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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
CNN International: Trump: Ceasefire Still in Place Despite Fresh Strikes; U.S. and Iran Exchange Biggest Strikes in Weeks Amid Ceasefire; Ukraine Targets St. Petersburg; Rubio Warns of "Real" Risk Ukraine War Could Escalate; Controversial Fund Faces Fierce Pushback from Lawmakers; Trump Admin. Proposes New Tariffs on Dozens of Countries; WHO Downgrades Ebola Case Count; CBS News Fires "60 Minutes" Correspondent; USMNT'S Miles Robinson Looks Ahead to the World Cup. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired June 03, 2026 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR, "THE BRIEF": 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, Donald Trump says a ceasefire with Iran is still in place, even after new strikes, including one that hit Kuwait's main
airport. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warns there is a real risk that Russia's war with Ukraine could escalate as Kyiv is getting better at
striking deep inside Russia. And I speak to U.S. football star Miles Robinson about his return to the U.S. men's national team, and how far he
thinks the U.S. men will go in the World Cup.
We do begin with breaking news. In a significant rebuke to President Donald Trump's war with Iran, the House has passed a resolution to limit his war
powers. Democrats have repeatedly forced votes on the issue, with the campaign picking up more Republican support in recent weeks. The measure,
called a concurrent resolution, must be approved by both the House and the Senate, though would not need the president's signature. The resolution
passed the House 215 votes to 208.
In the Persian Gulf, U.S. and Iran engaged in yet more crossfire, in this case, some of the heaviest attacks since the ceasefire began in April.
We're now seeing significant damage to Kuwait's international airport after an Iranian drone and missile struck it.
One person was killed, dozens injured, according to authorities. They blame Iran. Iran, for its part, says it targeted sites in Kuwait and Bahrain that
allow the U.S. to attack civilian shipping and that it was acting in, quote, self-defense. After the U.S. military disabled an oil tanker heading
toward an Iranian port.
Despite all this, a short time ago, President Trump said there is still a ceasefire in place and that negotiations with Iran were going well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We've actually gotten along with him very well. And you know what? You saw it for the last few nights. It takes two
to tangle. You understand that. We hit them very hard on something else, unrelated. And so, they were responding. But -- and not -- you know, not
very strongly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: It was a deadly strike in Kuwait. Staying here in Washington, Israeli and Lebanese diplomats met for a second day trying to resolve the
conflict in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah. Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed at least eight people in the south. This according to the
country's Ministry of Public Health.
Joining us now from the White House is Kristen Holmes. Kristen, I wonder how the president can continue to claim there's a ceasefire when virtually
every day the U.S. and Iran are firing at each other. And I mean, and now you have Iran firing at other countries. Deadly, deadly strikes. Do White
House officials believe the ceasefire is still in place and that negotiations are going well, as the president claims?
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I mean, that is what White House officials that we are talking to are saying. I mean, you just
heard President Trump, he was there in the Oval Office, with this idea that it's a different kind of ceasefire when it happens in the Middle East. I
think directly what he said is a ceasefire there is much different than a ceasefire in other parts of the world. This kind of idea that a ceasefire
is not a ceasefire.
Now, when it comes to those negotiations, we do hear from the White House that they continue to be somewhat optimistic. I think that they've become
more and more realist as they've moved along the line. They're tired of saying that they're optimistic only to have everything fall apart.
But the negotiations are ongoing. I think one of the bigger pictures here is what just happened in Congress when it comes to this war in Iran, and
that is the fact that the House just made a stunning rebuke of President Trump. They just passed the War Powers Act with Republicans, four of them,
on board, something that Democrats have been trying to do for some time. And, of course, what they're essentially voting for is halting any sort of
military activity at all until or unless Congress approves of it.
[18:05:00]
Now, we had heard from Republicans who are pro-Trump, close allies, saying that this could put negotiations into a bad spot, but it just goes to show
you the fact that more and more Republicans are getting on board with this, how frustrated they are with this war in Iran and the fact that they
continue to say, they being the White House, the administration, that they are closer and closer to a deal, but yet here we are still seemingly in the
same place.
SCIUTTO: Let me ask you this, Kristen. It's passed the House. Now, it's got to pass the Senate. Does the White House believe that, in practice,
this will force the president to end the war, or do they think they could just kind of blow by this or somehow avoid the sting of congressional
limitations on the president's war powers?
HOLMES: Well, President Trump would almost certainly veto this if it came down to that. I think that is really where the White House's head is on all
of this, but you've also heard the White House kind of trying to dance around this idea that there's any military action. They're saying that it's
defensive or that they have to do that, but it's not actually military action. It's just protection.
