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What We Know with Max Foster

At Least 188 Killed After Earthquakes Hit Venezuela; Heat Wave Smashing Records, Scorching European Cities; Supreme Court Sides With Trump In Two Major Immigration Cases; Trump Hosts "Rally To End All Rallies" To Open Festival; Later: USA Face Turkey In Match At Los Angeles Stadium. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired June 25, 2026 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[15:00:39]

MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: Venezuela rocked by its strongest earthquake in a century.

This is WHAT WE KNOW.

Rescuers are racing to find survivors in the wake of that devastating back- to-back pair of earthquakes. We want to warn you, these images are disturbing.

(VIDEO CLIP) PLAYS)

FOSTER: At least 188 people known to have been killed, 1,500 injured, but the death toll is expected to rise sharply because many people are missing.

The two quakes struck about 40 seconds apart. One of them had a magnitude of 7.5.

Here's how one survivor described those terrifying moments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I leaned out onto the balcony, screaming, we're trapped. We need help. Please, someone come. We didn't

realize there were two aftershocks back-to-back. We thought it had lasted a minute, maybe a minute and a half, but it felt endless.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Let's take you there now. This is Caracas. So many homes reduced to rubble like this, leaving many people without anywhere to go. Rescue

teams are racing to find survivors in scenes just like this.

Stefano Pozzebon has more now on the devastation and how it unfolded.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR (voice-over): Not one, but two earthquakes shaking Venezuela in a matter of seconds, killing well over 100

people and injuring around 1,000 more. Authorities say dozens of buildings collapsed in the capital, Caracas, less than 200 miles from the epicenter.

The first quake measured magnitude 7.2, striking just after 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Less than a minute later, an even stronger 7.5 tremor.

Authorities saying more than 30 aftershocks were reported.

Interim President Delcy Rodriguez declaring a state of emergency while survivors are still in shock.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I am 59 years old, and I felt the earthquake very strongly. Inside my house, the glasses, the plates,

everything fell. We believe it was quite strong because it shook for a long time. You could see the water in the hotel pools sloshing out, and there is

a lot of debris in the streets and many people outside.

POZZEBON (voice-over): In the areas hit the hardest, entire buildings reduced to piles of concrete and twisted metal. Rescue teams working

through the night, the search for people trapped in the rubble never ceasing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I was here when I managed to get dressed. He helped me, and all the walls were cracked. We managed to open

the door however we could. There was a cloud of smoke that wouldn't let us see. And when we went downstairs, the scene was like a horror movie. We had

to climb over the rubble and everything.

The building superintendent with the baby, and all the neighbors coming down. But from that building, I only saw that one family got out.

POZZEBON (voice-over): Officials warned the death toll could rise as first responders reach areas still cut off by the damage, while international aid

is starting to reach Venezuela to provide help for one of the deadliest natural tragedies here in this century.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Well, CNN meteorologist Alison Chinchar is with us now because, I mean, we've seen the devastation, but this was an extraordinary situation,

wasn't it? Two earthquakes. It wasn't an earthquake followed by an aftershock only.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah, it's a thing you have to understand. This is a very seismically active part of the world, but so

that part alone is not uncommon. What made this uncommon was having these two back-to-back. That's called a double it by the way.

So the initial quake, the 7.2, that is considered a foreshock for the one that came just 40 seconds later. That's the main quake of 7.5 magnitude.

They were very close in proximity, basically back-to-back in time, which in turn is what caused such significant damage because the seven two alone

likely triggered significant damage to buildings and houses and things like that.

[15:05:00]

Then to have the 7.5 shortly thereafter just made it even worse.

Now one thing to note too, for a lot of this area is that when you look at those back-to-back, they may not seem like they're that far apart. You

know, the magnitude difference is only 0.3, but the scale doesn't work that way. It's more of an exponentially based scale. So you have it. It's really

means it's two times as big and nearly three times as strong, meaning that 7.5 compared to the 7.2. One of the biggest concerns they are going to have

going forward are still the aftershocks.

Now, when you have a main quake, that's a magnitude of 7.5. Typically speaking, you will have at least one aftershock that is a magnitude 6.5 or

greater. You will have roughly 10 that are magnitude 5.5 or greater and about 100 or so that are magnitude 4.5.

