the Russians respond to military force. If you show up with military force, the Russians do and will at times react.
We saw that in the Baltic Sea a couple of months ago when they were alleged to be cutting cables there. And NATO sent a task force to be present there.
And that cable cutting stopped. So, I do think that showing up with force is important in dealing with the Russians.
FOSTER: Former NATO deputy secretary general, Rose Gottemoeller, thank you so much for joining us today.
GOTTEMOELLER: My pleasure.
FOSTER: We'll have the full round up of that meeting a bit later on.
As it happens, it's the final moments, meanwhile, of trade on Wall Street. Stocks are down today. All three major indices in the red as corporate
earnings continue to roll in.
This is our business breakout.
Tesla earnings will be released tonight. And the company is set to report its best results so far this year. Analysts forecast almost $2 billion in
quarterly earnings driven by record sales. But that falls short of its earnings a year ago as the company still faces headwinds.
A slew of mega celebrities, including British Royals Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle to English singer Kate Bush, as well as computer scientists,
economists, artists and others. They're all joining a call for a ban on computer superintelligence. They say it could pose a threat to humanity
itself someday. Their statement adds to a growing chorus of calls for an A.I. slowdown.
Golds record rally came to a crashing halt on Tuesday, when prices tumbled more than 5 percent. It's the largest sell off of the precious metal in
more than a decade, and those losses are continuing today.
Optimism over easing trade tensions between the U.S., China and a rebound in the U.S. dollar prompted investors to lock in their profits.
With me is Richard.
We're asking, is gold's record run coming to an end?
RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR AT LARGE: No, I don't think so. I think what we've seen in the last 24, 48 hours is entirely reasonable.
We've had a slight easing of tensions with China, slight easing. Youve had a rise in the value of the dollar. You know, of course, the way dollar gold
is priced, therefore you end up with a fall off in the currency.
We're also heading towards the end of the year where if you've got some very impressive gains on gold, you're going to try and lock in some of what
you can before it does turn turtle.
But no, look, the economic fundamentals haven't changed. And the weaknesses that were there, the worries over inflation, the worries over trade, they
all still exist. So the core reasons why gold went on a tear, albeit overdone, some would say, still remains.
FOSTER: Very hectic for investors, isn't it? If you look at what happened with crypto and that big crash effectively last weekend, then you've got
gold suddenly falling, which is meant to be a more of a stable investment.
FOSTER: Yes, but the underlying reasons give you the causes, in a sense, or the other way around. The trade uncertainty that changes at the whim of
the president, major changes. China, not just a minor country. Youve got that. Youve got issues of taxation, issues of production, A.I., everything
about it is happening so fast that I am not surprised that gold is now showing the similar volatility that we would have seen, say for example, in
equities.
It's not as bad as that yet, but that is the reason. And of course, two things to watch out for locking in of profits. And people who miss the boat
and will now start to push gold back up again because they believe they've got a better buy.
FOSTER: Is there lots of hedging? Is there lots of betting which is exacerbating all of these movements?
QUEST: Completely.
FOSTER: Yeah.
QUEST: Absolutely.
It is the hedges. It is the speculation. Gold has always been ripe for that element of it. It may be a safe haven, but there are plenty of crypto is --
you see, the problem with crypto is it is a side show to the main event, but it's now starting to drive the main event to some extent because
everybody wants a bit of crypto. You want a bit of crypto.
FOSTER: Yeah, part of your portfolio, presumably.
QUEST: Yeah.
FOSTER: Well, one's portfolio for an investor.
QUEST: Yes.
FOSTER: Unlike myself.
QUEST: Unlike myself either.
FOSTER: Oh wow.
QUEST: And I myself.
FOSTER: I don't believe that for a moment.
QUEST: Well, we can't find it. We can't find the key to the wallet. Seriously.
But the gold thing is really fascinating because if you love gold, you always love it. And the speculative element in this current price is very
difficult to determine because the economic uncertainty is still --
FOSTER: Long term, it's still going to be this.
QUEST: Yes, absolutely.
FOSTER: Richard, thank you so much. With no end in sight, the U.S. government remains at a standstill on day 22. Would you believe while some
federal workers are still standing in
[15:40:00]
With no end in sight, the U.S. government remains at a standstill on day 22, would you believe, while some federal workers are still standing in
food lines, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer demanding a meeting with President Trump before he leaves on a trip to Asia this Friday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): President should meet with us. It's not me, him or anything political. It's that the people are in crisis every day.
