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Isa Soares Tonight
President Trump Set to Deliver Prime-Time Address; Flash Flood Emergency Warnings Issued in the Same Area of Last Year's Deadly Camp Mystic Flooding; Pentagon Planning to Screen U.S. Troops for Low Testosterone. Human Rights Groups: Many Executions Carried Out After Prisoners Were Tortured to Confess to Alleged Crimes; U.S. Carries Out New Waves of Strikes Against Iran; Multiple Agencies Investigating Fatal ICE Shooting in Houston; Pentagon Testosterone Screening. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired July 16, 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, hours from now, President Donald Trump
will deliver a prime-time address. Critics are worried he will use it as a pretext to interfere in November elections.
Worrying images out of Texas, where flash flood emergency warnings have been issued in the same area of last year's deadly Camp Mystic flooding.
And why is the Pentagon planning to screen the U.S. troops for low testosterone?
But first, tonight, I do want to start with Donald Trump in a speech that critics say has the potential to significantly alter the Midterm elections
now less than four months away. We don't know exactly what the President will be talking about in just a few hours' time.
But the White House confirms it will include information related to the 2020 election, which Mr. Trump still falsely claims he won, and foreign
interference. Democrats are worried the President will use those claims as a pretext to interfere in November elections.
And it all comes as the Trump administration is pushing severe new voting restrictions and less than a week after the President fired bipartisan
members of a Federal Election Commission. It is also worth noting, in the past year-and-a-half, the White House has dramatically slashed government
staff tasked with monitoring foreign interference.
However, that doesn't appear to be a main concern for most Americans. A recent Gallup survey found issues, as you can see right there on your
screen, like the economy and immigration. At top of the list of the most important problems facing the country economy with 36 percent.
Well, just minutes ago, the White House gave a preview of that speech with Karoline Leavitt. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think all Republicans and Democrats should recognize this should be a nonpartisan issue. If we don't
have safe and secure elections in our country, we cannot have a country. It is a vital part of our democracy, of our constitutional republic.
The President will be speaking about that tonight. And in addition, at the very same time, of course, he is working on all of these economic issues
that the American people have at home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: So, let's get more on all of this. Joining me now is CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein. Ron, great to have you on the show.
President Trump has been teasing tonight's speech as very big news --
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes --
SOARES: Saying also that our country has to shape up. We've also heard from Karoline Leavitt; the White House Press Secretary who just wrapped up
actually at the White House. She said that, you know, that the findings they're going to release will shock listeners.
And she says everything -- saying will be backed by facts and evidence, they'll be provided this evening. Just give me your perspective. Is this
going to be a grievance-fest about the 2020 elections? Or there's more to this. Just give us a sense of what you're hearing.
BROWNSTEIN: Yes, I don't think we know exactly what he's going to say, but I think we can pretty well predict the impact of it. And I think it's very
hard to imagine --
SOARES: Yes --
BROWNSTEIN: That anything the President is going to say tonight is going to influence the opinion of anyone outside of his base about what happened
in 2020. I mean, you know, he has been -- he has been making these claims really, you know, from even before election day in 2020.
And given the way that he has staffed the senior ranks of our Intelligence agencies with loyalists, in many cases with, you know, limited or no
Intelligence experience, I don't even think, you know, the pedigree of kind of stamping this is coming from the Intelligence agencies is going to
change things.
You know, he has -- he has a core of his supporters who believe the election was stolen. The vast majority of Americans do not, and more
importantly, you know, he -- one of the biggest problems Republicans face in this Midterm election is the belief among a majority of Americans that
he is not focused on the principal problems they elected him to solve, and I think he is more likely to compound than alleviate that problem tonight.
SOARES: Yes, and as we just showed viewers really in terms of that Gallup poll, we are getting more information. We've got --
BROWNSTEIN: No --
SOARES: Two sources telling CNN, Ron, that he is expected to talk about voting machine security and the alleged efforts by foreign countries to
influence U.S. elections.
[14:05:00]
Even weighing up whether to release documents related to China and its role in U.S. elections. I mean, where did this come from, and why focus on this
now politically? What does he get --
BROWNSTEIN: Yes --
SOARES: From it now? I mean, he's looking back, obviously, instead of looking forward.
BROWNSTEIN: Although, he is looking back, I think in the hope of influencing what's happening going forward.
SOARES: Right --
BROWNSTEIIN: You know, this administration has made unprecedented efforts to try to interfere in state and local control of elections on multiple
fronts. You know, trying to change the post office rules to limit who can receive a mail ballot through federal action.
