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Isa Soares Tonight
Trump Overturns Pause in ICE Traffic Stops; ICE to Equip Body Cameras to Officers Nationally; England and Argentina in Semifinal Battle. President Trump's Acting Attorney General Grilled on Capitol Hill as He Attempts to Permanently Take on the Top Job at the Justice Department; President Trump Issues New But Familiar Threats Against Iran of Potential Strikes on Civilian Infrastructure. Argentina Takes on England in FIFA World Cup Semifinal.
Aired July 15, 2026 - 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, President Donald Trump's acting Attorney
General is grilled on Capitol Hill as he attempts to permanently take on the top job at the Justice Department.
We are live from Washington with the very latest for you. Then the U.S. keeps up its relentless bombardment of Iran. And President Trump issues new
but familiar threats, once again warning about potential strikes on civilian infrastructure.
We'll have the very latest for you. Plus, a bitter rivalry years in the making. We're just an hour away from Argentina taking on England in the
World Cup semifinals. Have that and much more ahead.
But first, tonight, we begin this hour on Capitol Hill where the acting U.S. Attorney General is being grilled by members of both parties as his
hopes for confirmation hang by a thread. Todd Blanche; President Donald Trump's former personal attorney, testifying before a Senate committee in
his bid to lead the Justice Department on a permanent basis.
One of the major sticking points for Blanche's critics, the President's $1.8 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund he signed off on. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R-TX): First of all, I believe you have said that the Weaponization Fund is a moot issue. Is that your position?
TODD BLANCHE, ACTING U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Yes, it is a moot issue. Meaning, there is no Weaponization Fund. The lapses -- the fund is dead.
It's not moving forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, it's expected. Blanche is also facing criticism for the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein files, and for not meeting
with survivors, many of whom were, as you can see there at the hearing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLANCHE: I have never said I will not meet with survivors.
SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): Will you meet with --
BLANCHE: I am so --
DURBIN: These ten survivors? I'm asking you on the record --
BLANCHE: If they have lawyers, as you know, I'm prohibited from meeting directly with them. I have met with counsel for survivors, as has many
people in the Department of Justice --
DURBIN: So, you're over 30 --
BLANCHE: But if they are represented by counsel, we will work with their counsel. If they don't have a lawyer, I will certainly make arrangements to
make sure the right people at the Department of Justice meet. We can absolutely --
DURBIN: Will you get it done? Will you get it done within the next 30 days, that each of these survivors --
BLANCHE: I will get it done today if that's necessary.
DURBIN: Will you notify the committee when you've done this?
BLANCHE: That would be prohibited by law if they're talking about an ongoing investigation.
DURBIN: I'm asking you if you'll notify the committee that you met with all the survivors --
BLANCHE: It depends on what they said, I'm not sure I'm allowed to notify you if there's an ongoing investigation.
DURBIN: Well, you're dancing on the head of a pin here.
BLANCHE: I'm not dancing on any pin.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, elsewhere on Capitol Hill, former Obama White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler was answering questions about Jeffrey Epstein. Ruemmler
told a House panel she regrets meeting with a convicted sex offender, calling it a mistake.
So, plenty for us to talk about. Let me bring in our senior Justice correspondent, Evan Perez. Evan, good to see you, my friend. Look, we heard
there some tough questions. I know there were plenty more about a myriad of policies and actions by the Justice Department, and it did get quite
contentious, right? Just talk us through what stood out to you from what you've heard.
EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR U.S. JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, there were very much -- there were a few contentious moments. The hearing is now just
wrapping up after about five hours of questioning. And a lot of the most -- the sharpest questions, of course, came from Democrats who we do not
anticipate, by and large, are going to vote for this -- for this nomination.
And one of the things they were homing in on is the repeated number of evidence -- instances, rather, the amount of evidence out there that shows
that the Justice Department under Todd Blanche and his leadership, is really being controlled directly from the White House.
That the President is telling what -- telling the Attorney General what he wants to do, who he wants prosecuted, including, of course, his perceived
enemies. And that there is very little of the traditional independence as we know it from the Justice Department.
And one of the things that Todd Blanche was trying to emphasize is that he is not a yes man to President Trump. But one of the things that, you know,
we were closely watching was the demeanor of a couple of Republican senators, including Senator John Cornyn, who you heard there in that
exchange that you -- that you just played because he is very concerned that this $1.8 billion fund, despite what Blanche is saying.
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That it's not really dead, because the President has made clear that even though this one version of it is dead, he still believes that there's got
to be a way for the government to compensate some of his allies, his followers who came here to Capitol Hill on January 6th of 2021 and attack
the Capitol.
