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California Governor Newsom Slams Trump for "Brazen Abuse of Power"; L.A. Mayor Says City Being "Used for an Experiment" on What Feds Can Do; "Mass Arrests" in L.A. as Immigration Raid Protests Spread; U.S. Appeals Court Says Tariffs Can Remain in Place for Now; Trump "Less Confident" about Deal with Iran; Trump Aiming to Have Hush Money Conviction Reviewed; FIFA Sets Goal of $100 Million for Global Citizen Education Fund. Aired 10- 10:45a ET
Aired June 11, 2025 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to the second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Lynda Kinkade.
Coming up, protests against president Trump's immigration crackdown spread from coast to coast as the White House continues to order raids to scoop up
foreigners.
Inflation in the U.S. rises less than expected in May, despite a blizzard of tariffs putting up the cost of imports. Economists warn prices could
take off amid uncertainty over the president's trade policy.
And children are among the victims as dozens of people are reportedly killed by gunfire in Gaza. In one incident, seven were killed near an aid
distribution site as Palestinians are forced to risk death just to get food to eat.
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KINKADE: Well, the sun is now up in Los Angeles after a night of more protests and what police call mass arrests. Most of that unrest confined to
a small downtown area of the city, where an overnight curfew was lifted last hour.
The protests in L.A. have spread to major cities across the United States in response to the Trump administration's immigration raids. President
Donald Trump deployed some 4,000 National Guard troops to assist ICE agents who are making the arrests.
Hundreds of U.S. Marines are also in L.A. to support those guard troops, what California governor Gavin Newsom calls the use of the National Guard a
brazen abuse of power by the president. He's suing to stop the deployment. Here's more of what Newsom said Tuesday night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): This is about all of us. This is about you. California may be first but it clearly will not end here. Other states are
next.
Democracy is next. Democracy is under assault before our eyes. This moment we have feared has arrived.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: President Trump insists that the troops are needed to help protect the ICE agents. On Tuesday, he told soldiers in North Carolina that
Los Angeles would burn to the ground without the National Guard there to assist.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I've deployed thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines to protect federal law enforcement from the attacks of a vicious
and violent mob and some of the radical left. They say, oh, that's not nice.
Well, we didn't do it. There wouldn't be a Los Angeles would be burning today, just like their houses were burning a number of months ago.
What you're witnessing in California is a full-blown assault on peace, on public order and on national sovereignty carried out by rioters bearing
foreign flags with the aim of continuing a foreign invasion of our country. We're not going to let that happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: CNN's Nick Watt was in the crowds and he shows us what it was like.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A flash of anger on a hot, tense afternoon. A bus pulling into the detention center was the
spark. The National Guard holding the line, then a snatch squad out to make an arrest. Everyone ordered to leave the area, another arrest.
Plenty of peaceful protesters and local politicians also don't want the National Guard here or the 700 Marines deployed to LA but still awaiting
orders.
ADM. JAMES STRAVIDIS (RET.), CNN SENIOR MILITARY ANALYST: These are the most experienced, highly blooded shock troops in the world. But putting
active duty U.S. Marines into this situation I think is dangerous and they're not well trained for the mission.
WATT (voice-over): Mayor Karen Bass calls this a grand experiment.
MAYOR KAREN BASS (D-CA), LOS ANGELES: If you can do this to the nation's second largest city, maybe the administration is hoping that this will be a
signal to everybody everywhere to fear them, that your federal government that historically has protected you can come in and take over.
TRUMP: Very simply, we will liberate Los Angeles and make it free, clean and safe again. It's happening very quickly.
What you're witnessing in California is a full-blown assault on peace, on public order.
WATT (voice-over): In reality, there has been violence but it's been contained to a small area of the city.
BASS: The unrest that has happened are a few blocks within the downtown area. Having said that, though the violence and the damage is unacceptable,
it is not going to be tolerated and individuals will be arrested and prosecuted.
