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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
Senate To Vote On Trump Big Beautiful Bill; Tillis Won't Seek Reelection; More Than 40 Killed In Israeli Strike On Gaza Cafe; Bessent Says U.S. Could Impose Higher Tariffs On Nations; Canada "Caved" In Tech Dispute With U.S.; Wess Roley Identified As Gunman In Idaho Attack; Jury Deliberations In "Diddy" Trial. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired June 30, 2025 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a very warm welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Paula Newton, in for Jim Sciutto.
You are watching "The Brief."
Just ahead this hour, the U.S. Senate inches towards a vote on President Trump's big beautiful bill. Father jumps from a Disney Cruise Ship to
rescue his daughter at sea. And Wimbledon Champ Carlos Alcaraz overcomes the heat and a tough first round opponent as he tries to defend his crown.
But first, a marathon session to vote on amendments is underway in the U.S. Senate, as lawmakers propose changes to President Trump's big beautiful
bill before a final vote. Republican Senator Thom Tillis has announced he won't seek reelection after voicing concerns over Medicaid cuts in the
legislation. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): What do I tell 663 thousand people in two years or three years when President Trump breaks his promise by pushing them off of
Medicaid because the funding's not there?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now, the president is urging Congress to approve the sweeping tax cuts and spending package so he can sign it by July 4th. If it passes the
Senate, it will return to the house for approval.
Jeff Zeleny joins me now with the latest. I mean, look, to use a technical term, Jeff, this bill has been a slog. And here we are in the Senate. Do
you want to bring us right up to date, like are what we seeing performative at this point, meaning, the bill still looks good to pass or is this still
going to be a nail biter?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: It will be a nail biter. There's no question about that. The bigger unknown is how long
will it take to get through? Look, I mean, President Trump clearly enjoys the control of both the House and the Senate. Republicans are in charge in
both chambers. So, it's very difficult to imagine that his sweeping signature item would not get through, but that doesn't necessarily mean
it's going to be a straight line or easy.
So, yes, at the moment the Senate has been voting since about 9:00 a.m., Paula. So, yes, many of these votes are performative, but that's how it
works when the minority party is -- you know, really, it's all they have is to put other issues up for a discussion.
So, Democrats all day long have been raising amendments and saying, you know, trying to strip out Medicaid proposals. And they've been getting some
Republican support. So, some of it is just -- a, you know, a moment to a wait through all this.
But there are bigger questions, if it passes the Senate, what does the House do with this? I mean, this adds an extraordinary amount of money to
the national. A debt. At the same time, it is taking away an extraordinary amount of safety net programs like Medicaid, food assistance. So, it really
is a sweeping, sprawling bill.
Virtually, all of the president's agenda, everything from immigration to border security to some military spending, all jammed in here. So, this is
really the biggest action that will happen, at least in the first half of this administration. So, that's why it's going a little bit slow.
But many Republicans I've been talking to throughout the day are concerned about some of these items in the bill. They think it's sort of been jammed
down their throats, but that's sort of how these things go. The bigger question, Paula, is this going to be sort of a weight around the nexts of
Republicans for the midterms elections -- midterm elections the next year? And there are many Republicans who I believe it would.
I mean, one Republican senator, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, he announced he was not running again. He's voting against the bill. He's worried about
the deep cuts to hospitals in North Carolina. So, there are some deep, deep, deep concerns. So, performative slightly, but also deeply
substantive.
NEWTON: Yes. And, Jeff, you have been speaking to Americans who rely on a lot of the programs that will be targeted in this bill. I'm curious to hear
from you, do you think those concerns are getting through to the floor of the Senate that we're looking at right now?
ZELENY: Look, I mean, they're definitely getting through because the phone calls have been coming in droves really for the last several weeks and
months. But the things are sort of locked in at this point. But there are some other provisions that are being added at the last minute.
[18:05:00]
For example, to get Republicans, Senator Josh Hawley's support and some other support from Republicans, he said, rural hospitals across the country
will be devastated by this. So, there's going to be basically a $25 billion fund just for rural hospitals. Alaska believes that it will be devastated
by this in terms of food assistance and Medicaid. So, that's what Senator Lisa Murkowski is looking for more from Alaska. So, that is one of the
reasons it's also taking a long time, because some changes are still being made.
But by and large that is one of the central political questions of this when you're taking away benefits from people, not just in blue states, in
Trump country as well. That is a potential -- a political worry, obviously a deep personal concern as well. So, the senators are well aware of the
concern out there, but they're barreling ahead with this because the bottom line is to extend the Trump tax cuts that money has to come from somewhere.
So, a lot of it is coming from these safety net programs.
