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Trump's Mega-Bill Clears Senate Procedural Hurdle 51-49; Ten Of Thousands Resume Protests In Tel Aviv; Funeral Held Saturday For Assassinated Minnesota Lawmaker; Protesters Object To New Migrant Detention Site In Florida; Separatists In Alberta, Canada See Trump As An Ally; Danish Bill Would Give People Rights Over Deepfake Images; Demonstrators Protest LGBTQ+ Ban During Pride March; Tropical Storm Warning In Effect In Gulf Of Mexico; Europe Sweltering Under Summer's First Major Heat Wave; Here's What It Takes To Prep For The NBA Draft. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired June 29, 2025 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome everyone. You're watching "CNN Newsroom." I'm John Vause in Atlanta.
And breaking news this hour with the U.S. Senate advancing the President's massive tax and spending bill. The Big Beautiful Bill as it's called cleared a procedural vote with 51 in favor 49 against now goes into the consideration or debate phase. But many hurdles remain. Several Republicans are demanding changes. Some believe it cuts too much. Others say it doesn't cut enough.
President Trump stayed in Washington this weekend. He's lobbying Republicans to pass the bill by Independence Day the 4th of July.
CNN senior White House reporter, Betsy Klein has more now reporting in from Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That Saturday night vote marked a make-or-break moment on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue and President Trump was keenly aware of the razor thin margins in the Senate and all of the hurdles uncertainties because he had been fielding calls and holding meetings and even playing golf with a key group of Republican senators over the better part of the last 24 hours.
Ultimately if passed this legislation this sweeping tax and spending package would really unlock President Trump's domestic agenda and the White House is keenly aware that this is a critical moment to get this over the finish line while Republicans control both the House and the Senate. And for those reasons President Trump along with Vice President JD Vance had been working those phones, holding meetings, inviting senators to the White House to get this to a yes. The President scrapped a planned weekend in New Jersey to spend a rare weekend here in Washington where he held a round of golf with Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina along with Senator Eric Schmitt of Missouri and Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky notably a key holdout who had concerns about spending in this package as well as the provision that raises the debt limit.
Paul ultimately voted no on that bill but Vance himself had headed to the Senate where he was poised to take a tie-breaking vote. Ultimately that was not needed. The reality here is that there are deep policy divisions within the Republican party on the scale and scope of this bill as well as persistent concerns about cuts to Medicare programs but the President ultimately lashing out at Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina the other no vote.
He said in a post to social media just before the vote passed that he would threaten to a primary Tillis who is up for re-election in 2026. He said numerous people have come forward wanting to run in the primary against Senator Thom Tillis. I will be meeting with them over the coming weeks looking for someone who can properly represent the great people of North Carolina.
The President had also held a major event pushing for the bill on Thursday where he went after those who would vote no as grandstanders and not good people. The President had been pushing to get this done by the 4th of July. He expressed a little bit of softening of that deadline earlier this week saying it was important but not the end all.
So, we'll be closely watching how this proceeds in the days ahead as they work through some of the key provisions in this bill in this so- called vote-a-rama. This is still far from over. Once and if the Senate passes this bill, it still needs to go to the House of Representatives where they need to approve those changes before it can go to the Trump's desk.
So, the President clearly has a lot more lobbying to do and it remains to be seen if he can close this deal.
Betsy Klein, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Ron Brownstein is a CNN senior political analyst and an opinion columnist for Bloomberg. He's with us from Los Angeles.
It's good to see you.
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST (on-camera): Hi John, good to be with you.
VAUSE: OK, well that came down to the wire, just three nos in the end. For those who changed from no to yes, did it essentially come down to a choice of face an angry president now or face angry voters later? BROWNSTEIN (on-camera): Interesting way to frame it. Look, you know, the history is that incoming presidents tend to encapsulate the core of their economic agenda into this what's called reconciliation bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill. Whether it was Reagan in '81, Clinton in '93, the Bush tax cuts in '01, the ACA Affordable Care Act for Obama in '09, Trump's tax cuts in 2017, the Inflation Reduction Act for Biden in '21. And it's almost always a tightrope, but in the end, they do pass it. I mean, you know, almost all of those bills that I just mentioned ultimately passed.
[00:05:25]
I mean, basically the argument that the party has to hold together to pass the agenda of the incoming president usually gets these over the finish line. But you know, John, in every one of those cases, except for '01, which was influenced heavily by 9/11, the party that passed the bill lost control of the House the next year. And you would, you know, and in this case, Republicans are especially vulnerable.