You've heard Marco Rubio say time and time again, the war is over. That's also their way of getting around the War Powers Act, saying, no, no, no, we
don't have to get approval if we are protecting our forces that are there, but the war portion, those ongoing military strikes, those are what is
over. So, they've already kind of seemingly found a loophole here that, in addition to the veto, it doesn't seem as though this would go anywhere.
But it is very clear, as we inch towards November, and we continue to have White House advisers telling us it'll be over soon, it's going to be over
soon, President Trump wants to find an off ramp. I mean, we are very close now. We are in a summer stretch, and prices are high, and people are going
on vacations, and the war in Iran is something that Republicans don't want to be talking about. They want to be talking about the economy, and it is
clear from this vote, even though it was just four Republicans, in Trump's White House, in Trump's administration, in Trump's Washington, having four
votes, Republicans, go across the aisle and vote with Democrats is just very indicative of where the mindset is right now with this White House.
SCIUTTO: No question. They can read the polls as well. Kristen Holmes, thanks so much for joining. So, how does Iran view all this? CNN has a team
inside Iran right now. We should note CNN operates there only with the permission of the government, but maintains full editorial control of CNN
stories. Here's our Fred Pleitgen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We have just entered Iran, and we're currently driving towards Tehran. I would say that
the drive is probably going to take well north of 12 hours.
And we come here at a pretty decisive time, as the United States and Iran are trying to inch closer to a memorandum of understanding that would at
first end the hostilities between the United States and Iran, but also pave the way for negotiations for a broader peace agreement that could then
happen maybe a month, maybe two months down the line.
At the same time, the security situation, especially in the Persian Gulf area between the U.S. and Iran, remains fragile and it remains volatile.
Just overnight, there have been attacks that went back and forth, the United States hitting some targets on some islands in the Persian Gulf, the
Iranians responding with ballistic missile strikes targeting American installations in places like Bahrain and Kuwait.
So, all of that, of course, makes for a very difficult situation, as the two sides say they are committed to try and reach some sort of agreement to
end this war.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Ukraine is making good on its promise to strike back at Russia. It targeted St. Petersburg this time with long-range drones. You see the
explosion there, a massive one. They say the target here, an oil terminal. The attack came, we should note, just hours before the Russian president,
Vladimir Putin, began his signature economic forum, sometimes called Putin's Davos in St. Petersburg.
Ukraine says its drones struck a Russian warship as well. You see the camera view here as it's zeroing in on the target. This is all following
Monday's massive Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukraine that killed at least 23 people. Here is what Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy
had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): They must know that if they use drones and missiles against us, we will do the same.
And it is only a matter of time before we can increase the scale of our responses.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Joining me now, retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Dave Deptula, currently serves as the Dean of the Mitchell Institute for
Aerospace Studies. Good to have you back, sir. Thanks so much for joining.
LT. GEN. DAVE DEPTULA (RET.), U.S. AIR FORCE AND DEAN, MITCHELL INSTITUTE FOR AEROSPACE STUDIES: Great to be here, Jim.
SCIUTTO: So, can you tell me the military significance, and I imagine there's a public, you know, warfare, information warfare aspect to this as
well, of Ukraine being able to strike in St. Petersburg as the Russian president is holding this forum here and strike, you know, critical oil
infrastructure there. What's the impact of that, in your view?
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DEPTULA: Well, Jim, I tell you that it is very strategically significant. I mean, aside from the political statement and the perception piece,
Ukraine is demonstrating a growing ability to hit key Russian centers of gravity, that being oil infrastructure, logistics nodes, naval facilities,
missile-related industry, and so on and so forth.
So, these aren't just symbolic attacks. They're part of a broader campaign to inhibit Russia's ability to sustain the war. Ukraine's no longer simply
defending the It's attacking the systems that allow Russia to continue fighting.
As you reported, the oil terminal it hit in St. Petersburg and the nearby naval base are critical targets. So, this is part of a classic strategic
attack campaign designed to inhibit Russia's means to attack Ukraine.
SCIUTTO: You have mentioned, as have others, that Russia has a manpower problem now. It's losing so many on the front line, not able to replace
them anymore. But it's also got an economic problem paying for all this. Do you agree with the analysis some are sharing now that that's coming to a
head for Russia, that this is really Russia at a breaking point in terms of being able to sustain this war?
