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Isa Soares Tonight
U.S. Treasury Threatens New Sanctions On Nations Tied To Iran; Britain Promises To Give Ukraine Access To Secret Missile Technology; US- Canada Trade Talks Collapses; U.K., E.U. Leaders Vow Support On Ukraine's Independence Day; Around 90K Urged To Flee Fast-Moving Nevada Blaze; Lindsay Clancy Murder Trial; Teacher Pleads For Release Of Husband In ICE Custody; U.S. Strikes Alleged Drug Boat After Two-Month Pause. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired August 24, 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]
RICHARD QUEST, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: And a warm welcome to one and all. I am Richard Quest in for Isa Soares. Tonight, the U.S. Treasury is
threatening new sanctions on nations tied to Iran. And yet, actually stopping short of imposing big new penalties.
Britain will give Ukraine access to secret missile technology, saying allies of Kyiv must do everything we can to protect against Russian
attacks. Also, the trade talks that have collapsed. Why the US-Canada trade war could now make every day more expired titles or expensive on both sides
of the border.
We'll have all of that and much more ahead. Let's begin with the launch of Economic D-Day, as it's called. A threat of new U.S. sanctions aimed at
countries doing business with Iran. In the last hour, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, unveiled the plan, which President Trump hopes
will be the crushing blow for Tehran and bring an end to the war.
Well, the secretary's remarks were big on hubris. They didn't offer any specific sanctions or details that the countries that might be targeted by
the United States.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT BESSENT, SECRETARY OF TREASURY, UNITED STATES: Today, at President Trump's direction, the United States Treasury has begun Operation Economic
Outcast, an unprecedented campaign against the Islamic Republic of Iran and its enablers.
In the Second World War, D-Day marked the historic beginning of a campaign with our allies to target and drive the enemy from its positions, including
those in third countries. Today, in that same spirit, we are launching an economic onslaught against Iran's financial connections around the globe,
around the globe.
Our objective is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Now we're joined by CNN's political senior reporter, Stephen Collinson, and the former IMF Chief Economist Ken Rogoff, currently
Professor of Economics and the Maurits C. Boas Chair of International Economics at Harvard.
Start with you, Stephen. The sanctions on Iran have been there for so long, and there have been so many of them. What actually are they going to add to
this to make this an economic D-Day?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICS REPORTER: Yes, and if you spend days talking about an economic D-Day, and then you come up with another warning
shot, I think that is only going to create more uncertainty and perhaps cynicism about whether this is really what Secretary Bessent says.
Which is a coordinated long-term campaign to try to bring Iran to its knees economically, or is the latest strategy that appears to be trying to
assuage the political problems that the Trump administration has back home, six months into a war that it started and hasn't been able to finish.
They're saying today that they've mapped every node and pathway and route for Iran's economic and financial systems and the way they interact, often
covertly with the outside world. Perhaps that is something that's real.
But as you say, on top of the multiple layers and decades of sanctions against Iran, how is this going to make much difference if the United
States is not prepared --
QUEST: All right --
COLLINSON: To go after China and Russia, is it going to work?
QUEST: Ken, that's the real problem, isn't it? Because we've known the various tentacles of Iran's, if you will, financing how it deals, how it
funds, et cetera. But to actually start severing those tentacles will involve sometimes pissing off allies who may be doing business or
otherwise, just getting deeper into the quagmire with foes.
[14:05:00]
KEN ROGOFF, PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS & CHAIR, MAURITS C. BOAS OF INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS, HARVARD: Yes, that's what's happened with Russia,
where we put on these sanctions, but we weren't willing to enforce secondary sanctions. That is sanctions on anyone doing business with Russia
-- just the opposite.
Iran's a lot smaller than Russia. We might be willing to go to the mat more, but I sort of agree that this feels more like sanctions theater than
necessarily some dramatic new episode. Fundamentally, sanctions work if you can get most of the world behind you.
But if they're not, it's very hard. In the case of South Africa in the 1980s --
QUEST: Right --
ROGOFF: Apartheid, there was a lot of global support that worked. But with Iran, it's much more mixed.
QUEST: So, what about you, Stephen? And what's its -- I guess the difficulty of knowing what happens next, Stephen Collinson, because the
politics -- and I'll come to Ken in a second. But for you, Stephen, the politics and the economics are so horribly intertwined that it's very
difficult with the Midterms to separate them now. Almost impossible.