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WATT (voice-over): Sparked and sustained, says the mayor, by ICE immigration raids and the fear they're spreading. One state representative
called those raids "dark, disgusting events," adding, "Los Angeles was targeted because they hate our immigrants for the color of their skin."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Our Stephanie Elam is in Los Angeles.
Good to have you there, Stephanie. So the curfew, well and truly lifted. We heard Donald Trump saying, we're not going to let cities burn. Just explain
what took place in Los Angeles last night in terms of looting, vandalism, the protests and arrests and what can be expected tonight.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I don't think I can overestimate how small of an area of Los Angeles that this is happening in. And
definitely we've seen a lot of graffiti that is happening more than I've seen in some recent protests here.
But the skirmishes between law enforcement and the people on the street did start earlier yesterday in the afternoon. They were shooting rubber bullets
here, which I've been collecting off the street, at protesters.
These non-lethal ways of containing the crowd and also dispersing the crowd, we saw that they shut down parts of this major thoroughfare that
runs through here. I'm standing right above it. It's the 101 Freeway here.
So they have still, at this point in the day, even though the curfew is over now, they are still blocking off the entrance and exits to the freeway
from downtown Los Angeles, just to make sure that people are moving through here and to stop any more people who are trying to come in here and just
cause chaos, obviously.
Now one thing that is worth noting is that, yesterday, those skirmishes between law enforcement started earlier in the day than what we have seen
in some of these previous days. So you can see that that's a bit of a change of tone, especially with this curfew now being set starting at 8 pm.
And it's worth noting as well that, at 8 pm in June in Los Angeles, the sun is still not totally set. So there's still a lot of light up. So it's early
here for there to be a curfew going all the way until 6 am.
I can tell you, coming into downtown this morning, it was pretty clear of people. There was not a lot of huge police presence until you got to
certain parts of town here, by where we've seen the bulk of the protesting.
But while all of this is going on, at the same time, north of us in Ventura County, the county north of us, we saw ICE going in and doing some raids
and arresting some undocumented workers there on farms. So not all of the concentration has been here in L.A.
And ICE is still continuing to do what they do, despite the massive protests that we've seen here in downtown Los Angeles. And it's, you know,
at this point, the curfew is expected to go on for a few more nights, as far as the mayor is saying, especially after we've seen about two dozen
businesses that were looted in the last couple of days.
And I can tell you, many of them are boarded up. It almost looks like we're back in the George Floyd protest days of 2020, the way some of the
businesses have boarded up after seeing some of that devastation and destruction a couple of nights ago.
KINKADE: All right, Stephanie Elam, great to get that perspective from you on the ground in Los Angeles. Thanks very much.
And for more, CNN law enforcement analyst Jonathan Wackrow joins us now this hour.
Good to see you again. So we've heard the rhetoric from Donald Trump, saying that he's trying to prevent cities from being burned down. He's
trying to prevent a foreign invasion. We just heard from Stephanie about that perspective, about the size of these protests.
What's your assessment from what you've seen?
JONATHAN WACKROW, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, from what I've seen in what we're witnessing, really in L.A., really underscores this delicate
balance between federal enforcement authority and local authority, really centered around maintaining civil order.
And currently, what you have is specific to Los Angeles is the civil order is being maintained solely by the LAPD in their law enforcement, local law
enforcement partners, not the federal government. So there's this interesting push and pull around narratives as to who is doing what.
But the reality on the ground is that the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Police Department and local law enforcement partners are
really on the front line of maintaining that civil order and, at the same time, ensuring that constitutional free speech rights are being maintained
for those who want to exercise them.
KINKADE: So we are seeing these small, scattered protests, not just in Los Angeles but New York, Dallas, Austin, here in Atlanta. But it's only been
Los Angeles, where the National Guard was deployed; 4,000 troops at a staggering cost of $134 million.
That's according to the Pentagon, which, of course, includes travel and housing expenses for the next 60 days of the deployment.