DEPTULA: Well, the short answer is yes, I do agree. Russia has relied on expendable manpower for quite a while, prisoners, mobilized soldiers, and
so on and so forth. But that model's now undergrowing strength. There are reports that Russia's running low on prison recruits, and now it's turning
to students and other young people. And that tells us two things. Casualties are very high, and Moscow's having increasing difficulty
generating effective combat power without greater political and social cost.
Now, at the same time, you know, it's no surprise that Russia's economy is under a lot of pressure. And so, it would be appropriate if those in the
West who want to see this war come to a quick conclusion, as President Trump on several occasions has mentioned, then he needs to increase
pressure on Putin's ability to economically sustain the war.
SCIUTTO: Yes.
DEPTULA: That's why I've argued for a NATO and E.U. supported Baltic Sea, Air, and Naval Security and Sanctions Enforcement Initiative, which
wouldn't be a formal blockade, but it would be a lawful coalition-based enforcement operation to put continued pressure on Russia's ability to
sustain this war.
SCIUTTO: The trouble is, the opposite is happening right now. The U.S., as you know, has relaxed sanctions on Russian oil. They want to keep the oil
prices down, but this means Russia's getting more money from selling its oil. And the U.S. has delayed and reduced its supply of air defense
missiles to Ukraine, which Russia is trying to exploit, right, with these expanded missile attacks on Kyiv and other cities here. Is the U.S., by
weakening that support, lengthening the war?
DEPTULA: Well, the short answer to that is yes. And that's a very candid answer. But what I would tell you is the president needs to recognize
Russia for what it is. Russia is an adversary of the United States of America. Putin is not our friend. Russia, under Putin's leadership, is
working at every turn to undercut America's interest, weaken NATO, divide the West, and undermine the rules-based international order that's helped
prevent great power war for decades.
At the same time, Ukraine's fighting for the same fundamental principles that are at the heart of our own nation, that we're about to celebrate the
250th anniversary, liberty, self-determination, and the right of a free people to choose their own future. Those are the principles embodied in our
Declaration of Independence and protected by our Constitution.
So, this is not simply a regional conflict in Eastern Europe. Ukraine is on the front line of a much larger struggle between freedom and authoritarian
aggression. So, support Ukraine with the urgency and scale required to win, not merely survive.
SCIUTTO: A 1939 moment for Europe, running, well, more than four years now. Lieutenant General Dave Deptula, we appreciate your joining.
[18:15:00]
DEPTULA: Have a great night.
SCIUTTO: Well, the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, told House lawmakers today that there is a growing risk of escalation over the Ukraine
war. During today's hearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, he claimed that the Iran war is already over.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The war is over. Who won?
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We're no longer conducting sustained strikes inside of Iran to degrade their military because Epic Fury is over.
We defined victory as destroying their defense industrial base, significantly reducing the number of missile launchers that they possess,
significantly reducing their stockpile of drones. And we achieved all of those in addition to destroying what they had left of an air force and
wiping out their entire conventional navy. Those are all gone. So, I consider that victory. And we did too. And that was the purpose of Epic
Fury.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Secretary Rubio also fielded questions about Hezbollah, the continuing war in Lebanon, as well as the president's choice as the new
acting director of national intelligence. He had heated exchanges with some committee members, including California Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove
over U.S. policy in Venezuela. And Congresswoman Kamlanger Dove joins me now. Thanks so much for taking the time.
REP. SYDNEY KAMLAGER-DOVE (D-CA) AND MEMBER, U.S. HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE: Thanks for having me.
SCIUTTO: So, first, I do want to ask you, because since that hearing, the House has now passed this war powers resolution with, I believe, four
Republicans crossing party lines to pass, of course, goes on to the Senate. We know what the president will do if this comes to his desk. Do you
believe this will have impact? Right. Do you think that this will, as a practical matter, force the president to end this war?
KAMLAGER-DOVE: Well, I think this has been a long time coming. We have brought these kinds of votes up to the floor a couple of times. And
finally, we've been able to strike gold. Let's remember that Congress represents the people. And with this war powers resolution passing off the
congressional floor, you are hearing the American people say that this war is not authorized and we want it to stop.
So, what it would do is say that he has to remove stop the hostilities and remove the troops. The American people have spoken. I hope Donald Trump is
listening to the American people.
SCIUTTO: You heard Secretary Rubio there claim victory in the Iran war, even as we've seen an exchange of fire virtually every day over the last
several days. What's your reaction to that answer, him saying that that the war is over? Not only is the war over, but that the U.S. won.