Pursuing voter lists from states, with detailed voter information. As you mentioned, firing all the members of the Election Administration
Commission. So, you know, by and large, he's been stopped by courts to this point in the most egregious ways.
He is trying to assert federal control and interference in the -- in the election. But I think he is trying to raise doubt retrospectively in the
hope of building more tolerance for prospective actions, that would allow him to achieve unprecedented control.
And in many ways, put -- potentially put a thumb on the scale of the election by making it more difficult to vote for democratic constituencies.
SOARES: I mean, that is pretty chilling, just the way you frame that for us.
BROWNSTEIN: Yes --
SOARES: I suppose there comes, though, as you talk about this, you know, making these baseless claims again in the 2020, and, you know,
declassifying this information, that obviously will undermine the confidence in American voting and elections. But I wonder if that comes
with political risks as well.
BROWNSTEIN: Well, I think he feels as though he -- you know, one -- the part of the problem that any administration has in a Midterm is that the
voters of the party out of the White House are more motivated than the voters of the party in the White House.
That problem is compounded when the President's approval rating is low, and when he's facing splintering in his own base, and we consistently see in
polling now something like 15 to 20 or even in the low 20s of voters who supported Trump in '24, saying they disapprove of his performance in the
second term.
And this is -- this along with immigration, is one of the go-tos that he can rely on to try to energize that base. The idea that Democrats are
stealing elections, you know, and the subtext of this, you know, he's not accusing Democrats in white suburban communities of stealing elections.
He's basically accusing --
SOARES: Yes --
BROWNSTEIN: Heavily minority, democratic-leaning cities, Atlanta, Detroit, Philadelphia, of stealing elections. I mean, there really isn't -- you
know, the veil is not very thick on this. And so, you know, I think they view this as a way of exciting their base, regardless of whether it
pressures the Republicans in Congress to do some of the things he wants to on the election.
But as I say, the risk on the other side is that, you know, by far, the principal issue that his own voters in '24 said the reason they were
electing him was because they thought he would do a better job at getting their cost of living under control than Kamala Harris.
They do not feel that he has made enough progress on that problem. And by and large, most Americans believe he is more focused on his personal
priorities and grievances from tearing down the East Wings, prosecuting James Comey to relitigating the 2020 election, than focusing on that
problem.
And some of the anxiety you hear from Republicans on Capitol Hill today is the fear that this will just kind of reinforce that impression.
SOARES: Yes, I want to see really how this lands domestically, Ron, given, of course, like you said, it could potentially fire up the grassroots, but
I doubt it will persuade moderate voters, even unite Republicans --
BROWNSTEIN: Yes --
SOARES: Especially when -- as you -- as you just pointed out, the key concerns for so many are really economy and affordability. Ron, really
appreciate you coming on the show. Ron Brownstein, thank you. We'll see how that is received in the U.S. when the President does speak later on.
Thank you, Ron. Well, as President Donald Trump weighs options to ramp up U.S. military operations in Iran, the two countries have been and continue
to escalate strikes. The Iranian military is warning that the Strait of Hormuz is an unbreakable red line.
In addition, it's accusing the U.S. of war crimes for targeting civilian infrastructure. Tehran is also defending strikes on neighboring Gulf
states, describing them as, quote, "defensive". The U.S. has launched yet another wave of strikes deeper into Iran.
President Trump is once again threatening to take Kharg Island, which handles 90 percent of Iran's crude oil supply. The White House says a
diplomatic solution remains a possibility.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEAVITT: Iran very much continues to talk to the United States of America and express that they want to make a deal with us because they are
suffering devastating blows on behalf of our United States military.
[14:10:00]
The reason, and this is important for the American people to understand the reason for the recent strikes over the course of the last several days is
because Iran violated the Memorandum of Understanding that we struck with them.
Specifically, in the Memorandum of Understanding that they signed. They were not to fire on commercial vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz.
And unfortunately, they have made the tragic decision for them to do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, let's get more on this. Kevin Liptak is at the White House. And Kevin, as we heard from Karoline Leavitt, not only is the President
discussing election-related topics, but as Karoline Leavitt also said in that press conference there, she also -- he will also be talking
potentially about Iran.
So, talk us through the options as you understand, being weighed out by the White House at this moment.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, she said he might mention Iran at the beginning, but the speech is very much about elections,
although --
SOARES: Yes --
LIPTAK: It will be interesting to hear him, I think talk to a much bigger audience than he ordinarily has about what exactly is going on over there,
because I think it is confusing. You know, the President at one point was at a ceasefire, now it's back to not a ceasefire, but not full-blown
conflict.
