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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
U.K. To Recognize Palestinian State If Gaza War Continues; Israel Rejects U.K. Plan To Recognize Palestinian State; NYC Mass Shooting Investigation; NYC Gunman Had Grievances With NFL; More U.S. Smartphones Now Made In India; Russia Ramps Up Attacks On Ukraine Ahead Of Trump's Deadline; MBL Gambling Probe. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired July 29, 2025 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. And you're watching
"The Brief."
Just ahead this hour, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the U.K. will recognize a Palestinian State unless Israel takes steps to end what he
calls the appalling situation in Gaza. New York City's mayor says investigators believe the gunman who killed four people yesterday was
likely heading toward the offices of the NFL, but he got on the wrong elevator. And an all-star pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians becomes the
latest Major League player caught up in a gambling investigation.
We do begin once again in Gaza. A U.N.-backed group warns that the worst- case scenario of famine has now taken hold there as the crisis grows more desperate by the day. The IPC issued a dire alert saying that access to
food and other essential items has dropped too unprecedented levels. The Gaza Health Ministry announced earlier that the death toll has now
surpassed 60,000 since the war.
Western nations are putting more pressure on Israel. The U.K. prime minister, Starmer, says the U.K. will soon recognize a Palestinian State
unless Israel meets certain conditions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: This is the moment to act. So, today, as part of this process towards peace, I can confirm the U.K. will
recognize the State of Palestine by the United Nations General Assembly in September unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the
appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire and commit to a long-term sustainable piece, reviving the prospect of a two-state solution, and this
includes allowing the U.N. to restart the supply of aid and making clear that there will be no annexations in the West Bank.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Israel rejected that announcement, arguing that recognition would serve as a reward for Hamas. France, on the other hand, is commending
Britain's decision saying that their combined efforts will break an endless cycle of violence. President Donald Trump says he has no plans to follow
their lead. He did say however that he is working with Prime Minister Netanyahu to get a ceasefire, quote, "straightened out." President Trump
told reporters aboard Air Force One that the scenes of starving children in Gaza have affected him and the first lady.
The sheer desperation in Gaza can especially be seen at aid distribution sites as Jeremy Diamond is about to show us. Again, as so often with
stories from Gaza, I need to warn you many of the images are disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Desperate and hungry, thousands of Palestinians scramble onto aid trucks that have just
entered the Gaza Strip. They grab what they can, anything for the chance to feed themselves and their families. Many of whom have gone days without
food.
This sea of desperation driven by months of Israeli restrictions on aid distribution in Gaza. Amid global outrage, Israel is now reversing course,
ceasing fire in parts of Gaza for 10 hours a day and opening designated secure routes to allow more aid trucks to flow in steps humanitarian aid
organizations have sought for months.
The U.N. says more than 100 trucks of aid were delivered into Gaza on Sunday. Many more will be needed to even begin to alleviate this crisis.
As children scrape bits flour from the beds of those trucks, the World Food Programme says a quarter of Gaza's 2 million plus population is now
experiencing famine like conditions. Israel also allowing air drops into Gaza for the first time in months, sending Palestinians running to grab
what they can.
But as a rifle is fired into the air, a reminder that it is often the strongest, like gangs who steal and resell food at higher prices, who are
first to eat.
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I didn't get anything, this elderly lady says, I was crushed in the crowd.
While some manage to grab a full box, others emerge with just a few items flour, oil, pasta. A far cry from what they would get if enough U.N. trucks
were entering Gaza.
This aid is disgraceful. We are not dogs to be made to run after aid. People fought over it, this man says. We'd rather die of hunger with
dignity than die in humiliation and filth.
Palestinians are also still getting shot and killed while trying to get aid. The Palestinian Health Ministry said 25 people were shot by Israeli
forces while trying to get aid during the past 24 hours.
The Israeli military said it was not aware of any casualties. He's only 12 years old. What was his fault? This man cries out. He went to get flour to
feed little children. His brother survives on sugar water to feel full.
In the hospital's morgue, this body is a testament to an entirely different weapon. Starvation has claimed 20 more lives in Gaza in the last two days,
including 10-year-old Noor Abu Saleh (ph). She became like this because of hunger, thirst and the siege imposed on us by the Israelis, her uncle
shouts. This is a Palestinian child. He says the world would be outraged if only she had been born anywhere else.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Joining me now is Jonathan Conricus, former spokesperson for the IDF, also a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, co-
founder of BottomLine Media. Jonathan, good to have you back.
JONATHAN CONRICUS, FORMER IDF SPOKESPERSON, SENIOR FELLOW: Hello, Jim. Thanks for having me.
