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Connect the World
House Must Vote on Revised Senate Version of Legislation; "Here's How Trump's Megabill will Affect You"; Heat Wave Engulfs Paris, Eiffel Tower Temporarily Closes; Paramount Settles Trump's "60 Minutes" Lawsuit; Digital Cooperation Organization Secretary General Speaks to CNN. Aired 9- 10a ET
Aired July 02, 2025 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Well, this is the scene in Washington where the House is set to start its debate on the revised Senate
version of President Donald Trump, sweeping domestic agenda bill, which passed the upper chamber on Tuesday by the slimmest of margins.
It is 09:00 a.m. in D.C. It is 05:00 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi, from our Middle East Broadcasting headquarters. I'm Becky Anderson. This is "Connect
the World". Also coming up, a source tells CNN that Israel has not approved a new U.S. backed ceasefire proposal for Gaza that after President Trump
posted that Israel quote, agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize a deal.
And a live look at the court house where the jury is resuming deliberations in the trial of Sean Diddy Combs, last we heard, they are deadlocked on the
most serious charge of racketeering conspiracy. CNN is on verdict watch. Well, the stock market in New York opens about 30 minutes from now.
Futures indicating a flat to negative start the trading day. The latest data just released, causing some concern about state of the U.S. economy.
What was released and why it matters is coming up. First up, though, Republicans in the U.S. Congress face at least one more big hurdle to get
President Donald Trump's domestic agenda bill onto his desk by Friday's Independence Day holiday.
This hour, the House is set to start debate on the revised Senate version of the bill, which passed that chamber Tuesday with Vice President J.D.
Vance, casting the tie breaking vote. Overnight, the House Rules Committee voted to advance the legislation. The full House will make a key procedural
vote before any final vote that could provide a clue about whether this revised bill can pass the chamber, and there's no guarantee it will.
Republicans could afford to lose only three votes. Both hard liners and centrist Republicans have voiced problems with the Senate Bill, which would
swell the federal deficit by nearly a trillion dollars more than the original House version, and cause millions of Americans to lose health
insurance over the next decade.
Look, I know there's a lot to take in there. Our Senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak joins me now. There are two stories here, Kevin, the
political drama playing out on Capitol Hill this hour. I don't know is the very real-world impact of this legislation. I'm going to get into that
impact with an expert in a moment.
I want to start with you and the politics here. This is the Republican Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, on where the bill currently stands.
Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): Got to play the cards that are dealt to me, and we're working through that, talking to all members and all caucuses and
everybody else so but we remain optimistic we're going to land this plane. So, stay tuned.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, you are at the White House. How is Donald Trump using his significant political capital to help Johnson land that plane, Kevin?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah, he's been on the phone. He's taking meetings. As we understand it, some of those hold out
Republicans will actually be coming here to the White House today for a meeting to discuss this bill and some of their criticisms and concerns
about what is contained in it.
And I think at the end of the day, the gamble that the White House is making, and that President Trump is making, is that all of this arm
twisting and all of these pressure tactics will ultimately bring these Republicans around. And it's not as if you know the recent history isn't in
their favor on this front.
You know, there's not a lot of examples of House Republicans, or any Republicans really denying President Trump what he wants. He does have a
stranglehold on this party, and they really seem to be betting that, that will continue. In this case, they look at the roadmap of what happened in
the Senate this week as something of an example.
Remember, there were a number of Republican Senators who continue to say they had concerns about this bill, only to eventually vote yes on it when
it came up on the floor. And that, I think, is the model that the White House continues to rely upon. White House officials do say that they have
been in sort of constant communication with Republicans on the Hill about this bill, even as the Senate was making changes.
They're not essentially starting their whip operation today. They have been having these discussions ongoing. The word that one White House official
used in conversation was educate. They're trying to educate some of these Republicans about the specifics of this bill.