This bill, for the first time since 1995, this is the first time since 1995 that Republicans are marrying together in a single bill, big tax cuts that mostly benefit people at the top with cuts in programs, particularly healthcare, that mostly benefit people in the middle and below. And historically, that has been a very tough combination for them to defend. And in fact, once again this year, the polling is quite negative on this bill at this point.
VAUSE: And we should note, this is just a vote or a motion which will allow another thing's debate to begin. So the bill itself is huge. It's more than 900 pages.
As you mentioned, everything's in that bill. Tax cuts for the wealthy, cutting social programs which benefit lower income Americans. It seems there's something to win and something to lose in there. So, is that essentially what is making negotiations especially difficult?
BROWNSTEIN (on-camera): Right, I mean, the strength of this bill is the weakness, right? I mean, the strategy from Republican leaders has been, if you put everything in the bill together, it becomes in effect too big to fail, that no individual Republican will want to be responsible for casting a vote that sinks the majority, the preponderant majority, the party's domestic agenda in year one.
On the other hand, when you include everything in a single bill, there's just something there for everyone to dislike. And this bill certainly takes a pound of flesh out of a lot of Republican constituencies.
I mean, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that 16 million people will lose health insurance as a result of this bill. The most for any enacted law in American history. Not all of those people, John, are Democrats.
In fact, if you look at the 15 states that have added the most people under Medicaid through the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, which are the main targets for cuts in this bill, in those 15 states, there are 11 Republican senators. Thom Tillis is the only one of them who voted against it. There are 64 House Republicans who hold districts where more people than average receive Medicaid.
So, there are Republicans who are taking a very calculated risk in voting for a bill that imposes real costs on their own voters and provides its biggest benefits, as I said, to people at the top.
VAUSE: And Donald Trump has been following the vote closely, but earlier on Saturday, he went golfing with some Republican senators, including Lindsey Graham, who tweeted out that he was playing on Team Trump along with Rand Paul, and they won. And the senator from Kentucky has been a firm no vote, remained a no vote despite that golf outing with the President.
BROWNSTEIN (on-camera): Yes.
VAUSE: But, you know, this lobbying by the President, this personal involvement, seems to be a sign of just how invested he is in passing this bill.
So what's at stake for him if it gets through the Senate, say, and goes back to the lower House and it gets killed?
BROWNSTEIN (on-camera): Well, like we said, I mean, this is the core of their domestic agenda. Republicans, you know, in terms of what they try to pass through Congress, it's pretty limited. You know, it's appointing judges and justices and passing a big tax cut in their first year. That's why I think in the end, it will get through more likely than not. Reagan in '81, Bush in '01, Trump in '17, the first year of a new Republican president, they usually pass a tax cut.
What makes this unusual is that it hasn't been since 1995 that Republicans have tried to pass tax cuts and spending cuts together. The Bush '01 and Trump '17 tax cuts were all sugar, no spinach, just tax cuts, no spending cuts. And by putting those two things together in a single bill, you know, they made very clear who the winners and losers are.
The Congressional Budget Office, kind of the nonpartisan scorekeeper for congressional legislation, has calculated that on average, families earning less than $76,000 a year, which is pretty well into the middle class, will come out net losers from this bill. Others have calculated it's the biggest transfer of income from people below the median income to people above the median income of a single bill in American history. You know, letting the bill die, very dangerous in terms of letting the tax cuts expire, but passing it is no guarantee of success in the '26 elections either.
VAUSE: Yes, I guess in many ways, we'll also find out if it passes or if it fails, just how much influence Donald Trump has in the Republican Party at this point.
[00:10:03]
Rob Brownstein in Los Angeles --
BROWNSTEIN (on-camera): (INAUDIBLE).
VAUSE: Yes, a lot, absolutely.
Thank you so much for being with us, sir. It is good to see you as always.
BROWNSTEIN (on-camera): Thanks for having me.
VAUSE: Thanks, mate.
Tens of thousands of Israeli protesters gathered in Tel Aviv Saturday, demanding an end to the war in Gaza, as well as the return of the last hostages still being held by Hamas.
According to the U.S. President, ceasefire talks are underway between Israel and Hamas. Despite that, no let up in deadly Israeli airstrikes in Gaza.
And CNN's Nic Robertson has the very latest, reporting in from Tel Aviv.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): On hold during the Iran conflict. Energized by the possibilities of that perceived victory.
