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What We Know with Max Foster

Trump Threatens Another Round of Strikes On Iran; Khamenei's Funeral Procession Draws Thousands In Iraq; Trump: Going To Give Ukraine License To Make Patriot Missiles; Oil Prices Spike After Trump Says Deal With Iran "Over"; Maine Democrat Platner Being Urged To Drop Senate Bid; HBO Dominates With Top Contenders In Drama & Comedy. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired July 08, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:30]

CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN HOST: The U.S. president threatens more strikes on Iran.

I'm Christina Macfarlane, in for Max Foster, and this is WHAT WE KNOW.

Iran is calling U.S. President Donald Trump a murderous criminal after he threatened to launch new strikes tonight.

According to Mr. Trump, an interim deal to end the war with Iran is over. He made the comments at a NATO summit in Ankara after a recent exchange of

fire between the U.S. and Iran. President Trump called Iran scum and again threatened to target its civilian infrastructure, as well as Kharg Island,

the key hub for oil exports.

But he also appeared to send mixed messages.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't think it's going to start again. I think it's going to go very quickly. They hit a couple of

ships. And so we hit them much harder. When they hit, we hit 10 times harder. You know, we hit much harder than they do.

Somebody asked me before, "Do you think you'll hit them tonight?" I said, "We might. Yeah, we might." But when they hit, we hit, you know?

That's what they -- we use -- we use their language. We speak their language. No, I don't think so. I think anything that happens is going to

be over very quickly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: CNN's Nic Robertson is at the summit and rejoins us now from Ankara.

Nic, it has felt a little bit like whiplash today from Donald Trump, given his tone changed so much on Iran. Earlier starting the day saying how the

U.S. is going to hit back on Iran there, as we heard, then ending the day saying he thinks the war with Iran isn't going to start again. How have you

been reading all of that?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, I've sort of seen that arc of change, and it's sort of almost been across a lot of

different areas of Trump's handling of his NATO allies and what he has to say to them. And then his overall messaging at the end, it sort of came in

hard and has sort of gone softer. But I think if you're in Iran's position, you'll have listened to the language very, very carefully. And President

Trump here is signaling again that he doesn't want to go for a long war.

The Iranians, I think the understanding is that they are prepared to dig in. That's certainly what they project, that they will go and go back to

war if they need to, to protect their interests in the Strait of Hormuz, which they believe is a financial benefit to them. They sort of won this

through the war and are not ready to back down on it.

So it's a bit like when President Trump said several weeks ago, his reason for signing the MOU was because he didn't want to thrust the United States

into a sort of an economic crisis of the sort of scale of the 1930s, a sort of economic bust back then. That was at that time was a signal to the

Iranians that their tactics of using driving up the financial mark, driving up the cost of oil was effective.

And it's not clear that President Trump's hard and softer language is going to work. It'll work if the Iranians potentially believe that he would

double down and follow through with any amount of strikes.

So I think it's -- it -- it's really, you know, in many ways for Iran to interpret him, and of course, that's what the president wants. He wants to

signal that this won't last long so that the oil markets and the prices there come back down again after the spike today. But then you can't use

that logic with the Iranians because they'll just push through it and take the short pain.

MACFARLANE: Yeah, and, Nic, there were a couple of surprising developments today, not least on Ukraine, but also on Syria as well, and the decision by

the U.S. to remove Syria from the U.S. terror sponsor list following that bilat that President Trump had with al-Sharaa earlier today. I mean, given

that last month, Donald Trump terminated U.S. sanctions on Syria, did we expect this to be the next thing to happen?

ROBERTSON: It's sort of logically, if you're following Trump's logic through dealing with Syria and how his Gulf partners are dealing with

Syria, which is sort of trying to bring Syria and al-Sharaa back into the fold, which is trying to use him to sort of stabilize Syria.

You know, there are various visions about the role that Syria can play in the future in the region. And one of those that sort of really got a lot of

people's thinking and attention in the short term now is in the region and one of those that sort of really got a lot of people's thinking and

attention in the short term now is passage for an oil pipeline that would ultimately come through probably Turkey and then on to Europe from the Gulf

States.

