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Quest Means Business
Death Toll From Venezuela Earthquake Rises To At Least 920; Trump: Iranian Strike In Hormuz Strait A Foolish Violation; Strate Of Emergency In Crimea Amid Ukrainian Drone Attacks; Hexum: We Are Creating Consent System That A.I. Bots Understand; Now: France Versus Norway Match Underway; Passport Stamps Going Away As Countries Switch To E-Gates; Small Aircraft Crashes Into Beijing's Tallest Skyscraper. Aired 4-5p ET
Aired June 26, 2026 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[16:00:19]
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: First summer Friday. And boy, can you tell I am going to call it. I am going to call it as flat. The other
indices as well, not doing much of anything. Still controversial though where that A.I. trade is going. Those are the markets and these are the
main events.
The death toll in Venezuela soars two days after a pair of major earthquakes struck.
Crimea is under a State of Emergency as Ukrainian attacks on the Russian controlled peninsula sparked a mass exodus.
And collecting passport stamps is a cherished part of the journey for many travelers. Unfortunately for them, those stamps might not be around for
much longer.
Live from New York, it is Friday, June 26th. I am Paula Newton, in for Richard Quest and this is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
And good evening.
First for us tonight, rescue teams from the U.S. and right around the world are surging to Venezuela. But on the ground, some rescue volunteers have
only shovels and their bare hands to try and find trapped survivors of Wednesday's twin earthquakes.
A lawmaker says the death toll is now 920 and that's a huge jump just in the last few hours. It is a little more than a day left now of what
rescuers call the golden window, the 72 hours after a disaster like this, when the odds of survival are at their highest.
Now families, neighbors, strangers, you can really feel it, especially when you look at that devastation there. All of them have one goal, finding
those who are still missing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUIS GONZALES, SEARCHING FOR HIS NEIGHBORS (through translator): We never lose hope that by the grace of God, the hand of God, there might be a
victim lying there, unconscious but still alive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now people are still sleeping in the streets. Doctors are treating patients in those same streets and the Venezuelan government is assessing
damaged buildings that are still standing -- homes, businesses, also hotels and other tourist infrastructure.
CNN contributor, Stefano Pozzebon filed this report from neighboring Colombia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR (voice over): Panic on board as passengers braced through powerful tremors, just one glimpse of the chaos
unleashed after two massive earthquakes struck Venezuela.
This image from the public broadcaster, teleSUR shows large cracks splitting the tarmac at Caracas International Airport, underscoring the
damage to critical infrastructure. Tens of thousands are still reported missing.
Emergency teams are racing against time to dig through shattered concrete, listening for any sign of life. In the Caracas district of Chacao, rescuers
pulled survivors from a collapsed apartment building, while others remain trapped inside.
MAYOR GUSTAVO DUQUE, CHACAO (through translator): We have rescued three people and there are three more alive inside the structure. God-willing,
they will be rescued very soon.
POZZEBON (voice over): As Venezuela struggles to cope with the scale of the disaster, international help is finally trickling in, but the logistical
challenges to mobilize the aid remain. These relief convoys loaded with food and water, are heading toward the hardest hit communities as officials
work to support tens of thousands of displaced families while the priority remains to rescue survivors before time runs out.
Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, Bogota, Colombia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Now, earlier, Isa Soares asked Dr. Huniades Urbina-Medina about the state of health care in Venezuela. The pediatrician says medical workers
are lacking in the basics to try and give medical care.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. HUNIADES URBINA-MEDINA, VENEZUELAN PEDIATRICIAN: Well, we need many, many things. First, we need water. We don't have enough water in the
hospital for the patients, for all the things we have to do.
We need antibiotics. We need anesthetic. We need even the sheets -- paper sheets for the beds of the patients. We also need all those things. Of
course, a solution -- intravenous solution.
We are lacking all this before the earthquake, before the pandemia, before the blockade of the United States. So this emergency or this catastrophe
placed us with all this lacking, all this -- with the collapsed healthcare system in Venezuela. It is very, very hard for us, all the medical and
nurses to face these patients that needs all these things, and we don't have more than our willingness to help them in this situation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[16:05:16]
NEWTON: Now, U.S. President Donald Trump is calling Thursday's strike by Iran that damaged a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz a foolish violation
of the agreement to end the war. Now, he spoke a short time ago at a Freedom and Faith Conference in Washington. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We had to take that detour to knock out Iran. If we didn't do that, they were still, you
know, they will still have a fight. They have some capability, not much, they're not winning or anything, but they have some capability. They can
still shoot.
You know, they shot a drone yesterday at a big ship going into the Hormuz Strait.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now, the President is not saying if the U.S. might respond to the Iran attack in the Strait, but also not indicating that the agreement is
dead.
