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Quest Means Business
U.S. Senators Grill Trump's Pick for Attorney General; Reports: Stripe, Advent Make $53 Billion Bid for PayPal; U.S. Launches Fresh Wave of Strikes on Iran; England versus Argentia in World Cup Semifinal; Exploring the Historic U.S. Highway Route 66; U.K. Proposes Social Media Restrictions for Older Teens; Argentina Leads England in World Cup Semifinal. Aired 4-5p ET
Aired July 15, 2026 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[16:00:16]
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: You know, a very decent day on the markets, considering it is a slow summer day. In fact, all three indices up
not sharply or anything. But you know what? Decent returns there. Those are the markets and these are the main events.
A combative hearing in the U.S. Senate. Lawmakers grill President Trump's pick for attorney general.
PayPal shares soar on reports of a takeover bid.
And it is, I want to tell you still nil-nil in Atlanta. We will join fans in Argentina and England in the final moments of today's semifinal.
Live from New York. It is Wednesday, July 15th. I am Paula Newton in for Richard Quest and this is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
Tonight, U.S. senators held a feisty hearing for the acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche. Now, he faced difficult questions about his record at
the Justice Department. They touched upon the Epstein files, pardons for January 6th rioters, and a proposed fund to compensate people who face
federal prosecution and that includes during those January 6th riots.
Now, Blanche tried at times to distance himself from the President's actions. Still, some exchanges grew heated, like when senator -- Democratic
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse asked Blanche about FBI Director Kash Patel. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE (D-RI): How long do you intend to put up with that Kash Patel character? Are you good with his airplane jaunts? Are you
confident he is not drinking on the job? Are you sure none of his travel is a pretext for vacation activities like snorkeling, Olympics, and visiting
girlfriends? Are you sure he knows what he is doing? Do you vouch for him? Are you willing to look at whether he lied to this Committee?
TODD BLANCHE, ACTING U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: That's an extraordinarily obnoxious question, Senator. And I have full faith in Director Patel and
the work that he is doing every day.
WHITEHOUSE: Great. You get to own that.
BLANCHE: And the --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: You got a sense of the exchange there. Evan Perez is with me now.
You were there. Evan, I want to ask you, given the tension that was in the room at times, do you feel that any of the testimony moved him any closer
or any further from confirmation?
EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Paula, I you, I think that exchange right there kind of illustrates what I think it really was, the
tone from the Democrats in the end. I mean, I think they were hoping to shake Todd Blanche from his strategy, which was to try to sort of, you
know, follow this very narrow line here where he is trying to show a little bit of independence from the President, but also, obviously endorse and
embrace pretty much what President Trump wants him to do.
And, you know, that exchange really shows you, right, because he ends up being -- Whitehouse there is attacking Blanche over Patel, who was not even
in the room. Right?
And so that's a bad sign if you're the Democrats and you're hoping to try to stop this nomination. I think one of the senators that we were watching
most closely was Senator John Cornyn of Texas. He is retiring, and he is among the senators who have had a lot of discomfort with this $1.776
billion -- what they call the weaponization fund. Blanche kept trying to tell everybody that it is dead. This is not going anywhere. We are not even
pursuing this. It was a mistake.
However, Cornyn kept coming back to the issue that President Trump has not signed anything. This agreement has not been torn up and in the end, what
Blanche had to acknowledge was that President Trump could very well try to enforce the agreement, including the slush fund and including this immunity
deal that Blanche signed for him, that essentially frees him and his sons and his family from audits from the IRS.
So that is something we are going to keep watching to see whether Cornyn really comes over to Blanche's side, whether he can be reassured that that
that slush fund is indeed dead, as he says it is.
PEREZ: Yes. I am not sure they have been asking for those reassurances for weeks now, I am not sure what more can be done here.
His handling of the Epstein case, though, still plagues this nomination. I am wondering what we heard from the victims of Jeffrey Epstein today.
PEREZ: You heard a lot of frustration because in the end, you heard from senators who were trying to get blanche to say whether he would even meet
with these victims and he gave a very lawyerly response.
He was talking about how the fact that he is a lawyer, he can't meet with them. That is not true. Any victim can show up with their lawyer and meet
with the attorney general if he wants to have that meeting. And so that's one of the frustrations you heard outside of the hearing, because there
were a number of Epstein survivors who were in the room, and they were looking for not only more assurances from the Justice Department that they
were going to pursue all possible investigations from the evidence in those files, but also some apologies, right?
[16:05:20]
For the way some of the redactions were handled in those files. You remember that there were nude photos of some of the survivors. There were
names and some of their details, personal information was revealed before the Justice Department finally was able to remove that.
But as you know, Paula, the internet is forever. Once you put it out there, it is forever. And so there are still a lot of frustration from those
survivors who want the Justice Department to do more, to try to find whether there were any more, any more perpetrators to Jeffrey Epstein's
crimes -- Paula.
