Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
FIFA Reverses Ban Against U.S. Men's Soccer Star; Large Crowds Gather In Tehran For Ayatollah Khamenei's Funeral; Russia Launches Deadly Missile And Drone Attacks On Kyiv; Death Toll From Venezuela Quakes Rises To 3,342; Venezuela Earthquakes: Displaced Survivors Living in Temporary Camps; How Americans Celebrated the Fourth of July; Swimming in the Cleaned-Up Seine Offers Relief in Paris; Cape Verde Team Welcomed Home after Tournament Run; Americans Reflect on Lives and Legacies of Nation's Founders. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired July 06, 2026 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:00:31]
BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, wherever you are in the world, you are now in the CNN Newsroom with me, Ben Hunte in Atlanta. And it is so good to have you with me.
Coming up on the show, Team USA's star striker will be allowed to play in the upcoming match against Belgium. A stunning reversal by FIFA as sources say the U.S. President personally asked for a review.
An outpouring of grief as mourners bid farewell to Iran's slain supreme leader. We'll have a report from inside the country.
And a huge homecoming for a team that surprised World Cup fans even they didn't win a single match. Fans cheer on Cape Verde's players for the history that they made.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Ben Hunte.
HUNTE: Welcome. A stunning reversal by FIFA has shaken the World cup, mirroring Team USA's impending match with Belgium. In controversy, FIFA leadership delayed a one game suspension for Team USA star striker Folarin Balogun, invoking an obscale goal that will now allow him to play in Monday's match. That is despite the red card he received during Team USA's last match.
A source tells CNN, US President Donald Trump spoke with FIFA president Gianni Infantino this week and asked for a review of Balogun's red card. Team USA's head coach was quick to defend that decision.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAURICIO POCHETTINO, USMNT HEAD COACH: The power of this, that sport. No, that is amazing. And of course I am listening. Different coach, different, you know, federation that talk about, oh, the president called this everything. Want to be involved. It's not surprising me, I came from a culture, Argentina or Europe, that football, soccer is more than is a religion, more than a religion, you know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTE: Well, Belgium's head coach was far more critical of FIFA's move.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUDI GARCIA, BELGIUM HEAD COACH (through translator): I didn't realize that at FIFA headquarters, July 5th was the equivalent of April 1st in Europe. The Belgian Football Association isn't defending itself, nor is it defending the national team. It's defending football in general. The integrity and ethics, as far as I can recall I think this is the first time in the history of the World Cup that such a decision has been made. That's it. As for me, I'm the coach. I'm going to focus on my team and on the match regardless of the USA starting 11.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTE: FIFA's decision puts President Trump's influence over the governing body under the microscope as the U.S. is one of the host countries. CNN's Julia Benbrook has more for us from the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, his role in this stunning decision to allow Folarin Balogun to play in this upcoming game on Monday is now under a microscope, as you mention. Are learning from a source familiar speaking with CNN that Trump spoke with FIFA President Gianni Infantino earlier in the week and there was a discussion about this controversial red card. He asked Infantino to review it. And then just today, Trump took to social media and he said this on Truth Social. He said, thank you FIFA for doing what is right and reversing a great injustice.
Around that same time, soccer's governing body announced it was using an obscure rule to suspend Balogun's automatic one match ban for one year, allowing the striker to play in the round of 16. Now, speaking with reporters earlier today, the U.S. coach said that they did believe that this call was fair and that they had suffered enough, been punished enough for playing the last 30 minutes of their last game with just 10 players. U.S. soccer is formally reacting in a statement and I want to pull that up for you now.
They said, quote, we accept the decision of the disciplinary committee and are pleased that Folarin Balogun is eligible to compete tomorrow. Our full attention is focused on the Round 6 -- Round of 16 match against Belgium in Seattle and we look forward to the continued support of our amazing fans. Now their opponent is also responding. Let's get to that reaction here.
They said the decision is in direct contradiction with the provisions of the FIFA World Cup 2026 competition regulations in order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams.