I think when it comes to President Trump, what he's educating these Republicans on is the political predicament that they'll find themselves in
if they oppose it. He is openly threatened to support primary challenges to at least one Republican who says he cannot come on board.
[09:05:00]
The president really hoping to rely on his political capital and the enormous popularity among his supporters for some of what he's trying to do
here to get this across the finish line. But at the end of the day, there are some real serious concerns that these Republicans have, and the
challenge that the president has is that they fall on sort of polar opposite ends of the spectrum.
On the one hand, you have Republicans who are concerned about the deficit effects of this bill. The Congressional Budget Office says that it would
explode the deficit by 3.3 trillion over a decade, and that doesn't even include the cost of servicing the debt. On the other side of the spectrum,
you have Republicans who are concerned about the cuts to the social safety net.
The number of Americans who would lose their health insurance as part of this plan. The CBO says that that would be 11.8 million Americans, although
there are also analysts who say it could be quite a significant number higher just based on the number of paperwork that is added to this bill.
The burden bureaucracy that would be imposed on Americans as they try and get some of these benefits. And so, the president's task is really to kind
of bridge some of those gaps and use his political influence to get these Republicans on board. But, you know, I was talking to the president on the
South Lawn yesterday about some of these cuts, and he does seem aware of the political predicament that a number of these Republicans will face.
He says he doesn't want the Republicans to go too crazy with cuts, because at the end of the day, they will have to get re-elected. So certainly, he's
aware of the delicate political balance that a lot of members of his own party are facing.
ANDERSON: It's good to have you, Kevin. I want to bring in Leah Wright Rigueur, she's a CNN Political Analyst and historian and an Associate
Professor of History at John Hopkins University. Critics, of course, argue that the bill could add $3.3 trillion to the national debt through tax cuts
that disproportionately benefit the wealthy, while low-income families, Leah, are harmed by cuts to safety net programs, which elements of the bill
are most likely to resonate with the American public do you believe?
LEAH WRIGHT RIGUEUR, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST & HISTORIAN: So, absolutely, the Medicare and the medical parts of the bill are the ones that are going to
resonate with the American public in part, and this is the really tricky element to the, you know, the agenda that Donald Trump is trying to pass,
which is that the people that are affect the most, the 11 million plus Americans across the country are disproportionately made up of Donald Trump
voters.
They come from regions where they are represented by Republicans. So, of course, what this does is it puts a number of Republicans and Republican
representatives, in particular, representatives from the House, in very precarious positions, because Donald Trump may not see the burn of that.
He can't be re-elected. He can't be re-elected President of the United States, but these congressmen and women who have to run for re-election
every two years, they're the ones the constituents hold responsible.
ANDERSON: I've got to be just clear here with the White House position, which is the following. This is a transformative legislative package that
looks locks in historic tax relief, delivers border security reforms, welfare funds, critical infrastructure and more. Do they have an argument
here?
RIGUEUR: They actually don't have an argument. And I think what is really perplexing about this is that as Donald Trump is advancing this agenda,
people within his own party are arguing that the bill doesn't actually do this. They argue that it has the potential to do these things.
But in particular, the Republican Party Donald Trump still relying on an age-old theory that has gone is proven over and over again. That's work,
trickle-down economics. So, the tax cuts, the group that receives the biggest tax cuts in this big, beautiful bill are actually the wealthiest 1
percent of Americans.
The people that bear the brunt of that and the burden of that are the poorest Americans and working-class Americans. So, they also see the way
that the bill is being paid for, although it's not actually being paid for, it adds an estimated $3.5 trillion to the national debt.
The way that that is trying to be offset by cutting Social Security and Social Welfare programs, Medicaid programs, programs that are entitlements,
but that the American people have learned to live with and appreciate and want. And so, it's kind of a catch all, and I think in particular for
Republicans, they are being asked, how can we uphold this bill when it appears that it's only the wealthy who are really going to benefit from
this?
