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Isa Soares Tonight
Investigators In Idaho Name Suspect In Coeur d'Alene Ambush Killing Of Firefighters; Heat Wave Across Europe Triggers Wildfires; Trump Sends Handwritten Letter To Fed Chair Jerome Powell Over Interest Rates; Wimbledon Marks Hottest Opening Day On Record; Jurors Deliberating In Sean Combs Trial; Birthright Citizenship Battle; Trump Administration Vs. Harvard. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired June 30, 2025 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, investigators in Idaho have named a
suspect in Sunday's shocking ambush on firefighters. We'll have the details. And there are wildfires across Europe as the continent swelters in
historic heat.
And we'll have those stories in just a moment. But new developments in the Middle East, that's where we start this evening show. For weeks,
Palestinians facing the threat of starvation have come under fire while trying to get food for their families. Now, the IDF says it's re-organizing
access to aid sites to quote, "minimize friction with the population".
That's their words here. The Palestinian Health Ministry says more than 500 people have been killed as they approached aid sites or trucks since May
27th. Last Friday, the U.N. Secretary-General demanded the killings stop, saying the search for food must never be a death sentence.
"Haaretz" report says soldiers have acknowledged firing at unarmed Palestinians waiting for aid. That was on Friday, and says they were
ordered to do it. The IDF, meantime, strongly denies that, and it says its new steps will aim to ensure safe civilian passage, orderly aid
distribution and the continuity of IDF operations.
Meantime, a medical aid worker has been talking to CNN about the situation around those aid distribution stations. Have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMED ABU MUGHAISIB, MSF DEPUTY MEDICAL COORDINATOR IN THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: Every day, there is -- there is a number of killed, number of
injuries, huge number. Now, it's five -- more than 504,000 injuries. And this is from the distribution points. People go there, and if they go very
early to these areas, they get shot.
If they go on time, they will -- they will be shot. If they go late, they will be shot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, authorities in Gaza say at least nine more people were killed while seeking aid just today. And it comes amid a fierce Israeli
bombardment of northern Gaza that killed dozens of people, including at least 31 at a cafe in Gaza city. A hospital director says most of the
casualties are women and children.
He says many female students were at the cafe to access the internet. The IDF says it's looking into the strike. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu is holding another high level meeting today on Gaza. A source says his government is divided over whether to back the military support
for diplomacy at this stage in the war.
Yesterday, Mr. Netanyahu suggested returning the hostages was a higher priority than defeating Hamas. U.S. President Donald Trump is urging Israel
to make a deal. Let's bring in Jeremy Diamond from Tel Aviv for all those strands. And Jeremy, we'll talk about Netanyahu in just a moment.
But first, what more do we know about the IDF's re-organization in terms of the approach routes when it comes to delivery of aid here?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the Israeli military now says that it has quote, "re-organized" access to these Gaza aid sites. This
comes, of course, in the wake not only of the Palestinian Ministry of Health, saying that more than 500 people have been killed while trying to
access aid in the Gaza Strip over the course of the last month.
But also this "Haaretz" expose on Friday, which alleged that Israeli commanders have told troops to fire on crowds with live ammunition in order
to disperse them. And clearly, drawing a connection there between many of these shootings that we have seen on an almost daily basis, in which
Palestinians have been killed, while on those access routes and trying to reach those aid sites.
The Israeli military says that it has added fencing around the centers, installed warning signs and set up barriers to control vehicle access. They
also say that they are conducting a, quote, "ongoing process of examination and evaluation to improve the operational response in the area".
Now, you know, it's interesting because the Israeli military has, you know, really dismissed that report from "Haaretz" on Friday. They insisted that
troops are not being told to fire on people, and yet, we are seeing that they are making adjustments, as there clearly have been a number, nearly
daily occurrences of Israeli troops firing on Palestinians trying to get aid.
[14:05:00]
Meanwhile, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres saying that the search for food must never be a death sentence, and saying that
these GHF aid sites are, quote, "inherently unsafe".
SOARES: Let's turn to the politics, Jeremy, because we've now had this message from Prime Minister Netanyahu prioritizing the return of the
hostages over the defeat of Hamas. That, of course, will -- have no doubt will be welcome news for so many of the hostages families. Just talk to us
what those opportunities that he's talking about when he says opportunities have opened up, what those are?
DIAMOND: Yes, well, there's no question that in the wake of the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, in the wake of the significant military successes
that Israel achieved in Iran, the weakening of the Iranian state, all of that makes the conditions more ripe for a ceasefire deal in Gaza, not only
because of a weakened Iran, which is Hamas' primary sponsor, but also because of the kind of political victory that Netanyahu has just secured.