They're getting these bill. These notifications of how much they're going to pay and they're just -- people are just struck of the difficulty they
will be in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: But this is the real impact of the shutdown's third week. Furloughed workers standing in long lines to get boxes of food.
Still to come, why at Barcelona match scheduled to be played in Miami has been canceled. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: Now, a LaLiga football match between Barcelona and Villarreal, scheduled to be played in Miami, Florida, has been called off. The December
game would have been the first LaLiga match held outside of Spain, and the first European league match staged abroad. LaLiga says the game was
canceled due to uncertainty in Spain. This after clubs and players had protested playing a Spanish league game outside of the country.
Let's bring in CNN "WORLD SPORT's'" Don Riddell.
Because we're hearing so many things from different sources about what went wrong here. I mean, what's the story?
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Well, the game hasn't been canceled, Max. It's still going to happen. It just won't be happening in Miami.
And yeah, you're absolutely right to focus on the players because it was their protest at the weekend that really brought this all to a head. They
basically all kicked off their games over the weekend. And for the first 15 seconds, they just refused to play. And they said that they're really
concerned about the integrity of the competition because whilst all of these European teams play matches all over the world.
[15:45:01]
Most of them are friendlies, most of them are played in the summer preseason warmups.
Occasionally there are competitions like for example, the Spanish teams play competition in Saudi Arabia, and they've been doing that for four of
the last five years. But this would have been a first. So, they were worried about the integrity of the competition. They were worried about the
lack of transparency and the rights and the needs of the players.
And one of the players who has spoken about this is the Real Madrid goalie, Thibault Courtois. This is his perspective.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THIBAUT COURTOIS, REAL MADRID GOALKEEPER (through translator): In the NFL, all the teams owners have voted on this. They also doubled the games
because it benefits them. They want this and they all voted for this.
Here, it's the opposite. LaLiga did it in this league because they want to do it. This distorts the competition. It doesn't comply with the players'
agreement. I think it's not right. In the end, I think we must play at home and away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIDDELL: So, it was LaLiga that took the decision to cancel this game. Villarreal were absolutely livid in the way that it happened, because they
were about to kick off in the Champions League against Manchester City yesterday when this decision was made and made public. So, they were
absolutely furious about that.
Interesting that LaLiga I think, still want this to happen in some shape or form at some point. The president of the league, Javier Tebas, basically
has said that this would have been an opportunity to advance, to project the league globally and strengthen its future. So, clearly, this is
something that they're hoping to do at some point. But clearly, the players aren't having it right now.
FOSTER: Yeah. We've seen how effective the strategies work for the NFL, haven't we? So, presumably, it was the same strategy.
RIDDELL: Well, that's right. I mean, the NFL is trying to expand beyond its borders. They believe that they have -- well, I mean they have a hugely
successful brand in the NFL. And they want to become more global. They really, really want to grow the game.
So, you're looking at LaLiga trying to do something kind of in reverse. There are there are strong league, but they're not the biggest league in
Europe. That would be the premier league. And so you can imagine that LaLiga are trying to find new markets and new ways to penetrate and promote
themselves globally.
But the way it was done, you know, the players not very happy with it. And Courtois saying it's so important that we play the same teams home and away
every season. And to make one of those fixtures and send it to Miami, it just isn't fair. You know, they just don't -- they just don't see it as
respecting the integrity of the game.
And the NFL is just structured differently the way their games are structured, the way their league works, it's just so different. So, you
really can't compare the two.
FOSTER: Okay. Don Riddell, thank you so much.
Now you don't have to be a sneakerhead to have heard of Nike Air Jordans, but Air Afrique is another story altogether. Next, week, the fashion brand
that's resurrecting an African airline.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:50:46]
FOSTER: Now for sneaker fans like myself, they might just be another big Nike release. But for the designers of the new Air Afrique shoes, they're
part of a Pan-African cultural movement. The shoes were a sellout success when they went on sale earlier this month. They used the name of the famous
old African Airline that stopped flying more than 20 years ago. For the team behind the brand, it's a chance to rebuild an identity that inspired
Africans for decades.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AHMADOU-BAMBA THIAM, HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS, AIR AFRIQUE: Basically, we discovered the airline Air Afrique through cinema because -- basically
Afrique. To give you the full story --
FOSTER: Yeah.