SCIUTTO: So, as you're aware, the U.S. president says that there were people starving in Gaza, as have the leaders of several of Israel's closest
allies. Prime Minister Netanyahu, he says there is no starvation in Gaza. In your view, what is the reality there?
CONRICUS: What I understand the reality to be on the ground in Gaza is that the main problem isn't the amount of food that exists in the Gaza Strip,
but it is who has its hands on that food and how it is distributed. And there's a great inequality between those that have power, either strong
clans or Hamas affiliated families. And of course, Hamas fighters who get food, get aid, have everything they need.
In some of the more posh areas, and that's starkly different visuals than what you're showing on the screen now, you can still see open restaurants
and cafes in other parts of Gaza. I just scrolled social media from Gaza, and you can see that as well.
SCIUTTO: Jonathan, I'm not sure that accurately reflects the situation there. I'm going to quote from Avi Mayer of the Jerusalem Journal, former
the Jerusalem Post, who has been a great defender of Israeli military actions there, but also even Israeli aid distribution. He says, the admiral
efforts of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation have proven insufficient and have been accompanied by terrible loss of life on the part of both
civilians and aid workers. The prices of basic food items have skyrocketed, suggesting that the scarcity is becoming more acute and that a full-scale
humanitarian collapse could be imminent. The pictures don't lie.
CONRICUS: Yes. So, I don't what he basis that on. Yes, I don't know what he bases that on. But actually, both of these things can happen at the same
time. There is food in Gaza. It's just not accessible to everybody who needs it and there are people that are suffering. But on the other hand,
there's people or -- and Hamas has food.
But I think the bottom line here is I think we should recognize that Hamas has scored a very important strategic victory. They have done a successful
media campaign, which has been followed by a diplomatic effort and we see - -
SCIUTTO: But, Jonathan, that implies that the media is not doing its job. I speak to aid organizations, doctors, virtually every day --
CONRICUS: I can give you --
SCIUTTO: -- who are witnessing -- they're witnessing the suffering there. And to be clear, as you know, a USAID study found that 1 percent of USAID
funded aid was affected by loss, theft, diversion, fraud, or waste. The New York Times reported in the last several days that Israeli officials say
that the IDF has not found proof that Hamas has systematically stolen aid. So, to say that this is all --
CONRICUS: Yes. Again --
SCIUTTO: -- a Hamas problem doesn't match up with -- is not supported by the facts.
CONRICUS: And no, you're not correct. And citing anonymous sources that were reported in The New York Times is not credible.
SCIUTTO: It's not just The New York Times, it's a USAID study --
CONRICUS: That's fine.
SCIUTTO: -- its own aid and what has been taken by Hamas and what hasn't done. And to be clear, Jonathan, you and I have known each other a long
time. I talk to witnesses on the ground every day who speak to shortages there, doctors who are treating people who are starving and are treating
people who are getting injured or shot when they go to these aid sites. So, it's not just a disinformation campaign. These are accounts we are getting
from the ground.
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CONRICUS: Well, I think that is the biggest part of it, Jim. I think that is the biggest part of it. And you know, just about speaking about
disinformation, how many times was the word Hamas mentioned in the last story that we saw? It wasn't mentioned even once. I listened for it and I
waited to hear how many times was Hamas, the governing organization that controls the Gaza Strip, that controls the civilian population, that
started the war, how many times was it mentioned? Zero.
SCIUTTO: Well, as you know, Jonathan we've covered Hamas' terror attacks in Gaza and in Israel for months and years. What I'm talking about now is, who
is getting aid to the people who need it? And Israel has control over large parts of Gaza and Israel is running the aid distribution. So, does Israel
not share responsibility?
CONRICUS: Actually no, Jim. Actually no. Yes. No, actually not. Israel runs part of it and part of it is run by U.N. affiliated organizations, that up
until a few days ago, boycotted Israeli efforts to bring in food. Food was in Gaza, waiting to be picked up by U.N. trucks, and they simply boycotted
it and there were 950 truckloads of food in the Gaza.
SCIUTTO: Well, I'm aware of this talking point, but when we speak to aid groups --
CONRICUS: It's not about the --
SCIUTTO: -- they say this --
CONRICUS: Jim, I don't think that's fair.
SCIUTTO: But we test the thing is --
CONRICUS: -- everything that Israel says a talking point.