And I think it will be on him to explain to Americans where he sees all of this heading. But that will be a challenge, I think, because I'm not sure
even he knows where it's all heading. Yes, he is debating some escalatory, intensifying options for that country.
He's been talking about it in public a little bit, but also more intensively behind the scenes with advisors in the situation room sort of
weighing up different ways to try and pressure Iran, both to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but also come back to the negotiating table.
One of the options is Kharg Island, which we -- you were talking about. Of course, we've heard the President, you know, repeatedly talk about taking
Kharg Island, threatening to go after it. He has stopped short of that so far, in part because most analysts say it would require a fairly large U.S.
ground operation, which the President has been very reluctant to order up so far.
The other thing you hear him talking about is going after bridges and power plants. Again, something he has repeatedly threatened to do, but has not
yet followed through on those civilian sites, many experts say would constitute war crimes if the President targeted them.
And then the final option that the President has been discussing is trying to bomb Pickaxe Mountain, which is believed to be the site of -- a site of
the Iranian nuclear program which the President had at one point said was completely obliterated, but which now he has allowed for the possibility
that there could still be a continued activity at whether the President follows through on any of these options really is anyone's guess at the
moment.
And you also hear the President and the Press Secretary keeping open this option for diplomacy. And I think the reality that you hear from American
officials is that none of this is going to be resolved entirely through military operations, at least, the type of military operations that the
President is comfortable ordering up.
You know, in order to rid Iran of this asymmetric ability to close the Strait of Hormuz, that will have to be done around the negotiating table,
and when those talks actually commence, I think at this point, we just don't know.
SOARES: Yes, it seems like we are far away from that, even though Pakistan said -- signaled that it is engaged with key regional players. We shall
see. Kevin, thank you very much. Kevin Liptak, for us there at the White House.
Well, a life-threatening flood emergency is unfolding in southern Texas, where at least, one person has died. A new warning for what's been called a
large and deadly flood wave from the nearby rivers, threatening the same area of the deadly Camp Mystic floods, if you remember, last Summer.
More than six months' worth of rain has reportedly already fallen in parts of south Texas, and the relentless rain triggering dozens of water rescues,
including the one you see here. Drone video captured crews rescuing a family trapped in their home.
Family members said the flood waters almost reached to their attic. Let's get more from our Derek Van Dam, who is at CNN Weather Center. So, Derek,
just bring me up to date with the latest the images that are really concerning.
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We were so worried at the beginning of the week of the potential for a Summer's worth of rain, that it became a
half a year's worth of rain. And now we've just ticked over more than a year's worth of rain that has fallen in some of these locations across the
Texas Hill Country.
That is significant in an area that's known as flood alley in -- locally here in America. So, when you look at these rainfall totals on the side of
your television screen. When you're talking about over 26 inches, roughly 675 millimeters in high topography, a lot of hilly terrain within this
area.
It's called the Hill Country for a reason. That water funnels down into creeks, tributaries, eventually feeding into larger rivers like the
Guadalupe, the Pedernales River which will break down in just one moment.
[14:15:00]
And that is what prompted the National Weather Service to issue this flash flood emergency for the potential of this large and deadly flood wave,
which has been realized. So, looking at the radar, it is still very active.
Although, we are surely quieting things down compared to what it was like early this morning. These white polygons that you see here, one, two,
three, these are flash flood emergencies with a catastrophic tag attached to them.
You can see it right there. That's the most significant flash flood threat. And notice how it kind of goes east and west. This is the Pedernales River,
I'm going to go a little bit further south, and this is the Guadalupe River. Remember, the Camp Mystic where the site of the deadly flood event
last year in July was just off of one of the tributaries of the Guadalupe River, just upstream from where I was pointing there.
So, what you're looking at here is the wall of water kind of realized in a river gauge, OK? So, follow me along on this. All the blue dots are
actually observed heights of the water level at this particular location, and this particular river gauge rose 25 feet in one hour in Comfort, Texas.
That's like a two-and-a-half story building of water rushing down ahead of you. But where the water land is, so incredibly important about who
receives that flood wall, right? And this is important because, here's Camp Mystic, just to give you an idea, that's closed right now.
Of course, a lot of people that visit this area, there are still camps here, that type of thing. But notice that Hunt-Kerrville, these river
gauges did not crest above that 2025 river situation, but in Comfort, we did. So, the heaviest rainfall was actually downstream from the areas that
were hardest hit last year.