Now a 4.5 may not sound like it's all that bad. But when you have such a large quake beforehand, now all of these buildings and homes are now

structurally compromised. So, even something like a 4.5 can end up causing significant more damage to these areas because the buildings are not firm

as they once were. So that's where the concern is going to be.

We not only have rescues that are being made, but we could in turn see more rescues in the future as these aftershocks continue. Another thing that's

going to really inhibit a lot of those rescues as rain chances in the forecast, not just for the remainder of Thursday. But even as we go into

Friday and Saturday, we have rain and even the chance for a few thunderstorms in the forecast.

This is going to make those rescue efforts a little bit more difficult for some of these areas, especially when you consider several days worth of

rain and that the vast majority of these aftershocks, especially the larger ones, really occur within the first one to seven days after the main quake

occurs. So that's going to be another problem that these areas are just simply going to face. This was a lot of people that were impacted by this

Not just that folks that are near the epicenter.

When you look at all of these areas, how it propagated outward to a lot of the surrounding towns and cities and communities. The bigger concern is the

fatalities. The number is already high, but the U.S. Geological Survey saying that estimates put this at the thousands of fatalities that will

likely be a result of these two particular quakes. Not to mention a lot of the economic losses that this area is going to occur.

Now, over a typical year, we typically have about 15 magnitude quakes that fall between that 7 to 7.9 magnitude range. We had two within just 40

seconds of each other.

So again, this area as you mentioned Max, it's just it was doubly hit back- to-back by these two earthquakes earlier yesterday.

FOSTER: Allison, thank you.

Almost 24 hours on from the quake. Many people are anxiously waiting for any sort of news about their relatives.

CNN's Osmary Hernandez reports from one neighborhood in Caracas as rescue teams try to reach survivors.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OSMARY HERNANDEZ, CNN EN ESPANOL CORRESPONDENT: We are walking in Los Palos Grandes. This is a neighborhood located in the east of Caracas and

one of the most affected after the power earthquake that brought Venezuela.

Let's see how is the situation where the rescue are working in the area, they are trying to remove their device and try to rescue some people

because around there are some relatives waiting for news about them. They say that they have not communication with them for so many hours. At this

moment, they are trying to rescue four young men in this building and at the same time, the feeling in the area is with pain, with sadness, also

with fear, still with fear.

Some people spend the night in squares, also in public spaces, because they don't know if the cracks like this one that we can see in this building can

affect the structure and can make that building collapse, like other four buildings in this same area. But also, in the middle of this chaotic

situation, we can feel the solidarity of the people, people who come here to bring with them medicines, food, water, some masks, because in this

area, we have to wear a mask like this one, because there are so much power around. Sometimes it's difficult to read. It's difficult to see. And people

-- there are some volunteers here working to help people and to help also the rescue, to support the rescue with food, with water, and waiting for

the international aid.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Osmary Hernandez there in Caracas with the latest from there.

Temperature records meanwhile shattering across Europe, including here in the U.K., with a new record high for the month of June at 36.4 degrees

Celsius. That's more than 97 degrees Fahrenheit, and the previous record was set just yesterday. This kind of heat is deadly. In Spain, officials

say 212 people have died over the last four days. In France, at least 48 people have drowned in the past week as they tried to cool off, according

to "Reuters". Many schools across the continent are closed. Train lines are swelling due to the heat.

Let's go straight to Anna Stewart, who's experiencing this firsthand -- Anna.

ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I miss the office, Max. I don't miss you. I miss the air-conditioned office. It's been a really hot day.

But the question is, how hot is too hot in the workplace? Because not everyone gets to be in a lovely air-conditioned studio like you. We were

looking at some of the hottest places we could find in central London. Construction workers, dry cleaners, restaurants, some of the kitchens here

have been getting so hot and actually infrastructure is really buckling in terms of fridges not working.

Or as one general manager at the Hoppers restaurant told me, the air conditioning unit was struggling. He spent his morning in this crazy heat

on the roof of the restaurant trying to fix it. Have a listen to Tam from Hoppers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAMLIN ARMSTROM, GM HOPPERS: AC units were set too low, so then they were like struggling and conking out. And yeah, then we had some guests just

say, it's just too hot. You know, you imagine like this, it's a small restaurant, but it's a very busy one. So once you get the entire place

full, all those bodies in here just sort of increases the temperature as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEWART: I went into his kitchen. It was 48 degrees centigrade. That is around 118 degrees Fahrenheit. I think it was absolutely scorching hot. And

it's always quite hot in these kitchens, but usually the chefs can obviously, you know, take a break and get a breath of fresh air. There has

been no fresh air today.