And so, one of the parts of this was that, you know, Cornyn seems to be not convinced that it is dead for sure. And so, he's seeking those
reassurances. But there's another part of the questioning from Cornyn, where he homes in on the other part of this agreement, where Blanche
essentially gives immunity to the President of the United States, his sons, his companies for, you know, any IRS audits as part of this agreement.
That part of it is still live. Listen to this part of this exchange as Cornyn try to -- tries to figure out what Blanche is saying is still
possible here. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CORNYN: So, does this release apply to, let's say an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission or some other federal agency?
BLANCHE: No, that's the standard language that we use when we enter into settlements between plaintiffs and the IRS. But no, it doesn't bind -- it's
issued by me because statutes require and authorize me to do that, as opposed to other cabinet members. And in this case, it binds only the IRS
and by extension, the Treasury.
CORNYN: Well, I hear what you're saying, but I certainly don't read that in the -- in the agreement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PEREZ: And so, that is the problem there, Isa. Because I can tell you what Blanche just said, which is that this is standard language. That is not
true. I've talked to a number of former government lawyers, people who have sued the government on behalf of people, you know, over to their taxes with
the IRS, and they say they've never seen language like this.
Which essentially says that not only are you immune from any kind of -- from your audits by the IRS, from being audited by the IRS, but also that
you -- that you're covered for -- with immunity from any investigations, but by other agencies, including for crimes potentially that the government
doesn't even know about.
That is what the language says. And that's one reason why Cornyn, after his questioning of Blanche, told reporters out in the hallway that he's still
concerned that he is still not a yes vote. And so, that's part of the problem for Blanche, because it's --
SOARES: Yes --
PEREZ: Very narrow number of votes that, you know, they need to have in order for his nomination to go forward. And that -- and those questions are
still here, remaining even after five hours of questioning. We'll see tomorrow.
There's a number of experts who are going to be testifying in day two of this hearing. But the job remains a tough one for Blanche to prove that he
can do this job independently in the permanent basis as the Attorney General. Isa.
SOARES: Yes, it is a razor thin margin of error, quite rightly. Evan, do stay with us. Let me go to MJ Lee, who is our senior national enterprise
correspondent. And MJ, I think you're on Capitol Hill. We heard -- we played a clip there, I'm not sure if you heard Blanche being pressed on the
release of the Epstein files.
And he was also pressed in the clip that we played earlier, to meet with survivors. But as we heard, at least, from what I heard, he kind of dodged
that. How have his words kind of landed today with survivors, many of whom were there?
MIN JUNG LEE, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL ENTERPRISE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Isa, there is a pretty sizable contingent of Epstein survivors inside the
confirmation hearing room. And survivors have really descended on Washington D.C. this week to try to send the message that they do not see
Todd Blanche as being equipped or being fit to be the next Attorney General.
Blanche, of course, has been the point person in the Trump administration for all things Epstein. Whether it is the release of the files, whether it
is decision-making on what or who to investigate or not.
And I can tell you, you know, speaking to the Epstein survivors who have been going in and out of this room, as well as family members of Virginia
Giuffre, they have not been satisfied with Todd Blanche's answers to questions about Epstein throughout the course of the confirmation hearing
today.
Particularly, two issues that have really stood out on the issue of whether Blanche is willing to or has met in the past, Epstein survivors. And then
just the question of whether the DOJ is going to pursue further investigations when it comes to Epstein's crimes.
Take a listen to what one Epstein survivor, Marina Lacerda told me earlier today. Just as a reminder, she said that she was just shy of turning 14
when she first met Epstein.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARINA LACERDA, EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: You said that, you know, we won't come forward. We won't go to the FBI. That is absolutely not true. We have been
asking for meetings. We have been asking meetings with the FBI, and we are more than willing to talk at any point with legal counsel or without. You
can choose.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEE: And, you know, I've been asking some survivors whether they would willingly meet with Blanche if he was willing to do so. And the answer I've
gotten is that sure, they would. But also, to what end? I think to say that there is very little faith in this Justice Department among the Epstein
survivors' community would be an understatement.
They have not been happy with the handling of the release of the files, the redactions that did not go as they should have according to law. They are
not happy about the fact that here in the U.S., there has been no being prosecuted for crimes related to Epstein other than his co-conspirator,
Ghislaine Maxwell.
Now, as far as redactions are concerned, I should note that Todd Blanche, in his confirmation hearing, did issue an apology. He said any mistakes
that were made, he would apologize for. But I can tell you that having spoken to the survivors a lot over the past few months, including about the
redactions issue, many of them would say the damage is already done. Isa.
SOARES: MJ Lee, thank you very much, and our thanks to Evan Perez as well, breaking it all down for us there in Washington. Thank you. Well, President
Trump's pick for the next U.S. Director of National Intelligence also went before lawmakers today.