And he may have more leeway now to reach a deal to get more hostages home, potentially even end the war in Gaza altogether. And yet, at the same time,
even as we are hearing the Prime Minister saying, firstly, you know, the -- rescuing the hostages is the primary objective now, which he had flipped
just a few weeks ago to say that it was defeating Hamas.
That was the primary objective. Even as he is acknowledging that, we are still seeing this debate, that is very much unfolding within the Prime
Minister's governing coalition. In fact, tonight, there is another one of these meetings between the Prime Minister and some of his closest advisors
and partners in his governing coalition.
We know that the Israeli military has indicated to the Prime Minister that the time is ripe for a deal now, and that would be the preferable option to
the other option, which would be occupying all of the Gaza Strip. So, there is still this debate and this discussion happening. There's no question
that there is a massive window of opportunity now, and it seems like the Prime Minister is likely to meet with President Trump in the coming week or
so, and that President Trump is also urging Netanyahu to push things along.
All I'm saying is to caveat all of this by noting that, you know, it is not said and done yet. There is a massive opportunity, we will have to see
whether the Prime Minister and the Israeli government actually sees it. Isa?
SOARES: Indeed, Jeremy, thank you very much indeed. This is where we're going to stay for our next guest. I'm joined now by "Haaretz" columnist
Gideon Levy live from Tel Aviv. Gideon, great to have you back on the show. Let me pick up really where Jeremy just left off in this, you know, he was
saying about conditions being ripe now for a ceasefire following, of course, those strikes on Iran.
Netanyahu for the first time, as we've heard there, appearing to put the hostages ahead of defeating Hamas, in -- you know, getting them released.
But it's been 600-plus days since that horrific attack on October 7th. Why do you think now -- what has opened up? Is the opportunity ripe now for a
ceasefire?
GIDEON LEVY, COLUMNIST, HAARETZ: I'm not sure at all, because the conditions remained, Isa, exactly as they were. And I guess that
Netanyahu's resistance remains as well. Netanyahu can say that the hostages are his first priority. I highly appreciate this, but there is one
question, one decisive question.
And this is, is Netanyahu ready to pull out all the troops from the Gaza Strip and put an end to the war? Yes or no? If the answer is yes, it means
that the hostages are his first priority. The answer is no, Isa --
SOARES: Do you think he is, Gideon? Do you think he's ready?
LEVY: No, exactly. Not at all. Not at --
SOARES: Yes --
LEVY: All, and therefore, those are hollow lip service. Because as long as he is not ready for this, there will be no hostage release, and there will
be no end to this war. But now in which everyone -- there is no purpose, no goals, just killing for the sake of killing.
SOARES: And we've already heard Gideon from far-right members of his cabinet who are making it very clear that they want to see Israel kind of
expand its bombardment of Gaza. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, which may not -- a surprise U.S. comment. He said no agreement. This is what he
said today. No agreements, no partners, no mediators, only a clear outcome.
The destruction of Hamas and the return of the hostages from position of strength. How then -- how then do you see this playing out as, you know,
Netanyahu meets again with his cabinet tonight?
LEVY: Look, that's the test of Netanyahu's leadership, and it's about time for him to say it clear. Either he's a partner for those blood thirst,
right-wingers in his government. There's no other way to describe them who just want to see more and more Palestinian blood, and more and more
Palestinians live in Gaza in order to occupy Gaza and to settle it with Jews.
[14:10:00]
If Netanyahu is a partner for those lunatic ideas, and also immoral and illegal obviously, then he should say if he is against, yes, it might have
a price, and it might have to go to elections, anyhow elections will come, apparently. So, that's really the moment of him. And in the same time, I
must tell you, Isa, it depends a lot also on President Trump --
SOARES: Yes --
LEVY: Is he very decisive about ending the war? Does he really want the war to end? He can do it within days, like he did with Iran. When Donald Trump
say that the jets were already on their way on the last day or the day of the ceasefire, were already on their way to retaliate Iran, he gave the
order to pull them back and Israel did it.
Israel depends so much now on the United States. Netanyahu depends so much on Donald Trump that it is really in his hands. Is he decisive enough to
put an end to this war or not?
SOARES: Yes, and there is speculation perhaps that they may meet, of course, and now, really is the opportunity for President Trump to apply
some pressure, if indeed he wants to see an end to the -- to the conflict. Let me turn very briefly, if I can, as we run out of time to the settler
violence, Gideon, that we're seeing in the West Bank, and it really does show what has happened in the last 24 hours, is how emboldened they are
that they are going after an IDF military base.
How is this playing out at home, and what does that speak to at -- you know, at this juncture as we see this?
LEVY: Oh, first of all, it's not the last 24 hours, Isa? In the last --
SOARES: Yes --
LEVY: Twenty four hours, they -- the first time -- not the first time, but this time, they also targeted soldiers. But they are targeting innocent
Palestinians for months now, apparently from the 7th of October ever since that Israeli think that they have the right to do whatever they want after
the 7th of October. But don't blame the settlers.