[01:05:08]
And to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at the FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament. The RBFA is investigating all potential options. There will be a lot of scrutiny on this decision, especially as a host city, and then also looking into Trump's relationship, his close relationship with the FIFA president. It was last year that FIFA awarded Trump a Peace Prize, a clear move, what most people think to be a clear move to really be in Trump's favor. That was coming around the time that he had made it clear he was very disappointed that he did not receive the Nobel Peace Prize. But this Monday game is on and it looks like Balogun will be on the field.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTE: Earlier, CNN spoke of our sports analyst Christine Brennan about President Trump's role in this growing controversy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: Here the question is, did Donald Trump force FIFA to make an athletic decision, a decision about the playing field? If so, that is a doozy. And either way, we're going to ask those questions because it goes to the heart of the can you trust the competition? Can you believe what you're seeing on the field?
And even for many people who were angry with the call and the red card, there were many and it was a very controversial decision. It looked like a bad decision to me even then, this step and this news as it's breaking changes the storyline completely and does create, well, as I said, an incredible storyline over the next few days.
The fact that something is overturned is one part of that conversation and it is incredibly rare. 1962 was the only other time in the World Cup, but then how and why it was overturned, that takes it to me as a journalist who's covered the international sports world, as I said, for a long time, that takes it to an entire different level.
And with Infantino giving the Peace Prize, quote, unquote, Peace Prize to Trump last year, made it up and gave it to him. What did that mean to Trump, to the president, and did that help this decision get made this way? Again, questions at this point, I wish we had answers, but questions that any journalist frankly on earth should be asking as we move forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTE: Despite that off the pitch drama, the games must go on. Sunday's round of 16 matches ended the World Cup dreams for a host nation and one of the highest favorite teams in the tournament. Despite a truly valiant fight from Mexico, England secured its place in the quarterfinals, winning that match. 3, 2. England scored twice in just 98 seconds during the first half and held onto its early lead with only 10 men on the field in the final half hour of playing following a red card expulsion.
And Norway is headed to its first ever World Cup quarter final after knocking out five time champions Brazil 2 to 1. This is the earliest that Brazil has been eliminated from a World Cup since 1990. Norway's star striker Erling Haaland delivered a standout performance scoring both goals for his team, giving him seven across the tournament so far.
Last hour I spoke of play by play announcer for Major League soccer on Apple TV, Francisco X. Rivera. I asked him how much FIFA's decision to allow Balogun to play may impact Team USA's chances in their game with Belgium.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRANCISCO X. RIVERA, PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER, MLS ON APPLE TV: Contrary to what Rudy Garcia was saying. And I understand the it happened back in 1962 with one of the less allies back in 1962 in Brazil, Garrincha, who was allowed to play in the final against Czechoslovakia, now known obviously as Czechia. So it had happened before and I understand it is hard to see this kind of reversal, but it's happened in the past and now it's time to move on. Both teams will be or will have their strongest units.
They'll be ready to go and it's sometimes hard to think that one player is going to make a difference. At the same time, I think the U.S. national team has had a strong performance so far. Obviously Balogun is a tremendous part of that unit going forward for the U.S. national team.
But at the same time I think when there's this much controversy, when there's so much outside noise, I think this is also going to put a lot of pressure on the U.S. national team and being the host country, being the only one of the three host countries that's still alive in the tournament, the only hope for concacap (ph). I think the world's eyes are going to be on the U.S. national team now and they should be ready to put in a good performance to erase all this outside noise, all this off the field banter and they have to get ready to go.
HUNTE: England have a beaten co-host Mexico 3-2. Just how statement making is it to eliminate a host nation in one of world football's most intimidating stadiums?
[01:10:00]
RIVERA: Well, let me tell you, it was a very fun week. I mean, I was born and raised in Mexico City, living in L.A. now. But I do understand everything that happened, even the banter from Mexican fans, even the hostile environment that they try to create for all the opponents, for Ecuador, for England, going to the hotels and screaming and having fireworks outside. They play their game, they try to help the team as much as they could. But now, once we get to being on the field, I think this Mexican national team made the nation believe that they could do something special, that they could win five games in a row. However, when you play a team like England, it's like when you play Argentina, when you play Brazil, when you play France, you have to be almost perfect if you are not like it happened to Mexico today. Three mental lapses, three goals by England and as you mentioned before, three goals in a matter of two minutes. And that actually has been a problem for Mexico.
