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New York Knicks Win First Championship Since 1973; Trump Says U.S.-Iran Agreement Set To Be Signed Today; Hopes Soar After Team USA's Record-Breaking Win; Switzerland Votes On Measure To Cap Population At 10M; Trump's Name Removed From Kennedy Center But Tarp Blocks View. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired June 14, 2026 - 05:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:00:29]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a very warm welcome to all of our viewers watching in the U.S. and around the world. I'm Salma Abdelaziz here in London.

We are keeping an eye on New York this hour where thousands poured into the streets to celebrate the Knicks' long-awaited NBA championship. The celebrations were off to a joyous start late Saturday night. It was a 53-year dream come true for the city that never sleeps. Now, most Knicks fans kept the party going while others got just a little bit too rowdy.

Our Mark Morales was in the heart of Times Square and our Shimon Prokupecz was near Madison Square Garden where some of the busiest parts of the city are as the celebrations unfolded.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARK MORALES, CNN REPORTER: They just came up on me. They're like, you have to wear this now. And after a night like tonight, I'm not going to argue.

Omar, welcome to Times Square. If you can look all the way deep, you'll see how many people are here. And this is all because of the Knicks won. I used to tell people all the time, if you think it's a big deal when the Yankees win, if you think it's a big deal when the Giants win, I tell people, wait until you see what it looks like when the Knicks win because this city will stop. This is what you get. It's a celebration here.

(CROSSTALK)

And it's not just here, Omar. It's all the way down. I can't even get a count for how many people are here. There are thousands here on the street. And that's just here. And as you walk out, you start hearing the anthems of New York, New York, New York, New York, Empire State, and the march of Las Vegas, "Let's Go Next." (CHEERING)

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN senior CORRESPONDENT: You can see in the distance, those are kind of the crowd control officers, specially trained in moving crowds and pushing crowds back. They are the strategic, some of them are the strategic response group, officers, some are disorder control, and you will hear them now, I just heard them saying move, move, move, and this is them speaking to the crowd.

So, the NYPD here, the leaders of the NYPD have now decided that they have had enough and that they are going to try to clear this area, and so they have moved all of these officers in, and you can see the horses here, and even the horses here have protective gear over their eyes if people start throwing things at them. It's a way, obviously, for the horses to protect themselves. But this is something that the mounted unit of the NYPD trains for, crowd control, and this is what they are used for, for years, as we've seen in other police departments. These horses are used for crowd control.

Effie, Effie, let's walk a little. Let's walk a little so that we have some space in case we need to get out of the way. And now I'm watching officers tell people to get on the sidewalk. So, we're watching here to see how far down the officers here, the mounted officers, the officers on the horses are going to proceed.

But the NYPD has moved the horses into this area, and behind them are several dozen officers in with helmets, with loudspeakers, telling people to move back, because just behind me here there is a very large group of people that set something on fire. We watched them attack this school bus and basically take control of it. We've seen two police cars here vandalized, and now the NYPD has made a decision that they're going to move in and they're going to move people back.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: Now we did learn that the NYPD arrested and detained people as some of those celebrations got out of hand. This video taken earlier shows police officers tackling and grabbing people, taking part in the Knicks championship festivities. The arrest came after police officers ordered crowds to back up and clear the streets. Police say details about the number of people detained and the possible charges they face would be released later today.

[05:05:01]

Now, back in San Antonio where game five was played, it was a tough slog for the Knicks who trailed the Spurs most of the time, but the newly crowned champions staged another epic comeback in the final quarter to prevail, 94-90. That marked only the third NBA title in the team's history. Two key players spoke after the game and spoke about why it went down the way it did.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JALEN BRUNSON, KNICKS GUARD: Tonight we played like we wanted to go home, champions. It means the world to me to go on that court with those guys. Whatever environment we're in, home or away, it doesn't matter for us.

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA, SAN ANTONIO SPURS PLAYER: Absolutely. What I'm pissed about is that there's probably a hundred games before we can be back in the finals. So, I don't know how to say it in English, but I'm going to have to, you know, hold that inside of me and slow down and wait and execute for a hundred games.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani later announced the city will hold a victory parade on Thursday.

