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Quest Means Business

Trump Reinstates Blockade Of Iranian Ports And Plans To Charge Shippers For Passage; Lindsey Graham's Sister Appointed To Replace Him In The Senate States File Lawsuit To Block Paramount From Buying WBD; United Kingdom Counterterrorism Police Take Over Former M.P.'s Murder Case; Father Of American Killed By Settlers Visits Site Of Attack; Discovering Quirky Sites Along Iconic United States Roadway. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired July 13, 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: So the market is down, but all things considered, really not a bad day on the markets considering the energy

shock once again that may be facing these markets.

Those are the markets and these are the main events. President Trump says the U.S. will blockade Iran and charge shippers to secure the Strait of

Hormuz.

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham's death shocked Washington. His successor will be named this hour. We will bring that to you, and we will join Richard

Quest on his Great American Road Trip along Route 66. Funny, he didn't invite me.

Live from New York. It is Monday, July 13th. I am Paula Newton, in for Richard Quest and this is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.

And good evening.

Tonight, U.S. President Donald Trump says the U.S. is taking control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Now, in a post on Truth Social, he said he was reimposing the U.S. blockade on Iranian ships, as well as vessels doing business with Iran.

The President says other ships will be free to transit the Strait, but will have to pay the United States in exchange for keeping the area safe.

President Trump's announcement comes after a weekend of very intense U.S. strikes on Iran and Iran's retaliation on U.S. allies in the region.

Our Kevin Liptak is following all of this from The White House, Kevin, you know, a bold statement considering it was the Trump administration that has

been trying to free up this strait for weeks and said the tolls were unacceptable. Did they give you any more details about how that would work?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: You know, the details of how exactly they plan to implement it are not clear at all. And you're right to

point out that it is completely opposite from how the administration had been describing how they wanted to see the Strait operate over the last

month or so.

You know, Marco Rubio said just in June that no country was allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway and so this is a complete

about face and I think it just gives you an indication of how much the President is struggling to come up with a way to break the impasse here.

He is at something of a strategic crossroads. You know, the gamble he made with that Memorandum of Understanding is that Iran, if offered these

incentives, like lifting sanctions, would reopen the Strait and that is just not what happened and when we talk to American officials on Friday,

even then, they said their expectation was that over the weekend, Iran would make a public announcement that the Strait was open and that they

would stop firing on these commercial vessels, and in fact, the exact opposite happened.

And now you see, the President saying that this blockade, which had been in place earlier in the conflict, would go back into place.

Now, what CENTCOM said, Central Command said, is that this would begin taking effect tomorrow, July 14th, at 4:00 P.M. Eastern Time.

It will be an extraordinary undertaking, just as it was earlier in this conflict. The American military, now tasked with intercepting these

vessels, either through aircraft or through naval destroyers that are in this wide swath of the Arabian Sea, trying to get to the Iranian ports and

it does seem as if this is now committing the American military to a prolonged engagement in trying to enforce this, which, at the end of the

day, is exactly what President Trump said would not happen as a result of this war.

And so I think he is at something of a dead end in terms of how to get this all resolved and it is not clear what the options in front of him are at

this point to try and get the Strait completely open.

NEWTON: Yes, and this does involve a measure of escalation that certainly American consumers were not betting on.

Kevin Liptak for us at The White House, thanks so much.

Now, oil prices, as we were just saying, soared on the renewed fighting. Brent crude jumped nearly nine percent. It is now trading at more than

$82.00 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate, WTI is trading about $77.00 a barrel.

Now, shipping data shows that traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has fallen to a nearly two-month low. People in the industry say more ships are turning

off their public tracking systems, making an exact count difficult.

Mohit Kumar is the Chief European Economist at Jefferies, and he joins us now. Good to see you and thanks for weighing in here as we've been really

tracking some late breaking news on the markets.

I do want first talk about what you say is giving due respect in your words to market volatility. I mean, if I look at the geopolitical risk, I am not

sure the market is actually pricing this in despite the jump in energy prices we saw today.

[16:05:10 ]

MOHIT KUMAR, CHIEF EUROPEAN ECONOMIST, JEFFERIES: So, the energy prices are definitely impacting on two fronts. One, rates are higher and we have seen

front end rates creeping up. Market is pricing in a bit more chances of a Fed hike. So, that part is definitely going to start impacting the equity

markets as well.

And second, if you look at equity market performance on aggregate, it seems that the market is not moving much. But if you look at pockets within the

equity market, there is a lot of movement within the pockets. So for example the chip sector is definitely under pressure. Some of the growth-

related names are getting under pressure because of oil prices going up.