NEWTON: Yes, and again, we will see if this is the, you know, permanent attorney general that they will be dealing with in the weeks to come when
they continue to try and get justice for themselves and others.
Evan Perez, grateful to you.
Now, Todd Blanche has had a somewhat unusual path to become the nominee for attorney general. He was, you'll remember the President's personal defense
attorney and represented him in multiple cases, including the New York hush money criminal trial. And while he tried to distance himself from some of
the President's more controversial policies, he was involved with the prosecution of the President's political enemies, the so-called anti-
weaponization fund that you just heard Evan discuss there.
Gene Rossi formerly served as an assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, and he joins me now.
You would know the letter of the law and the way the conduct should go from here, from what you saw of the hearing, was he forthcoming enough to assure
senators that, you know, I am reading this from the attorney general's obligations under law now that this is a duty to the public interest rather
than to executive agencies.
GENE ROSSI, FORMER ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY IN THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA: Well, Paula, I am going to just make a comment and then get to my
prediction, my prognostication.
The thing that troubles me most about Mr. Blanche -- Acting Attorney General Blanche, is that he sort of had a Freudian slip. He was the
personal attorney, criminal defense attorney for President Trump and in his role as deputy attorney general and as acting attorney general, my concern
is what Senator Schiff brought up is that he hasn't shown fidelity to conflicts of interest, either actual conflicts or the appearance of
impropriety.
And when I worked for the justice department for almost 30 years, I was taught, ingrained as a prosecutor, you have to be purer than Caesar's wife
and he has not been that. He has engaged in indictments, the seashell indictment, "86 47" against Jim Comey. That indictment is pathetic and he
approved that. So that's my global comment is you have an attorney general, acting who will, and I will get to my prediction in a moment, who is not
showing fidelity to that wall, the traditional wall between the President and the Department of Justice. We are almost going back to Nixon.
Now, here is my prognostication. Overall, in terms of a performance scale. I thought I'd give him a B-plus or an A-minus and the reason is this, he
kept his cool. A couple of times, he got testy, but he didn't do what Pam Bondi did a few months ago where she had a binder ad any time a Democratic
senator would ask her a question, she wouldn't answer the question, she would come back with a zinger and was very disrespectful to the panel.
He was respectful as much as he could be, and I think he didn't do any damage to his ability to get confirmed. So I think there is probably a 70
or 80 percent chance he will be confirmed as the permanent Senate-confirmed Attorney General.
NEWTON: Right, and we will see the reaction of the Epstein victims to that, and I think from what we know from our sources on the Hill as well, your
prognostication, as you say, is likely, right.
I do want to bring up something, and again, I know nothing about the law. I am not a lawyer. To me, the bar that you just set for the attorney general
seems quite low.
In this hearing in fact, you know, they asked him, what is your relationship with the President? And in a flub, he said, I am his lawyer
and then had to correct himself to say, oh, no, no, I was his lawyer.
So here is my question, because it is a question I ask everyone who comes on the program talking about this, because it is not about whether you're
Democratic or Republican. It is about whether -- would you be comfortable with a President Newsom, President Shapiro, President Ocasio-Cortez,
President Booker having their personal lawyer become the attorney general?
[16:10:10]
ROSSI: No, and for the reasons, Paula that you're probably --
NEWTON: But that's what's happening here, Gene.
ROSSI: No, Paula, believe me, I do not support his confirmation. I am just saying he will be confirmed.
NEWTON: I understand that.
ROSSI: Which I think is horrible.
NEWTON: Yes, but why aren't more Republican -- why aren't more Republicans speaking out about this, Gene? I mean, they obviously realize that, you
know, when and if there is a Democratic president, that it could go against them.
And a lot of those Republicans are lawyers. They are lawyers.
ROSSI: Absolutely! I think Jon Ossoff said it best yesterday that there is probably not one Republican senator who is not disgusted with the conduct
of President Trump for various reasons. And even though, Paula, this is what bothers me, even though these Republican senators, most of them enough
to get a confirmation, they are going to vote to confirm him.
They do not like that the personal -- the personal lawyer of the President who does not have any wall between him and the President, is going to be
the attorney general.
Merrick Garland is looking better and better. He had no relationship with Joe Biden and you can say all you want about Joe Biden, but Merrick
Garland, a former judge for many years, there was a wall between him and Joe Biden, you can guarantee that.
He allowed the indictment of Joe Biden's son. You can't be more impartial than that. So, Merrick Garland, to me, is looking better and better.
NEWTON: I am not -- Gene, we do have to leave it there -- I am not sure he is going to look that good to whatever future Democratic president there is
in office, whether it is the next presidential election or several to come. As I said, I think this is new territory and some people are going to fight
for, yes, perhaps someone who doesn't have quite a wall, maybe a screen between the Executive Branch and the A.G.
ROSSI: Right.
NEWTON: Gene Rossi, we will leave it there. Thanks so much. Appreciate it.