Nonetheless, there's still significant life-threatening and catastrophic river flooding, several river gauges at major flood stage, additional
showers and thunderstorms possible through the evening, but Isa, you can see into tomorrow and the weekend, it is starting to finally come to an
end.
SOARES: Very good news indeed. In the meantime, stay safe. Thank you very much --
VAN DAM: Yes --
SOARES: Appreciate it there. Well, still to come right here tonight, how Russia's claims of battlefield progress may actually expose the limits of
its bloody campaign in Ukraine.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, the government official many credit with creating Ukraine's successful drone warfare program has lost his position. President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy has moved to replace Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. His dismissal is apparently part of a broader cabinet reshuffle.
[14:20:00]
Mr. Zelenskyy's decision sparked protests as a result today. Well, outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is in Kyiv for talks with President
Zelenskyy. He arrived just hours before another wave of overnight strikes on the Ukrainian capital by Russia.
Despite its recent attacks on Kyiv, the Kremlin has made little progress on the frontlines. Our Nick Paton Walsh has this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Huge losses, tiny gains and lies. And that's the reality of Russia's war on
Ukraine. It's plain to see in the strategic town of Kostiantynivka, where last week, Russia planted a flag in its center, claiming its capture. But
that's not true.
Ukraine still holds lots of it. Yet, its fate over the past year lays bare, the crisis at the heart of Russia's war. Kostiantynivka sits right on
what's known as the fortress belt of heavily-defended towns in the Donbas. The capture of which is a key Putin goal.
Take it, and the other two remaining towns of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk are well within reach. But wind back a year, take a look at reliable
battlefield maps, and you see a story about Moscow's persistence, but also how much tiny gains cost.
Last year, we saw the road in was lined with fishing nets protecting from drones, but the town was under Ukrainian control and safe enough. But by
November, it was being hit hard here in the southwest with another drone video showing an airstrike just a few streets away.
Ukraine still had troops casually in the city center, and Russia was still really on the contested southwestern outskirts. It's in the first week of
the year that the map records a big leap forward for Moscow.
(On camera): But remember, their casualties across the whole front are estimated by the west at about 35,000 a month now dead and injured.
(Voice-over): The Ukrainians are at this time still posting from the central railway station. But by February, white phosphorus is being used to
horrific effect in the southwest, even though, the Ukrainians are still very much central.
Jump forward to April and the damage done is horrific. Drone images right where we saw the Ukrainians in November, as the Russians have slowly crept
in.
(On camera): We saw how perilous it was to get in and out ourselves.
(GUNFIRE)
(Voice-over): The netting we saw ten months earlier, now a graveyard for so many. Russian flags central this week even if the maps show they're far
from controlling the town. One year of tiny steps and doubtless thousands of Russians dead for a town that is relatively tiny itself. Russia's real
weak spot in this war.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And our thanks to Nick Paton Walsh for that report. And still to come right here tonight, under the cover of war, the Iranian government
ramps up the execution of political prisoners. CNN speaks with a devastated family of two men on death row.
Plus, later, a live report from Houston on the latest developments following a deadly ICE shooting. Both those stories after this very short
break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:25:00]
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Concerns of return to all-out war between the U.S. and Iran are growing tonight following the most intense fighting
since the April ceasefire. For six straight days, Washington and Tehran have been accelerating attacks and threatening escalation.
Sources say the U.S. President is weighing an expansion of the military operation, including the seizure of Kharg Island. That's Iran's main export
oil hub. And Tehran is meantime is vowing to crush infrastructure throughout the region if Donald Trump makes good on his threat to target
Iranian power plants and bridges, as he did earlier this week.
Well, the world is distracted by the war, the Iranian regime is ruling through fear by dramatically stepping up execution of political prisoners.
That is according to human rights groups working to spotlight Tehran's brutal crackdown on dissent. CNN's Isobel Yeung spoke with an Iranian woman
whose brothers are currently on death row.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISOBEL YEUNG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Niki Nikbakht recently learned that her two brothers, Hadi(ph) and Fazlullah(ph), have
been given the death sentence by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Every day from her home in Germany, she checks in with her family back home.
NIKI NIKBAKHT, BROTHERS SENTENCED TO DEATH IN IRAN: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
YEUNG: Niki's brothers are just two of dozens of political prisoners facing execution in Iran right now.
(CHEERS)
(APPLAUSE)
YEUNG: They stand accused of encouraging dissent against the regime, and were convicted of fraud charges of corruption.
(On camera): The Islamic Republic in the past have said that they only issued the death penalty after due process, and that it's only given for
very serious crimes for people who have committed horrendous things. Is that not what your brothers have done?