COLLINSON: Yes, and there was a very interesting comment by the Secretary in that news conference. He was asked, why are you giving a warning and not
specifically targeting entities with secondary sanctions today?
And he said, why would I want to blow up the global economy? And that, I think, is a sign that the price the United States would have to pay
economically and politically at this very sensitive time in the run-up to the Midterm Elections, is not yet something, perhaps, that the
administration is willing to pay.
Is it really willing to take on China? We saw what happened with China's vow to restrict rare earth materials the last time they got into a trade
war. And also, let's not forget that President Xi Jinping is due to visit the President at the White House next month, something that the President
has been looking forward to very greatly, as one of the highlights of his year --
QUEST: Yes --
COLLINSON: It seems very unlikely that he's going to move against Chinese banks dealing with Iran before that.
QUEST: Stephen, I'm going to let you get back to your news gathering duties. I'll continue with Ken Rogoff. Ken, the real problem here, of
course, on the wider issue is, number one, the U.S. is now --
COLLINSON: Thank you --
QUEST: Fighting on multiple economic fronts. Iran, it's fighting the bond market. It's got --
ROGOFF: Canada.
QUEST: China, Canada, thank you. I was just grasping, but Canada. And at some point, when does it become a bit like Russia after the Second World
War, fighting on -- or Germany after Second World War, fighting on too many fronts.
ROGOFF: Yes, I think Trump's lost a lot of his credibility, but particularly from Iran. I mean, there -- he keeps saying this is the end.
They're going to take them down. And I think, you know, he isn't willing to give up.
I think I know -- I would say this is his Waterloo in a way, and he wants to find a way out. He's turned Bessent, who in many ways is the most
credible person in the administration to try to be the front person for this, to say, yes, this is the worst thing.
This is D-Day and come up with all this theater. But if you're other people, not to mention your allies, Russia, China, Pakistan, are we really
going to punish Turkey and Pakistan if they trade with Iran with such a volatile situation?
That's the question, you know, to what extent are we willing to go to war with everyone all at once? Like you say, Germany had to face in World War
II.
QUEST: Ken, I'm grateful. Always lovely to see you, Ken Rogoff looking well and fit. Thank you, sir, for joining us --
ROGOFF: Yes --
QUEST: Thank you. Now, amid the war with the United States, many Iranian women are openly defying hardliners who are pressuring them to wear the
Hijab. As CNN's Jomana Karadsheh reports, it's part of a broader push to enforce longstanding mandatory dress codes for women.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This woman is being publicly shamed by another woman for showing her bare legs in
Iran.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
KARADSHEH: Eventually, officers arrive and make her put on pants. This scene is being played out in cities across the country. The focus seems to
be turning back to how women are allowed to dress. At the height of the war, women without headscarves were even seen at pro-government gatherings.
The regime seemed to have bigger priorities. But now, hardliners are pushing the Hijab back on the agenda. Cafes, restaurants and shops are
being shut down for failing to enforce mandatory dress codes. Hardline clerics are demanding tougher enforcement. This cleric, speaking directly
to President Masoud Pezeshkian.
[14:10:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
KARADSHEH (on camera): But there's a problem for the regime. Iranian women are not backing down. Four years ago, the death of Mahsa Jina Amini in
custody after being detained by the so-called Morality Police ignited the Woman Life Freedom protests.
The uprising was brutally suppressed, but widespread acts of defiance survived. Today, women walk through Iranian cities without headscarves and
ride motorcycles through Tehran, Shiraz and Isfahan. As the war with the U.S. seems to stall, an old confrontation is bubbling up.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST: The British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, is promising to help boost Ukraine's air defenses, saying that the allies of Kyiv must do everything
we can, in his words, to protect against Russian attacks.
The Prime Minister is in Ukraine as the country marks 35 years of independence from the Soviet Union. It's his first trip abroad as Prime
Minister, that's for Mr. Burnham, I should say. President Zelenskyy says Ukraine wants peace with Russia, but is simply not ready to simply
surrender.
Mr. Burnham says Britain is behind Ukraine for as long as it takes. At the same time, the United Kingdom has announced today it will give Ukraine
access to secret technology, thus helping the country manufacture a long- range cruise missile designed by Britain and France.
That drew an angry response from Russia, which has accused Britain of participating in the war. The Prime Minister is also promising to help
protect Ukraine's skies.