NEWTON: Yes. And yet, still it will increase obviously both the deficit and the debt. Jeff Zeleny for us, as you continue to keep an eye on this,
appreciate it.
For more, we are joined by Larry Sabato. He joins me and he is the director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics. Good to see you,
Larry. Here we go. I want to hear from you how you believe this bill could reshape America's economy and crucially its budget. As I was just saying,
this would have lasting effects on generations to come. And I ask you now like it's a done deal, right? Because it's probably not going to change
substantively, is it?
LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: There will be tweaks here and there to keep this one or that one on the
reservation, but on the whole it's going to be what you've seen, and what we've seen is a complicated mess. It is gigantic. It's either a beautiful
bill or an ugly bill, depending on your point of view.
And yes, you're correct. This is going to have major effects for many, many years to come. Just the addition of $3.5. to $4 trillion to the national
debt, it's already a $36, $37 trillion. These things actually matter, and the debt is so large now, it's having a direct impact on how much money is
available for even basic programs annually in the American budget.
So, there are clear implications here, and Republicans will have to defend this, all the pieces of it, because if they vote for it, even though
they're really voting for pieces A, B, and C, which they like, they're going to be held accountable for pieces D, E, F, which they don't like.
That's where the negative TV ads come in.
So, there will be a price to pay, but there's a bigger price to pay for not voting for it. And Donald Trump just demonstrated what it was when he went
after Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina. And Thom Tillis retired in less than 12 hours.
NEWTON: And yet, you have to look at the fact that at least -- that even among GOP voters, this bill remains unpopular. Now, we're going to say that
it remains unpopular with about half of Americans, but also it remains unpopular even in some Republicans States. Why is that? And do you believe
that's really going to be the effect of this knowing that, you know, whether it's Republican voters or not, they are people that will be making
the decisions in during the midterms.
SABATO: Now, this bill is really more unpopular than any that I followed in a rather long career. Normally, public opinion has some impact on how at
least marginal district representatives and swing state senators vote, but it's had no impact at all. Again, because of the Donald Trump factor. They
want to at least get their party nomination again, then they'll fight it out in the fall and try to defend the bill. So, there's just no question.
When you look at this giant bill, there are many pieces of it that will cause Republicans real heartburn. The Democrats control nothing. But one
thing that is an advantage for a party that controls nothing is it's responsible for nothing. So, if you're going to blame anybody for what is
going to happen on healthcare, on SNAP food assistance, rural hospitals, so many other pieces of this, you're going to blame the Republicans.
NEWTON: Yes, I hear you. The Republicans are going to own this one, depending on what happens in the next few months. Well, we'll continue to
watch the progress of this bill. Great to see you. Appreciate it, Larry.
NEWTON: Thank you, Paula.
NEWTON: Now, hospital officials in Gaza, say at least 41 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit a bustling seaside cafe. It offered
internet access, making it popular among students and journalists. Jeremy Diamond has more.
[18:10:00]
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, another deadly day in Gaza made especially deadly by a strike on the port in Gaza City. The
target was a seaside cafe where at least 41 people were killed, 75 injured, according to the director of Al-Shifa Hospital. We can see in videos from
the scene, thick black smoke rising from the site of this airstrike, but then once you get on the ground, to the aftermath of this strike, you can
see how bustling this cafe must have been in the moments before the strike actually took place.
Because there are victims all over the place, broken chairs and tables in what was clearly a bustling cafe where people would actually come to try
and get access to the internet. This made it a spot, al-Baqa Cafe, for students, journalists and others trying to access the internet in Gaza
where internet access has been so spotty.
The director of Al-Shifa Hospital saying that the majority of the casualties were indeed women and children. Now, the Israeli military has
yet to comment on this strike, saying that they were looking into the circumstances. But we do know that at least one of the people who was
killed was a journalist, a freelance journalist, Ismail Abu Hatab, according to the Hamas controlled government media office, that makes him
the 228th journalist to be killed by the Israeli military since the war in Gaza began.
But as these airstrikes are continuing unabated in Gaza, there is discussion at very high levels in the Israeli government right now about
the potential for a ceasefire and hostage release deal, all of this coming in the wake of that ceasefire deal between Israel and Iran, and the 12 days
of military conflict between those two nations, where we saw a series of stunning military successes for the Israeli military.
And in the wake of that, the Israeli prime minister is signaling that there is a window of opportunity now, perhaps to lead to a ceasefire in Gaza and
a deal to release the hostages. And for the first time now, the prime minister is talking about the need to secure the release of the hostages as
a priority, whereas as, as recently as a few weeks ago, he was making clear that defeating Hamas was the number one objective. He now seems to be
signaling that releasing the hostages is the priority.