SCIUTTO: I don't call everything that Israel says a talking point. I only call talking points a talking point. My understanding from speaking to aid
organizations and other outlets, including Reuters, have reported this, is that Israel is requiring the U.N. to offload aid at the border and then
send trucks internally within Gaza to pick it up. And what I hear from aid groups, I spoke to one yesterday called HEAL Palestine, that they were able
to get food in prior and they can't get food in now. So, there's an issue there, right?
They say because Israel is not approving -- they say that Israel is not approving their aid shipments in or making it harder for them to get the
aid in.
CONRICUS: Yes, in my mind, the issue is that Hamas wants exactly what's happening now. Hamas wants a humanitarian disaster. Hamas wants this, and
they are using it very effectively to create diplomatic pressure on Israel through media coverage, through leveraging the suffering of the Palestinian
population. I can assure you that there is no shortage of food with Hamas fighters and with Hamas affiliated families.
And I can say that what all of all of the things that are happening now, the U.K. recognition, future recognition, and many of the other diplomatic
things that are happening that are tremendously important and meaningful for the region, the first thing that they're doing is strengthening Hamas
and it tells Hamas, you don't need to go for a deal, you don't need to release hostages and you can carry on doing what you're doing, which is
fighting, refusing for a ceasefire and not releasing any of the Israeli hostages.
SCIUTTO: I don't doubt --
CONRICUS: That is the meaning of what we're seeing.
SCIUTTO: I don't doubt -- I don't question that Hamas does not seek propaganda value from the suffering of the Palestinian people. What I'm
asking is whether you grant that Israel has responsibility for what we're seeing on the ground there now?
CONRICUS: Definitely.
SCIUTTO: And to be clear, remember --
CONRICUS: Definitely.
SCIUTTO: -- it's Prime Minister Netanyahu who -- when he withdrew from the ceasefire in March, announced that aid shipments would be halted in order
to pressure Hamas. He said as many --
CONRICUS: Yes, without a doubt.
SCIUTTO: -- he said in as many words.
CONRICUS: Yes. Jim, on this, we agree. This is a tremendous colossal failure of Israeli strategy under Prime Minister Netanyahu. It is at 180-
degree about-face. And it is Israel running out of diplomatic runway as a result of ineffective operations on the ground, and a very effective
information campaign by Hamas and its supporters in the Arab world and in Europe. That is what we're seeing.
But it doesn't change reality, and we mustn't confuse that with cause and effect. We are in this situation because Hamas started the war, because
they took our hostages, and because they are refusing to ceasefire deals and they're refusing to return the hostages. That is why we're here. That
is why the Palestinian population is suffering. That is why there is a humanitarian catastrophe or a very significant situation on the ground.
It isn't because Israel is fighting. It's very easy to pin responsibility on Israel. But at the end of the day, beyond the moving pictures of
starving children, some of them with preexisting conditions, we saw that picture of a young boy who was --
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SCIUTTO: I've heard this story too. But, Jonathan, I've talked to doctors who treated many dozens of malnourished -- many dozens of malnourished
children and others. It's not just images of people suffering from other things. They can't get enough food. They can't get enough. So, my question
is, going forward, what and I appreciate you acknowledging that Israel shares responsibility here, as you have done in the past. You have said in
other interviews you've granted mistakes when mistakes happened, et cetera.
What do you believe needs -- Israel needs to do now to lessen the suffering of the Palestinian people, civilians there?
CONRICUS: Yes. What Israel needs to do now is to make a very difficult decision. And I'd remind everybody that this war is about defending Israel
from the attacks of Hamas and making sure that Hamas won't be able to conduct an October 7th attack again. That is why Israel is fighting. That
is the objective here. That is what Israel needs to achieve.
And Israel -- and of course to get our hostages back, 20 live hostages and 30 murdered hostages that are still held by Hamas, and Hamas is refusing to
let them go. What Israel needs to do is to make a very tough choice, whether to continue the war by using military means or to basically
capitulate too international pressure. And it depends very much on what the U.S. president will say and feel. And I'm saddened to see that he too has
been influenced by the information campaign that has been ongoing and is ongoing.
But at the end of the day, it's between these two options, it can either go to a victory for Hamas thanks to the media operations that we've seen, or
it can go to an all-out significant escalation where Israel will say, despite everything happening, we will have to continue and pursue our goals
to defend Israeli civilians from Hamas and make sure that Hamas never is able to govern the Gaza Strip or to attack Israel again.
SCIUTTO: Listen, I --
CONRICUS: If you ask me what I think it's likely, I think that the first option, sadly, is more likely, and I'm saddened by it because it means that
Hamas has been granted a victory, and that Israelis will be less safe and people in Gaza will continue to suffer.
