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U.S. Envoy Meets Israel And Hamas Leaders Amid Fraught Ceasefire; U.S. To Cut Back Military Exercises With South Korea; Ukraine Launches Largest Aerial Assault Yet On Russia; Art Heist In Sicily: Four Renaissance Works Stolen; Soon: Opening Statements Begin In Tupac Shakur Murder Trial; Tens of Thousands Without Power In Hawaii; Europe's Dwindling Rivers Threaten Energy Production Trade; Chess Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen Defends Tittle In Paris. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired August 17, 2026 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:28]
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to the second hour of the show. I'm Christina Macfarlane in London.
The U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding expires today. Iran's top negotiator says the U.S. and Israel have failed to achieve their war goals.
Donald Trump announced the U.S. will reduce joint military exercises with key ally South Korea, saying his positive relationship with North Korean
leader Kim Jong Un and Seoul's lack of assistance with Iran prompted this decision.
Opening statements begin today in the murder trial of hip hop legend Tupac Shakur, almost 30 years after the only person ever to be charged in his
death is going to trial.
We begin with a new push by Washington to revive Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza. U.S. Envoy Jared Kushner is meeting the Israeli Prime Minister
today, just days after Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the 15-point plan proposed by President Trump's board of peace. Mr. Netanyahu has demanded
the full disarmament of Hamas before any Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza.
On Sunday, Kushner held a rare meeting with Hamas's leader Khalil al-Hayya. Hamas has agreed to a disarmament plan, but only if Israel upholds its
obligations, including stopping near daily attacks on Gaza.
Well, let's show you these images just to give you a glimpse of the impact of those Israeli strikes. Officials in Gaza say more than 1,200
Palestinians have been killed since October's ceasefire. Israel says it will continue to thwart any threat from Gaza.
Oren Liebermann has been following developments from Jerusalem. So, Oren, what more are you hearing about Kushner's meeting with the Prime Minister
and whether it's still ongoing?
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, the meeting did end, but only ending after more than four hours. So, a very lengthy meeting between
U.S. envoy Jared Kushner and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
We don't have a sense of the complete meeting, but we have some crucial details according to an Israeli source familiar with the discussions.
Kushner pressed Netanyahu to make progress on the ceasefire agreement that was announced by President Donald Trump at the end of last month, who
called it an historic breakthrough. Kushner was joined by the Director General of the Board of Peace, Nikolai Mladenov. Kushner asked Netanyahu
to, "Not create obstacles on the U.S. path to trying to push forward the deal."
But, and this is the crucial part, according to that Israeli source familiar with the discussions, Netanyahu said that any progress right now
would be, "Problematic," largely because of the upcoming Israeli elections. Netanyahu doesn't want to be seen making any concessions towards Gaza,
which would be viewed as concessions towards Hamas, because he's trying to bring in and recruit a right-wing voter base.
And because of that, politically for himself, making progress on the U.S. brokered ceasefire agreement isn't really what he's looking to do. He said,
according to the Israeli source familiar with the discussions, that Hamas would have to take steps first. Except Hamas has rejected that, saying
they're not going to do this unilaterally. If they're to proceed with disarmament, it has to be sequenced with the beginning of an Israeli
withdrawal from Gaza, a complete halt to the near daily Israeli attacks on Gaza, and that's something that Netanyahu has made clear won't happen. He
said that any Israeli withdrawal won't happen until the complete disarmament of Hamas, which, even if it were to happen, would be an
incredibly long process.
And that lays out to you the challenge that Jared Kushner has here in trying to push forward the plan here. Israel is unwilling to make any
concessions at this point. Netanyahu, in particular, is unwilling to make those concessions, and Hamas won't be acting on its own.
It's not just the 15-point plan that Trump laid out at the end of last month. That is supposed to build on top of the 20-point plan from 10 months
ago, and that has largely stalled as well.
MACFARLANE: Yes, Oren, thank you. I know you'll continue to follow this throughout the day as we hear more.
Now, U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening to bomb Oman if it gets in the way of U.S. talks with Iran or efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
His comments to Fox News come as the 60-day deadline for U.S.-Iran peace talks expires with no wider deal in place. It's unclear where diplomacy
goes from here.
