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U.S. And Iran Exchange Fresh Round Of Attacks, Testing Shaky Ceasefire; Iran Foreign Minister: War Must End On All Fronts, Including Lebanon; Desperation As Food, Clean Water Running Out In Hard-Hit La Guaira; Wildfires Rage Across Colorado, Utah; Dangerous Heat Sweeps Across Eastern U.S. This Week; Venezuela Quakes Death Toll Hits 1,450, Thousands Still Missing; Ossoff Goes On Offense In One Of Dems' Most Critical Senate Races; World Cup Knockout Rounds Start Today. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired June 28, 2026 - 14:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:00:28]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Breaking news -- Rescues from the rubble.

Stunning images of survivors in Venezuela being pulled alive from the wreckage, including a mother and her nine-month-old baby.

Plus, summer soaring: dangerous heat and humidity will target millions of Americans this week just in time for Fourth of July festivities.

And win or go home: more than three weeks into the World Cup, and today begins the knockout rounds.

Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Sunday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

And we begin with a fresh new round of attacks between the U.S. and Iran, which is putting more pressure on the two-week-old fragile ceasefire between the two countries.

Late Saturday, the U.S. launched ten new strikes on Iranian military targets in or near the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command said the strikes hit Iran's military infrastructure, air defense sites and drone storage facilities.

After giving the go ahead for the attacks, President Trump renewed his threats against Iran. In a social media post, he warned Iran could, quote, "no longer exist", end quote, if they don't stop violating the ceasefire agreement.

Iran retaliated to the latest U.S. strikes by launching missiles and drones against U.S. facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait. Bahrain's government shared these images of a residential building it says was damaged in that Iranian strike.

These attacks and counterattacks now mark four straight days of hostilities, which started when Iran attacked a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday.

We have a team of correspondents around the globe covering these latest developments. CNN's Oren Liebermann is in Jerusalem. But let's get started at the White House with Julia Benbrook.

And Julia, bring us up to speed on these latest attacks and what the Trump administration is saying.

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this recent escalation leads to two major questions. What does this mean for the ceasefire agreement? And then what does this mean for the ongoing negotiations with Iran.

And President Donald Trump's recent comments on this really only highlight that uncertainty. He posted on social media after U.S. Central Command had confirmed that at the president's direction, it had carried out additional strikes on multiple targets Saturday evening.

So Trump then took to social media, writing in part, "It is very possible that they will never learn. There may come a point when there are no longer -- we are no longer able to be reasonable and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started. If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist."

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz reiterated that point while speaking on Fox News this morning. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE WALTZ, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: If the Iranian regime thinks for a second that President Trump is going to sit -- sit by -- stand by while Iran continues to attack international shipping without a response or our bases without a response, they're sadly mistaken.

And they saw that loud and clear over the last few nights, where we'll continue to militarily if needed, take down their infrastructure that they're trying to use to illegally control an international waterway.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: At this point, neither side seems ready to de-escalate as the Trump administration is threatening more military action if the Iranian strikes continue.

The IRGC has said that if there are ceasefire violations, what they deem as ceasefire violations, that that could lead to a halt in all of diplomatic processes.

So a reminder, this comes just a week, about a week after Vice President J.D. Vance led the high-level, high-stakes talks in Switzerland on the Memorandum of Understanding, which has been signed by the United States and Iran. That kicked off this 60-day time period, the signing of that document

did, to work through the technical talks. And Vance, as he left, said that there had been great progress already.

But all of this back and forth really threatens to further strain any progress that has been made so far.

[14:04:49]

WHITFIELD: Indeed. All right. Julia Benbrook at the White House, thanks so much.

All right. Iran also says a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon must be part of a final deal with the U.S. That demand comes as Israeli forces continue fighting with Iranian-backed Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, despite several ceasefire agreements.

CNN's Oren Liebermann is joining us now from Jerusalem. Oren, bring us up to speed on the situation between Israel and Hezbollah.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: And that Iranian demand shows you just how complicated this will be, and that the Lebanon front has and will continue to complicate the broader negotiations between the U.S. and Iran.

This is a quote from Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson speaking to Iranian official state media, saying that any final agreement with the U.S., that is to say, at the end of what is supposed to be a 60-day window to negotiate that final agreement, must include a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.