KAMLAGER-DOVE: Well, it is evident that he still believes he has an audience of one, which is Donald Trump. The reason why we ask these
questions of him is because our audience is the American people. I think he's delusional to suggest that this war is over because last I checked, we
have brave men and women who are still over there right now. Airstrikes are being conducted. You know, they are still being conducted. Gas prices have
gone up and the Strait of Hormuz is still closed. We are in an economic hostage situation with Iran. So, for him to suggest that it's over is not
right and it's not honest.
SCIUTTO: You pressed him a number of times to try to get answers about U.S. policy in Venezuela, including basic answers as to where the oil money
is going and who has an interest as to where that oil money is going. Did you leave that room with any more clarity as to U.S. oversight, not just of
the oil industry in Venezuela, but the revenues and the government as well?
KAMLAGER-DOVE: I had so many questions and he had so many words, but he had very few answers. You know, five months ago, the Trump administration
essentially took over Venezuelan oil and Congress has had zero visibility into what is going on.
We don't know how much oil is being sold for how much, where the money is going, who has it. We don't know who is getting the contracts. We don't
know who has the access to firms. We do know that a couple of firms, you know, were given these contracts and someone who was employed at one of
those firms actually gave Trump $6 million for his campaign.
So, I had questions about corruption and I needed this secretary of state to prove to me that there's no corruption happening through any of these
Venezuelan policies. And Secretary Rubio came up short.
SCIUTTO: Before we go, I do want to ask you about President Trump's selection to elevate Bill Pulte, as you know, a real estate developer who
now is in charge of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as the acting Director of National Intelligence, a role, as you know, created by an act of Congress
in 2004, which requires the DNI to have extensive national security or intelligence experience. What's your reaction?
KAMLAGER-DOVE: Once again, we see with these cabinet nominations, it is all about the people who are on Trump's friend and family plan, and it is
not about qualified confident folks who are going to work on behalf of the American people to keep us safe.
[18:20:00]
SCIUTTO: As you know, Section 702 of the FISA is set to expire next week, and Senator Mark Warner, ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence
Committee, and others are warning that they will withhold the votes, not allow that in effect to move forward unless Pulte's appointment is pulled.
We have seen the President forced to back down on the Anti-Weaponization Fund, as he called it, now on funding for his White House ballroom. Can you
see Republicans joining Democrats on Pulte to try to force him out of this position?
KAMLAGER-DOVE: I can. I feel like after the primaries, we are in a post- traumatic Trump syndrome effect with Republicans, and they are waking up and realizing that this man is not trying to help him, not trying to help
them or the American people. So, absolutely, we need to use all of the tools in our toolkit to force this President to do the right thing on
behalf of our national security and the American people.
SCIUTTO: Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove, we do appreciate you joining.
KAMLAGER-DOVE: Thank you so much for having me.
SCIUTTO: Still ahead, the White House is threatening to brand new tariffs on dozens of U.S. trading partners. The administration attempting to get
its tariff agenda back on track after months of setbacks. It's a new plan of attack, but does it hold up? We'll take a look.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: Welcome back. In today's business breakout, U.S. stocks fell from record highs Wednesday as the blistering A.I. rally took a little bit of a
breather. Stocks also came under pressure from rising U.S. bond yields and, once again, higher oil prices. All this as the OEDC warns, OECD warns that
global economic growth could slow to levels not seen since the COVID pandemic. Why? The Iranian economy is struggling.
In other news, Alphabet shares closed lower for a fourth straight session. The tech giant is now planning to raise $85 billion from stock sales to
spend on A.I. That's nearly $5 billion more than when the company first announced those plans.
Well, the Trump administration back at it again with tariffs. It's threatening higher tariffs on dozens of U.S. trading partners, claiming
those nations are not doing enough to crack down on goods made with forced labor.
[18:25:00]
Among the allies targeted, Canada, Mexico and the E.U. All of them could be hit with new 10 percent tariffs. China, Brazil, India, Japan could see a
tariff rate of more than 12 percent.
U.S. trade representative, Jamieson Greer, says forced labor, quote, creates a dynamic where American workers are forced to compete globally on
an unparalleled level. unlevel playing field. He says those new tariffs will be imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. It's just, of
course, the latest attempt by the president to jumpstart his tariff agenda after the Supreme Court delivered a stinging setback to his tariffs.
Justin Wolfers joins me now. He's a professor of economics and public policy at the University of Michigan. Justin, good to have you back.
JUSTIN WOLFERS, PROFESSOR OF ECONOMIES AND PUBLIC POLICY, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN: Always good, mate.