That doesn't seem to make sense under, you know, an administration that has been pushing, you know, these cuts across every other department under the
government, the Department of Government Efficiency.
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Is it justified?
WACKROW: Well, the administration is going to feel that it's justified to incur those costs from the military standpoint. Again, immigration and
these immigration actions were a key tenet of this administration's policy during the election.
And they feel that this is something that they want to engage in because they have to. This is what their policy priority is right now.
But if you take a step back, these protests that started small in Los Angeles really have ignited this national wave across the country. And
they're driven by two distinct flashpoints right now.
One is this increased enforcement activity around immigration and really the aggressive tone and tenor that has been put forth to arrest those who
are illegal in the United States.
Now the second part of that is the combination of this military deployment. And it still remains to be seen as to what is actually the military going
to do in full support of this new immigration policy.
And I think that's what is driving a lot of concern in its rooting -- in its the foundation of what is going on in the in the protest narrative, is
this concern not only about the immigration activity but the combination of the military deployment and the fear that this is going to expand across
the country.
KINKADE: Yes. All right. We will continue to cover it. But great to get your analysis. Appreciate your time today, Jonathan Wackrow. Thank you.
WACKROW: Thank you, Lynda.
KINKADE: Well, we are following brand new developments today that give us a better picture of the state of the U.S. economy. Economic data out in the
last few hours shows that consumer prices ticked up by 0.1 percent in the month of May and that nudged the annual inflation rate up to 2.4 percent
from a four-year low in April.
But that was still lower than expected as the effects of president Trump's tariffs started to make themselves felt. Well, meanwhile, the most sweeping
of president Trump's tariffs can remain in place for now while legal challenges play out. That was the ruling from a U.S. federal appeals court
on Tuesday.
And it comes after the Trump administration appealed to a lower court ruling which found Mr. Trump had overstepped his authority as president to
impose countrywide tariffs. Trump called the decision from the appeals court "a great and important win" for the U.S.
Well, CNN business and politics correspondent Vanessa Yurkevich joins us now. She's following all the developments from New York.
Good to see you. Let's start first on that new data out on inflation. Just talk us through the numbers.
VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well this was a good inflation report in the month of May. It came in better than
economists had expected, mainly because we have all of these tariff wars playing out across the globe right now. And there's just so much
uncertainty.
But really, in the face of this uncertainty, a solid picture here. You have inflation rising by 0.1 percent on a monthly basis in May. That is actually
a deceleration from what we saw the previous month. And then you have inflation ticking up, yes, from 2.3 percent to 2.4 percent on an annual
basis but lower than what economists had expected.
And the categories really that we have seen, that we've been watching closely, is energy, shelter and food. Energy prices came down significantly
led because gas prices here in the United States are a lot cheaper.
You had food prices ticking up ever so slightly, especially at the grocery store and then you had shelter, which is what everybody pays for rent. That
did increase. And that is why we saw that monthly increase.
We're also digging into this report to see if we can see any signs of tariffs affecting prices. And what we did see is that certain key items
that are highly imported, like appliances, tools, car parts, we are seeing increases in those prices, especially appliances.
Those are things that people are buying regularly in terms of toasters and coffee makers, things like that, that might have to be replaced more
regularly. Those prices have ticked up. And that is a sign that maybe some of the tariffs are really seeping into prices here in the United States.
However, despite all that, overall, the inflation picture looks really good. But economists still are warning that this is the calm before the
storm and we may have to wait a few more months to see just how much these tariffs show up in inflation.
KINKADE: And, of course, a lot of businesses, a lot of investors are waiting with bated breath for more details about this U.S.-China trade
deal. We heard from the U.S. president that the deal is done. But from officials, they've said the framework is in place.
[10:15:00]
Take us through what we know.
YURKEVICH: Yes. So we heard from president Donald Trump this morning on Truth Social. And he was saying that the deal is done, essentially, that
U.S. and Chinese trade officials had agreed to a framework, which essentially just confirms the agreement that they made a month ago in
Geneva.