So, we are seeing a lot of movement within the sectors, even though on an aggregate level, S&P is not moving much.

NEWTON: You know, market moves are at this point very much tied up with the A.I. trade. Do you expect there will be some kind of a healthy reckoning on

this? Because when we look at the long term here in 2027, I am just wondering how the theories on A.I. stand up, given the fact that they say

there will be winners and losers. And yet, on the other hand, especially if you look at the S&P, people are saying that, look, corporate revenues will

stand up here and these valuations are warranted.

KUMAR: This is exactly what you said. We are looking at is I think it is a healthy correction. So if we look at some of the A.I. names, they have gone

up hundred percent or more. So if we get a pullback of 20 percent, I see it as a healthy correction.

But to me, the most important part is positioning and expectations. So when A.I. names were doing so well, what we had was market was getting very

crowded and this is something at Jefferies we do quite religiously is to track positioning across investors.

Market was too crowded. Expectations were too high. Some positioning cleanup was warranted. So that's why I call it healthy correction. Earnings

are still strong. CapEx is still ongoing.

For me, eventually it will be a buying opportunity.

NEWTON: Can you just stand by for us for a moment because we are going to switch just to what the critical situation is in Europe right now with both

the heat wave and the fires.

Our Melissa Bell has been tracking what has been an absolutely devastating fire just outside of Paris. The fire scorched the famed Fontainebleau

Forest. You see it there? It is south of the French capital and experts say, climate change is creating hotter, drier conditions, which lead to

more devastating fire seasons.

We hear now from our Melissa Bell at the scene.

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we've come as really as close as we can to, but to give you a little perspective, those

are not clouds that you see behind me, that is the fire coming from that fire, still not fixed, say authorities. So, they still haven't managed to

contain it and what we understand, as authorities have spoken about what has been happening here since last night, we are about 60 kilometers to the

Southeast of Paris. This is most unusual to see wildfires this far north.

What we understand is that this fire started last night. There were two different fires that started on either side of this main motorway, the A-6

that leads south out of Paris, right by Orly Airport. Those two fires have now say authorities become one and it is raging out-of-control, as you say,

800 hectares already burned. It is about a fifth of the forest of Fontainebleau, this very ancient forest here to the southeast of Paris.

And just behind me, near where that fire is currently raging, of course, the famous Chateau of Fontainebleau, the Royal residence here in France,

and one of the most famous Royal residences there are, so still not contained.

And what we are hearing is that this nearly thousand hectare fire now is likely to continue being pushed on by the kind of winds that we've been

seeing, but it is also very dry conditions. We are now in the middle of our third heat wave in just a month-and-a-half. Already across France, it is

32,000 hectares that have burned. That is more than the entire season of wildfires, of heat of 2025 and it gives you an idea of just how dry the

Earth is and just how hot the air is.

NEWTON: Thanks to Melissa Bell there.

We are joined again by chief European economist at Jefferies, Mohit Kumar.

Thanks for coming back with us. You just heard Melissa there.

I mean, how can Europe best adapt to this changing climate? Because research suggests it is likely to be most affected and of course, that will

have far reaching economic implications. And I know there is a big debate about air conditioning right now, but it goes far beyond that, doesn't it?

[16:10:10]

KUMAR: It goes far beyond that. It is very unfortunate and what we are seeing is fires used to be much down south in Europe, where temperatures

can reach 40 degrees, but now, it is happening close to Paris and like you said, there is a third heat wave coming.

I think what we need to realize one, of course, that climate change is real and governments need to focus on it. But secondly, the government policies

need to adapt as well in terms of cooling. It is not just air conditioning, but cooling of the cities and what that means is twofold.

One, the governments need to provide households, more subsidies to cope up with the extreme weather. But secondly, it is extra fiscal pressure on

government finances and that comes at a point where there is just not enough room for a lot of European countries to give that fiscal stimulus.

So for us, from purely -- from an economic point of view, and like I said, it is very unfortunate from a human point of view, but from an economic

point of view, it means extra spending. It means extra fiscal burden, and that means extra borrowing and more pressure on yields in the bond market.

NEWTON: Yes, which isn't going to help the economy at all. I mean, quickly, I am wondering how this really comes -- butts up against the kind of

defense spending that they know they must increase in Europe and are right now.

KUMAR: There is a big push to increase defense spending, as we know that Europe needs to increase defense spending to five percent of GDP by 2035.

Problem is, apart from Germany, no big European country has the room to give that fiscal stimulus.