[15:05:04]

And that's a great option a lot of people think because it bypasses the Strait of Hormuz which Iran is trying to control.

So, you know, in that context then sort of allowing Syria to come out from under this terror designation that went on, by the way, in December 1979

that affects lots of different finances from the banking sector to the sort of industrial sector to -- it touches all parts of life, the construction

sector, all the areas that Al-Sharaa would want to see money coming into the country so he can stabilize Syria, so that he can provide jobs, so that

he can provide a sort of a vision of a future for the people of Syria.

This kind of fits in with the sort of broader vision of a Middle East that becomes stable, that becomes more joined up, where Syria isn't a basket

case and isn't a problem. Of course, they will remain tensions with Israel as long as Israel has a deeper footprint and pressure points inside of

Syria in the south.

But the fact that President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has now taken these steps, it does seem to indicate that President Trump is

listening to what perhaps some of his Gulf partners and friends are saying.

MACFARLANE: Great context, as always. Nic Robertson, we appreciate it. Thank you.

Now, the flare-up in violence and rhetoric between Iran and the U.S. comes amid funeral events for Iran's late supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. His six-

day state funeral crossed into Iraq earlier today.

And our Fred Pleitgen is covering all the developments from Tehran. And we want to remind you, CNN operates in Iran only with the permission of the

government. But we maintain full editorial control of our reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Iranians are lashing out at President Trump after the U.S. president said he

believes that the memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States that, of course, guarantees a ceasefire between the two countries

is, as he put it, over. One Iranian official that I spoke to said that he believes that President Trump's words as he announced all this were, quote,

"disgusting".

Other Iranian officials also ripping into the United States and into President Trump, especially after those overnight U.S. airstrikes and, of

course, the U.S. also revoking those sanctions waivers for the export of Iranian oil. In fact, the chief negotiator for the Iranians with the United

States said that the time, as he put it, of bullying and extortion by the United States is over.

As you can imagine, a lot of folks here on the streets in Tehran speaking about the events that have been unfolding over the past hours. Here's what

they told us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I'm criticizing the authorities of my own country. When they were supposed to give the right response to

those people overseas, they didn't do so. Negotiations were against the will of the nation, they will have wasted all the efforts of our armed

forces.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): For the last 47 years, we have seen this type of threat so many times. And on the basis of these threats,

day by day, we are getting stronger and more experienced.

PLEITGEN: It was a very kinetic night in the Persian Gulf area, with the U.S. accusing Iran of targeting several ships looking to transit the Strait

of Hormuz. The U.S. then hitting several Iranian targets, they say around 80, around the Strait of Hormuz area, for instance, in the port town of

Bandar Abbas. The Iranians themselves then saying that they hit back at U.S. military assets in this region themselves, striking 85 targets, that

according to Iranian officials.

But one of the other things that makes all of this even more difficult is that right now, Iran is still very much in a period of mourning as the

funeral commemorations for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are still going on. In fact, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's body is set to be

laid to rest in one of the holiest cities of Shia Islam in Mashhad in eastern Iran on Thursday.

And so, therefore, the Iranians are saying this standoff at this point in time for them makes everything even more egregious.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: President Trump and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy met earlier on the sidelines of the NATO summit. Trump says he's going to talk to

Russia's Vladimir Putin later Wednesday, seemingly in one more attempt to broker an end to Russia's conflict with Ukraine. But he is also saying the

U.S. will grant Ukraine a license to build Patriot missile defense systems rather than supplying U.S.-made Patriots.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: One of the things I think we're going to be talking about today, I just -- a little birdie told me this about the fact that we'll give them

the right to make patriots. We'll show them how to do it. It's very complex, actually, but it's -- you'll figure out the complexity quickly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Colin Clarke is the executive director of the Soufan Center and author of "After the Caliphate: The Islamic State and the Future of the

Terrorist Diaspora". He joins us now live from Pittsburgh.

Thank you so much for being with us.