[09:10:00]
ANDERSON: Let's talk about the real-world consequences of cutting into Medicaid, a rural health reporter spoke to my colleague Kate Bolduan
earlier. I just want our viewers have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH JANE TRIBBLE, CHIEF RURAL CORRESPONDENT OF KFF HEALTH NEWS: One in four adults in rural America are enrolled in Medicaid. So, when you cut
Medicaid, it affects that. Nearly 50 percent of the babies born in rural America are born under Medicaid.
And so, when you think about just the basic economics of how hospitals and clinics get the money that they have to operate and serve those
communities, they're already operating on a shoestring budget, and when you start cutting out patients who can pay that really has a very quick and
lasting impact.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I was actually shocked by those statistics. Just explain why these Republican lawmakers who represent rural districts can cope with
statistics like that and sign up to a bill like this?
RIGUEUR: So, I think one of the things, this is one of the real dilemmas that certain Republicans in the House are facing, and certainly Republicans
in the Senate were also facing that challenge. But the Republicans in the House have a different set of challenges, in part because they are
constantly trying to be re-elected.
Their term in office is much shorter, and what they have to do is they're looking at the facts, they're looking at the numbers, and it is telling
them that most of their constituents are going to be affected negatively by this. That they're actually going to see a tax increase, that they're going
to lose their entitlements, they may lose their health insurance, or at the very least, they may see their health insurance skyrocket in ways that are
devastating, right?
It disproportionately affects rural Americans, it disproportionately affects elderly Americans, it disproportionately affects poor Americans, it
disproportionately affects infants and children. And so, Republicans are going to have to wrestle with that and what they're counting on right now.
And I think it's a bad bet, and they have articulated Marjorie Taylor Greene said this last night, articulated this, that the tradeoffs. The
increase for tax cuts for the very wealthy, the increase for border security and for defense, the increase for policing. Those kinds of things,
are not big enough tradeoffs to make up for the deficit that poor, rural, elderly and young Americans are going to face, but cuts that this bill
introduces.
ANDERSON: Yeah. That dilemma for House Representatives versus senators on when they face re-election again is actually fascinating. What would
passing the House on this bill mean for President Trump's legacy and the broader 2025 political landscape?
RIGUEUR: Well, I think one of the things that a lot of people are missing is that this is actually a showdown between Donald Trump and I think the
other branch of doing it right, the executive branch, versus the congressional element of right that was in the Senate.
And one of the things that we have seen over and over again is Donald Trump saying, my way or no way, I will punish you if you do not get in line. His
entire second administration has been in one giant loyalty test, and the big, beautiful bill has become the centerpiece of his policy and political
agenda, particularly when he has not been able to get a lot of done legislatively, right.
So, this legislative push is really important for him. He has been overly reliant on executive orders. Executive Orders can be undone very quickly.
The courts have been -- he's been raging a war in the courts for these executive orders. Legislation is permanent, or has a kind of permanency
that is far more powerful.
And so, what we're seeing now, particularly in the House, is really what kind of control, what kind of power does Mike Johnson, Speaker Mike Johnson
have in this space. It appears that he does not actually have a lot, because what he's trying to do is essentially whip the legislative branch,
the House, into some kind of semblance of unity around Donald Trump.
So that Donald Trump can pass this bill, which he will claim, if it passes, he will claim as a victory. However, I'm not so sure, given the impact of
this bill in any form, that this will actually be a positive legacy, people will remember Donald Trump as the man who increased the national debt and
who took away people's health care, and that is a dangerous legacy for Republicans to have.
ANDERSON: Yeah, it's fantastic to have you. Thank you very much indeed for your insight, your analysis. And folks, you can head to CNN Digital. Thank
you for an in-depth analysis of this mega bill. Anyone who has paid U.S. tax will take advantage of U.S. government services may see big changes in
the Trump driven overhaul of funding and programs.