That said, we are finally below the 30 degrees centigrade mark, which I am very grateful. Interestingly, in the U.K., legally, there is no upper limit

when it comes to temperatures in the workplace. So there is no limit that workers can look to and hope to achieve.

Workers are allowed to have a reasonable indoor environment. That is the sort of woolly language that's used in terms of legislation. And there's a

great plot to us here, Max, because while there's no legal upper limit to the temperature in any workplace in the U.K., they do always have to

provide a thermometer. So workers can always know just how hot they are, but they probably can't always do much about it -- Max.

FOSTER: Yeah, we just don't have that tradition, do we, of aircon? Because we haven't really needed it before.

But Anna, it's cooling down for you, at least.

Now, the U.S. Supreme Court has given Donald Trump two big wins on immigration. The conservative-dominated court said migrants cannot apply

for asylum unless they are already on U.S. soil. The ruling means that migrants who approach the border but don't cross it have no means of

pleading their case.

The second ruling will allow the Trump administration to end temporary protections that have been granted to people fleeing war and violence in

Haiti, Syria, and other countries. It could result in the deportation of more than a million migrants who've been in the U.S. legally for years.

Let's bring in CNN's Priscilla Alvarez with more.

I mean, how quickly could this happen, a million people being sent away from the country they've been calling home?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that could happen in a matter of weeks or months. There are still some steps that would have to occur

there. But big picture here, Max, these are two major wins for the Trump administration on two fronts, on the U.S.-Mexico border and their plans

there, but also, importantly, on the deportation front for their plans in the interior of the United States. And I'll elaborate more on that in a

minute.

But first, on the asylum claims, this was an interesting ruling, just to go back a little bit here. This was a practice known as, quote, "metering," so

the idea being that there was a waitlist of people that would present at a port of entry to make their request for protections. Now, a lot of this has

to do with exactly that. It is people presenting at those legal points which are along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Because of that, there may be an unintended consequence here. If those asylum claims are curbed or stopped altogether, people may want to cross

unlawfully. It may encourage them to cross unlawfully and there engage with a Border Patrol agent and make their claim with them. So this was an

interesting ruling.

Right now, however, the numbers at the U.S.-Mexico border are very, very low. And so this is a policy that officials tell me they want to keep in

their back pocket should they need it in the event of a surge.

[15:15:06]

So while this is important in the near term, it's also important in the long term. Again, if there is a surge, but also for future administrations

because it gives them much more latitude on how they process asylum claims at the border.

Now, secondly, is that temporary protected status decision that is a form of humanitarian relief that that is for people inside the United States.

The idea being that if there is a country that is hit by a natural disaster or where there is upheaval. Those nationals that are already in the United

States can be protected from deportation and allowed to work legally in the country.

Now, this has been a target for Republicans and Trump officials and the president himself for years, because they say that something that was meant

to be temporary has been extended again and again and again for these various nationalities. There are about 17 designations. The administration

has tried to terminate 13 of them.

So what this means in the near term is that, again, this was about Haiti and Syria, which is hundreds of thousands who would be affected. But then

after that, because of the Supreme Court decision here, which essentially says the lower courts have no -- no reason to be involved in this at all,

then those legal challenges that have been ongoing would essentially be dismissed.

And that is where the process starts. That's where you start to see the steps start to come together, where the administration would be in a

position to deport these more than a million people who would no longer have those deportation protections or a permit to work in the United

States.

FOSTER: So, there's very limited legal options here, I guess. the best thing people can do is try to find a -- you know, apply for an alternative

part of citizenship, which they but it's a very slow process, isn't it?

ALVAREZ: Well, and this is a pretty complicated population, because typically there are people who may be on or may be protected by a temporary

protected status, but at the same time they're seeking other benefits. So they may be working through the system to obtain asylum or some other

immigration benefit in the United States. So if they have temporary protected status stripped from them, there may be another legal course that

they may be taking to stay in the United States legally.

But to your point, Max, all of this takes a long time. Some people have already been going through that process, and others I've talked to were

just here under temporary protected status and may now be put in a position where they have to find that other legal recourse.