There's a say that we have in Mexico to illustrate our soccer or football situation. And it says jugamos como nunca y perdimos como siempre. And it means we play like we never had before, but we lost like we always have. And you know, they always get very close.
They play great teams. You know, when they play Argentina, when they play Brazil, when they play France and now England, they're very close. And as I said before, this team was different. This team made everyone believe that they could do something because they started the tournament with no expectations. However, England did what they had to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTE: Let's turn now to Tehran where we are seeing live images there of the third and largest day of public mourning for Iran's slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. A massive funeral procession will follow a 10 kilometer route to Azadi Square, home to one of Tehran's most iconic landmarks.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was Iran's longest serving Supreme Leader. He and members of his family were killed in a U.S. and Israeli airstrike that launched the war with Iran.
The late Ayatollah's son and successor Mojtaba has not been seen in public since the week long public funeral began on Friday. CNN's Fred Pleitgen is in Tehran. And a reminder to our viewers, CNN operates in Iran only with the permission of the government but maintains full editorial control of its reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): A huge prayer service at the crack of dawn. The Mosala religious complex in Tehran packed including high ranking Iran and three of the late Supreme Leader's sons. A solemn service but also calls for Revenge against the U.S. and Israel.
Why don't we kill the one who killed my imam? This poet says, it would be a shame if we don't kill your killer. Even the elusive head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps in the crowd, Ahmad Vahidi is one of the top commanders in charge of Iran's war effort. The number of people even larger on the second day of the funeral ceremonies for Iran. Tehran's late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed by a U.S., Israeli airstrike along with several family members on February 28th. PLEITGEN: The crowds keep swelling here in Tehran as scores of people are coming out braving the mid summer's heat. And the government here wants to make this a show of force and of defiance, saying the Islamic Republic has withstood a massive attack from two of the most powerful militaries in the world.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Some of those in the streets even boasting of an Iranian victory. Yes, it shows that we won, this woman says, from now on, into the ears of our children, we will say death to America, death to Israel.
This is by itself revenge, she says. You can see that altogether. They should understand that the unity of our people is one type of revenge.
And this woman says, we have not come to say goodbye. We have come to meet our great leader again. We hope Trump and his family will all die and we promise that he will not have a good night's sleep.
The call for revenge all around on signs, posters and in the slogans, but many paying their final respects to Iran's longtime supreme leader. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTE: Earlier, I spoke with Negar Mortazavi, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, on what's happening in Tehran and how this will unfold.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEGAR MORTAZAVI, SENIOR FELLOW, CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL POLICY: The ceremony itself is a departure from religious tradition in Islam. In Shia Islam, you burn, you bury dead as soon as possible. And this took months for the state to plan for security reasons, for wartime. It's being done in the holy month of Muharram, which is a holy month for the Shia.
So there's political significance. There's religious significance. It's sending domestic messages to domestic audiences, regional international message of defiance by the state, resilience after two wars by U.S. and Israel, which the Iranians are projecting that they won and they resisted.
[01:15:08]
And also a message of continuity for the state and for the Islamic Republic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTE: I also asked her about how Iran's government is leveraging this week long funeral procession, both at home and abroad, too.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MORTAZAVI: The supreme leader was assassinated at the beginning of a war, a second war, by the U.S. and Israel. One of the core underlying, you know, goals of that war was regime change. And the war started with the assassination of the top leader. And it was a talking point that was repeated by American officials, Israeli officials, that either the regime will change or people will rise up and overthrow the regime. And that didn't happen.
And so that in itself, the message from the government is a message of continuity, resilience, and also popularity. They have, you know, this massive crowd. This is essentially the largest state ceremony since the funeral of the previous supreme leader in the 1980s.
And there's just so much significance attached to it. Victimhood, martyrdom, and also, you know, defiance against the enemies. We also saw in the reporting of your correspondent in Tehran and the type of crowds that are showing. Of course, there's very little room, if any at all, for dissent.