Jay Clayton testified before the Senate Intel Committee as they consider his nomination. And he would replace Tulsi Gabbard, who vacated her
position, if you remember, last month. Democrats on the panel grilled the nominee about his stance on the 2020 election. Have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ANGUS KING (I-ME): Who won the 2020 election?
JAY CLAYTON, NOMINEE FOR U.S. NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE DIRECTOR: As I said to you, we went through our processes and Joe Biden became the President of
the United States. And that's --
KING: That's not an answer to the question of who -- if -- I'm asking one more time.
CLAYTON: OK --
KING: Who won the 2020 election --
CLAYTON: I don't -- I don't -- I'm not -- this is like -- I'm just not -- I'm here to talk about my qualifications.
KING: One of your qualifications is, you told us you're going to tell the truth to power, and you won't answer a very simple question. Tell us who
the --
CLAYTON: I think -- I think I've answered it many times.
KING: You have not answered it.
CLAYTON: OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Angus King really pressing him there. Well, Democrats also used the hearing to attack someone not there, Trump loyalist, Bill Pulte is the
President's acting Intel Director after Gabbard's exit. Senator Mark Warner highlighted how Pulte had no prior national security experience and accused
him of weaponizing the office for political purposes.
We will, of course, stay across these hearings as they continue. Well, the U.S. is keeping up relentless strikes on Iran, saying it carried out new
day-time attacks after a seven-hour wave of strikes overnight.
The U.S. says it hit dozens of military targets near the Strait of Hormuz and other coastal areas. And now also, reimposed a Naval blockade of
Iranian ports. And President Donald Trump is threatening once again to attack critical -- Iran's critical civilian infrastructure, including all
bridges, if it doesn't return to the negotiating table.
Iran says that's not happening, at least, for now, saying it's focused on defending the country. But it is also carrying out attacks of its own,
saying it targeted U.S. military sites and several key U.S. allies. This video appears to show an Iranian drone hitting an already burning
warehouse, and that is in Kuwait.
I want to bring in our senior White House reporter, Kevin Liptak. So, Kevin, I think first of all, for viewers just catching up with the very
latest here, we really have seen an intensity in these strikes, U.S. strikes on Iran, seven-hour wave of strikes overnight, followed by 90
minutes this morning.
Talk us through what you're hearing from the United States, and whether there are any plans at this stage for any sort of negotiations.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Right, and I think the round of strikes that took place today is significant. It's a rare instance of
the U.S. striking during the day. You know, previously, we've seen these --
SOARES: Yes --
LIPTAK: Waves of attacks happen overnight. And I think it gives you a sense of how the United States thinks it has an advantage here as it goes
after positions that are linked to the Strait of Hormuz.
You know, one of the targets today is this critical island, Tunb Island, which has been used by Iran to kind of blanket the Strait of Hormuz with
drones, and those speedboats that are going after some of the commercial vessels in the Strait.
And I think that gives you a picture of what the objective in all of this is. From the American point of view, which is to try and loosen Iran's grip
on the waterway. That seems to be where this new phase of the war is at, is trying to reopen the Strait for commercial traffic.
But I think the problem that American officials do acknowledge behind the scenes here is that Iran does seem to have an asymmetric advantage.
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You know, it only needs to target a few of these commercial vessels. It doesn't really even need to cause that much damage or sink them in order to
spook these captains from going through, essentially cutting off the Strait without, I think, using many of their resources or causing that much
damage.
And that is something that the Americans are still trying to sort through how exactly to get through that. The President, you have seen over the
course of the last several weeks has been sort of wavering between using the carrots, which were the incentives and sanctions relief that were
contained in the Memorandum of Understanding.
Now, he's back to trying to use the sticks in the form of these threats, and in the form of the Naval blockade, and none of it seems to be working
in both opening the Strait, but also convincing the Iranians to come back to the negotiating table.
And so, you see how the President -- is that something of a strategic impasse. Now, these threats that he's making against civilian
infrastructure, you know, the bridges, the power plants, we've heard him make those threats before.
I think this is at least the ninth or tenth time that the President has threatened to do that. He has neither followed through on that threat, nor
has he seen any of the concessions that he hopes, perhaps making those threats would yield from the Iranians.
And it remains to be seen whether he will follow through this time. But it -- that does seem evident that the direction of travel is one of
escalation. The President saying that these strikes will continue into next week at least.
But where this is all heading in terms of getting the Iranians to yield, I don't think we have a clear picture yet.
SOARES: No, when we -- I'm just looking in the last few minutes, the -- Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said in a statement that
Iran must continue to defend itself while also remaining open to diplomatic talks.