At this hour, all eyes are on Washington and Tehran as they inch closer to a potential agreement after a months-long war. The U.S. president says both sides are expected to sign the so-called Memorandum of Understanding today. But sources tell CNN the signing will take place remotely to cement the agreement quickly and avoid any last-minute spoilers. Iran is telling a very different story.

The country's military says Tehran is definitely not going to sign an agreement today and criticized President Trump's, quote, "unusual insistence," even suggesting he wanted it to happen on his birthday.

We're also learning that Qatari negotiators met with Iranian officials in Tehran to help finalize the agreement. For more on all of this, we have our Nada Bashir here in London. Following those developments.

It's lovely to have you on again, Nada. So, there's a lot here that we need to go through, but break it down for me. Where do we understand that there is agreement between the U.S. and Iran, and where are there still contradictions? Where are there still gaps?

NADA BASHIR, CNN PRODUCER: Well, look, Salma, at this stage, we don't actually have any official confirmation on either side of the exact terms of the framework that is currently on the table. But according to officials and sources familiar with the ongoing negotiations and discussions, it does appear that there does seem to be a level of agreement, of course, on the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz due to pre-war levels. There also appears to be an understanding that the blockade on Iranian ports would also be lifted.

However, Iran, of course, wants to see that as a primary and initial result of this ceasefire or rather a memorandum of understanding, whereas, according to some U.S. officials, any sort of financial gains by the Iranian regime, be that the lifting of the blockade on the port, the unfreezing of Iranian assets, would be dependent on Iran keeping up its end of the deal.

Now, at this stage, it's unclear whether we actually will see a signing today. Of course, U.S. President Donald Trump appears quite confident that is the case. And as you mentioned, we are seeing Qatari negotiators flying to Tehran. It appears, according to sources, to help facilitate the virtual signing of this memorandum of understanding. But in the last few moments, we have been hearing somewhat different rhetoric, but from Iranian state media. According to state media reports, Iran is yet to take a final decision on the memorandum of understanding. And according to semi-official news organizations, they are still reviewing and examining the political, legal, and technical terms of the details around this final agreement.

Now, of course, there are still also some other significant issues on the table, namely the nuclear issue. It appears as though both sides seem to have agreed upon the fact that this would be an initial framework for further negotiations and discussions on the nuclear issue to take place at a later date, although, of course, the Trump administration has been consistent throughout these negotiations on the fact that they want to see Iran's nuclear capabilities completely diminished. They want Iran to agree to not develop nuclear weapons, to give up, essentially, its capability to do so. And then, of course, there is the question of Lebanon.

Now, Iran has repeatedly insisted that they want to see Hezbollah included in the ceasefire agreement. So, of course, they want to see an end to hostilities between Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel. It's unclear at this stage whether we would see a full cessation of hostilities, whether that is something that the Israeli government would be willing to agree to in terms of pushing forward this agreement between the U.S. and Iran.

And, of course, when it comes to the actual signing of the deal, there is still some question on the timeline. Again, President Trump seems quite confident that it would happen today. We had previously heard from Pakistani officials, who have, of course, played a key role in the mediation efforts, on Saturday, saying that they would anticipate a signing within 24 hours. But Iran has cast doubt on that.

[05:10:18]

So, we will be keeping an eye on how those examinations continue to go and whether we do actually see a virtual signing today.

ABDELAZIZ: Thank you there, Nada Bashir, on what we know and do not know about this memorandum of understanding.

You are hearing the sounds there of Israel's military operations in Lebanon. They are moving at full steam ahead, despite the possible agreement between the U.S. and Iran. Three people were killed in Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon on Saturday. That's according to the country's news agency. They included a Lebanese town mayor.

Now, Hezbollah says it has launched 19 new attacks on Israeli military posts. Iran wants the prospective agreement to include Lebanon, but Israel's defense minister says his troops will stay in the occupied areas.