This as Israel now, says it will withdraw from two areas in Southern Lebanon following several days of talks in Washington.
Our Kevin Liptak is here for us at The White House.
Kevin, so again, a bit contradictory there, but given what they were able to sign between Lebanon and Israel, it is a significant step towards
getting us to what is an enduring ceasefire and possibly a deal.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, and I think the hope among the Americans is that by having this framework in place in Lebanon,
that that will allow them to move on to these more difficult negotiations with Iran over the nuclear program.
Remember, Iran -- or remember, Lebanon was in the first paragraph of that Memorandum of Understanding that the violence would end in that country as
part of that framework, to allow them to get to these more technical negotiations.
So, too, was reopening the Strait of Hormuz and bringing the commercial traffic going through the waterway to pre-war levels. But both of those
issues, both Lebanon and the Strait, I think, clearly required some working out as they try and get this Memorandum of Understanding into place.
Now, the Lebanon agreement puts into place these, "pilot zones" that Israeli Forces will withdraw from, Lebanese Armed Forces will move in to
ensure that Hezbollah does not gain a foothold there. The one, I think, issue with this framework is that Hezbollah is not a signatory to it. They
did not agree to any particular ceasefire, and it remains to be seen whether they will actually stop firing into Israel.
And so that very fragile and even Marco Rubio acknowledged that there will be some difficult work ahead.
Now, when it comes to the Strait and what the President was talking about earlier today, which was Iran firing these drones towards a vessel that was
transiting the southern route there. And that appearance, he didn't specify whether the U.S. was going to respond.
He was actually just in the Oval Office in the last few minutes and was asked this question again and his answer was somewhat evasive. Listen to
what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I don't like the fact that they took a shot yesterday, actually four. We knocked down three at a ship, not an allied ship, but a ship, a
very expensive ship. And, it was fine, but it took a little beating. They shouldn't be doing that.
So you'll find out.
REPORTER: Will the U.S. --
TRUMP: I mean, you'll find out.
REPORTER: Will the U.S. Respond? What is your message to Iran?
TRUMP: For the response, you're going to find out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIPTAK: So he keeps saying "you're going to find out" without specifying whether the U.S. will retaliate here. I think it all just gives you the
sense, Paula, that this Memorandum of Understanding remains incredibly fragile more than a week after it was signed. President Trump has not given
any indication that he wants to go back to war with Iran. In fact, he said when we were in Europe that he wanted the war to end because he feared an
economic catastrophe, which gives you, I think, an indication that he is not looking to restart this war again.
But at the same time, it is evident that Iran may not be living up to its commitment in this Memorandum, at least in the President's view, in trying
to get the Strait reopened.
It all points to some complications just in getting that deal implemented, let alone trying to work out some of these very technical details on the
nuclear issue.
NEWTON: Yes, we will see if it is an Iranian flex that The White House that President Trump can put up with. We will see. Kevin Liptak, grateful to
you. Thanks so much.
Now in Crimea, officials installed by Russia have declared a State of Emergency after weeks of Ukrainian drone strikes and are banning civilians
and businesses from even buying fuel. Ukraine has ramped up its attacks to pressure the Kremlin to engage in peace talks.
The daily drone strikes have triggered widespread power outages, fuel shortages and days long blackouts in Crimea. The peninsula, you'll
remember, is a crucial hub for Russian weapons and supplies for the ongoing war.
Nick Paton Walsh has more on this.
[16:10:01]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Smoke- filled skies, blackouts in cities and vacations cancelled, blown-up bridges and schools and buses closed.
The place where Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, and where some Muscovites still obliviously look for some beach time is being hit hard by
an insurgent Ukraine.
The Crimean Peninsula occupied by Russia since 2014, has been more and more isolated over the past weeks. Ukraine's longer range drones hitting the
road, trains and bridges to it again and again.
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE speaking in foreign language.)
WALSH: Now fuel trucks get anti-aircraft escorts, queues for fuel replaced by a local decree of fuel for state services only. One key fuel deposit hit
hard, this satellite image shows, as did video from all around it.
And Tuesday night, the cities of Sevastopol, Simferopol and Yalta without power, Ukraine hitting electricity infrastructure, hard.
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE speaking in foreign language.)
WALSH: A drop in pool hygiene is all a bit precious if you consider the nightly bombardment Ukrainians endure. But Crimea was the jewel of the
occupation, the first prize given up without a fight in 2014.
Now Kyiv's increased drone range and confidence means it truly sees weakness here, in a place where Russians have always liked to vacation, but
can't really anymore.
(UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE speaking in foreign language.)