So we're only seeing one type of the public in the Iranian society and the demographic. But nevertheless, it's the base of the state domestically. It's also sending a message to their regional allies that there is continuity and strength for the Islamic Republic, and then, of course, to international audiences, specifically their foes, U.S. and Israel, that the Islamic Republic did not fall, the regime did not change, and that it's continuing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTE: U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to depart for the NATO summit in Turkey on Monday night. U.S. officials say security in the Strait of Hormuz will be one of the biggest topics of the talks. President Trump is also expected to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa. This NATO summit comes as the Trump administration has taken an increasingly hostile tone toward the alliance.
Joining us now is columnist and geopolitics analyst Bobby Ghosh. It is good to see you, sir. Trump wanted these 250th anniversary celebrations to project confidence and national pride, too. But after watching the speech and the events surrounding it, do you think he succeeded in creating a genuinely unifying national moment, or did it ultimately feel more like a political rally wrapped in patriotic symbolism?
BOBBY GHOSH, COLUMNIST AND GEOPOLITICAL ANALYST: Well, it was very much the latter. It was a political rally. And if Trump had intended to be unifying, then that certainly did not come through. On the contrary, he seemed to be essentially peddling in resentment and recrimination and demonizing his political foes.
The Fourth of July speech, for American presidents in the past, has usually been an opportunity to restate America's foundational values, to advertise what is best and greatest about this country. But that has not been Donald Trump's style. This is consistent with his style, which has often been to present the state of the world, the state of America, in very dark tones, and present this view of society in America being threatened both from within, especially from within, as well as from without.
And that's what we heard. It's become, unfortunately, quite familiar with every passing year of the Trump presidency. But we have to remind ourselves that is not what used to be normal.
HUNTE: The speech mixed tributes to American history with familiar campaign thieves, including attacks on communism that a lot of people are talking about. Is that simply how modern presidents communicate now, or does it blur the distinction between governing and. CNN constant campaigning?
GHOSH: I don't think that's how modern presidents speak, but that is certainly how Trump does. If you think about the more recent presidents, Biden, Obama, Bush Jr. Clinton, that's not how they spoke. This is very much the Trump style, the Trump brand. And if you think about the speeches being given by others around the country, governors, the mayor of New York, their speeches are very much in the old style of trying to bring people together, trying to put forward a positive vision of the United States.
HUNTE: As the holiday weekend ends, the President pivots almost immediately to foreign policy with the NATO summit in Turkey. How significant is that contrast? Celebrating American strength at home one day, then having to suddenly reassure allies about America's role in the alliance the next?
GHOSH: Well, if you've been following what he and others around him have been saying recently, they're not really looking to reassure the allies either.
[01:20:03]
The constant message from this presidency has been that the allies are not carrying their weight. They ought to do more. They should not rely so much on the United States. They cannot rely so much on the United States. And I suspect we'll see more of that during the NATO gathering, that Trump will continue to go down that path of saying, the rest of you should really be doing much more and the United States is not going to give everybody a free ride. That's been his message throughout, and I think we'll see the same.
I think the other NATO allies will be bracing themselves because they've had an opportunity to see this play out a few times. They'll be bracing themselves for exactly that kind of message in Turkey when they see him.
HUNTE: Ukraine is expected to dominate much of the discussion, and that's alongside security in the Middle East following the Iran conflict. Can NATO still present a united front on those issues? Are there visible cracks within the alliance that Russia and others will be watching very closely?
GHOSH: Well, the biggest crack comes between NATO's and the United States, which you could say is the sort of indispensable ally in that alliance. And that has been a crack that other European leaders, Emmanuel Macron prominently among them, have been trying to paper over throughout the Trump presidency in his first term and also in the second term. They've done so with varying degrees of success. It varies from summit to summit.
I think if I were Donald -- if I were Emmanuel Macron, I'd be very concerned with the fact that Trump yesterday spoke with President Putin for quite a long time. We do know that Trump tends to, when he's had a conversation with Putin, then go across to the European leaders and essentially repeat Putin's talking points. But again, as I say, the Europeans have seen this movie before. They know what to expect.
And you would imagine that they would have their talking points ready, that they would be ready to try and herd Trump away from his tendencies and bring him closer to the line of the alliance.
HUNTE: When you step back and look at the week as a whole, from Independence Day celebrations of the weekend to the NATO summit coming up, what story is Donald Trump trying to tell about America's place in the world? And where do you think that narrative could face its biggest test over the coming months?