ROSSI: Thank you so much.
NEWTON: Now -- thank you.
Now, we turn to PayPal shares. They soared about 17 percent after multiple reports of a $53 billion takeover bid. Payments company, Stripe and private
equity firm, Advent apparently made the offer earlier this month. Now combining Stripe and PayPal would create one of the largest online payment
companies, processing $3.7 trillion, that's trillion worth of annual payments and that's according to those reports.
PayPal has not responded to the offer as of yet. Now, PayPal, I will remind you, has been a pioneer in the digital payment industry.
Peter Thiel helped found the company in 1998, back when money meant paper and coins, as PayPal puts it, it started as a digital payment platform and
quickly exploded as many consumers used PayPal to make eBay purchases. PayPal later merged with an online bank that was co-founded by Elon Musk.
Yes, Elon Musk.
And in 2013, it got into the digital wallet space, acquiring Venmo's parent company, then PayPal let users make transactions with crypto and even
launched its own stablecoin in 2023.
Clare Duffy is here with us in New York.
Clare, what is behind this? Because I think our concern as consumers is that this was really supposed to be a payment system that kind of
democratized things, and yet we just seem to be having more consolidation.
CLARE DUFFY, CNN BUSINESS WRITER: Well, Paula, it is an interesting question because on one hand, yes, this would mark consolidation. But on
the other hand, the reason that we have seen PayPal struggle so much in the past few years is because it has faced significant competition in the
digital payments space, in particular from players like Apple Pay and Google Pay.
And so I think that is part of why it could be an attractive acquisition target at this point. Now, to sort of underscore the challenges that the
company has had in recent years, this offer that Stripe and Advent are making $60.50 per share, that would mark about a 20 percent premium on
where shares closed earlier this week prior to these reports being released, but it is lower than PayPal's year ago share price of nearly
$73.00, much lower than its share price five years ago of nearly $300.00.
And so you can see that this company has in many ways, been struggling over the past few years. Earlier this year, it hired a new CEO, Enrique Lores.
It announced a turnaround plan that involved laying off 20 percent of its staff.
But I think that you're looking from Stripe and Advent's perspective, is that they could run this company much more effectively and despite those
struggles, PayPal still has a lot to offer in a potential takeover bid like this. Stripe's business is largely facilitating digital payments for
companies, but PayPal has a huge consumer business. Just Venmo alone has around 90 million users.
And as you talked about, Paula, this is also a legacy company. It is a well-known brand. It is a trusted brand and so combining Stripe and PayPal
could create, as you said, this massive online payment's juggernaut that's got both the enterprise and consumer business.
[16:15:19]
Now, we should say none of these comments have -- none of these companies have responded to these reports. It is likely still early days here. We
don't yet know if PayPal will accept this offer. How -- you know, shareholders seem to like the idea based on the share price reaction today,
but I do think it is likely that they might seek a larger per share offer here from Stripe and Advent, given the potential and the sort of consumer
business that PayPal has here -- Paula.
NEWTON: Yes, watch this space as they say. We will see what else -- what other shoe has to drop in this proposed deal. Clare Duffy for us. Thanks so
much. Appreciate it.
Now, President Trump says he will keep increasing the pressure on Iran, including possible attacks on power plants and bridges. We will have the
latest on the conflict.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: You are looking at live celebrations in London right now. England just scored. It is one-nil in Atlanta right now. But I have to tell you
guys look, we all know there is a lot of time left here. You're talking at least 40 minutes, if not a little bit more than that. But England right now
celebrating their first goal scored by Anthony Gordon and we will continue to keep an eye on this absolutely exhilarating semifinal for you as it is
going to go on throughout this hour for us.
All right, switching gears here for a minute. About an hour ago, the U.S. Military said it launched a second wave of strikes against Iran. The U.S.
said it hit dozens of targets overnight near the Strait of Hormuz and along Iran's coast.
Now, U.S. Central Command says the attacks are intended to help secure the crucial waterway. President Trump told Fox News the attacks will only get
worse from here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Next week, it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants, next
week comes the bridges. We are going to knock out all their power plants. We are going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table
and negotiate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now, the Pentagon said in late April that the war had cost the U.S. around $25 billion. Sources told CNN that figure is a lowball.
At the time, one said the real cost was closer to $40 billion or $50 billion. Either way, it seems that number could still get much bigger,
especially as we continue to watch these strikes.
[16:20:07 ]
House Speaker Mike Johnson revealed plans today for a $95 billion emergency funding request. The money would be used to pay for defense. And that
includes the Iran War.
Kevin Liptak is at The White House.
And I do want with you, Kevin, to drill down on this issue of the cost of war, because I would be willing to put money down that when the President
Came up with that idea of tolls, which he has since backed away from that, it was, you know, how much this war is costing that was irking him, because
at the end of the day, whether it is Pete Hegseth or anyone else from Cabinet, they must go to Congress to get this money for this war and other
defense spending.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Right. And a number of lawmakers, mostly Democrats, but some Republicans as well, have some real
questions about how much all of this is going to cost. The answers from the administration, I don't think at this point have been satisfactory, in part
because the war is not over and the President has not projected how long exactly it will go.