Saturday's World Cup action featured a heavyweight clash between Brazil and Morocco, ending in a 1-1 draw. Morocco, which reached the semifinals four years ago, struck first, scoring early. But Brazil quickly answered with an equalizer. Earlier in the day, we saw Qatar face off against Switzerland, picking up the country's first-ever World Cup tournament point. That match ended in a 1-1 draw as well.

And Scotland won their match against Haiti 1-0, their first victory in a World Cup opener since 1982's tournament in Spain. CNN's Coy Wire has a look at what's next for Team USA as their fans start to dream big after their win against Paraguay on Friday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: The atmosphere at the U.S. World Cup opener was electric. The energy felt like a Super Bowl after three espressos. More than 70,000 fans packed the stadium and brought the volume from the opening whistle.

The celebs were out. Tom Cruise, David Beckham, Katy Perry, Halle Berry, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, you name it, all witnessing Christian Pulisic take center stage. Captain America helped force an own goal seven minutes in, then threaded an assist to Folarin Balogun in the 31st. And Balogun became the first American to score two goals in a World Cup match since 1930.

Paraguay eventually scored, tried to make it ugly. The Americans made it look beautiful. Florida won the final in four goals, most ever scored by the U.S. in a World Cup match. Balogun says he's been visualizing this for years.

FOLARIN BALOGUN, PLAYER, U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM: I visualized, you know, my debut, you know, in the World Cup scoring, but yeah, you know, the reality that surpassed that was scoring two goals and, you know, the second goal was a fantastic goal as well, so, you know, as I said, a very dreamy, dreamy night.

CHRISTIAN PULISIC, PLAYER, U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM: Being in America, having this crowd around us, seeing the red, white, and blue, all the -- all our red and white striped shirts in the crowd, it's awesome. I mean, hearing the USA chants, it's really pushing us forward, so we just hope it continues like that, and I'm sure it will. We're just thankful for it.

WIRE: After the final whistle, fans weren't just celebrating the win, they were celebrating the way the Americans won, confident, aggressive, entertaining. My team caught up with some of them as they poured out of the stadium after the win.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Amazing. In my 40 years of life, I've never seen the USA play this tactical, this amazing. It was spectacular.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Definitely puts a lot of belief in your heart that you think that we can do well, and just got to keep it going. On to the next match, get another dub, keep it going.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The world better not underestimate them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Top of the group, top 16 for sure. Let's go for top 8.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, the way they played, just keeping the pressure on, I think we got this. Let's go USA!

WIRE: The U.S., already more goals this World Cup than all four of their games in the last one combined. If their opening match was any indication, this team looks locked, loaded for belief, and ready for whatever comes next.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: With the Cup now underway, small businesses in the U.S., Canada and Mexico are hoping they'll be part of a promised economic boom. An analysis that was conducted last year by FIFA and the World Trade Organization had estimated that the games will boost global GDP by nearly $41 billion, and U.S. GDP by more than $17 billion.

A 2024 analysis by the Metro Atlanta Chamber estimated the games in the state of Georgia would have an economic impact of more than $500 million.

I'm now joined by the author of that analysis, Jerry Parrish. He is the Chief Economist for the Metro Atlanta Chamber. Thank you so much for being with us so early this morning.

[05:15:06]

JERRY PARRISH, CHIEF ECONOMIST, METRO ATLANTA CHAMBER: Thanks for having me.

ABDELAZIZ: Let's begin with that preliminary report that you authored, which said that your city could experience from the World Cup an estimated windfall of as much as $503.2 million in profits for the state of Georgia. What have you seen so far in terms of business benefits, and do you think that you are on track to see those gains?

PARRISH: Well, that's a great question. You know, we are already seeing tons of fans pouring in. you know, the matches start tomorrow. Spain is playing the first of two matches here in Atlanta over the next six days. We know those international visitors stay longer and spend more. And there's been a lot of run-up to the matches here. We've done a lot of murals around the city. We've done a lot of cleaning up and making it look nice for our international fans, and we're excited to have them here.