On top of it, you have oil pressure, which is also fiscally negative. I would argue even A.I. and technology is fiscally negative because we are

replacing people with robots or machines. People pay taxes and robots don't pay taxes, and you have climate change.

So Europe is facing an unprecedented fiscal pressure that comes at a point then when we have aging demographics, so I think European countries really

need to rethink their fiscal stance here.

NEWTON: Yes and you wonder what the solution is going to be there in the coming years, because there isn't anyone that seems to be speaking the kind

of truth that you just laid out there to the actual electorate in so many European countries.

Mohit Kumar, we will leave it there for now, but we will have you back. Appreciate it.

KUMAR: Thank you.

NEWTON: Now, as Washington remembers Senator Lindsey Graham, South Carolina's governor is naming the person who will fill his seat. We will

have news on that ahead on QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.\

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:15:26]

NEWTON: A federal judge says President Donald Trump's lawsuit against the IRS was an attempt to, "manipulate the judicial process." The judge is

also ordering sanctions for the attorneys involved in that suit. The lawsuit led to a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund for allies of the

U.S. President.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said last month that the fund was dead. Senior U.S. Justice correspondent, Evan Perez is in Washington with

more for us to tell us what this actually means.

I mean, of course, anyone who reads the judge's comments will be struck by just how blunt they are. But I am wondering about applying these punitive

measures and how it could affect Todd Blanche and the confirmation that he is about to get.

Evan, can you hear me? Evan, it is Paula, in New York. Can you hear me?

Okay. We will try and come back to Evan as soon as he can hear me. We will get back to it.

In the meantime, though, we do want to go back to the story in South Carolina and South Carolina's governor has named Lindsey Graham's temporary

replacement in the U.S. Senate. This is a live look at Governor Henry McMaster's news conference in Columbia, South Carolina. And now you will

remember that Graham died over the weekend, tragically. His office says , the cause was complications from cardiovascular disease.

Just moments ago, South Carolina's Governor announced that Graham's sister, Darlene Graham Nordone will fill his Senate seat.

And for more on all this, we are joined by Manu Raju, who is on Capitol Hill. I mean, not a surprise. I do want to speak about Lindsey Graham's

legacy with you for a moment, but this was expected, right? And is it in keeping with some kind of a tradition that sometimes a family member is

then appointed?

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it is not actually totally common, Paula. Oftentimes, it is someone who could be who has their

own ambitions running for office. Sometimes I is someone who is close to a governor, sometimes someone who is close to a senator, but in this case,

Darlene Graham Nordone is someone that was probably the most -- the closest person in Lindsey Graham's life.

Remember, their parents died when they were at a young age and then Lindsey Graham, who was older when he took a job working in the military, he

adopted his younger sister so she could get his medical benefits, really raising her throughout her formative years, throughout her teenage years,

and he even often said even to me, that one of his proudest achievements, was how she ultimately turned out.

So he was very close to his sister, who now will fill out his term until January, just a placeholder until a full senator can serve out the next six

years, and that's what the next fight is going to be within the Republican Party, there is a primary building -- a crowded Republican primary, that

will take place in mid-August and then from that, there will be a general election in November against the Democratic nominee there.

But given the conservative tilt of South Carolina, almost certainly we expect a Republican to hold that seat in November, very likely that will be

the case. So that will be the next fight. But at the moment, Darlene Graham Nordone will be the next senator from South Carolina, filling the seat of

her late brother -- Paula.

NEWTON: And Manu, I want to get your perspective on this. You know, the shock of his death clearly hasn't faded. I am wondering what your

impressions are. You've covered him for so many years. You have now gotten a chance to speak to people on the Hill.

I mean, he really was a singular figure, the point that he actually tried to bridge a lot of partisan gaps.

RAJU: Yes, he really played both roles. I mean, he was as partisan as it came, but he was also worked on a bipartisan fashion on many issues as

well. And he really went through multiple phases within his own career.

There was a time when he was a very much in the Bush Republican camp. He also broke with George W. Bush on several issues, but he also was led the

charge in calling for the war in Iraq and then he aligned himself very closely with Senator John McCain, the late senator who was his closest

friend at the Senate at the time. Really, he was a mentor of sorts. Those two worked very closely together, along with Senator Joe Lieberman. They

called themselves The Three Amigos because they often broke with their own party, cut deals on issues like immigration or on climate change, and

oftentimes put Lindsey Graham out of step with his right flank.