[09:15:00]
That article featured in our "What Matters" Newsletter. A CNN offering designed to boil down what matters in politics and deliver it right to your
inbox worth signing up for. Well, we are seeing some movement towards a possible ceasefire in Gaza, but how, when and even if a deal will get over
the finish line is unclear this hour.
Today, an Israeli source is cautioning that Israel has not yet approved a new U.S. back proposal submitted by Qatar, that is despite President Trump
saying earlier that Israel had agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize a deal. CNN's Jerusalem Correspondent Jeremy Diamond joins me now.
This ceasefire proposal is based on an outline from U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, months ago, you and I talked at length about that over the past
months. It's based on that. But what's different, is it clear?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: That is, indeed the key question, Becky, and at this stage we do not yet know. We know that the
Qataris submitted this latest proposal to both the Israelis and to Hamas yesterday, President Trump saying that Israel has agreed to the quote,
necessary conditions to finalize a ceasefire in Gaza.
That was also the position we were in before the conflict with Iran. Israel had effectively agreed to this Witkoff proposal, but the key sticking point
had been guarantees over this ceasefire being extended into a permanent ceasefire, and ultimately leading to an end to the war. That has been
Hamas' biggest sticking point throughout these negotiations.
And what we don't yet know is to what extent this new proposal actually addresses that. We know that there had been some efforts in the previous
proposal to try and offer Hamas some assurances that the United States would indeed be pushing Israel to stick with negotiations during the 60-day
ceasefire to actually reach an end to the war, you know, but it seems like those negotiations -- those assurances, would need to be strengthened even
further in order for Hamas to agree to this.
Now, there's no question that the kind of the conditions right now are ripe for a ceasefire agreement, both in Israel as well as in Gaza. The Israeli
Prime Minister has repeatedly noted that there is an opportunity to capitalize, as he says, on the successes of Israel's campaign in Iran over
those 12 days.
But he is also facing a lot of political head winds from those right-wing members of his governing coalition. Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich,
who have repeatedly in the past stood in the way of previous hostage and ceasefire release deals. And already we know that Itamar Ben-Gvir in
particular, is agitating within the government to see if he can block this from becoming a reality.
Prime Minister Netanyahu, though, is facing calls from the majority of the Israeli public to reach this deal, as well as from members of his own
party, his own coalition, including the Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, and also, critically, from members of the opposition as well.
So ultimately, we're going to have to wait and see, Becky, what happens next week when Prime Minister Netanyahu arrives in Washington and meets
with President Trump. That, of course, will be the key meeting to determine what happens next, Becky.
ANDERSON: Jeremy is in Jerusalem. Jeremy, thank you. The United States has annually spent billions of dollars on humanitarian aid in Gaza just since
the start of the war, it came through what was a power house of global relief, the U.S. Agency for International Development, which has now been
gutted and sidelined by the Trump Administration.
USAID was officially moved under the State Department this week with its budget already decimated in the name of efficiency. And 80 percent of the
agencies work not just in the Palestinian territories, but across the world, has stopped. The study in "The Lancet" medical journal predicting
millions of additional deaths globally due to the loss of USAID programs.
CNN's Anderson Cooper spoke to Former USAID Administrator Samantha Power about the impact.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAMANTHA POWER, FORMER USAID ADMINISTRATOR: Right now, there are families not getting malaria bed nets, even as they prepare for the onslaught of
mosquitoes. That's going to mean hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of kids who are at risk of dying from a mosquito bite.
That's not something that any American should tolerate. But what Secretary Rubio continues to state publicly is that the lifesaving assistance is
continuing. It is not. What he is saying is false. So far, what he has done in the name of efficiency is cut this life saving programming.
And as "The Lancet" study shows, it does not just a retrospective on the lives that have been saved.