GHOSH: Well, the narrative is a familiar one. It's this narrative that the United States has been put upon by, by circumstances, by the rest of the world, that the U.S. does not get the respect it deserves that he, as the president, does not get the respect he deserves, that he feels he deserves in the world.
But the biggest test is now domestic criticism. It is not how the rest of the world perceives him, but how he is being perceived at home. There's great concern that they may lose substantial numbers of seats, certainly in the House of Representatives, possibly even in the Senate in the midterm elections.
And I think a lot of Trump's attention over the next few weeks, notwithstanding this NATO gathering, that's where his attention will be focused on trying to bring Americans, his party base, back behind him.
HUNTE: OK. Well, these are fascinating times and that's some fascinating analysis. Bobby Ghosh, thank you.
GHOSH: Anytime.
HUNTE: While Ukraine targets Russian infrastructure, the Kremlin has ramped up attacks on the capital city of Kyiv. Still ahead, an update on Moscow's latest barrage of missiles and drones.
Plus, sifting through the wreckage after deadly earthquakes. How survivors are handling the search for loved ones while so many have been displaced by disaster. See you in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:27:34]
HUNTE: The Ukrainian air force is reporting explosions across Kyiv after Russian drones and ballistic missiles struck the capital city. City officials say at least nine people have been killed and dozens were injured. Others remain trapped beneath a badly damaged multistory residential building. Rescue workers were able to evacuate some residents but search efforts are ongoing.
A separate Russian glide bomb attack on Sunday hit a residential area in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia. Officials there say a police officer was killed and 13 people were injured, including two children.
Venezuela's acting president has ordered additional troops to be deployed to help emergency responders in the aftermath of deadly earthquakes. On Sunday, Delcy Rodriguez announced a new military unit would be formed to respond to both the current and earthquake emergency and future disasters, too.
This comes in the wake of harsh criticism of the government's response to the disaster. Officials say the death toll has risen higher than 3,300 lives. More than 17,000 people have been displaced. Some are sleeping on the streets.
Others are venturing back into their homes to recover what they can, even though many buildings are unsafe. CNN contributor Stefano Pozzebon has more on how survivors are trying to move forward.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTIRBUTOR (through translator): Zosa (ph) and Tander (ph) has not seen her son in 10 days. They were separated in the twin quakes that shook Venezuela on June 24th. But her nine year old Xavier was trapped under the rubble. Four days later, she saw a video of a child being rescued at night.
She believes it was her son, but in the chaos that followed, she hasn't been able to find him. She's not going to rest, but from here, there is little she can do.
POZZEBON: This used to be a golf course. La Guaira was a tourist hotspot by the Caribbean Sea. And so here is where tourists will come and play golf and relax. Now, of course, it's a tent city for hundreds of displaced, many of whom actually used to live there in those blocks. And every day they wake up and they see their homes and flats broken down by the brutality of the earthquakes.
POZZEBON (voice-over): Sheyna Ceballos is also looking for a loved one. She's lost hope of finding her mother alive, but will not leave the golf course until she recovers her remains.
[01:30:04]
SHEYNA CEBALLOS, EARTHQUAKE SURVIVOR (through translator): If I had the money, I'd dig her out, but I have none..
POZZEBON: This is what's left of Sheyna's home, an entire life shattered in an instant.
Now, like her, thousands of Venezuelans are only beginning to grasp the magnitude of this catastrophe. Before this tragedy, Venezuela was already in a deep humanitarian crisis, facing chronic shortages of food and medicines.
World Central Kitchen has been operating here since 2019. In response to the earthquake, they have stepped up with free meals for survivors and volunteers.
Can you describe a moment that Venezuela is right now, when it's been ten days since the earthquake?
MIGUEL TORTOSA, COMMUNICATIONS RESPONSE MANAGER, WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN: The numbers keep increasing and we are still in the first phase of the operation.
I would say this is still the emergency phase. And our teams are still like finding the exact numbers so we can get the amount of meals needed to cover all the needs.
POZZEBON: Survivors and relatives of the victims have criticized the government's response as inadequate and delayed. Many point to the armed forces, who they say showed up too late or didn't do enough.