But things started to kind of roll off the rails in the last month, because part of the agreement ensured that China would continue to send rare earth
minerals, key to producing things like cars and airplanes, to the U.S.
The U.S. accused China of not sending those rare earth minerals that are so key to everyday items that everyday Americans use. And so the U.S.
responded by saying that they were going to stop sending key chip computer software to China.
And they were going to revoke visas for Chinese students who wanted to attend U.S. universities and colleges. That now seems to be wrapped up in
this framework. And the president saying that he, along with president Xi of China, are going to review the framework, sign off on it.
But what I was really paying close attention to, because I've been talking to so many businesses, Lynda, who are really mostly worried about the
tariff rates, there's still a 30 percent at a minimum tariff in effect on Chinese exports and a 10 percent tariff in effect on U.S. exports. Those
rates are staying the same. Those are not changing.
So some businesses, while they may be encouraged by development or a good outcome from these talks, they may be disappointed to learn that the tariff
rates that are still too high for many businesses still remain in effect. Lynda.
KINKADE: All right. We will talk again soon, no doubt. Vanessa Yurkevich joining us from New York, thanks so much.
Well, still to come, is Iran's nuclear program purely for peaceful goals?
The U.N.'s monitoring group isn't so sure. I'm going to speak with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency when we come back.
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KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. We are following reports of attacks on Palestinians near eight sites in Gaza. Hospital officials say
dozens were killed as they tried to reach aid distribution points. Eyewitnesses say people were hit with gunfire from Israeli tanks and
quadcopters.
Meantime, the U.S. ambassador to Israel has signaled what could be a major policy shift by Washington if his comments are backed by the U.S.
president. In an interview with Bloomberg News, Mike Huckabee reportedly said he's not sure the United States still supports a two-state solution
for Israel and the Palestinians.
Well, the comments come amid high-stakes nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. Last month, president Trump said he had told Israel's prime
minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to do anything to disrupt those talks and that he believed negotiators were very close to a solution.
But in a podcast that's being released today, he says the talks have lost steam.
[10:20:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think you're going to be able to stop Iran from enriching its -- ?
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: I don't know. I did think so. And I'm getting more and more less confident about it. They seem to be delaying. And I think that's a shame.
But they -- I'm less confident now than I would have been a couple of months ago. Something happened to them. But I am much less confident of a
deal being made.
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KINKADE: Well, earlier this week, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran had not been cooperating with the organization and
that the agency could not certify Iran's program as peaceful.
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has been supporting the talks between the United States and Iran. He joins
us now live from Vienna.
Great to have you with us.
RAFAEL MARIANO GROSSI, DIRECTOR GENERAL, IAEA: Thank you very much. Good to see you again.
KINKADE: Yes. Good to see you. So let's begin with those talks that I understand you've been working closely and intensely with the U.S. and
Iran.
To what end?
And what can you tell us about your involvement?
GROSSI: Well, what I should say, what we should recognize, first of all, is that this is a negotiation between the United States and Iran. And the
negotiator is a special envoy, ambassador Steve Witkoff, and the foreign minister of Iran. Dr. Abbas Araghchi is the Iranian negotiator.
Of course, I talked to both very regularly because of the reason -- obvious reason. I would say that any agreement, to be credible, to be serious, will
have to be verifiable. And we are the agency that has been verifying Iran for decades.
And it is, of course, to be expected that, if we get to the point of an agreement, what they agree should be verifiable. There should be a system
to ensure that all these principals that, hopefully -- and we can discuss about this -- hopefully will be -- will be reached at some point, can be
guaranteed as being observed.
So our role is a supportive role at this stage. And we hope that, if the process continues, then it will become more formal, more open.
KINKADE: Donald Trump has been asked about these negotiations quite a bit in the last few days. He told reporters at the White House on Monday this.
