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Isa Soares Tonight

Trump Pauses 50 Percent Tariffs on Canada for Three Days; Haitians in U.S. Fear Being Deported; Trade Debut for Unitree's Humanoid Robots. Aired 2:00-3p ET

Aired August 19, 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]

MAX FOSTER, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: Welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Max Foster in for Isa Soares. Tonight, democracy cannot be held hostage by

Russia. That's the message from Ukraine's ousted Defense Minister as he calls for wartime elections. We'll discuss what it means for President

Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Then Israel admits for the first time firing on a car carrying Hind Rajab. He's the five-year-old -- she's a five-year-old girl who pleaded -- who

pleaded on the phone for hours with Palestinian paramedics for help, and we'll be live in Tel Aviv on that for you.

And democratic socialists see another victory, this time in Florida. We'll bring you the reaction. That and much more just ahead. Now, amid his brutal

war with Russia, Ukraine's ousted Defense Minister has dropped a bombshell.

Mykhailo Fedorov is calling for wartime elections, something currently prohibited under Ukrainian law. His remarks present another huge challenge

for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who sacked Fedorov for an unexpected -- well, unexpectedly after just six months on the job.

Well, while Fedorov didn't mention the president by name, his words clearly seemed to be directed at the Ukrainian leader.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MYKHAILO FEDOROV, FORMER UKRAINIAN DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): We're facing a systemic governance crisis. The old system lives by its own

rules. Too often it protects itself, fears change, makes decisions slowly and may punish the initiative while rewarding loyalty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Fedorov's firing last month set off massive protests. Here's what some Ukrainians had to say about his call for an election.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I don't see a way to hold elections. I'd like to, but I don't see a way. Anything is possible here.

I'd like to believe it will happen because we don't know when the war will end, and our government is losing touch with reality.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I support Fedorov's statement, but I don't think there will be an election. I think Volodymyr Zelenskyy

should simply step down. He should fulfill at least one of the promises he made during the election to step down if he can't get the job done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Pleased to be joined by Tymofiy Mylovanov; the President of the Kyiv School of Economics. He's also Ukraine's former Ukrainian Economic

Development and Trade Minister. Thank you so much for joining us. I mean, how did you interpret the comments coming from him today?

TYMOFIY MYLOVANOV, PRESIDENT, KYIV SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: So further, I've made in some sense unexpected call for elections on the day when it became

clear, publicly clear that he will not be reappointed to be a Minister of Defense.

President Zelenskyy nominated yesterday Khmara, Mr. Khmara, who was acting Minister of Defense, and that closes the issue for Mr. Fedorov. He's not

coming back. So, he made a statement to call for elections very softly. I personally don't think the law would allow it to happen right now. But

maybe in 2027, it might be possible.

FOSTER: Is he gearing up to replace President Zelenskyy?

MYLOVANOV: Some people interpret that it is a presidential bid, maybe a very early bid. And the survey, sociological surveys show that either

Minister Fedorov or former commander-in-chief or former Minister for the former Commander-in-Chief Zaluzhnyi, if they go together and endorse each

other, they're very likely to win elections if -- presidential elections if they were to be held today.

So, he might be gearing up. He's one of the candidates. But there are contenders who perhaps are more powerful than him.

FOSTER: President Zelenskyy obviously argues that you can't hold elections during wartime, and those rules are there legitimately, aren't they?

Because it's hard to hold a free and fair election when many people are fighting, many people are out of the country.

[14:05:00]

But at the same time, he has been in power for a very long time without any elections. So, it's difficult to know if he does have public support. What

do you think is the answer?

MYLOVANOV: We will know soon whether the public support has shifted towards actually having elections. That was not the case exactly for the

reasons you just mentioned, because it's impossible to have fair elections. But the support might have shifted after the statement by Fedorov.

And we will see it also in the street protests. If the street protests, which we're supporting, Minister Fedorov will continue or will pick up the

demand for elections and they will be sustained, let's say, until the end of October or November, then I think there will be at least an announcement

of a mechanism for elections for the next year.

FOSTER: I mean, Fedorov's got a right to say what he is saying, right? He's not a part of the government anymore. It's a -- you know, it's just

freedom of speech. Why shouldn't he just be allowed to make these comments?

MYLOVANOV: Well, he should be -- you know, people are concerned about destabilization that Russian side will take advantage of this. And if there

is an in-fighting, political in-fighting in Ukraine, Russians will amplify it and it will lead to a destabilization.