And that's what Iran has continued to point at and that's the Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. and Iran. And that's what Hezbollah has pointed out, saying this needs to happen here.

Except there are multiple agreements. Even this month alone, there have been four different agreements that have related in some way to Lebanon or have been directly about it.

And that has complicated this, as Iran and Hezbollah have pointed at the Memorandum of Understanding, Israel and Lebanon have signed their own agreement that does not require a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

Not at all. It requires, at this point only a gradual and small withdrawal from two different areas near the so-called yellow line that delineates the Israeli occupied zone in southern Lebanon.

But because that's not enough, not nearly enough for Iran and Hezbollah, that complicates the bigger picture here.

And even after all of this -- all of these numerous agreements just this month alone, we have seen renewed fighting, often within just a matter of hours.

And once again, we saw that here. The Israeli military saying an Israeli soldier was killed early Sunday morning in a firefight with a Hezbollah militant in a building within southern Lebanon. Israel carried out strikes across southern Lebanon earlier in the day on Sunday. And that's the continued fighting we have seen.

Now as Israel, Lebanon and the United States have touted the newly signed agreement and the framework of it to keep talks going and try to get to a broader agreement, that agreement has been rejected by Hezbollah. It's been rejected by Iran.

And that means the broader effort to try to get to not only any firm and broad understandings in Lebanon, but also that U.S.-Iran agreement, all of that, Fredricka, is much more complicated.

WHITFIELD: All right. Oren Liebermann, thanks so much.

All right. Frustration is growing in Venezuela, where the number of people killed in last week's twin earthquakes has now risen to 1,450. Thousands more remain missing, and the rescue effort has passed the critical 72-hour window in which people are most likely to be saved.

Food and clean water are running out in the port city of La Guaira, which has been virtually cut off by collapsed roadways and bridges. People are growing increasingly desperate as they wait for word of their missing loved ones.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My 82-year-old mother lived here alongside my brother and my 20-year-old daughter. My daughter's boyfriend had come over to deliver a meal to my mother, and with the last contact we had with her was at 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday. Since then, we've heard nothing more.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: There are some bright moments. Crews pulled a 60-year-old woman from the wreckage of a high-rise earlier today. Also, search and rescue teams pulled a mother and her nine-month-old baby from a collapsed building.

Journalist Mary Triny Mena joins us now from Caracas. So Mary, all of this while aftershocks continue?

MARY TRINY MENA, JOURNALIST: Yes. As a matter of fact, the authorities just released a figure saying that more than 500 aftershocks have happened, and they are causing, of course, distress among the citizens in Venezuela because it is a reminder of what happened on Wednesday.

But also, according to experts, these aftershocks could last for more than six months considering the magnitude that these two earthquakes took on Venezuela.

Also, we need to say that there are different areas that are being taken care of. They of course -- the rescue and search, even though they pass the critical hours, I was talking to a rescuer that told me that their compromise is to look until they reach the bottom of the buildings.

That means that they don't give up hope that in some cases, in some other places, that they have been, people have been found after 8 or 10 days. So they keep going until they reach the bottom of the building.

[14:09:47]

MENA: They take out all of the rubble, and that is what they are doing. In other area of Venezuela, in Caracas, there are other efforts, such as blood drive that has been taking place in three major hospitals here in Caracas. And volunteers are attending to this calling to donate blood.

This is a really important in this moment for the people that have reported in here. And also there are people enrolling as a volunteer to go to the critical area, the Ground Zero in La Guaira state.

More than 7,000 people, Venezuelans have been attending that calling, and also more than 2,000 rescuers from all over the world that are doing their best to reach Venezuela, to bring supplies, to bring dogs and they require a special conditions right now, especially silence in order to listen people that are that can still be asking for help.

There are two major parks in Caracas, like the Central Park in New York that are being used as a donation center, one of them. And the other one as a shelter for all the people that are homeless right now.

WHITFIELD: I mean an arduous task with just a few little glimmers of hope. Mary Triny Mena, thank you so much from Caracas.