He also battled, of course, Donald Trump, rather famously in the 2016 presidential election, sharply criticizing the President. But after the

President won, he decided that the best approach was to be on the President's side, became Trump's closest ally in the Senate GOP, a frequent

golf partner and it was a calculation that Graham had made that the closer he is to Donald Trump, the more effective he could be in trying to deliver

his own legislation and try to convince Trump to move ahead on the bills that he was championing.

[16:20:20]

Now, one of the big questions is going to be in the aftermath of Graham's death, what will happen to some of the bills that he was pushing, like a

major piece of legislation to slap Russia with new sanctions? He had announced just on Friday before his death that The White House was on board

with this new legislative approach that Democrats were backing as well, to slap Russia with new sanctions on its energy exports.

The question is going to be whether or not that will continue to go forward, whether the President will put his legislative push behind it,

because we have not heard Trump come out endorse those efforts so far. Those are going to be the big questions, because one senator can make a big

difference if they are pretty vocal, they're prominent and they play a key role, like Lindsey Graham did on so many different fronts here.

So he leaves a void not just on the legislative front, but on the personal front as well. He had so many relationships across the aisle, and we are

starting to hear a lot of tributes on the Senate floor from Republicans and Democrats alike in the aftermath of his death that has just stunned his

colleagues -- Paula.

NEWTON: Yes, it really was stunning first and foremost for his family, but obviously for everyone there on Capitol Hill and we will wait to see if

that Russia sanctions law really does become one lasting legacy for him.

Manu Raju on the Hill for us. Thanks so much. Appreciate it.

NEWTON: Now, 12 U.S. states are suing the suing to block Paramount's takeover of Warner Bros Discovery, that is the parent company of CNN.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the deal would reduce film and T.V. production, leading to less competition and higher prices.

The U.S. Justice Department has already approved the $110 billion deal. Paramount responded with a lawsuit, "... reflects a fundamentally flawed

application of the antitrust laws and is wrong on both the facts and the law."

Brian Stelter has been following this for months and months. It might seem like a lifetime now, Brian, but we had a lot more news on this today. What

is the core argument that these states are making to really try and convince the court that these are anti-competitive practices?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: This lawsuit could stop or at least slow down the merger, but first, this legal process has to play out and it

is going to come down to the arguments made in this lengthy lawsuit. The core arguments by the states revolve around the entertainment industry and

how films are financed, produced and distributed.

These state attorneys general are saying that the financing, but really the distribution of tentpole movies, big blockbuster movies would be hurt

because there would be fewer competitors in the marketplace. The state attorney general also focused on the distribution of cable television

channels, saying that licensing of those channels would be hurt because of how much power the combined Warner Brothers-Paramount would have.

So ultimately, when this comes to the legal process, it is an argument about competition, about whether this combined company would be anti-

competitive and whether it breaks antitrust laws.

There is, however, at the same time, a P.R. and political argument going on, and we are seeing both happen today simultaneously. There are the legal

arguments that will end up in front of a judge shortly, but then there are the political and P.R. arguments where you have these state attorneys

general saying that the Trump administration is failing to enforce antitrust law, and that's why the states are having to step in.

So you have Democratic states stepping in here, taking this action, arguing that the Trump Justice Department has looked the other way and turned a

blind eye to this case and that really intrigues me from a political point of view, but when it comes to the legal arguments, this is going to be

about just how big the combined company would be.

NEWTON: You know, still so many legal hurdles there. Certainly some of the accusations have been that this is a -- I am quoting here -- a political

stunt on the part of these Democratic A.G.s. and I am wondering, Brian, are the consumers getting lost in all of this? Whether they be here in the

United States? In Europe? I mean, there is an argument to make, right? What are the losses by having a large company like this consolidate if there are

any?

STELTER: Well, there definitely are issues. Whenever you have, let's say, five tv studios, movie studios becoming four or three, and ultimately that

is what is on the table here. Paramount and Warner coming together, one fewer studio, even if they are operated separately the way Paramount

claims, it will still be under one owner and that is why there is a broad spectrum of concern in the entertainment industry about this merger.

But up until now, there have not been regulators willing to step in. We have seen governments across the - all around the world go ahead and

greenlight this deal, because they don't believe they can stand in the way of it and they say there is not going to be consumer harm.

So this is the first time that we've seen lawmakers or regulators step up and say there would be harm and there is a political dimension here. Some

of these state A.G.s, they are up for reelection this year. So the argument that this is political does have some merit.

[16:25:05]

But you've also heard Paramount critics all year long say that the entire deal has political overtones, because these are Trump-aligned figures

trying to buy WBD, including CNN.