But this is something that attorneys are raising the alarm about. Of course, they are telling people that they need to find attorneys if they

don't have one, as this all starts to unfold. But let me tell you what one attorney also told me, which I think is notable in this context. He said,

quote, "It would be the largest de-documentization event of people in U.S. history," because more than one million people, again, could be stripped of

those protections and those work permits.

So, certainly a monumental decision for these individuals. And we'll see also what happens in the future in the way that administrations handle this

form of humanitarian relief.

FOSTER: Yeah, it's a big number of people affected, isn't it?

Priscilla, thank you.

Coming up, much more on our breaking news in Venezuela. Two powerful earthquakes have struck moments apart, killing and injuring hundreds of

people. We'll be joined by a seismologist to explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:21:27]

FOSTER: Back to our top story. Rescue workers are frantically searching for survivors in Venezuela after two powerful earthquakes hit back-to-back.

More than 188 people have been killed, and those numbers are expected to rise. A magnitude 7.2 quake hit. Then just moments later, a magnitude 7.5.

The second quake was the most powerful one to hit Venezuela in more than a century.

What we want to know is what made this earthquake so devastating.

Join me now, seismologist Lucy Jones.

Thank you for joining us, Lucy.

I mean, how rare is it to have two at once?

LUCY JONES, SEISMOLOGIST, CAL TECH: It's actually almost a matter of semantics. I mean, earthquakes begin at a point, rupture down the fault,

and when they stop growing, then it's how long a piece of fault determines the magnitude. So here, a 7.1 is going to take 25 seconds to happen. So you

have the first earthquake and 10 seconds later, you start the second one.

It's almost like there was one big earthquake that had a little hiccup in the middle. And that's actually really quite common. Most big events have

sub-events.

FOSTER: So can you add those magnitudes together and say, you know, that's actually what happened here? You know, it was a -- it was one mega quake.

JONES: To some extent, except for there, it's logarithmic. It's beyond logarithmic. It's an exponential. So, a seven point-- I'm not sure if the

first one was 7.1 or 7.2 -- 7.2 plus 7.5 is like a 7.6.

FOSTER: Yeah. But then we had this series of aftershocks, didn't we? More than 30, I think.

JONES: Yes.

FOSTER: Which is what made it so frightening for people, but also has made it so difficult for the rescue workers.

JONES: And that's going to be in every earthquake. Every earthquake makes another one more likely. Aftershocks -- you can't have an earthquake this

big without thousands of aftershocks. I mean, if we were recording the small ones, we'd probably be talking about tens of thousands of events.

And it just keeps on shaking for quite a while, and it is psychologically really distressing for people, and it does make recovery more difficult.

FOSTER: You know, will we have more? I mean, what happens from now?

JONES: Oh yeah, without question. And in fact, the number dies off really quickly. It's -- so it's a X what's called a hyperbolic decay, which means

that like if you have a certain number of earthquakes on the first day, you have half that many on the second day and a third that many on the third

day and one percent that many on the 100th day. But just one percent of what you've had in that first day is still a pretty large number.

And the rate goes down, but the magnitude does not. So large late aftershocks are actually a really common and not understood part of the

process that maybe a week or a month or even several months later, there will be a six and a half. People are terrified over that, and yet it's

actually pretty common. You've got to be ready for it.

FOSTER: And a weaker aftershock actually can have a much bigger effect when, All the buildings have been weakened, haven't they, by the major

earthquake? So these small aftershocks can actually bring buildings down.

JONES: Absolutely. But in addition, the aftershocks don't always happen at the same plate as the main shock. And in fact, at the main shock, you've

released a lot of stress and often, especially the bigger aftershocks, are somewhere beyond that extent of it. And in the main shock and in fact at

the main shock, you've released a lot of stress and often, especially the bigger aftershocks are somewhere beyond that extent of it. And in this case

we had an earthquake that began towards the West and ruptured down the fault towards Caracas.

[15:25:03]

Caracas itself is beyond the eastern extent of the fault that moved in this earthquake. But that's part of the faults been stressed, so you could have

a smaller earthquake, but nearer Caracas and therefore nearer many more people and get extra damage in that locations. That's what happened in

Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2011. The magnitude seven didn't do all that much damage, but the magnitude six aftershock was directly under the city

of Christchurch and caused much more damage, so that's always a possibility too.

FOSTER: Okay, well, our thoughts with everyone there. Thank you so much for explaining to us exactly what happened there, Lucy Jones.

Now, the heat wave baking Western Europe is leading to a political debate. Should there be a push for more air conditioning?