SCIUTTO: So, we've heard the president use a whole host of justifications for tariffs. Now, it is forced labor and unfair competition. Is that a
credible basis for these new tariffs?
WOLFERS: Mate, I love this. Apparently, the president now cares deeply about the world's downtrodden and the things that America needs to be at
the front of it. It sounds a little bit like a Bernie Sanders rally. And fair enough.
But to your question, I don't think it's credible. I don't think it's believable. But what we do have is a legal power that Congress gave to the
president that if you make some sort of case, even if you're kind of half lying, that's probably enough. So, it's going to I think this set of
tariffs is going to be legal, even if they dramatically upset our trading partners, where we have free trade agreements with many countries in the
middle of those free trade agreements. We're now just whacking on a 10 or a 12 and a half percent tariff based on a set of behaviors that everyone knew
when those agreements were first struck.
SCIUTTO: The E.U., as you know, has still not given its final approval to the trade deal. The president himself negotiated last year. I mean, I've
already spoken to E.U. members of Parliament who were not particularly happy about moving that deal forward, given the president's continuing
threats, et cetera. Might this decision put that -- you know, end that negotiation?
WOLFERS: Look, it doesn't really matter. Why would any country want to sign a trade agreement with a president who tears it up whenever he wakes
up and his hair looks bad? So, you could sit down with a bloke and sign it. But as he's just done this week, he's already assigned one with South
Korea, with Australia, with a whole bunch of countries, with Canada, with Mexico. He's just like, oh, yes, I know we have an agreement. I just want
to whack an extra 10 percent on because I feel like it.
SCIUTTO: Yes, yes. Well, we're more than a year into Trump's trade war going back to, quote/unquote, "Liberation Day." In short, what have they
cost and what have they accomplished?
WOLFERS: What they've done is they've cost America a central place in the world, which is we've become an unreliable friend. We've become an
unreliable ally. If you remember the kid in the 10th grade at the lunch table who would try and bully others or who might fart in the middle of
lunch, that's us right now. And the thing is, other people have figured out that they don't have to sit with that kid, that there are others that they
can make friends with.
SCIUTTO: Yes.
WOLFERS: So, Trump, in some sense, thought that he had the rest of the world by the shortened curlies. And the reality is that there's other kids
you can sit with.
SCIUTTO: And countries are doing exactly that. Justin Wolfers, thanks so much.
WOLFERS: Pleasure, Jim.
SCIUTTO: Just ahead, the World Health Organization has revised down its count of cases of Ebola, but its director general says the fight isn't
over. We're going to have more of CNN's coverage from the Democratic Republic of the Congo just after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:30:00]
SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Jim Sciutto, and here are the international headlines we're watching today.
Countries across the Middle East are condemning Iran's latest attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain. Kuwait says one person was killed, dozens injured in
attacks on vital infrastructure, including, as you see here, Kuwait's international airport. Iran says it carried out self-defense strikes on
U.S. bases after U.S. forces struck an oil tanker heading for Iran.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is promising more large-scale attacks deep inside Russia, after a barrage of Russian drones and missiles
targeted large Ukrainian cities. Hundreds of Ukrainian drones rained down on a critical oil terminal in St. Petersburg on Wednesday. Strikes, one
you're seeing right there on your screen, happened just before the start of the Russian president's signature economic forum in St. Petersburg.
A correspondent fired from one of America's most venerated television news programs is accusing the new owners of CBS of, quote, "trying to curry
favor with the Trump administration." Correspondent Scott Pelley was fired from 60 Minutes after 37 years at the network after he sharply criticized
the show's new leadership. He says management instructed him to inject falsehoods and political bias into stories. CBS says he was fired for
cause.
There are some possible signs of progress in the fight to contain an Ebola outbreak in Central Africa. The World Health Organization has confirmed 344
cases of the deadly virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including 60 deaths. But it has lowered its number of suspected cases from more than
1000 last week now to just 116. The WHO says that is because access to testing has improved. It is still warning, though, that contact tracing
needs to catch up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: Contact tracing in the DRC is not yet where it needs to be.
Only about 45 percent of contacts have been followed up. And to get ahead of the outbreak, we need to get that number up to above 90 percent.
Insecurity, displacement and mobile populations make contact tracing especially difficult.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: CNN has gained access to a rural hospital fighting to contain the virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As Clarissa Ward reports, the
community there is trying to come together and is working around the clock to fight the spread of the epidemic.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We're at a hospital in the rural community of Rwampara. This area has been one of
the hardest hit by the Ebola outbreak.