WALSH: Another case of the Kremlin's special military operation, now lasting longer than World War One, blasting its way into upsetting ordinary
Russian daily life.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Joining me now is Ian Bremmer. He is president and founder of the Eurasia Group and GZERO Media.
Thanks so much for being with us, a lot to get through here. Let's start there with Russia, Ukraine, Crimea. You know, Ian, conventional wisdom
tells us that this will make little difference to Vladimir Putin. It may, in fact, stiffen his resolve, even though Ukraine is pressing ahead. I
wonder where you think this will end up, especially at the end of the summer offensive.
IAN BREMMER, PRESIDENT, EURASIA GROUP AN GZERO MEDIA: Yes, I am worried about it because there are so many Russians now in Moscow and Petersburg
that are talking amongst themselves about the fact that these drones are hitting their cities, that they are starting to feel unsafe.
It is affecting their fuel with shortages and it is starting to affect their economy in ways that the sanctions for the last four years really
have not, at least not for the elites in the major urban centers in Russia. And yet, if you read the state media, you'd have no idea that anything was
going wrong and so, this to me, four years on, this is by far the biggest strategic mistake that any major leader has made on the global stage since
the Berlin Wall came down.
I mean, the U.S.-Iraq War, the Iran War we've just seen those things are tiny compared to what Russia has done to his country and his people through
this misbegotten invasion of Ukraine. And I fear that Putin is getting himself into a very dangerous situation. He is increasingly isolated from
his own public. He spends much less time with his own advisors. He is looking more frail when you see him in the videos over the last few weeks,
the last few months, and even his recent meeting in Beijing with Xi Jinping, the efforts made by the Chinese to talk about a ceasefire really
went nowhere.
And so, it is not just that Trump was unsuccessful in Anchorage, it is that no one is able to talk Putin off a ledge. And I don't know where that ends
up.
NEWTON: It is a bit shocking, the fact that China, as we know in the last few weeks, has been trying to intervene here to try and get to some kind of
peace deal, and as you said, it is falling on deaf ears of Vladimir Putin.
One more thing on this topic, Ian, we do have that NATO Summit coming up in Ankara. Europe wanted to clear the decks those European allies and Canada.
Let's get this MOU done on Iran so that we can concentrate on Ukraine.
Any more pressure that you feel Europe can put on Vladimir Putin to get to the negotiating table?
BREMMER: The sanctions aren't going to have any more meaningful impact. Biden wasn't able to do much there and neither have the Europeans. So it is
good to have the Americans more engaged with Europe on this front, because Ukraine is seen as having a lot more cards than when President Trump kicked
him out of The White House a year ago, April.
I think the NATO Summit is going to be reasonably successful and I think the Secretary General, Mark Rutte, has done an admirable job of kissing
President Trump's butt so that the European leaders don't have to.
I mean, truly right? I mean, he doesn't have -- when he --
NEWTON: I mean, you're telling it like it is. I get it! I get it!
[16:15:10 ]
BREMMER: He had his own population. He never would have been able to say these things. Now, he can go and he can say how wonderful Trump is and what
a genius, all of these things that would make the European leaders sick to their stomachs. But Rutte is doing it so they don't have to and NATO is
going to outlive Trump. It is certainly going to outlast him in office and the Europeans know that and need that.
So, I mean, I give Rutte a lot of credit for his willing to take a few repeatedly for the team.
NEWTON: Yes, and he definitely has taken a few since Donald Trump came back into office.
Let's go to Iran now. Can you please take the measure of the week for us from what we've seen, right? I mean, we are into this negotiation now. The
60-day period. We saw, as I call it, the Iranian flex on the Strait, saying, no one moves here unless we say you move.
What do you believe? Do you think there is more or less likely a chance that a substantive deal in about five weeks from now, let's say, can be
achieved?
BREMMER: Well, it is not less in the sense that I thought it was close to zero a week ago. So let's say I am holding constant on that one. But the
most important thing that's happened in the last week is we are getting a lot more oil and petrochemicals and helium and LNG through the Strait and
assuming that continues, within another month or two, we are going to have shipping back to where it was before the war.
You're already starting to see that with gas prices in the U.S., and you'll see that pick up significantly, much to Trump's relief over the coming
weeks.
That does not mean that there is any necessity for the Iranians to cut a deal with the U.S. on the nuclear front. Why not? Because they don't have
to. Right?
I mean, if they understand that Trump doesn't want to go back to war because as you just heard, Trump was saying, it would lead to an economic
catastrophe that doesn't magically change in another month-and-a-half.
Furthermore, the Iranians are going to be negotiating not just with the U.S., but separately, they are negotiating with the Gulf states, with the
Europeans, with the Chinese, with the Russians, all of whom have an interest in getting the Strait back up to normal.