So the arguments go back and forth and now, it is interesting to me is that this is going to end up in a court in just the next few days, possibly by

the end of the week or early next week. A judge in California is going to have to weigh these arguments and decide whether to hit the pause button on

this merger.

Paramount is trying hard to avoid that from happening. Paramount is ready. They've had lawyers preparing for this moment for months already, but these

states believe they have an argument that will persuade a judge. So it is going to come down, at least initially, to one judge in California who gets

to press pause or not. And then if he does or she does, this will go to an appeals court and they'll go on from there.

But we've seen already earlier this year in the Nexstar-Tegna merger, two T.V. companies coming together that a judge did pause and it did freeze the

merger. And now that merger is in limbo between Nexstar and Tegna, and it is going to go through the courts for a while.

So it is possible, I am not saying it is likely, but it is possible that is going to happen to Paramount as well, one of the biggest mergers in

corporate history now being challenged by these states.

NEWTON: Yes, and that's the point. It is a very, very large merger monetarily and a court may say what is the harm? Let us just put it on

pause for now before these arguments get a full hearing in court.

Brian Stelter for us, really appreciate you wrapping that.

Coming up for us, counterterrorism police are now leading the investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe.

Authorities say there is new evidence in the killing of a former British M.P.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: Hello, I am Paula Newton, and there is more QUEST MEANS BUSINESS in a moment when we will tell you about the man arrested over the death of

British lawmaker, Ann and Widdecombe, and why counterterrorism authorities are now leading the investigation.

And we will ride along with Richard Quest on his Great American Road Trip along Route 66. Before that, though, the headlines this hour.

[16:30:11]

The U.S. military says the naval blockade of ships heading to the Iranian ports along the Strait of Hormuz will restart on Tuesday.

Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was reinstating the blockade and claimed the United States would be collecting tolls from ships

transiting that waterway.

Investigators in Thailand are looking into the cause of a deadly fire at a pub in Bangkok. The Thai minister -- Prime Minister, pardon me, said at

least 27 people were killed during a visit to the site. He says a musician performing at the pub told him there was smoke coming out of a circuit

breaker near the stage. When the power went out, an explosion was heard, and smoke quickly filled the venue.

Officials in Maine say a person has been shot to death by U.S. immigration agents. Governor Janet Mills says state police and the main Attorney

General's Office are working to determine what exactly happened. The latest shooting comes just days after a federal immigration officer failed to shot

a Mexican immigrant during a traffic stop in Houston. Both incidents have sparked protests.

Officials say the man arrested in the suspected murder of former British lawmaker Ann Widdecombe was not previously known to counterterrorism

authorities. Now, they are taking over the investigation, though.

Widdecombe was found dead in her home on Thursday, after suffering what police say were sustained serious injuries.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHABANA MAHMOOD, BRITISH HOME SECRETARY: We have new information and evidence that means counter-terrorism policing is leading the

investigation. We are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry to establish the motivation for this attack. The police now have a suspect in custody, a 28-

year-old white British man, and I can confirm to the House that this man was not known to prevent.

The police have cautioned against speculating about the case. That is the right thing to do for Ann's family and friends.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now, the lawmaker was a prominent figure in Britain, but her legacy highly divisive. She expressed fierce opposition on issues like abortion

and gay rights.

We want to bring in our Nic Robertson, who is live in London.

I have to say, this was really startling to me in terms of them taking over this whole investigation. I'm sure this is what will bring more

investigative powers to this crime. But, you know, a brutal murder of a politician and activist, as I said, quite shocking.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It is, and UK unfortunately has a sad track record over the last 10 years. Two other

sitting M.P.s, and Widdecombe, of course, was no longer a sitting M.P., but a formidable and former and long-serving M.P. for the Conservative Party.

Two M.P.s over the past 10 years have been murdered, and that is an unfortunate track record. But I think what is surprising people here is

that it's taken the police four days to decide to involve the counterterrorism police, and there are other aspects of this that are

really catching people's attention here. And Widdecombe, as you say, she was popular. She was on a lot of popular T.V. programming.

Sort of, at the end, towards the end of her sort of political career with the Conservative Party. She, of course, became pro-Brexit, joined the

Brexit Party, became a European MEP for the Brexit Party for a year, and had more recently joined the popular and populist right-wing Reform Party

of Nigel Farage, and in fact, she had become a spokesperson for them on immigration.

But she was really sort of retired in many ways from the political limelight. So, it does make all of this a little bit of a surprise. But

that factor that's catching a lot of people's attention here is that the person that's been arrested, a 28-year-old white British male, lived 270

miles from where Ann Widdecomb lived. That's about 430 kilometers.