NIKBAKHT: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
YEUNG (voice-over): Earlier this year, after widespread protests where the authorities cracked down with lethal force, President Trump claimed he'd
stepped in to stop Iran from executing hundreds of people. But since the U.S.-led war, Iran has intensified repression and sped up the pace of
executions.
At least, 44 political prisoners, including protesters, have been killed since the conflict broke out, according to the Norway-based Iran human
rights NGO.
(On camera): So, this is Hadi(ph) and his wife and his --
NIKBAKHT: Yes --
YEUNG: Two sons, and how are they handling it?
NIKBAKHT: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
YEUNG (voice-over): With each execution, the regime sends a chilling message, "we're still in charge and dissent will not be tolerated."
(On camera): It must be impossible to put out of your mind. I mean, how are you feeling on a daily basis about what could be to come?
NIKBAKHT: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
YEUNG (voice-over): Human rights groups decry what they say are forced confessions used to justify these executions. Earlier this year, 26-year-
old Nassar(ph) Bacadesir(ph) and 28-year-old Mehrab Abdullah Zada(ph) confessed to serious crimes.
Nassar's(ph) filmed confession about espionage was used as propaganda and publicized on Iranian state media.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
YEUNG: But in recorded calls from prison during their final days, both Nassar(ph) and Mehrab(ph)said they'd been tortured into making these
confessions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
YEUNG: Both Nassar(ph) and Mehrab(ph) were hanged on the 2nd of May.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
YEUNG: Hamid Japarti(ph) shared a cell with both men in Urmia Central Prison.
[14:30:00]
Chapati is a Kurdish-Iranian activist who was imprisoned there for three months.
HAMID CHAPATI, SHARED CELL WITH IRANIAN DISSIDENTS WHO WERE EXECUTED (through translator): For Nasser and Mehrab and every prisoner sentenced
to execution every day can be the last day and every moment can be the last moment, at night they cannot sleep.
YEUNG: Do you remember the day when you found out that Nasser was executed?
CHAPATI (through translator): When Nasser's execution sentence was confirmed he had sent a message to me through a mutual friend that he wants
to talk to me for the last time. And unfortunately, I could not talk to him. But when I heard the news of his execution, I feel like I was executed
with him too.
YEUNG (voice-over): As the war in Iran heats up again, human rights feel far from the priority. And the regime is once again ruling through fear.
Isobel Yeung, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Thanks to Isobel and team for that report. Let's get more on this. I'm joined now by Alex Vatanka, Senior
Fellow at the Middle East Institute. We're here to talk about, of course, the unfolding developments and political tensions and escalations that
we're seeing in the U.S.
Alex, good to see you once again. Look, we will talk about the escalation between U.S. and Iran in just a moment because things have been ramping up.
So, have, as you just heard there from that report from Isobel Yeung, ramping up of execution of political prisoners, right? 47 political
prisoners have been executed so far this year.
And this is clearly a chilling message to those inside Iran. As you heard there from Isobel Yeung saying the regime is justifying these executions by
torturing them to confessions. Does this surprise you at all?
ALEX VATANKA, SENIOR FELLOW, MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE: Isa, it's great to be back with you. Look, no, I wish I could tell you I'm surprised I'm not.
Because, you know, I look at the last 47-year history of the Islamic Republic. They came to power following a revolution in 1979.
And it was essentially born in a bloodbath. I mean, immediately after Ayatollah Khomeini and his supporters took over, they started executing
anybody who dissented, certainly folks from the previous regime of the Shah. And in many ways, they have continued doing that all these years. So,
that's basically the norm. Political dissent, certainly if they feel that they're at an existential point, the regime will do exactly what they're
doing. They're trying to silence you, even if it means killing their own citizens.
And by the way, we are at a point right now in this regime's history, if you will, where they're openly saying this is an existential fight. And
they consider their own citizens as potential assets of foreign adversaries like U.S. and Israel. So, they have given themselves this free pass to go
out there and show no mercy, if that's what it takes for them to be able to hang on to power.
SOARES: So, give us a sense then, Alex, of what you're hearing from inside Iran, because we are seeing this escalating cycle of attacks. We're now on
day six. And they have been intense, right? We've seen seven hours overnight, I think it was the night before, followed by 90 minutes of
strikes during the day. What are you hearing from your contacts inside Iran?
VATANKA: So, Isa, I just want to go back to a point I made earlier, because I said it's not a nice regime, and I'll stick to that. The Islamic
Republic is not a nice entity, certainly not to its own people or many in the region. But it's not a suicidal entity either.