And people are worried, rightly so, based on the history of Ukraine, because this political in-fighting during critical moments during wars is

usually what led to the loss of war or loss of independence for Ukraine.

But actually, I have run some models which might be not the right place here to talk academics, but basically it looks like this is truly a

domestic political issue and it will not have any meaningful effect on the war, on the end of the war, on the forecast, on the ceasefire, or on the

ability of Ukraine to defend itself. So, I treat it, I think it's a purely domestic political issue.

FOSTER: And how much support do you think he has amongst senior politicians?

MYLOVANOV: Yes, so that's a good question because he represents a different, very progressive, very technocratic, but perhaps not the

mainstream branch of the elites. Now, I see and everyone sees how this branch has delivered defense tech innovation, and in many ways held Ukraine

together.

But that's not the only part of the society which held Ukraine together. So, I think it is still a -- not the majority of people. And that's exactly

why we see Zaluzhnyi currently having a little bit more support than further.

FOSTER: Tymofiy Mylovanov, appreciate your time tonight, thank you so much for joining us. Now, her screams were heard around the world and her cries

for help often they weren't even responded to. But a year-and-a-half after five-year-old Hind Rajab was killed in Gaza.

Israel's military is admitting now, for the first time, that its soldiers fired on her family's car. Up until now, the IDF insisted it was not

responsible, saying its forces weren't even firing in firing range. Hind and six other family members were traveling in a car in northern Gaza when

they came under fire in January 2024.

The little girl survived the initial attack, then begged Palestinian medics by phone for hours to save her in recordings later broadcast around the

world. CNN's Nada Bashir has more on the attack in this report from February 2024, and a warning you might find some aspects of it quite

difficult to watch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HIND RAJAB, LATE FIVE-YEAR-OLD KILLED IN NORTHERN GAZA: (SINGING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Five-year-old Hind Rajab, her playful voice cherished by all who knew her. But they will also be haunted

by Hind's terrified pleas heard in this audio recording.

RAJAB: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

BASHIR: Little Hind trapped in a car beside the bodies of her uncle, his wife and their four children, all killed by Israeli fire, the Palestine Red

Crescent says, while attempting to flee fighting in northern Gaza. All contact with Hind and the ambulance crew dispatched to rescue her lost just

hours after her desperate call for help.

For 12 days, there was collective hope that Hind would be found alive. Her mother, desperate for her daughter's safe return, waited every day at the

hospital gates. But now, that hope is lost.

[14:10:00]

"She was in the car for 12 days. May God punish all those who could have helped her and did not", Wissam says. "And what did the Red Crescent crew

that went to rescue her do to deserve this? To be burnt and killed? Why did you execute them when their sole mission was to rescue Hind?"

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Well, the Hind Rajab Foundation calls today's announcement of criminal investigations an insult to the dead, saying they give only the

illusion of accountability. It says it has no confidence in the Israeli military investigating itself, saying this cannot be mistaken for a genuine

step towards justice.

Let's bring in Jeremy Diamond in Tel Aviv. Nevertheless, it is an admission of some culpability here, potentially, Jeremy.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, it certainly marks the first time that the Israeli military has admitted that it was its forces

that opened fire on that vehicle, carrying five-year-old Hind Rajab and six others of her family members, an incident that ultimately led to the

killing, the death of all seven family members and two paramedics who were dispatched to try and rescue the five-year-old Hind Rajab and were

ultimately also fired upon as they were arriving on the scene.

But indeed, there are questions, Max, about what this Israeli military criminal investigation will or could actually lead to. Notable, of course,

that it took this long, more than two-and-a-half years for the Israeli military to even acknowledge that it had played any role in Hind Rajab's

killing and the incident of fire on that vehicle.

Previously, the Israeli military had said that Israeli forces were, quote, "not present near the vehicle or within firing range", despite a mountain

of public evidence and investigations by various news outlets that pointed to Israeli forces having carried out this attack.

Now, in addition to this one criminal investigation, the Israeli military also announced that it's opening another criminal investigation into an

incident in which 15 paramedics and first responders were killed when Israeli soldiers opened fire on a convoy of ambulances and other emergency

response vehicles in March of 2025.

The Israeli military at that time, initially said that it had opened fire on suspicious vehicles, that they didn't have any kind of flashing

emergency lights until video emerged of that convoy with flashing lights, very obviously so.