[09:20:00]
It also warns that 12 million lives will be lost, two thirds of whom are kids under the age of five, if these cuts continue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, Samantha Power says if the government decides to revive some USAID programs, anyone who's been involved with the agency will cheer,
not just for the lives saved, but for the sake of America's reputation. Well still ahead, Europe is enduring another day of sweltering heat, those
dangerous temperatures, and when the region can expect relief is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Russia says it welcomes the Trump Administration's decision to suspend some weapons shipments, including air defense missiles, to Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials say pausing the shipments would be quite inhumane and add that they have not been notified of any decision by the U.S.
It comes as Russia intensifies air attacks on Ukraine. A White House official says the decision was taken following a pentagon review of
military support to foreign countries. It is unclear which other countries, if any, are affected. We have a lot more on this story, next hour. We'll
have CNN's Clare Sebastian with you for more.
Well, a deadly heat wave scorching multiple European countries. In France, two died from heat related causes, and hundreds more were treated by
emergency services when temperatures topped a scorching 40 degrees Celsius, which is over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the heat forced the Eiffel Tower to
close.
Unusually high temperatures also fueling dry conditions that have triggered fast moving wildfires in Spain, there two people have died. Well, our
Senior International Correspondent Melissa Bell doing her best to keep cool in Paris. So, she's got a skirt, hoicked up and she is in the water. What's
driving these record temperatures, Melissa?
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is hot. Hot Becky, for the second day in a row, scorching heat, not just here in Paris, but as
you said, in many different European cities. So, people are doing what they can to try and stay cool. These fountains are not designed for human
swimming, but here we are.
It is just too hot, really to go about your normal business. I mean, you mentioned the temperatures, but new records were set yesterday, which
really saw the peak of this particular heat wave coming as it has, fairly early on in the season. Normally, we see heat waves, but this has become
the fairly new normal here in Europe, summer after summer, but later, sort of end of July, August.
You, of course, in Abu Dhabi are used to these kinds of temperatures. We are not. And so, you have these cities really struggling to cope.
Yesterday, more than 2000 schools closed here in France. We believe it will be one of the hottest days on record.
[09:25:00]
Spain just saw its hottest June ever, and yesterday reported in one town, Becky, temperatures of 114 Fahrenheit, 115 recorded at one town in
Portugal. The problem here in Europe is that because we're simply not equipped to deal with it, very little air conditioning, people don't have
the right habits of staying indoors and seeking shelter when they need to.
You've had tragically those deaths, and I suspect this is just the beginning. It will take some time to actually count the responding that
emergency services had to do, and the deaths that were directly related to this heat wave still a couple in France, a couple in Spain.
Remember a couple of summers ago, it was nearly 50,000 people who died across Europe as a result of the heat wave that summer. And again, given
how early this one has come, and given the heat this time, there are fears this could be another deadly summer here in Europe, once again, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yeah. It's good to have you. I mean, I was just checking the temperature here. It is 38 degrees here today. It's hot. It's always hot at
this time of year, of course. And we were equipped here, of course, to deal with it in Abu Dhabi. But when the temperatures in Europe are higher than
they are here.
You know that, that is problematic. It's good to have you. Stay cool as much as you can, Melissa. Ahead on "Connect the World", another U.S. media
giant pays out to make a Trump lawsuit go away and explain what happened, up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. You are watching "Connect the World". These are your headlines this hour. And the U.S. House
is taking up the revised Senate version of President Donald Trump sweeping domestic agenda bill.
Republican leaders face a razor thin majority to get this bill passed in the House. Well, an Israeli source says Israel has not yet approved a new
proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza set forth by Qatar. The plan calls for a 60-day truce with a mass militants who have demanded a permanent end to the
war.
The jury is set to resume deliberations this hour in the trial of Sean Diddy Combs. On Tuesday, they reached a partial verdict on four of the five
counts.
[09:30:00]
They remain deadlocked on the most serious charge of racketeering conspiracy. And that is opening bell on Wall Street. It is 09:30 in the
morning there. Trading off to a start, and as we wait for these live numbers to settle on the big three indices, for you, were expecting a week
start to this trading day, that was certainly the indication from the futures market.