And that takes me to your question about where they want to go. My reading, talking to my sources, listening to the signals, is that the regime, as a
whole, wants to go back to the diplomatic track. They don't want to end up in a new round of war, the way we saw back in March. It's not in their
interest, because they do want to survive.
They not only have to deal with the Americans in terms of the military impact that Trump's latest round of military campaign means for them, but
as we discussed earlier, they have that huge, angry Iranian population that any moment could come back to the streets.
So, they don't necessarily feel, despite what they might say in terms of rhetoric, that they're ready, that this is the fight that they're ready
for. Beneath that, they want to survive, which means if the Americans can give them a way to come back to the diplomatic negotiations, I think the
consensus in Tehran is to take it. Whether that will ultimately succeed or not is a different story. But my point is, right now, they do want to avoid
another return to the 40-day war.
SOARES: Right. So, let's explore that, because you were talking about the rhetoric we're getting from Iran. Iran now clearly not backing down,
basically warning that the Strait of Hormuz would be -- was an unbreakable red line. I'm sure you saw that, Alex.
[14:35:00]
A warning that it would destroy all infrastructure throughout the region if President Trump acted on his threat, if you remember, to attack Iranian
infrastructure. So, you're saying they're saying one thing, of course, outside for the rhetoric, but you think they want to come to the
negotiating table. What does that off-front look like, potentially, here?
VATANKA: Look, at this point, it takes perhaps just another meeting, perhaps another visit by the Pakistanis or the Qataris or Omanis. It could
be something as simple as that, where President Trump will come out and say, the Iranians have told some of our friends they don't want to talk, so
let's pause everything. And then they go back, and we have another round of diplomatic -- shuttle diplomacy, if you will. It could be something as
simple as that.
But that's the ceasefire. That doesn't mean that's going to last. So, you then have to look at what would help preserve the ceasefire. You start with
the obvious, the Strait of Hormuz, lifting up the blockade on Iranian ports. And then you have to do a better job, frankly, than what was
achieved back on the 17th of June, when the memorandum of understanding was reached in Islamabad. Because that turned out to be such a weak document
that Iran walked away thinking he had gotten the win.
The Americans walked away, they thought they had gotten something entirely different. That kind of discrepancy cannot exist if diplomacy is going to
have a chance to actually stay on course for more than just a few hours and days, but actually much longer, because much longer, he says, is exactly
what you need to build the sort of trust.
And it's going to be a hard job, but you've got to build the trust to get the process a chance to succeed. You're not going to undo 47 years of bad
blood between Washington and Tehran over the course of a few days or weeks or months. And whether the two sides have the patience for it, willing to
invest politically, can bring their various interest groups in Washington and Tehran together to agree that this is the way forward that's best for
them, that remains to be seen.
SOARES: Alex, always great to get your insight. Alex Vatanka there in Washington. Thank you.
Well, a controversial new health policy has been announced for U.S. troops. Still to come tonight, we'll explain what the addition of testosterone
screenings mean for annual medical exams. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, new developments today in the case of a man who was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Texas, if you
remember, last week. The Harris County District Attorney is now questioning the FBI's claim that suspected drugs were found inside the van he was
driving.
[14:40:00]
The fatal shooting was one of two by ICE agents during traffic stops in the last week. Traffic stops were halted, if you remember, as a measure to try
to curb shootings. But that was then quickly overturned by President Trump.
I want to bring in CNN's Carolina Peguero, who is covering the story from Houston, Texas. So, Carolina, just bring us up to date on where we are in
the investigation. Because the FBI clearly is saying one thing, and then we have, of course, the Texas Harris County saying something completely
different about Lorenzo and the vehicle he was driving.
CAROLINA PEGUERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is exactly true, Isa. There's so much information that has been coming out in the last 24, 48 hours. And
today, where there will be a public viewing, starting Lorenzo Salgado Araujo's funeral services for today and tomorrow. And it's just incredible
how the situation has unfolded.
And in the different versions that we have heard from the state and local officials, including District Attorney Harris County, Sean Teare, who says
he is not confident in the information that the FBI authorities have been revealing or making public and that they had found or what they appeared to
believe allegedly is illegal drugs in the vehicle of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.
While the investigation continues, both for the state and the federal authorities. Let's listen to what he shared this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN TEARE, DISTRICT ATTORNEY OF HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS: Based on the information we have regarding who Mr. Salgado was and just eyeballing the
evidence as it was collected yesterday, we don't believe that they are drugs. All that to be said, this, the fact that this search warrant was
unsealed by the federal government is truly unique in my 20 years of doing this. That is not something that we see the FBI or any federal agency do,
especially prior to any presentation of a grand jury.