Coming up, wildfires ravaging in the West of this country. Three firefighters killed battling the flames near the Colorado-Utah border. The red flag warnings in multiple states as extreme conditions threaten to fuel the fires.

Plus, Kentucky under water. At least four people dead after intense flooding slams the state.

And history reclaimed. We'll take you inside the powerful new exhibit opening at the Smithsonian. The untold story of trailblazing Filipino- Americans who fought for their piece of the American dream.

[14:11:56]

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WHITFIELD: All right. We have breaking news out of Kentucky where widespread flooding has left at least four people dead. Heavy rains have wiped out bridges and inundated roads and homes, prompting Governor Andy Beshear to issue a state of emergency.

Some areas saw up to 12 inches of rain in 48 hours. Officials say one driver was killed after being swept away and two people drowned in their basement. Dozens of rescues have been carried out.

One homeowner describes what she heard after a church collapsed, and parts of it crashed into a home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHANNON WEBB, HOMEOWNER: It was very devastating. It was very loud. A lot of glass breaking, a lot of I mean, of course, wood popping in the church. It was very loud when it broke.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Rain conditions are expected to improve today, but with the ground so saturated, even an inch or two could trigger more flooding.

Officials are urging drivers to stay off the roads. And in the next hour, we'll speak with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.

And more breaking news. Fires across western Colorado and parts of Utah are still growing. Officials say three firefighters have died battling a fast-moving blaze burning across the border of both states. Two other crew members were injured and taken to the hospital. Colorado's governor, Jared Polis, has declared a disaster emergency.

And in Utah, evacuation orders are in place for some communities near the Cottonwood Fire. It has burned more than 92,000 acres and still has zero percent containment.

Thick smoke can be seen billowing into the air, fueled by strong, gusty winds. The threat is so severe the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City issued a first-ever particularly dangerous situation red flag warning.

Local officials believe its Utah's most destructive wildfire on record.

And turning to the dangerous heat now across the eastern half of the country, hot and humid conditions are expected this week as a heat dome sends temperatures soaring into the triple digits.

CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar explains heat alerts are already in place across portions of the Midwest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Roughly 30 million people are under the threat for severe storms today in three separate areas. We've got the larger system that's across portions of the high plains in the Midwest. You've got this narrow band of scattered severe thunderstorms across areas of Texas. And then also along the Eastern Seaboard, mainly across portions of the Carolinas, as well as into Virginia.

Now, one thing to note, a lot of those ongoing storms from earlier in the day in Kentucky that has finally started to spread off to the east into the Carolinas and Virginia, and will continue through the remainder of the evening, providing at least a little bit of relief for those folks in Kentucky that desperately need to dry back out. We've also got this round of showers that's really going to slide

through the Midwest through the evening and overnight hours tonight. You can see even by about 8:00 -- 9:00 tomorrow morning, still some very heavy showers across areas of Michigan. You've also got that secondary band that's making its way across North Dakota.

The big story really coming up for the rest of this week is going to be the heat.

[14:19:46]

CHINCHAR: It is really going to set in across the eastern half of the country with some of these areas 5 to 10 degrees above average.

Taking a look at Minneapolis 76 for that high today, but back up to 92 by the time we get to Tuesday.

Similar upswing for places like Chicago, Saint Louis, looking at nearly triple digits, by the time we get to Tuesday.

D.C., New York and Boston will also start to see warmer temperatures, but it's a bit more of a delayed effect. You're going to have to wait a little bit longer. The peak there is really going to be that Wednesday through Friday timeline.

Take Washington, D.C. for example, again, you can see the gradual climb through here getting up to triple digits Wednesday through Friday. This is going to be a big concern because a lot of folks are headed to D.C. for the big July 4th celebration.

So you're going to have a lot of folks outside in that heat, in that intense sun. So make sure you stay hydrated.

Another city, New York, same thing. You'll start to see the swing of those temperatures going back up, getting to 104 on Thursday.

While they do come down a little bit by July 4th, you're still looking at those temperatures at least ten degrees above where they normally would be this time of year.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Allison Chinchar, thank you so much.

More on our breaking news from Venezuela as well coming up. Responders racing against time as the death toll continues to mount. I'll speak with a top global relief official about the brutal reality of the rescue efforts and the desperate fight to save lives.