And so while they may have an idea how much it cost up until now, how much it will cost going forward is basically an unanswerable question. And so
this is going to be, I think, a sticking point going forward as they try and get this massive new Pentagon funding through Capitol Hill. It is a
record number, $1.5 trillion, this is, you know, a multifold increase from previous Pentagon budgets.
But until the administration can provide lawmakers with a better picture of how they view the war heading from here, you are going to see people who
are refusing to vote for it, and that includes some Republicans.
You heard, I think, from people like Thom Tillis from North Carolina, who want to hear more about what the administration is doing, so to Bill
Cassidy, the Republican from Louisiana, both of which we should note are not contesting in November's election, so they feel like they have some
more leeway to challenge the President on some things.
And so how this all unfolds from here remains to be seen, but I think it just speaks to some of the uncertainty of the moment. You know, the
President is ramping up these strikes on Iran. Just today, we saw a rare example of daytime strikes on Tunbs Island, which is in the Strait of
Hormuz, and which has allowed the Iranians to have sort of a foothold there to blanket the Strait with drones, missiles, small water craft that have
essentially shut down the Strait to commercial traffic.
And the President, you hear him there talking about these escalatory options and we know that he has been discussing this with advisors behind
the scenes. But I think the question is, is the President looking to get the Iranians back to the negotiating table to talk about some of these
issues, or is he willing to follow through on some of these threats, for example, to take Kharg Island in a way that he hasn't previously? He has
made these threats before, but he hasn't gone through with some of them.
And so we don't know exactly where this is all heading, and by the same strain, we don't know how much all of this is going to cost.
NEWTON: Yes and I am sure that that is top of mind, especially for the planners at The Pentagon right now, given they need, in fact, to replenish
a lot of their stocks.
Before I let you go, Kevin, the President did also say today that Iran wanted to talk. Now, the President has said that before without much
evidence. There has also been some reporting about the fact that it is hard to know and the President has said this himself as well, hard to know who
you're even negotiating with in Iran.
LIPTAK: Yes, and you continue to hear that from officials. I was just listening to J.D. Vance, the Vice President who just did this three-hour
interview with Joe Rogan, and that was one of the points that he was making as well, is that they continue to see this divide within the Iranian regime
between the moderates, the pragmatists, as he called them, who they believe do want to strike an agreement with the United States that could
potentially reopen Iran and recover its economy and the hardliners who are trying to undercut these diplomatic efforts at every move, and who, in
their view, are responsible for the attacks on the commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
But this has been a conundrum that the administration has faced for months and months now, and it doesn't seem as if they've found a way to get around
it. And so it seems as if they are still at this strategic impasse of trying to degrade Iran's capabilities, but facing what is an asymmetric
threat.
Iran only has to fire a few drones at these commercial vessels. They don't really have to cause that much damage, and they don't have to sink them in
order to completely close the waterway, because it spooks the vessels' captains, and you see the traffic really being reduced. And so it is a very
cheap and effective way for Iran to exert its leverage over the Strait and the administration, I think, at this point, hasn't found a way to
effectively get around that.
[16:25:10]
NEWTON: Yes, Kevin, we will continue to keep an eye on all of this as the President has been speaking at that defense conference.
Kevin Liptak for us, thanks so much.
Now, multiple Ukrainian lawmakers say President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is on the verge of changing his defense minister. Mr. Zelenskyy is expected to
propose Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko for the job. It is not certain whether the current defense minister will remain in government. The
Ukrainian military is boasting about its success against Russian forces.
Kyiv says it has hit more than a hundred Russian ships in the Sea of Azov over the past nine days. Jim Sciutto joins us from Aspen, Colorado.
You are at the Aspen Institute Conference there, and I know we should be able to really get more information and more context on so many
geopolitical events, but this time on Ukraine, right? And we know that it isn't just about defense, that it seems that President Zelenskyy is really
shaking up his government.
He wants a different footing, right, for this kind of success they've been having on the battlefield.
JIM SCIUTTO CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I will tell you, I come to this conference every year, the Aspen Security
Forum get a chance to meet officials from around the world, as well as from the administration, the Trump administration and every year, it has been a
different assessment of the war in Ukraine.
There have been some good years early on, when Ukraine surprised by defending itself and then there were some bad years when it looked like
Ukraine was on its back foot.
I will tell you that now, the assessment you hear from Europe and from others, including in the U.S. government, is that Ukraine has the upper
hand. And in some respects is planning, at least for a vision of victory, how it would look like, they don't want to get ahead of themselves, but
they do feel they certainly have the momentum.
