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CNN International: U.S. Launches New Attacks on Iran As Leaders Trade Threats; Mexico Investigates Lettuce Linked to Cyclospora Outbreak; New Zealand Racing to Protect its Treasured Native Birds. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired July 23, 2026 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: On Wednesday, he even posted an article that reported he'd ordered Central Command to, quote, "open the gates of hell." But so far, neither the threats nor the strikes have caused the Iranians to shake loose any of the concessions that the administration is looking for here.

Now, I've spoken to diplomats in the region as well. They, too, are pessimistic about finding an off-ramp. They're particularly concerned about both sides' threats against civilian infrastructure. Yes, they are still working to de-escalate, but they say the prospects for that right now appear fairly bleak.

And the phrase that I keep hearing from administration officials is the Dover test. President Trump was at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Wednesday to observe the dignified transfer of the remains of those four fallen American service members who died in Jordan and Iraq over the weekend. What the Dover test implies is that the president, as he considers his next steps here, is weighing whether the consequences of his decisions are worth the risk.

Kevin Liptak, CNN, the White House.

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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR: French authorities are investigating the death of a professional model scout who introduced multiple young women to Jeffrey Epstein. Now, the cause of Daniel Siad's death is not yet known. The French prosecutor says that an autopsy will be performed to determine exactly how he died.

Siad was reportedly mentioned in the Epstein files more than 2,000 times. And CNN aired an exclusive interview with him just a few weeks ago. Here's our Melissa Bell in Paris.

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MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A French model recruiter linked to Jeffrey Epstein has been found dead at his home in the suburb of Colombe near Paris according to prosecutors. Daniel Siad had been the subject of renewed scrutiny in the wake of the latest releases of the Epstein files by the U.S. Department of Justice. For over a decade he'd arranged for the late sex offender to meet several models.

CNN's Katie Polglase recently interviewed Siad who said he'd had no reason to believe that two women he'd recommended to Epstein had been harmed by him even though those two women told CNN that they were indeed abused by Jeffrey Epstein.

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

BELL: Siad said he believed that Epstein was a casting director for Victoria's Secret and for a modeling agency. CNN has found no evidence to support that claim.

SIAD: I didn't know a lot about him until when he comes to Paris and I told you again he said he pays these his due to the government. So, for me he's free man, he's clean. He was such a powerful person and how can I not trust him.

BELL: Epstein ties to the modeling industry are part of ongoing investigations including a criminal probe launched this year in Paris involving Siad according to the city's chief prosecutor. Now, Siad's lawyer has pointed to the stress that the man was under due to the unbearable waiting and I quote, "the stigma cast upon him." Siad's lawyer's statement also calling for respect for his loved ones as they mourn adding that he died and was innocent.

Siad himself was also facing accusations of abuse. A model accused him of rape when she was working in France in 1990. Siad had also denied that accusation. His death certainly marks the latest macabre twist in the Epstein saga and a reminder of the ripple effects of the revelations from the Epstein files and of the fact that they are far from over.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Well, concerns about the time that teenagers spend on social media are prompting some countries to adopt restrictions and outright bans in some cases as they fear for their health. France is the latest to do so. Lawmakers there voted to ban social media use for children under 15. France is joining a growing list of countries that have enacted similar bans and more are considering adopting measures of their own.

Earlier, I had a chance to speak about the new ban with Sonia Livingstone. She's a professor of social psychology at the London School of Economics. And I asked her whether these policies are actually enforceable. And if so, will more countries adopt them?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SONIA LIVINGSTONE, PROFESSOR OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: Several countries are going first. Australia, most notably, which banned children under 16 from using social media last December. And now, France and the others are kind of more announcements.

I don't know if we're going to see more for two reasons. One, the bans are not going very well. So, in Australia, the numbers of children who are using social media has gone down. But still, there are 61 percent who are using social.

[04:35:00]

And the problem seems to be that the platforms are not doing the age checks that are needed.

So, in France, which has just brought in the ban, you know, announced it on Monday. They have weakened in the last minute in the parliament. They've weakened the requirement for age checks. And I think as every parent knows, if there's not a good age check, children will get back on social media because that's the social norm and that's how they see their friends. So, it's not clear it's going to be a successful strategy.

And at the same time, Europe more widely is about to announce a Europe-wide policy, which I think will be not a ban, but something more thoughtful about ensuring that platforms finally take steps to keep children safe.

SANDOVAL: So, Sonia, if these policies are just not, quite frankly, not cutting it based on, you know, what you just shared, then what is the most ideal approach to try to limit children's exposure to certain content online? What do you think is just not really done right in these policies?

LIVINGSTONE: Well, for a long time, the policies are focused on content. And I think sometimes, of course, extreme content should be dealt with. And platforms are taking some steps there, but definitely not enough. I think where the focus should be placed, and is placed by at least European regulation, is on the algorithms that push and target and escalate problematic content, especially when it reaches the more vulnerable children.