And so, we will see. Clearly, there is disagreement within the Israeli government, with right-wing allies of the prime minister advocating for
intensifying the war in Gaza. The Israeli military seems to be signaling that now is the right moment for a ceasefire and hostage release deal. We
will see what the Israeli government decides.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: OK. Still ahead for us, the White House says Canada caved in its latest trade dispute with the U.S. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney sees
things a little differently. Insight from Canada's former ambassador to the U.S. Frank McKenna. We'll have that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:15:00]
SOARES: And welcome back to "The Brief." Checking the action on Wall Street. U.S. stocks close at fresh records, finishing the last day of the
month and the quarter and the first half of the year all in the green. The S&P rallied 10 percent during the second quarter. It certainly is a
stunning recovery. Now, remember, stocks plunge to near bear market levels in April after President Trump's tumultuous tariff rollout.
His 90-day tariff pause, which helps steady those markets, runs out next week. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had this word of warning for
countries that are still negotiating with the United States.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT BESSENT, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: We have countries that are negotiating in good faith, but they should be aware that if we can't get
across the line because they're being recalcitrant, then we could spring back to the April 2nd levels.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Indian negotiators meantime have extended their Washington visit in hopes of reaching a trade deal. But President Trump seemingly losing
patience with Japan. He complained on Truth Social that Japan had closed its markets to U.S. rice, and warned that he'll send Tokyo a letter
implying higher tariffs for that.
Now, the future of social media sensation TikTok remains up in the air, even as President Trump claims to have finally found a buyer. Trump says a
group of what he calls very wealthy people have agreed to purchase the app from parent company ByteDance with an announcement coming soon. But he says
China will likely need to sign off on that deal and nowhere yet on the fate of the secret algorithm, the one that makes TikTok so popular.
Now, I spoke earlier today to Investor and "Shark Tank" co-star, Kevin O'Leary, about his thoughts on the future of TikTok. Now, he's expressed
interest in buying the app for several months, but he does warn that a lot remains unresolved.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEVIN O'LEARY, CHAIRMAN, O'LEARY VENTURES: I don't think you can assume anything about TikTok right now because Xi has not decided yet to sell it.
We all know that only he and Trump can work that out. The problem with the deal, there's two major buying groups. I'm one of them, and the other is
led by Oracle, and some of the existing shareholders, and they're good American investors, and they have a big piece of ByteDance. We're all stuck
with this algorithm problem because Senator Cotton, Rick Scott in Florida, and others have made it clear to us that we -- there's a law, they help
make this law, and the Supreme Court ruled nine to zero in favor of the law. We just can't use the algorithm.
And so, my sense of this deal, and I don't know this, but -- and I think the president is wise to keep this narrative going because I'm an advocate
of this bill, you know, As is Alexis from, you know, Reddit, and he and I have been talking about this. The guy that formed Reddit is like Mr.
Internet. We've been talking about this for a long time. How do we solve this problem so that we can build a TikTok America without China?
And here's the thing that we should think about from a policy perspective, and it's coming to the fore now. When we say that we're not going to sell
technology to China and we're going to ship, you know, like for example, an AMD chip or an Amazon chip or a NVIDIA chip or whatever it is, they're
going to replace it with their chip and they're going to have all these Chinese engineers writing code.
And so, the analogy I want to express to you, which I think is very relevant here is, when you create technology in America and the whole world
falls behind it, you're creating the queen bee. You create the NVIDIA chip, it's the queen bee. You send it out and all the bees that are programmers
around the bee -- the queen bee make the code, Chinese code. But my point is, it's Chinese honey running TikTok and we got to get the Chinese honey
out of there, because the bees make the honey. That's the programming.
NEWTON: OK.
O'LEARY: That honey is what's running TikTok.
NEWTON: OK. Kevin, but I'm still a little confused. And you're talking about Alexis Ohanian, who is the founder of Reddit and who is a very
prolific on entrepreneur. So, just to get back to this, do you think this purchase would involve him or any other investor that you've spoken to? But
I do want to get back to the issue of the algorithm because you say, look, that should -- the thing that makes TikTok tick is not going to be in this
deal.
[18:20:00]
O'LEARY: We can change it with American honey. We can do it. We can rewrite that algorithm. We can do it.
NEWTON: OK. But, Kevin, there are people on TikTok right now, they want to know, is my TikTok going to be the same in six months as it is right now?
O'LEARY: I say to everybody on TikTok, and particularly all those six plus million businesses, I'm their advocate, I have your back. We will rewrite
that algorithm and make it better for you. And on top of that, you'll own your data when this is over. It'll be better. It'll be compliant with U.S.
law. Cotton made it clear to me, Senator Cotton said, there is no way on earth that algorithm is coming into this American deal.