He said Iran is engaged in a, quote, "fundamental and existential conflict with the U.S.". So, let's see where this goes. But like you said, we've
heard, of course, these threats from the President before, this kind of aggressive and blustery threats.
Let's see whether -- where this goes to. But it's clear that the diplomatic side, we are not seeing that play out right now. Kevin, appreciate it.
Thank you very much for bringing us up-to-speed on the very latest.
Still to come tonight, we are less than an hour away from a historic showdown between Argentina and England in the FIFA World Cup. We'll bring
you the very latest. And then later, confusion and reversal from the White House as President Trump reinstates immigration, traffic stop orders after,
well, a very temporary pause. That's after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:20:00]
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Just under what? One hour from now, one of the most bitter rivalries in football will take center stage at the World
Cup. England and Argentina will take the pitch in Atlanta for the right to face Spain in the final this Sunday.
Believe it or not, this will be the first time Argentina superstar Lionel Messi has ever faced England, but the two sides used to meet often,
including matches that featured controversial red cards and penalty kick shootout.
And of course, it was 40 years ago that Argentina's Diego Maradona scored the legendary "hand of God" goal in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal against
England. With modern VAR, that goal would never have been allowed.
Let's get more on all of this, I'm sure you'll be completely unbiased with our unbiased preview of course, of today's semifinal. Former captain of the
English squad, Sol Campbell. Sol, great to have you on the show. Warm welcome.
I'm seeing you; you've come prepared for the support; I'm seeing the shirt on. Good on you. Look, as many -- I'm sure many of our viewers will know,
Sol, that you played in one of England's most infamous World Cup knockout matches against Argentina.
That was back in 1998. And you even scored what looked like could have been the winner before that kind of heartbreaking exit. Watching tonight's game,
Sol, are you feeling more excitement or more nervous? Because I can tell you, my newsroom here in London, plenty of nerves.
SOL CAMPBELL, FORMER ENGLAND & ARSENAL DEFENDER: Yes, I think it's you know -- it's a tremendous game for the neutral, but there's a lot of
politics, there's a lot of football history. Yes, there's a lot at stake, you know, getting into the final of the World Cup.
It can't be bigger than that. So, there's going to be nerves, yes, Argentina, they've done it before. And we are the newcomers, and let's see.
And hopefully, we can kind of get through all this madness and be calm and also stand up for yourself.
But also watch out for those dirty little tricks that I'm sure Argentina players will try to do. As long as we play football, stand up for
ourselves. Don't be sucked in too early into kind of tackles in around the box and stay focused.
There's a lot of stuff going around the ground, you've got to just do your job and play as a team and solid, and then go for it. You know, when those
kinds of moments happen, feel the moment and go for it.
SOARES: And I've just noticed that you're actually wearing a -- the 1998 shirt, which is just absolutely brilliant. Hoping for good luck there, Sol.
But look, I'm looking -- I'm just going to ask my producer, are these live shots?
Are these live images? We're seeing live images from London. You can see everyone dressed for the occasion very much with their white and red
showing their support, and there are really real huge support behind the boys.
You know, we've seen Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham both scoring on all but one of England's, you know, goals in this tournament. If England are to get
over the line, Sol, does the responsibilily(ph) -- responsibility, pardon me, largely rests on their shoulders you think? How much pressure is there
on these two guys?
CAMPBELL: You know, I think that they can take the pressure. Harry Kane is --
SOARES: Yes --
CAMPBELL: An excellent forward. He's the number one goal scorer for England. He relishes these kinds of moments. Jude comes alive in these big
tournaments. Look how many goals, he's scored six goals in this squad, two braces in the knockout stages. You know, incredible.
There's -- but there's other players. You know Pickford is playing out of his skin as well in goal. The back guys are playing tremendous. And
everybody is coming in and doing a shift from the midfielders as Anderson and Rice.
So, let's just -- you know, put faith in the lads, and they're playing top football. If they can bring the Mexico kind of performance, that is the
performance you need today. And yes, we're ready. Everyone's behind them. They're making everyone proud back in -- back in England. You can do it
guys, just go out and do it and play your football, obviously, I don't want --
SOARES: They're set --
CAMPBELL: Anyone getting stage fright.
SOARES: They certainly are. They're doing many of us proud, I can tell you that. And you're quite right. There's no -- I in team as I tell my kids.
But they are superb group of players. Look, I can't have you on the show without asking you about Lionel Messi, who seems to have defied time yet
again in this -- in this tournament.
[14:25:00]
But as one of the best defenders, Sol, of your generation, what advice would you give England's back line?