DELCY RODRIGUEZ, ACTING VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT: Our officials were deployed immediately. You can count the hours between the quakes and when we signed the emergency decree. There were 4,000 officials out in the first 24 hours; 10,000 officials the following day.
POZZEBON: The government also laying out credit agreements with the International Monetary Fund and plans to begin the reconstruction.
But at the golf course in La Guaira, the present is too dark to look ahead.
CEBALLOS: Now I just want to find her remains. To think about the future makes no sense.
POZZEBON: Stefano Pozzebon, CNN -- La Guaira, Venezuela.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR: All right.
The massive fireworks show in Washington, D.C. may have been impressive, but it did cause some problems. Just ahead, details on the code red air quality alert that experts issued.
See you in a minute.
[01:32:14]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HUNTE: Welcome back.
Americans celebrated the nation's 250th anniversary of independence this weekend. At George Washingtons estate in Virginia, dozens of people became
American citizens. 150 people from 50 different countries took the oath of citizenship.
In New York City, a massive fireworks display was staged over the harbor.
In Nevada, the fireworks were staged over the famous Las Vegas Strip. Hundreds of people watched the show from the top of high-rise buildings.
And in the nation's capital, President Trump spoke after a delay caused by extreme weather. He mainly kept up to the script with much of his speech focusing on communism.
Well, after the president's speech came a massive fireworks show that lasted 40 minutes. It was so big the city briefly experienced the worst air quality of any place in the world.
Officials issued a code red air quality alert and told people to limit their time outside.
The warning said the air was quote, "unhealthy for seniors, kids and people with medical conditions".
Authorities are investigating after a Delta Airlines flight headed to Chicago was apparently struck by Fourth of July fireworks.
And in New York, a fire broke out on the Brooklyn Bridge during that city's fireworks celebration.
CNN's Rafael Romo has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: These incidents remind us of how dangerous fireworks can be when mishandled or used near airports or other public infrastructure.
Delta Airlines confirmed to CNN in a statement that one of their flights that originated here in Atlanta was hit by a firework while landing at Chicago Midway International Airport on Saturday.
Right after the impact, the pilot on Delta Flight 1076 is heard saying to an air traffic controller, the crew heard the bang on the plane when the plane was flying at 200 feet, according to audio from ATC.com.
Here's part of the communication between the pilot and the control tower as the flight was landing at Chicago's Midway Airport.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Delta 1076, I'm not sure if you'll be able to assess if there's any damage at this time, but can you tell me if you had to, I guess, any, any further information about the fireworks?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, negative, but yes, about 200 feet AGL, 2-250 AGL. But we just heard the bang on the plane. So, we'll have to take a look at it once we get to the gate.
ROMO: The air traffic controller said there have been multiple similar reports and that city officials have been notified. CNN has reached out to Chicago police for details.
In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration reported that Delta Airlines Flight 1076 landed safely at Chicago Midway International Airport around 8:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, July 4th, after the pilot reported that a fireworks mortar struck the aircraft just before landing, adding that the FAA will investigate the incident.
Delta said the plane landed without incident and is being inspected.
And this is what happened in New York during the city's Fourth of July fireworks celebration.
Eyewitness video shows several small fires breaking out on the Brooklyn Bridge Saturday night as a Fourth of July fireworks display was wrapping up.
The New York City Fire Department said firefighters quickly mobilized to the scene to extinguish the flames after a call came in about reported rubbish fire on the bridge around 9:40 p.m. local time.
The fire department also said that fires like these are not unexpected, and that is why they have the stand-off distance during fireworks show. Fortunately, authorities say, no one was injured.
Rafael Romo, CNN -- Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTE: Parts of the United States will get a break from the extreme heat, but the weather may still cause some problems.
Over 30 million people remain under heat alerts in the eastern half of the country, while millions more faced severe storms on Sunday.
[01:39:50]
HUNTE: Parts of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast are facing a risk of dangerous flash flooding through Monday night. Damaging winds and hail are also possible.
The threats come as many people travel home from the holiday weekend, raising the potential for flooded roads, travel delays and additional power outages.
A priest is speaking out after his Catholic splinter sect was excommunicated. Just ahead, why he believes the group will someday be welcomed back into the church.