And now, the Israeli military says that there is, quote, "reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct to warrant the criminal investigation they

have now opened." There were several other cases in which the Israeli military conducted initial fact-finding investigations, but ultimately,

declined to carry out any kind of criminal investigation.

Those include the killing of seven World Central Kitchen workers in 2024, and two incidents in which employees of Doctors Without Borders were killed

in Gaza. We've heard tonight from World Central Kitchen, which said that it was extremely disappointed in the military's decision not to pursue

criminal investigations and took issue with its assessment of the chain of events of what happened there.

But it is important to note that at this hour, Max, as I'm speaking to you, we have seen continued Israeli strikes in Gaza just this week, even after

we saw that U.S. special envoy Jared Kushner coming to meet with the Israeli Prime Minister, Israel, still carrying out strikes in Gaza,

including today, which resulted in multiple casualties. Max?

FOSTER: Jeremy Diamond in Tel Aviv, thank you so much. Well, the Hind Rajab Foundation actually calls today's announcement of criminal

investigations and insult to the dead, saying they give only the illusion of accountability, as I was saying, and is calling for broader justice,

noting that thousands of children have been killed in Gaza before Hind Rajab and thousands after as well.

Just today, hospital officials in Gaza city said one girl was amongst nine people who were killed in an Israeli strike on a police station near a city

park, the attack comes just two days after U.S. envoy Jared Kushner, as Jeremy was saying, personally urged the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin

Netanyahu, to show restraint.

Now, one father in Gaza says any talk of a ceasefire is meaningless given the reality on the ground.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Progress between the U.S. and Iran at a standstill. Meanwhile, with both countries at an apparent impasse almost six months into the

conflict, U.S. President Donald Trump said this week no talks with the -- Tehran are currently underway or scheduled.

[14:15:00]

He previously says that his administration had established a back channel with Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, which Iran denied. Meanwhile, a

potentially huge blow to Iran's economy. The UAE says all trade and financial interactions with Iran will be suspended until further notice.

The embargo comes after the UAE accused Tehran of launching two missiles towards the country on Tuesday, a claim that Iran denies.

All this as the gridlock in the Strait of Hormuz drags on with oil prices now hovering above $90 a barrel, global oil benchmark Brent Crude is now

trading at its highest level in almost a month as the prolonged disruption there continues.

CNN's David Goldman joins me from New York. For more on what's happening in the Strait of Hormuz, and $90 is a very high price, isn't it? We lose touch

with these movements over time, but it's getting worrying again.

DAVID GOLDMAN, CNN BUSINESS REPORTER: It sure is. I mean, $90 compared to below $70 a barrel before the war, and you get a sense of what we're

dealing with. Yes, oil prices were above$120 a barrel earlier in the war.

We're under that, but we're still uncomfortably high. But there's a little bit of a turning point that's happened in the last two weeks, Max, where 80

percent of oil traffic is actually taking this Omani route. So, you know, if you look at the routes that you have through the Strait of Hormuz, it's

really important to understand how important the shipping traffic is.

Because if you're taking this route around the coast of Oman, in-and-out of the strait, that's not regulated by Iran. Iran wants you to take this route

right around here, around the coast of Iran. That way they can charge you a toll, or they can register you.

And Iran has been attacking ships by bombarding them with missiles and drone fire when they have been transiting this strait. So, the fact that

there are more ships that are using this route rather than this route, indicates that Iran is starting to lose a little bit of control of the

strait. Not entirely.

And certainly, the United States doesn't have full control either. But in this battle between the United States and Iran over control of this

critical waterway, looks like the United States is gaining a little bit of leverage. I want to show you what's going on here.

Where basically you have ships from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE that you just mentioned, and they're shuttling back and forth and back and forth,

taking their oil out so they can continue to produce it. And then they're meeting a bunch of ships in this area right here in the Gulf of Oman, where

it's safe from that Iranian fire.

They're lining up next to them, and they're transporting the oil off that way so that these ships can go out to their customers in Asia. It's very

important because as the delays continue in these negotiations between the Trump administration and Iran, the market needs to kind of get clever here

and figure out a way to continue to get oil out, even though there seems to be no resolution in place.

Now, that's why oil prices have risen just a little bit in recent days, but they're not quite at that $120 level that we saw much earlier in the war.

Max.