So, I mean, they don't need to come to a final deal with Trump or with J.D. or with Jared or with Steve Witkoff in order to achieve much of what they
wish to achieve going forward, they also don't trust the Americans, since it was the Americans and the Israelis that assassinated their leadership in
the middle of negotiations last time around.
NEWTON: Yes! Yes, I hear you. This may be as good as it gets for now.
Ian Bremmer, have a lovely weekend and we always appreciate you having here on the program really.
BREMMER: You too!
NEWTON: Thanks.
Up next for us, come Monday, these Dow components will look a little different. Google's parent company is replacing Verizon. What it means for
the markets as a whole and you as well.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:20:46]
NEWTON: Now, today marks the last day of trading for Verizon on the Dow 30. Taking its place, Google's parent company. Now Alphabet, shed more than two
percent, its Class A shares debut on the blue chip index on Monday, joining its Magnificent Seven peers Microsoft, Apple, Amazon and NVIDIA.
Now, S&P Global says Alphabet will boost the Dow's exposure to artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure, but having all these tech stocks on
the Dow is raising some questions among investors.
CNN contributor and economic analyst, Kyla Scanlon joins us now.
Good to meet you. We are meeting on T.V. I have not met you yet. We hope to continue many conversations in the future.
So we start with this one. Stock valuations, all of this volatility. You know they're leaving even market veterans queasy. I am wondering how you
feel about it, because sometimes it does seem as if tech is swallowing the markets whole.
KYLA SCANLON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR AND ECONOMIC ANALYST: Yes, it definitely feels that way especially now that they are taking over this more blue chip
index. It feels like you just can't escape A.I. no matter how diversified you want to be with using these indexes. So I think that's the big concern
is that it just feels like there is nowhere to hide from the frothiness of these A.I. companies, and a lot of investors are worried about the A.I.
companies now: Are they going to be able to make money off of all of the money that they've already spent? It feels like it is an all hat in, not a
lot of cattle situation. Big, big game, but not a lot to show for it right now.
NEWTON: And yet so many of these companies now will be in people's index funds, even if they don't buy them individually, they are invested, right?
Especially when it comes to your retirement plans or ETFs.
I mean, do you see this consolidation as more of a risk going forward? Because it is not as it was intended, let's say even a decade ago?
SCANLON: Yes, I mean, that's been a concern that a lot of people have raised for a while is, you know, can this concentration continue? And what
is good about the A.I. companies now is they are making a little bit of money, like Microsoft, Meta, et cetera. They are profitable. It is not the
same way that it was with the dot-com bubble, where they were more vaporware companies.
So I think that's good that the concentration does have some profitability to it, but you do not want to bet your whole economy, your whole stock
market on A.I., especially because of the risks of higher rates, the higher energy costs, the uncertainty with geopolitics.
It just -- it is ending up to affect the A.I. companies quite negatively, and so now, everybody is exposed to that and that is the concern is again.
There is nowhere to hide.
NEWTON: Nowhere to hide and we continue to discuss A.I., of course, even as it relates to peoples own job prospects. But there was something else, and
you pointed out some of this on your feeds. The A.I. productivity wage gap is top of mind and that's because they can see it on their pay stubs.
In the United States, for instance, the average hourly real wage for private sector workers is now no higher than it was, wait for it-- since
January 2025. Is this a red flag? What does it tell you? Because we continue to be told that at some point in time, in the very near future,
A.I., we will get that productivity jump and it should make everyone better off.
SCANLON: Yes, I mean, that's been the other thing about A.I. is a lot of money has been spent politically to sort of define what it means
politically. And so that will determine if the productivity gains do show up in people's wages, is how we handle this at a policy level and that is a
big question mark and it is creating a lot of issues and a lot of messes across the board, because the United States can't agree cohesively on the
path forward.
So we are not seeing the gains for people quite yet. We are not quite clear on what the A.I. gains are. You know, is it actually going to impact the
labor market in a substantial way? We don't know.
And how should people be able to participate in the upside equity stakes, A.I. dividends? We just don't have a lot of answers. And so people are, you
know, paying for the costs of this in higher electricity prices. But yes, as you said, not necessarily reaping the gains in their own portfolio
outside of the stock market.
NEWTON: Yes, exactly. In terms of -- and you even have to do the right stock picking at this point in time. Some people got in late in the game
are wondering, for instance, why NVIDIA hasn't done so well.
We will see you again. Thanks so much, as we continue to parse these markets.
[16:25:10]
Now cracks are starting to show for Europe's largest automaker as Volkswagen faces pressure from President Trump's tariffs, Chinese
competition and dwindling demand.