I think, you know, this permission to Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missiles surprised many onlookers today, as well as the sort of friendly

tone of that bilateral that took place between the two leaders. But there is a remaining question here over what this would take. And given the

urgency on the battlefield, can you just walk us through, you know, what it would entail for Ukraine to do this and how long it would take to

implement?

COLIN CLARKE, EXECUTIVER DIRECTOR, THE SOUFAN CENTER: Yeah, thanks for having me. I think that's the important part, is the temporal aspect. This

is going to be something that It's not a great help in the near term, in the immediate term. This is something that will alleviate pressure on the

Ukrainians over time. I do think it's important symbolically. It certainly adds to the momentum that the Ukrainians are claiming on the battlefield.

And moreover, it's a reflection of Ukrainian innovation.

You know, if you look at what the Ukrainians have done with drones, it's been really admirable. And I think for President Trump to acknowledge that,

you know, in his mind, this is a sign of success. He sees a momentum shift, and Trump always backs a winner, and that's, you know, reflected in the way

he was speaking to Zelenskyy today.

MACFARLANE: Yeah, and I want to ask you about his comments on, you know, a possible meeting with Putin. But before I get to that, this might be a

stupid question, but how difficult would it be for Ukraine to manufacture these missiles in-country? I mean, because presumably they'd be the target

of Russian attacks.

CLARKE: Yeah, well, I think there's several hurdles. There's the logistical hurdle and keeping these from Russian attacks, as you pointed

out. But there's an underestimated point here, which is the tacit knowledge transfer. Working with American forces, we know that the intelligence

community has been active. We know that the military has been active.

And it's much easier when you have someone kind of walking you through and teaching you how to do this. The president himself talked about the

complexity of the situation. But the Ukrainians are quick learners. Again, if you look at Zelenskyy's trip to the Gulf at the end of March, where Kyiv

signed counter-drone deals with several Gulf countries, the Ukrainians have done some remarkable work, really on a shoestring. They've done a lot with

very little in the technological sense, and they're innovating rapidly.

MACFARLANE: And at a time, of course, when Russia are really suffering from the advances Ukraine are making with those long-range drone attacks

targeting oil refineries, what would this defensive capability spell at this moment? How much of a game changer is it going to be for Ukraine?

CLARKE: It could potentially, again, over the long run, be a game changer. I think it's also an acknowledgment by the United States military

industrial complex of how impressive the Ukrainians are. But I think the goal here is to sue for peace. It's to show that Ukraine can hit deep into

Russian territory, which is proven before. It's proven that it has elite intelligence capabilities.

And it's to kind of, you know, really show Putin that this is a mutually hurting stalemate for every attack that the Russians launch, the Ukrainians

are able to counter in kind. One of the big differences here is that Russia is going after civilian targets, where the Ukrainians are attempting to go

after energy and infrastructure and Russian military targets. So, there's a real kind of good guy, bad guy aspect here, which there has been from the

very beginning. So, I think, you know, there's, for the rest of this year, an opportunity to kind of push Russia into the corner and see if that works

in getting the Kremlin to the negotiating table.

MACFARLANE: Yeah. And the president, of course, acknowledged today that the escalation against Russia could be a means of bringing Russia back to

the table, Putin back to the table for these renewed talks. He says he's going to speak to the Russian president later on Wednesday.

Do you think that is accurate, or are we more likely to see Putin refuse to show weakness and even, God forbid, escalate this war with the use of

nuclear weapons, even?

CLARKE: Look, the chances are not zero. And we've learned from open source reporting over the years that elements within Moscow have flirted with the

idea of using tactical nuclear weapons. I don't think we can rule anything out. And I think Putin has proven time and time again that he is willing to

escalate. So, a bit of a gamble here.

You know, what I would say is the United States really has to accompany any military assistance with sustained diplomacy. That's been kind of a missing

ingredient so far. We've seen that missing in action in Iran as well, kind of fits and starts. So military assistance, Ukrainian military offensive,

but coupled with really strong American diplomacy and Western diplomacy, you know, not forgetting about our allies, which has been an issue over the

last few days on display in Ankara.