ABDELAZIZ: I know I'm from Atlanta, and my friends have told me how much the city is marked everywhere and it is celebrating the World Cup, but Atlanta is just one of the cities, of course, where the games are being held. What does this mean? Can you talk to me about Atlanta as an example for other cities across the country?

PARRISH: Right. One of the things that I looked at in my economic impact report was how many folks are going to come from out of state and other countries, because that's the only thing I included in my economic impact analysis. And, you know, it's always great with the international folks because they do stay longer and spend more. They'll go to some of our events that are not related to World Cup, some of the attractions around town, and we're just -- we're glad to have them here, and we're seeing it, anything from the muralists to the restaurants, the hotels, those folks in the hospitality and tourism and sports businesses are really excited about this, and we expect a lot of economic impact.

ABDELAZIZ: And like I said, I grew up in the city. I know we always like to do things with a bit of a twist over there, so tell me some of the creative business ideas you've seen, the ways in which entrepreneurs are attracting and keeping World Cup fans. Talk to me about what it looks like.

PARRISH: Well, what's been really cool is our mayor has started a program called Showcase Atlanta, and that's helped a lot of small businesses sign up, learn about how they can, you know, take advantage of having all these folks in town. We're seeing towns having festivals. Atlanta as you know is not only a city in the trees, we're a collection of small communities all around Atlanta, and a lot of them are doing a lot of different things, having their own fan festivals, having, you know, watch parties out there where people can gather and they can join their neighbors and go watch some great soccer matches.

ABDELAZIZ: Thank you so much for just giving us an inside look there on how Atlanta is welcoming the fans of the World Cup ahead of some matches. Thank you.

PARRISH: Thank you.

ABDELAZIZ: Just ahead, Swiss voters will decide whether the country will become the first nation in Europe to set a population limit.

Plus, demonstrators turn out in Northern Ireland to protest racism and anti-immigration violence that hit Belfast earlier this week. That story and much more straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:22:36]

ABDELAZIZ: Right now, voting is underway in Switzerland to decide whether to limit the nation's population size. The measure asks voters if the country's population should be capped at 10 million. The current population is just over 9 million.

The measure was put forward by the right-wing Swiss People's Party, which says uncontrolled immigration is hurting the country. But critics are warning a yes vote could risk harming the economy by ending an agreement with the E.U. that allows citizens to work and live in each other's territories.

For more on all of this, were joined by SRF International News Reporter Vivian Mints. Good morning. Thank you so much for joining us, first of all, today.

VIVIANE MANZ, INTERNATIONAL NEWS REPORTER, SRF: Morning.

ABDELAZIZ: I want to start by asking how we got to this point. Today, Swiss voters are being asked a very simple question. Should the country's population be capped at 10 million? If they vote yes, it would be the first country in Europe to set a population limit. Tell me the backstory, because this sounds like quite a radical move.

MANZ: Yes, it is in fact a very emotional day here in Switzerland. There's a big polarization in the society around this referendum, maybe a bit like around Brexit in the U.K. 10 years ago. Many people feel that immigration has got out of control, that the population is growing way too fast.

You have to know that one in three residents here is foreign-born, that the population has grown by a third since 1990. Many people feel like it's too difficult to find affordable housing, public transport is too crowded, there's a lot of traffic jams, and you hear a lot of foreign languages in the cities of Switzerland. And that's why this referendum by the right-wing People's Party of Switzerland has got quite a lot of support.

ABDELAZIZ: And tell me, is there -- I know voting is underway right now, and it will continue throughout the day. What is the expected outcome, what is the prediction, where do we think this is going to land? Is it going to be a yes or a no?

MANZ: It's going to be very tight, we don't know it yet. There has been a trend towards a no in the last week, and that's actually what happens frequently with these kinds of referendums, that at first sight people think, oh, this is a good idea, we've got a problem here, and then people take a closer look and they see that the solution for that problem is maybe not ideal. And then people take a closer look and they see that the solution for that problem is maybe not ideal.