Now, that does not mean that European officials, NATO leaders, et cetera view the threat from Russia as muted at all. In fact, I spoke to the
defense chief of the Norwegian military, of course, a NATO member, shares a border with Russia and he told me that the U.S. and Europe should not
underestimate the risk that Russia might attack NATO next.
Specifically, Norway, because they make the point that Norway, on its northern border, across the border into Russia is where Russia has much of
its nuclear deterrent. Here is part of my conversation with the defense chief of Norway, Eirik Kristoffersen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: You have said that it is quite possible that Russia might invade Norway. It was quite a stark warning and I wonder what you base that on.
EIRIK KRISTOFFERSEN, NORWEGIAN DEFENSE CHIEF: I base it on the fact that Russia's dependence on the Kola Peninsula, their nuclear deterrence, their
submarine fleet just outside the border of Norway, is a vital interest to Russia and to protect that complexity of a military power, they always have
that concept they call the Bastion Defense.
The Bastion Defense means extending their defensive line into also, Norwegian territorial waters, but also in the case of a real estate
situation, you could also see a threat to the Norwegian Mainland. So it is all proximity to Russia and also their reliance on their military power in
that area that is also a concern for Norway.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Another very open topic of discussion here, Paula, is declining trust in the U.S. and the U.S. commitment to the NATO Alliance. It is not
all bad news. You have European partners here acknowledging that under pressure from the U.S., European nations are paying more for their defense,
buying the weapons systems they need to defend against Russia and other threats.
But there is clearly a decline in trust in the U.S. as a national security partner, and questions as to whether that loss of trust is lasting, lasting
beyond the Trump administration. It is a major rift, and it remains to be seen how those allies for so many decades, right, how they are able and if
they are able to bridge that rift over time -- Paula.
NEWTON: Yes, even after the issue of Greenland and the President wanting to take it in his words, we could not have dreamed that this year compared to
last, we would be here at the Aspen Security Conference.
Okay, Jim, I am going to see you in about an hour and a half for your show, as you will bring us much more from that security conference. Grateful to
you. Thanks so much.
And we will be right back with more news, including a World Cup update live from London in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:32:49]
NEWTON: Hello, I'm Paula Newton, and there's more QUEST MEANS BUSINESS in a moment when Richard Quest learns all about the history of Route 66, as he
continues his journey on the historic highway.
England and Argentina are playing for a spot in the World Cup Final. We'll bring you the latest results. Before that, though, this is CNN and here,
the news always comes first.
Todd Blanche insists the $1.8 billion fund created to compensate allies of President Trump is dead. The acting attorney general was grilled about the
fund and a number of other topics on Capitol Hill today. Republicans on the Senate panel hold a razor thin advantage, making Blanche's confirmation
anything but certain.
The U.S. says it carried out new daytime attacks on Iran after a seven-hour wave of strikes overnight. President Donald Trump is threatening once again
to attack Iran's civilian infrastructure if it doesn't return to negotiating -- to the negotiating table. Iran is also carrying out attacks
of its own, saying it targeted U.S. military sites in several key U.S. allies.
The White House says President Trump has overturned a temporary pause on immigration officers making those traffic stops. Now, the policy was only
in place yesterday in response to the shooting deaths of two immigrants. Sources said the president was furious after watching coverage that
suggested he was weakening his enforcement policies.
Returning to the World Cup semifinals in Atlanta. England fans celebrated after Anthony Gordon scored in the 55th minute. The score right now is
still one-nil. Argentina certainly keeping the pressure up.
Anna Stewart is in London with those England fans.
Talk about pressure, I really cannot imagine the tension there right now, Anna.
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The suspense is unreal and actually hydration break for the players has just ended so the game has resumed.
Also a hydration break for all the people here. They've all been to the bar to replenish their pints because, Paula, and I think we have video of this,
when that goal was scored, the beer went flying because that has become a real tradition here in England.
[16:35:11]
And I don't know whether it happens elsewhere, but if there is a goal, you can bet that beer will be showered all over your head. Anyways, very
exciting. And I'm relieved actually, because going into the second half of this game, things got a little bit quieter for England fans right at the
beginning. Before it had started, there was giddy excitement, almost irrational optimism that football is coming home after 60 years.
They weren't afraid of Messi. They were going to win and things looked quiet in the second half. Now there is true excitement. But also speaking
to some of the fans just now, they're almost more scared now. You'll see a lot of worry looking faces. There's a lot less jubilation in some ways
because I think they know how close they are to beating Argentina.
And this is a game of some significance. You have the decades long rivalry with Argentina. You have the fact that this is only the fourth time England
has made it into a semifinal, and then you have the ultimate goal. The fact that they are inching ever closer to bringing it home after 60 years of
hurt, Paula.
NEWTON: Anna, now I'm tense. Thank you very much. So we've got 20, about 23, 24 minutes probably left in this game. We'll see if Argentina can tie
it up.
Anna Stewart, we will continue to check in with you. Pleasure. Thank you.