CAMPBELL: I think you have to kind of understand that he is always, you know, going to -- you know, go. He can go both sides. Obviously, he's
better going on his left --
SOARES: Yes --
CAMPBELL: And you know, don't always get sucked in because he's always got another touch to go past that foot, and also be clever, you know, around
the box. Make sure you don't get sucked in and hooked in to kind of tackling around the box, so he gets a nice little free-kick in a good
position.
They have to be careful of that. But also, he's -- you know, assists -- you know, he's going across, but as he's going across looking for a space, he's
looking for a pass to thread someone in. So, they've got to be also ready for that second pass, that Freddy pass to put someone else in to have an
opportunity for Argentina to kind of have a chance.
So, there's two kinds of phases with him. The one he's going to shoot, also the one he's going to kind of put someone else in. As long as we can lock
that down and cover all the bases so he can't Freddy it to someone, or if he does, we're covering it, that's the main thing.
We can't let him loose and open up and have runs, and then he can have either shoot or put someone in because he's deadly in those positions in
the last third.
SOARES: Yes, look, it's -- as we look at these images from London, from Buenos Aires in Argentina, you can see what this means for the fans. Of
course, this moment. I know Messi did say that this was, you know, described tonight as a -- as something special.
Of course, he -- after more than two decades at the top of the game, he's never had the opportunity to face England. But before I let you go, Sol,
just give me a sense of your prediction. And I -- you know -- where are you betting on today? Who -- what's the final score you think will be -- I
know, I'm sorry for putting you on the spot, but go ahead.
CAMPBELL: I feel, you know, bring that performance that the guys played in Azteca. You know, that performance and that kind of, you know,
togetherness, I'm going for 2-1 England. I hope I'm right.
SOARES: We all hope you're right. And let's hear -- here's for that Azteca energy. Sol, great to have you on the show. Sol Campbell joining us there
from New York. Thanks, Sol.
CAMPBELL: Thank you very much.
SOARES: And still to come tonight, a sudden -- you're very welcome. A sudden-about-face on immigration enforcement as President Trump reinstates
ICE traffic stop guidance after, if you remember, was put on hold. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:00]
SOARES: Well, a White House official says U.S. president Donald Trump has overturned the temporary pause on immigration traffic stops. And the abrupt
change in guidance comes, if you remember, less than 24 hours after the pause was put into place, following the shooting deaths of two immigrant
men in Maine and Texas. The Department of Homeland Security and ICE officials ordered the pause on Tuesday, ostensibly to conduct a review of
enforcement operations.
Maria Santana joins me now from Bidford in Maine. And I remember, Maria, you and I talking about, of course, what DHS had been saying. So, in the
meantime, we have DHS saying one thing, and President Trump saying something else. Just how are people reacting there to these mixed messages?
MARIA SANTANA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, the anger, the just pain that this community has been feeling has been growing since this incident.
And now, you know, these mixed signals from the White House, from DHS, you know, it really just exacerbates the situation. People here are angry.
They have been wanting ICE to get out of this community for a really long time. They have been wanting ICE to stop doing these random traffic stops
where, you know, many times they get into altercations with the drivers. Not all of them lead to death, but in this case, it did. So, you know, that
is what they're asking for. They're asking for ICE to get out of this community for an investigation into what happened.
It really is not clear, you know, from the videos that have been released, what happened in the seconds leading up to the shots ringing out and why
this ICE agent felt that he was in danger. You know, of course, these agents weren't wearing body cameras. That's another thing that, you know,
Border Czar Tom Homan spoke about, that they want to try to expand this program so that each agent has a body camera. But in the meantime, he said
that at least one agent in every operation will be wearing one, which is of no comfort to the people here.
Obviously, you know, we have learned that Joan Sebastian Duran Guerrero from Colombia, 26 years old, was really well loved and liked in this
community. Here's what one witness told us about him and about how his family is doing. He was married and had a three-year-old daughter. Let's
listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ISABEL PAREDES, BIDDEFORD RESIDENT: He was a hard worker. He dedicated himself to working and taking care of his wife and his daughter. He was
very proud of her, of his family and just all the hard work, you know, and he just wanted to be here to make a better future for his family. They're
too scared to talk to anyone. Many social groups are trying to reach out to them and assist them, providing food, money, legal assistance, anything
like that. And they're scared, rightly so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANTANA: You know, his family, his wife definitely is scared. You know, we just read a media, a social media post that she published. Very
heartbreaking. She said, you know, I don't know what I'm going to do now. I don't know how I'm going to have the strength to endure this pain and
begging her husband to stay with her, to accompany her even in death and not to leave her alone. Isa.
SOARES: Yes. And, Maria, look, really picking up on what we heard from that clip from that lady there, a neighbor clearly knows them. She said
something really struck me. She said they're scared, and rightly so. I wonder if that's a feeling that you are hearing throughout the community
because we have seen so many of these cases, not just in Maine, of course, but also in Texas.