SCIUTTO: I understand the actions of a terrorist group, and I've covered them myself, but to say that this is entirely -- the images we're seeing,
the accounts we are hearing from people on the ground is entirely a media campaign just doesn't seem to match up with the facts. But let's keep up --
CONRICUS: I haven't said entirely, Jim. I haven't said entirely, but I've said that this is an orchestrated effort by Hamas with a political
objective. And sadly, it is successful. Are there people that are suffering in Gaza? Undoubtedly, there are people who are -- have gone through --
SCIUTTO: Many thousands.
CONRICUS: -- hell in Gaza, and there's no doubt. But the political objective is, I think what matters here, and this is what Hamas has done.
SCIUTTO: Jonathan Conricus, we appreciate you taking the hard questions. Thanks for joining.
CONRICUS: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: Now, we do go to New York and New York City's deadliest mass shooting in some 25 years. These images have emerged showing office workers
piling up furniture, barricading themselves inside, this after 27-year-old Shane Tamura, armed with what police describe as an AR-15 style weapons, so
often used in shootings such as this, walked into a Manhattan high rise that is home to the offices of the National Football League. He killed four
people, including a police officer before taking his own life. One person remains critically injured.
A suicide note indicates grievances against the NFL. This according to a source. Today, New York police are dispatching teams to Las Vegas where the
killer is from. And about an hour from now in Bryant Park, New York City, the mayor, Eric Adams, will lead a vigil in honor of those four victims.
Jason Carroll has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tonight, policed thousands of miles away from the Manhattan crime scene positioned outside
the shooter's Las Vegas home, as investigators try to learn as much as they can about Shane Tamura and his motive for carrying out the deadly attack.
The New York Police Department is sending two teams to Las Vegas.
JESSICA TISCH, NEW YORK CITY POLICE COMMISSIONER: To conduct interviews and execute a search warrant at Mr. Tamura's home. They'll also visit the gun
store where he legally purchased a revolver on June 12th using a Nevada concealed carry permit.
CARROLL (voice-over): Neighbors outside the suspect's home stunned to hear about what had happened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not something you really expect to see. So, yes, it's a real shock.
CARROLL (voice-over): The 27-year-old worked here at the Horseshoe Casino as a surveillance department employee. Police have uncovered some of his
movements in the days before the shooting. He left Las Vegas in his black BMW on July 26th.
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He traveled through Colorado. The next day, Nebraska and Iowa. Then on Monday, July 28th at 4:24 p.m., he was in Columbia, New Jersey before he
entered New York City.
TISCH: Surveillance video shows a male exit a double-parked black BMW on Park Avenue between 51st and 52nd streets, carrying an M4 rifle in his
right hand.
CARROLL (voice-over): As for his intended target, the early investigation suggests Tamura was headed to NFL headquarters at 345 Park Avenue, but used
the wrong elevator bank. These pictures obtained by CNN show some of what investigators found inside his car, including a nylon rifle case and a
Ziploc bag filled with ammunition. Police also recovered a revolver and Zoloft, an antidepressant medication.
TISCH: According to our law enforcement partners in Las Vegas, Mr. Tamura has a documented mental health history.
CARROLL (voice-over): Police found a suicide note in his back pocket where he alleges he suffered from CTE, a brain disease linked to repeated head
trauma. The note saying in part, you can't go against the NFL, they'll squash you. Adding, study my brain please.
Tamura did not play in the NFL. He was once a promising high school football player in Southern California, described by a coach in a 2013
local newspaper article as lightning in a bottle. Studies have shown CTE in former football players, though it is more common in pro athletes.
ERIC ADAMS, MAYOR, NEW YORK CITY: The motives appeared to be connected to the shooter's belief that he was suffering from CTE and he was an ex-NFL
player. Those items just don't pan out. He never played for the NFL. And so, we're still unraveling this terrible shooting that took place in the
city.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Our thanks to Jason Carroll for that story. Joining me now, Daniel Brunner, retired FBI special agent. Daniel, good to have you here. You
know, the -- so often in these cases, they're just such useless acts of violence. Here's someone he had a gripe with the NFL. Goes to the NFL
headquarters and ends up shooting a bunch of people not connected to the NFL. He had a mental health history. He had a gun, but he got it legally
somehow, despite a mental health history. What do you think the FBI will be focusing on here?
DANIEL BRUNNER, RETIRED FBI SPECIAL AGENT: Well, the FBI, along with NYPD and all the other agencies that are involved from Las Vegas to New York
City, all of them are going to be focused on everything. There isn't going to be one single thing that they're focusing on. They're going to be
looking at everything. They're going to be talking to the doctors that are mentioned in the note, finding out if he is diagnosed with CTE or if he's
self-diagnosed. If he's just using that as an excuse. They're going to be looking at the applications for the concealed carry license. If there was a
mistake or if he lied upon that. Also, the private investigator license.