WARD: So, at the moment, the hospital has 17 suspected Ebola patients. They're rapidly running out of capacity.
[18:35:00]
But if you look over here, you can see a huge amount of activity as people from the community and the NGO, ALIMA, are furiously working to erect these
Ebola treatment centers.
The doctor from ALIMA told us they're hoping that these facilities will be completed in the next two to three days. And that really is going to be a
game changer for this rural hospital because it will give them the capacity to receive another 34 Ebola patients.
And it's really interesting, if you take a look at the way these treatment centers are being built, they are incorporating a lot of the lessons that
have been learned from previous Ebola outbreaks.
So, I want to show you what each room here looks like. You've got the tap outside, of course. Make sure that people are washing their hands the whole
time. Each room has its own bed. Each patient has crucially, of course, as well, their own toilet.
But the really interesting part is right here. This paper will come off and it's transparent glass which allows the doctors to get up close and see the
patients without endangering themselves.
This is what it looks like from the doctor's perspective. This is the entrance they come into. They can see through, see the patients. It's
pretty incredible.
It's interesting because despite the fact that this community has been ravaged by this virus, the mood here among these people who are all local,
who are taking pride, and the fact that they are participating in building and contributing and protecting their community, they have been singing,
they have been laughing, they have been joking around and honestly against the backdrop of so much misery. It's been really wonderful to see.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: What an important effort there. So, good to see. Coming up on "The Brief," CBS News has fired a longtime "60 Minutes" correspondent after
he criticized his new bosses. What's behind that clash? What does it mean going forward? We'll take a look next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:40:00]
SCIUTTO: Now, to an ongoing shake-up at a prominent U.S. newsroom. CBS has fired veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley after he confronted new
executive producer Nick Bilton during a staff meeting. He also accused CBS News chief Barry Weiss of, quote, "murdering the program", "60 Minutes."
The clash began after Paramount, the owner of CBS News, installed new leadership. Paramount is currently seeking government approval, we should
note, to acquire Warner Brothers Discovery, which is the parent company of CNN.
Joining me now is Scott Nover. He's a media reporter at The Washington Post. Good to have you, Scott.
SCOTT NOVER, MEDIA REPORTER, THE WASHINGTON POST: Thanks for having me, Jim.
SCIUTTO: So, CBS says this was for cause. Pelley's criticism in his letter was, among other things, that the management had forced him to inject
falsehoods, bias into politically sensitive story. I mean, how unusual is it for an editorial conflict like this to result in someone's firing? I
mean, he's been there for 37 years.
NOVER: Right. Yes, and that's CBS's line, is that they're saying that this is just a disagreement over, you know, a specific story. But Pelley is
saying that they took a step too far and crossed a red line for him, which is something that other fired "60 Minutes" correspondents Sharyn Nolfanzi
and Cecilia Vega have both alleged in recent days since they were fired. Those firings happened last week, Pelley on Monday after a contentious
meeting.
SCIUTTO: I mean, that's the thing. I mean, his accusations are not isolated.
NOVER: No.
SCIUTTO: Because to your point, you've heard similar criticisms from Sharyn. There was a particular story, as you know, about the CECOT prison
here. I mean, does CBS management believe it has a problem here? I mean, it -- you know, it's losing some great talent here. And I mean, do they think
they're handling this well?
NOVER: That is a great question. I think everyone inside and outside the show would love to know that. I mean, Barry Weiss, the editor in chief of
CBS News, you know, dismissed Sharyn Nolfanzi and Cecilia Vega without too much explanation. And then, for Pelley, they simply said that his comments
were disrespectful and they tried to have a path forward with him, but that wasn't possible.
So, you know, I don't know if they think they're doing a good job. Either way, they're deep into a complete overhaul of this program, which has for
decades been extremely successful. You know, clearly, they wanted some level of an overhaul. They got rid of all the top producers and brought in
their own guy. But now the whole there's a whole big cloud over this program and a lot of uncertainty about what CBS "60 Minutes" is going to
look like in the fall when it comes back.
SCIUTTO: Now, they deny this is political.
NOVER: Right.
SCIUTTO: They say that, like a lot of news executives say, that we've got to bring this -- you know, this this program, this network up to the times
and so on. One, is there evidence that it was bleeding viewers prior to this? And two, is there evidence that what they're doing is working, right?
At least as it relates to the CBS Evening News, they're losing more viewers, are they not?