RUDY CHEN, FATHER OF HOSTAGE ITAY CHEN: Prime Minister Netanyahu, because he can and he must bring all the hostages back, the living and the deceased, because we want all of them.
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ROBERTSON (voice-over): Free the hostage protesters in full voice at their first regular Saturday rally in three weeks.
Viki Cohen, mother of hostage Nimrod, hopeful she'll get her 20-year- old son back soon.
VIKI COHEN, MOTHER OF HOSTAGE NIMROD COHEN: We feel that it's a little different. Trump is very demanding, and we believe in him, we trust him, and we know he has the power to stop the war. He can pressure our prime minister to do it, to finish the war in Gaza. And in this way, all the hostages can come back home.
ROBERTSON: The deal they want now is a comprehensive agreement, bring all the hostages home, 50 of them, about 20 believed to be alive, and get the army out of Gaza.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): In Gaza, peace can't come soon enough either. Tents pitched on this sand hit, rescuers say, by an Israeli airstrike early Saturday.
The IDF say they are looking into the incident. By daybreak, this night's horror revealed, a huge crater and no tents. The recovery not done, alone with a shovel, Abu Mohammed searching for two children, eight of their deceased brothers and sisters already found. Among the dead were children aged 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 and 10 and 11 years old, Mohammed says. There were two boys, five girls, their mother and their grandmother.
In Tel Aviv, the days of war counted by the second, eyes of both sides on President Trump to stop the clock.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES: I think it's close. I just spoke with some of the people involved. It's a terrible situation that's going Gaza, he's asking about. And we think within the next week, we're going to get a ceasefire.
ROBERTSON: President Trump is turning up the mood music for a possible deal in Gaza. Prime Minister Netanyahu's top confidant is expected in Washington soon. It hints at moment but Israelis have been here before, hopes dashed by differences.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Tel Aviv.
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VAUSE: Thirteen minutes past the hour, we'll take a short break here on CNN.
When we come back, we'll have details of the funeral of a Minnesota state lawyer -- lawmaker rather, killed in what investigators are calling an act of political violence.
Also, how Donald Trump's immigration crackdown is leading to more and more scenes like this. Mass federal agents pulling people off the streets in broad daylight. (INAUDIBLE) bystanders demand to know who they are.
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VAUSE: Welcome back everyone. Funeral services were held Saturday for the Minnesota State lawmaker, and her husband murdered in an act of shocking political violence.
Two weeks ago, Melissa Hortman, a state representative and former House speaker, and her husband were gunned down at their home. Former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris attended the service. Notably, the current president wasn't there, nor did he issue any statement.
CNN's Julia Vargas Jones has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A funeral with the highest state honors in the country's first basilica, Minnesota in mourning. Governor Tim Walz presenting the children of Mark and Melissa Hortman with the flags flown above the capitol on the day their parents were killed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Remember your servants, Melissa and Mark --
JONES (voice-over): The political nature of their tragic deaths, the undeniable backdrop for the day's events.
TIM WALZ, GOVERNOR, MINNESOTA: All of us are searching for some kind of meaning, some kind of lesson that we can learn to help ease our loss, and maybe it is this moment where each of us can examine the way we work together, the way we talk about each other, the way we fight for things we care about, a moment when each of us can recommit to engaging in politics and life the way Mark and Melissa did.
JONES (voice-over): In attendance for mass former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. On Friday, mourners paid their respects as the Hortmans laid in state at the Minnesota Capitol.
Melissa, the first woman in state history to receive that distinction late to rest beside them, their Golden Retriever Gilbert.
Just a few miles away in federal court, the man accused of killing the Hortmans appear before a judge. His attorney told the court Boelter has been sleep deprived due to jail conditions, and communication has been difficult. The judge granted a delay in his next hearing is now set for July 3rd. Boelter faces, state and federal charges, including murder, firearm offenses, and stalking.
Authorities say the June 14th shooting was a politically motivated assassination and that Boelter could face the death penalty if convicted. He allegedly went to the Hortmans' home, dressed as a police officer, an open fire when police showed up, then fled, triggering the largest manhunt in the state's history.
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Before the Hortmans authorities say Boelter went to the homes of three other Minnesota state politicians, and one of them police say he shot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife multiple times. Both are making a recovery, but say they are lucky to be alive. According to court documents, authorities later searched Boelter's vehicle and found at least three AK-47 assault rifles, a nine-millimeter handgun, as well as a list of names and addresses of other public officials. Most of them Democrats or figures with ties to the abortion rights movement.