[10:05:10]
President Trump confirming to Fox that his administration has established a direct back channel with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, but he
insists he is in no rush to get things done. Tehran's top negotiator, meanwhile, says the U.S. and Israel have already failed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMAD BAGHER GHALIBAF, SPEAKER, IRANIAN PARLIAMENT (through translator): I pointed out in my first interview during the Ramadan War, in the middle
of the war. That I do not mean that we had destroyed the American Zionist armies. Rather, I meant that the United States and Israel, with clear and
explicit objectives, nine official and written goals that they repeatedly announced, attacked us, but they failed to achieve any of these nine goals
at any level.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Trump appears to be unhappy with South Korea, he's ordering the Pentagon to cut back U.S. involvement in joint military drills with Seoul,
pointing to Seoul's lack of assistance with Iran. He also says the war game sends a hostile signal to North Korea. Seoul is telling CNN the joint
military exercises are underway. More now from Gage Goulding in Hong Kong.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GAGE GOULDING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Is there a rift between D.C. and Seoul? And I think there could be, and that's the latter part of Donald Trump's
Truth Social post that spurred this into the news headlines, essentially saying he asked South Korea for help with denuclearizing Iran, and he said
the government responded, "No thanks."
And this could be a sign that the president says, look, we're here on the Korean Peninsula, the largest military installation outside of the U.S. You
know, we've been helping you when we ask for help. You have to come help us. That could be that you know part of it, and then there's the other side
of it, that is he extending an olive branch to the North Korean leader, mind you, that President Trump, in his second term, has made attempts to
meet with Kim Jong Un, but Pyongyang has not taken him up on that offer. And during his first term in office, President Trump and Kim Jong Un met on
three different occasions.
Now, when it comes to the actual exercise itself, President Donald Trump said in his Truth Social post that it was too late to cancel it, but he's
going to scale it back. The South Korean government telling us that the operation, the exercise, started as planned. So whether it'll actually be
scaled back or not, that's to be determined.
But this is an exercise that the president is very familiar with. During his first term in office, he scaled back the exercise in 2018 and 2019,
then citing costs.
So, this isn't something that he just was made aware of. And also, I think there's an important thing to note here, that the day before he made this
post on social media, he posted a picture of himself and the North Korean leader, saying that the relations with North Korea are great. So, a little
bit of foreshadowing there by the president on his own social media platform as to whether exactly what the goal is. I'm not sure we know that,
but there's definitely kind of a two-pronged approach there, Christina.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: Gage Boulding reporting from Hong Kong.
So, let's get more insight now with CNN political and national security analyst David Sanger. He's also the author of The New Cold Wars: China's
Rise, Russia's Invasion, and America's Struggle to Defend the West. Great to see you again, David.
So, look, it's been a bit of a day, hasn't it, David, for the president threatening -- thank you, for the president threatening America's allies.
First, we had South Korea. Now we have Oman. I mean, the president said in an interview with Fox News that he will threaten to, and I quote, "Bomb the
shit out of Oman," which, of course, is a key U.S. ally partner.
It's not the first time, David, that he's threatened to do this. Obviously, he did this back in May as well. But why is he doing so again now?
DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Really hard to tell because, of course, the president is a man of many grudges, and he, I
think, has built up a few with both the South Koreans and with the Omanis.
With the Omanis, he first got upset because they were beginning to negotiate separately with Iran during the height of the military
interactions just a few months ago.
And in recent times, of course, the Omanis were talking to the Iranians about a pathway that might or might not open up the Strait, but he views
the Omanis as basically interfering in a Trump design plan here.
With South Korea, it's a little more mystifying. There is no more solid U.S. ally right now in Asia other than Japan with the United States, and
yet the president is clearly hoping to reopen these negotiations that he had in his first term with Kim Jong Un of North Korea.
[10:10:08]
And so, he has chosen to sort of ignore the fact that Kim Jong Un has now got 60 or so nuclear weapons, maybe more, and missiles that can reach the
United States while he's of course continuing to talk about denuclearizing Iran.
MACFARLANE: Yes, I mean it's mystifying, but it's also ironic as well, isn't it? As you point out, there, David, because you know this is an
authoritarian state that has nuclear weapons, unlike Iran. What do you think all of this is doing to the trust here of American allies?
SANGER: Yes, it undercuts credibility, and credibility is a really hard thing to both reestablish. Even after President Trump is out of office, it
would take a long time, I think, to make sure that allies began once again to trust Washington's word.
And for places like South Korea and Japan, that is all the more critical because what's kept them from getting their own nuclear weapons, what's
kept them from doing their own separate military buildups independent of the United States, has been the assurance that the U.S. worked hand in
glove with them.
During the Biden administration, there was a lot of effort put into getting the Japanese and the South Koreans to work together. You may remember there
was a summit meeting at Camp David and so forth to get rid of the long- running hostility goes back to before World War II between those countries, so that you had three countries sort of sewn up together, the U.S. Japan,
and South Korea, and that is now sort of being undone.
With Oman, that's a much touchier relationship, but one the United States is clearly going to need because they are right opposite the Strait of
Hormuz, and you want the Omanis on your side.