I just want to play some sound.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: They're just asking for things that you can't do. They seek enrichment. We can't have enrichment. We want just the opposite. And so far
they're not there. I hate to say that because the alternative is a very, very dire one but they're not there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: "We can't have enrichment." Those words from Donald Trump.
Do you agree with president Trump that Iran should not be allowed to enrich uranium at all?
GROSSI: It's not for me to agree or disagree with the negotiating position of the president. I think the president has done something very, very
important in reaching out to Iran. This is very, very important because there was no diplomatic platform. There were no conversations between Iran
and the United States.
And while this was happening, Iran continued enriching uranium at very, very high levels, at 60 percent of uranium, one uranium isotope, which is
very, very close to the type of enrichment you need to make a nuclear weapon.
So we were having a situation where we were on a collision course or a proliferation course, if I can put it like that, without anybody doing
really anything. So I think this has been tremendously important that this process has started.
And, of course, why not recognize it that Iran engaged?
But what I think the president is referring to there is, of course, the bone of contention that that seems to be affecting the negotiations, the
negotiations, which has to do with enrichment.
And it is very clear that this technology, of course, because of its potential proliferation effects, needs to be addressed in a in a correct
way. In abstract terms, no technology is forbidden. The problem here or the situation here is that there is an international concern.
Sometimes my Iranian counterparts remind me of this. They say, well, all the technologies should be available for us, which, in principle, may be
correct. But the other side of the coin is that there has been a patchy past.
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And there is and a legitimate, I would say, concern, which I have been also echoing when we see an accumulation, at this point, more than 400 kilograms
of uranium enriched at this very high level without a very clear, you know, use in civilian -- theoretically they are.
But the reality is that Iran is the only country in the world that is doing this. So I see the concern not only on the part of the president of the
United States, of course, which is essential, but in general in the international community.
So the point here -- and I think what Ambassador Witkoff and their counterparts are going to be discussing is whether there can be a formulae,
a formula, diplomatic formula, political formula, verifiable, where there can be that kind of restraint.
Which would, you know, allow a convergence, whereby the enrichment, its principal, perhaps some minimalistic formula that that could be agreeable
for both.
I don't think, I don't think it is impossible. I don't think so.
KINKADE: I mean, we did hear from Donald Trump just today on Port Force One, saying he's not confident that he can get a deal now.
Is this a weaker position than the Iran nuclear deal, the JCPOA that was signed under Obama in 2015, which was later dismantled by Donald Trump?
Is the U.S. now in a weaker negotiating position?
GROSSI: Well, I wouldn't say so. And again, you know, it's very difficult for me as head of an international organization to pronounce myself on if
it's stronger or weaker. I think, you know, that that agreement, the JCPOA, was 10 years ago.
So the Iran of 10 years ago has nothing, nothing to do with the Iran we see now. At that time, they had -- I don't want to get too technical here or
boring, you know -- but the technologies they had were more primitive. They had much less material, less places where they doing all this enrichment.
Now this program has grown. So I believe that the position of the United States is clearly addressing the heart of the matter.
And I think this is the challenge, that both sides will have, if they want to move toward an agreement, which -- and here I will quote the president,
because he was saying, if I understood correctly, that the alternative is dire alternative.
And I don't think anybody wants to see conflict or more complicated situations in a region that is already suffering a lot.
KINKADE: Just quickly, can I just ask you about one option for continued enrichment that could benefit energy projects around the Middle East?
This idea that's been floated of a regional consortium, do you think that's a good idea?
(CROSSTALK)
GROSSI: -- imaginative idea. You know, I'm not familiar with all the details in my conversations with Ambassador Witkoff. He has mentioned some
points about it.
And I think it is it is an interesting way forward, which I hope our Iranian counterparts could also explore, because by, you know, bringing
other partners to the table, what is missing here, which is confidence, could be restored.