Anna Cooban reports on how the company is dealing with the headwinds.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS REPORTER: Volkswagen is one of the world's largest automakers, and it is reportedly planning massive job cuts
over the next few years, 100,000 to be exact. That's according to a report on Friday by "Manager" magazine, a German business publication.
A cut of that size would represent a full 15 percent of Volkswagen's global workforce. The magazine also reported that Volkswagen is planning to close
four factories on its home turf in Germany, and also spin out its main Volkswagen vehicle brand, make it a separate entity away from other vehicle
brands like Skoda, Audi and Porsche.
Now, a spokesperson for Volkswagen declined to comment on, "internal confidential documents" and said it will not preempt this process.
This is a big deal. Volkswagen is a juggernaut. It employs 660,000 people thereabouts around the world, and it has already announced 50,000 job cuts
in Germany before 2030.
And any future potential job cuts down the line would need or would likely meet resistance from labor unions. Volkswagen's general works counsel and
industrial union IG Metall said in a joint statement on Friday that, "... if such plans are pushed forward, we would prevent them with all of our
might."
Volkswagen is like many other European car brands, it is facing numerous challenges, including President Donald Trump's tariffs on their exports to
the United States and rising competition from Chinese electric vehicle makers, including, for example, BYD.
The Volkswagen spokesperson said in that statement that the company needed sharper focus, as well as stricter discipline over costs and investment,
and that the company needed, quite frankly, to face a new reality, that its old business model of building cars in Europe and sending them abroad that
just will no longer work for some of its brands.
Anna Cooban, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: So a group of major actors and artists says it should be simple for A.I. to license their content. So actress, Cate Blanchett; songwriter,
Nikki Hexum and a few others founded RSL Media. Now, this week they launched a Human Consent Registry, you see it there, where artists choose
how A.I. can use their work.
Nikki Hexum told me how it works.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIKKI HEXUM, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, RSL MEDIA: A traffic light seemed like the easiest analogy. Theres a lot of fear and misinformation about A.I., so we
tried to use things that everybody knows globally.
So as of today or yesterday, the Registry allows anyone to go to rslmedia.org and create a declaration which says, you know, greenlight,
yes; use -- you can use my identity for A.I. training or to generate. Yes, if you meet these terms, that could be payment, it could be credit or no.
And that was our traffic light system to just be able to create some kind of infrastructure and guardrails for what is happening right now in the
world of A.I.
NEWTON: And to be clear, some of the first guardrails that we've seen, and we see that you have backing from the European Parliament there, I guess
what many people are wondering, though, as well, is why is this so necessary as A.I. marches on, hoovering up absolutely every crumb of data?
And I think people can understand it if you're, you know, famous actress, a composer, a musician, but for people like me, what is in this? Why do I
need this?
HEXUM: Well, right now, you just described it, A.I. is hoovering up everything online. So if you have ever posted a video of your child to have
your grandparents see them in their school play or you know, have an Instagram account, any person who has a digital presence online is being
vacuumed into A.I. learning models and used to train and generate. So it isn't -- I mean, Hollywood is on the front line of this. Their income is
being directly affected, but this is an everybody issue.
Your voice is unique to you, I am sure. I don't know, maybe you would, but if it was selling a product that you would never actually endorse offline,
it feels very violating and I think as just a basic -- a basic starting point, people should be able to decide if A.I. uses their identity to
generate or train A.I. systems. That should be a choice that is up to an individual.
NEWTON: Yes, and I think so far, so smart, right?
[16:30:00]
It seems like a great idea, but I do have questions about enforcement. I mean, of course it will be challenging, and is it legally enforceable in
any way?
HEXUM: Well, it doesn't create any new rights or laws in itself, but like copyright is a good example of this. Copyright existed before copyright
law. There has to be a first step. Legislators take time and infrastructure is needed in order to even write laws on top of it. Right now, we have a
huge problem, which is A.I. and humans do not speak the same language. Everybody is saying no or yes in different ways, but we are talking to
something that speaks in ones and zeros.
And so, creating an infrastructure that allowed a human to say no in a way that a bot could clearly understand was a missing infrastructure layer to
the Internet.
So, that's it. That's our mission. It's step one is create that infrastructure where humans can actually talk to a bot in ones and zeros,
and have that shared language, that's what a standard is.
NEWTON: I really appreciate the way you put that, and I never thought of it that way. The bottom line is, though, do you think the A.I. companies
themselves will abide by this?
HEXUM: I mean, I hope so. I don't see why not. I don't think that consent and A.I. companies are incompatible. I mean, there is -- there is so many
expenses in -- I mean, there is a one, five -- $1.5 billion lawsuit that just happened, just for books. That, that gap is huge for serious
companies, right? That exposure.