Now Richard Quest is officially a halfway through his road trip across Route 66. Up next, we'll check in with him from the midpoint.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: All right, that is Richard. He is on the Big Bertha RV. All week, we've been keeping up with him along his great American road trip right
across Route 66. Now, he's been on the road for five days now, making the journey from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California. And today,
finally, he reached that all important milestone.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR AT LARGE: Paula, we've started in Chicago and we've now covered 1,139 miles.
[16:40:05]
And this is the midpoint on Route 66. We're in Adrian, Texas. Next is New Mexico, Arizona, and out to California. In other words, midpoint, we have
another 1,139 miles to go. And as we make that journey, we'll hear more of the stories of the people and the economy of Route 66, Paula.
NEWTON: Thank you, Richard. Look at that Americana there. It's like a postcard.
Now, remember the concept of Route 66 started 100 years ago when the Bureau of Public Roads launched the nation's first federal highway system. Route
66 quickly became an opportunity for local merchants along the way to attract new business.
Now, earlier this week, Richard Quest learned more about the route's history from a local enthusiast in Oklahoma. He said that he's been
fascinated by the famous highway since he was a teenager.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
THOMAS ARTHUR REPP, CO-FOUNDER, AMERICAN ROAD MAGAZINE: Fifteen years old, 1979. I come from a family that never took vacations anywhere. For some
reason, they decide to load us into a car and drive to Arizona.
Now, this is 1979, so that means that the interstates aren't totally completed across the United States. So some stretches are. So you're on the
interstate, which I was familiar with the interstate, but every now and then you're kind of shunted onto this old two-lane highway, you know, and
it goes through a town. You're looking at things like neon waffle cones, blue whales, like fiberglass buffalo, things like that.
I didn't know what a route was, but my parents are in the front seat with a road map, and they're reading it, and they're saying, oh, gosh, we have to
get back on the route. We have to get back on the route. There's no interstate. Back on the route. I didn't know what a route was, but I knew
that any time I was on this route, there were things to see and look at.
So that's how I fell in love with it. We came into Holbrook, Arizona. That's when it kind of happened for me. Came into Holbrook, Arizona. We
stayed at a best western. Next door is the Wigwam Motel. It's behind like chain link fence. It's all overgrown. There's weeds in it. But, you know,
the concrete teepees. And I was just like, what is this? What is this? What is this?
So I go about my life, I grow up. I'm going to graduate school. Years, decades later, and I'm driving out from Chicago to, you know, I'm going
actually to Arizona and I'm going out along and I'm realizing, I'm following this road. They were talking about Route 66. I get to Holbrook,
the teepees are still there, the wigwams are still there. And it's like I've been in love with it ever since.
QUEST: Why did they design it to go like that rather than a cross? What -- this idea, this idea of linking communities, rural communities.
REPP: Right. Well, Route 66 initially is kind of patched together from some existing roads. Cyrus Avery, you're going to hear a lot more about him.
Other people you talk to are going to tell you a lot more about him because he was in Oklahoma. He wanted it to go through Oklahoma, is the short
answer. And he was the driving force behind it. He's trying to drive business to Oklahoma.
And then you have the different towns, you know, different towns are lobbying, we want to be on this road. We want to be on this road. You see
it actually with the auto trails that precede Route 66. You will see places like the places like in, what am I thinking of? Blue Valley Drive. That's
like in Iowa. You will see hotel owners sometimes get together and they'll say, you know what?
We're going to route some kind of a road from my hotel in this city to your hotel in this city, and we're going to give it some evocative name. This is
before roads had numbers and get it on the maps and people will follow it. And that's how we get business.
QUEST: Your magazine.
REPP: "American Road" magazine.
QUEST: You celebrate.
REPP: I celebrate two-lane highways across the United States.
QUEST: So therefore this must be integral to you.
REPP: Route 66 is the -- not to show favorites or anything like that, but Route 66 is the road that got that all started. The interest in two lanes
everywhere.
QUEST: On the business side, the growth of all of this, it's coming back, isn't it? People are -- the attractions are coming back. Yes, you've got
things like here that's not. But everywhere else, this Route 66 has become, I was going to say a cottage industry, but it's now turning almost
industrial.
REPP: Heritage tourism is the phrase that I like to use. It's heritage tourism and it's a huge thing right now. Nostalgia has always been big.
It's just like nostalgia for what? I mean, generation before mine, they had nostalgia for something that happened 20 years before that, but right now
it's because of baby boomers are driving it. Baby boomers, big part of the population. And Route 66 is important to them.
They remember when the television show was on in the 1960s. You know, they remember going down this route as kids. I mean, that's how I started.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: And we will continue to watch Richard on Route 66 for the next couple of days here.