They're going to look at, most importantly, the digital footprint of this individual. You know, what he was doing in Las Vegas, what he was searching
in the computer, on his phone. All the way across the country. And then they're going to move backwards from that point from when he purchased the
weapon. They're going to move backwards to learn where the pathway to violence began. What started this idea.
SCIUTTO: Right.
BRUNNER: Where did he get this idea to get here, to this point today?
SCIUTTO: He had a mental health history. Nevada has a red flag law, as they're known, but he's still got a weapon legally. How does this happen?
BRUNNER: Well, see, that's the debate that's ongoing and what we talk about today of -- and everybody's saying hearts and prayers and thoughts and
prayers and everything like that, and -- but we need to have -- really have a good discussion about better laws, better checks and balances for -- to
purchase weapons.
He clearly was able to get not only a concealed carry license, but to purchase the weapons at the store in Nevada, and I'm sure we'll find out
the accessories, because supposedly he had a silencer upon that. So, you're going to be looking for that. And all the other accessories, they're going
to look at the gun bag, the revolver. Every little piece. They're going to look at how he was able to acquire it knowing that he was a threat to the
community. And that's where, unfortunately, that we have the deaths -- these deaths here now, we finally -- we learn from this, we -- the FBI
takes every time an incident like this occurs, and then they learn from it and they be -- make sure that, how can we prevent this from happening in
the future?
SCIUTTO: I mean, the thing is, you know, here's a building. It had security, like so many buildings have today. The guy's a cop. I mean, he's
off-duty right, doing security, but he's a cop. He's trained. He's armed and yet, a guy walks in, and by the way, he's got an AR-15, once again,
long rifle used in so many of these shootings, does it show ultimately that you can't entirely protect against these things? I mean, to some degree, a
lot of the security we go through may not give us the protection we imagine it does.
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BRUNNER: Well, absolutely, it's going to open the discussion now that we've had now this, the United Healthcare incident, the CEO being shot right
there in Midtown Manhattan. I lived right there. I lived two blocks away from that, where the shooting occurred yesterday. My wife worked across the
street from that building for 16 years. So, I'm very familiar with that area.
And to see a person exit his vehicle with a long gun would've shocked anybody. And the fact that this is becoming, unfortunately, something that
is to be a threat, every building in the city, every company's going to have to reevaluate their security, whether it means getting private
security that's armed at the doors and -- or an increased type of manmade barriers so that they can't get access to the elevators.
That elevator went to the 33rd floor, it would be a very scary thought of - - if he had gotten access to the NFL floors on the fifth and sixth floor.
SCIUTTO: Good lord. Such a tragedy. Daniel Brunner, thanks so much for joining.
BRUNNER: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: Coming up, China is facing a surprising new manufacturing challenge. Why your next iPhone could very well be made in India. Plus, the
latest on U.S. trade negotiations, that's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: The U.S.-China trade battle has helped fuel a stunning shift in global manufacturing. New report says that India has now overtaken China as
the number one smartphone exporter to the U.S. Last year at this time, Indian exports to the U.S. told it a mere 13 percent of smartphones, they
have now jumped to 44 percent as Apple moves to first diversify its iPhone supply chains. Over the past year, the total volume of smartphones made in
India's jump some 240 percent.
Joining me now is Ravi Agrawal. He's the editor in chief of Foreign Policy Magazine, also the author of "India Connected," which documents the
influence of smartphones on the country. Ravi, good to have you back.
RAVI AGRAWAL, EDITOR IN CHIEF, FOREIGN POLICY MAGAZINE: Great to be back.
SCIUTTO: So, I suppose one headline here is those phones are not being made in the U.S., right? I mean, they're out of China, but to another country
rather than the U.S. Does this undermine Trump's causes belly for the trade war?
AGRAWAL: Yes, absolutely. I think Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, has been quite clear that we're here to try to move production of iPhones to the
United States, it would be way, way more expensive than it currently is. And to be clear, these are already very expensive phones.
[18:30:00]
And so, he's moved it to the next best location he could find, which in this case is India. Even that, by the way, will make the production of
iPhones 5 to 10 percent more expensive. This is not because labor is costlier in India, but because China is much more efficient. So, this is
still not the ideal scenario for China -- for Apple, but they've been trying to de-risk from China for many years now. What you're seeing in the
numbers here right now is just a massive acceleration of that process.