It's Israel behind it. It's the government, it's the police, it is the army who supports them, the police who does nothing to bring them to justice,
and the Israeli government who does nothing and practically support them and finance them, guard them, everything. And the Israeli public opinion,
which is totally passive and apathetic vis-a-vis those really pogroms, those are -- I've been to them, they were -- those are pogroms from the
worst scenario, and those pogroms are happening on a daily basis, and there's no one to stop them. It's not some extreme settlers, though, it is
Israel.
SOARES: Very final here going back to what you said regarding President Trump. What does President Trump need to tell Prime Minister Netanyahu that
you think make him listen, that won't jeopardize his Likud base? What can he say to him?
LEVY: He knows very well, he knows better than both of us, Isa. He just have to threaten him. He just have to threaten him with putting pressure.
If you want to continue this war, it will be without the United States. And that's enough, because Israel cannot continue this war without the United
States and without the supply of the United States.
He knows very well how to put an end to this war within days. Now, about the coalition of Netanyahu, with all the respect, it cannot be the first
priority for God's sake. People are dying on a daily basis under, and it's time to put an end to it. And Donald Trump, if he really wants to put an
end, he knows very well how to do it. Believe me.
SOARES: Gideon Levy, always great to get your insight. Thank you very much, Gideon, good to see you.
LEVY: Thank you, Isa.
SOARES: We're going to stay with President Trump, in fact, because he continues to blast Fed Chair Jerome Powell over interest rates. Just a
short time ago, in fact, he posted a message -- this is a message on social media, you can see there, and included a screenshot of a handwritten note,
as you can see, calling him Jerome, too late Powell.
President Trump says the Federal Reserve should have interest rates at 1 percent. Kristen Holmes is at the White House. And Kristen, what is
interesting, it's not so much that he attacked Jerome Powell, Jay Powell, which he has done repeatedly, but the fact that the press conference that
we heard in the last what? Half an hour or so, actually started with this, that this was the message. Speak to that.
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's something that he has been obsessed with. We've heard it from President Trump time
and time again, even in the middle of all of that, we have seen in terms of foreign affairs and global events, he has been posting messages about
Jerome Powell.
[14:15:00]
And this was Karoline Leavitt; the Press Secretary, coming out during this briefing and saying that this was a letter that was delivered to Jerome
Powell, and just to give you an idea, it was the World Central Bank rates, and they had highlighted where the United States was. And in this message
that she said was delivered directly to Powell, said, "you are as usual too late."
And it said, "you have cost the U.S. a fortune and continue to do so. You should lower the rate by a lot." Now, she was asked a couple follow-up
questions about this, one, does President Trump have a shortlist of people to replace Jerome Powell? She wouldn't answer that. She was specifically
asked about rumors that he was looking at Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, again, wouldn't answer those questions.
But this is something he has become incredibly fixated on even since before he was in office. Now, he used to threaten that he was going to remove
Jerome Powell from his position. Now, he says he's waiting for the end of his tenure, which is in 2026, likely because he got a lot of pushback from
this idea of actually removing Jerome Powell and trying to take over and put the executive in charge of the Fed there, the Federal Reserve.
But that being said, he has been fixated on this idea that he believes it would be better for our economy if those rates were lowered. And he does
that by lashing out at Powell here. It's no surprise he has made his distaste for Powell and his decisions relatively very public at this point.
But again, no -- stopping short of saying that he was going to fire him.
And in fact, Leavitt was asked at the briefing, why not just fire him if he hates him so much essentially? And she said, that's a good question. So,
that's where we are here on this.
SOARES: And on this, because this has been going on for some time, right? The attacks on Jay Powell has been ongoing. And Jay Powell has kind of
dismissed them in his press conferences when on -- when it comes to the stage to talk about -- it takes --the stage to talk about interest rates.
But can he -- can he sack Jerome Powell?
HOLMES: There's a lot of grey area here. It seems as though he possibly could do that. However, this would put the United States on a really
different path than it's been on in the past. The Federal Reserve has operated as a separate entity. It is unclear exactly what the logistics of
that would look like.
However, we know that it's something that he has considered in the past. It is something he has talked about in the past. Now, maybe, the reason that
he hasn't moved forward with this idea, and said now that he'll wait until his retirement isn't just because of pushback, maybe they couldn't find the
legality on how exactly to do that without causing a lot of problems for President Trump, but it would be a difficult process.
However, we do know President Trump doesn't really seem to be too concerned about the optics of things and going through what would be a difficult
process. It is interesting, though, he has changed his tune in the last couple of months, instead of saying that he was calling for his ouster, he
has instead said he'll wait for his term to be up in 2026, and then he'll appoint somebody new.