I am determined that we will work together to deliver the support you need, Mr. President. Stronger than ever. That means not just air defense, but
stopping Russia launching their missiles in the first place. With sanctions that cut off their military supply chain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDY BURNHAM, PRIME MINISTER, UNITED KINGDOM: I am determined we will work together to deliver the support you need, Mr. President, stronger than
ever. That means not just air defense, but stopping Russia launching their missiles in the first place.
(APPLAUSE)
BURNHAM: With sanctions that put off their military supply chain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Now we're joined by our international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson. And Nic, you're going to appreciate this. It's a long way from
Mayor of Manchester to be standing in Kyiv talking about handing over some Shadow blueprints and those sorts of things. But Andy Burnham has said all
the right things today, now he needs to prove his actions.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, and this is what he intends to do. I mean, he's said that he's there to show the Ukrainians
that they're going to get all the support they need for as long as they need it.
And this comes at a time, and we'll think back to the day, the 20th of July, not so long ago, when Andy Burnham was stepping over the threshold in
Downing Street becoming Prime Minister. That was the day a Russian naval frigate in the English Channel fired warning shots near a pensioner couple
who were sailing their yacht in the area.
The very next day, the Russian Ambassador to the U.K. withdrew from the country, and there's been a sort of a drumbeat coming from Russian
officials warning Britain of consequences of supporting Ukraine.
And Burnham here in his first overseas trip, remembering his first international leader to host in London was President Zelenskyy of Ukraine,
going to Ukraine to make very clear, he's not going to be intimidated by Putin. He sees the way to bring the war to an end in Ukraine, to put
economic pressure and military pressure on Russia.
Those missile components that he's giving the blueprints for, they're designed to have longer range, highly accurate cruise missiles that can
bust through bunkers, tear through ammunition depots, pushing Russia effectively further away from the frontlines in the war of Ukraine.
So, this is an effort combined with the Europeans. And that was the point of having this Coalition of the Willing conference call there --
QUEST: Right --
ROBERTSON: While he was in Kyiv today, as well.
QUEST: One of the things that's disconcerting is whether or not -- you know, handing these plans over -- you're a defense expert, what -- how long
is it going to take between handling them over and doing anything with them?
ROBERTSON: Look, it's a great question. Nothing happens quickly when it comes to production of missiles. We've seen that in Europe where there's
plenty of scope for producing it already existing plants. The Ukrainians have to do stuff in secret.
They have to be able to import all this equipment into the country. They've got the technology, they've got the experts, but they need to build the
factories. They need to do it in secret. So, they might be getting the factory built by the end of the year, by the time they can be rolling
things off the production line, that could be another year or so.
But look at it this way, four and a half years of war, at the beginning, Ukraine was just asking for bullets, then it was asking for artillery
shells, then it was asking for tanks. Then it was asking for fighter jets. And nobody wanted to hand this stuff over quickly and easily. But it came.
[14:15:00]
And it came because the realization was, this is a long war. The way to stop it is to put pressure on Russia. The only way to put pressure on
Russia is to give Ukraine the ability to fight the war without having a hand tied behind its back.
So, when you recognize it's a long-term war, which is what Andy Burnham and Emmanuel Macron were saying today, you have to go into it for the long
term, and that's give Ukraine the ability to build these systems.
Look, it's a two-way street as well. The Ukrainians, as I say, have got amazing technicians who know how to put stuff together to fight a war
effectively, even when they seem to have just scraps of things in front of them to do that job with.
They've proven that with their long-range drones in Russia, they've proven that with some of the other systems that they've put in place that are
putting economic pain on Russia. So, there's a two-way street here. You've got really skilled high-tech folks there --
QUEST: Right --
ROBERTSON: In Ukraine doing this job. If you support them, they'll support you. As Burnham said today. You know, Ukraine is --
QUEST: For sure --
ROBERTSON: Not a drag on our security. Ukraine is at the front of Europe's security.
QUEST: And it will be interesting, funny, to see how they do actually, once given -- once given the tools and the plans, what they actually do, what
they manufacture, how quickly they can -- maybe they'll teach us all a lesson about how quickly you can actually make these things after all.
Nick, it is good to see you, sir, I'm grateful. Thank you. ISA SOARES TONIGHT, Isa is off, you have me. Still to come as we move forward on
tonight's program, the neighbors for decades are now firing angry words back and forth.