MACFARLANE: Yeah. And all of this, as you say, is testament, really, to how Ukraine have fought this war and how they are forcing this position,

really, on the U.S.

Colin, it's always great to have your analysis. Thank you.

CLARKE: Thank you.

MACFARLANE: And earlier, I spoke with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, who was at the NATO summit in Ankara. He told me why the capability for Ukraine

to make its own Patriot missiles defense systems is so crucial.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROB JETTEN, DUTCH PRIME MINISTER: This is very important news, because the Ukrainians have now taken a new momentum on the battlefield, putting a lot

of pressure on the Russian economy and the Russian president. But obviously, the impact of Russian airstrikes on Ukraine is intense, with not

enough air defense at the moment. So, we need, in the very short term, more delivery from E.U. countries to Ukraine.

But for the midterms, we need Ukraine to have more capabilities to produce it on their own. And they can do it in Ukraine, but they can also do it in

European countries under a license. The Netherlands is working closely with Ukraine on drone production, for example, and we stand ready to do that

also with other capabilities. So, this move from the president of the United States can be a game-changer for the Ukrainians.

MACFARLANE: President Trump also said today that he, in his view, both sides in Ukraine's war want to see a settlement. Do you think that's true?

Do you believe that Russia want to see a settlement that would be acceptable to all parties?

JETTEN: So far, we haven't seen any clear indications that Putin is willing to negotiate a just and lasting peace. So that is why it's so

important to keep the support for Ukraine high, so they can go to a negotiation table at any time from a strong position.

In the end, also in this conflict, only negotiations can solve this war. But as long as Putin is not showing any willingness, we have to keep

pressure on Putin.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Thanks to the prime minister there.

Now, the death toll from Venezuela's earthquakes two weeks ago has risen to nearly 3,700. This cemetery is being dug in a remote area near the worst-

hit area. Most of the bodies recovered have not yet been identified. Nearly 18,000 people remain homeless. after the quakes measured 7.2 and 7.5 just

seconds apart.

From the air, you can see the devastation in a nation where more than half the population was already struggling with poverty, and now, some

Venezuelans have resorted to rummaging through the rubble from the quake, looking for valuables as a way to make ends meet.

All right. Coming up, will Russian athletes be allowed to compete at the 2028 Summer Games in the United States? We'll speak to a Ukrainian Olympian

about a controversial decision made by the International Olympic Committee.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:21:46]

MACFARLANE: Lithuania's foreign minister is calling the International Olympic Committee's decision to lift Russia's suspension disgraceful. In

2023, the IOC banned athletes from competing under the Russian flag more than a year after the country's invasion of Ukraine. The move could clear

the way for Russia to take part in the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. But the committee have not yet made a decision in relation to the display

of the Russian flag, anthem, or colors. Ukraine's foreign ministry believes the decision is a troubling signal for the entire international community.

So, what we want to know is how do Ukrainian athletes feel about competing against Russians?

Joining me now is Vladyslav Heraskevych, a skeleton racer who has represented Ukraine at the Winter Olympics. And at this year's Winter

Olympics in Italy, he was disqualified after breaking ISU rules by wearing a helmet honoring his dead Ukrainian fellow athletes.

Vladyslav, thank you so much for speaking to me.

I want to begin with the comments we heard from Kirsty Coventry, the IOC president yesterday, saying that she is making this decision and doing this

for all athletes, that athletes should not be held accountable or pay the price for the actions of their government. Look, given everything that you

and your country have been through at the hands of the Russian state, what is your response to that?

I believe it's a huge hypocrisy because Russian athletes are highly involved in this war. Some athletes are taking part as a soldiers in this

war, Russian athletes. Some athletes engaged in activity with kidnapped Ukrainian kids from occupied territories. Some athletes taking part in

propaganda events. Some athletes collecting money for Russian army.

But now with this decision, I see totally removed all the criteria about natural athletes. So, we can end up in the situation when former soldier

from Russia, who was fighting on the front line months ago, now able to compete on international sport arena. And to tell that this athlete,

particular athlete, is not guilty, I believe it's a huge lie and huge hypocrisy from Mrs. Coventry.