[14:21:07]

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WHITFIELD: All right.

As the death toll soars in Venezuela after devastating twin earthquakes, the international community is looking for ways to help those impacted by the tragedy.

Our Rafael Romo is in Lilburn, Georgia where people are pitching in to help the victims. Rafael, exactly what is happening there?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they are pitching in and in what a way, Fred. It's incredible to see how Venezuelans and non- Venezuelans alike have responded to the tragedy in Venezuela.

Take a look at this. There's a line of cars behind me. People coming here to this shipping business in Lilburn, Georgia dropping off donations for the people affected by the earthquakes in Venezuela.

Then that help, depending on what it is, it is sorted in stations like this one behind me. As you can see, they have clothes for children here and they're separated by whether it's for a boy or a girl, by age, by size and all that.

Here on the other side, Fred, I can show you how they are sorting medications and medical supplies.

And then let me show you what's happening inside, because the best way I can -- I can describe this is organized chaos and it is very organized in spite of what you can see.

Here inside is like the final sorting area where they put everything together depending on its type. And you see that big pile of boxes there. That's how they put them together before they actually put them -- put the help in a truck. You see the pallet right there.

Now, I've been talking to people here, most of them are Venezuelan. There are some others who, even if they're not Venezuelan, they have some ties to Venezuela. And that's the case of a gentleman that I spoke with earlier. This is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTER COLLINS, VOLUNTEER HELPING COLLECT DONATIONS: It's amazing to see how many, first of all, how many Venezuelans are here and look at the impact they're making. And this is just in Atlanta.

Imagine you've got Dallas, Houston, Miami, Chicago. It's really awesome. But I know that the American people are paying attention as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: Back live here in Lilburn, as you can see, this pallet is almost done. Getting ready to be shipped.

Fred, from here, all of this help is going to be transported by land to Miami. And then another shipping business is going to take it to its final destination, Venezuela, for all the people affected by the twin earthquakes.

(AUDIO GAP) to see how people are responding and how feverishly they're working to help their fellow Venezuelans in need at this moment.

Fred, now back to you.

WHITFIELD: Yes. All right. A huge effort being made for much needed assistance there in Venezuela.

Rafael Romo in Lilburn, Georgia, thanks so much.

All right. Joining us right now is Dr. Julie Varughese, senior vice president of Programs and chief medical officer at the Global Health and International Relief Organization Americares. She also oversees Americares emergency response team.

Dr. Varughese, great to see you. Thanks so much for being available.

I mean, how is your organization able to respond to this situation, which also seems to be evolving there in Venezuela?

JULIE VARUGHESE, SVP OF PROGRAMS, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, AMERICARES: Thanks so much, Fredricka.

We're mobilizing to send medicines and medical supplies to support relief efforts on the ground. We're supporting local partners who are in need of essential medicines, orthopedic supplies, trauma supplies, water purification supplies.

We know that needs are evolving. In the first days, the first 48 to 72 hours, the focus is really on search and rescue, and those efforts are continuing.

But we also know that survivors are going to have ongoing medical needs, and we are here to support those communities.

WHITFIELD: And what is, you know, I guess the most critical period that we're entering now that we've passed that kind of 48 to 72-hour period where, you know, there's a likelihood of finding survivors.

How do you meet the needs now past that point?

DR. VARUGHESE: Well, certainly continuing to focus on efforts to identify survivors will continue.

DR. VARUGHESE: But Americares has responded to emergencies for over 45 years and we know that there are significant medical needs that continue in the days, weeks and months ahead.

[14:30:03]

And so primary care, we know that often people are leaving their homes very quickly to find safety. They're leaving without their medications, perhaps for high blood pressure, diabetes. And so being able to support health facilities and hospitals with the various medications that are going to be needed to care for people in the days ahead will be really important.

WHITFIELD: And just as we saw, you know, there are communities across the country we just saw in Lilburn, Georgia, people coming together to gather supplies, you know, to aid folks in Venezuela. Americares, as you just mentioned, you know, collecting medical supplies, orthopedic supplies, hygiene kits, et cetera.

But as you get a better assessment of the needs there, what are some of the things that might be helpful for people to know about items that they need to donate now, if they can?