And I don't think -- I don't think just because A.I., and this is where a lot of fear comes, I don't think every A.I. company is against this. I
think, right now, there is just no easy way to hear that. Right? There is no infrastructure that allows people to say no, so it just ends up being
this kind of big mess. So, I hope so. I don't think that these two things are incompatible.
NEWTON: See if it catches on.
Now, a race for the top is on right now in the World Cup, with France and Norway going head-to-head in search of knockout positioning. The latest
ahead on QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:35:21]
NEWTON: A16 in the World Cup, and the group stage competition is starting to wrap up right now. Norway and France are resting some of their top
players as they face off in Boston. Of course, Team USA has already advanced to the knockout round.
Andy Scholes had a front-race roll seat to all of this. You are in Los Angeles.
Look, as far as I am concerned, the group stage exceeded all expectation.
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: It's at -- this is been a fabulous World Cup all around so far, Paula. And right now, we are at the L.A. Fans --
FIFA fan zone. This place is packed right behind me. All the fans are watching the Senegal-Iraq game on a big screen.
There is another huge space where the fans are watching that France-Norway game. We heard huge roars coming from over there, you know, all afternoon
as Ousmane Dembele has a hat trick in that game. France up 3-1 on Norway. They look like they are well on their way to winning their group.
Now, last night we already knew that the United States had won their group as they went into their final group stage game against Turkey. It was quite
the luxury, Coach Mauricio Pochettino, resting the majority of the team. He made nine changes from the Australia game to the game against Turkey last
night.
And fortunately, for the U.S., the game ended kind of in devastating fashion. Turkey scoring in the 98th minute, kind of just silenced the
entire stadium. All the fans were pretty shocked at what they saw. Big question now is, is that going to stop the incredible momentum that Team
USA had going?
Well, the players that we heard from last night said that is not going to be the case. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEBASTIAN BERHALTER, UNITED STATES MIDFIELDER (through translator): I think you saw the second half, how we came out, and you know, I think they
deserve more. I like eating us in one moment, you know, we slipped in the last second league, and you know, I think we are -- we are proud of polls,
put in, you know, I think the guys, you know, did well, and you know, we fought, and you know, unfortunately, not to get a result, but we'll be
ready for sure.
BRENDEN AARONSON, UNITED STATES FORWARD (through translator): You can always take these things as fuel, you know, having that moment, you know,
on the last one, where they score, it's tough, you know. We wanted to walk away with, you know, no loss in the group stage, but you know, we got to
take it as it was still a fantastic group stage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Now, the mood leaving the stadium last night after the loss is a little bit dampened. But all of the fans I've been talking to for the U.S.,
very optimistic about their chances of actually winning this World Cup. What do fans from other countries think about that? Well, I asked them at
this fan zone. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: You give the U.S. any chance of winning?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no. Sorry, guys.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's great, but France is going to win.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, they don't have like that good of a rap sheet, but they are playing really good. You can't deny that they do have a
chance.
SCHOLES: What do you say to that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, sorry, this time is Brazil.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The U.S. Team?
SCHOLES: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think, they are pretty good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is -- there is literally no chance.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I look forward to seeing what they can do. But I don't know.
SCHOLES: Do you think the fans are right to think that they can win it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe, maybe.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Maybe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they have the potential to go, if not all the way, very close. Very close. They are looking very nice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If this is not the sport for the -- for the any U.S. team --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: So, Paula, if it was funny, I mean, some fans were like, yes, they are playing pretty good, maybe. But then, some plans just dismissed it
right away.
We will see. The U.S., they know that they are going to be playing on Wednesday in Santa Clara, California, against Bosnia and Herzegovina in
their round of 32 matchups. They are going to be favored in that game, and then, if they win that, well, Paula, they get to go to Seattle and play in
the stadium that they are seven and Owen.
So, the path is quite nice to the quarterfinals to Team USA. Can they regain the momentum though after that tough loss last night?
NEWTON: I get it. But when it's only one match, I'm not going to say anything else. We are all going to be tense, no matter what.
Thanks so much.
(CROSSTALK)
SCHOLES: Yes, for sure.
NEWTON: Good to see you.
Now, for many travelers, passport stamps from around the globe are badges of honor, cherished part of the journey. Right? But those stamps becoming
harder and harder to get, as more countries shift to electronic systems, and it's breaking some travelers' hearts.
Our Charline Mansour reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHARLINE BOU MANSOUR, CNN SENIOR DIGITAL CONTENT CREATOR (voice over): Is this the end of passport stamps?
BOU MANSOUR: The 100-year-old ink stamp tradition is being phased out in some countries and replaced by digital e-gates.