[05:25:19]

And in this case it's that people are afraid that the economy will be hurt, that Switzerland will lose access to the very important European market, and also immigration helps here to support the healthcare system. Many people think immigration is good because the population is aging. And just in general there's this fear that the economy will be damaged by this referendum.

ABDELAZIZ: So, again, like you said, it's very much like Brexit in that sense, because Brexit was also on a knife edge, it was unclear where it was going to fall. And then there was just this huge sense of shock. I remember being here in the U.K., especially in London, because London considered itself so much part of the European project.

Do you think there will be certain cities or certain parts of your country where there will be this sense of shock of this is not who we are?

MANZ: It definitely will be that way for a big part of the population. It's about half and half, the yes and no. So, in whatever direction this will go, half of the population will be very disappointed. And in case of a yes, there will be a huge shock, especially in cities and more like left-leaning places, especially like large cities.

ABDELAZIZ: Thank you so much, Viviane Manz, on a very divisive and controversial referendum taking place in Switzerland today.

People came together in Belfast on Saturday to condemn racism. A wave of anti-immigrant violence struck Northern Ireland and other parts of the U.K. this week. Right now you're looking at an overhead view of the United Against Racism rally in Northern Ireland's largest city. It is a direct response to days of unrest that injured at least a dozen police officers, damaged businesses, vehicles and other property. The violence erupted after a knife attack by a Sudanese migrant was caught on video, then went viral.

Albania's Flamingo Revolution, as it is called, is taking on a second luxury development along the country's coast. On Saturday, protesters tore down fences and scuffled with police at the construction site of a luxury resort in the Northwest. They say the five-star facility is being built on land confiscated from them.

Meanwhile, more rallies are expected in the capital on Saturday against a separate resort. This one is backed by President Donald Trump's daughter and son-in-law. It'd be built in an environmentally protected area which protesters say amounts to selling the country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GERALD XHARI, PROTESTER: So, we don't have to -- we don't have to sell our country. We don't have to sell our land to other investors. So, it depends on us. It's on us to do what we have to do with our land. So, Albania is a country that we are proud of. And we want better politics. We want hospitals. We want schools. We want -- we want good life for our children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: Still to come, it is almost time for the long-awaited and long-contested UFC fight on the White House lawn. We'll take a look at this very controversial event and what message the president hopes to send with it.

And Donald Trump's name no longer appears on the Kennedy Center building after a protracted legal fight. That story and much more for you after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:32:18]

ABDELAZIZ: Welcome back. I'm Salma Abdelaziz. Let's check some of today's top stories.

President Donald Trump says an agreement between the U.S. and Iran is expected to be signed today. He says it would immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz. But the Iranian military says that's not happening. Adding that negotiators are still working to finalize that framework.

Saturday's World Cup games featured tight competition across the board. Brazil and Morocco shared points after ending their game in a 1-1 draw. Qatar earned its first ever World Cup tournament point after tying Switzerland 1-1. And despite a hard fight from Haiti, Scotland came away with a 1-0 win in their game.

The city that never sleeps was especially buzzing last night after the New York Knicks won their first NBA championship in 53 years. The Knicks staged a yet another dramatic comeback to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Texas.

The Kennedy Center has removed President Trump's name from its building. But the changing facade could not be seen by the public as of Saturday afternoon. A tarp was put in place while workers removed the president's name and was left hanging there during the day. A judge allowed the center to complete the job on Saturday due to thunderstorms on Friday. Now, people were gathered outside the center to watch the changes as they unfolded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I think it's basically pure narcissism to attach your name to it just because you happen to be the president of the United States. No other president did that before.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm appalled that Trump's name was added to this, you know, beautiful performing arts center. I think it's in the charter that it should be John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He put his name on it. I'm really happy that the courts intervened, and I wanted to see it for myself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: Donald Trump's wish to host the ultimate fighting championship event at the White House is about to come true if the weather cooperates. Forecasters are predicting rain and storms Sunday afternoon. For now, the controversial event, which cost about $60 million to put on, is set for Sunday evening. Thousands of fans are already in Washington, excited for what's to come. CNN's Brian Todd joined them at Saturday's FanFest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This UFC FanFest event on the Ellipse could have just as much energy as the actual fights themselves on Sunday, because there's so much interactive -- so many interactive exhibits for people to take part in, like these. This is a simulated UFC walkout where people can be videotaped simulating a UFC fighter doing their walkout through the mist, through the tunnel. There's a guy doing a cartwheel right there, over here to the right.