Get over it. I heard him loud and clear. I got it. I heard him. And so, you know, Alex and I are talking about it. Between the two of us, he's Mr.
Internet, I'm Mr. Small Business, we know every program in America we can solve this problem. We have to form some kind of a union with the other
buying groups so we're not bidding against each other.
I don't know what this looks like. I have no idea, but you're asking me what's going to happen. We have till the middle of September to solve this
problem, but I guarantee you there is no way on earth, even if Xi sells it, there's any Chinese honey in this deal. Zero Chinese honey.
NEWTON: OK. I want to get onto another issue, but just to be clear, you might still be involved in a TikTok deal or you're out? There's no -- you
have no idea what the president is talking about?
O'LEARY: I'm 100 percent there. I'm a 100 percent there. I've worked so hard on this since the beginning. Everybody knows that. But my -- I'm an
advocate. All of my companies, the majority of our digital spend this week, last Tuesday when we allocated our digital spend, is the TikTok. It's the
best way to get CAC, customer acquisition. Like, you know, that's -- it's the lowest cost for America.
NEWTON: Beven even without -- but you're telling me, but you're telling me you have to have the algorithm. So, without the algorithm you're saying you
to --
O'LEARY: No, I don't want the algorithm. I want nothing to do with the algorithm. I'm going to rewrite the algorithm. I have not -- I want nothing
to do with Chinese honey. Nothing because Cotton told me zero Chinese honey. Zero.
NEWTON: OK.
O'LEARY: Can't use it.
NEWTON: So, just, just, I need to get you on the record on this. So, if President Trump announces a deal within two weeks and Xi approves it, you
are part of the deal or you could still be part of the deal?
O'LEARY: No.
NEWTON: Or you're not part of this deal?
O'LEARY: Nobody knows who's in the deal. No, no. Nobody knows who's in the deal yet.
NEWTON: Well, you know if you're in or not.
O'LEARY: I want to be in as everybody wants to be in, but Xi has not decided if he's selling it yet. That's really between the president. Only
he could cut a deal with Xi. This is a company that -- so, only he can decide. And once he decides and he tells us, then I know with certainty
Congress will not allow the Chinese honey in the deal. That's where I come in. I don't have any Chinese honey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: All right. Well, forgive me, I did try and get to the bottom of that. We'll continue, obviously to try and get to the bottom of that story.
Now, an incredible rescue story here ahead. A father jumping into the ocean to save his young daughter after the girl went overboard on a Disney cruise
ship. Morgan Rynor with CNN affiliate, WFOR has our details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MORGAN RYNOR, WFOR REPORTER (voice-over): Passengers a bore, the Disney Dream on its way back from the Caribbean describe the moment everything
stopped.
LAURA AMADOR (PH): All the music stopped. An announcement came on. It sounded like Mr. Mop, but it might have been Mr. Mob, which stands for Man
Overboard.
RYNOR (voice-over): Crew members rushed into action, throwing life vests into the ocean.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And he couldn't get to the life preservers because he was holding onto his daughter. Laura Amador (ph) took this video of the
rescue mission.
AMADOR (PH): The ship was moving quickly, so quickly. It's crazy how quickly the people became little tiny dots in the sea and then you lost
sight of them. The captain slowed the ship, turned it around.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It looks like it was the mother because they were escorting her across the deck. They blocked off the deck. So -- and I just
saw her crying and I just felt for her at that moment. And I just started praying.
RYNOR (voice-over): You can hear Tracy Robinson Hughes (ph) doing exactly that in this video she shot.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God, thank you, Jesus.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What a dad.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God. That's a dad that needs to have a hero. He is a hero.
RYNOR (voice-over): Witnesses said the two were in the water for 20 minutes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am not a swimmer. I don't know if I could do that or not. Probably not. I would drown.
RYNOR (voice-over): And praised the man for jumping in.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That was a very heroic, you know, thing that he did. My goodness.
RYNOR (voice-over): Melanie Rickman took this video.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, you could tell that he was really struggling, that he -- you know, I mean, he'd been treading water for 20 minutes, 15, 20
minutes.
RYNOR (voice-over): Disney sent a statement saying, in part, the crew aboard the Disney Dream swiftly rescued two guests from the water. We
commend our crew members for their exceptional skills and prompt actions, which ensured the safe return of both guests to the ship within minutes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And everyone was like cheering on the ship and just the amazing quick response of Disney made a big difference.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[18:25:00]
NEWTON: Incredible story. Thank God they're both safe. Still to come for us, the latest on the murder of two firefighters in Idaho. What we're
learning about the suspect. That's coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: And a warm welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Paula Newton. And here are more headlines we're watching today.