We'll take a look at why some are saying no.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: An update on our breaking news. Thousands are feared dead in Venezuela after two powerful earthquakes hit back-to-back. You can see the

panic, the chaos here in the immediate aftermath. Venezuela's president says the area hardest hit near Caracas is a disaster zone. At least 188

people are officially confirmed dead, but that number is expected to rise as bodies are recovered from the rubble.

And the disaster comes at a dire time for Venezuela, which is still deep in political and financial crisis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY FRANGIE MAWAD, CARACAS-BASED JOURNALIST: We're talking of almost 200 buildings that have collapsed through the country. And there's reports also

from open source of around 30,000 missing people at the moment. So, we do expect a high number of casualties in Venezuela, and we have also been

experiencing a lot of aftershocks during the last few hours and especially during last night.

[15:30:05]

So it's quite an overwhelming moment in Venezuela and definitely one of the worst natural disasters to hit the city in decades.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: U.S. President Donald Trump is responding to the devastation in Venezuela. In a post on social media, he says the U.S., quote, "Stands

ready, willing, and able to help." Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the government has been in touch with the acting president, Rodriguez, and the

U.S. has sent help.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: That's their most immediate need right now, is search and rescue efforts. They have much of collapsed buildings,

and so they'll need a lot of help in terms of digging through that. The airport there is badly damaged, so we'll have to rely on the Department of

War to deploy assets there. And then we're also helping them with some overhead imagery, especially in coastal areas where they don't have full

visibility over what the damage has been or what the impact has been.

Those are the acute, like short-term needs over the next 48 to 72 hours, because in search and rescue, you're trying to get to people while you can

still save their lives, they're buried under rubble.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: One woman who escaped a damaged building described the scene as being like a horror movie. So many people endured similarly traumatic

moments when the twin quakes hit.

Isa Soares has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One of hundreds of thousands of moments just like it. Two earthquakes, 39 seconds apart, the most

powerful Venezuela has seen in more than a century, striking on a public holiday evening across several states.

A friend in Caracas sent me this voice message. Cleveland Cartaya had made it out, but I was still waiting to hear from several others.

Speaker

CLEVELAND CARTAYA, VENEZUELA RESIDENT (translated): You run and you fall, you bounce off the walls and try to get out of the building quickly.

SOARES (voice-over): Families outside, on the streets, in squares, just too frightened to go back inside.

On social media, images only now coming online.

Luis Reyes and the elderly woman he cares for doing what thousands across Caracas did on Thursday night. They slept on the street.

CARTAYA (translated): A lot of people are in the streets, in the squares, under the bridges. There are many homeless people, there are many people

who have been left with nothing. Truly, this is horrible, horrible.

SOARES (voice-over): By daybreak, the damage is clear to see. This footage aired on state TV shows the utter devastation. And for the millions who

fled violence and a crumbling economy in Venezuela in recent years, the night brought its own particular torment. Communications severed across the

capital. The airport, as you can see, effectively destroyed.

It falls to the acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, to lead the response. A government still finding its footing after Nicolas Maduro's capture by the

United States in January, now facing the worst natural disaster in Venezuela in over a century.

Her government announcing a $200 million emergency fund, the death toll already in the hundreds and rising.

DIOSDADO CABELLO, VENEZUELAN INTERIOR MINISTER (through translator): We have ordered by instructions from the president the cutoff so that everyone

is aware of the direct gas service to buildings. Because we have some damaged structures, we do not want any kind of accident with the gas to

occur.

SOARES (voice-over): Venezuela has already lived through political rupture, economic collapse, and the loss of millions of its people to

immigration. For a country they're already given so much, now this.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: That was Isa reporting for us.

Father Jose Luis Lofrano joins us now from Caracas.

Thank you so much for joining us, Father. What a horrible 24 hours you've had just explain your experience of that twin earthquake.

FATHER JOSE LUIS LOFRANO, PARISH PRIEST, MARY HELP OF CHRISTIAN OF BOLEITA (via telephone): Yesterday, we were celebrating and we have two

earthquakes simultaneous, 7.1 and the other 7.5 magnitude but together -- because the last one we have, like, was on July 29th --

FOSTER: Okay. We've obviously got a connection issue. They've got major infrastructure issues obviously there at the moment, but our thoughts with

the father and those around him.