SOARES: Yes, he always -- he also suggested at one point that he should do the job, that's for another conversation. Kristen, good to see you, thank
you very much indeed. Well, on Capitol Hill right now, U.S. senators are in the midst of vote-a-rama. It's a marathon voting session over changes to
President Donald Trump's massive domestic policy bill.
The President sees the final vote on the legislation as a loyalty test, calling a no vote the ultimate betrayal. Senator Thom Tillis is one of the
Republicans who opposed the bill. Have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): What do I tell 663,000 people in two years or three years when President Trump breaks his promise by pushing them off of
Medicaid because the funding is not there? It is inescapable that this bill, in its current form, will betray the very promise that Donald J.
Trump made in the Oval Office.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Tills(ph) later -- Tillis later made a stunning announcement that he won't seek re-election. So, what's in the bill? There's billions of
dollars for defense and border security along with the phasing out of many key clean energy credits, electric, solar and wind. The non-bipartisan --
the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that roughly 11 million people will lose health insurance if the bill becomes law.
In the Senate version of the bill, many Medicaid recipients would be facing work or volunteer requirements of at least 80 hours a month. More paperwork
will be required to apply with less time to file those actual applications. Under the House plan, the debt ceiling would be raised by $4 trillion,
while the Senate version would add $5 trillion.
President Trump is pushing Congress to pass the bill so he can sign it by this Friday, which is July 4th. Lauren Fox is on Capitol Hill, being
keeping an eye on all the comments. And Lauren, let me pick up with what you heard there from Republican Thom Tillis. How have these comments been
received? If we're talking about this being a loyalty test, and could he sway, some other Republicans too? You know, who may be on the fence here?
[14:20:00]
LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: I mean, in many ways, Thom Tillis' floor speech yesterday becomes a campaign ad, right? For so many Democrats
who have been arguing for weeks now that there are steep Medicaid cuts to this bill. Well, Thom Tillis, a Republican, essentially saying, yes, that's
the case.
That's why he is voting against this legislation. Obviously, he did not vote to move forward with this piece of legislation on Saturday night, he
then announced yesterday he was going to retire after Donald Trump took to Truth Social, and argued that he was interested in a potential primary
challenge against Thom Tillis.
Sometimes, when you are talking about these really contentious and difficult votes, a president, a Republican leadership might look at who
their members are, who is running in competitive races and say, OK, perhaps we can let this vote go, perhaps we can let that vote go in order for those
people to protect their own re-elections and for us to protect our majority.
In this case, it became very clear that Thom Tillis' decision not to support moving forward with this legislation, and it was just a procedural
vote, we should be clear, was enough for Donald Trump to come after him. With all of that said, now John Thune, the Republican leader has a very
difficult task ahead because he can only afford to lose three Republicans ultimately on this vote.
We know that this vote-a-rama is going to go on perhaps late into tonight, perhaps early tomorrow morning. And in part, this is because Republican
leadership still needs to shore up the support in order to pass this bill. That is what is happening behind the scenes right now. On the one hand, you
see these political votes on amendments.
You see a couple of Republicans crossing over, voting with Democrats to protect Medicaid, to protect food stamps. But behind the scenes, John Thune
and his leadership team are trying to make sure that they have the backing of at least 51 Republicans in order to pass this bill, or at least, 50
Republicans, because they can bring in the Vice President as a potential tie breaker.
So, that is what's happening in front of the cameras and what's happening behind the cameras. But this is a really difficult crunch time for GOP
leaders because, again, they have to make sure that their conservatives are on board. They also have to make sure that people like Senator Lisa
Murkowski and Susan Collins are comfortable.
Just as a reminder, they've already lost Thom Tillis. They've already lost Rand Paul, a conservative. They can't afford to lose one more person, but
they can't afford to lose both Susan Collins, who is up for re-election, and Senator Lisa Murkowski, who has already expressed some deep
reservations about what's in this bill.
SOARES: Very close indeed. Lauren Fox, keeping an eye on all of it, thank you very much, Lauren. And still to come tonight, scorching temperatures
across Europe as a heat wave makes its way through. We'll have the forecast for you next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:25:00]
SOARES: The suspect in an ambush attack on firefighters in Idaho has been identified. Investigators say he's 20-year-old Wes Rowley. The surprise
attack happened on Sunday in the town of Coeur d'Alene. Firefighters were responding to a brush fire on a nearby mountain. That's when a sniper
started shooting at the first responders, killing two.
Police exchanged gunfire with the suspect for about 90 minutes. Hours later, police learned he was dead. Joining us now is CNN's Mark Morales.
So, Mark, what more do we know in specific details about the shooter? And do we have -- are we any closer here to knowing motivation?
MARK MORALES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTER: Right, well, that's one of the central questions here, because now that we know who he is, and again,
investigators have identified him as being Wes Rowley, 20 years old from Idaho. Now that we know this, investigators can really start doing a deep
dive on him. They can do search warrants at his home or his -- any known businesses.