One of the strongest bilateral relationships has come to a trade war -- Canada and the United States, in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: It now looks like the United States is well and truly in a trade war --
(COUGHING)
QUEST: Excuse me, with its second largest trading partner, Canada. President Trump has announced 50 percent tariffs on cars, steel and other
products coming from Canada. And Canada has vowed to fire back dollar-for- dollar counter-tariffs.
Trade talks have now broken down between the two. On Friday, President Trump shouted on social media that we don't need Canada, they need us. And
according to Canada's Prime Minister, the U.S. simply asked for too much.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK CARNEY, PRIME MINISTER, CANADA: The goal of our trade negotiations with the United States has always been to get the best deal for Canadians,
never a deal at any price or in any time frame. The best deal.
(APPLAUSE)
[14:20:00]
CARNEY: We did make some progress in recent weeks. In the end, that momentum reversed, and we could not accept what the U.S. had offered, nor
could we give what they asked. Diversifying trade is also fundamental to building a stronger, a more independent and a more resilient country.
Over the last year, the last year alone, Canada has signed more than 20 trade and security deals across five continents. We completed our most
recent trade deal with the United Arab Emirates in a record 47 days. Canada is now the best-connected economy in the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Now, President Trump in the last half hour has been on social media again, referring to the Ontario Premier Doug Ford's comments. He basically
is saying that Canada needs to fall into line, and that Canada will hurt far more than the United States as a result.
Well, obviously, whichever way this goes, the trade war will hurt consumers on both sides of the border. On -- for a look at what's going to go up,
here's Matt Egan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER (on camera): The U.S. and Canada have long had one of the closest trading relationships in the world, but that
relationship right now is clearly in crisis. And this is a trade war that could end up leaving consumers in both countries stuck in the crossfire if
it leads to job loss and higher prices.
Now, the 50 percent tariffs that were imposed by the Trump administration in recent days, they are impacting a wide range of imports from Canada,
including everything from milk and honey to dog leashes, gloves, smartphones, hockey sticks, fishing rods, Christmas ornaments, wigs, false
beards, I could go on and on.
Also, alcoholic beverages facing tariffs as well. That includes beer, wine, Whiskey and Vodka. Now these 50 percent tariffs, they are going to be paid
first by businesses. And we know that these businesses, they often pass along at least some of the import taxes to all of us as consumers in the
form of higher prices.
Sometimes they're able to absorb at least some of the impact of the tariffs. However, it's going to be a lot harder to eat the tariffs right
now because the Iran war has already lifted energy and transportation costs significantly for businesses.
Now, what's also telling is what was not tariffed, because my reading of the documents that have been put out from the administration in recent
days, some of the items that the U.S. really relies on from Canada, they are not facing the 50 percent tariff.
That includes oil, electricity, potash, Maple syrup, and fully-finished automobiles. And that does seem to be an acknowledgment of the fact that if
those items were tariffed, then you could see an even bigger hit to prices.
Now, all told, we're talking about $20 billion of goods that are imported from Canada that are being tariffed. That's a lot. But it's also a very big
trading relationship. So, this makes up just about 5 percent of total imports from Canada.
Now, Ottawa is clearly not taking this lying down. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, he is vowing dollar-for-dollar retaliation. Starting on
September 8th, he's targeting a variety of U.S. sectors, including steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, paper and electronics.
This is a big deal because Canada is the number one foreign buyer in many U.S. states, and the risk is, if those American-made goods are now facing
steep Canadian tariffs, then there could be a loss of demand, a loss of demand that causes some U.S. employers to let go of American workers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST: Matt Egan. Still to come on tonight's program, as European leaders are gathering for Ukrainian Independence Day, we're going to take a close
look at how Ukrainian culture, literature and arts have been impacted by the war.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:25:00]
QUEST: Returning to one of our top stories, as Kyiv's allies promise more interceptors to boost Ukraine's air defenses, the British Prime Minister,
Andy Burnham, is in Ukraine for his first official visit as London is agreeing to share its classified information to help Ukraine develop long-
range scalp missiles.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has welcomed the move, but also appealed for more air defenses support ahead of the Winter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT, UKRAINE: We need to make sure that the Winter package of air defense will be in Ukraine, and we need Winter
package of Patriot missiles, and we need -- and that we hope that we will have this package. We need at least 300 Patriot missiles for the Winter and
for the cold months.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: European leaders are gathered in Kyiv, marking Ukraine's Independence Day. Four and a half years of war has claimed the lives of
thousands of people. It's torn families apart and destroyed many livelihoods.