VARUGHESE: I would say, you know, certainly we're seeing a lot of generosity from many communities. The best way, though, to support relief efforts is really through monetary donations. So, supporting the organizations that are on the ground, responding to the emergency. And so, finding a trusted emergency response organization like Americares is the best way to support efforts. You can find out more information about the work that we're doing at Americares.org.

WHITFIELD: How is a lot of that aid going to get in? You know, because some roads are impassable. Flights in and out, you know, unpredictable. Will there be airdrops? Or I mean, help -- help people kind of or paint a picture for people to help them understand how aid will arrive?

VARUGHESE: Yeah. It's, you know, certainly a challenge. Every emergency response has logistical challenges. In Venezuela, we initially did have a, you know, difficulty with access. The airport was closed. We're starting to see some initial access open up.

That's why it's really important to coordinate with local partners as well as other international relief organizations, so that all of these efforts are really coordinated. But we are -- the way Americares is going to be sending shipments is by air and working hand in hand with local partners to help get those shipments in.

WHITFIELD: All right. Dr. Julie Varughese, thank you so much. All the best in your continued efforts by way of you directly and your organization.

VARUGHESE: Thank you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. For more information about how you at home can help Venezuela earthquake victims, go to CNN.com/impact.

All right. Coming up, CNN's exclusive interviews with both candidates in the race that could determine control of the U.S. Senate. What Georgia Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff had to say about the Republican fighting to unseat him as they go head-to-head in battleground Georgia.

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[14:37:16]

WHITFIELD: All right. We now know who will likely succeed one of President Trump's top foes within his own party. In Louisiana, Trump- endorsed Congresswoman Julia Letlow has won the state's contentious GOP Senate runoff, beating back State Treasurer John Fleming. Letlow is now the overwhelming favorite to win the seat currently held by ousted Senator Bill Cassidy, who failed to qualify for the runoff after angering the president's base for his 2021 impeachment vote against Trump.

And in battleground Georgia, Republican nerves are fraying in one of this year's marquee midterm races. Jon Ossoff, long considered one of the Senate's most vulnerable Democrats, is going on the offense as he seeks reelection. On Saturday, the sitting senator drew more than a thousand to his first major rally of the general election, taking aim at his Republican challenger and President Trump.

In an exclusive interview with CNN, Ossoff spoke about the campaign and whether his attacks on Republicans will be effective.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You're very much running against Donald Trump, not as someone who works with Donald Trump. I'm wondering, is that a risk in a purple state like yours, with so many independent voters?

SEN. JON OSSOFF (D-GA): I think the president has earned the criticism and earned disgrace. His economic agenda is a disaster for the country. He's doubled health insurance premiums for more than a million Georgians. His tariffs have driven up grocery prices and the prices of just about everything else. He's been globally humiliated in Iran.

Just last month, Americans faced record high prices for groceries, for health care, and for housing. This under a president who promised he would lower prices on day one. And all the while, the president and his family are enriching themselves to the tune of billions of dollars. And the president is trying to build a monument to himself. I think it's obscene. I think he's a failed president, and he's deeply unpopular in Georgia.

RAJU: Democrats, too, are unpopular. I'm wondering what you think needs to change in your party to convince voters that you'll actually deliver in a Senate majority.

OSSOFF: Well, the coalition that I'm building in Georgia stretches far beyond just Democrats. There are independents and a growing number of Republicans who are supporting me. What you're seeing right now is a growing number of conservatives who are unwilling to support my opponent, Congressman Mike Collins, or saying that they're going to support me because they know I've done a good job for the state and because it's widely understood in Georgia that Congressman Collins is a person of low integrity and poor character, who is known as a bigot and an antisemite.

[14:40:06]

He is understood in Georgia by both Democrats and Republicans to be unfit for office and unfit for promotion. And there's a reason Governor Brian Kemp worked so hard to try to prevent him from getting this nomination. (END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Ossoff's opponent, however, is taking a markedly different approach. Republican Congressman Mike Collins is running toward Trump, even supporting the president's long disproven claim that he won the state of Georgia in the 2020 election.