They can talk to people that he knows, loved ones and friends. This really gives them a lead to sort of dig into who he was and to figure out why
exactly this happened. Now, it's been a massive law enforcement effort between both locals and federal partners here to sort of stabilize the
situation. They were able to use technology to trace his cellphone signal to really pinpoint his location.
But just as important is that -- as that has been, has been the initial 9- 1-1 call, because that initial 9-1-1 call let law enforcement and first responders know that not only did you have two firefighters shot, but that
they needed to be transported out to a local hospital rather quickly. And you also got the first indication that this was a set-up, that they were
drawn in to battle this fire.
And while they were there, it was his intention to conduct this sniper- style attack. Now, Rowley was found dead with a firearm not too far from where he was, and investigators are going to continue to dig in to find out
not only just motive, but how exactly he came to perish in this situation. Was it a self-inflicted wound? Did law enforcement actually strike him
within that gun battle? There's still a lot of outstanding questions here. Isa?
SOARES: Mark Morales, I know you'll get to the bottom of those questions. Thank you very much indeed, Mark. Well, after weeks of testimony, jurors
are deliberating right now in Sean "Diddy" Combs' criminal trial. Just ahead, what they're now asking the judge. We'll have more next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:31:12]
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. A sweltering heat wave is gripping southern Europe, including Italy, Spain, and France. Temperatures are soaring above
40 degrees Celsius or 104 degrees Fahrenheit, sending locals and tourists scrambling for shade as well as shelter. Amid the scorching temperatures,
authorities are warning, of course, of wildfire risks. Several wildfires are already burning in France and in Turkey.
Al Goodman joins me now from Madrid with more. And, Al, I was speaking to my parents this morning and told me it was really hot in Southern Portugal,
45 degrees, which is incredibly dangerous too.
AL GOODMAN, JOURNALIST: Exactly. And also, in the capital of Lisbon there. These temperatures are not normal, Isa. Right now, at this time of the
year, they're more usually seen in July and August and now they're in June. Yes, at the end of June, but in the final several days of June, and that's
a change. And these extreme temperatures are bringing various challenges. Here's our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GOODMAN (voice-over): Apocalyptic scenes in Izmir, Turkey as wildfires forced residents to flee for their lives. Aid workers carried an elderly
man to safety just moments before flames swallowed his home. A harrowing escape in searing summer heat.
Outside Madrid, firefighters battled a late-night blaze, another front in the heat wave stretching from Greece to Spain and beyond. Across Europe, an
early and unforgiving summer scorcher is gripping the continent. In parts of Spain, official temperature soared above 46 degrees Celsius, well over
114 degrees Fahrenheit, leaving people and animals alike scrambling for any patch of shade or drop of water.
GOODMAN: Spain's National Weather Agency says it's the hottest June since records began 60 years ago. The afternoon sun is piercing. And overnight,
the temperatures don't fall enough to really cool things down.
GOODMAN (voice-over): In Seville, residents say it felt like the city itself was melting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It's awful. It makes me collapse. We need to look for shade constantly, air conditioning if we have it. And
these devices keep ringing with heat warnings.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I feel terrible about it. I can't sleep well and have insomnia. I also get heat strokes. I stop eating and I
just can't focus.
GOODMAN (voice-over): Some found refuge at the beach. Others trudged on to visit Europe's monuments, despite the stifling heat. In Athens, the
government opened air-conditioned community centers and set up hotlines for medical help as the mercury climbed relentlessly.
In Hungary, even the elephants at the Budapest Zoo needed cold showers to stay cool with temperatures nearing 39 degrees Celsius.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a hot day. You're going to need it.
GOODMAN (voice-over): And in Britain, a country hardly known for sizzling summers, tennis fans at Wimbledon braved unusually high temperatures on
opening day. Scientists warned that human induced climate change is fueling these extreme heat events, making them more frequent, more intense, and
harder to predict. And with the heat showing no sign of letting up, Europe braces for more scorching days ahead and with them, the very real threat of
new extremes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOODMAN (on camera): Isa, and the new extremes are prompting officials here in Spain and Italy and other countries in Europe to put into place action
plans to try to better protect their citizens, including their outdoor workers. Isa.
SOARES: Al Goodman for us in Madrid. Thank you very much, Al. I'm just seeing as well the more than 50,000 people in Turkey have been evacuated to
safety zones as those forest fires that Al was talking about in his report burn in different parts of the country, that is according between interior
ministry. So, huge concern, of course, what is happening in Turkey. We'll keep an eye on those. Any developments, we will bring that to your
attention.