SCIUTTO: Is India looking to take advantage of this, to some degree? Because, to some degree, it's to its advantage, right? I mean, these are a
lot of manufacturing jobs we're talking about, and good ones.
AGRAWAL: Yes. India has long been positioning for this moment. I mean, as far back as 2014, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power, he
launched a Make in India campaign, which was designed for exactly this, to woo foreign manufacturers to come and do business in India, build
manufacturing bases in India.
That move was not that successful for a variety of reasons. India's not the easiest place to do business. There are land laws, labor laws that can
often be quite difficult for foreign companies to negotiate, but India now is a real beneficiary of a year's long move to de-risk from China to near
shore to French Shore. All of this began during the pandemic, but has accelerated in recent years.
Apple is the best example of that. They've been trying to manufacture in India for several years. There were some complications over how much of the
components needed to be from India. A lot of that has gotten resolved in the last few months in large part because of fears of a big U.S.-China
trade war.
SCIUTTO: In terms of Chinese -- sorry, U.S.-India trade talks, the pattern, right, you know, with the E.U., with Japan is those countries taking a lot
of pain, right, you know, accepting big tariffs on their imports -- exports to the U.S. with none in the other direction. Do you think India's willing
to take that same pain to reach a deal?
AGRAWAL: I think India have factored in some pain. I was actually in India last week speaking to some officials there. And you know, obviously, they
won't walk into a negotiation with this stance. But they've realized that the cost of doing business with the United States has risen. And so,
they're willing to take some pain. At the same time, they are also looking to diversify. India has just struck a free trade agreement with the United
Kingdom. It is working on free trade agreements with the E.U. and with many other countries in Southeast Asia. All of that means India's not going to
rely solely on the United States.
It's very happy to take some business away from China. It is very happy to do business with the United States where it can and to partner with it, but
by no means does it see the United States as a reliable partner. It is looking everywhere else as well in addition.
SCIUTTO: Yes, that's a consistent reaction. I hear it from Canadian negotiations, your negotiators, European ones, Asian, et cetera. Ravi
Agarwal, thanks so much for joining.
AGRAWAL: Pleasure.
SCIUTTO: Ten days, that is how long President Trump is now giving Russia to reach a ceasefire with Ukraine. The Kremlin says it has noted the deadline,
but Russia is only stepping up its attacks. Kira Rudick, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament will join me live right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:35:00]
SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Jim Sciutto. And here are more international headlines we're watching today.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the U.K. will recognize a Palestinian State in September unless Israel takes substantive steps to end
what he calls the appalling situation in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Starmer's announcement is a reward to Hamas
and will ultimately undermine British security.
It has emerged that the Trump administration has now fired the last of its climate negotiators and eliminated the State Department's Office of Global
Climate Change, which represented the U.S. in climate talks. It leaves no official presence at one of the most consequential climate summits in a
decade, that is COP30 in Brazil in November. Without any staff in place, even Capitol Hill lawmakers who usually attend the summit cannot get
accredited, this according to a source familiar with the process.
Days of torrential rain have killed at least 30 people north of Beijing, according to Chinese state media. As this year's rainy season is marked by
extreme downpours, floods, and landslides. Intense rainstorms have battered much of Northern China, leaving roads impassable, cutting off power as
well. Authorities have closed schools, construction sites, and campsites.
President Trump has now clarified his latest deadline for Russia to agree to ceasefire with Ukraine, saying the Kremlin now has 10 days to lay down
its arms, that's from today. Trump earlier said Moscow had 10 or 12 days until he would slap additional sanctions on Russia. The White House has,
however, set many deadlines in the past without acting upon them.
The Kremlin says it is "taken note," quote/unquote, to this latest deadline. But Russia's actions on the battlefield look much the same.
Officials say strikes on a prison in Southwestern Ukraine killed at least 17 people overnight. More than 40 people were injured in that attack, which
authorities say destroyed prison buildings and damaged nearby homes. The chief of staff of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it another
war crime by the Russians.
Kira Rudick is a member of the Ukrainian Parliament, leader of the Holos Party. She joins me now from Kyiv. Good to have you back.
KIRA RUDICK, MEMBER, UKRAINE PARLIAMENT AND LEADER, HOLOS PARTY: Hello, Jim. And thank you so much for having me.
SCIUTTO: So, President Trump has a new deadline for Putin. You called that deadline a strong signal. Do you believe though that President Trump will
enforce this one? He has failed to enforce past deadlines of his own.