The U.S. Senate is moving closer to a final vote on President Trump's sweeping domestic policy bill, the so-called big beautiful bill. Lawmakers
are offering changes in what's known as a vote-a-rama. The bill extends the president's first term tax cuts and phases out clean energy tax credits
that downsizes social safety net programs like Medicaid, while increasing money for the military and border enforcement. The Congressional Budget
Office estimates it will add trillions to the deficit.
An Israeli airstrike has killed at least 41 people at a cafe near the port in Gaza City, this is according to the Al-Shifa hospital. Now, the hospital
director says 75 people were also injured, and most of the casualties were women and children. The videos geo-located by CNN show damage and bodies
being removed on stretchers. The cafe was known for offering internet. It was a popular hangout for students, journalists, and remote workers.
And a dramatic rescue, take a look at this video. A man and his young daughter safely pulled into a boat after they went overboard from a Disney
Cruise Ship. The father jumped into the ocean to save his daughter after she fell from the ship. The ship was returning to Florida after a cruise to
The Bahamas.
[18:30:00]
So, U.S.-Canadian trade negotiations back on track apparently after a last- minute concession from Canada. Ottawa agreed on Sunday to drop a digital tax on tech firms. It was set to begin this week. President Trump's
suspended trade talks on Friday because of that tax. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt characterized Canada's reversal this way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: It is very simple, Prime Minister Carney and Canada caved to President Trump in the United States of
America. And President Trump knows how to negotiate and he knows that he is governing the best country and the best economy in this world, on this
planet. And every country on the planet needs to have good trade relationships with the United States. And it was a mistake for Canada to
vow to implement that tax that would've hurt our tech companies here in the United States. The president made his position quite clear to the prime
minister and the prime minister called the president last night to let the president know that he would be dropping that tax, which is a big victory
for our tech companies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney framing his move, not as a cave in, but as part of negotiations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK CARNEY, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: It is a question of timing in terms of the date for the final negotiations and when the tax was coming into
effect. And, you know, it doesn't make sense to collect tax from people and then remit them remit them back. So, it provides some certainty. And as I
just said, the negotiations have restarted. We're going to focus on getting the best deal for Canadians.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now, Carney says the two sides still hope to reach a tariff deal before their July 21st deadline. Frank McKenna joins me now. He was
cannabis ambassador to the United States and is now the deputy chair of TD Bank Financial Group.
Good to see you Frank McKenna. Hope you're doing well. And I'm going to ask a very pointed question here. So, how about it? Did the Prime Minister
cave? Did Canada Cave?
FRANK MCKENNA, FORMER CANADIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S. AND DEPUTY CHAIR, TD BANK FINANCIAL GROUP: We are -- Paula, we're quite used to the president
having to win and his press secretary giving him the big victories that he seems to crave. I remember when NAFTA was the law of the land your
president said it's was the worst trade deal in the history of the world. And essentially, we negotiated a new deal, the USMCA, and the only thing
that changed very much was the title, but president called it a massive victory, and we are prepared to accept that in the interest of doing
business.
And the same here, this was a piece of legislation that was always going to be negotiated away. And I think our prime minister showed a remarkable
amount of humility in accepting that it was going to have to be negotiated away. I would've hoped that the response on the U.S. side would've been
more diplomatic and more generous. And for the press secretary to call another head of state, to use the word caving seems to me a funny way to
negotiate. But we're prepared to take whatever's necessary.
In Canada, we're humble people. And at the end of the day, we would like to resume the trillion-dollar relationship we have with the people of the
United States of America.
NEWTON: Well, Canadians may be humble, but they're certainly not willing to pay for that humility. They want a trade deal, at the end of the day. You
predicted Canada would win this trade war. It doesn't seem like it right now. I mean, right now it's like you're angering the person who's got a gun
to your head and you don't want them to pull the trigger.
Last time I looked, that's not a negotiation, that's blackmail. Do you see any signs given, you know, your position with Canadian business right now
that this negotiation is headed in the right direction?
MCKENNA: Well, I think it is. It'll be a bumpy ride. But I think it's headed in the right direction. We effectively have very little tariff while
between us at the present time, anything that's CUSMA compliant is going in without tariffs. We would like to get to the place where we were, which is
that we have essentially a fortress North America on free trade amongst the three countries of North America. It's worked well all the way through.
And I do need to remind our listeners, Paula, that contrary to what President Trump says from time to time as part of his negotiation strategy,
Canada brings a great deal to this relationship. We're the biggest buyer of U.S. goods. Bigger than the entire European put together. We're the biggest
buyer for almost every state in the union. Not only that, but we're the biggest supplier of all your commodities, which you turn into jobs, and I'm
talking aluminum where we at least supply over 50 percent, steel 25 percent, lumber 25 percent, oil 25 percent. Potash 85 percent.