MACFARLANE: Yes, and it's interesting, David, that this is coming at a time when we're seeing problems, of course, with the USS Abraham Lincoln. We're
also seeing Donald Trump refusing to grant approval to Ukraine for access to Patriot missiles, do you think this could backfire too? Because it could
cast doubts over the U.S. readiness to resist autocratic regimes at this moment.
SANGER: Well, there's a lot of reason for the worry right now. The rundown in our some of our most important weapons has made a huge difference in our
ability to project strength against Russia. If it chose to say go 100 miles into Latvia or Lithuania or some other NATO ally.
It could be a temptation to President Xi to tighten the noose on Taiwan. I don't think he's going to succumb to that temptation because it's got lots
of other problems for him. It would create other problems for him. But the fact of the matter is, the U.S. right now is moving its last aircraft
carrier out of the Pacific and toward the Middle East to go relieve some of the ships that are there, and that sure doesn't look like the pivot to Asia
that so many presidents were talking about.
MACFARLANE: Yes, look, to take a step back at this moment and look at the two big peace initiatives that the Trump administration are working
towards. I mean, what we see in both the detail of the MOU and this 15- point Gaza peace plan proposal are, to many, seen as unworkable conditions with vague goals, sticking points that parties are unlikely to agree to.
And so, understandably, we're in a bit of a stalemate for both. Potentially, does all of that indicate to you, David, in an election year
that the emphasis here is more on the optics than it is the implementation?
SANGER: It always has been with the Trump administration. I mean, the president revels in what he calls the eight great peace agreements that
he's put together, some of them were real accomplishments, some of them were temporary band-aids. And when he went to Israel and got the peace deal
that ended up getting the last of the hostages out, that was a huge accomplishment. He then made it sound as if the Hamas-Israel peace
agreement was just you know weeks away.
Of course, we are now many months out, and what's clear right now is that the Israelis are not going to sign up to the Hamas disarmament that the
president negotiated, and Hamas knew they wouldn't, which is why I think they made the statements that they did agreeing to it.
[10:15:15]
Mr. Kushner went off to Israel, but it was a really hard job. I mean, it's almost impossible to imagine that you are going to see Prime Minister
Netanyahu make this kind of agreement just weeks away from an election where he's got to sew up his right-wing support. There's just no way that's
going to happen.
MACFARLANE: Yes. As our -- as our correspondent was just pointing out, there that is the thing that everyone is watching, of course, the political
backdrop in Israel right now. David, always great to have your analysis. Thank you so much for joining us.
SANGER: Wonderful to be with you.
MACFARLANE: And when we come back, Ukraine launched its biggest aerial attack yet against Russia, striking deeper into its territory. We'll have
the latest on that.
Plus, four Renaissance masterpieces are stolen from a museum in Sicily. How thieves bypass security and why recovering the prized artworks could be a
race against time.
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MACFARLANE: Ukraine launched one of its largest aerial assaults of the war against Russia over the weekend, with Moscow saying it shot down more than
800 Ukrainian drones, killing at least six. Ukrainian drone attacks are increasingly attacking deeper inside Russia. Video shows a fire at a wild
berry's warehouse in the Moscow region, with Kyiv saying it has struck seven out of 10 the largest logistics centers of the company. Ukraine
claims Wildberries handle supplies for the Russian military.
Russia, meanwhile, continues its barrage of attacks against Ukraine. According to President Zelenskyy, six people were wounded by Russian
strikes on Sunday. Rows of stalls burnt in a book market after it was hit by a missile. Here's how one of the vendors reacted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): There's nothing left, nothing. We were just selling books, books.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The market has been completely destroyed, the entire market, from one end to the other. Not a single stall
is left.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Well, earlier I spoke to CNN's Seb Shukla for more on Ukraine's efforts against Russian aggression.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN PRODUCER: Good afternoon, Christy. That aerial assault of the some 800 missiles and projectiles fired towards different
targets across Russia is being labeled as the largest ever launched by Ukraine. That happened on Saturday night. What we saw last night, Sunday
night is the similar cadence of these attacks happening from each side. Moscow targeting Kyiv, and Kyiv targeting Moscow and other parts of Russia
too.
[10:20:07]
This time, much more focused on the border regions: Belgorod on the Russian side and Sums on the Ukrainian side. And unfortunately, there are
casualties and there are fatalities.
The one thing to say though that is this last night's attack does not seem to be anywhere near on the scale of the ones that we have been seeing more
regularly, but this is now, of course, as all of our viewers are well aware, the cadence that this war has now entered. It is very much a
bombardment by air rather than death in the trenches, which we have seen largely taking place in the Donbas region of Ukraine's east, and it just
marks the phase and chapter that we are in this war because I think both sides have identified that this is the way to hurt each other the most at
the moment.