There have been questions about what Boelter's wife Jenny knew and when. Investigators say she was initially not forthcoming with information, but later became cooperative. On Thursday, Jenny Boelter spoke out for the first time saying she and her children are absolutely shocked, heartbroken, and completely blindsided. She called the attack a betrayal of everything we hold true as tenants of our Christian faith. Adding that from the start, her family has fully cooperated with investigators, and they're grateful to law enforcement for apprehending her husband and preventing further harm.
JONES: This attack comes at a time of historic rise in threats against public officials and division in America. But the overall message from Saturday's service was that there is still hope to mend that division that came both from Governor Walz as well as from the pastor who led the services, especially when he shared what the kids of the of the Hortmans had asked people to do in the memory of their parents.
They said, plant a tree, pet a dog, or try a new hobby. The best way to honor our parents' memory is to do something to improve your community. However, small.
Julia Vargas Jones, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Dozens of cars lined a highway in Florida in protest of the federal government's plans for a new migrant detention facility.
Nicknamed Alligator Alcatraz. It's being built in an abandoned airport in the Everglades set to open Tuesday. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the center could house up to 5,000 people in tents and temporary shelters. Native Americans say the detention center violates their land rights and is dangerous to the environment. And above all protestors say the U.S. government's treatment of migrants is inhumane.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBIN HANSEN, RESIDENT, TAMPA FLORIDA: The Everglades in itself is just a very sacred area, and the habitat here needs to be preserved and taken care of.
And then obviously what they're trying to do here with Alligator Alcatraz is horrendous and just really not acceptable. I'm hoping that today we can follow the Natives lead and try and bless the land and protect the land and do what we can, and then thereby protect the people because first of all, no human is illegal.
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VAUSE: Ever since Donald Trump's immigration crackdown began, there's been a near constant stream of images of mask men grabbing apparently random people off the streets, forcing them into cars or vans, then detaining them without warning.
And it happened again this past Friday, Los Angeles. A woman seen running from a mask man who was armed.
CNN's Rafael Romo has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is a video that gives the public a glimpse into the tactics being used by immigration and customs enforcement agents as they face enormous pressure to arrest as many undocumented immigrants as possible on a daily basis.
The cell phone video was shot by a woman in West Los Angeles on Monday. Aleca Le Blanc says that she was running errands around 10:30 in the morning when she saw a young woman being chased down the street by an older man wearing street clothes, a tactical belt, and a neck gator covering his face.
At one point, the young woman being chased clings to a tree in what appears to be a last effort to avoid detention. She's been identified as Celina Vanessa Hernandez Ramirez, and this is the moment when she's pried off the tree by the agent as captured by Le Blanc's cell phone camera.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you have an idea?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Of course, you can take her.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, oh, oh.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, no, no, no, no, no. Are you kidding me old man?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) is illegal.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What you're doing is kidnapping.
ROMO: Shortly before the woman was taken away, an SUP (ph) had pulled up with more agents wearing face coverings and hats. They were all armed with guns.
Le Blanc says the agents appeared to be confused as to how to handle the situation.
ALECA LE BLANC, RECORDED INCIDENT: I've seen basically an old man chasing a young lady down the street, which is horrifying, and she's running out of fear.
By the time I get to the bottom of the hill, I see that she is like, you know, clinging to this tree right outside of this like little like strip mall that everyone goes to.
ROMO: We reached out to officials about the incident. In a statement the Department of Homeland Security told CNN that during operations on June 23rd, CBP encountered Celina Vanessa Hernandez Ramirez, an illegal alien from El Salvador for being unlawfully present in the United States. Despite verbal harassment by members of the public, the officers ultimately detained this illegal alien and placed her under arrest.
[00:25:21] According to the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, Celina Vanessa Hernandez Ramirez came to the U.S. two years ago with her partner Carlos, and their now 4-year-old son, Iker Javier, hoping to build a better life. She worked hard selling tacos on the streets of Ladera Heights in Los Angeles, doing what she could to support her family.
And according to Le Blanc, Hernandez Ramirez does not have an attorney yet, but she's on the wait list to get one from two legal organizations.
Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Well, thank you for watching "CNN Newsroom." I'm John Vause. For our international viewers, "ELITE ESCAPES" is next. For our viewers in the United States, stay with us.
I'll be back with more news in a very short break.
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VAUSE: Welcome back everyone. I'm John Vause. Let's a have a look at today's top stories.