[14:35:00]
Al was talking there about the -- how hot it is in Wimbledon, that's made in fact as the hottest opening day on record at Wimbledon. The tennis
championship kicked off in London today. Afternoon temperatures reach nearly 30 degrees Celsius. That is 86 degrees Fahrenheit. That's forcing
players as well as spectators -- don't know why David Beckham is wearing a tie -- to take extra measures to stay cool.
Our meteorologist, Derek Van Dam, is at the CNN Weather Center with more on this heat streak. Really, why isn't he wearing a hat? That was my first,
why is he wearing a tie and why isn't he got a hat on? That was my first concern. But look, talk to us about how long this heat streak's going to
last here, Derek. This is very concerning.
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Look, there -- yes, there's one more day of heat at Wimbledon and then there'll be a marked change in our
temperature going forward from Wednesday for the rest of the week. A little bit too far to see into next week, but there is relief coming, but not
before one more day of excruciating heat for not only spectators, David Beckham, and the athletes as well.
But a real testament to what's going on in Southern Europe. Parts of Western Europe are these wildfires. You saw the correspondent just a moment
ago talk about what's happening in Turkey. But this is coming out of Southwest France. You can see some of the vegetation fires here. 120
firefighters battling these flames, which they have contained. But this is just the beginning of what could be a very long and very arduous summer for
many.
Now, let's talk about Wimbledon. Because it's official, it is now the hottest start to the two-week long tournament in its history. It's two-week
long Summerfest, really, with the temperatures here climbing above the 30- degree mark today, marking that hottest start to the tournament. So, the hottest day ever recorded during Wimbledon was back in 2015, just shy of 36
degrees. And I think we're going to challenge that tomorrow. So, we have that one more day of heat to really discuss.
Over the western parts of Europe, we have 20 countries that are currently under some sort of heat related alert with some of the most in intense heat
warnings in place across Southern Portugal, the Adriatic regions. This is all being fueled by warmer than average Mediterranean temperatures. I'm
talking about sea surface temperatures. So, we'll get to that in just a moment.
But here's that change, right. So, one more day for Wimbledon. 33 tomorrow, perhaps getting to 34. Looking to challenge some of those records, but look
at that, a 10-degree temperature swing for the day on Wednesday and Thursday. It's all because of this cold front. You don't need to be a
meteorologist to see what's happening here, right?
A significant cold front will cool the temperatures. Portions of the U.K., Northern France, into the Netherlands where they've been sweltering. But
the heat will be contained to the Mediterranean area. So, look at these temperatures from Madrid to Rome, Milan into Athens where they're battling
wildfires. And yes, this is being made worse by the above average temperatures in the ocean from the Mediterranean.
So, this is the Europeans space agency known as Copernicus. They're the Climate Monitoring Agency, I should say. And what they've depicted here are
temperatures that are five degrees Celsius or greater above average for this time of year. That dark shading of red, that's over Western Europe.
So, that really helps fuel the potential for, let's say, stronger storms as we head into the summer season, early fall, wetter storms, the medicains
(ph) that form as we head into the later parts of the summer, something we're going to keep in mind here.
But Madrid, you're going to stay hot. So, real no relief across the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal, Spain, really the hotspot here going forward, Isa.
SOARES: Yes. And the thing is, and I think the point you highlighted there, I think is really interesting. It's, you know, people screaming at the
tallies at the moment saying, hey, we're in the summer. What's the big deal? Is the fact that it's unseasonably warm for this time of the year,
right? For end of June --
VAN DAM: Just early.
SOARES: -- these are very, very hot temperatures for this time of the year.
VAN DAM: Undoubtedly. And we're talking 10 to 12 degrees Celsius above average. So, that is a significant amount of warmth for this early in the
season.
SOARES: Yes, put your hat on, put your sun cream on and drink lots of fluids. Derek, thank you very much indeed.
VAN DAM: No ties.
SOARES: And good to see you. No ties, absolutely.
VAN DAM: All right. You too.
SOARES: Coming up, President Trump celebrated last week's Supreme Court ruling on birthright citizenship. But those on the other side of the legal
fight said the matter is far from settled. We'll explain next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:40:00]
SOARES: Jurors have been deliberating over the last three hours in the Sean Diddy Combs sex trafficking and racketeering trial. And just over an hour
ago, they sent a note to the judge with concern about one juror. For the latest in the trial, I want to bring in CNN Legal Analyst Joey Jackson.
He's also a defense attorney and joins us from New York.
Joey, you are the perfect voice to make sense of what is happening right now. Talk to me first about this note about this wild card juror that was
sent. I mean, it's pretty early on for the judge to be receiving this note, right? So, do we have any more details on this? Speak to the importance of
that.
JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Sure. So, we do not have any more details than the note itself, which gave the indication, Isa, good to be with you,
that, you know what, this juror doesn't want to deliberate and doesn't want to follow really the judge's instructions. And so that's very significant.