Now, let's go to the markets. It's the final moments of trade on Wall Street. Let's see how they are currently doing. Up, but only fractionally,

on the Dow Jones.

[15:35:01]

This is our Business Breakout.

U.S. inflation has hit the highest levels in three years. Prices rose 4.1 percent in May, roughly what economists had been expecting.

With oil tankers now passing through the Strait of Hormuz, gas prices are beginning to fall, which could see inflation cool down.

Iran won't spend unfrozen funds on American crops, despite plans floated by U.S. President J.D. Vance. That's according to Iran's chief negotiator,

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Now, Vance had called for Iran to prioritize American goods once its assets were unfrozen. But Ghalibaf has said the

only U.S. exports were, quote, "soybeans, broken promises, and trash talk".

MacBook and iPad prices are going up as Apple responds to a shortage of memory chips. Apple CEO Tim Cook said price hikes were unavoidable as

demand from A.I. companies has pushed memory prices even higher. Apple shares are on track for their worst day in four months on that news.

And the U.K. broke its June temperature record for the second day in a row as a heat dome lingers over Western Europe. In Paris, temperatures climbed

above 40 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, that's more than 104 degrees Fahrenheit. And only the fourth time in 150 years, the city has reached

that level. As France endures this heat, a growing debate is emerging over whether to expand access to air conditioning to protect vulnerable

populations or to save energy because of the climate crisis.

Saskya Vandoorne reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN PARIS BUREAU CHIEF: France is arguing over something many people wouldn't think twice about air conditioning. A.C. isn't a given

across much of Europe, which is currently sweltering through a heat wave.

Here in France, many schools, hospitals and homes don't have it, and that's become the focus of a fierce debate. Is it a central protection against

extreme heat or an indulgence the planet cannot afford?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think I don't need it because I'm young and I can survive this kind of event. It's not a big deal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not a solution. It's going to help to people feel good, but it's not going to help the environment.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think it's a good thing planets.

VANDOORNE: With France battling record temperatures and parts of the country grinding to a halt, now the debate on how to stay cool is heating

up too, turning air conditioning into a political issue ahead of next year's presidential election.

VANDOORNE (voice-over): Far-right leader Marine Le Pen has promised a massive nationwide air conditioning plan if elected. She argues the French

shouldn't have to suffer through increasingly intense heat waves.

MARINE LE PEN, FORMER LEADER, NATIONAL RALLY (translated): If I am elected president, I will put in place a massive air-conditioning plan.

VANDOORNE: But her rival on the far left, Jean-Luc Melenchon, says installing A.C. everywhere would only make the problem worse by increasing

energy consumption and emissions.

JEAN-LUC MELENCHON, FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Installing air- conditioning everywhere means causing more harm.

VANDOORNE: Le Pen's plan also sparked outrage among the center-left climate-focused greens, who say that A.C. heats up the air outside, and

France should adapt differently by renovating buildings to improve insulation and planting more trees.

VANDOORNE (voice-over): But as temperatures climb, more French people are looking for relief, with some even sleeping outside. Fans and portable

cooling units are flying off the shelves, with long lines forming outside Paris stores.

VANDOORNE: And despite the debate, air conditioning has become more common, with the share of homes equipped with A.C. nearly doubling between

2016 and 2020, according to the country's Ecological Transition Agency.

Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Still to come, wedding bells will soon be ringing for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, and we might have a hint as to where that wedding might

be.

More on that when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:41:55]

FOSTER: We may have figured out where and when the celebrity wedding of the year is happening. It appears that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce could

be getting married at the legendary Madison Square Garden on July 4th. There have been tabloid rumors for weeks that the superstar couple was

eyeing MSG and the Fourth for their big day. And now law enforcement sources tell CNN that a permit application to hold an event in the vicinity

of MSG has been submitted by a company that is known to plan weddings.

What we don't know is how can Taylor Swift turn Madison Square Garden into a wedding venue?

Joining us now, celebrity party planner David Tutera.

I mean, David, I mean, a lot of the information we've got is quite tentative. We are relying on the Swifties to put two and two together here.

But are you hearing anything from your industry about this being a wedding?

DAVID TUTERA, CELEBRITY PARTY PLANNER: Yes, this is being heard across the globe right now with the people in this industry and beyond. A lot of

people are talking about it. A lot of people want to know what's going on. And I think it's a great space to have it in.

So I'm very curious to see how this will be executed.