FOSTER: OK, thank you so much for that. Fascinating to see the different routes there and how they're trying to get the oil going again. Still to

come tonight on the show, results from U.S. primary elections show democratic socialists gaining ground again, and the war of words between

the White House and a Democratic senator heats up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:20:00]

FOSTER: Primaries are shaping the U.S. Midterm elections. Several states on Tuesday decided their party's nominations. Democratic socialists

demonstrated their growing influence in the U.S., and President Donald Trump's endorsements got mixed results.

Both parties are watching Alaska's Senate race. Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan will face former Democratic Representative Mary Peltola in a race

that could decide control of that U.S. -- of the U.S. Senate rather. Now in the state of Wyoming, President Trump's endorsement didn't work for a

candidate in the Republican primary for governor.

State Senator Eric Barlow beat Trump's pick, who was Megan Degenfelder. He's widely expected to win in November, now against Democratic nominee Ken

Casner. In Mr. Trump's adopted home state of Florida, a progressive firebrand has won the Democratic Senate nomination.

State House member Angie Nixon beat her well-funded establishment challenger, Alexander Vindman, by harnessing grassroots Democrats,

volunteers and social media. Vindman is a well-known name in national politics.

The retired army officer was a key witness against President Trump, in fact, in his first impeachment. Randi Kaye joins us from Fort Lauderdale,

Florida. I mean, it is a mixed picture, but there are some themes we're starting to see emerge in these primaries.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Max. It was an interesting night, for sure, of primaries here in Florida. Of course, we have the

governor's race. Republican Byron Donalds, in a very crowded Republican field, was able to pull off a victory.

He will face Democrat David Jolly in November. Jolly was actually a Republican until 2018, and Donald Trump -- President Donald Trump had

endorsed Byron Donalds, so that paid off. But as you mentioned, some of those picks by Donald Trump did not pay off.

They were unsuccessful, including Republican Representative Cory Mills, he's facing a House Ethics investigation, also a Justice Department

investigation here in the U.S., and so he lost his seat to a former news anchor actually named Ryan Elijah.

And here in District 20, where we are in Fort Lauderdale, that was also an interesting race. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz running for a 12th

time, did win the primary, but she had to -- had to move districts because she was -- she always ran in District 25.

And that was redrawn by the Republicans here in Florida. They tried to give a boost to the Republicans here and tried to help them win more victories,

so they redrew the congressional map. So, she moved over to Congressional District 20.

That is a historically black district. She was the only white candidate in the primary, but she did win. And I spoke with her at her victory party

last night. Here's what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (D-FL): Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump rigged Florida's map. They took our map, blew it into smithereens. They tried to

blow up Broward's political power and stop us from being able to be unified and having people who represent us, who will stand up for Broward County's

values.

And the voters of District 20 said they wanted to make sure that someone who had their back, who's delivered for Broward County, that I was able to

be in a position to continue to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: And Max, she also told me that she believes that voters rejected the politics of division, and that is why she won that primary. She also said

that she promises to make investments in her new district, that she said she will look to get body-cameras on police, as well as more affordable

housing.

And just because you mentioned that stunning victory, I just want to say a little bit more about that stunning victory by Angie Nixon, Rep Angie Nixon

defeating Alexander Vindman here, the Lieutenant Colonel, who was a key figure in that first inquiry into Donald Trump's impeachment in his first

term.

[14:25:00]

Vindman had outraised Angie Nixon. He had raised about $16 million, and she had only raised about a million dollars, yet she still was able to pull off

that upset with a 12-point victory. She will face Republican Ashley Moody in November. Moody is the clear favorite in that race, Max.

FOSTER: OK, Randi, thank you so much, fascinating night. Now, the feud between U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff and President Donald Trump intensifying.

Ossoff is using his Democratic Senate campaign to fire barbs at Trump over the war with Iran, rising costs and corruption.

The sort of back-and-forth between the Senator and the President began most recently with Senator Ossoff's comments about Natalie Harp, a close aide to

the President. Arlette Saenz joins us from Washington. I mean, even over here in Europe, she's making front-page news, someone that we didn't know

much about. And it's interesting that he's picking on that narrative.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it really is, and Senator Jon Ossoff really has shown no signs of backing down from this feud with

President Trump. Just yesterday, in his latest event, once again, trying to paint him as corrupt, self-absorbed and ineffective.