[05:35:15]

This is a punching bag where you can measure the speed and force of your punch. People have been standing in line to do that. And then over here, you've got meet and greets with some of the more well-known UFC fighters. People have been standing in line a long time for the meet and greets.

Other events here, you could do like a simulated broadcast of a UFC knockout and call the knockout in a simulated broadcast. So, just a lot of fun events for people to take part in here ahead of the main event that, of course, is a slate of UFC fights on Sunday evening. We spoke to several people who have come from a long way away to attend this event and talked about what it meant to them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been a UFC fan for about 10, 12 years. I've never been to an event. So, to be able to come watch it at the White House is, like I said, a dream come true.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that it's going to be probably the best UFC watch party of all time. I mean, obviously, I would die to be on that lawn. I mean, I'd do just about anything to actually be in the arena. But I think that 100,000 people, I'm hoping to get up front. I mean, we're headed there right now, actually, trying to go get in line. It doesn't open for a couple more hours. But the meet and greet, the concert tonight is going to be like Alexander Volkanovski is doing some live cooking or something, I've heard. So, I think it's going to be awesome. I think it's going to be truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

TODD: And a lot of those people we talked to are coming to their first-ever UFC event that they will be seeing in person. So, a lot of excitement there.

Let me show you one other thing. That red and blue lit structure there, that's the claw, about 90 feet tall. It's a huge lighting stanchion that is lighting the actual octagon. Inside that part of the White House grounds, that's where about 4,000 people will be seeing the fight up close. But here on the Ellipse, according to organizers, they expect maybe more than 100,000 people to be viewing it on the big screens here on the Ellipse.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: Earlier, I spoke with Mark Shanahan. He is an associate professor of politics at the University of Surrey. And I asked him why the U.S. president was hosting a cage-fighting match on the White House lawn.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK SHANAHAN, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF SURREY: This is very much the Trump presidency caught in a moment. It's brash. It's loud. It's highly, highly partisan. And this just reflects how Trump has conducted his presidency. He's had quite a long relationship with the UFC. The relationship goes further back into wrestling times when he used to stage wrestling bouts at his casinos. And this is an area where it's all about spectacle. The sport is bloody. It's brutal. And that pretty much reflects the politics of the time. It is also made for the television age. And we have a ratings president and a ratings sport. And this is how he sees them coming together. It will absolutely scandalize liberal America.

The rest of the world is looking in and going, what the heck is happening? But for Trump, this really symbolizes the kind of impact he wants to have on people. This plays to his MAGA audience, very particularly to young men, to young white men, who he needs to vote Republican when November and the midterms swing around.

ABDELAZIZ: And it's that target audience, right, of young white male voters that, of course, will be likely to tune in today. I want to talk to you about the other major headline this weekend, which is the removal of President Donald Trump's name from the front of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. That was done by court order. Is this really a blow for the president? Because this seems to be part of his strategy, if you will, that he makes these big swings and then just waits to see if the courts will shut him down. Is he really that bothered? Does this actually upset him?

SHANAHAN: Well, this should be a humiliation. It is a pretty humiliating event to have your name taken off one of D.C.'s major monuments. But it was only him who put it there in the first place. Trump wants to create a legacy. He wants a consequential presidency and wants to leave his name loud and proud all over the capital, all over the country. And he did this without any real justification, putting his name on it. It wasn't legal. This is a living memorial to President Kennedy, a war hero who was slain by an assassin. And Trump is pretty much the antithesis of that kind of president.