Listen to what Collins told our Manu Raju.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: I talked to Senator Ossoff today, and not surprisingly, he had some not so nice things to say about you. He called you a bigot. He called you an antisemite. He said, you're a person of low character. What do you say to him?

REP. MIKE COLLINS (R-GA): You know, he's lying. And the reason, he's losing and he knows he's losing.

RAJU: You think he's losing this race?

COLLINS: He is losing. He's going to lose this race.

This race is going to be about record of -- and record of results. You're going to have the choice to pick between someone, me, who has delivered and delivered, not just in the private sector, because that's what I was for 30-plus years, but also in Washington and just making life more affordable, making this country safer, just making Georgians life better off.

Or you're going to get a choice of Jon Ossoff. This is a trust fund kid. He's never had a real job in his life.

RAJU: When the Trump cited his endorsement, he cited that he said that Derek Dooley believed that it was Joe Biden who won in 2020 in Georgia. What do you think? Did Joe Biden win Georgia in 2020?

COLLINS: I have said this over and over and over again. You don't change the rules in the middle of the game. And that's what happened in 2020. They changed the rules up.

You don't all of a sudden turn around and start mailing out absentee ballots to everybody. You don't set up drop boxes all over the place for people to just start this mass harvesting. Ballot harvesting.

RAJU: Do you think Trump won?

COLLINS: Trump won that race. Yes, yes.

RAJU: Uh-huh. Okay.

COLLINS: So, you know, and the thing is, we're going to -- we're going to make sure in 2026 that we spend -- we send Jon Ossoff home.

(END VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: And as we noted, the congressman's false claim that President Trump won Georgia in the 2020 election has been repeatedly disproven. The state's presidential votes were counted three times, including once by hand, and each one affirmed former President Biden's victory.

All right, coming up, all new next hour, a state of emergency in Kentucky as catastrophic flooding washes away roads, swallows buildings and kills at least four people. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear joins us live on efforts to rescue stranded families as more rain heads their way.

Plus, the major U.S. Supreme Court ruling expected this week that could fundamentally rewrite who gets to call themselves an American.

And scrambling on the front lines. How a cheap, low-tech weapon is leaving one of the world's most sophisticated militaries completely exposed.

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[14:47:47]

WHITFIELD: All right. Moments from now, the knockout rounds for the World Cup will get underway, where teams will head home if they lose. Group play wrapped up last night, which set the stage for the final 32 teams now.

CNN's Don Riddell is here to kind of recap Saturday games.

I mean, lay it all out there. So much excitement and still more to come.

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Oh, we're just getting started.

WHITFIELD: Wow. Yeah.

RIDDELL: Which is crazy to say when you think the last two weeks have been already incredible. So just one knockout game today. It's going to be happening in Los Angeles, kicking off in the next 10, 12 minutes.

Canada against South Africa. Highly unusual to see a host country at the World Cup not playing in their own country. But Canada were unable to win their group, so they could have stayed in Vancouver if they achieved that. But they're now going to have to relocate, which is not ideal for them.

They're going to be playing South Africa. The continent of Africa is having an absolutely incredible World Cup tournament. Ten teams entered, nine are through to the knockout rounds.

The most African teams who ever have made it to the knockout round in one tournament is two. We've got we've got nine through this time. So that's absolutely fabulous. One of them is the Democratic Republic of Congo, who played here in Atlanta last night against Uzbekistan. And they came from behind to win this game. And if you want to see some emotional scenes, hopefully we can roll the video because this was just absolutely remarkable.

This is -- they haven't played in the World Cup since 1974, when they were Zaire. And as I say, you know, they came from behind to win this game, booking their place in the knockout round. So, these guys are in absolute dreamland, highly, highly emotional. And it means they're going to stay in Atlanta to play former world champions England next. That's coming up on Wednesday.

And we can't talk about the World Cup without mentioning the great Lionel Messi, the GOAT. He was in action again for Argentina last night, coming off the bench to score that goal against Jordan. Argentina going through having won all three group games.

That is his sixth goal this tournament. They've only played three matches.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness.

RIDDELL: Most years, that would be good enough to win you the golden boot for top scorer.