It's also taken its toll on Ukrainian culture, literature and art. Ukrainian publishers are now calling for support after a Russian drone
strike on a Kharkiv warehouse, which destroyed 8 million books earlier this month.
Joining me now, Andrey Kurkov is the Ukrainian novelist and journalist. You know, Andrei, whenever we discuss this, it's always a very tricky issue,
isn't it? Because clearly, what is being fought to preserve is a way of life. It is a culture.
It is. But at the same time, of course, the priority has to be the -- if you will, the fighting of the war. And it's balancing that at any given
moment that is really crucial. What are you fighting to protect and how you're fighting to do it?
ANDREY KURKOV, UKRAINIAN NOVELIST & JOURNALIST: Well, I understand that actually, the priority is the frontline, and frontline is longer than 1,000
kilometers. Second priority, civilians who should be protected in all the cities and towns of Ukraine, which are shelled by Russian drones, missiles.
And probably, third priority is culture, because culture motivates culture. Let people believe that everything will be fine in the end, and also
culture had huge losses, not only in the way of books burned by Russian drones, but also in the sense that more than 300 writers, non-fiction
writers, poets, translators were killed in this war.
But now, we have a very catastrophic situation. It's 11 million books which were destroyed by Russia in the last six weeks. Russia is targeting
warehouses, and it's happened that many warehouses were actually having books belong -- just printed books, including more than 1 million school
manuals. And now, these school manuals are ashes and it's not clear actually how many can be reprinted before September. So, it's not only
about culture, it's also about education.
[14:30:33]
QUEST: I mean, that is the whole point, isn't it? And of course, if one looks at the way in which Russia has denigrated Ukraine's independent
culture and identity, particularly over in the East, trying to subsume as much as possible, you start to realize that what is being fought for is the
very culture and way of life of Ukraine.
KURKOV: Well, it is. It is part of national identity, just like history of Ukraine, Ukrainian language and Ukrainian culture are three main components
of identity. And the war against Ukrainian identity was going on already for 300 years, starting from 1720. And now, actually, when I just mentioned
the school manuals which were burned recently, but Russia is bringing Russian school manuals now to Ukrainian occupied territories with their
narrative, with different story history of Ukraine and of Russia. And so, it is important, extremely important. Yes.
QUEST: What would you say -- away from the front line, what would you say is the state of Ukrainian culture? And by that, I obviously mean things
like theatre, the ability of poets, the ability of even independent filmmakers to express themselves, accepting all the difficulties that is
taking place. How would you gauge the strength of culture at the moment?
KURKOV: Well, I would say that actually the culture today is much stronger than it was before the full-scale invasion. And Ukrainian culture is much
more visible outside Ukraine, of course, because of the war, because so many people took Ukrainian side and got interested into Ukrainian culture
and history. And there are more translations into English, for example. There are wonderful books by the writers who are soldiers today, like Artem
Chapeye, the book "The Weathering." Artur Dron, "Hemingway Knows Nothing," about life on the front line.
So, actually, I think Ukrainian culture, because of this war, came to different cultural national markets and remained there.
QUEST: Can I just ask that one of the issues that I've found particularly troubling or of interest is the way in which Ukraine, particularly if it
looks towards wanting to join the E.U. and all these things, is going to be forced towards a more liberal society, whether it's LGBT, whether it's
different rights, whether it's human, whatever it is.
Do you think that the Ukrainian people are prepared for that shift towards, for want of a better word, European liberal values?
KURKOV: I would say the young people are prepared, 100 percent. The older generation, some of the older generation people, especially in the west of
the country, where religious beliefs are much stronger than in the center, they can be conservative. They can be sort of internally against LGBT, but
they will not go out, go on the streets and protest.
So, I mean, we had the gay parades in most of the cities, even in the time of the war. But, I mean, the future of Ukraine are young people, and young
people are really Europeans.
QUEST: I'm grateful to you, sir. Thank you for joining us this evening. I'm very grateful. Now, as we continue tonight, the western U.S., a fast-moving
and out of control wildfire is forcing thousands of people and homes to be evacuated.