Tens of thousands of Israeli protestors returned to Hostages Square in Tel Aviv this weekend. They're calling for an end to the war in Gaza and getting an army, getting the army out of the territory and securing the last remaining hostages as a priority.
Grieving loved ones and political leaders gathered in Minnesota for the funeral of Melissa Hortman, the Democratic lawmaker killed along with her husband. What authorities to say -- saying is a politically motivated assassination.
[00:30:09]
And the U.S. Senate voted to advance President Donald Trump's so- called Big, Beautiful Bill to full debate. The vote 51 in favor, 49 against. And it's now cleared the wave, which was a key procedural hurdle, but the fate remains unknown. Republican leaders must now satisfy numerous holdouts who are still demanding changes.
CNN's senior reporter Annie Grayer, has more on how events unfolded in the Senate Saturday and some of the issues the measure faces going forward.
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ANNIE GRAYER, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: It was a long and tumultuous day in the United States Senate. It almost looked like the bill was not going to clear this procedural hurdle, and Republicans were negotiating behind the scenes for hours. They even had Vice President JD Vance come to Capitol Hill in case his vote was needed as a tie breaking vote. But then after hours of negotiating, Republicans rushed back to the floor and a group of senators delivered the votes needed to pass this key procedural hurdle. So those Republican votes are Republican Senator Ron Johnson, Cynthia Lummis, Rick Scott and Mike Lee.
And now there is hours of debate that have to unfold before voting on final passage of the bill. And remember, this is just the first step. If Republicans can pass this in the Senate, it still has to go back to the House, which passed a different version of this bill. So, the two chambers are going to have to rectify their differences there.
And Republicans are running against a tight timeline. President Trump wants this on his desk by July 4th.
Annie Grayer, CNN from Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Well, many Canadians may have little love for Donald Trump and his tariffs. Many in the province of Alberta, many, they're consider the U.S. President an ally in his efforts to make Alberta great again.
CNN's Max Saltman has details.
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MAX SALTMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Canadian patriotism is at an all time high in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to turn their country into the 51st state. But for these people in the oil rich province of Alberta, the problem isn't the U.S., it's Canada.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the only political event I've ever been to in my entire life. Because I believe in it so passionately.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Abusive, abusive girlfriend.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a tough relationship. Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's not that we want to leave Canada behind, but at the end of the day, how come it's OK to leave Alberta behind?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Canada is literally planning the destruction of our culture, the destruction of our economy.
SALTMAN (voice-over): This is Jeff Rath, a Calgary based lawyer and one of the most vocal proponents of succession in Alberta.
JEFF RATH, CO-FOUNDER, ALBERTA PROSPERITY PROJECT: Hop in, we'll go to the top of the hill. The Canada we all grew up in doesn't exist anymore as far as most of us are concerned. We have far more in common with people in Montana than we do in Ottawa and Montreal.
SALTMAN (voice-over): Rath co-founded the Alberta Prosperity Project. The organization's goal is to turn the province into a sovereign country with close ties to the United States.
RATH: Completely open border, zero tariffs on both sides of the border are almost completely integrated into the larger U.S. economy.
SALTMAN (voice-over): The Angus Reed Institute Canadian Public Opinion Research organization found that just over a third of Albertans might support secession. But this minority view gained a real political potential after the Alberta legislature lowered the number of required signatures for province-wide referendum last month.
DANIELLE SMITH, PREMIER, ALBERTA CANADA: I think we can't ignore the fact that a third or more of Albertans are fed up. I think that's, that's a, a notice to Ottawa that they've got to take this seriously.
The question is, what can we do to address it?
SALTMAN (voice-over): Danielle Smith, the province's premier and the member of the Conservative party says she's against secession, but understands the reasons behind it.
SMITH: I think my job is to -- is to try to get people feeling good about Alberta's place in Canada again.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's really dangerous to be flirting with this idea. Right now, Canada needs to be unified.
SALTMAN (voice-over): Lifelong Calgary resident Tamara Lee (ph) says most Albertans have no interest in even entertaining the idea of independence.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are having a little tiff with our American neighbors, whom up until recently we were best friends and it's being used as a political football by, unfortunately, our provincial politicians. Maple MAGA is what we call them.
RATH: Donald Trump's election has given us a lot of hope. If anybody was going to have the guts to recognize an independent Alberta, it would be the Trump administration.