The Home Secretary, as you heard, are -- they saying don't sort of speculate about this case. But what has again caught people's attention

here is that just that morning, when Ann Widdecombe was murdered, she had been on television being interviewed in her capacity as a spokesperson for

the Reform Party and defending that party and some of the things that the leader of the party was doing.

[16:35:01]

And she had been due about five hours later to be doing another television interview in her capacity, a spokesperson for that party. And in that

intervening period, this is, of course, as what's helped guide the police to try to figure out precisely when she was killed.

But in that intervening period, this is when they say she was brutally murdered. The other point, when the Home Secretary talks about prevent, and

you mentioned it in the lead-in there about not being known to counter- terrorism officials, prevent, of course, is that multi-agency government body that tries to deradicalize, if you will, or guide people away from a

path towards terrorism.

I think, there is a lot more to learn about this, but at the moment, as you say, counterterrorism will bring their weight, speed, and knowledge to this

to this investigation.

NEWTON: Indeed, and we'll continue to follow the story. Nic Robertson for us in London. Appreciate it.

Now, it has been one year since the death of Palestinian American, Saif Musallet, who was killed by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, while

visiting relatives.

His father was returned -- has now returned to the site for the first time in a year. His journey quickly turned dangerous as armed Israeli settlers

ambushed and attacked his convoy. Jeremy Diamond has this report now from the occupied West Bank.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Kamel Musallet hasn't been able to reach this land in over a year. This is the hillside

where his son, Saif, an American citizen, was killed.

DIAMOND: It's like it's down here. If you want to walk?

KAMEL MUSALLET FATHER OF SAIF MUSALET: Yes.

DIAMOND: Yes?

DIAMOND (voice over): Beaten to death by Israeli settlers exactly one year ago.

Since then, settlers have illegally occupied the area, preventing this father from getting the closure he so desperately seeks.

MUSALLET: We have to keep an eye because usually they will come down that way.

DIAMOND (voice over): We have come here in an armored vehicle, wearing bulletproof vests because of how violent these settlers have been, but we

have made it.

DIAMOND: What does it feel like to finally be here after a year?

MUSALLET: It's just like I'm honest with you, I'm imagining, like no, just imagining him, you know, like, so, it's just -- it's just thought a lot

going on my head right now, like, just what he went through during at that moment.

DIAMOND: I'll let you take a moment, Kamel.

DIAMOND (voice over): But this solemn, sacred moment won't last. Within seconds, we spot a car speeding towards us. We start to leave, but as we

drive away, we see that four settlers have set up a roadblock. Armed with clubs and rocks, they try and block our way.

First, with their bodies. And then --

DIAMOND: And now it looks like he is trying to slash our tires. He is trying to slash our tires.

MUSALLET: Oh, he's got a knife. He's going for the tire.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God!

DIAMOND (voice over): A group of independent journalists and activists are in the car behind us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Move! Move, move!

DIAMOND (voice over): But their vehicle isn't armored.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Move! Move! Move!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right, right, right, right. No, no, no. Watch out. Watch out.

MUSALLET: Without an armored car, without a bulletproof vest, how do I get to my land? The Israeli army should -- right now should be here and kicking

them out. It's illegal for them to be there.

It's frustrating. It's -- you are so angry, and you cannot do nothing about it. It just kills you from inside.

DIAMOND (voice over): But the settlers are not done. More arrive, blocking another road before chasing us and attacking us again.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, they are trying to stop our car again. They are hitting us.

DIAMOND (voice over): We finally make it back to safety, where I get on the phone with the Israeli military, which is responsible for security in this

area.

But settlers have also called the military, and these soldiers are only interested in harassing us, refusing to take action against the settlers.

Minutes later, the commander of a different battalion arrives. Sends his soldiers after the settlers, detaining them until the police arrive.

The Israel police said they arrested four suspects and seized clubs and a knife. They vowed to "bring them to justice accordingly."

A full year later, Kamel Musallett is still waiting for his son's killers to be brought to justice.

MUSALLET: No one has been arrested. No accountability.

DIAMOND (voice over): Saif was just two weeks shy of his 21st birthday when he was killed. A Florida native, he had been visiting his family in the

West Bank.

At the time, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee condemned Musallet's killing as a criminal and terrorist act, and vowed to pressure Israel to

bring his killers to justice.

DIAMOND: I reached out to the U.S. Embassy.

[16:40:01]

I sent them a list of questions, and this is the response they gave me. They said, "The Trump administration has no higher priority than the safety

and security of Americans. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further information to provide at this time.