Now, Ossoff, for so many of his campaign events, this has been a central theme. He's launched these anti-Trump broadsides going after him on

corruption, the high cost in the U.S., and also his handling of the war in Iran.

But the specific mention of the President's travels with Natalie, a reference to Natalie Harp, his close personal and loyal aide, that has

really lifted this to another level and really touched a nerve within the White House. We've heard a lot of frustration from the President, from

White House officials, from conservatives around the White House about Ossoff's decision to inject Natalie Harp into this feud between the two of

them.

They argue that this is sexist and also insinuates things about their relationship. But Democrats are watching this all play out very gleefully

as they for many months now, have been trying to look for these type of fighter candidates, and they believe Ossoff presents that.

Now, he is running for Senate down in Georgia, and yesterday, he was actually on the campaign trail with Senator Mark Kelly, who has clashed

with President Trump himself. Take a listen to a moment from Ossoff.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. THOMAS JONATHAN OSSOFF (D-GA): I don't think anything illustrates the times more aptly than that the draft-dodging crook President --

(CHEERS)

(APPLAUSE)

OSSOFF: Who has plunged our nation recklessly into a war he knows not how to end or to win, tried to imprison this man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Now that comment at the end right there is referencing the moment when President Trump had suggested jailing Senator Kelly and other

lawmakers who also had military backgrounds for what he called seditious behavior, a video that they had posted encouraging people not to follow

unlawful orders from the President.

But really, this whole feud that we've seen really spill into public view between President Trump and Jon Ossoff, it comes as Ossoff and his team

have been quite careful with the way that they've waged their Senate campaign.

And one of the things that we've consistently seen them do is hold these large rallies, then Ossoff will fire off these various attacks against

Trump, and then those kind of ricochet around the internet. And that's part of what has drawn a lot of attention to Ossoff, not just his Senate race,

but he's also mentioned by many Democrats as someone who could potentially run for President in 2028.

Ossoff himself insists that he has zero interest in doing that, that he wants to keep his focus on his Senate race underway in Georgia right now.

But certainly, that speculation about 2028 isn't going to die down, especially as you see him eagerly engaging in these back-and-forth clashes

and feuds with President Trump.

One thing that you could also argue is that some of these statements that Ossoff is making are also aimed at trying to energize the Democratic base

in a battleground state like Georgia. That Georgia Senate race could be key in determining control of the Senate next year, and Ossoff is hoping to

keep it in the Democratic column.

FOSTER: Arlette, thank you so much. We're learning more and more about him every day. Still to come tonight on the show, though, a major trade dispute

with Canada taking a pause as President Trump says a deal has been made.

The latest on the negotiations just ahead. Plus, fear amongst thousands of Haitian immigrants living in the U.S. as deportation protections end. The

story of one woman who, like others, simply wants to feel safe.

[14:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Welcome back. I'm Max Foster. Now, a tariff showdown between the U.S. and Canada is on hold. For now, President Trump announced he is

delaying the 50 percent tariffs for three days.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Yes, we had a very good conversation with the prime minister last night, and we've come to a deal with Canada. As you

know, the 50 percent tariffs across the board were going on against Canada today, and they called yesterday, and they gave us the points that we had

to have. Very fair deal for both. The tariffs will be non-existent for our farmers. Our farmers were paying tremendous tariffs into Canada, and those

tariffs are going to be totally eviscerated, down to zero.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: The levies would have affected about $20 billion a year of Canadian exports to the U.S., from dairy products to alcoholic drinks and

furniture. On the negotiations, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says there's still work that needs to be done and calls the talks very delicate

and intense.

CNN's Paula Newton joins us from Ottawa with more, which is a different narrative from what we heard from Trump. He said it's a done deal, Paula.

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I mean, look, there is a deal out there, and certainly, you know, the president wants to celebrate that. What is at

issue here, though, is what is in the details, and we know that Prime Minister Mark Carney will, in fact, be meeting with his counterparts from

the provinces very shortly this afternoon, as well as his cabinet. And given that, we'll expect even more.

I think there's some key takeaways here, and one of them is that this is a Trump administration that does need to deal on affordability. A lot of

these tariffs are already in place. We're not just hurting Canada, but we're hurting American consumers. He is under pressure, so he did make a

deal.