From the Ukrainian side, they have developed so much in their drone and aerial system warfare that they are able to target huge swathes of that
enormous country east of them nowhere appears to be off limits more or less, and they are targeting now with increasing accuracy. We've seen the
oil refineries and those being the targets, but it's expanded out now. The attack that I mentioned from Saturday night was also targeted toward Moscow
and seemed to be focused on a region where lots of Putin's inner circle, or at least the wealthy businessmen around him live. That's a reminder that no
one is able to escape these attacks.
And there is also this continued focus on the wild berry's warehouses, which is Russia's equivalent of Amazon, which the Ukrainians allege is key
in the supply chain of supplying components to the Russian manufacturing and industrial defense base supporting and underpinning the war.
And from the Russian side, looking at looking at Kyiv, Christy, they have noted that there is a serious lack of Patriot missile interceptors to stop
these Russian. Ballistic missiles, which are causing havoc, and of course, which President Zelenskyy is so desperately calling on European allies, and
in particular because they are made in the U.S. on the U.S. President Donald Trump to step up their efforts to deliver him so that he can protect
his people. Christy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: Seb Shukla reporting there.
Now, the U.S. Central Command Chief is responding to concerns about morale and mental health issues aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. Admiral Brad
Cooper visited the aircraft carrier this weekend as part of a recent trip to the Middle East. The ship has been deployed for more than 250 days after
being sent to the region to support U.S. operations in the Iran war. Cooper says the USS Abraham Lincoln has among the lowest mental health cases out
of the Navy's 11 active carriers.
But he also went on to say, "This doesn't mean that all is perfect. Find any of the nearly 4 million Navy veterans in America today, and they will
likely tell you that service at sea for long periods isn't for everyone. It's uniquely challenging and tough, and every single every single one of
us, including me, reacts to stressors in different ways."
Now, four Renaissance artworks have been stolen from a museum in Sicily. Museum officials are calling the theft a devastating loss for the city of
Messina and the art world. The missing pieces include three panels by Antonello da Messina. They're worth they're more than 500 years old and are
considered some of his most important and well-known works. The thieves also took a double-sided panel showing the Virgin Mary and the -- and the
dead Christ in Pieta. Stefano Pozzebon has been following the story for us from Rome.
So, Stefano, what more do we know about the heist, and are there any suspects at this stage?
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN JOURNALIST: We haven't heard from the investigators, Christina, yet about potential suspects. One thing to notice is that there
are less than 50 paintings of Antonello da Messina known all around the world, which makes this type of art extremely rare, but also extremely hard
to sell.
We spoke with several art experts this morning here in Rome, for example, and many wondered why did they why did the thieves actually hit that museum
and steal these masterpieces? Because it will be really hard to make a profit out of them because it will be immediately recognized.
However, that doesn't take away the loss or perhaps the calamity that hit the museum. This is how the city culture councilor in the city of Messina
described the situation down in the Sicilian city. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ENZO CARUSO, COUNCILLOR FOR CULTURE, CITY OF MESSINA (through translator): More than a loss, this is a real disaster because Messina, without
Antonello, is robbed of the very essence of the greatest artist of the European Renaissance.
[10:25:20]
Together with the mayor, we want to be close to the museum, and we hope these works may return home as soon as possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
POZZEBON: And Christina, well, these paintings were purchased in 2003 from Christie's for little less than 300,000 pounds back then. We're talking
about less than half a million dollars in 2003. They're now worth perhaps north of $10 million.
But like I said, extremely hard to place on the illegal market art, stolen art marketplace, and perhaps one sign of hope. Just last week, the
Carabinieri, the Italian state police here in Italy recovered -- successfully recovered three stolen paintings from French artists that had
been stolen in the city of Parma, to the north of the peninsula, back in March. So perhaps they are already working hard to try to locate this newly
stolen art from the south of the region this time around. Christina.
MACFARLANE: Yes, fingers crossed that they can find a way. Stefano, thanks for the update.
Let's get you up to speed on some of the stories that are on our radar right now. An American missionary held captive in Niger for nine months is
getting ready to return to the United States. That's coming from U.S. President Donald Trump. Christian missionary group SIM International says
Kevin Rideout was kidnapped from outside his Niger home last October. He was released to U.S. officials Friday.
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has become the day. In the country's history, more than 2,300 people have now died, with the
number of confirmed cases approaching 5,000. There are no approved vaccines or treatments for the current outbreak.
A new U.S. Attorney General, Todd Blanche, is refusing to pledge independence from the White House. Something critics have worried about as
they accuse the Justice Department of carrying out President Trump's political agenda, Blanche says he'll take Mr. Trump's views into account on
prosecution decisions, but insists he can disagree with the president.
And the family of Jason Arday is blaming what they call a campaign of sustained abuse for his death. The youngest black professor in the history
of Cambridge University was found dead Friday after resigning over a plagiarism row. A vigil in his honor is set to be held in a few hours in
central London.