SALTMAN (voice-over): Rath hopes to collect enough signatures for a vote on secession by spring 2026. And if it's unsuccessful this time --
RATH: We just roll up our sleeves and work harder. None of us are going home. We'd have another referendum as soon as we could.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Still to come here on CNN. How Denmark is fighting AI generator deepfakes with new laws described as the most sweeping measures ever taken.
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[00:38:05]
VAUSE: Welcome back everyone. Denmark's government is introducing new sweeping laws to fight AI generated deepfakes. The proposed legislation would give Danish citizens propriety rights over their likeness and voice. The Culture Minister says the legislation will likely pass later this year.
Beyond Denmark deepfakes are a global threat. They are hyper realistic images and videos that target everyone from politicians to celebrities, to just everyday people. Bad actors can use AI to create fake sound bites, propaganda, even pornography. Denmark's government says the Time Act (ph) is now because technology has outpaced legislation.
Gry Hasselbalch is an expert on internet governance, digitalization, and artificial intelligence as well as the author of Human Power: Seven Traits for the Politics of the AI Machine Age, and she's with us this hour from Copenhagen in Denmark.
Thank you for taking the time.
GRY HASSELBALCH, TECH CRITIC & SCHOLAR: Thank you for having me. Much appreciated.
VAUSE: OK, so the enforcement mechanism here for this would be essentially severe fines for online platforms that do not abide with the new law. Which seems to put the entire onus on the big social media companies for policing and then enforcement as well.
Is there no accountability for the people who actually post the deepfakes in the first place?
HASSELBALCH: Well, I mean, I think we have to think about the kind of responsibilities that are evolving with also the power that some of the companies that are developing these technologies first.
And so, some of the things that a legal proposal or a political agreement like this is really sending is a signal that that AI must be regulated. And so, I think we've come to a point now where the AI generated deepfakes that you just mentioned now, you're like manipulated videos and images and voices, all of these kind of highly realistic video and audio materials that they're saturating the internet to the point where ordinary people, people like me and you it's becoming difficult to deal with. Because we finally, we are getting at a point where it's difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction, and that's really distorting reality.
[00:40:12]
VAUSE: And government officials in Denmark say this law would be the most extensive of any country which has been passed to battle misinformation caused by these deepfakes.
So how does it actually compare to other efforts around the world, like the recently passed legislation, take it down in the United States.
HASSELBALCH: Well, so Denmark is a part of the EU of course, and there's something to mention here is that Denmark is taking over the EU presidency next week. And of course, we do have, and within the, at least the last 10 years, a lot of kind of regulations like the Digital Service Act to take down illegal content has been introduced in the EU to the point where we are kind of talking about a regulatory superpower in the global context.
And so, so Denmark is of course part of this approach and I think what this political agreement is really showing is that it's really reaffirming and standing strong signal that Denmark is part of this approach to AI, that AI must be regulated.
VAUSE: So explain part of this legislation, which essentially gives copyright protection or copyright ownership to citizens of their own image.
Why is that so important here to this legislation?
HASSELBALCH: Well, so this has been agreed by the Danish government and also six other parties. So basically, most of the parties in Denmark. And it's a political agreement so far. So, it's a political agreement to create a legal proposal.
And what it contains is that it has kind of two different kinds of protections. One is for people to be able to basically ask to have content shared deepfake, shared about themselves, down from the portals, like social media portals.
The other one, which is really important and interesting for this legal proposal that will be made is that performers and artists that has deepfakes with likeness of their performances or their expressions and so forth, can also ask to have this taken down.
So there's really a, a couple of protections that are relevant here.
VAUSE: You mentioned that Denmark will take over the presidency of the EU, and that's a -- that's a factor in all of this. But I'm just curious why Denmark seems to be taking the lead here in this legislation.
Are deepfakes of particular concern in Denmark as compared to anywhere else?
HASSELBALCH: No, I don't think so. In particular, I do think that, as I said before, I think the internet is saturated with highly realistic, deepfakes at the moment. So, and -- and -- but we do have a discussion at the moment about what this means, not only for individual rights, but also in terms of society at large.
So of course, there's a conversation, it gets more present when you are moving into, of course, the EU presidency. But we do have, of course the same concerns that most people have in this really saturated environment about false statements, misinformation impersonations of individuals in -- in situations that are really far removed from what they are, what their real lives are.
So, it's not different from anywhere else. I think we are all kind of sensing this now.