MACFARLANE: Yeah, and I mean, look, in welcoming Russia back into the Olympic fold, but in disqualifying you for competing in a helmet that

depicted your fellow athletes killed during the war, do you think the IOC are forgetting here what Ukrainian athletes have been through for the last

four years?

HERASKEVYCH: Yeah, I believe they don't have any clue what's going on right now. And if you're talking about today, today was another shelling.

Yesterday was day of mourning because of another shelling a couple of days ago. And in total, in this just one week, more than 50 people just in one

city, Kyiv, were killed because of shelling of residential buildings by Russia. And if you talk about victims, civilian-built victims from this

week, it's more than 100 people all around Ukraine. and by Russia. And if you talk about victims, civilian-built victims from this week, it's more

than 100 people all around Ukraine.

[15:25:03]

And how you can say that -- how you can now at this point to bring back Russian flags and Russian enzymes to competition and to make this decision

these days is totally disgraceful.

MACFARLANE: Yeah. And I believe there's been something in the region of 600 athletes and coaches killed during the course of this war, which is

worth remembering.

Look, I'd like to ask you, will you choose to compete in the next Winter Olympics if your sport, the Skeleton Federation, does allow Russians to

come back into the sport? They are currently, as I understand it, reviewing their position. What will you do?

HERASKEVYCH: It's a good question, but for me personally, it was never a problem to compete with Russian athletes. But the problem is that we are

providing with these decisions, we are providing. providing them platform to split propaganda.

Our goal was never like to destroy career of Russian athlete. Our goal always was to keep this platform safe from war propaganda because for me as

a kid from my childhood, Olympics, it was always sign and some beacon of peace platform where we tried to make world better. But when you allowed to

compete to athletes who are dedicating their wins to Putin, it's nothing about peace. It's just increasing scale of war.

MACFARLANE: Yeah. And, Vladyslav, we are seeing, I think, you know, a softening of sort of global sports position on Russia. And it's likely that

this decision from the IOC will open the door for other governing bodies to follow suit. I mean, just a couple of months ago, FIFA President Gianni

Infantino said that in his view, the football ban on Russia had achieved nothing.

What is your reaction to, you know, governing bodies who think that that is true, that it has -- this ban has achieved nothing.

HERASKEVYCH: No, it's definitely achieved a lot. And when you have this isolation of speaking of propaganda, then you're able to spread the truth.

But with this decision, when you already providing this platform back to Russians, welcoming them back. It's increasing soft power of Russia, and we

see it that attention to Ukraine is getting less and less, and at the same time, when Russians are back, not just in sport, but also in Venice

Biennale on different occasions, different stages. Russians are coming back, and it brings less attention to Ukraine.

And then it's less support, and people don't care already about these shellings in Ukraine, which happens, like, almost every day right now. And

I believe it's a goal. Its goal is to represent their athletes, to whitewash their crimes through the sports.

And it was always like that. It's not happened just now because of full- scale war. It already happened in such a doping scandal. And it happened after these years in the FIFA World Cup in Russia. So, it happens

consistently, I would say, for this dictatorship of Putin.

MACFARLANE: Yeah. And that is important perspective at a time when global sports are considering their position on this.

Vladyslav, we really appreciate you coming on from Kyiv and talking to us about this tonight. Thank you.

HERASKEVYCH: Thank you.

MACFARLANE: Okay, still to come tonight. The NATO summit has wrapped up in Turkey. The key discussions that were held and how Donald Trump is reacting

to the warm reception he received.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:32:07]

MACFARLANE: The NATO summit of 32 member nations has wrapped up in Turkey, with U.S. President Donald Trump expressing a more positive tone towards

NATO. Much of the summit was overshadowed by an increasingly fragile truce between the U.S. and Iran. Mr. Trump said the U.S. will probably hit Iran

tonight and threatened to bring back a naval blockade after the two countries traded strikes.

Also among key discussions, NATO's unwavering commitment to Ukraine. President Trump said he would discuss plans to help Ukraine make its own

Patriot missile defense system. And the U.S. and Spain have been at odds in recent months over the tariffs and the war in Iran.