BOU MANSOUR (voice over): This could quietly end a much-loved travel ritual for some, collecting passport stamps, and now, it's playing out on social
media.
CAITLIN, TRAVEL VLOGGER: 2026 is the year that we're having unique experiences again. These are three things you can do to have a unique
experience.
BOU MANSOUR (voice over): Caitlin is a travel vlogger who likes the physical aspect of travel memorabilia.
CAITLIN: It is kind of sad. I feel like my generation, we kind of still want to hold on to like those kind of more traditional ways of like travel.
[16:40:02]
Even like to like be talking about it with my friends about like how much we love passport sounds, like, I think ,it shows that, we really wouldn't
want that kind of thing to go, because it is just a really fun memory.
BOU MANSOUR: How do you think e-gates have changed the feeling of crossing borders?
CAITLIN: It's just like a lot of technology that maybe just doesn't really feel needed, and I don't necessarily think it actually takes any less time,
and like physically speaking to someone.
BOU MANSOUR (voice over): In April, the European Union finished rolling out its entry exit system across 29 European countries in the Schengen Area.
The change is part of a broader global trend. Countries like Australia, Japan, and Canada already use biometric data at border crossings, while the
United States has announced plans to expand similar systems.
While travel documents and stamps of some kind have existed for centuries, it wasn't until the early 20th century that modern passports began to take
shape. Ink and rubber passport stamps were only universally standardized after the 1920 Paris conference and customs formalities on passports.
Before this, early international travel documents were primarily signed and stamped with wax seals by governing authorities and monarchs.
Tom Topol is a passport historian, who collects old travel documents.
TOM TOPOL, PASSPORT HISTORIAN AND AUTHOR: Before 1914, you could actually travel without a passport; a passport was optional. For Europe, it's
definitely the end of passport stems. What Europe just did is the end of an accident 100 years ago. Initially, the outbreak of World War I, all the
countries involved wanted to avoid enemies and spies entering the country, so, the passport was introduced.
This is vanishing with the EES system. Then, the question is, do we really need passports with 36 and more pages. Because if you don't get stamps
anymore, then, is really the question, how will the physical passport look like in the future.
BOU MANSOUR: Yes, the e-gates and biometric checks will drastically reduce wait times compared to manual stamping, but this will change the way some
people collect memorabilia forever.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everything you should know before buying a Louis Vuitton passport holder. Every single city across the world has their own
city stamp.
BOU MANSOUR (voice over): Some travelers have started collecting commemorative stamps and unofficial passports, including luxury versions
like those made by Louis Vuitton.
JAMM, TRAVEL CREATOR: Are you traveling to London or Singapore soon?
BOU MANSOUR (voice over): Jamm is a travel creator, who doesn't want to see passport stamps go away forever.
Passport time is very emotional to me. It's like your memories. It's like, you know, a physical stamp, and you can flip through your passport and
remember the travel and the memories that you accomplished in your life.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: All right. Now, to a shocking incident in Beijing. A small plane has crashed in the city's tallest building.
Social media video from the scene shows debris falling from the skyscraper. One of our journalists saw people evacuating the building. CNN has reached
out to local officials, and the plane's owner.
Mike Valerio, is in Beijing with more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE VALERIO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So, we just moved about two blocks away from the tallest building in Beijing. And if you look above the
yellow lettering, you can see a gash in the side of the building, that is where we believe, and video seems to show a small aircraft has hit the side
of this building.
Again, this is the tallest building in Beijing, the Zhongguo Zun, the CITIC Tower, one of the tallest buildings by roof height in the world.
Police have asked us to move a little farther back from the scene, but there is calm here. So, right now, we are trying to assess how exactly this
happened, how exactly an aircraft diverted from its flight path.
But right now, the main streets in the central business district area surrounding the Zhongguo Zun are off limits. Police are asking people who
have taken out their cell phones not to take pictures, but there are plenty of images on social media of people who were hurt down below, and we are
trying to assess how exactly this could happen in the financial center of Beijing.
Mike Valerio, CNN, Beijing,
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: One of Donald Trump's biggest critics, his former national security adviser, John Bolton, could soon face jail time. Bolton pleaded guilty
earlier in federal court to one charge of retaining sensitive national security information, and that is a felony.
But the charge in the plea deal was only one of many that the Justice Department had investigated. He will be sentenced in October. CNN's --
just, we are going to bring you some breaking news now. And we go to CNN in Washington, D.C., for our breaking news.
[16:45:06]
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: -- Iranian media, where strikes -- the sound of strikes in southern Iran.
Now, you have this statement from U.S. Central Command that says that this is a direct response to the attack on that ship yesterday.