Why? It's significant because you have a process where in 12 jurors and you have a number often, it's five that are left. OK. But the 12 that are
impaneled have to reach a verdict unanimously. That is all of them have to be in agreement as to what the final verdict will be, guilty or not guilty.
In doing that, they have to decipher through five various counts with respect to Diddy, with respect to what prosecutors argue and allege that he
violated in terms of the law. But in doing that, you're supposed to deliberate in good faith. Deliberation involves exhibits, deliberation
involves e-mails, text messages, various audio, video, et cetera. You look and then you make the argument.
To your point, Isa, wow, they just started. And there's a note which would be suggestive that one juror is not participating in good faith. What I
read into that, and I'm being very careful here, is that there potentially could be one juror who's just sitting on their hands and saying, look, I
don't care what you say, I don't buy what has been sold to me. And that's not the way the process should work. The way the process should work is
people deliberate.
And there are times, Isa, during a deliberation where one side may be brought over to the other side, guilty to not guilty or not guilty to
guilty. But for right out of the gate, a note to be brought that says, hey, this juror's not playing nicely in the sandbox is very concerning. And
finally, could raise an issue on appeal depending upon how it's dealt with.
Now, how it was dealt with is the judge sent back a note saying, hey, you know, you got to follow my rules. You have to follow the law. Go back and
deliberate. And that's exactly what the jury is expected to do.
SOARES: Yes. And on that point, the judge said -- just bring -- can we get -- bring it up. Tom? I asked my producer to bring up the graphic. He said,
the judge said, I received your note. I remind every juror of their duty to deliberate and their obligation to follow my instructions in the law. With
that instruction in mind, please continue deliberating, he said.
But can you tell us about the instructions from the judge here? Spell us out for us. What did he say?
JACKSON: Absolutely. So, what happens is, is before the jury gets the case, the judge instructs them as to the law. Remember, in the process, the
jurors are the ones who determine the facts. The judge is the one who is the -- makes rulings as to the law. And here, you have five various
charges. Very briefly, you have that RICO count. What does RICO? Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization Act. And what it says is that
Diddy is accused of running a criminal enterprise where he conspired that has agreed to engage in illegality with one or more people in his
organization.
And in doing that, it has to be that he did it for 10 or more years. And it also has to be that in doing it, he broke other laws such as racketeering.
What is racketeering? It's various types of crimes such as arson. You heard evidence about him bombing a car. You heard about bribery in terms of the
tape, give me the tape for a hundred grand. You know what? Let it not see the night of day, the light of day. The tape involving his beating of
Cassie Ventura. The issues about drugs, the issues about guns. So, many.
And so, the jury has to determine whether he is responsible, Diddy, for any of those predicate acts over the 10-year period of time and whether he was
running a criminal enterprise. The other count relates to sex trafficking and that really deals with the fact of whether he was engaged in the sexual
activity, commercial sexual activity, and whether or not it was coerced or whether it was that they were willing participants applying to two people.
Cassie Ventura, a person he was involved in a long-term relationship for 11 years and another one only known as Jane, who we was involved in a
relationship for three years.
And finally, Isa, the last count, there's two of them, it's really transportation for prostitution. And there's two counts as to that, making
five in total. And that really says that if you were crossing state lines for the purpose of engaging in prostitution, you would be guilty. Defining
the timeframes he's alleged to have done that, and the jury has to decipher whether the hotel receipts and the flight records and all of the various
participants and the evidence would point to his guilt to that.
And so, that's what the jury was instructed on. They were informed as to what those charges specifically mean, right, a lot broader than I pretty
much presented it to you in the time we have. And then they said, hey, go back and deliberate. So, they have to look and determine what the facts,
whether they match the law, and if they do, he'll be guilty. And if they don't, Isa, he'll be not guilty.
SOARES: Seven weeks now in the hands of 12 strangers. A lot of facts to deliberate, a lot of evidence. There is something else that I want to ask
you about. Another case, Joey. Let me bring -- stay with us. I want to bring this up to -- our viewers up to date, because elsewhere at this hour,
in fact, a critical hearing in President Trump's fight to bring an end to birthright citizenship. Long guaranteed, of course, by the 14th Amendment
of the U.S. Constitution.
The U.S. Supreme Court delivered a big win, if you remember, to the president on Friday, ruling that the lower court judges don't have the
power to block nationwide policies. But the legal fight over the issue is far from over. Joey Jackson, your thoughts on this, Joey?
I thought on Friday, OK, there may some be some sort of appeal. Makes sense for us. What is happening right now?
JACKSON: So, what happens is, just to really tee up the issue, right, as you have, Isa, is that we have this birthright citizenship and we have a
14th Amendment, and that guarantees equal protection under the law for everyone. And it specifically says that anyone born or naturalized in the
United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, is a citizen. 14th Amendment was ratified July 9, 1868, almost 160 years ago. President Trump
issued his executive order saying, nope, I don't think so. You're no longer citizens. People say, what? They take it to court.