So, it is unsurprising that a member of Congress went to court. The federal courts that Trump thought he had in his pocket have proved that once they put those black robes on, they do have judicial independence. And they've not sided with the president. They've sided with the law. And what Trump has done is illegal. There's probably marks all over the walls at the moment, which is why people aren't seeing the removal of his name. But I'm sure that will be cleaned up quickly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: A CNN investigation is revealing the ties between Jeffrey Epstein and the modeling industry. Still ahead, one insider defends his decision to send prospective models to Epstein even after his conviction.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:43:40]

ABDELAZIZ: A CNN review of the Epstein file shows how some fashion industry insiders helped Jeffrey Epstein access young models. They deny being aware of his abuse, but one of those insiders, a model scout who sent women to Epstein, has agreed to speak. CNN's Katie Polglase reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATIE POLGLASE, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Paris. For years, young models were recruited here for Jeffrey Epstein. Digging through the Epstein files, CNN found Epstein received dozens of photos of young models sent by model scouts and agents. We identified at least six individuals not just sending him images of models, but discussing arrangements for him to meet them, even after his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution, including with a minor.

Now, one of these model scouts has agreed to meet with us here in Paris.

POLGLASE: OK, we're here.

POLGLASE (voice-over): Daniel Siad dealt with Epstein for more than a decade, arranging to send him models.

POLGLASE: You didn't think in that time that sending young women, young models to the U.S. to meet Epstein, after he had a conviction for child sex offenses, that there may be any risk in that at all?

DANIEL SIAD, MODEL SCOUT: My work with him has been strictly professional. I never doubt that, because I never heard anything from anyone I introduced to him who came back to me that they had a bad situation with him.

[05:45:08]

POLGLASE (voice-over): The files show Epstein paid tens of thousands of dollars to Siad. In reviewing their correspondence, we found messages like, "Cute French girl in Marrakech." Siad wrote, "She said that she would be happy to meet you."

In another, he says a woman is very polite and has potential as a model or assistant. Siad then sends a photo. "Too old," Epstein replied.

POLGLASE: So, Epstein wasn't a model agent. Why was he paying you?

SIAD: No, he was because they opened an agency, MC Squared

POLGLASE: He was not the model agent leading that model agency.

SIAD: He was a finance C4, but was acting as a casting director for Victoria's Secret.

POLGLASE: You believe Epstein was a casting director?

SIAD: That's how he had been introduced and how he introduced myself also.

POLGLASE (voice-over): In fact, we found no evidence Epstein had an official recruiting role at either company, MC Squared or Victoria's Secret.

POLGLASE: You sent an email in 2018 that said you were looking for a good-looking young assistant. If you're looking for models --

SIAD: Yes.

POLGLASE: -- why are you then looking for an assistant for Jeffrey Epstein? SIAD: He asked me for an assistant. Maybe it was not on the phone, but when I met him in --

POLGLASE: But was that your job?

SIAD: Sorry? No, but because I trust in him, I believe this guy is a professional person.

POLGLASE (voice-over): Siad himself is also facing accusations of abuse. Ebba Karlsson has accused him of rape when she was a model in France in 1990. Siad denies her allegation.

SIAD: To be honest with you, I don't remember at all this person. And plus, I have never abused any model in my life.

POLGLASE: She remembers you.

SIAD: Listen, I would be very happy to confront her in the court. I don't remember.

POLGLASE: Do you have any regret about meeting Jeffrey Epstein?

SIAD: Yes, yes. It's like a nightmare. I can't believe that this person had another -- another -- I am --

POLGLASE: You keep saying that, but I keep repeating that this other side of him --

SIAD: Yes.

POLGLASE: -- was public knowledge.

SIAD: I am not a person who is like a press, looking the internet, this kind of really --

POLGLASE: But you were aware?

SIAD: Sorry?

POLGLASE: You were aware?

SIAD: Of what

POLGLASE: His conviction for child sex offenses.

SIAD: No, you're repeating the same question more than 10 times again.

POLGLASE: You're telling me that you don't read the press, that you --

SIAD: No listen, I didn't know a lot about him until when he comes to Paris, and I told you again, he said he paid this to the government. So, for me, he's freeman, he's clean. He was such a powerful person, and how can I not trust him?