And that's just about where we are at. But look, I mean, it's flat. Effectively, we got a slightly higher market on the DOW Jones now, but only
just, and it's flicking in and out of positive territory. Paramount paying $60 million to end a legal battle with Donald Trump.
The U.S. media giant also says it won't issue an apology over an interview broadcast back in October on its CBS program, "60 Minutes" with Kamala
Harris, Mr. Trump's rival in the 2024 election. It is worth noting, Paramount has been trying to complete a merger with Skydance media, and the
deal requires approval from the Trump Administration.
Let's bring in CNN's Chief Media Analyst Brian Stelter. Always good to have you, Brian and can be better on a story like this. Why is this settlement
so controversial, sir?
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: This settlement is very unusual because CBS had a very strong legal hand to play. It just chose not to play
it. Trump's lawsuit was meritless. It was legally dubious. Anybody who read through the lawsuit could see that it was really just him complaining about
60 minutes.
He did not have a substantive legal argument to make. However, he is celebrating this morning, at least his legal team is declaring this as a
win, because Paramount has agreed to pay that $16 million sum. It's going to his future presidential library, and this -- what Disney's ABC did when
ABC settled a different lawsuit that Trump filed last December.
So now it seems there's almost like a playbook for this. Trump files a lawsuit against a major media company, the company decides to settle rather
than going to court to defend itself, and Trump's future presidential library is the beneficiary by taking in tens of millions of dollars.
Now, of course, media companies and other companies for that matter, settle lawsuits all the time for all sorts of reasons. They even settle frivolous
lawsuits all the time for all sorts of reasons. Nevertheless, this is an embarrassment for CBS and a real frustration for the journalists there.
I spoke with one this morning, who said it's a sad moment for 60 minutes, and for the news industry as a whole to see CBS bending the knee, caving to
Trump, when the network very well could have just battled this out in court and almost certainly would have prevailed.
ANDERSON: And we have seen the departure of a number of key figures at CBS and at "60 Minutes" itself, which is a, you know, it was a flagship show
for so long. So, let's just explain for our viewers why it is then that Paramount settled?
STELTER: Right. I think what we're seeing is a reflection of the transactional nature of the Trump presidency. There were some questions
about this during Trump's first term. Now it's much more blatant and obvious in his second term, that he expects to be able to wield power in a
very personal, transactional way, and he expects companies and universities and other organizations to go ahead and bend the knee.
That's what Disney's ABC arguably did, as I mentioned in December. That's what Paramount is doing today, and it involves the merger that you
mentioned. So, Paramount has been trying to get a merger approved by the Trump Administration, a multibillion-dollar merger that the Trump
Administration has been slow rolling.
The Writers Guild of America said this morning, this settlement is a quote, transparent attempt to curry favors with Trump in the hopes that the merger
will be approved. Now, Paramount denies that it says that this settlement is completely unrelated, but many of the journals, at CBS News do see a
connection, and a lot of outside analysts have said the same thing.
They believe there's a connection between Paramount being willing to pay Trump to go away on the one hand, and approval of this mega merger on the
other hand.
ANDERSON: Are they going to get that merger through now, briefly?
STELTER: that is the big, big question. It's literally a billion-dollar question, because the deadline for that merger to be done that the
basically the Wall Street deadline is next week. I reached out to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr this morning, I asked him for any new comment about
this pending merger review process.
He has not responded. He has always said that the two things are unrelated, but a lot of people have been very skeptical of that claim.
[09:35:00]
And more broadly, this just speaks to a chill in the air for American media, above and beyond CBS. A continuing concern that Trump will use
litigation or threats of litigation in order to pressure and intimidate news organizations. Of course, CBS journals are going to keep covering the
president.
They're going to keep doing their jobs, and this morning, on an editorial call, the Head of CBS News encouraged the staff to do just that, but when
you have the parent company several layers higher up deciding to cut a deal rather than defend its journalists in court.