Plus, swimming in the Seine was once unthinkable, but now the famous Parisian river is giving overheated visitors a very French way to cool down. See you in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HUNTE: Welcome back.
During his weekly prayer service from the Vatican, Pope Leo on Sunday expressed solidarity with the victims of the deadly earthquakes that struck Venezuela.
The Catholic pontiff expressed his support, saying he always remembers quote, "the victims of the earthquake and the entire Venezuelan people". He added that he keeps praying for them.
Authorities in Venezuela say at least 3,300 people died in the earthquakes last month.
A priest from an ex-communicated Catholic splinter sect told worshipers on Sunday that they would be welcomed back to the church under a different pope.
The sect known as the Society of Saint Pius X was excommunicated last week after four bishops were ordained without Pope Leo's consent.
The group was founded in Switzerland in 1970, and it has followers worldwide. They do claim the Church has strayed from its true faith, and that Pope Leo has failed to hear their concerns.
The act of ordaining bishops without the pope's approval was considered so grave that the excommunication was automatic.
[01:44:50]
HUNTE: Cycling fans have been asked to stay away from the Tour de France today. That is because of a wildfire burning in the southwest near the Spanish border.
Cyclists are due to cross the finish line. Just 60 kilometers or some 37 miles from the blaze. Only the riders and essential vehicles will be allowed on that route.
Extreme heat and wildfires are happening across Europe, with blazes in Spain as well as France.
Speaking of France, the temperatures in Paris are sweltering, but now residents and visitors do have a new way to cool off by swimming in the Seine River.
CNN's Melissa Bell explains why that was impossible just two years ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Forget climbing the Eiffel Tower. The cool new thing to do in Paris is to swim beneath it. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's very quiet. Yes, very nice, and you can see some very little fish in the water, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We swim in Copenhagen, where we come from as well. So, we don't really mind, actually.
BELL: Others are still a little hesitant.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have not, like, entered the water, but I think the idea of, like, lounging by the Seine is really cool.
BELL (voice-over): It's hard to imagine that the Seine River was once a toxic mess, home to half of Paris' untreated wastewater.
In fact, for a hundred years, swimming in it was strictly prohibited. Now, for the second year in a row, public swimming areas will be open until the end of August.
EMMANUEL GREGOIRE, PARIS MAYOR: First, I would like to guarantee them that the quality of the water is very good.
Secondly, it's an amazing occasion to discover Paris in a different way.
BELL: A swimmable Seine was one of the pledges of the 2024 Paris Olympics. 1.4 billion euros were spent getting the river clean enough for the athletes to compete in it. But the idea was always to give ordinary Parisians their river back, too.
A few years ago, the idea of swimming in the Seine River would have seemed crazy. But then again, this is a city in which it is often said that the only sane thing is the river.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTE: One of the most surprising teams at the World Cup have returned home to a hero's welcome. Up next, fans celebrate the historic performance by Cape Verde players at a huge parade in the tiny island nation.
See you in a moment.
[01:47:09]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HUNTE: Hello again.
Two days after they almost upset the defending World Cup champions, Cape Verde's national soccer team have returned home to a hero's welcome.
The underdogs from a tiny island chain off the West African Coast captured hearts around the world and became one of the must-watch stories of the tournament.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTE: A triumphant homecoming for a team that didn't win a single match at the World Cup. But that's not counting hearts and minds.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My national team was at the World Cup. This is my greatest pride. And I believe it is the greatest pride of everyone who is here.
HUNTE: Thousands of fans cheered the Blue Sharks as they arrived back in Cape Verde after stunning the football world by nearly upsetting champions Argentina in a thrilling 3 to 2 loss in extra time.
It was the tiny African nation's debut at the World Cup, but they held their own against some of the giants of the game with three draws, including one against Spain, before making the mighty Argentina sweat for its hard-fought victory.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We went game by game, showing our worth. We started against the world champion, current European champion, and we managed to draw. In the second game we played against Uruguay, which is also a two-time champion, and we drew as well.
Everyone started to know us from there.
HUNTE: Cape Verde defied all expectations from day one. Coach Bubista scoured the world to find players with Cape Verdean heritage for his squad, coming up with a magic combination that not only qualified for the World Cup, but also won over fans worldwide.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They showed attitude, courage, strength, everything they represented. The strength on the field, there is no explanation. The united everyone to support Cape Verde.