RUDICK: We want to believe that, because our lives and our future depend on the ability of American presidents to take this decisive action. It's very
hard, Jim, to explain to people who are fighting at the frontline and who are under the fire every single day and night like, would he keep his word
or not? And we continue telling that we hope that -- and that we are working with our partners for this to become reality. But the truth is, we
do not know.
[18:40:00]
And we just hope that because the whole world is watching right now, that American president will keep his word this time. Again, because our future
depends on it.
SCIUTTO: Do you believe that Putin takes this latest deadline seriously? Because of course, Putin knows that some of those deadlines have come and
gone.
RUDICK: There has been so many times when Putin was threatened by western leaders, including European leaders and American president too, that I
think he does not believe that something would happen, and there has not been any single sign of him taking it serious, neither on the battlefield
nor in the attacks of Ukrainian cities days and nights. Especially, that the most massive and the most dramatic attack happened on July 4th when he
attacked Ukraine right after the phone call that he had with the American president.
So, no, he's obviously not taking it seriously at all. He needs to see action. He needs to see fighting back because the only way how you can deal
with bullies, with the aggressors is to fight them back. We have proven this to the whole world by our actions. And right now, we need the
democratic world to follow us in these actions.
SCIUTTO: You have said that the step that needs to happen in terms of additional financial pressure on Russia is to seize Russian assets
currently held around the world and in Europe. I have heard this proposition really for years now. And in recent weeks, there's been talk of
momentum towards getting there. I suppose I just wonder why hasn't it happened yet, in your view?
RUDICK: The lack of political will. The hope that there would be some agreement with Russia and then they would demand their money back. And this
is why we are working closely with the partners, trying to explain to them that it's either we take Russian money or they would be on their taxpayers
to cover for the expenses on the defense of Europe, on the defense of the United States and on the rebuild of Ukraine.
And I think it's such a political no-brainer to go ahead and confiscate aggressor's money. And we just, again, hope that once American president
will take the decisive action, the rest would follow. And this is what we are working towards.
d-Do you see any end insight to this war? And I wonder, what do you think might change the current stalemate? Because Putin seems to calculate he
will win if he just stays in it. And of course, Ukraine has no choice but to continue defending itself. What changes that situation, that it seems
frozen front?
RUDICK: Well, I wouldn't say it's frozen because Russia keeps pushing and because, for us, it's never frozen because we spend the majority of our
nights in the bomb shelters. So, it's active attacks and it's active act on aggression that just continues pushing us and continues trying to destroy
all of us.
However, if all the promises that our partners have made will become reality, again, starting with the secondary sanctions that President Trump
promised, additional military support that European partners promise, then it can tip the scales for us.
If Putin, for some reason, agrees for a ceasefire, it will allow us to regroup and get more military aid and be able to defend ourselves. If
President Trump's goes further than the secondary sanctions and provides additional military support to Ukraine, that could tip the scales for us.
If European partners will confiscate Russian assets and pour this tremendous amount of money into defense and into arming Ukraine, this can
tip the scales. So, there are many things that can be done that has not been done yet.
And again, for us, there is no other way going forward than to continue fighting and continue to attempt to survive.
SCIUTTO: Well, Kira Rudick, whenever I speak to you, knowing what Kyiv is going through, I say thank you but also, I hope you stay safe.
RUDICK: Thank you. I'm glory to Ukraine.
SCIUTTO: And we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:45:00]
SCIUTTO: Now, to the storm that's brewing over your morning brew. CNN's Isa Soares looks at how new potential tariffs on Brazil could affect the price
of coffee in the U.S.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: There's nothing quite like going into your favorite coffee shop, the sounds, the smells, and then, of
course, the payoff, starting your morning with one of this. Coffee is what fuels many of us. That is certainly the case with me, journalists, a mom to
two young boys. We love it because it's warm, it's aromatic, and let's not forget the caffeine kick, the most important.
And in many places around the world, it is relatively affordable. But if you're in the United States, that may be about to change.
SOARES (voice-over): That's because President Donald Trump is threatening to impose a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian goods.
TRUMP: Brazil is an example, has been not good to us. Not good at all.
SOARES (voice-over): And that includes coffee. The issue is Brazil is a coffee superpower. It's the world's largest producer. And its beans account
for around a third of the coffee consumed in the United States.
JON KINNARD, LOS ANGELES COFFEE SHOP OWNER: It's the foundation for most blends because of its affordability, because of its accessibility and its
consistency is pretty much found in almost every blend you can find out there on the market.
SOARES (voice-over): But in a coffee trade war, the U.S. does have some leverage. If Brazil is the largest exporter, the U.S. is the largest
importer. So, there's some sort of symbiotic relationship between the two. One that growers in Brazil want to see thriving.