It can end up hurting morale. It can end up leaving a real reputational stain, and that's the concern inside CBS News at this point.
ANDERSON: It's always good to have you, Brian, thank you very much indeed. We are standing by for what is shaping up to be a dramatic conclusion in
the federal criminal trial of Sean Diddy Combs. Jurors will again try to reach a unanimous decision on one of five counts against Combs.
On Tuesday, after 12 hours of deliberations, they told the judge they were deadlocked on what is the most serious charge of racketeering conspiracy,
but they did reach a verdict on the four other counts, including sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
We still don't know what that partial verdict is, if convicted on all charges, Combs could face life in prison. He has pleaded not guilty. CNN's
Elizabeth Wagmeister, live outside the courthouse in New York. What are we expecting today? Let's just talk, if we can, about the potential outcomes
at this point.
ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So, there are a few potential outcomes today, Becky. So right now, behind me in this
courthouse, Sean Combs, this morning, a few moments ago, was in the courtroom with his attorneys. Now the jury does not come into the
courtroom.
They just go straight into that deliberation room. So, we actually don't know if they have started deliberating, but they were asked to be here at
09:00 a.m. which was a little while ago. So, we assume that they are deliberating, and they have been instructed by the judge to continue to
deliberate on count one, which, as you said, is racketeering conspiracy.
Now yesterday, they sent a note to the judge saying that they had many jurors with unpersuadable opinions, and that is why they were deadlocked.
That is some strong language. So of course, the big question is, will they be able to reach a unanimous verdict on this count?
If they can't, then one outcome is that they tell the judge they are still deadlocked, then the judge would have to determine, do we accept that? Do
we call a mistrial on that one charge? If there would be a mistrial declared on count one. They would still be able to accept the verdict on
those other four charges, counts two through five.
Now, of course, the other outcome is that the jurors are able to make some progress and that they are able to reach a unanimous decision. So, a few
outcomes today, we will see what happens. But I do want to tell you this judge is very jury conscious. He seems to really care about the jury.
If they say we are deadlock, we are making no progress, it's hard to imagine that he will continue to ask them to keep going and going and going
and going.
ANDERSON: Good to have you. Stay with us, folks, we are obviously keeping a keen eye on what is going on there at that courthouse. Still to come. A
frustrated Coco Gauff makes an early exit from this year's Wimbledon. What happened, is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:40:00]
ANDERSON: Yesterday, we brought you my interview with the Head of the Digital Cooperation Council. As a reminder, the DCO is an intergovernmental
organization bringing together 16 countries, all devoted to a brighter digital future with no one left offline.
We heard the Secretary General's specific goals and immediate plans for DCO projects and invite that conversation on my socials. Deemah AlYahya has
been reappointed to that leadership role. I wanted to just get you a bit more of our conversation today, focusing on what drives her as a global
thought leader with a fresh mandate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEEMAH ALYAHYA, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF DIGITAL COOPERATION ORGANIZATION: This is a proud moment, not for me, but also for everyone that participated and
believed in this mission, this re-election, has been a testimony that digital cooperation really matters, and it's very important.
And the belief of our member states that this platform should exist, and it should leapfrog as well for the benefit of humanity. Definitely, great
challenges will come, will come ahead, but the way that I lead is always purpose, and the compass that directs me is always principle over anything
else.
ANDERSON: But you must be aware that you will be knocking back misperceptions about who you are, human to human contact helps, isn't it?
ALYAHYA: Oh, definitely, definitely, what fulfills me, actually, when I go into meeting rooms or board rooms with a certain perception, and then I
leave with a totally different perception, leaving a different perception that fulfills me. And the re-election itself shows that already delivered,
regardless of gender or who or where I am.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Deemah AlYahya. One of America's best hopes to win Wimbledon goes down in the opening round. Andy Scholes has that in "World Sport". After
this short break, I'll be back with more "Connect the World" in 15 minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:45:00]
(WORLD SPORT)
[10:00:00]
END