NOVER: Right. Yes. CBS Evening News has had a lot of ratings problems, specifically since Tony Dokoupil took over the program in January. He's
Barry Weiss' internal move, but Barry Weiss' handpicked anchor.
"60 Minutes" has been a ratings darling for ever since the '60s -- or at least since the '70s. And it's still got nine million average viewers each
Sunday. I mean, that's a lot in terms of modern television. And I think ideas of modernizing the show and updating a show that has an old-fashioned
look resonate with the staff. But they basically said, this is not how you do it.
SCIUTTO: Yes.
NOVER: You know, you don't clear house and you don't throw out what's working in order to trudge forward.
SCIUTTO: Yes. I mean, it sounds a lot like what, well, some experience at the Washington Post, perhaps. I want to ask you, because the president was
asked -- well, he wasn't asked about this, but he took a shot at CNN. And you know that CNN is owned by WBD, and WBD is being acquired by Paramount,
which also acquired CBS. This is how the president spoke about the network. And I want to get your thoughts on the other side.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: CNN does such false reporting, but now they have new ownership, so maybe it'll straighten it out. I doubt it. But it's hard to straighten
garbage out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: You know, I don't like to repeat the president's words when he makes attacks like that, but it's not the first time that he has said new
owners, he hopes, will change CNN. Have the new owner -- have the pending new owners, have they made public in any concrete way what their plans are
editorially?
NOVER: No. All they -- only thing we know about Paramount Skydance is that they want CNN, as opposed to Netflix, which was supposed to buy Warner
Brothers and spin off CNN into an independent entity. Paramount has wanted the whole thing. And Trump has been not privately cheering David Ellison,
who's the son of Larry Ellison and who's a Trump ally.
[18:45:00]
He's been cheering Ellison and Barry Weiss on throughout this entire last year of acquiring media properties for CBS. And now, it's still pending,
but eventually CNN.
SCIUTTO: Scott Nover, Washington Post, appreciate you joining.
NOVER: Thanks for having me.
SCIUTTO: Still to come this hour, my conversation with U.S. men's national team soccer star Miles Robinson about what? Well, the upcoming World Cup,
also his foundation for children.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: World Cup fever is heating up with the football tournament set to kick off next Thursday. The opening matches set to take place in Mexico.
Then on Friday, the action begins in the U.S. and Canada as well. As the U.S. men's national team gears up for their first match against Paraguay.
I spoke with a central member of the team, defender Miles Robinson. I began by asking about his reaction to making the roster.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MILES ROBINSON, U.S. DEFENDER: It was definitely a surreal moment. I was so excited. I was driving when I kind of got the message from Mauricio, the
head coach. And it was just all these things coming together. Kind of all these dreams that I've, you know, dreamt of all this hard work kind of all
coming together to fruition. So, it was amazing. Honestly, I was very excited.
SCIUTTO: Now, I don't have to tell you, but this is a comeback effort for you. You, of course, qualified for 2022, but then you had that Achilles
injury. And I've had the same injury. I know that's no fun. And it's also not easy to recover from. How does it feel to be making it back to the team
after a challenge like that?
ROBINSON: Yes, it feels great. Obviously, having an Achilles injury is tough, but it's one of those things that teaches you a lot about yourself,
how to overcome obstacles and kind of stay present in the moment and get better every day. And that's what I did. So, I'm really honored to be in
this position right now.
SCIUTTO: I'd be remiss as a fan if I didn't ask you how you're feeling about the team going into this competition. You know, you got it. You got a
tough group, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey. Do you feel good about the team's chances of advancing?
ROBINSON: Yes, I think the team is so strong. We have so many great world- class players. We've got a world-class coach. It's about us coming together, recognizing we're representing much more than just ourselves.
We're representing the country, the kids that look up to us. And I think that's kind of our motivation going into this tournament. But I love our
chances. I love this group. So, I'm excited for the summer.
SCIUTTO: I heard in an earlier interview you did that one of your favorite quotes is, it's the journey, not the destination. But I wonder if for the
World Cup, you kind of set that aside and say, actually, the destination of advancing here matters.
[18:50:00]
ROBINSON: Yes, definitely. And I think if you just focus in on every step, that's almost focusing in on the journey itself. It's recognizing that
today in training, you have to get better than you were yesterday. It's understanding you know, today is all that matters. We can focus in on
tomorrow then, but it's about getting better today. It's about focusing on, you know, whether it's the game or the film in this exact moment. And if we
do that, I like our chances.
SCIUTTO: And how is it going to be playing at home? You know, because that -- I mean, there's pressure with that, right? You're playing in front of a
lot of those kids you were talking about, but I am sure you're going to feel the energy from those crowds when you're on the field.