[14:35:00]

To be clear, Max, it's still far less than the kind of deal that Canada had in a free trade agreement that was negotiated with this president in his

first term. Nonetheless, I want you to hear now from Jamieson Greer. He is the U.S. Trade Representative and the point man on this. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMIESON GREER, U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE: We feel confident that we've reached an agreement that will not only continue to protect American

workers, American jobs, American supply chains, but really strengthen the North American economy and create a situation where North America will

continue to be an energy powerhouse, a manufacturing powerhouse, and align on important things like economic security and digital security. So, while

we certainly, I think, have eliminated some of the irritants that we've had over the past year, we also are taking a strong foot forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: So, what happens going forward? I mean, look, we've got another two and a half days. Likely, whatever this so-called deal is, we'll go

through. But, again, to keep in mind, Max, this is a Trump administration that is in a different position than it was just a few months ago. I think

the message, though, to the world is you can expect any and all of this to change whenever the President feels like it. And in his latest social media

post and statement, Prime Minister Carney made a clear point about certainty.

And that's what is missing for U.S. and Canadian businesses. And you can expand to the E.U. and others trying to do trade with the United States.

Until there is certainty, trade will have so much friction. And that friction raises prices for everyone around the world. It is unclear exactly

-- the prime minister -- sorry, the president was talking about giving up some things in dairy. It is unclear exactly what that means. But I think

what this president really wants is a deal that he can take to the Americans and say, I won. I squeezed Canada, and I won.

So, let's see what the details are in the next 48 hours. And if then, Canada gets the certainty, at least, the business certainty that it needs

that it hasn't had from the Trump administration so far.

FOSTER: A long time in politics, isn't it, Paula? Thank you so much. Now, thousands of Ethiopians living in the U.S. may lose their temporary

protected status. On Tuesday, a judge ruled the Department of Homeland Security can end deportation protections. Hundreds of thousands of Haitians

lost theirs after the Supreme Court's decision backing the Trump administration's push on immigration. CNN's Carolina Peguero has one

woman's story from Miami.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KASU, HAITIAN IMMIGRANT: Why me? Why my mother? Why my country? Why my people?

CAROLINA PEGUERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kasu is a Haitian immigrant and is constantly questioning what her future will look like as

she no longer has temporary protected status in the United States. And after the recent Supreme Court ruling allowing the Trump administration to

end the program.

KASU: We're a beautiful community, a beautiful nation, great people, and we come here to work and pay our taxes.

PEGUERO (voice-over): Out of fear, Kasu has chosen to not show her face. But it says it's important for her to raise her voice. She left Haiti eight

years ago, fleeing from the increasing violence and insecurity in her country.

PEGUERO: How is the situation in Haiti and why you can't see yourself going back?

KASU: My mom and I have been attacked in Haiti. She passed away last December. And then I was attacked too. And this is the reason why I am

here. She tell me to do not come back in Haiti.

PEGUERO (voice-over): Kasu says she came to the United States after being beaten and attacked by a violent gang and looking for safety and a better

future. She studied nursing and became involved in local Haitian organizations. But when her temporary protected status ended on July 27th,

she lost her work permit and the opportunity to take her nursing exam, leaving her with very few options for survival.

PEGUERO: Who's helping you with like food or like your rent or, you know, the things that you need to get done?

KASU: My friends.

PEGUERO (voice-over): She has received help from her friends and from who she considers her second family at Sant La, a local Haitian organization in

Miami.

KASU: They check on me every day. They call me. How are you feeling? How is it going? Stay calm, stay positive. We are with you.

PEGUERO (voice-over): The organization has seen an increase in visits and calls from hundreds of families who are also in need of support and say

they are scared of getting detained by ICE or deported back to Haiti.

GUIBERT ST. FORT, PROGRAM COORDINATOR, SANT LA NEIGHBORHOOD HAITIAN CENTER: We feel like we are working in a ghost town. Many, many, many things have

changed as a result of that TPS termination.

[14:40:00]

We see people coming here, request for more support, especially legal support, and especially with people, with young kids, young children who do

not know what to do.

PEGUERO (voice-over): While local leaders and advocacy groups continue to look for ways to press for change, Kasu remains hopeful that the Trump

administration and the federal government will give her and the Haitian community a second chance at life in the United States. She says she draws

her strength from her mother.

PEGUERO: She protects you.

KASU: I think so, yes. She is with me.

PEGUERO (voice-over): Carolina Peguero, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Still to come tonight on the show, a blockbuster day for the world's biggest maker of humanoid robots. We'll bring you the details from

Unitree's trading debut to find out why these androids are causing such a huge stir in the market.