And you are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Still to come this hour -- in just a few hours, opening statements will begin in the Tupac Shakur murder
trial, nearly 30 years after the rapper was killed. A preview of what we're expecting in court just ahead.
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MACFARLANE: Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Christina Macfarlane in London. A check of your headlines this hour:
U.S. Envoy Jared Kushner has met with Israel's Prime Minister today to discuss the peace plan for Gaza. The meeting comes only days after Benjamin
Netanyahu rejected a 15-point proposal backed by Washington. Kushner met the Hamas leader on Sunday.
South Korea says its joint military exercises with the U.S. are underway. This comes just hours after Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to cut back
on America's role in the drill, saying the war games send a hostile signal to North Korea.
U.S. president is also calling out Seoul for not helping the U.S. in its war with Iran,
Ukraine launched one of its largest aerial assaults of the war against Russia over the weekend. With Moscow saying it shot down more than 800
Ukrainian drones, killing at least six. Kyiv has amped up its drone attacks against Moscow, targeting industrial plants and refineries deep inside
Russia.
Now, nearly 30 years after the iconic rapper Tupac Shakur was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, the only person ever charged in his death
is going to trial. Prosecutors allege that former gang leader Duane Davis helped plan the attack as revenge after his nephew got into a fight with
Shakur and his entourage, following a Mike Tyson fight at the MGM Grand Hotel. Davis has pleaded not guilty.
CNN senior correspondent Josh Campbell is covering the trial for us from Las Vegas.
So, Josh, prosecutors are not saying that Duane Davis pulled the trigger. So, just explain to us legally what the prosecution have to prove here, and
what we know about their strategy.
JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's an important point. Now, Duane Davis is not being charged with actually firing the shots, but
he is being described by prosecutors as the so-called shot caller, the person who helped orchestrate this alleged hit that resulted in the death
of world-renowned rapper Tupac Shakur.
Now, obviously, there have been a lot of questions about what happened that day three decades ago. We could be nearing answers in one of the most
famous, infamous cold cases involving a major celebrity in modern history.
As you mentioned, opening statements are set to kick off behind me here in Las Vegas in just a couple hours' time.
Now, just to take our viewers back to that point in time, three decades ago, here in Las Vegas, Tupac Shakur as well as rapper Suge Knight were
leaving the MGM Grand Hotel. That's where world-renowned boxer Mike Tyson had, had a fight, and there was actually security camera footage from
inside that hotel that showed this brawl breaking out between Shakur's entourage and Suge Knight, as well as Duane Davis's nephew. They then all
leave, but it's afterwards, whenever Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight are driving down the Vegas Strip in a black BMW, alongside them comes a white
Cadillac.
A shot -- shots ring out, striking both of the men. Tupac Shakur died days later. But there is always been this question: Who was actually
responsible? Now, what's so fascinating about this case, Christina, is that Duane Davis, who again is now on trial in this murder case, he spoke to
federal investigators several years before, back near 2009, this is part of a drug investigation that they were building against him. They gave him
what's called limited immunity in order to describe the events of that day, and he essentially told them that he was there in the car, that it was his
nephew who was seated in the back seat who ultimately fired the fatal shot.
Because of that immunity, it couldn't be used against him. But authorities looked after that, and he was speaking publicly, talking to the press. He
even allegedly wrote a book talking about all of what transpired that day. It appears that it's those comments and that book that are now being used
against him in this trial.
Interestingly, I'll finally note that he was asked just end of last month by one of our CNN affiliates here in Las Vegas about the book, about his
past statements. What he is saying now is that he made all that up.
He said he didn't even read the book that's purported to be written by him in his own name. So, this appears to largely come down to his past
comments. We are waiting to see whether there will be additional evidence that prosecutors actually introduce.
Again, we are talking 30 years ago, so a lot of this evidence may be dated, but it's surely going to be a fascinating trial to see.
He is the only one who is still alive today, who was in that white Cadillac when Tupac Shakur died. Will he actually be convicted of murder? We will
wait and see.
[10:35:04]
MACFARLANE: And Josh, what's the extraordinary here is that the trial is going to involve a 200-person witness list, I understand. Who are some of
the key names we should be watching for?
CAMPBELL: That's right. I mean, we are talking about some high-profile names in the entertainment industry. As I mentioned, Suge Knight. He is
currently in jail in California, serving a very long sentence for an unrelated case.
He is on the witness list, as well as rapper, Sean Diddy Combs, who, of course, has faced his own legal woes, faced you know multiple allegations
of sexual assault. He was recently convicted. He's serving time in New York.
Whether they will actually appear in court is still a major question. That would obviously be a significant logistical hurdle to get them here to
testify. Suge Knight has already said that. Look, he is not going to revisit that day. He is not going to bring that up anymore.