So, a child who looks for something perhaps depressing or who's feeling sad or who is feeling bad about themselves, they will find themselves the target of a kind of algorithmic push that makes them even more depressed and, you know, tells them how problematic their body is or makes them feel terrible.

So, I think the algorithm is where the focus should be. And that's where the recent legal actions are, both in the United States and also in Europe. The governments are now bringing actions against TikTok, against Meta, against some other platforms for promoting a problematic feed. And what children say in research is that they would like much better control over their feed. They would like to be set. They would like to be able to choose what content. They would like to be able to exclude certain content. And they would like the service to be age appropriate. But that is going to take enforcement of existing regulation and perhaps some new regulation to really make that happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: A deadly strain of bird flu now threatening some of New Zealand's most prized natural treasures. Coming up next, the country's minister for biosecurity speaks to us, explaining what is being done to protect some critically endangered birds.

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SANDOVAL: Welcome back. Mexico currently conducting its own investigation into the lettuce believed to be the source of the cyclospora outbreak in the United States. The CDC has confirmed more than 4,000 cases. Another 7,400 suspected cases are currently undergoing additional lab testing, and the lettuce linked to the outbreak was grown in central Mexico, as CNN's Valeria Leon reports.

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VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Mexican authorities are conducting their own investigation into the cyclospora outbreak in the United States after U.S. officials traced the lettuce supplied to a company operating in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato.

The FDA initially reported that a lettuce sample had tested positive for the parasite but later withdrew that result, saying it was a false-positive. Despite that reversal and although there is currently no evidence confirming contamination, Mexico decided to continue with its own investigation.

Mexico's health secretary, David Kershenobich also confirmed three cases of cyclosporiasis in Mexico but said authorities have ruled out an outbreak in the country. So far, officials have not linked those cases to the lettuce involved in the U.S. investigation. Here is how Kershenobich explained Mexico's response.

DAVID KERSHENOBICH STALNIKOWITZ, MEXICO HEALTH SECRETARY (through translator): A sample is taken that tested positive, but the FDA later determined it was a false-positive. Therefore, we currently have no evidence. However, we have traveled to Guanajuato and collected samples to conduct our own investigation in coordination with the U.S. CDC.

LEON: The lettuce was traced to Taylor Farms in Mexico, which voluntarily removed iceberg lettuce from central Mexico from the U.S. market. And the case is significant for Mexico because the U.S. is its largest agriculture export market. No broader restrictions on Mexican products have been announced but Mexican authorities, of course, want to determine whether contamination occurred at the source and prevent investigation from affecting other producers and exports.

Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico City.

(END VIDEOTAPE) SANDOVAL: New Zealand racing to protect its treasured native birds from the bird flu. The country now reeling after finding two birds infected with the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu just last week. And millions of birds worldwide have already died after becoming infected with the strain. And New Zealand now rushing to vaccinate 300 breeding pairs of five critically endangered native species to protect them from the virus.

Joining me now from Wellington, New Zealand, is the Honorable Andrew Hoggard, a lifelong farmer. Andrew serves as New Zealand's minister for biosecurity and food safety, and he's also the associate minister of agriculture. Andrew, welcome to the program.

ANDREW HOGGARD, NEW ZEALAND MINISTER FOR BIOSECURITY AND FOOD SAFETY: Thank you. Good to be here.

SANDOVAL: So, I wonder if we can maybe start by with you telling us just how this bird flu strain may pose an extinction risk to some of New Zealand's bird population. I mean, the country's so worried that it's taking, it's making that rare move to vaccinate breeding pairs of five critically endangered native species just to protect them from this.

HOGGARD: Yes. Well, New Zealand's, you know, very isolated. We've had bird species that have developed here over many thousands of years that are unique to New Zealand. So, you know, they're pretty important to us, and they're not found anywhere else in the world.

[04:45:00]

So, there is a concern that now that we know bird flu can make it and possibly will become endemic in New Zealand, we're just really worried about what it might mean for those bird species. So, what the step we're taking is we've got a number of populations that are critically endangered that we've got in breeding centers or offshore islands where we're able to keep them predator-free.

And so, we're able in that situation to catch these birds and vaccinate a number of them just to make sure that, you know, if the worst does happen, that, you know, we will have breeding birds that will survive, that we can bolster the numbers back up again. S SANDOVAL: I wonder if we could get a quick update. Last week, there were two H5N1-infected birds that were recorded there. Do you know of any additional cases that have been officially reported since then?

HOGGARD: No, we haven't had any other additional cases since then, just those two. And, you know, we're busy at the moment searching beaches and other places and obviously our public's very aware and we're getting lots and lots of reports coming in from people of any suspicious birds. So, we're doing testing and just trying to paint a real clear picture of where this disease may be in New Zealand.

SANDOVAL: Obviously, there are concerns for New Zealand's birds. And as you mentioned, there are very few nations that have a special appreciation for birds as New Zealand, which is wonderful. But then also the concern, for example, for the poultry industry. So, just in your view, how bad could this get for New Zealand in the event of a widespread bird flu outbreak?