Can you speak to that side of this? How are people feeling? I know there are calls for investigations, but what does it tell us about the tensions
right now within the community?
SANTANA: Well, yes, there's a lot of fear, and there's been a lot of fear in Latino communities all over the country ever since, you know, the Trump
administration started this immigration crackdown. You know, people who have, you know, refused to leave their homes. They have neighbors buying
groceries for them, taking their children to school. They're afraid to even pick up their children from school.
And here we have heard from people who are afraid. They're afraid to share their names. They're afraid to go on camera to say, I saw what happened.
They do not want to be identified in that way. You know, one of the organizations here, Project Relief, that is working with the victim's
family, they said, you know, that another resident of the building where he lived was asking and pleading them to move him out of there because he was
so afraid to leave his home.
[14:35:00]
At that point, he had children, and he just wanted another place to go, and the organization helped him find another safe place where, you know, he
could feel at least a little better and, you know, be with his children and take them outside at least. But he was really thinking of just staying in
his apartment the entire time.
SOARES: Yes. And we're seeing that makeshift memorial growing day after day behind you. Maria Santana, thank you very much, Maria. Appreciate it.
In Biddeford in Maine.
And still to come for you tonight, the fans are certainly ready with just minutes and minutes until Argentina and England kick off their World Cup
semifinal. Really, we will take you live to watch parties. That, I'm assuming, is Buenos Aires. Then we'll take you to London.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, we are about 20 minutes away from the start of the second semifinal of the FIFA World Cup. England, led by Harry Kane and the boys in
Argentina, with its star Lionel Messi, are all set to battle for the right to face Spain this coming Sunday. Argentina still has the hopes of
defending that title they won, if you remember, four years ago.
For England, it has been much longer since they last played in a final. That was 1966, when England beat West Germany for their only World Cup
title, decades before any of the players on either squad were even born.
So, let's see how both nations are getting ready for this match. Stefano Possebon is at a Fan Zone in Buenos Aires. Anna Stewart is out with the
fans in London.
Let me go to Stefano first. And, Stefano, I know what the crowds in Buenos Aires are like. I was there for the 2014 final between Germany and
Argentina, so you probably can't hear me, so just take it away.
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Oh, no, we actually can still hear you fine, Isa, because the nation is at a standstill, waiting with anticipation
for this historic semi-final. We're in the city center of Buenos Aires, where these people about ten minutes ago were jumping. Who doesn't jump is
an Englishman. Thankfully, I'm trying to get as American accent as possible.
Here, there is a lot of anticipation, because it's the second -- it's the last World Cup of Lionel Messi. And, of course, you can understand the
power, the connection between the Argentinian people and their football star, but also because the memory of 2022, Isa, is still so fresh.
[14:40:00]
I was here in 2022. I'm still wearing the same jersey that I was wearing in that day in December when Argentina won the third star. Well, we're now
waiting for the fourth star. And, of course, the anticipation is building.
Here we are at a Fan Zone with a massive screen just in front of me, and they're putting on some commercials. I'm sure that when the players will
get out and ready to fight for the first 45 minutes, plus extra time before the halftime show, well, of course, this place will be buzzing. And then we
will see what happens if perhaps we're going to extra time and penalties in the future. Isa, back to you.
SOARES: Yes. I can already hear the vuvuzelas. How can we forget those? Thanks very much, Stefano. Let me go to Anna. Do stay with us, Stefano. Let
me go to Anna. Anna, I'm guessing you're at a pub. Give us a sense of the mood.
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The mood is of giddy excitement. Yes, there is a decades-long bitter rivalry with Argentina. And depending on
what generation you speak to, they may talk about the Falklands, they may talk about Maradona, they may talk about David Beckham, but actually, most
people I spoke to today are just elated to be in a semifinal.
This is my new friend, Sam. Sam's been giving me a football lesson, which was frankly badly needed. Sam, are you excited?
SAM: I am very nervous. Absolutely buzzing. But I think we've got it. I think we've got this one. I think this is the day.
STEWART: It's Messi. It's Messe.
SAM: It doesn't matter. He's not necessarily fast, but we've got this. I think we've got two. We've got Kane. We've got many players. We can beat
them. We can.
STEWART: All right. I've also got Alex and Giles here. Is it going to come home this year? Beyond today, is it coming home?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's definitely coming home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Obviously, it's coming home. Obviously, it's coming home.
STEWART: For 60 years?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
STEWART: I think the interviews are over now. I'm mostly worried that this is going to end up on my head if they do score any goals tonight. Back to
you, Isa.