However, President Trump hinted Spain may soon cooperate with NATO's 5 percent defense spending plan. He also spoke of a warm reception he has

received during the summit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They like the job I'm doing. They said, "We love, sir, we love you." These are grown people saying that. Isn't that nice? Maybe, I don't

know, maybe they're trying to get to me.

And the way they did, because there was tremendous unity in that room. And I urge all nations to accelerate their plans to get the benchmark as

quickly as possible. The benchmark is going to be at five percent number. That's the number it should have been for years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: CNN's Stephen Collinson joins us now.

And, Stephen, look, despite Donald Trump claiming he was feeling the love from NATO allies, this summit proved, I think, once again, to be a staging

ground for him to really lash out at European allies on their failures and, you know, to attack Spain, to insist again on controlling Greenland.

So, are NATO members still served by holding these summits? Or, you know, would it be much better for diplomacy to be done remotely or behind closed

doors to avoid this sort of public flogging that we've seen today?

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Yeah, that's a good point. And I think sometimes in the past they weren't every year that NATO

held a big formal summit. I think the big fear this year was that Donald Trump would go and then walk out. and cause even more of a scene. So, the

meetings were somewhat curtailed and shortened compared to a number of summits in previous years.

So at least the president went away feeling happy about the reception he'd had in today's meeting. I guess that's something. But you're right, the

divisions that were evident in NATO, Trump's disdain for the organization and individual members I don't see how it can but raise questions about

whether the United States would go to the aid of every NATO member if there was a Russian provocation. And you would think, while a full-scale Russian

action against a NATO member seems unlikely, there's plenty of ground there for Russia to try to probe away at the divisions between Trump and NATO,

which seem exceedingly evident.

[15:35:11]

So, while there were some interesting developments, notably with regard to Ukraine and the Patriot missile licensing, it does seem that the

organization remains deeply divided. And perhaps we've seen really a realization solidifying in this summit that at least in the coming years,

NATO and Europe will be increasingly looking at their own defense needs in different ways.

Yeah, that's certainly apparent. And look, on the issue of Iran, I don't think it was much of a surprise to see this MOU and the ceasefire fall

apart in the last day, given the vagueness of the wording and the differing interpretations over the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the U.S., but

the president says he thinks this is all going to be over very soon. That's unlikely, at the very least, on the terms of what Iran are saying in

response.

So, what should the president be doing here to avoid an endless cycle of attack and reprisal on both sides at this moment?

COLLINSON: Yeah, it's very difficult to see what he could be doing if you game out the various options. So, a massive U.S. escalation would create

the kind of economic and strategic shockwaves that the president said just a few weeks ago in France that he wasn't prepared to see happen. He said he

didn't want to be a Herbert Hoover and preside over another Great Depression.

So, the downsides of waging war between the U.S. and Iran haven't gone away. But what does the president do to get out of this same box he's been

in? Because if he doesn't take military action, Iran can keep using this new leverage it's gained over the Strait of Hormuz any time it likes.

Since the start of the war, the president has put himself in a box, and it seems whether he's waging war or trying to make peace, he's in a very weak

position. So, while he can say that he will do more attacks this evening, is this anything more than a cosmetic thing to save face? But how can the

president agree something that is more robust than the memorandum of understanding? Because Iran apparently has decided even the gains that it

got from that are not enough, and it's using that leverage again. It's a very unpalatable set of options I think the president faces. And right now,

He seems to be staring in the face of waging a second war with Iran to try to open the Strait of Hormuz, which was open before he started the first

war with Iran.

MACFARLANE: Yeah. I mean, it's worth reminding ourselves, isn't it, where we stood way back in February.

Stephen Collinson, always great to have your analysis. Thank you.

Now it's the final moments of trade on Wall Street and the Dow is lower. It's been in the red for the entire session as investors turn their

attention back to the situation in Iran.

This is our Business Breakout.

Apple says it will spend $30 billion to design chips made in the United States. The chips will be made by Broadcom and will help Apple diversify

its supply chains. Apple's chief executive, Tim Cook, says the deal accelerates the company's commitment to American manufacturing.