ROBINSON: Yes, definitely. I think I kind of get chills thinking about it, recognizing that, you know, almost everyone you've ever met your entire
life is wanting you to succeed and, and recognizing that we're playing at home and the energy of the crowd and, and playing well in front of our
friends and family that motivates us. And that makes us want to, you know, play at our absolute best. And if we do that, like I said, you know, the
ceiling is very high.
SCIUTTO: Do you -- you know, a lot of the internationals playing for the other teams that you're going to be playing against here. Do you feel in
those moments in these international tournaments, do you feel -- beyond the competition, because I know you don't leave anything, you know, behind when
you're trying to win those games on the field, but do you feel a special tie among yourself and the other players and among this team and the other
teams that, that it's a moment of unity, a unity for the world?
ROBINSON: Definitely. I think, in general, soccer is such a massive sport. It's, you know, the most popular sport in the world. It really brings
people together. And the fact that this World Cup is in the United States, it's a perfect opportunity for the world to come together, for the U.S. to
come together and recognize that we're far more alike than unalike because we all love watching a sport that's so passionate that has all these
different fan bases of diverse cultures coming together and, and just competing and trying your best and trying to succeed. And that's something
that I think is so powerful in sports in general, but specifically soccer, because it's, you know, so popular.
SCIUTTO: No question. I want to talk about Miles for Change, your foundation, because you've made it a priority to -- well, to use sports to
some degree, just to help kids in so many ways, but also to make sure that kids have the opportunity to play sports like you did when you were
younger. Tell us, tell us what got you to build a foundation like that.
ROBINSON: Yes. I mean, first and foremost, is more kind of looking at the other athletes that came before me and started a foundation and wanted to
make the world a better place. I think I was raised, you know, by parents that, you know, kind of instilled that type of thought process within me.
And it's about recognizing that I have this platform.
I'm so grateful to be in this situation and now it's up to me to kind of push or, you know, give opportunities for those people in need. And I think
that's what Miles of Change foundation is really focused in on is providing access to sports for kids that maybe don't have that access or to try to
continue to provide, you know, equality in this, in this country, but also the world in itself.
It's one of those things that's passionate -- that I'm very much passionate about is trying to, you know, push forward and use sports to make the world
a better place because it really has a unique kind of ability to do that.
SCIUTTO: Yes. I want -- you know, I got three kids who play a bunch of youth sports and one thing, and of course there's a lot of talk about this.
It's just all the pay to play, right? I mean, the cost of entry is just going up and it's -- which takes away the opportunity for a lot of young
kids. And I wonder if you run into that as well.
ROBINSON: Yes, no, definitely. I think that's one of the things that Miles of Change foundation is doing. We're trying to, you know, provide, you
know, whether it be free camps that can, you know -- you -- that parents can use as a way to maybe get their kids out of their hands and into an
environment where they're playing sports, meeting new kids, meeting a diverse type of, you know, group of friends, you know, learning about one
another and maybe there are different cultures and things like that.
It's recognizing, you know, through sport, we're so much more alike than unalike. And how can we use that to kind of push forward and, to make the
world a better place through, you know, diversity.
SCIUTTO: Yes. No question. Well, listen, I appreciate you doing that because I certainly see the need for it out there. Myself as a parent going
from game to game. All right. Last thing I'm going to ask you, toughest question, what's your confidence that the team's going to be playing beyond
the group stage this year?
ROBINSON: I like our chances, you know. But like I said, it's, it's one game at a time. It's one day at a time, but I have high hopes and, you
know, a lot of faith in this group. Like I said, we've got great players you know, a great staff.
[18:55:00]
So, this summer we're going to, you know, prove a lot of things.
SCIUTTO: Miles Robinson, thanks very much. And good luck to you and the team.
ROBINSON: All right. Thank you. Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Wishing them the best of luck. Well, in less than two hours, another Field of Play, the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs will tip
off in game one of the NBA Finals. New York City has picked up a 4-2 lead, to town royal blue and orange in celebration of the Knicks first trip to
the finals since way back in 1999 where, you may remember, they also went up against the Spurs but lost. The Spurs have home court advantage for the
first two games.
And the competitive edge when it comes to ticket prices. The cheapest seats for tonight's game in San Antonio about 750 bucks. What is it New York?
$4,000 for the nosebleeds at Madison Square Garden. Just crazy.
Thanks so much for joining us today. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. You've been watching "The Brief." Please do stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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