SOARES: Anna, can you ask Sam to your left, can you ask him what he thinks the score will be tonight?
STEWART: What's the score going to be, Sam?
SAM: 2-1 after extra time.
STEWART: There you go. 2-1. He said it.
SAM: England, obviously.
SOARES: Confident, Anna. We'll check in with you in the next hour. Thanks very much to Anna and to Stefano Pozzebon. It's incredible. The England
fans are louder at this hour than the fans in Argentina. But let's see how it changes in the next 20 minutes or so. Thank you to you both.
Look at the scenes there out of London as we are, what, less than 16 or so minutes away from the start of the match between England and Argentina.
And still to come tonight, how food holds memories and stories. My conversation with author and chef Ruthie Rogers about her latest book,
"Table 4 at the River Cafe."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:45:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: A very warm welcome, everyone. We have taken, as you can see, our book club on the road. We are in West London, more specifically, as you can
see here, at the River Cafe to interview Ruthie Rogers, the author of this fantastic new book. Ruthie, welcome to our book club.
RUTHIE ROGERS, AUTHOR, "TABLE 4 AT THE RIVER CAFE": Thank you for being here.
SOARES: It's wonderful.
ROGERS: It's so nice to have you here in the River Cafe. And what about this day?
SOARES: Glorious, glorious, glorious day. For our viewers, of course, probably expecting this to be a cookbook. You've got plenty of those. I
think you've got something like --
ROGERS: Fourteen, yes.
SOARES: Right. You've got plenty of those. And this isn't it. This is a collection of stories, yes, about food, but about memory and about human
interaction. It's so important. Why did you decide, Ruthie, that you needed to write this book now?
ROGERS: Yes. Well, this book is from the podcast that we do, "Ruthie's Table 4." And we really, just to give you a minute, we started the podcast
in the beginning of COVID. And it really came from the idea of how we keep in touch with the people who come here. You know, what does a restaurant
do? A restaurant is a place where you eat well, but you also see friends spontaneously. You know, you sit with your family, you have a good time.
And so, when that was taken away from us all, we missed the people who came here, and I think the people who came here missed being in the River Cafe.
So, we thought, why don't we just read a recipe every day? And we'd get different people to read the recipe. And from that, it developed.
A friend of mine, Graydon Carter (ph), said, Ruthie, you need more than that. You need to segue from the recipe to the memories. Well, we always
thought, let's tell people's story, because I think everybody has a story, and go through their memories through the lens of food.
SOARES: And that is so fascinating. That's what I loved about this book. You know, I wonder why you think that people open up, that people are so
honest when you ask them about food.
ROGERS: When we did Elton John, his sort of chief of staff, he said -- you know, I've sat through 20 years of Elton and David doing interviews. I
didn't know that he shelled peas with his grandmother and that he used to sneak sweets upstairs and keep them under the bed.
You know, I think that if I were to ask you, you'd know that it would bring up certain memories and emotions, because I think food is about family.
It's how you -- and I don't judge. You know, we interviewed Ian Wright, who said he never had a meal at a table because his family were in poverty, and
Tracey Emin, who's fed by the Salvation Army.
So, it's not about entitled good food at the table. A lot of working mothers couldn't afford to sit down and make a meal with their children.
SOARES: Indeed.
ROGERS: And so, what you want to find out is, well, how did that -- how was that? Did you sit around a table? Did you talk about your day? Did you
feel connected through food?
This squid has been on the menu since 1987.
SOARES: When you opened River Cafe, it was a sandwich shop, right?
ROGERS: We only had permission to open at lunchtime and only for the people who worked in these warehouses. So, Richard Rogers and his partners
bought this community and turned it -- well, bought this warehouse and turned it into a community.
SOARES: Look at that. Is this chili? What's in this?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just chopped up chili with olive oil, extra virgin olive oil. But you don't need anything else. That is incredible.
SOARES: I love squid.
ROGERS: You do?
SOARES: Yes. I grew up in Portugal by the sea, so this was -- so good. This is perfect starter.
What have you learned then, Ruthie, about humans, about us, and the way they eat, how you observe them? What have you learned over the years?
ROGERS: I've learned a lot, but I think that -- well, for this book, again, what hit me very much is most of the people that I interviewed did
not grow up entitled. They did not grow up with wealth. Some of them did.
[14:50:00]
SOARES: Yes.
ROGERS: But -- and so, I think what's interesting is to see how they feel that food is a measure of their success, that they could go to a restaurant
and order something without looking at the prices. Again, you know, Tina Fey talked about her Greek mother, and then suddenly when they would go
out, they would eat very simply. But then suddenly, when she went to do comedy in Chicago, that she could eat out, you know.