The so-called Hawk Fire is threatening neighborhoods in and around Reno, Nevada. The emergency order from the governors includes parts of the rugged
area of, beautiful area, actually, of Lake Tahoe. The flames are being driven by high winds, low humidity, dry brush. What a lethal combination
that is. Authorities say worsening conditions are expected to make the fire even more unpredictable. CNN's Josh Campbell has sent us this dispatch.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: The governor of Nevada has declared a state of emergency for Washoe County, which includes parts of
Reno, where we are here in Nevada, as well as Lake Tahoe. That's because this rapidly evolving fire, known as the hawk fire, continues to burn.
Authorities say it's now chewed through more than 15,000 acres, currently at 0 percent containment.
As fire crews continue to battle these flames on the ground, they are also fighting the fire from the air. Authorities have brought in aerial assets,
including from neighboring California, again bringing in fixed-wing and helicopters to try to attack that fire from the air.
[14:35:00]
Now, this is all part of this ongoing destructive fire season that we've seen throughout many parts of the southwest, with fires causing mass
evacuations, sometimes evacuations of entire towns.
Now, we saw in these really dramatic images that on Sunday, near where we are here in Reno, the fire moving very quickly downhill towards residential
areas, that causing authorities to issue these evacuation orders. Up to 90,000 people are now being urged to leave that area for their own safety.
Our colleague Sara Sidner spoke with one of the fire officials here locally this morning to provide an update.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FIRE CHIEF RICHARD EDWARDS, TRUCKEE MEADOWS FIRE AND RESCUE: Fire conditions change rapidly, especially in this area with the evening winds
that we get, predominantly any time after mid-afternoon into the early evening, and so we really encourage those that are under a get set
evacuation, that 45,000 number, to have their stuff ready, have their go bags ready, have their medications, their pets, their important documents,
some clothes, toiletries, whatever they need, packed up and ready to go in a moment's notice.
And then we also encourage those folks, if they have a place to go, if they have another place to stay, to go ahead and leave the area.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMPBELL: And of course, as the firefighting continues, there's an important human factor in all of this. We're told there have been some
injuries, at least three first responders injured, as well as three residents. Thankfully, none of those injuries are life-threatening.
And you have tens of thousands of people that are now displaced. Where we are, this is one of the many shelters, the evacuation centers here in this
area. This is a convention center that has now been turned into a place of refuge for people around this area. You can see the Red Cross has been
brought in. People, some of them say that they fled quickly with just what they had on them. That's how fast moving this fire was.
The CNN weather team says that weather conditions continue to look concerning throughout the rest of the week, with high winds and high
temperatures. It could make it more difficult for these firefighters who continue to try to get some type of containment on this blaze. Again, as of
right now, 0 percent containment. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST: Grateful still to come tonight on this program. It's a battle of the medical experts in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial. The combative
statements and testimonies have been set in court.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:40:00]
QUEST: It's a clash of medical experts in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial. The prosecution's presented a rebuttal doctor on the stand today. Dr. Avram
Mack testified that there's no evidence Clancy suffered from a manic state, which is key to the bipolar diagnosis.
Clancy's on trial for the murder of her three young children. She's admitted she killed them, but her defense blames mental illness and
postpartum psychosis. In one competitive exchange, Clancy's defense questioned Dr. Mack on his testimony in previous trials.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN REDDINGTON, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: And your argument, sir, was because they are of a class that would be more likely to commit a crime or have
suicide or drug use. Did you testify to that?
DR. AVRAM MACK, PROSECUTION WITNESS: That is not the way that that testimony or that report was presented. No.
REDDINGTON: OK. So, the answer is no. Let's keep it --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Jean Casarez is with me now. There's no -- I mean, what can one say with the way this trial is progressing? There's not -- it's a difficult
whichever way it goes. And the issues are deep and meaningful. They are. They're very deep and they're very meaningful.
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And we're at the point of the trial right now where it's the battle of the experts. Want to tell everyone that we are
in Plymouth, Massachusetts right now. We're outside of the courthouse. And it's really probably the final witnesses in this trial because we're in the
prosecution's rebuttal case.
And they have on the stand right now, Kirk Heilbrun, who is a forensic psychiatrist. And he really testified about a lot of the things we've heard
from lay witnesses about that. Lindsay Clancy, really after all of her children, and she had three of them, she would have anxiety. And that
anxiety would then morph itself into a depression.