HUNTE: The turnout at home is just one sign of how much has changed for Cape Verde. The team's newfound fame and street cred on the pitch is the beautiful game at its best.
They may not have made it to the Round of 16, but that's not what it takes to be number one in this crowd.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTE: As the U.S. reflects on 250 years of independence, Americans are debating which of the nation's founding fathers remains the most beloved in this modern era.
CNN's Harry Enten has the numbers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: I was expecting George Washington to be at the top of this list, but in fact, it's Benjamin Franklin. It's Benjamin Franklin, the inventor at plus 75 points on the net favorability scale. That is 75 percent more of the electorate has a favorable than unfavorable rating of Benjamin Franklin to this very day. George Washington, though, of course, still a very popular guy, you
know, plus 68 points. And then rounding out the top three, at least on this screen is Tommy Jefferson. He comes in at plus 60 points.
Now, one of the reasons that I find Tommy Jefferson so interesting is because, well, you know, I have an addiction. I have an addiction.
I'm not quite sure it's going to come across on the screen, but I have an addiction to $2 bills. I have an addiction to $2 bills. Hopefully you can see it. If not, you know, I got the $2 bill right there.
I hand them out. I'm like Steve Wozniak, I believe, who also hands them out. I guess it's just a weird little quirk of mine.
And of course, on the back of the $2 bill again, not sure you can see it, but it's a beautiful picture. It is a beautiful picture of the signing of the Declaration of Independence all the way back in 1776, now, of course, 250 years ago.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTE: Well, all right.
Living aboard a nearly century old tall ship comes with its own set of challenges.
[01:54:46]
HUNTE: Cadets with the U.S. Coast Guard are learning that firsthand. As the Eagle sails the Atlantic, cadets and crew are working together to man that ship and learn the skills that they need to serve.
CNN's Leigh Waldman visited the crew ahead of the ship's appearance at Independence Day celebrations over the weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: From swabbing the deck.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go ahead and set some sails and be ready for when the wind come.
WALDMAN: To hoisting the sails --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Heave. Heave.
WALDMAN: -- Life on the Eagle is hard work. The 150 cadets and 60 crew members wake up every day to reveille, an announcement signaling the start of day.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have a good day, shipmates.
WALDMAN: Captain Chris Ainslie hosts a morning workout, this time led by a cadet.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two, one, burpees. WALDMAN: From dawn until dusk, these cadets are busy with daywork, cleaning and engineering work. They're expected to sand and varnish the railing, apply tar to the riggings and maintain the six miles' worth of line on board.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a lot of hard work, but I'm really like happy.
WALDMAN: All of that work and a lot of hungry mouths to feed.
MADISON BENTLEY, U.S. COAST GUARD PETTY OFFICER 3RD CLASS: We get up at 4:30 in the morning, and we usually finish preps around 4:00 in the evening. Yes. And then we host the flag cabin meal in the back. So we're 17-hour day every.
WALDMAN: In the fridge, culinary specialist Madison Bentley takes us through how food is stored below.
BENTLEY: So the next three days are all prepped out right here.
WALDMAN: Ok.
BENTLEY: It's 100 pounds of meat per meal.
WALDMAN: On top of cooking, the galley crew also serves every meal.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you want broccoli?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, please.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Awesome. What about roll? Chicken or salad?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everything. Perfect.
WALDMAN: The cadets eat in shifts down in the mess hall while officers, guests and other high-ranking officials are served in the wardroom.
The sleeping arrangements are also split. More privacy for some. Meanwhile, the cadets are used to close quarters.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the first-class female cadet berthing. It houses about 12 cadets at a time.
WALDMAN: In the belly of the Eagle there's a doctor's office and a barber shop. Everything they need for weeks at sea.
Aboard the Eagle, I'm Leigh Waldman.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTE: All right. That's all I've got for you.
Thanks for joining me and the weekend team at CNN for the past few days. It has been quite busy.
I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta. I will see you in two weeks' time.
Of course, don't go anywhere. There is so much more CNN NEWSROOM right after this.
See you in two weeks.
[01:57:06]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