So, I think people, Paul McCartney said that he went to Paris with John Lennon, and they only had 10 pounds that was given by an aunt. And they
drank wine, but they had such cheap wine that was no good that he thought wine was a terrible drink. And then Brian Epstein took them to their first
French restaurant, and he discovered the joy of wine. There are people who see food as politics. You know, so, Al Gore, who ran for president, talked
about, you know, how he really turned up all the earth on his land to have organic food.
So, I think what I've learned over the years, if you walk in this restaurant, you would say you see a group of people having a good time or
sitting there talking or not talking. But a friend of mine once came in and said, Ruthie, I don't think I can sit down. Everybody looks so happy, and
I'm not. And I said, you know what? If you went to any table, they have a story. Everyone has a story. You have a story. You have a story. I have a
story. And it doesn't have to be a sad story. Somebody might have been fired that day. Somebody's daughter might have graduated from university.
Someone's father might have had a car crash. You're sitting there, and so it's how you get these stories out of people.
SOARES: You've had so many incredible guests. You've spoken to so many people, actors, chefs, authors. I wonder, Ruthie, if you were to have any
other guests in your restaurant, either dead or alive, who would you love to interview?
ROGERS: I've been asked who I would love to interview. And probably six years ago, I might have said Michelle or Barack Obama. I would have said,
well, I had Francis Coppola, so I could take him off. I might say Martin Scorsese. I might say Jenny Saville. I might -- there's so many.
Now, I would say my husband, who died, Richard Rogers, who died three years ago. And I think the reason really for that is, first of all, I would just
like to interview him, is that he loved food. And he really combined, whenever he did a building, whenever he traveled, he really thought about
what he was going to eat and where he was going to eat. And we would just have the best time. And so, I think I would have loved to have had Richard.
SOARES: Ruthie, it's been a real treat. Thank you very much for welcoming us here --
ROGERS: Oh, thank you so much.
SOARES: -- for accommodating us.
ROGERS: Thank you. No.
SOARES: I'm going to pass you a book and a pen, and we'll get you to sign it.
ROGERS: Let's sign it. Yes. Thank you very much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And our thanks to Ruthie and the entire team. You know, good conversations and good food, what a great combo. So, a thank you to her.
And coming up next on The Book Club, a tale of immigration, political hubris, and betrayal engulfing a prominent family in 1970s Delhi. Author
and professor Karan Mahajan joins me to talk about the latest novel, "The Complex," and how its characters draw on parallels to India's and America's
turbulent politics. Here's a clip from our conversation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KARAN MAHAJAN, AUTHOR, "THE COMPLEX": You become an outsider to your own country when you go abroad. And of course, you're an outsider to the new
place. And actually, the pain of becoming an outsider to your own country is much worse, I think, than the pain sometimes of being an outsider in a
new country because you expect it to a degree.
And so, for Geeta, she's really shocked. She goes back a year or two after she's left India, and people are saying, oh, you sound very American now.
You've become an American. And actually, that's very hurtful to her because she's longing for this place.
So, and this is actually a feature, I think, of Indian life, this ability to place people in inside and outside categories. That's what the caste
system was about. That's what the class system is about as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Our next conversation will be with Karan Mahajan. And you do not want to miss that.
Now, it seems the makers of the Mars bar were onto something. Spanish scientists have detected a natural sugar compound in the dust at the center
of the Milky Way galaxy. In fact, it is the same type of sugar, get this, found in raspberries. And I'm sure any kids watching will agree with this
one. Sugar is an essential building block for life. So, the discovery means there might be other molecules waiting to be found in space, and they might
tell us more about the origins of life itself.
And finally, tonight, a 67-million-year-old T. Rex skeleton has been snapped up for just over, get this, $50 million.
[14:55:00]
The nearly 38-foot fossil from South Dakota named Gus went under the hammer at Sotheby's in New York yesterday. The auction house's head of science
said, I'm going to quote them here, Gus is one of the biggest and most complete T. Rexes ever found, and the sale marks a new record in dinosaur
auction history. Pretty impressive.
And before we leave you, I want to leave you with some images from Fan Zones. I've been telling you we're, what, less than five minutes away from
the kickoff between England and Argentina. You are looking at live images there from Fan Zones in London, Fan Zones in Buenos Aires. This is quite a
match-up. England, of course, led by Harry Kane. Argentina has its star player, Messi. It's all to battle for, of course, to face Spain on Sunday.
Spain beat France yesterday 2-1. And, of course, for England, it has been a while since their last one.
1966, let's not remind them too often, when England beat West Germany for their only World Cup title. All to play for. Fans are ecstatic. I'm going
to bid you adieu as I go and watch the game.
Thanks for your company right now. Do stay right here. "What We Know" with Max Foster is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