To unseal this warrant is really something that I think the U.S. attorney and the FBI need to explain to the public because this is not something
that typically happens.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PEGUERO: And that's why he is asking for transparency as well as the family. But I do want to read a statement from Ruby Powers. She is the
lawyer of Victor Salgado, Lorenzo's brother, in respect to this alleged illegal drugs that authorities -- federal authorities believe they have
found in the vehicle. A search warrant does not equate guilt. An unidentified substance is not a confirmed narcotic. You cannot shoot first
and ask questions later.
And as well, the family, the sons of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, Ronaldo and Lorenzo Jr., and the family, with the help of ACLU, who is representing
them legally, also put out a statement. And I read the following. ICE agents inflicted horror onto this family and this community. The Trump
administration lacks credibility to investigate itself. And we should be skeptical of any claims until a full independent investigation is complete.
Now, as this is unfolding and these details continue to be questioned, here today at 6:00 p.m. local time in Texas is where residents will be able to
attend the public viewing. As well, there are expected state elected officials that will attend this viewing from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. local time.
Isa.
SCIUTTO: Carolina Peguero there with the very latest in Houston. Thank you, Carolina. Appreciate it.
Well, U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has announced a new policy to test male service members for low testosterone.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: If treatment is recommended, it's entirely your choice to receive testosterone replacement therapy. This
initiative, it's not about artificial enhancement. It's about restoring and optimizing your natural capabilities, protecting your longevity and
ensuring you have the biological foundation required to sustain the fight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, Hegseth says the screenings will be part of annual medical tests for those 30 and older and receiving testosterone replacement therapy
won't be mandatory. The move comes as other Trump administration officials push for easier access to testosterone replacement. But the messaging from
Hegseth and others blends known science with broader, less substantiated claims. It's not known if there will be similar hormone screening policy
for female troops.
[14:45:00]
Let's get more on this. Joining me now is Stuart Phillips is a professor of physiology at McMaster University in Canada. Stuart, welcome to the show.
You study testosterone, I assume, in older men. So, let's start off with that for our viewers right around the world. What happens to testosterone
levels as men age?
STUART PHILLIPS, PROFESSOR OF KINESIOLOGY, MCMASTER UNIVERSITY: Yes, the natural consequence of aging is that testosterone declines. In fact, it
probably declines about one percent per year, probably after the age of about 35. But that's normal biological aging. It's certainly not a disease.
SOARES: Right. And I have seen, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, that there have been studies done that in older men. They found that taking
testosterone improves certain areas, mostly from what I from what I read, libido. But I wonder if there's evidence that you've seen scientific
evidence to suggest it helps with memory, fatigue, overall well-being or even making them stronger or tougher.
PHILLIPS: Yes, that's the hard part to answer in this whole debacle here. I think that there's good evidence for if males are lower than normal for
replacing them, getting them back to normal levels, that they could experience a sense of wellness. Definitely, there's alleviation of sort of
tiredness.
But libido is the number one symptom that males complain about with low testosterone. I think that there's not very much evidence. In fact, there
may be no evidence to show that you're actually going to enhance physical performance. It might improve mental acuity in some troops, but I can't say
that it will be a broad effect. I think the bigger question is what exactly, you know, the policy is aimed to do, because that's still a
question I haven't gotten a satisfactory answer to.
SOARES: Yes. And I mean, the other aspect of this, I think you touched on this is, you know, Secretary Hegseth is talking about this as part of an
annual medical screenings, right? First of all, what do you make of that, Professor? And how would you test? I imagine they would be wild swings,
right? You might have one result in one more in the morning and quite another in the evening.
PHILLIPS: Yes. I mean, testosterone fluctuates throughout the day. So, the usual guidelines are that men come in overnight fasted and the sample is
taken in the morning. But, you know, major guidelines actually advise against screening healthy men. You test men with real symptoms conforming
on -- excuse me, confirming on two morning blood draws and then you treat. And this practice actually sort of flips that whole scenario on its head.
So, it's an odd situation for sure.
SOARES: I wonder then if -- I mean, the fact that the testing, whether that also, Professor, raises the odds of a false diagnosis. Is there
something that concerns you?
PHILLIPS: Yes. This is the main issue. I mean, you could end up putting a lot of men that don't need testosterone on testosterone. And in the same
vein, you could also have the reverse scenario where men that are lower in testosterone are actually missed. But the broad screening is it's just an
odd way to approach the question. And I still come back to, you know, what's the outcome that's being sought here?