JOAO MACHADO, PRESIDENT, COFFEE GROWERS ASSOCIATION OF VALE DO CAFE (through translator): We're waiting political negotiations and agreements
because we don't want to stop selling to the United States. Coffee is a global commodity.
SOARES (voice-over): Small scale producers are especially vulnerable and they know what will happen if the U.S. goes looking for coffee elsewhere.
THIAGO GARCIA, COFFEE PRODUCER (through translator): There will be a surplus of coffee and the tendency is for it to lower prices here in Brazil
until they find another way to export to other countries.
SOARES (voice-over): But in the U.S., retailers say consumers will suffer as well.
KINNARD: The price point of Brazilian coffee is so crucial in the industry. So, unfortunately, it's just going to be passed on to the consumer.
SOARES (voice-over): Brazil says it's trying to resolve the issue diplomatically, hoping President Trump may be willing to negotiate, knowing
full well that in a war over coffee, nobody wins.
Isa Soares, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Still to come, for the second time in less than a month, a high- profile Cleveland Guardians' pitcher placed on leave due to a Major League Baseball gambling probe. That story coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:50:00]
SCIUTTO: In today's Field of Play, a second high-profile picture for the Cleveland Guardians has now been placed on leave linked to a sports betting
investigation. Team officials say all-star closer Emmanuel Clase is on leave as part of a Major League Baseball ongoing gamble related -- gambling
related probe. On July 3rd, pitcher Luis Ortiz also placed on leave just hours before taking them out for the Guardians against the Cubs.
Joining us now is University of Memphis professor James Whelan. He's also the director of the Tennessee Institute for Gambling Education and
Research. Good to have you here. Thanks so much for joining.
JAMES P. WHELAN, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS, DIRECTOR, TENNESSEE INSTITUTE FOR GAMBLING EDUCATION: Thanks. Happy to be here.
SCIUTTO: So, gambling is now legal in 38 states and Washington, D.C. I watch a lot of sports. You can't avoid it. It's embedded in the coverage.
The ads are always on screen so fans see it. Players certainly see that, and there's a lot of money being thrown around. I wonder, was this just a
matter of time, right, before we see the players get wrapped up in this?
WHELAN: I think without a doubt that's true. Now, we also know that the relationship between some athletes and gambling venues have existed for a
hundred years. Sports and gambling have always gone together, but at this point in time, where, as people refer to it, that we've got a gamification
of sports, we see them so intertwined that the conversation about sports almost never happens without a conversation about gambling.
SCIUTTO: Yes. What struck me about this case, right, and you've seen this in other sports, is that you don't have to throw the World Series, right,
like the 1919 Black Sox, because people bet on everything. They bet on whether it's a strike or a ball on a single pitch to a single batter in the
midst of a game here. And it strikes me that that gives the players a kind of sense. Well, I'm not really throwing the game, I'm just throwing a ball
here. Is that that big a deal? I mean, does that allow for so much and too much temptation?
WHELAN: The -- you know, we don't know for a fact what may or may not be happening there, but it's certainly logical and it certainly fits with what
the literature says, that the speed at which you play, the ease at which you can make a bet, and in this case of in game betting, you're talking
about taking risks in a very impulsive way. And so, that's appealing to people, particularly those who are falling behind in money, need to make up
real quick. These opportunities to bet are very, very tempting.
SCIUTTO: Can it really be policed effectively, right? Because there are so many games, so many players, so many opportunities to bet. Can the sport
police it or maybe they could use technology to police it? I just wonder how well they can keep this out of the games. because it's going to affect
the integrity of the game.
[18:55:00]
WHELAN: Well, as we know in this case, there are lots of people paying attention to exactly that. Those businesses that are all focused on
integrity, there's also the gaming industry is paying attention to it. So, there's a lot of effort going there, but the target keeps moving and
whether or not technology is keeping up with it, I don't know.
I also think sports has greatly benefited by sports wagering. And the ability to bet on games, at in games means something, you know, viewership
goes up, people are watching sports they may never have watched before. So, I have a lot of questions about how do you regulate that appropriately and
how do you monitor it? And then, finally, how do you help athletes or people who are having problems find a way to get resources without
undermining their own career of their lives.
SCIUTTO: Well, you'd think the paychecks would be enough, but maybe not. James Wheelan, thanks so much for joining.
WHELAN: You're welcome.
SCIUTTO: Thanks so much all of you. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. You've been watching "The Brief." Please do stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:00:00]
END