[18:35:00]
NEWTON: So, Ambassador McKenna, actually, that argument -- Canada has been putting forth that argument for months. And if we go back to the first
Trump term for years, and we know in fact that American businesses, significant, ones are hurting. I mean, you just talked to the, you know,
tourism board in Las Vegas, they're hurting. California wine sales to Canada, you know, down more than 90 percent. And yet, the president's
bargaining position has not changed.
You being a former ambassador here in the United States, why do you think that American lobby, the Americans that have so much to lose in this trade
deal, why do you think that's not getting through to the Oval Office?
MCKENNA: Well, I think probably a better question, why isn't it getting through to Congress, to the senators and the congressional leaders? It's
their constituencies feeling the pain, whether it's farmers or tourism operators, as you say, or the people who are selling wine and spirits into
Canada.
But we're going to continue to negotiate respectfully knowing that the United States is always going to be our --
NEWTON: Well, unfortunately, we'll have to leave it there given our technical issues, and I do apologize, but you hear his opinion. He's saying
that like this deal is likely to get done even though it will be bumpy, and we'd like to thank him for being with us.
OK. Straight ahead for us, jury deliberations began today in the trial of Sean Diddy Combs. And jurors have already sent notes to the judge. We'll
tell you what they're saying. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: Investigators in the U.S. State of Idaho have named the suspect who they say allegedly started a brush fire then ambush the firefighters who
arrived to put it out. Now, law enforcement accused Wess Roley of fatally shooting two firefighters on Sunday. A third is in stable condition. Police
say the 20-year-old who appears to have taken his own life has no known criminal history. They are still searching for a motive behind the attacks.
And of course, all of this as the community mourns such a devastating loss. CNN's Julia Vargas Jones has the latest now on the investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN, CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Smoke rising from the forest in Coeur d'aLene, Idaho. A call prompting firefighters and then
police to rush into action.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Send law enforcement right now, there's an active shooter zone. They're shot. BC three is down. BC one is down. Everybody's
shot.
[18:40:00]
JONES (voice-over): Ultimately, about 300 members of law enforcement responded to a sniper style ambush.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm pinned down behind battalion one's rig. It's clear to me that this fire was sent intentionally to draw us in.
JONES (voice-over): For 90 minutes, law enforcement said they exchanged fire saying it seemed like bullets were coming from multiple directions.
But in the end, a single suspect now identified as 20-year-old Wess Roley was found dead with a firearm near his body.
SHERIFF BOB NORRIS, KOOTENAL COUNTY, IDAHO: We have not been able to find any manifesto. We don't show any criminal history for Roley.
JONES (voice-over): Two firefighters died in the attack and at least one more was seriously injured. Firefighter Ben Hector got an all-hands page to
come in after the shooting. Like many here, he knows the victims well.
JONES: These were your guys.
BEN HECTOR, FIREFIGHTER, COEUR D'ALENE, IDAHO: The chief was my chief. We know each other well. My friend in the hospital, you know, he owns a really
cool Christmas tree farm. My son's gone to work for him. We're friends.
JONES (voice-over): This close-knit community now coming together to support their first responders.
KASSI ALLEN, COEUR D'ALENE, IDAHO RESIDENT: We have seen the heartache of losing an officer in the line of duty, and your hope is that it never
happens again. So, to have this happen with fire is awful.
HECTOR: It's shocking for sure.
JONES: Does it change the way that you see your community or the work that you do?
HECTOR: No. No. That's an outlier. That's not the people here. It doesn't change anything. There's still just work to do. You don't get time off
because it was a bad day.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: And our thanks to Julia Vargas Jones there on the ground. Now to nearby Moscow, Idaho, where Brian Kohberger was accused of killing four
university students in 2022. Kohberger has reportedly agreed to plead guilty. ABC News reporting that Kohberger will be sentenced to four
consecutive life sentences and avoid the death penalty.
The Sean Diddy Combs sex trafficking and racketeering trial is now in the hands of the jurors, but they've been dismissed for the day for now after
sending two notes to the judge, the first over concerns about one juror who they said could not follow instructions. The judge reminded them of their
obligation to follow his instruction on the law. The second note was, a question about the distribution of controlled substances.
Joining us now from Miami, former state and federal prosecutor David Weinstein. He's also a partner at Jones Walker in Florida. Good to see you
again. This case is finally in the hands of the jury. We discuss those notes to the jury. Does that say anything to you? Do you find that odd in
any way?