POLGLASE (voice-over): After Epstein's 2008 conviction, Siad wasn't the only one who continued giving Epstein access to the modelling industry. Faith Kates, the co-founder of model agency Next Management, is another.

In 2010, two years after his conviction, Epstein asked Kates for a great girl to take to an event. Kates replied, "Let me think who is around, XOXO."

Kates reportedly left Next Management last year, and her spokesperson told CNN she was grossly misled by Epstein. Then there is modelling scout Ramsey Elkholy.

In 2009, he describes to Epstein a model as "a gift that I had been planning on giving you." And then there is Jean-Luc Brunel, who ran multiple model agencies and was accused in civil court in 2014 of bringing girls to the U.S. to farm them out to his friends, especially Epstein.

Brunel was himself charged in France with underage sex crimes but died in prison in 2022 while awaiting trial. He denied all charges.

There is now an ongoing investigation in France into Epstein and his connections there. Siad is under investigation, according to the Paris prosecutor's office, but he says police have not spoken to him.

For victims of Epstein around the world, they await justice from the courts.

Katie Polglase, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: MC Squared and Ramsey Elkholy did not respond to CNN's request for comment. Elkholy told the "Washington Post," of the models that I've introduced to him, they've never come back to me and said they had any problems.

Just ahead, another shark attack off the Sydney coast. Details coming up.

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[05:53:20]

ABDELAZIZ: A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after being attacked by a shark near Sydney. That's according to police there. She was swimming about 100 feet from shore when she was bitten. The incident follows a series of deadly shark attacks recently in Australia. CNN's Allison Chinchar has more on those incidents.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: A day at the beach turned into a swimmer's nightmare in Sydney. Witnesses say it was a clear and calm day on Coogee Beach when they saw a large shark attack a woman about 30 meters from shore.

NICOLA LOGAN, WITNESS: We heard the shark alarm go off, and then we looked out and thought it was initially, as you do, like a false alarm. And then we saw just a massive pool of blood and a lady kind of motioning to swim, lots of splashing. And then a ski paddler was out trying to bring her in.

CHINCHAR: Police say the woman suffered serious arm and leg injuries, and beaches were temporarily closed in the area. But some local residents say they are rattled by the attack.

MICHELLE DONOGHOE, WITNESS: Completely, yeah, shaken because we're in the water here all the time. We train here. We swim out in that very spot pretty regularly. So, yeah, just in shock. It's the latest in a series of recent shark attacks in Australia. Three people have been killed in separate attacks in different locations off the Australian coast in just under a month. A fourth was killed in January.

Over the last decade, Australia has averaged about two to three fatalities from shark attacks a year, according to the Australian Shark Incident Database. Last year, there were five fatal shark attacks.

[05:55:09]

Incidents like this have become more common in Australia because of more people using the beaches and environmental factors like climate change. But experts say the risk of being bitten is still statistically low. A witness says the woman who was attacked in Sydney was lucky to have help nearby from lifeguards and members of the public.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe it was an off-duty doctor. I was able to be there, which is probably the best circumstance you could have with an incident like that.

CHINCHAR: Allison Chinchar, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: The electric energy of the World Cup took over the streets of Mexico City on Saturday. Mariachi music, Day of the Dead skeletons and marching bands, as you can see there, took part in a colorful parade celebrating the tournament. Some of those incredible floats featured tributes to legendary players from World Cups in the past.

A British cycling club has broken four Guinness World Records. The Penny Farthing Club participated in a two-day cycling event called the Nocturne. A penny farthing is a Victorian-era bicycle, as you can see there, with a large front wheel and a smaller back wheel.

Now, members of the club broke records for riding the largest penny farthing cycle, riding the smallest penny farthing cycle, fastest 100 meters on a penny farthing and the fastest 100 meters on a unicycle while blindfolded.

Thank you so much for joining us. I'm Salma Abdelaziz in London. For our viewers in North America, "CNN This Morning" is coming up next. For the rest of the world, it will be "Marketplace Asia."

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