KINKADE: All right. We'll leave it there for now. Still plenty more to discuss but we'll have to have you on the program again soon. Rafael Grossi
--
(CROSSTALK)
GROSSI: Thank you very much. My pleasure.
Thank you.
KINKADE: We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back. You're watching CNN.
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KINKADE (voice-over): Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Here are your headlines.
Los Angeles police report mass arrests after a fifth night of protests against the Trump administration's immigration raids. California governor
Gavin Newsom calls president Donald Trump's deployment of thousands of National Guard troops to the city a "brazen abuse of power."
President Donald Trump is again calling on the U.S. Federal Reserve to lower interest rates by 1 percentage point, after the latest report on the
state of inflation in the U.S.
Mr. Trump, posting on social media that data from the Consumer Price Index report was great. It shows the annual inflation rate rose to 2.4 percent
last month from a four year low in April. That was still lower than expected.
Eyewitnesses say Israeli forces fired at Palestinians trying to reach aid sites in northern Gaza. Local hospital officials tell CNN that dozens were
killed, including children, and many more were injured. The attacks were reported at two separate distribution points in northern Gaza.
KINKADE: Well, Donald Trump's legal team is currently fighting the U.S. president's hush money conviction in a federal appeals court in New York.
Trump was convicted last year of over covering up a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep her from speaking out prior to the
2016 election.
Well, the bid to have the case reviewed relies heavily on the Supreme Court's landmark presidential immunity decision. That ruling last July
granted the former U.S. leaders at least presumptive immunity for official acts. CNN will keep a close eye on this appeal and bring you all the
updates as they happen.
Well, still to come, FIFA is teaming up with some of the biggest music stars in the world for an important cause. We're going to look at their
fundraising project supporting children next.
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[10:35:00]
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KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade.
FIFA football advocacy group, Global Citizen, and the world of entertainment are uniting to support a very worthy cause. Their goal is to
raise awareness and funding to help end extreme poverty and support quality education for children in over 200 countries.
Earlier, I spoke with two of the men heading up this ambitious project.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: I'd like to welcome FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Hugh Evans, co-founder and CEO of Global Citizen.
Thanks so much for joining us.
HUGH EVANS, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, GLOBAL CITIZEN: Thank you so much.
GIANNI INFANTINO; PRESIDENT, FIFA: Thank you. Thank you.
KINKADE: Firstly, congratulations on this partnership. You plan to raise $100 million for education by the 2026 World Cup final.
A first question to you, Gianni.
What can we expect from the tournament and how will you measure the impact of this?
INFANTINO: Well, you know, an exciting tournament ahead. The FIFA Club World Cup starting on the 14th of June in Miami and the final on the 13th
of July in New York, New Jersey.
A first, a first edition, a historic edition. This didn't exist so far. And we decided, because we love America, to come to America and to do the first
one here.
The 32 best clubs in the world, from the big Europeans and Real Madrids, Paris Saint-Germains of this world to the big South Americans, North
Americans, Africans, Asians and even from Oceania, they will come here to determine which club, which team is the best in the world officially.
Millions of fans. Big celebration, big excitement. You know, a lot to be looking forward to --
(CROSSTALK)
KINKADE: Absolutely.
INFANTINO: -- in America in 11 cities.
KINKADE: Yes, the excitement is building.
And Hugh, to you, you have extensive experience hosting major music festivals for Global Citizen. I want to hear about the lineup for the final
halftime performance, because big names bring attention.
How do you ensure performances translate into action and real funding for education?
EVANS: We are so excited to announce that the first ever FIFA Club World Cup final halftime show will be headlined by the incredible J Balvin,
together with Doja Cat, Tems -- and all of this is being curated by Chris Martin of Coldplay.
And they're coming together to really represent all the world united. We've got, you know, the best artists from Latin America, the best from North
America, the best across Africa to bring the whole world together. And we're focused on raising $100 million for the FIFA Global Citizen Education
Fund.
In fact, Gianni has a really big announcement in that regard. But so many amazing artists have already joined the cause.