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FOSTER: The world's largest humanoid robot maker had its trading debut on Wednesday, and its shares jumped 600 percent, more than 600 percent. Might

not be a household name yet, but Unitree is already capturing global attention as the poster child of China's robotic capabilities, as CNN's

Mike Valerio reports.

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MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this absolutely is a milestone for China's humanoid robotics sector. Unitree, which is China's best-known

humanoid robot maker, making its trading debut in Shanghai on Wednesday, and shares surging nearly six-fold during trading.

Now, why these matters beyond the stock market in Shanghai, of course, the company's become a symbol of national pride here in China, and importantly,

unlike most of its peers, Unitree is profitable, even if, for now, few of its robots are being used in commercial settings.

But this debut is about more than just Unitree. Its blockbuster listing is expected to set the tone for other Chinese humanoid robot makers looking to

come into the market. But there is a major potential headwind here. That is the United States.

In July, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission banned imports of future models of foreign-made humanoid and quadruped robots, including

those from Unitree, citing national security concerns. And that cuts off a huge market for the company.

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Now, we spoke with one chief economist who compared Unitree's restricted access to the U.S. market with what happened to Chinese telecom giant

Huawei. Listen to what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALICIA GARCIA-HERRERO, ASIA-PACIFIC CHIEF ECONOMIST, NATIXIS: Can they do well without the U.S. market? Yes, but it is harder. So, you know, for me,

they're not fully discounting the risk of Unitree becoming, you know, a little Huawei if you want, a company that is facing, basically, constraints

elsewhere.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALERIO: And the pressure from D.C. goes beyond that. In June, the Pentagon also added Unitree to a list of Chinese military companies,

calling it a, quote, "contributor to the Chinese defense industrial base." Unitree says its robots are for civilian use. And in China, the startup has

some very powerful backers, including Tencent, Alibaba, and DeepSeek.

Now, the timing of all this coincides with the opening here in Beijing of the World Robot Conference, and that is where hundreds of mostly Chinese

companies will be launching new products and showing off their latest advancements. Watch this space.

Mike Valerio, CNN, Beijing.

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FOSTER: Still to come tonight on the show, an Australian star is suspended for a positive drug test. We'll take a look at what's next for Nick

Kyrgios.

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FOSTER: Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has been suspended from tennis over cocaine usage. The 31-year-old has been provisionally suspended by the

International Tennis Integrity Agency, and this comes after the one-time Wimbledon finalist provided a sample during a Spanish event in June. On

Instagram, Kyrgios called the whole incident a, quote, "huge mistake."

Coy Wire joins us. I mean, he's admitting he did it, and it sounds like a pretty tragic story.

COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: It does seem that way, Max, and he has not played since that tournament in June. He's one of tennis's more

recognizable and unpredictable stars. He's facing a potentially career- altering setback. He once climbed as high as 13th in the world. He has a booming serve, jaw-dropping shot-making ability, also becoming known for

his fiery confrontations and controversial moments on court.

In recent years, though, the biggest opponent he's faced has been his own body. Injuries have limited him to only a handful of matches as he's tried

repeatedly to return to sports' biggest stages.

[14:50:00]

Now, another setback, this one self-inflicted in a lengthy statement on Instagram. Kyrgios apologized to his family and friends, and he said in

part, I'm not going to make excuses, but I do want to give some context about where I've been. The last couple of years of injuries have taken a

huge toll on me, both physically and mentally. My body hasn't been able to do what my mind expects it to do, and coming to terms with being near the

end of my career has been harder than I ever imagined.

Kyrgios says he's taking responsibility. Max, a provisional suspension isn't necessarily the final word on his punishment. The case will now move

through tennis' anti-doping process. For a player whose career has always seemed to live on this edge between brilliance and turbulence, this may

become one of its defining moments. Max, we'll continue to follow this story just to see how far it might go and what kind of impact it might have

on Kyrgios, both on and off the court.

FOSTER: Coy Wire, thank you so much. Now, another sport, I guess you can call it. Chess taking center stage at perhaps the last place you'd expect.

It's the big hit at the eSports World Cup in Paris. In fact, chess even has its own new global superstar. Here's CNN creator Matias Grez with more.