THIAM: -- is Pan-African Airline, founded in 1961 by 11 countries, when they became independent --
FOSTER: Yeah, shoes.
THIAM: -- 11 French-speaking countries mostly from West Africa.
And because it was founded at that turning point of independence, it was fueled by a lot of post-colonial and independentist beliefs, which meant
that more than being an airline, it ended up supporting a lot of African art and cultures. We discovered the airline's heritage because the airline
stopped to exist in 2002, but we discovered the heritage of the airline and its history, mostly in cinema. And that's when basically we decided to buy
back the rights to the name and the logo of the airline.
FOSTER: And you started reinventing some of those classic old photos.
THIAM: Yes.
FOSTER: But with current themes.
THIAM: Exactly. And everything that we do today takes from what the airline used to do. So, we have four pillars.
FOSTER: Yeah.
THIAM: The first one is the magazine, "Air Afrique" magazine, which takes direct reference from the airlines in-flight magazine. We have literally
the same editorial line for better knowledge of afro diasporic art, conversation, knowledge and esthetic.
We have an exhibition in which we mix archives from the airline with contemporary art, whether its photography, installation.
FOSTER: You've worked with MOMA.
THIAM: And we are exhibiting at the MOMA at the end of the year in December.
FOSTER: It's incredible.
THIAM: Opening December.
FOSTER: And then you have the cinema, which is showing, old African films, basically which people don't see anymore, which you think also speaks to
the same brand.
THIAM: Exactly. Basically, the cinema, as I told you, is the key, the core, the birth, the genesis of our project. So, we have a monthly cinema
club in Paris as well, in which we screen African archival, African cinema.
FOSTER: And then people like Drogba getting involved ends up being one of your ambassadors.
THIAM: Yes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIDIER DROGBA, FORMER FOOTBALLER: Nice suit.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks. It's protocol in my family.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
THIAM: For us, the whole thing is highlighting and platforming key cultural figures that embody the Afrique spirit.
FOSTER: Yeah.
THIAM: So, Pan-African spirit of excellence that the airline used to incarnate. And so, whenever we have a project, because we also shoot and
direct our own stuff, we also have the creative margin to choose who we want as ambassadors.
FOSTER: Yeah.
THIAM: And we ended up connecting a lot with. So we have figures such as Drogba, the legendary footballer who was so key in, for instance, stopping
the civil war in Ivory Coast.
FOSTER: Yeah.
THIAM: So that's the one that's bigger than football and encompasses a lot of topics. We have Tiakola, a French artist whose music is was birthed from
his Congolese roots. So that's just two examples, you know, that we have people, we connect.
FOSTER: And so you do this. This is, you know, your biggest mainstream collaboration, wasn't it? And when they sold out in seconds across the
world, what was your reaction to that? Because I mean, you know, not everyone knows this brand, but there's something that people are drawn to.
THIAM: It was a very I was very grateful in the sense that, we have managed as kids from the diasporas of Paris to connect back with our home
continent creatively. And then create a story that's basically universal, but that's stemming from an African perspective or an afro diasporic
perspective, you know? And so that means, like, I'm genuinely, genuinely very grateful for that, for that, for the ability to, to have done that.
I wouldn't say I'm surprised because we've been able to feel this past, you know, 20 years. The shift in the, the zeitgeist and the, you know, a new
plural and inclusive universalism.
FOSTER: Yeah.
THIAM: But I'm just grateful to be a part of the generation that can propel that movement forward.
FOSTER: And you've created a brand that every big brand in the world wants to be associated with.
THIAM: It seems so.
FOSTER: Did you go to business school or anything, or is this just something that comes from the --
THIAM: I studied political science.
FOSTER: There you go.
THIAM: I have a way with words.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: And finally tonight, a vast collection of music memorabilia heading to auction this week in London.
[15:55:03]
Hundreds of items will be up for sale from renowned artists and bands including the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Michael Jackson, many others as
well. Amongst the highlights, John Lennon's iconic tinted glasses worn during his so-called "Lost Weekend" period in the early 1970s. They are
expected to sell for up to $400,000.
More than 150 Oasis items will also be sold, including Noel Gallagher's 1960 red Gibson guitar. The entire auction is expected to raise more than
$4 million.
I'm Max Foster. That's WHAT WE KNOW.
Do stay with CNN. Richard is approaching the desk as I speak.
END
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