VAUSE: Yes. Parody and satire though will be exempt from this legislation, from these laws. That then comes down to who decides what's parody and what is satire. HASSELBALCH: Of course, yes. And there's always questions like this. When you propose a law, especially a technology law like this, there are different kind of rights that you have to consider.
So in this context, you have to kind of think about the relation of your individual rights or integrity and dignity as an individual human being. But at the same time, if you're asking portals to take down material on and be more serious about that, you can also consider what will that kind of mean in terms of new ways of monitoring or looking for content and taking down content?
So there are really serious, complex issues to consider when you introduce things like this. But I think the most important thing about this is really this signal that Denmark is sending that AI cannot be unregulated. It is something that we do need to govern in -- by governments, by human beings in general.
VAUSE: Gry Hasselbach, you seem remarkably awake for 6:43 or 6:44 in the morning there in Copenhagen.
HASSELBALCH: Yes (INAUDIBLE).
VAUSE: Thank you for getting up early and thank you for being with us.
HASSELBALCH: Thank you.
VAUSE: Well, dozens of NBA hopefuls are getting their big break this week.
Coming up, what goes into highlighting the big moments of the NBA draft?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:48:46]
VAUSE: The 30th Annual Pride March in Hungary has been both celebration and act of defiance. Demonstrators carried signs reading solidarity with Budapest Pride and waved placards with the image of Prime Minister Viktor Orban crossed out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ORSI DOMDAN, MARCHER: And everyone wants their freedom and everyone wants to express and their need for freedom. You know what I mean? No one wants to live in oppression actually. And love is more important than power.
BELA MOLNAR, MARCHER: At some point you have to stand, stand -- stand up and show you what -- what you want -- want to do in this country. And I want to clear good in this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: The reason why this was also an act of defiance, the march took place even though laws were recently passed banning LGBTQ events nationwide.
A tropical storm warning is in effect for parts of the Gulf of Mexico. The storm is currently called Tropical Depression 2. Current forecasts say it's likely to become a tropical storm. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says if the storm stays on track, it could make landfall along the Mexican coast Sunday night. The storm could bring up to 10 inches of rain to a number of southern states in Mexico.
[00:50:03]
And Southern Europe, baking in the first major heat wave of the year. It comes as tourist season peaks or is peaking. And peak temperatures in Spain are expected to climb over 40 degrees Celsius. That's 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
And CNN's Ben Hunte has more now on how many are trying to cope.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN HUNTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The summer heat is on full blast in Spain with officials warning people to hydrate and stay safe as temperatures hit near or above 40 degrees Celsius in parts of the country.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): Look, it always gets super hot in Madrid. What surprises me is how early it's happening. We're still in June, July, and August are usually horrible. But the fact that it's already like this now is surprising.
HUNTE (voice-over): A blast of desert air from Africa is fanning out across Southern Europe, creating hot, muggy conditions that forecasters worn could continue to be oppressive even at night.
Tourists in Greece tried to keep cool in the blazing sun. Water bottles and shade help to blunt the scorching temperatures, but some people say the old attractions are like magnets for the heat.
ANTONIA LASEN, TOURIST: The combination of the heat and the marble, I think it was more hot because of the marble and the cement. It was like a cement jungle almost. It was just very hot.
HUNTE (voice-over): The high heat and strong winds also stoking a large wildfire that broke out south of Athens. Greece is increasing its number of firefighters this year to a record high, an expectation of another difficult wildfire season.
The French Weather Agency warns of stifling conditions in the southern part of the country that will spread north with high temperatures expected until Tuesday.
In Italy, red heat alerts were issued for several cities, including Rome, Milan, and Venice, with officials in some areas advising people to stay indoors during the hottest parts of the day.
That's something festival goers at Glastonbury in the UK may find hard to do. Though event organizers are advising the more than 200,000 people in attendance to take precautions by drinking water, staying out of the sun, and avoiding alcohol.
Ben Hunte, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: This week, a dream came true for 59 players whose names were called during the NBA draft.
But what does it take to get this life-changing moment, aside from being both incredibly good and or tall?
CNN's Omar Jimenez has a behind the scenes (INAUDIBLE).
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anytime. Right here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
JIMENEZ: Yes sir.
JIMENEZ (voice-over): What does it actually take to get drafted to the NBA?
JIMENEZ: What's up Jalen? How's it going? Omar? Omar Jimenez.
JIMENEZ (voice-over): To find out, my 30 plus year old self met up with Brooklyn Nets Ford Jalen Wilson drafted two years ago, and assistant coach Jay Hernandez.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) still warmed up.