FOSTER: Yes, it's a stadium. How many weddings are there in stadiums that you've been involved with?

TUTERA: Very rare. And I've worked in Madison Square Garden several times doing big events in those -- in that space, and it's a very challenged

space. So they have to make sure that they're dealing with all the permits, making sure they're dealing with all the visuals that will be seen,

hopefully, because that space is not a beautiful space. It's a place where you do different things there and I want this to be beautiful for them and

for all their fans and be really excited about what that will look like, and it needs to be very special.

In times that we are right now, we need this to happen. It's very important.

FOSTER: I mean, she's so close to her fans, isn't she? But do you think she'd really get married effectively on a stage in front of tens of

thousands of people? I mean, what are we talking about here?

TUTERA: Well, It's a lot of people are going to be there. So in my thought process, I think that this possibly could be the wedding if it's executed

in the right way, because we want this to be beautiful for her and him. And this should be something that's magical.

What we're going on in the world today, this is the perfect time to bring this up and see the beauty and the wonderful visuals that could be done and

people need that right now. And I'm happy that she's doing this in that location to bring more people there and make people feel special and being

connected with everyone.

FOSTER: So how would you dress it? What would it look like if I was turning up as a guest?

TUTERA: Well, having worked there plenty of times, I would bring in beautiful trees that can surround the inside of the -- of the stadium and

also what I could -- would -- I would love to see is wonderful drapes that are going around the entire inside of the space so it's cutting off

basically all of the seats on the side allowing the big space to be there for the visuals, then there possibly getting married on that -- in that

room -- in that space because it's so large.

This needs to be an epic, fabulous, over the top moment for everybody that is so excited to see something special.

FOSTER: For the Swifties watching who are desperately trying to put two and two together, as I was saying, trying to work out if this is the event

we think it is, one of them is on our team. I won't mention her, but she's been very involved in this story. What else should they be looking for that

would confirm to you that this indeed was their wedding?

TUTERA: I'm curious to find out if she's going to perform. I'm hoping that she does something very unique, that stands out, that's never been done by

her. Because, yes, if you're in the Madison Square Garden, that is a place where there are performances, and maybe she will step forward for a moment

and do something really interesting.

We always wait to see what Taylor wants to do, and she always does it beautifully. So I'm assuming that she will do something that is emotional,

stunning, beautiful, and really connecting everybody together.

FOSTER: Well, I'll definitely do that. I think you're right, a bit of an antidote to all of the grimness we have at the moment. So let's see what

actually happens.

David, as ever, thank you so much for joining us, really appreciate your time.

Now to a celebration of a different kind. The Great American State Fair is now underway as part of the nation's 250th anniversary celebration.

President Trump held a rally on Wednesday to kick off that event, which runs through July the 10th.

CNN's Donie O'Sullivan spoke with people at the opening ceremony about what they're looking forward to most.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All the fun of the fair.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm very excited. I have come all the way from Honolulu, Hawaii.

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: This is the great American State Fair.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going to see the president, and we're really excited. This is a great day.

MARILYN SMITH, TOURIST FROM CINCINNATI, OHIO: I remember it as a kid celebrating 1976 in the bicentennial, you know, and here I am all these

years later, probably dressed as stupid as I was back then. But I'm very proud of the United States and where -- no matter who the president is, I

love the country.

O'SULLIVAN: Ostensibly, this is a celebration of America's 250th birthday. But like all things here in Washington, D.C., President Trump has made it

about himself.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Trump is kicking it all off with a campaign-style rally, one that he says is the rally to end all rallies.

EDWARD X. YOUNG, TOURIST FROM OCEAN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY: Today will be my 116th Trump rally. A Trump rally, it's the greatest show on earth.

O'SULLIVAN: Now, there was supposed to be a whole slate of musical artists playing at this fair over the next few weeks, but many of them pulled out

because they said it was too political an event.

ZACK, TOURIST FROM HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA: You know, I mean, the artists who pulled out, you know, they have the right to make their own choice.

We're allowed to make our own decisions, you know, but we can also get along as far as that.

O'SULLIVAN: Instead, Trump favorite Lee Greenwood will be performing, and Alexis Wilkins. She's the girlfriend of the FBI director, Kash Patel.

Lee Greenwood is performing tonight, and so is Kash Patel's girlfriend, who's a country singer, so.