HOGGARD: So, one of the lucky things for us is the fact that we're effectively the last country in the world to get this disease. We have been looking at what's happened in other parts of the world, understanding from the poultry sectors how they've managed the systems they've put in place. So, we've gotten fairly well prepared and learnt a lot of lessons from offshore and taken that back to our producers here in New Zealand.

So, one of the things that we've been working with the sector for about a year now is putting in place biosecurity plans for their farms. So, they're looking at how can they limit access for wild birds, making sure that people and vehicle movements into the farms won't bring the disease with them. So, a lot of effort's gone into how can we best prepare and work on preventing it from getting into our farms so that we don't see some of the situations we've seen offshore where there's been shortages of eggs or poultry meat.

SANDOVAL: Right. And because, as you point out, New Zealand is essentially one of the last countries to get or to face this threat, I imagine that long line of preparations. I mean, folks there have been preparing for this very potential situation.

HOGGARD: Yes. So, we've -- I think it was a year and a half ago, had sent officials and members of our industry over to the U.K. to see what they've done. Similarly, people went to the United States, I think, a year and a bit back when the disease popped up in dairy cows. And obviously, our dairy industry is our main export earner. And so, incredibly important to us as a nation.

And so, we wanted to understand what had happened in the U.S. and getting any sort of lessons we could from that is to make sure that if it was to make the species jump to our dairy herd here in New Zealand, what are the steps we need to do to prevent it, you know, spreading or having a major impact.

SANDOVAL: Andrew Hoggard, please stay in touch as we continue to follow the situation there in New Zealand and this bird flu threat. Thank you.

HOGGARD: No worries. Thank you.

SANDOVAL: And still to come, Republican politicians are taking a new approach as they push for a controversial voter ID law. Ahead, why they keep bringing up the Olive Garden.

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[04:50:00]

SANDOVAL: The European Union has signed off on a Paramount merger with Warner Brothers Discovery, the parent company of this network. Regulators now saying that Paramount made several concessions, including an agreement to abandon a film distribution deal with Universal in Europe.

Here in the United States, 12 state attorneys general are challenging the buyout, claiming that it would stifle competition. Paramount says that the opposite is true. A federal judge has put the deal on hold for now to consider the antitrust lawsuit.

Republican officials in the U.S. have latched on to a pop culture story to defend their controversial voter I.D. law. It involves an Italian-American restaurant chain known for its all-you-can-eat pasta and some supporters arguing that it's easier to commit voter fraud than it is to use someone else's never-ending pasta pass. Here's CNN's Tom Foreman to explain.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: First round, get your go-to. Second, have what she's having.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An Olive Garden diner asks online if his whole family can share his never-ending pasta pass, which is good for months. The restaurant chain says no, it's only for use by the pass holder, who must present a valid photo I'D. And that prompts White House advisor Stephen Miller to serve up some piping hot politics.

STEPHEN MILLER, WHITE HOUSE ADVISER: We've reached the point of society where access to fettuccini at Olive Garden is vastly more secure than deciding who is commander-in-chief of the country.

FOREMAN (voice-over): Some Republicans have bellied up to that table fast, asking their fellow lawmakers to pass the SAVE America Act, please.

[04:55:00]

REP. BRYAN STEIL (R.-WI): We're protecting our breadsticks more than our ballots in jurisdictions across this country.

FOREMAN (voice-over): They've been pushing the measure for months to put strict new I'D requirements on anyone trying to vote.

REP. STEVE SCALISE (R.-LA): The only reason you can be against that is if you want voter fraud. It's a main course for President Donald Trump, who implied he simply overpowered election fraud when he won in 2016.

TRUMP: Folks, the system is rigged.

FOREMAN (voice-over): That he was cheated when he lost in 2020.

TRUMP: It was a rigged election.

FOREMAN (voice-over): And even now, back in office, he relentlessly claims corruption is common when Americans go to the polls.

TRUMP: This cannot be allowed to continue. FOREMAN (voice-over): The fly in the sauce: it's not true. Courts, election experts and researchers have found time and again that voter fraud at any level is exceedingly rare and almost never decides the outcome of any election. Still, the GOP keeps dishing distrust on the issue.

ABIGAIL JACKSON, WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY: Olive Garden takes pasta past security more seriously than Democrats are taking election security.

FOREMAN (voice-over): Even as many Democrats say, the SAVE America Act could discourage legal voters by stoking fears and raising onerous requirements, such as proving citizenship or making a married woman prove she changed her name long ago, not for pasta but for a constitutional right.

FOREMAN: Of course, we reached out to Olive Garden to see if the company had any comment. Nothing yet. This legislation has made it through the U.S. House but it has stalled in the Senate, where it doesn't seem to have the votes. But the Republicans are still cooking on it.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: And from the entire team, thank you so much for joining us. The last hour of news. I'm Polo Sandoval. Our coverage continues with CNN Headline Express in a moment.

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