JIMENEZ (voice-over): And we got right to it.
JIMENEZ: There it is.
JALEN WILSON, FORWARD, BROOKLYN NETS: Like every workout they go into, like, how can I make this team draft me? And you have three, four, five of the guys who have the same mindset as well in the workout with you.
JAY HERNANDEZ, ASSISTANT COACH, BROOKLYN NETS: In three minutes for a pro, we are expecting them to make a minimum of 30 shots or a lot of they watching out.
JIMENEZ: They're watching your percentage on something like this.
WILSON: Before, yes, they're tracking every shot.
JIMENEZ: All right, so we'll go for a minute, Jay will, will be your passer.
HERNANDEZ: We only start on a make.
JIMENEZ: Great. Awesome.
WILSON: Here we go.
JIMENEZ: Yes, here we go.
HERNANDEZ: We'll get you going. I'll keep tracking.
JIMENEZ (voice-over): OK. Not starting yet.
WILSON: I can't start yet there.
JIMENEZ: It is (INAUDIBLE).
WILSON: Oh yes, right.
JIMENEZ: Give me that. It's longer than a college three.
Give me that.
HERNANDEZ: Eight, seven --
WILSON: Oh yes.
HERNANDEZ: Six, five, four three --
JIMENEZ: Give me one more. Give me more.
HERNANDEZ: -- two, one.
JIMENEZ: Top right?
HERNANDEZ: Yes. Good job. Ten makes. Those are the kind of drills though. You start to understand what the average is and obviously everybody wants to be better than average.
JIMENEZ: How much did you feel like your draft stock was truly going up or down based on the last few weeks?
WILSON: I think you just have the confidence from the workouts. Obviously, like I did, like 15 workouts.
JIMENEZ: Really?
WILSON: Not all of them are going to be the best workout that you ever had.
JIMENEZ: Sure.
WILSON: But --
JIMENEZ: Not as many as -- as bad as I'm doing right now.
WILSON: No (INAUDIBLE).
JIMENEZ: It's -- it's all good. I just want to point out. We're just in the warmups. I'm already just dripping this way.
HERNANDEZ: And as you get close enough, I'm going to pop it one way or the other. All right?
So as you read and react, you'll have to attack the -- the open space. Yes.
WILSON: Oh yes.
HERNANDEZ: Nice, Omar. I like that. You got. Yes. Good. Good (INAUDIBLE).
WILSON: Hey.
JIMENEZ: If you could speak to your pre-draft self, what would you tell that Jalen?
WILSON: I would just tell the old me just to not worry about it, just to play basketball and understand you can only control as much as you can control.
Like I was the 51, 51st first pick in the draft.
JIMENEZ: Yes.
WILSON: So I felt like I was higher than that, but obviously other teams didn't.
[00:55:04]
HERNANDEZ: Mind dribble.
WILSON: I feel like I just had a -- a chip on my shoulder. Have to just keep yourself going no matter how much money or how many years you've been playing, someone's just like in this draft is coming to -- to take the spot.
HERNANDEZ: We're going to sprint.
JIMENEZ (voice-over): And every evaluation can make a difference, even the ones without a basketball.
HERNANDEZ: Eleven-2 is about the average.
WILSON: Yes.
JIMENEZ (voice-over): Like this agility test.
HERNANDEZ: Come on now.
WILSON: Oh yes. Oh yes. Oh yes. Oh yes. Ah, yo. Oh, yes.
HERNANDEZ: Get sir.
WILSON: Get there. Get there. Get there. Finish, finish, finish, finish.
JIMENEZ: Ah.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 11 (INAUDIBLE).
HERNANDEZ: Yay.
JIMENEZ: How important is that men's ball aspect of the game? Obviously, we're -- we're testing a bunch of dribbling, shooting, agility.
WILSON: I would almost say that's almost more important than -- than the --
JIMENEZ: Yes.
WILSON: -- than the basketball side, like you said, how do you align with the team and -- and what -- what mindset do you bring to the team as well?
JIMENEZ: How much did your life change after you got drafted?
WILSON: A lot, man. I -- I worked my whole life to be an NBA player, so it was a -- it was a dream come true. So, you know, this is everything I wanted.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: We should note that Omar actually played college basketball at Northwestern University and his dream did come true. He works at CNN.
Thank you for watching "CNN Newsroom." I'm John Vause. I'll be right back after a very short break and a lot more news.
Stay with us watching CNN.
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