[16:45:03]
Now, one of the world's top football rivalries underway right now. Do we have to remind you? England versus Argentina, a spot in the World Cup Final
at stake. We will take you live to both London and Buenos Aires.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: All right. You can hear them. You can see them. The fans in Buenos Aires still going crazy. Fernandez has scored in the 85th minute to tie it
up between England and Argentina. We will continue to keep an eye on this, but given they're all level, you know, we've probably got about another 10
minutes or so on this game and then it's extra time if they need it. We will continue to update you.
Now, meantime, lawmakers in the U.K. have unveiled plans for a social media curfew for older teens. This follows an announcement of restrictions for
those under 16.
CNN's Nada Bashir breaks it all down for us.
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is, as you mentioned, the next step after that initial announcement by the government last month. They would be
banning social media access to all under 16-year-olds. But this is seen as sort of a phasing in for 16 and 17-year-olds, allowing them to have access
but of course for that curfew to come into place between 12:00 a.m. to midnight and 6:00 a.m..
And this would essentially prevent any sort of access to social media sites like Twitter, like Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. But it would also add
measures, which was essentially prevent apps which allow for constant scrolling, like, for example, reels on Instagram or on TikTok to prevent
that from automatically being the case for teenagers using those apps.
But it is important to note that this is a voluntary measure. So those teenagers would have the option of going into their settings on their
phones and turning this off. But the government has said that this is an attempt to add further safeguards to make them accessible for parents
trying to control social media usage amongst their teenagers.
And we have heard from the U.K. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall in a statement saying, "These measures will be crucial in helping young people
get the sleep they need, focus on school and college, and spend more quality time with family and friends, all of which are fundamental to
building a happy, healthy and fulfilling adult life."
And there has also been a pilot which took place involving more than 300 people. And according to the findings of this pilot, this actually helped
sleep and concentration.
[16:50:00]
So while there are some doubts around the voluntary nature of this measure, there is some hope that this will add further safeguards for young people.
NEWTON: All right. It looks like England and Argentina could be going to extra time if you can stand it in the men's World Cup semifinal. They're
playing right now in Atlanta in the tournament's second semifinal match. England's Anthony Gordon opened up the scoring with this goal in the second
half. Argentina just leveled at 85 minutes in. It is currently one all.
Stefano Pozzebon is live at a fan zone in Buenos Aires. And of course, our Anna Stewart is at a pub in London.
Stefano, I want to start with you. I cannot imagine the eruption when this game was tied.
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Oh, no, the eruption was incredible. This is a nation that suddenly began to believe again. And you can see the
sound still now, the sound of all these fans who are suddenly just looking at the screens and the cheering for their beloved national football team.
It's been a nerve-wracking experience to be here in Buenos Aires and watch that match where Argentina fell one-nil to England in the 55th minute. And
for 32 minutes we've seen the Argentinians advance and advance and advance. And now, finally, Enzo Fernandez scoring on the 87th minute and getting and
putting this nation in overjoy.
We still have about, well, we just got into extra time. We're going to have, Paula, nine minutes of extra time. It's probably the longest nine
minutes of my life. And then maybe we're going to go to the extra half an hour in case these people don't get what they want. Of course, here, what
they want is to win it straight away, and it's suddenly a park that five minutes ago, as I was preparing for my live, was all silent.
People grinding their teeth, eating their nails. People praying, looking at the cross and all -- any ritual that you can believe to push Messi and
company to score. And now it is finally full of belief, Paula.
NEWTON: Stefano, we think you're nervous. We're going to go to Anna Stewart, who is there amongst the crowd in London. I'm sure it is very
tense right now as we've got about eight minutes left now on this part of it before they go to extra time if they have to go.
How did it go there? I mean, I know there were some tense minutes before the goal.
STEWART: It's really tense now, and I'm actually very worried if this goes to extra time. I don't think my nerves can actually take this, Paula. And
I'm not much of a football fan. These people are. Let me show you the serious faces here at the Black Lion Pub in Hammersmith.
Now I, like earlier on, even before the first goal was scored, everyone was elated. There was giddy excitement. You've got heads in hand, you've got
tense faces. Every time there's nearly a goal, there's a little eruption, there's hope, but it's crushed. And I can tell you that goal from Argentina
was a terrible turning point for many of the fans here.
NEWTON: I think we have --
STEWART: One saying to me, you know what? Once England scored they get complacent.
NEWTON: Anna, I think we've got some news.
POZZEBON: -- Pushing has got to a result. Argentina is going through the semifinal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Atlanta, and we were live on it.
Look at this. The crowd is in jubilation as you can see here in Buenos Aires. It was a fantastic goal from -- there you go. The assist by Lionel
Messi. Who else? We're re-watching the replay. And there you go. And then a score by number 22, Lautaro Martinez. And just as it happened this park
just went bouncing into complete overjoy.
Paula, if you're still there and you just watch what happened here, Argentina is going to the semifinal.
NEWTON: I am still here and so --
POZZEBON: Argentina of course is going to the final. Finals so --
NEWTON: We don't -- now we've got four minutes left.
POZZEBON: There you go. Here we are.