SOARES: What is then the -- I mean, what are they trying to do? Because obviously they didn't talk about women, women, of course, and where that --
how that impacts them. But, you know, what, in your view, makes resilient troops? Is this the solution?
PHILLIPS: Yes. I mean, I think we know what makes resilient troops. It's sleep. It's training. It's nutrition. And it's definitely preparation.
Those that -- you know, they move performance far more than a prescription. And in a young man, I think that, you know, 30 years low testosterone is
actually usually a symptom of those things rather than the disease itself. So, you know, to me, it would be fix the inputs first and then the hormone
tends to follow. So, broad screening for looking for low levels and getting them back to.
And the word that was used was longevity. I don't think we have any data showing that people actually live longer or maybe even live better. So,
it's an odd situation.
SOARES: Professor, I really appreciate you taking the time to walk us through, talk us through what you have learned and the questions that we
all have at this stage. Professor Stuart Phillips, thank you very much indeed.
And still to come tonight, our team is tracking dangerous wildfire smoke from Canada. And what this means for me means pardon me for millions of
people in the United States. That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:50:00]
SOARES: Well, some major U.S. cities are under air quality alerts. At risk, more than 100 million people in the Midwest and Northeast. The
problem is smoke lingering from nearby Canadian wildfires in recent weeks. Canada has seen nearly 3,500 fires burn millions of acres as the sky fills
with smoke. It starts to drift south. This moment is similar to the extreme wildfire activity experts saw, if you remember, three years ago.
Let's discuss more with our chief climate correspondent, Bill Weir, who joins us now live from New York. So, Bill, just put these images that we've
been looking at into context for our viewers. What would inhaling this sort of thing, what would that do to you?
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is listed as a carcinogen. The PM2.5 is what we're talking about. That's what the AQI, the
Air Quality Index, takes. Basically, a square meter of air and counts how many tiny, tiny particles, smaller than 2.5 microns, that are made of
carbon are in that square. And if it gets over 200, it's time to worry. Over 300, that's a health risk for anybody of any age. We're seeing AQI
counts of 1,600 in parts of Minnesota right now, so it's just like being inside of a burning building. And when that gets into your lungs, gets past
your nostril hairs and mucus into your bloodstream, it can get into the lungs, can get into the brain.
I talked to pulmonologists who are really worried about their patients with asthma or with COVID scars who had a rough maybe pneumonia. And now, we're
breaking out the old COVID masks once again. It's nowhere nearly as apocalyptic looking as it was.
We can just show you around here, Isa. This is the Dumbo neighborhood, very popular with tourists, especially since there's a World Cup zone right over
here, but pretty empty right now. A few locals I am seeing are in masks. It's also been sort of stiflingly hot as well.
But I'm seeing AQI numbers. The highest one around, Vinegar Hill, had a 150. So, we're below that, like, everybody put on a mask threshold. But
it's very obvious, you can taste it in your throat. And, again, this is such a sneaky, insidious thing, these tiny, tiny particles that can gather
over time. So, if you keep an eye on that air quality number, you know, wherever you happen to be, if it stays high, if it stays over 200 or 300
for many hours, that's when it's really time to worry about ventilation, about filtering, about masks when you go outside.
[14:55:00]
SOARES: And, Bill, do we have a sense as when things will get better?
WEIR: Well, the forecast is conditions will sort of go through tomorrow night into Friday, possibly into the weekend. There's local rain patterns
that could bring some relief in the northeast. I was talking to our colleagues up at the CBC in Toronto. They say a lot of the smoke is sort of
clearing south from there.
But, again, there are so many fires burning, over 160 just in Ontario, over 800 nationwide. And the record years of three years back, it's burning
faster. There's a faster rate of burn happening right now, even though the acreage isn't the same. But -- so, we're not out of the woods by far.
SOARES: Bill Weir there from New York, stay safe. Thank you very much indeed.
And finally, tonight, researchers in Chicago have used A.I. to develop a new drone that's nearly invisible. Nearly is the key word here. It's called
the Phantom Twist. And the real twist here is how it becomes less visible without any camouflage at all. So, how does it do it, you ask? Well, by
spinning up to 25 times a second with its body and propellers turning in opposite directions, the drone essentially rotates itself out of our sight,
or, as one researcher put it in slightly less technical terms, which we love, its entire body spins like a Frisbee. That indeed sounds like fun.
That does it for us for tonight. You stay right here. "What We Know" Max Foster is up next.
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[15:00:00]
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