DAVID WEINSTEIN, FORMER STATE AND FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well, I find the first note odd. Jurors, one of the things they're supposed to do from the
outset is to follow the judge's instructions. If you can't follow the instructions, how can you deliberate? So, it's clear that one of the jurors
was, at some point, not following them, but they seem to have resolved that issue.
The second question means that there is some type of reasonable doubt raised by at least one of the jurors as to, in this instance, what
constitutes a distribution? Because remember, one of the overt acts in the RICO conspiracy is distribution. So, somebody's questioning whether if a
person asked for drugs and somebody simply gave it to them, is that distribution. And so, the court's going to have to answer that question.
The jurors already have that answer. It's in their instructions, and it simply says that to distribute is to give something to another individual.
So, that may be tied into that one juror who's not following instructions.
NEWTON: In terms of the note though, the second one, it does get to a point that I've heard from many legal analysts, and I don't know if you agree,
and the fact that this is a more difficult case to prove rather than this being, you know, a case of domestic violence. And of course, some of the
details were difficult to listen to and quite dramatic. And yet, perhaps the evidence that jurors heard in court does not match the charges against
Mr. Combs.
WEINSTEIN: I'm not necessarily in complete agreement with this. I will agree this was a very complicated case. The RICO conspiracy charge itself
is complicated. They have to find two or more overt acts. They define the overt acts.
As to whether or not the fact that it's either taking them this long or they're hinging on this one particular verbiage, I think it just means
they're doing their job. They're going through the overt acts, trying to see if the government's met their burden of proof. Somebody's questioning
whether they have, as the defense has asked them to do. And so, they're taking their time to decide. Remember, they sat through a trial that was
seven weeks long.
NEWTON: Seven weeks, and very complicated when we talk about what they have to go through, it is complicated though, because it is not just a matter of
whether or not there was domestic violence involved here. I mean, can you just illuminate for us exactly what they're going to be going through,
chapter and verse, knowing again that they have to find, there has to be a unanimous verdict and it has to be beyond a shadow of a doubt?
[18:45:00]
WEINSTEIN: Well, Paula, you raise an interesting point there. It is complicated. This is not a single count indictment where they're saying
that a defendant did one thing in particular. And as to the domestic violence allegations, they're not specifically charged as such, but they're
intertwined with his behavior, what they call his prior bad acts.
And so, what these jurors have to do is they have to go through all of these acts that the government has put evidence forward, the kidnapping,
the distribution of controlled substances, threats to other witnesses, the firebombing that they spoke about, intimidation, and they have to decide
whether or not for this first much larger conspiracy count for which he would face life in prison, did the government prove two or more of these
acts? And so, that's why it's going to take some time, and that is why it's more complicated than a simple single count indictment where the government
is alleging that somebody either attacked or battered somebody or distributed controlled substances. So, there is a lot that they have to
consider.
NEWTON: If this jury sits for days and days and days and continues to deliberate, do you think that points one way or the other to a verdict of
guilty or not guilty?
WEINSTEIN: Well, absolutely, Paula. The longer they deliberate, the better it is for the defense. Look, no one expected a quick verdict. There was a
lot for them to consider, you know, an unspoken rule of thumb is that for every trial day, that equates to about an hour's worth of deliberation. So,
not all seven weeks of trial were actual testimony days, but I would expect they're going to be in there for at least three days or more to deliberate
what's going on.
And the longer they're in there, the longer they haven't reached a verdict, that means that some one or more jurors have a reasonable doubt. Now, it
may not be enough for an outright acquittal, but it might be enough for a hung jury.
NEWTON: And a hung jury for prosecutors here would again be very difficult, as you said, this was a long case, a difficult case to put together.
WEINSTEIN: It will be. It certainly is a victory for the defense. Then the prosecution has to decide, well, are we going to do this all over again?
But if they do decide to do it all over again, they've now seen what it was that the hole was by questions the jurors have asked. Perhaps we'll get
more questions as it goes along and they'll be able to plug those holes. But a mistrial is a short-term victory for the defense.
NEWTON: And we continue to wait as the jury deliberates. David Weinstein for us. Thanks. Really appreciate it.
WEINSTEIN: You're welcome.
NEWTON: Now, Wimbledon, it's kicking off. Coming up. All the highlights are from the All England Club as players deal with unprecedented London heat.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:50:00]
SOARES: Europe absolutely roasting under a heat wave as parts of the Mediterranean grapple with wildfires. Experts warning that as climate
change gets worse, yes, so will the heat. Temperatures in Italy, Spain, and Greece climbing about 40 degrees Celsius, well above that, in fact, or over
100 degrees Fahrenheit. Authorities are telling people to drink plenty of water, of course, and rest during the hottest part of the day. Al Goodman
has more now from Madrid.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AL GOODMAN, JOURNALIST (voice-over): Apocalyptic scenes in Izmir, Turkey as wildfires forced residents to flee for their lives. Aid workers carried an
elderly man to safety just moments before flames swallowed his home. A harrowing escape in searing summer heat.