Artists like The Weeknd are giving $1 from every single ticket on their tour right now to support the education fund. And that $100 million will be
dispersed to support over 200 communities around the world, with grassroots education projects as well as football in schools through FIFA.
KINKADE: And so, Gianni, $1 from every ticket sold to the FIFA Club World Cup will go to the fund, right?
INFANTINO: Absolutely. This is very important. I mean, we are doing something historic with this first edition of the FIFA Club World Cup. We
did and we are doing something historic with this incredible partnership with Global Citizen. Football or soccer unites the world and music as well.
So we decided to join forces and unite the world even more.
KINKADE: It is very exciting and we are hoping to see packed stadiums. I understand the opener, you've already slashed some of the ticket prices in
order to fill those seats.
What are the measures are you taking to ensure you have full stadiums?
INFANTINO: Well, we speak to you and we speak to everyone watching us here to tell them how exciting it is and how great it will be. It is historic.
So those who want to participate in history, they cannot miss the opportunity.
Go on. www.FIFA/tickets. And take your ticket for the FIFA Club World Cup. I mean, there are still tickets available of course. But a lot of fans are
coming. We'll have over 3 million people coming. And it will be a unique celebration of football or soccer as it is called here.
KINKADE: And Hugh, why is the timing of this important, especially given the cuts we've seen to foreign aid?
EVANS: Well, I think that, you know, this is a time where, as Gianni said, football has this amazing power to unite the whole world. So does music.
And so we wanted to use this as an opportunity to raise $100 million to support grassroots education projects, because truly, education for kids is
something that everyone is united behind.
To raise $100 million right now.
[10:40:00]
It's going to have such a huge impact on quality education for kids all over the world.
KINKADE: And just finally, to you, Gianni, several countries that have qualified for the World Cup are facing a partial or full travel ban as a
result of the Trump administration. Just talk to us about what conversations you're having with the administration about that, to ensure
that fans can come to games.
INFANTINO: Well, you know, we have -- we have some really good conversations with the administration. America is a welcoming country.
America is welcoming the world this year for the club World Cup, next year for the World Cup.
Procedures will be put in place to make sure that fans can come. Those who want to come to celebrate and to -- and to spend a good time, they will be
welcomed. The teams, the fans, families to witness the greatest club World Cup. And then next year, the greatest World Cup ever.
KINKADE: I mean, it's a busy two years.
And given clubs and countries like Iran have qualified, do you think fans from that country will be able to attend?
INFANTINO: Well, I'm sure that, you know, there is still one year to go until the World Cup. And I'm sure that fans will be able to come from the
entire world to support their teams because, as we were saying, as you were saying as well, football unites the world.
And we need opportunities and occasions to unite everyone in a peaceful atmosphere. That's why we are here and we will continue to go in that
direction.
KINKADE: Gianni Infantino, Hugh Evans, this is a very exciting initiative. We wish you all the very best and we look forward to seeing some of those
games. Thanks so much for your time.
INFANTINO: Thank you.
EVANS: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: And before we let you go, the sale of a collectible behind a global toy craze set a new record at a Chinese auction house on Tuesday.
Yongle International Auction in Beijing sold a human-sized Labubu figurine for more than $150,000.
The little toy monsters have been at the center of a global frenzy for the past year since celebrities started promoting them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIANG ZAOZAO, YONGLE INTERNATIONAL AUCTION (through translator): I noticed everyone was talking about this and then it suddenly hit me.
Why not ride the wave of a trending topic?
People usually think of auction houses as something very traditional -- antiques, calligraphy and paintings or extremely expensive pieces.
And I thought, what if we could attract younger collectors to take a look at auctions and realize there's actually so much variety?
So I asked myself, what's the hottest topic right now?
And it's the Labubu.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, that does it for this edition of CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Thanks for being with us. Stay with CNN. "MARKETPLACE MIDDLE
EAST" is up next.
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[10:45:00]
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