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MATIAS GREZ, CNN CREATOR: How did a 1,500-year-old pastime end up in a tournament alongside Fortnite and Call of Duty? It's fair to say chess has

experienced something of a renaissance in recent years. In 2020, Netflix series, "The Queen's Gambit," became a cultural phenomenon. In the first

three weeks following its October 2020 release, a U.S. market research group said sales of chess sets in the U.S. jumped 87 percent, and sales of

chess books jumped 603 percent.

Chess.com, which calls itself the world's largest online chess platform, welcomed a staggering 3.2 million new members following the show's release.

MIKE KLEIN, DIRECTOR OF CONTENT, CHESS.COM: When "Queen's Gambit" and COVID coalesced, our website, Chess.com, at its peak, was getting 400,000

new users every day. Basically, the city of New Orleans was signing up for Chess.com. And we thought maybe we wouldn't be able to sustain that peak.

And it did go down for just a little bit in the last 12 to 16 months, it's gone back up to the exact same numbers that it was. And what's important is

that it has sustained itself. It's not just a spike. We are still getting hundreds of thousands of new users a day. We're wondering for the moment

when we're going to run out of people on this earth.

GREZ (voice-over): As chess enjoys its biggest share of mainstream attention since the 1972 match of the century between Bobby Fischer and

Boris Spassky, this year it's returning to the Esports World Cup for a second time.

GREZ: The winner on Chess' Esports World Cup debut in 2025 was, of course, none other than Magnus Carlsen. The suave Scandinavian is no doubt the best

player of his generation, and for many, he is the chess GOAT. A chess prodigy who earned the title of Grandmaster at just the age of 13, Carlsen

boasts a ridiculous list of records.

GREZ (voice-over): As well as the sport and its stars blowing up over the last few years, chess streamers on YouTube and Twitch also experienced a

huge surge in popularity. But despite a female protagonist in "The Queen's Gambit," played by Anya Taylor-Joy, chess remains a male-dominated sport.

According to the International Chess Federation, just 16.5 percent of registered players are female. Chess influencers and former players Nemo

Zhou and Anna Cramling are two of the most high-profile women trying to change that.

ANNA CRAMLING, WOMAN FIDE MASTER AND CONTENT CREATOR: I grew up in a family where my mom is the Grandmaster. She's the best player in my family.

I hope that with my videos, when they see a girl walking around with a chessboard playing random people, I hope that it inspires girls to just see

that obviously girls have a big place in chess and I just want more and more girls to know their place and know that they should be part of it and

hopefully inspire more girls to play.

GREZ: Have you had young girls, women come up to you either in person or online and tell you that you were their inspiration to get into chess?

NEMO ZHOU I WOMAN GRANDMASTER: Yes, Absolutely. It's always an absolute honor and pleasure to talk to anybody who comes up to me, regardless of

gender. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misogyny in chess, and as I got older, it started to really hit me. The fact that I am a woman means I am

sometimes treated differently, and fortunately, we've had a ton of stories about women getting harassed at chess events, and the whole backstory for

why women have women's-only events in the first place, so that we can encourage more girls to play the game.

GREZ (voice-over): The chess contest in Paris was open to men and women, and after two days of intense competition, Carlsen met with Denis Lazavik

in the final.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Make some noise if you are ready for a grand final.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The king stays the king.

GREZ: And there you have it. To the surprise of probably no one, Magnus Carlsen is the EWT 2026 chess champion.

[14:55:00]

GREZ (voice-over): The trip to Paris was well worth Carlsen's time. He walks away from the tournament with a check for $250,000.

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FOSTER: Good on him. OpenAI cracking down on the security of its testing environments. It comes as recent breaches prompted safety concerns on rapid

A.I. developments. Now, in July OpenAI said a model escaped its testing environment and hacked another A.I. company without human supervision. As a

result, the ChatGPT maker announced it is expanding how it monitors and responds to the models. The company says it is working to ensure A.I.

systems don't go rogue again. Let's hope it works.

Finally, before we go, Shakira has pledged funds to build 10 new schools in parts of Colombia devastated by a massive earthquake last week. The singer

visited locations in the quake zone on Tuesday along with businessman Howard Buffett, son of investor Warren Buffett. He's helping her charity

foundation with their rebuilding efforts. Colombia's president says economic losses from the disaster could reach more than $9 billion.

For information about how you can help people in difficulty after that quake do go to cnn.com/impact. You'll get the links there.

Thank you for watching tonight. Do stay with CNN. I'll be back with "What We Know" after the break.

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