In fact, he told one outlet that he wouldn't wish prison time on anyone. And so, we may not actually get any details from him. But, again, the
witness list filled with some very notorious people.
Not all of them will be called. We don't expect, but we are waiting to see who will be, who may have some evidence that the prosecution and defense
could use on both sides of this case as it proceeds.
MACFARLANE: All right. Josh Campbell, we'll keep an eye on those opening statements later today. Thanks for now.
And some breaking news coming into CNN: The U.S. Supreme Court has rebuffed President Donald Trump's latest effort to deny a $5.6 million payment to
former magazine writer E. Jean Carroll.
Mr. Trump was ordered to make the payment three years after a jury found he sexually abused and defamed Carroll. It's the latest loss for the president
in his ongoing legal fight with Carroll. The Supreme Court had already denied the president's appeal in June, but Trump's attorneys had asked the
court to reconsider that decision, which the justices have now declined to do.
We are turning to Hawaii next, where tens of thousands of people are without power after Hurricane Lala struck over the weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Those were the scenes on Sunday. More than 100 homes were damaged and destroyed by the hurricane-force winds, debris, and flooding.
Lala is now a tropical storm heading away from the islands.
Derek Van Dam is at the weather center. And as you mentioned before, Derek, the tropical storm is now heading away from the islands, but, of course,
caused a lot of significant damage there.
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Christina. The damage is already done, even though the storm is now exiting the Hawaiian Islands. This is
what happens when you accumulate over 1,100 millimeters of rain since the beginning of this hurricane as it's approached the Hawaiian Islands. Yes,
that is impressive rainfall totals, and unfortunately, it turned what would normally be a casual stream into raging torrents of water, and that has
helped in aiding and destroying over a hundred homes. Some being ripped right off their foundations. You saw the vehicle being pushed by mudslides
and the flooded waters there. That is the concern. The force of the water that is the power behind it.
Now, we have had some impressive wind gusts. This, by the way, Mauna Kea Summit is at about 13,800 feet above sea level. So, we are talking high
elevation, but still, 140 miles per hour. That's impressive.
Closer to the ground near the Big Island of Hawaii, we had wind gusts, certainly hurricane force, and that's been responsible for knocking out
power for over 100,000 customers here, many of which across the Big Island.
And the reason being is that the storm actually took a track and a trajectory right here, just south of the Big Island. Now it is veering
away. That is a tropical storm. There are still some outer rain bands, kind of feeding into, let's say, Hawaii and into the Oahu region. This is
throughout central and western Hawaii.
But notice how this storm is actually going to strengthen as it re -- kind of energizes itself throughout the central Pacific. Fortunately, this will
be more fish food, because there is really no landmasses that it can threaten at the moment. But it is anticipated to strengthen back into a
Category 1 hurricane equivalent. So, that's impressive.
And then, the rainfall totals, kind of the leftover remaining moisture. Still, the mountains helping wring that out. We don't need additional rain
on a saturated environment, but this is some of the wettest parts of the world. So, they can handle a lot of rain. It just when it falls at such an
intense rate per hour, when we start to see scenes like this.
This is somebody's backyard. Christina.
MACFARLANE: Yes. I mean it could have been so much worse, couldn't it? But I guess the people of Hawaii are not feeling that way today.
VAN DAM: Right.
MACFARLANE: Derek, thank you.
VAN DAM: You got it.
MACFARLANE: And in Europe, heatwave conditions are fueling an urgent new crisis. Several of the continent's rivers are shrinking in the summer heat,
taking an extreme toll on water supplies and power production.
[10:40:01]
CNN's Stefano Pozzebon reports from Rome.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
POZZEBON (voice over): Some of Europe's mightiest rivers are running dry. Great waterways reduced to a sliver of their size in the hot summer heat.
In Hungary, authorities sank barges and dropped cement blocks in the shrinking Danube to try to raise water levels and redirect the current to
keep water flowing to a nuclear power plant that produces about a third of the country's electricity. Hungary's prime minister says it's a race
against time.
PETER MAGYAR, HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): The water level is dramatically low, and no significant precipitation is expected in
the catchment areas for the next few days or weeks, which could also mean that the problem could persist for months.
POZZEBON (voice over): This power plant is already operating at a fraction of its capacity because of a lack of cooling water, and if the Danube drops
even further, one of its two remaining turbines could be shut down.
Neighboring Romania took similar measures to try and raise water levels there, but it was forced to shut down its nuclear power plant just a few
days ago.
The country had already declared a state of emergency over power shortages, with some cities going dark at night and residents asked to conserve energy
use.
MIRCEA, RESIDENT (through translator): It seems we've reached this point due to poor decisions that were made considering the climate crisis we've
faced for decades.