And then starting in September of 2022, the depression got worse and she wasn't able to sleep. So, she started going to all of these doctors and
they started giving her all of this medication. And then it got to the point where she would call the suicide hotline because she would
continually feel that she wanted to commit suicide. That was her focus right there, according to the testimony we've heard. And then she checked
herself into a mental hospital.
But it's at the beginning of January and on January 24th is where the sides really split off because the prosecution is saying that she had mental
illness. Their expert just said they believed she had bipolar. But that on that day of January 24th, she was very rational. She did things that she
knew what she was doing. She took her daughter to the doctor. She made a snowman with her children. She had her husband go get takeout, told her
husband to go get to CVS pharmacy.
And while he was gone, that's when she went down to the basement. And one by one, she killed her children. And they're saying that she wasn't in
psychosis. She wasn't psychotic. She knew what she was doing. Now, the defense is no, completely wrong. She had psychosis. Now, maybe it wasn't
external symptoms. Maybe she kept it all inside. But because of that mental disease or defect, they kept getting worse and worse and worse. This was
psychosis. And she loved her children. She would not have killed her children. And that's going to be the issue for the jury. Yes.
QUEST: That's exactly what I was just going to -- as always, you just summed it up beautifully for me, because that really is going to be the
evidential question that the jury is going to have to decide, which do they believe? It's not a question of law. It's going to be a question of
evidence.
CASAREZ: Right. And the psychosis was deep inside of her. There were no outward manifestations of it. So, you've got to draw another evidence now.
You've got to go to her diary where she said she loved her children. She would do anything for her children. She wanted to have another child, but
she had to feel better first. So, it's all of this -- It's a circumstantial case.
So, all of this, you're going to have to draw upon or the jury is to determine what is right here. Did she, with deliberate premeditation, with
atrocity and cruelty, kill her children, or did she not appreciate the criminality of what she was doing?
QUEST: On another occasion, you and I will have to discuss what the alternative verdicts could be, if that is. Because obviously, clearly,
she's admitted the killing per se. So, that -- we're looking at some others. Lovely. Thank you, Jean. Thank you for bringing us up to date. I'm
grateful.
CASAREZ: Thank you.
[14:45:00]
QUEST: A teacher in the U.S. State of Texas is pleading for the release of her husband, who was detained by ICE, the immigration authorities, more
than six months ago. The husband fled Venezuela in 2023, seeking political asylum. Carolina Peguero has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HEATHER ALAMBARRIO, VENEZUELAN HUSBAND DETAINED BY ICE: Neither one of us know when we're going to see each other again. And I don't know when I'll
get the call to bring him home with me.
CAROLINA PEGUERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Heather Alambarrio, a teacher and U.S. citizen, is moving mountains, hoping to be reunited with
the love of her life, her husband, Jose Rafael Alambarrio-Cardenas. He has been held in an ICE detention center for more than six months.
ALAMBARRIO: My husband is kept in a place like that. Such a beautiful, kind person. And there's thousands of Rafaels, hundreds of thousands of
(INAUDIBLE) across our country in a similar situation. And the weight of that falls on me as I turn to walk away from that place.
PEGUERO (voice-over): Heather and Rafael met during salsa lessons, and months later they married in 2025 and filed a spousal petition with
immigration authorities. They attended their routine ICE appointments in Dallas, Texas until the last one turned into their worst nightmare, where
he was detained.
ALAMBARRIO: And I waited and I waited. And after about 45 minutes, the door opened and our attorney walked out and she looked at me and she just shook
her head.
PEGUERO (voice-over): CNN confirmed through court documents and Rafael's attorney that he doesn't have a criminal record. He entered the United
States from Venezuela in 2023, and upon arrival applied for a political asylum. He passed his "credible fear" interview. But that case is still
under review by the federal government.
The Department of Homeland Security says Alambarrio-Cardenas is expected to remain in ICE custody while his immigration proceedings are resolved.
ALAMBARRIO: We had submitted all of, you know, our documents and even had our interview, so we felt like, you know, if anyone was ok, Rafael would be
ok.
PEGUERO (voice-over): After spending several months in the Prairieland Detention Center in Texas, Rafael was transferred to the Adams County
Correctional Center in the state of Mississippi. We spoke to him through a video call.
JOSE RAFAEL ALAMBARRIO-CARDENAS, VENEZUELAN DETAINED BY ICE (through translator): To be honest, I feel like I'm back in my country because the
way things are being handled are the same way like back home.