Outside Madrid, firefighters battled a late-night blaze, another front in the heat wave stretching from Greece to Spain and beyond. Across Europe, an
early and unforgiving summer scorcher is gripping the continent. In parts of Spain, official temperature soared above 46 degrees Celsius, well over
114 degrees Fahrenheit, leaving people and animals alike scrambling for any patch of shade or drop of water.
GOODMAN: Spain's National Weather Agency says it's the hottest June since records began 60 years ago. The afternoon sun is piercing. And overnight,
the temperatures don't fall enough to really cool things down.
GOODMAN (voice-over): In Seville, residents say it felt like the city itself was melting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It's awful. It makes me collapse. We need to look for shade constantly, air conditioning if we have it. And
these devices keep ringing with heat warnings.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I feel terrible about it. I can't sleep well and have insomnia. I also get heat strokes. I stop eating and I
just can't focus.
GOODMAN (voice-over): Some found refuge at the beach. Others trudged on to visit Europe's monuments, despite the stifling heat. In Athens, the
government opened air-conditioned community centers and set up hotlines for medical help as the mercury climbed relentlessly.
In Hungary, even the elephants at the Budapest Zoo needed cold showers to stay cool with temperatures nearing 39 degrees Celsius.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a hot day. You're going to need it.
GOODMAN (voice-over): And in Britain, a country hardly known for sizzling summers, tennis fans at Wimbledon braved unusually high temperatures on
opening day. Scientists warned that human induced climate change is fueling these extreme heat events, making them more frequent, more intense, and
harder to predict. And with the heat showing no sign of letting up, Europe braces for more scorching days ahead and with them, the very real threat of
new extremes.
Al Goodman, CNN, Madrid.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And as you can imagine, Wimbledon baked in its hottest ever opening day. Carlos Alcaraz aims for his third consecutive title of the tournament.
The 22-year-old has already won five Grand Slam singles titles. Don Riddell brings us all the details.
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Hey, Paula. Wimbledon is always one of the most exciting and prestigious sports events of the summer, and as tradition
always dictates, the defending men's champion always kicks things off on center court. And so, Carlos Alcaraz had the honor on Monday.
He is trying to become the first man since Bjorn Borg in the '70s to win both the French Open and Wimbledon in back-to-back years. He's also hoping
for three titles in a row here. And he is off to a winning start.
Alcaraz though made to work for it by Fabio Fognini. However, after a grueling five sets in record temperatures for the opening day of the
tournament, he finally booked his place in the second round.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARLOS ALCARAZ, TENNIS PLAYER: Playing the first match at the center court, the first match of every tournament, it's is never easy. I've been
practicing pretty well. I've been playing on grass set really well, but at Wimbledon it's special. It's different.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIDDELL: Meanwhile, the women's number one, Aryna Sabalenka, kicked off things for her with a straight sets win against the Canadian qualifier,
Carson Branstine, 6-1, 7-5. Sabalenka has been practicing with Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner after the disappointment of losing two major
finals already this year.
Wimbledon is the only major final she hasn't yet played in, but I would say she's the favorite for the women's draw this year. Back to you.
NEWTON: Thanks, Don. Now, what would you do if you won the lottery? It's the question thousands of people across Norway were actually asking
themselves over the weekend when they were told they had won a large sums in the Euro jackpot draw, only to find out it was all a mistake.
[18:55:00]
Norway's national lottery, Norsk Tipping, have apologized after a conversion mistake, whatever that is, led people to believe they had won
100 times what they actually had won. The CEO has since resigned following the scandal. I'd imagine they are not too popular around their country.
In today's Good Brief though --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Formula 1 is a team sport. It always was. Listen, let's get this straight. We all lose our jobs if you can't put off a
miracle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No pressure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: None.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Any excuse to bring up a good movie trailer. The summer Blockbuster "F1" apparently topping the weekend box office, raking in more than $55
million in North America. The Brad Pitt movie, yes, that's who you saw there, made by Apple Original Films, has earned about $145 million
worldwide, handing the Tech giant, its biggest opening yet. The film is distributed by Warner Brothers Pictures, which shares the same parent
company as CNN.
And I want to thank you for your company. I'm Paula Newton in New York, in for Jim Sciutto. You've been watching "The Brief." Stay with CNN for more
news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:00:00]
END