POZZEBON (voice-over): The Rhine, too, is running dangerously low. It's a major artery for moving fuel and raw materials across the continent, and
cargo vessels have been forced to lighten their loads to avoid grounding themselves and divert shipments over land.
ANDREA BARTEL, SPOKESPERSON, DUISBURG HARBOUR (through translator): More smaller, more easily maneuverable, lighter ships are being used, but a
great deal is being transferred onto the train and onto the lorry in order to enable the transport and keep the supply chains going.
POZZEBON (voice over): And if navigating shallow water isn't challenging enough, the skeletons of sunken ships are surfacing in some places.
Rome's Tiber River is so depleted that the remains of a 2000-year-old structure called Nero's Bridge is visible once again. These relics of the
past, exposing just how urgent the crisis is.
Hungary says a longer-term plan is underway to build a dam-like structure underneath the Danube to help manage water flows, but that will take weeks.
And if the river continues to drop, its nuclear power plant might be forced to shut down entirely like Romania's did, further straining the country's
energy grid and the budget much longer than the summer season.
Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, Rome.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: Still ahead, the Grand Master speaks to CNN. Chef superstar Magnus Carlsen talks about his latest victory in Paris.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:45:14]
MACFARLANE: Now, could this be the last year we see Cristiano Ronaldo on the pitch?
The Portuguese striker has hinted his record-breaking career could be coming to an end.
He tells Vogue he wants to leave a spectacular legacy, and that he is looking forward to spending more time with his family.
Ronaldo is considered to be one of the best footballers in history, winning five Ballon d'Or awards and playing in six World Cups.
Now, chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen is riding high after defending his title as the Esports World Cup champion over the weekend,
Carlsen took home the top prize of a quarter of a million dollars and a perfect win streak in Paris.
Matthias Grez spoke with the two-time champion after his final match.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATTHIAS GREZ, CNN CO-HOST, CREATORS: Huge congratulations, EWC 2026 champion.
Do you go into these tournaments and matches expecting to win? Because everybody that we speak to kind of expects you to, and how do you deal with
that level of expectation?
MAGNUS CARLSEN, CHAMPION, 2026 ESPORTS WORLD CUP CHESS: Yes, I don't think -- I don't think you think about too much -- too much about expecting to
win or anything like that. You just kind of just want to do the right things and take it step by step. Just very boring answer, but that's a
little bit how it is. But yes, of course, I know it's a like the scenario.
GREZ: Yes, and chess has obviously come such a huge way in terms of popularity in this modernization in the last few years, in particular, the
crowds as well.
Where do you see the potential for chess going forward?
CARLSEN: Look. I think, chess has a lot of potential and some limitations in terms of the kind of the wow factor of the game. But I'm really happy
with the way things have gone the last -- the last few years and there is - - chess is always going to be a game that a lot of people have some kind of relationship to, even if they don't play a lot, even if they know the rules
or they just know some of the rules. Everybody kind of knows something about chess, and we are always going to have that advantage.
But let's see. I think, what's happened here with the EWC last couple of years is a really good step in the right direction.
GREZ: And slightly off topic, but I saw earlier this month you sank a pretty nice 12-foot birdie putt at Lofoten golf course Links. How is your
golf game? I mean, that is a notoriously difficult course. So, making birdie can't be too bad.
CARLSEN: No, I've -- I started playing late 2023, and I've been like pretty eager player since. You know, my coach, Peter, he is a golf fanatic. My dad
plays a ton as well now. So, we get a few rounds in tournaments these days as well, which is just nice.
But it's -- yes, I think, kind of fits being a chess player a lot because you just get a few hours where you think about something completely
different.
GREZ: And what's your handicap? And what did you shoot at Lofoten? Because that's a notoriously difficult course, and it's near the top of my bucket
list as well.
CARLSEN: Yes, no, I kind of collapsed on the -- on the 15th, and then, made double in the last one. So, I made 91 in the end, which was --
(CROSSTALK)
GREZ: Oh, no bad on (INAUDIBLE).
CARLSEN: Which was not great, but that's OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: And Matthias is here in Paris to tell us more about it.
Great interview, Matthias. He doesn't give much away, does he, Magnus Carlsen? But I love that comparison with golf. I mean, I guess, it's a sort
of similar strategic game in many ways.
But Matthias, look, just tell us why chess has made it into the Esports and why you are there?
GREZ: Yes, it sounds so strange, right? I mean, I find that idea of this 1,500-year-old pastime now being in a tournament alongside the likes of
Fortnite and Call of Duty. So interesting.
But essentially, Chess.com has this relationship with EWC, where the EWC uses Chess.com's game system for their chess tournament here. And no
surprises -- no surprises who won the EWC Chess Tournament on its debut last year, 2025. Of course, Magnus Carlsen.