MUSALLET: Let's feel if that was true, you know, they would do something about it. You know, at least an open investigation, you know. That's the

least that they could do. If it was anywhere else in the world, an American citizen was killed by a mob of extremists, of terrorists, what kind of

outrage would there be?

You know, how disappointed would Saif Allah be right now that, you know, his U.S. passport did nothing for him.

DIAMOND (voice over): Saif believed in that blue passport.

SAIF MUSALLET, AMERICAN KILLED BY SETTLERS: Blue is blue. Not because he is Palestinian-American. He is just American!

DIAMOND (voice over): But his family is still waiting for it to mean something, anything, in their pursuit of justice.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Sinjil, the West Bank.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: OK, as we said previously, Richard Quest is on the road. He is taking a quintessential American trip along Route 66. Richard, look at you!

Oh, you are on the move too. So impressive! I did not get an invitation, and it looks like there is plenty of room for me.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Absolute -- absolutely.

There was plenty of room. That's your Bertha at the back. This is Big Bertha. It's our R.V. in the year of the Great American road trip. We are

crossing America on Route 66. I'll show you, meet some of the people, and explain why, good enough reason, after the bell and the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: And there he is. Richard Quest, traveling along Route 66. It is an iconic roadway that goes, as we just showed you, from Chicago, Illinois, to

Santa Monica, California. Richard, where in the heck are you? Because Route 66 is the very definition of a road trip and of adventure.

QUEST: We are just coming round Oklahoma City, heading towards Tulsa, Oklahoma.

We are on. --we have been on Route 66 as much as you physically can be.

[16:45:03]

Remember, it's a route, not an interstate. So, if you take, for example, the map of where we are going and where we are moving across -- we do have

digital versions as well. We are somewhere around about here at the moment, and what it means is that these were a collection of roads that were all

joined together back in 1926.

In other words, it's the 100th anniversary of Route 66. We have called the bus Big Bertha. I want to give you a little bit of an idea -- plenty of

accommodations for you, Paula, in the future you can hear. And right the way down, of course, to the necessary, as you can imagine.

But one of the big issue is of course, traveling around America has been the cost of fuel. I met some people just a few days ago, where we were

buying some petrol, we were -- we just bought petrol now. We bought how many? 20-seven gallons at $3.40-one a gallon, $94 worth. But you know

something, Americans don't seem too concerned at the moment as the price has come down.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like driving a big go-kart.

QUEST: Really.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like just a little four-cylinder, and only weighs 1,600 pounds. So, it's real light.

QUEST: How fast is it going?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: About 130.

QUEST: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, about 130. Unless you get that red one has a turbo in it.

QUEST: Hi, sir. How are.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you?

QUEST: Richard Quest from CNN.

NICK LAROSA (PH): Nick Larosa. How are you?

QUEST: Good.

You've got a turbo.

LAROSA: I have a turbo. I do have a turbo.

QUEST: How fast -- how --

LAROSA: Here is why we have a turbo. One day we were driving down the roadway and had all these exotic cars in front of us, right? We are at a

stoplight. Next thing I know, they were gone.

And here we are, just putting along, and I'm like, wait for me! So, after that, we went got a turbo. We love meeting people. We have a big group, you

know, and every weekend we try to get out and do some sort of ride.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: So, we are going -- that the whole trip is going to take us about nine days from Chicago all the way to California. We end there on Sunday,

and this wouldn't be America if there wasn't a vast fridge with a freezer, Paula. We have all the condiments you could possibly want to keep us going.

And by the way, that's the healthy stuff over here behind me. That's the snack drawer with all the cookies and the biscuits.

NEWTON: You know what? If there wasn't a snack drawer, I'm not sure I would invite myself on this trip. I'm now sorry, I did not invite myself on this

trip.

Richard, we'll continue to check in with you this entire week. I'm very impressed that you have such a great signal as you're moving, and I'm

really looking forward to it. And by the way, that gas looked like a bargain in this situation right now, especially for Big Bertha. Thank you

so -- Go, go on.

QUEST: But delighted. And by the way, just -- we have got -- we have got the picture of the team, because it's not just me, of course. There is me.

There is Beau who is on the camera, give us a wave. There is Beau. There is Holly in the front. She is sort of -- she is in charge, totally in charge.

And that is Jackie who is driving.

Keep your eyes on the road. Keep your hands on the wheel -- song is all about. So, and we will check in with you over the next few days as we make

our way across America.

NEWTON: Lovely. Give them all a big hug for us, and we will look forward to this. Richard Quest, there on the road somewhere in Oklahoma.

QUEST: Thank you.