Now, here is part of it. It says that U.S. aircraft struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations and coastal radar sites, then, it says in
response to what happened yesterday about that, it says the unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated
the cease fire. Furthermore, Iran's dangerous behavior undermined freedom of navigation as commerce increasingly flows through the vital
international trade corridor.
I just want to remind you of what happened at the beginning of your show, when President Trump was in the Oval Office, and he was asked specifically
if the United States was going to respond.
Take a listen to this exchange.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Like the fact that they took a shot yesterday, actually four, we knocked down three at a ship.
Not an allied ship, but a ship, a very expensive ship, and it was fine, but it took a little beating. They shouldn't be doing that.
So, you'll find out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Will the U.S. --
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: I mean, you will find out. Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Will the U.S. respond? What is your message to Iran after this?
TRUMP: Will I respond? You're going to find out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
So, you're going to find out. Well, obviously, this had already been planned. It happened just moments after the first reports of those sound of
strikes.
And I do want to note, we have seen some back and forth between Iran and the U.S. since the cease fire took place, with U.S. saying the ceasefire
was still intact, despite the trading of strikes. It appears -- and I'm using the word appears here because it is not 100 percent clear that the
United States is still indicating that this was just a response and that this is not the end of the ceasefire.
And the reason I am saying that is because of this is part of the statement from the U.S. Central Command. It says, forces -- CENTCOM forces continue
to provide safe passage, coordination, and support to commercial vessels transiting the strait, the U.S. military remains present and vigilant to
ensure all aspects of the agreement with Iran are adhered to, obeyed, and in full force effect.
So, essentially, saying, the military is still there, and they're doing their job to make sure that the deal stays in full effect, not saying that
this is an end to the ceasefire, but of course, we are reaching out to sources to see what exactly this means and what it means for those
negotiations, which we know have just been so tenuous and so fragile.
KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Kristen Holmes for us. Kristen, thank you for that breaking news. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:52:03]
HUNT: It's just in. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, says that he and his family were victims of a swatting-like attack, but this one
involves a false allegation that he had committed violent crimes and that his children were at risk.
Buttigieg saying he was forced to be separated from his children overnight, while the anonymous tip was investigated.
In a statement, Michigan State Police say that Child Protective Services determined the allegation was false.
Buttigieg describing the incident as the ugliest thing to happen to him in his public career, and saying, "So, help me God, if there is any way to
press civil or criminal charges over this. We will."
I'm joined now by CNN senior national security analyst Juliette Kayyem.
Juliette, thank you very much for being here. This lengthy Substack post from Pete Buttigieg's headlined: "A terrible thing happened to my family,"
and he wrote in this after, of course, CPS comes to his house, tells him he needs to spend the night away from his children. His children have to be
interviewed by the government, essentially, to see what's gone on. The grandparents have to take the kids to the interview while they're separated
overnight.
He writes this: "I'm a reasonable man, I try to keep as calm and low-key as possible, but I cannot describe the mix of rage and sadness that I feel at
the idea that someone brought our children into this." They are 4 years old. 4, and they do not know or care what a Democrat or Republican is.
(CROSSTALK)
JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Yes.
HUNT: Now, he also goes on to point out that a false accusation of this kind is a crime. Still, this is a new -- this is something new that we are
seeing in our politics.
KAYYEM: Yes, yes. Most swatting is, is that the person is in trouble, and therefore, the police come rushing to it. The perversity of this, we don't
have to read in between the lines. Someone called in to family services and said he is doing something, or something is happening with his children
that makes him not able to be with his own children.
I don't care what his family is like -- I don't -- again, this is the most horrific thing that you can imagine would happen. It's perversity, it is
violence, it's every -- and it is sort of, you know, bringing the children into it is something we -- is a level we have not seen before.
At most, you know, you sometimes you get politicians criticizing their children, and often, it's their adult children, but you don't see this kind
of action against someone who is clearly running for president.
So, a couple things: one is I cannot blame social services, they don't know what the call is about --
(CROSSTALK)
HUNT: And he doesn't either. And Juliette, I'll just say we only have 30 seconds.
KAYYEM: Yes, exactly.
[16:55:00]
HUNT: But yes. He is very clear.
(CROSSTALK)
KAYYEM: Yes.
HUNT: That they were doing their jobs and that this was a diversion of their resources.
KAYYEM: Exactly. And then, others are not harming. Look, this is -- this is the impact of the personalization and the violence that is emanating from
at the top, from the White House, but throughout politics.
And it -- you know, I keep thinking there is going to be a line, and there is no line. This -- we just crossed another line.
HUNT: It's a stunning escalation of the ugliness.
Juliette Kayyem, thanks very much for hopping in front of a camera for us. I really appreciate it.
All right. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