[14:50:02]

But there's still potentially five games to go. And he's already got six goals. He's now scored in seven consecutive World Cup matches. I believe that's a new record. Nine goals in the World Cup.

WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh.

RIDDELL: He is amazing.

So, Argentina doing really well. And they're playing one of those Cinderella African teams. Next, Cape Verde.

WHITFIELD: What a Cinderella story.

RIDDELL: An island nation of just half a million people somehow are into the knockout round and they get a chance to topple Messi and Argentina next.

WHITFIELD: Oh, it's so exciting. And we're -- I mean, this is an apex, but we're not really even at the top of the mountain yet.

RIDDELL: The real drama --

WHITFIELD: There's so much more. I know, I love it.

All right. Don Riddell, we'll see you again soon. Right on the sofa. Breaking it down for us. Appreciate it.

All right. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:55:24]

WHITFIELD: All right. As we prepare to celebrate America's 250th anniversary, a new exhibit uncovers the legacy of Filipino Americans as part of America's story. A collection of artifacts is on display at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. The artifacts reveal a lot about Filipino laborers who migrated to California between the 1910s and the 1970s, and many of them settled into Stockton, California's Little Manila area.

With us now is Dr. Sam Vong. He is the curator of the Asian Pacific American History at the National Museum of American History.

Great to see you and happy birthday, America, just ahead of the 250th birthday.

Tell us the story of how these artifacts were found and how they were chosen for this exhibit.

DR. SAM VONG, CURATOR OF ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HISTORY, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY: Thank you for having me.

So, these steamer trunks were discovered in 2005 in a fraternal lodge by a Filipino American community member named Antonio Samara. He was cleaning out the basement and discovered these 26 containers, some over two dozen steamer trunks and pieces of luggage. And he proceeded to open one of them and found that they belonged to members of this fraternal lodge called Leonardo Del Trabajo. And then he brought these, steamer trunks to a community organization called Little Manila Rising who had been stewarding them for a couple of decades.

And when I came on the scene in 2019, Little Manila Rising and I worked together to bring one of these steamer trunks to the National Museum of American History, where one of them is now on display.

WHITFIELD: Wow. What was in the trunks? Or were they empty? Or, you know, what's the story? You think that should be learned of these trunks and luggage?

VONG: Yeah. So, most of these trunks were filled with things from medicinal bottles to three piece suits to fancy Stetson hats. And what we learned when we -- Dylan Delvaux (ph), the executive director of Manila, and I learned from opening these trunks, is that each trunk really belonged to an individual who was a migrant farm worker who left the Philippines in the 1910s and were recruited to work on Hawaiian sugar plantations before continuing on to California, where they lived and built this vibrant community called Manila Rising.

WHITFIELD: And then tell me, what was the motivation of this migration of Filipinos to California, specifically.

VONG: Yeah, so many of them were recruited as an alternative labor source, as a cheap labor source by sugar planters in Hawaii. And these men, mostly young single men, left their families in the Philippines to make money, and with the hopes of returning, many of them didn't return home, didn't make enough, but then went on to California, where they also found jobs as farm workers. And so, they -- they stayed in California, followed the seasons

harvesting crops up and down the coast of the West Coast and including Alaska. And they left behind their belongings, which really tell a story. They're like time capsules that tell a story about their experiences of migration, the communities that they built as well as the kind of recreation that they participated in.

So, it's really kind of these objects, I think, really restore a sense of personhood. And the objects in the gallery tell a story of their full humanity, not just as farm workers.

WHITFIELD: The exhibit is called "How Can You Forget Me?" I mean, the title is very powerful. I mean, help, you know, underscore the importance of their story, their journey being known.

VONG: Yeah. So, the name of this exhibition really comes from a pillowcase, one of three pillowcases that was found in the steamer trunks. And I just love the poignancy of the title, "How Can You Forget Me?" Because it is a story, I think, that has been forgotten in American history by Americans. It's often not told in history books. So that pillowcase is -- sends a message of -- either a declaration, how can you forget me, a question, or admonishment for Americans not to forget this important story?

Because it is an American story. The stories, the story isn't about just one immigrant community. It's about how the U.S. became the nation it is today.

WHITFIELD: Uh-huh. Dr. Sam Vong, glad you can be with us.