But this partnership is just the latest chapter in chess's modernization. I mean, even if you go back as far as the 90s with the launch of the
Internet, chess very quickly migrated online, and even back then, many of the world's top chess players were playing chess online.
But really, the modern boom started in October of 2020 with the release of "The Queen's Gambit" on Netflix.
[10:50:04]
I'm sure you will remember it was a global phenomenon.
And Chess.com, which calls itself the world's largest chess platform, said they welcomed 3.2 million new members in just six weeks after that show's
launch. But then, of course, the COVID lockdown came around, and we spoke to the chief of content at Chess.com, Mike Klein, and he told us that at
the peak of COVID lockdown, they were welcoming 400,000 new members every single day.
And he said, look, while there was a little dip from that peak, he said that really, they have managed to sustain that, and they are welcoming now
at least 100,000 members every single day.
And he said, "look, they are running out of people he thinks in the world to sign up.
MACFARLANE: That is incredible. I mean, I watched that Netflix show. I didn't realize it sort of ignited the chess world in that way.
(CROSSTALK)
GREZ: Yes.
MACFARLANE: But it is -- Magnus Carlsen is obviously a huge favorite. No real surprise he won. Is it a good thing to have someone, just one winner
consistently at the top for chess, or, you know, is it better that someone else gets a look in?
GREZ: Well, that's the really interesting question, right? I mean, he is undoubtedly the chess superstar. I mean, I don't know if I'm allowed to say
this as an impartial journalist, but every single person that we have spoken to without fail has said that Carlsen is the chess GOAT.
I mean, he is -- I mean, you can make the case for him being the biggest, most popular chess player of all time. I mean, even just last week in
Paris, before the chess tournament started, he was all over the NBA social media feeds, meeting Miami Heat star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
But to your point about whether or not is it good to have this dominance, we know that so many sports are driven in their popularity by rivalries,
right?
We have seen that across sport. Klein said to us, he used the NBA in the 90s, Magic and Johnson, as an example of that.
But there just isn't anyone that can match Carlsen at the moment.
I mean. I've been trying to think of the history of sports, whether any athlete has dominated in the same way. I mean, I maybe came up with Phelps
or Usain Bolt to kind of contextualize his dominance.
(CROSSTALK)
MACFARLANE: Tiger Woods?
GREZ: But there really is nobody that can touch him.
Tiger Woods, another good one.
MACFARLANE: Yes, is it well to make the golf analogy. It's a good question. The space is open. The rivalry is up for grabs. Someone, please take it,
Matthias, thank you very much. Very fascinating, actually.
And we will be back after this quick break. Cheers, Matthias.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MACFARLANE: Latin music stars came together over the weekend in Miami to raise money for earthquake relief efforts in Colombia and Venezuela.
Carolina Peguero went to the concert.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROLINA PEGUERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): United for Our Own is the name of the concert that brought together more than a dozen artists in
hopes to raise donations for those impacted by the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela and Colombia.
The proceeds from ticket sales, online and phone bank donations will go to help rebuild communities, homes, provide food and medicine to the
displaced, as well as mental health support to adults and children.
The event that was originally organized to aid Venezuela after the two earthquakes struck on June 24th, killing more than 6,000 people was later
designated to help Colombia, when on August 10th, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake shook the nation, leaving more than 250 dead.
[10:55:11]
International Latin artists like Mark Anthony Chayanne, Luis Fonsi, and others donated their talent and efforts for the cause, made possible by the
collaboration of several nonprofit organizations like Global Empowerment Mission, World Central Kitchen, Maestro Cares Foundation and Univision
Foundation.
Fans came from all over to support and share their thoughts and prayers for those impacted by the natural disasters.
MARTIN LINDENFIELD, IN SUPPORT OF CAUSE: I believe in brotherhood among the nations, especially Latin nations, who -- that's where we're here for.
IRVIN AVILES, IN SUPPORT OF CAUSE: This is the best time to embrace each other and to show our brothers and sisters from Colombia and Venezuela that
we are united. Right? And that we care for each other, and that I know they are going through a difficult time, but they are going to go -- they are
going to go through, and with our help and the help of God, I appreciate that everything is going to be better for them.
GIANNA SULTON, IN SUPPORT OF CAUSE: History can change in either a good or a bad way. So, I'm here to just support and donate, and help as much as I
can.
PEGUERO (voice over): The initiative comes in a crucial time of need, where families who have lost it all, their loved ones, and their homes in both
Venezuela and Colombia slowly rebuild their lives and face the long road ahead of them.
Carolina Peguero, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: And that will do it for this hour of CONNECT THE WORLD today. Do stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is coming up after this quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