NEWTON: We'll continue to check in with them.

Now, one football fan is on a mission to visit all of the countries competing in this Men's World Cup. He went to the England, Norway match in

Miami over the weekend. We'll see how he's doing on his journey.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:51:35]

The World Cup semifinals kick off this week, and there have been so many memorable moments, haven't they?

It's been quite a tournament so far, and not just on the pitch.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You! You! You!

NEWTON: You see them there, Norway's fans. It made quite an impression with their now famous Viking row.

Scotland's Tartan army took over host cities with bagpipe marches like this one.

VALERIA LEON, CNN EN ESPANOL CORRESPONDENT: (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

NEWTON: Oh, my gosh! And our own Valeria Leon experienced firsthand how Mexico's fans celebrate a win.

Now, one fan is on a mission to experience as many of these football cultures as possible. Jide Maduako aims to visit all 48 countries in this

year's World Cup. He started in February and says he is been to 25 so far. You see them there. He is been sharing his journey on social media, posting

moments like this from a game in Morocco.

And take a look at the scene last month in Curacau before their match against Ivory Coast. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now, Jide says his videos are about making the World Cup more accessible. He is a social media creator, and we see him there now, coming

to us from Miami, Florida.

Thanks for being here. I want to first get to the genesis of the idea, because, listen, you knew the vibe on the World Cup before any of us could

even suspect what would take over in the last few weeks. So, how did you come up with this idea, this World Cup experience?

JIDE MADUAKO, SOCIAL MEDIA CREATOR: The idea came because my daughter, she is about 3-months-old. So, he started the find focus in like football, and

I used to play football when I was younger, and I kind of fell out of love with the sport.

So, then, because I feel like there is a ball cuts are very inaccessible, and I would -- I realize that me that do the sport and keep that access of

football from around the world by going to other countries and so --

NEWTON: Unfortunately, we are having a little bit of trouble trying to hear Jide. Jide, can you hear me? You can just change your microphone a little

bit. I believe, perhaps you have muted.

All right. We'll come back to you in a moment.

In the meantime, we do want to bring you this story from Thailand that there is an investigation underway to what caused a fire at a pub that

killed at least 27 people in Bangkok. CNN's Mike Valerio has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE VALERIO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A huge fire tore through a popular pub in Bangkok early Monday morning, killing at least 27

people and injuring dozens more

Witness video shows violent flames raging as terrified patrons ran for their lives.

[16:55:02]

Thick smoke gushed out of the entrance, that fire engulfing the building in minutes.

Firefighters from multiple Bangkok stations rushed to the scene, taking about half an hour to bring the fire under control. But by then, the damage

was devastating.

CHAKRIT KHONKOM, LEAD FIREFIGHTER (through translator): The fire was not that aggressive, but the smoke had engulfed 100 percent of the venue. Once

we knew there were a number of victims inside, we sent in a search and rescue squad and found that a lot of them were inside the toilet. Most of

them were trying to escape to the back because they saw that the flames were at the front.

SUKANYA WONGWONGWAI, FRIEND OF MISSING PERSON: My friend, who is a singer singing on stage, said, at first, they noticed the smell of something

burning, then, a little after, they saw the ceiling was on fire.

VALERIO (voice over): The blaze broke out around midnight at the Na Lat Phrao brewery restaurant, popular live music venue in Bangkok's Chatuchak

District.

Footage of the aftermath shows scorched interiors, collapsed furniture, and blackened walls.

Authorities are working to identify victims, with many of their I.D. cards unable to be found. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited the

site in the early hours and directed agencies to assist victims' families.

Investigators are now working to determine the cause of one of the deadliest pub fires Bangkok has seen in recent years. Mike Valerio, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: So, the renewed blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz sent indices down as U.S. markets have been weighed down as well by tech

worries. The Dow closed down 138 points.

You see the NASDAQ though down better than a percentage and a half. We want to take a look at those Dow components now.

Oil company Chevron is up more than three percent after crude prices jumped nine percent to reach a one-month high, leading today's gains. Salesforce

up 4.8 percent. Nvidia down 3.5 percent and Honeywell shares dropped by four percent

We will continue to keep an eye on the markets here. They did not have time at the end of close today to really digest the latest news that we have had

on the Strait of Hormuz.

Again, President Trump saying that he will hit -- and hit Iran hard, in his words, both this evening and tomorrow. And also, there is this question on

whether those 20 -- that 20 percent toll will now be charged by the Trump administration.

Again, you see the increase there in both Brent and WTI. That is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS. I'm Paula Newton.

"THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER" starts now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END