PEGUERO (voice-over): Despite the distance and missing their first wedding anniversary, Rafael shares the love he has for his wife.
ALAMBARRIO-CARDENAS (through translator): The love of an immigrant, it's not easy, but I never thought it would be this difficult. I love Heather
more than anything and she has showed me the same. And that's what keeps me strong here.
PEGUERO (voice-over): This is not the first case of immigrants married to U.S. citizens being detained by ICE, which is why Heather wants to send
this message.
ALAMBARRIO: Our country is a country that is great because of our Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, and checks and balances. And we need
the balances and checks to be working for us.
PEGUERO (voice-over): Carolina Peguero, CNN, Dallas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST: After a two-month pause, the United States military appears to be resuming strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats. U.S. Southern Command
says it hit a boat involved in narco trafficking in the eastern Pacific on Sunday, killing two people.
A CNN analysis shows at least 67 vessels have been destroyed and more than 220 people left dead since operations started in the Caribbean and eastern
Pacific last year. The White House says the attacks are necessary to stop drugs from entering the U.S. Critics say they're a violation of
international law and that amount to extrajudicial killings. We'll be back in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:50:00]
QUEST: A stream of major figures in the football world are now calling for Gianni Infantino to step down as president of FIFA. Infantino has been
widely condemned for his failed plan to sell a stake in the World Cup and other events.
There are, though, voices who say Infantino is good for the sport and should stick around. CNN's world sports Amanda Davies spoke to one of them.
Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o, one of the greatest players in African history.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAMUEL ETO'O, PRESIDENT, CAMEROONIAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION (through translator): I don't think that President Gianni Infantino was wrong. I
think all these things are happening because of the timing. There's an election coming up where Gianni Infantino is standing. All of this has
happened because there's an election coming up. That's all there is.
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: We have the letter from UEFA, CONCACAF, and the AFC from August the 10th saying, trust is broken through deception when
an individual places himself above the collective about duty being abandoned. I mean, is that not your assessment?
ETO'O (through translator): Listen, I don't want to make any comment on others' political positions, but I want to talk about actual fact.
DAVIES: But is this not at this moment an issue of whether or not the FIFA president Gianni Infantino crossed the line and whether or not he is
putting football first or putting himself first?
ETO'O (through translator): To what extent do you mean that the president is putting himself first? I need to understand what you mean by that. The
president's job is to take football further, to make all of the nations grow. That's the role of the president of FIFA. And for each of the
federations, their role is to develop football.
I don't think at all President Infantino wanted to put himself forward. He made a proposal. The 211 members were supposed to sit down, debate the
issue and let the majority win. But I am convinced that the voices that were raised, those are not the voices of the majority.
DAVIES: But is the point here not the fact that this project was taken so far down the road that it wasn't up for discussion, it wasn't up for
debate, and it wouldn't have been until it was almost too late?
ETO'O (through translator): There was a need for debate. I would agree with that. We should have talked about the question, talked about whether it's a
good thing or not. President Gianni Infantino has changed football. He has given opportunities to nations that didn't have them to participate in the
most beautiful of competitions, the World Cup.
I salute the courage he had to withdraw this project, even though for me personally, this project is not bad. It is even very good for the African
nations because it should allow us, if it went all the way through, to truly compete with the big nations.
DAVIES: So, just to reiterate, you would like to see the FIFA Forward Enterprise revisited as a model?
[14:55:00]
ETO'O (through translator): It's about majority rule. I think it's important that we should bring all the federations together to debate
together. I remain convinced that for us as Africans, this project was something that could have been incredible. It would have reset the balance
of power in football to ensure that our talent doesn't disappear and end up playing for other nations.
DAVIES: So, your goal is to get this FIFA Forward Enterprise back on the agenda for a proper discussion?
ETO'O (through translator): Our administration has its rules and it will bring a motion before FIFA to have this project re-examined.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST: Finally, tonight, football star Erling Haaland is the talk of the English Premier League after the first weekend of its new season. The
Manchester City striker chopped off his famously long blonde locks in favor of the new buzz cut. His once flowing hair made him the most recognizable
players during Norway's run at the 2026 World Cup. Haaland took to social media to show off the new haircut and the internet's all abuzz about it
now.
That's it. Max Foster is next with "What We Know," what he knows, you'll know and then we'll all know. That's coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