Now, we know that last week the Supreme Court did hand him a victory, but not on the merits of what he was trying to do. Supreme Court could've ended
this saying, hey, what are you talking about, Mr. President? There is nothing to see here. Clearly your executive order is unconstitutional. They
didn't do that. Instead, they focused on nationwide injunctive.
What does that mean? It means that in the United States what ends up happening is you have these district courts, those are the first courts you
go into when you say, hey, I want to sue. And then, if you don't get it right in the district court, you can go to the circuit court. Those are the
appellate courts. There's 12 of those, plus D.C., making 13.
And so, what was ending up happening is that you would go, if you're a plaintiff, to one of those courts, which are list -- are in various parts
of the country, and if they said, hey, you're right, birthright citizenship is unconstitutional, that judge, say for example in New York, would issue a
broad injunction shutting down the policy for the whole country.
And what the Supreme Court said is no, no, no, you can't do that anymore. One circuit -- or excuse me, one district court judge in any particular
community, locality can no longer issue a broad-based injunction for the entire country. It's only limited to your specific area. So, that sets off,
Isa, a whole bunch of confusion. What? You mean to tell me that in New York I could be a citizen, but in Texas and Florida I can't? But in Maryland I
am? It doesn't work that way. You have 50 states in the United States of America, you need uniformity.
And so, what happens now is that the plaintiffs need to regroup. According to the order of the Supreme Court, they gave the plaintiffs 30 days. These
are the people suing, saying, Mr. President, you got it wrong. This executive order is unlawful. 30 days to regroup. And so, that's exactly
what they're doing in assessing how they can still prevail in terms of showing that this birthright citizenship is unconstitutional and make -- to
the 50 states and not simply patchwork states throughout the country. And so, there's an important hearing going on with respect to that.
[14:50:00]
SOARES: The paperwork has begun as we suspected, right. Joey? Good to see you, Joey.
JACKSON: Indeed.
SOARES: Thank you for making so much sense of what is happening. Thank you.
JACKSON: My pleasure. Thanks.
SOARES: And still to come tonight, the Trump administration intensifies its fight against Harvard, finding that the university is in violent violation
of the Civil Rights Act. We'll bring you that story next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: A Trump administration investigation has found that Harvard is in, quote, "violent violation" of the Civil Rights Act. CNN obtained a letter
sent to Harvard's president today. In it, the members of the joint task force to combat anti-semitism say that in some cases Harvard willfully
participated in the harassment of Jewish students, faculty and staff.
Monday's letter intensifies the administration's ongoing fight against Harvard and could further threaten the funding Harvard receives from the
federal government. Our Betsy Klein has all the answers for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, this really marks a stunning development because it was just 10 days ago that President Trump
said that his administration was on the verge of a historic deal with Harvard University, and now his administration is accusing the University
of Civil Rights violations.
The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, this is an inter-agency effort started by the Trump administration has investigated Harvard's compliance
with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. What that is, it prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin for any
programs or activities that receive federal funding. And it has concluded, according to a letter from this task force to Harvard President Alan
Garber, that Harvard is in, quote, "violent violation" of Title VI.
It says that Harvard, quote, "has been, in some cases, deliberately indifferent, and in others, has been a willful participant in antisemitic
harassment of Jewish students, faculty, and staff." It points to examples of Jewish students being assaulted and spit on on campus. There is imagery
on campus, it says, is trafficking in antisemitic tropes. There's also an encampment on campus in the early days of the October 7th Hamas attacks on
Israel and subsequent war that it says instilled fear in Jewish students. And it goes on to say that failure by Harvard to take immediate action will
result in the loss of all federal financial resources.
[14:55:00]
Now, this just marks the latest intensification in the battle between the Trump administration and Harvard. They're currently embroiled in two
separate lawsuits, working their way through the court system. But the president just 10 days ago, on July 20th, said in a post to social media
that he believed that Harvard was acting extremely appropriately and that they were on the verge of a historic settlement.
Meanwhile, Education Secretary Linda McMahon also said that Harvard had been making progress to combat antisemitism on campus. But clearly, the
talks, the negotiations at a small group level had broken down over the past few days. The administration is currently working to make a deal with
Columbia University. We'll see how that plays out.
Betsy Klein, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And finally, tonight, what would you do if you won the lottery? It's the question thousands of people across Norway were asking over the
weekend when they were told that they had won large sums in the Euro jackpot draw only to find out was all in error. Norway's national lottery,
Norsk Tipping, have apologized after a conversion mistake led to people believe they had won 100 times what they actually had won. The CEO has
since resigned following the scandal.
And that does it for me for tonight. Thank you very much for your company. Do stay right here. Max Foster with "What We Know" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