SMITH: Oh, no. Country music? Well, I did -- I think the army band is in the choirs. I'm sure they're going to be really good.

O'SULLIVAN: You're looking forward to that.

SMITH: Yeah.

O'SULLIVAN: All of this is happening with a backdrop of a split in MAGA about Israel, Iran, and the economy.

SUZETTE, TOURIST FROM ALABAMA: I'm never happy with war, I will say. However, I -- I have chosen to trust that the administration knows things I

don't know. And I can only hope that it's over soon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Well, there you are. Partly going on there.

Still to come, Turkey are looking to end their World Cup run on a high note against Team USA. We'll discuss today's action.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:51:42]

FOSTER: For the men's World Cup now and one of the day's most anticipated showdowns. USA are hoping to keep the momentum going as they take on Turkey

later in California. The co-hosts are first place in Group D after a 2-0 victory over Australia last week. It's fueling a level of optimism around

the U.S. men's national team not seen in years.

Andy Scholes is near the stadium where the USA-Turkey match will kick off in just a few hours.

Turkey's going to be a tough one there, isn't it, Andy?

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Certainly so, Max, especially because they do not want to leave this World Cup with zero wins and all

losses.

So you know they're going to be motivated coming to this one. But for Team USA Max, they're coming into this match with no stress at all. This is the

first time in team history they're going to a third group stage match with the group already won. They won Group D, so the U.S. is now likely already

going to be playing Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 32.

The exact match-ups have not yet been determined. That's the likely opponent for Team USA. No matter what, they know that game is going to be

Wednesday in Santa Clara, California.

But the goal here today for Team USA against Turkey is just not to have anyone get hurt. And of course, they want to try to keep up that incredible

momentum they have from beating Paraguay and Australia in those first two group stage matches.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEJANDRO ZENDEJAS, USA WINGER: Just because we're through doesn't mean we have to let our foot off the -- off the pedal. We have to keep on going

with that same confidence, same rhythm and keep showing each other and the world what this team's made of.

FOLARIN BALOGUN, USA STRIKER: There's definitely a belief we have within ourselves. There's up to maybe 15, 20 guys who would put their life on the

line, you know, for a win, for a result, you know, to block a goal. And when you have that sort of mentality, I feel like you're always going to

give yourself the best chance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Now, don't expect to see Folarin Balogun, Tyler Adams, Chris Richards or Anthony Robinson play for Team USA against Turkey.

Coach Mauricio Pochettino said on Wednesday that all those guys that are sitting on yellow cards are not going to be playing in this one because if

they were to get that second yellow card, they then have to miss that match in the round of 32.

But once good group stage play is over, all the yellow cards are wiped out, so you don't have to worry about that anymore. But we will likely see the

return of Christian Pulisic today for Team USA, Captain America. He missed the second-half win against Paraguay and the entire match against Australia

with that injured left calf.

Pulisic says that that calf injury is now better. He is fit to return. How many minutes he is going to end up playing here today? We'll have to wait

and see. He's likely not going to play the entire match.

But Pulisic says, Max, he's always believed in this team and that they don't need some miracle to make a deep run in the World Cup. Now, as I

mentioned, their next match in the round of 32 is likely going to be against Bosnia-Herzegovina. If they win that one Max, their next match

would then be in Seattle again, and that's the stadium -- Seattle Stadium that they are a perfect 7-0 in.

So, a path to the quarterfinal, it's looking quite nice for Team USA. And you know, we've said there's no stakes for this game behind me today, Max,

against Turkey. The ticket prices certainly don't reflect that. The cheapest ticket just to get into the very top of the stadium is still going

for more than $1,700.

USA fans could not be more excited and they all just want to be a part of this World Cup tournament here on home soil.

FOSTER: Yeah, Pulisic hasn't even played properly yet, has he? So that's like going to want to see him and so it's good luck to you guys.

Andy Scholes, thank you so much.

And finally tonight, an update on one of the World Cup's biggest stories, of course, Merlin the Duck, it appears, has run out of luck. Mexico's

wildly popular and unlikely World Cup ambassador was denied entry ahead of Mexico's big game on Wednesday. FIFA regulations say animals are not

allowed in venues.

Merlin, wearing his tiny green Mexico jersey, you can see there, has become an international sensation on social media, an unofficial mascot of the

team. I reckon there could be a discussion about access.

I'm Max Foster. That's WHAT WE KNOW. Do stay with CNN.

END

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