NEWTON: We've got about four minutes left. Anna, right? You're going to set him straight. There's still four minutes left. We're going to stick with
this.
STEWART: It is not over yet, Stefano.
POZZEBON: People are crying. People are crying.
STEWART: It's coming home.
NEWTON: You've got to believe, Anna. You've got to believe. You've got to believe. There are a few more minutes here as we go. Stefano seems to have
called it along with the Argentinian fans.
Anna, I want to know from you, win or lose right now, England will celebrate these heroes. Please tell me they will.
[16:55:00]
STEWART: I cannot hear anything you're saying, Paula. It's so loud here. I can only imagine. You telling me that don't worry, England could still win.
There are still minutes on the clock and the fans haven't completely given up hope. But they are looking worried, Paula.
NEWTON: I can imagine. Stefano, what does this mean to Argentina? So many had thought that Lionel Messi, could he do it at his age? Could he really
carry this team?
POZZEBON: Well, Lionel Messi, I was speaking yesterday with friends and other people that I normally get in touch whenever I come to Buenos Aires.
It's hard to put into words the connection between the captain of the national football team and this nation. He is both the most Argentinian
character of all time, but also the least Argentinian character. Messi being discreet and not loud as a person, playing all of his career outside
of Argentina, Barcelona, then PSG, then of course, right now Miami in the MLS.
But still carrying the weight of the national football team on his shoulders, carrying the legacy of Diego Armando Maradona and the number 10
of the Albiceleste on his shoulder and carrying them to victory in 2022, and now giving them yet another chance at the eternal glory. There is a new
song here in Argentina that openly speaks about the last one from Leo Messi. It's a last tango in Buenos Aires, but here we're going to enjoy it
until the very end, Paula.
NEWTON: Now, Stefano, we do still have about four minutes left, give or take. I'm going to go back over to Anna.
Anna, they all look very tense behind you. Really intense on the screen. I'll try and ask you the same question I asked you the last time. They will
be celebrated as heroes, right, win or lose? We've got about three minutes left here.
STEWART: They will be celebrated as heroes. Particularly, of course, due to over the many games of the World Cup. But there will be huge disappointment
if this doesn't go well for England today. There was so much excitement. And also there's a significance of this game. They will be thrilled they
got to the semifinals. This is only the fourth time England has made it to the semifinals.
However, it's the first time they've faced up with Messi. They want to win. They want to win. They want to get to the final. They're desperate to bring
it home. There will be a crushing defeat. And I just know that if this game ends with England not winning, there'll be some sad faces departing this
pub very soon. If they win, you can expect the, you know, the beers to flow for hours and hours to come into the wee hours of the morning. Celebrations
I'm sure will come if England loses for those players, but not immediately. I think it will be a very sorry and somber night. I'm really hoping for a
different result. But it's not looking good, is it?
NEWTON: Especially given the rivalry, right? Anna, I mean, just so much history here between Argentina and England.
STEWART: Significant rivalry. And it's funny, you know, Paula, because when you speak to people in the pub about the rivalry with Argentina, it's
different depending on what generation you speak to. The older generations might bring up the Falklands War. They'll talk about Maradona and the Hand
of God. Some of the millennials, well, my generation, they talk about David Beckham.
So there is this deep set rivalry. And for all it was this big Messi effect. They couldn't wait to see what would happen when England finally
faced Messi. So there is this rivalry that's been a big part going into this game. I would say as the game started, it was almost swept aside,
though, with England just giddy with almost irrational optimism that they would win. Of course those hopes potentially dashed. You can still hear the
tension here tonight, though.
NEWTON: I can definitely see it and hear it behind you. I have to say, just the faces of the people behind you, Anna, it is really painting a picture
for us.
I do want to go back to Stefano, though. We have a little bit over two minutes left.
Stefano, I'm not sure if you can hear me there still in Buenos Aires. I can't -- they must be thinking these are the longest two minutes of their
lives for the people behind you.
POZZEBON: Yes, yes, it was probably the longest two minutes. Well, one minute, 24, 23, 22, 21, counting the seconds here, Paula, but also --
NEWTON: You're just going to count us out.
POZZEBON: But also, the longest half an hour was the moment between the goal from Anthony Gordon on the 55th to the goal of Enzo Fernandez on the
87th. That was 32 minutes of relentless Argentinian pressure. One shot at goal after the other and none of those shots getting in. So that's why the
elation erupted when Enzo Fernandez finally put it in. And of course, you have an entire nation now full of belief.
We are 59 -- 49, 48, 47, 46, 45. In 45 seconds, this place will be buzzing. Paula, let me tell you that. And now you can see.
NEWTON: Stefano, I feel like I'm getting ready for --
POZZEBON: Everyone looking at the screen. Oh, there you go.
NEWTON: I feel like I'm getting ready for fireworks.
POZZEBON: Yes, we're getting ready, 30 seconds.
NEWTON: Any minute now.
END