The global economy has weathered the shock of the war in Iran better than expected. That's according to the new forecasting from the International

Monetary Fund. The IMF says global growth is still expected to slow this year compared to 2025, and inflation is expected to keep rising until next

year, too.

And a lawsuit against "The Washington Post" from Donald Trump's media company has been thrown out by a judge. Trump Media and Technology Group

has sued "The Post" for $3.8 billion over a 2023 story about Mr. Trump's website, Truth Social. A judge found that Trump Media had failed to present

enough evidence.

The stocks are down. Oil prices are up. That's after President Trump threatened fresh U.S. strikes on Iran and declared the ceasefire is over.

Let's have a current look now at the rising oil prices.

Here's more from CNN Business senior reporter David Goldman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID GOLDMAN, CNN BUSINESS SENIOR REPORTER: All right. Oil is surging today, up five percent in the international standard, up almost five

percent in the United States. What's going on? Well, obviously, this is a major reaction to what's going on. in those Iran negotiations, president

saying today that the deal is off. Is it really, and why does that matter? Well, it matters for a few reasons.

[15:40:00]

First of all, let's put this into a little bit of perspective -- $79 is certainly more than it was at the low, but you know, we are not even close

to the $112 gas that we had just a couple months ago. So, you know, certainly, this buys the president a little bit of time to negotiate. The

other thing is that gas prices have come way down, $3.80 is certainly less than $4.56, but, you know, it's still definitely more than it was at $3.

And, you know, a lot of oil has left the Strait over the last three weeks, 200 million barrels of oil, that's around 17 days of supply, so that buys

the president a little bit of time as well. But, and there's always a but, we are running out of emergency oil in this country. That sounds like a lot

of oil, 319.5 million barrels, but that is down almost a quarter from where we were before the war started.

And more crucially, the commercial stockpiles are rapidly dwindling. We're at 19.7 million barrels in Cushing, Oklahoma. That is at operational stress

levels. That means that they can't force all the oil through the pipelines that they want.

So, this is why the president said that there was economic catastrophe coming that forced him to sign that memorandum of understanding. As this

unfolds and as oil continues to rise, this is going to be a situation that we certainly need to watch.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: All right, so to come, a Senate race thrown into turmoil. We'll tell you about the push to get a progressive Democrat to drop his bid

for a crucial Senate seat.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACFARLANE: The Democratic Party has a problem.

[15:45:02]

Graham Platner, the progressive newcomer who won the Democratic Senate primary in Maine, is suddenly toxic. Platner's ex-girlfriend has accused

him of rape, and even though the candidate denies it, many Democrats say Platner must step down. Platner needs to make a decision by Monday, which

is the deadline for Democrats to replace him on the ballot. The outcome of that main race could determine which party controls the Senate after the

midterms.

Joining us to help break it down is CNN's Jeff Zeleny.

So, Jeff, I mean, there's allegations deepening concern, of course, about Platner staying in this race and time is running out. What are you hearing,

if anything, on when he may announce something?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Christina, we are hearing that Graham Platner is not trying to decide how to stay in the

race. They're trying to navigate how he can get out of the race and still perhaps hold a bit of leverage over who could replace him on the ballot.

Now, that is very much an open question, whether he has any leverage or any influence at all.

But I am told that he is likely to make some type of announcement later this evening about his plans to step aside. But the bigger question is

really this division inside the Democratic Party in Maine between the party establishment, if you will, and this outsider lane. I mean, he was an

outsider. He never. had run for office before, so he was kind of plucked out of obscurity. But the challenge with that is, of course, he had this

background that simply was not vetted.

But the whole reason that Maine is so important in this puzzle piece, if you will, in the fight for control of the Senate here in the U.S. is that

Maine is the only state in the entire country where a Republican senator, Susan Collins, who's in her fifth term in the Senate, running for a sixth

term, the only Republican who's up for -- for a reelection, who's running in a blue state?

This is a state that Kamala Harris won back in 2024. Barack Obama won it. Joe Biden won it. John Kerry won it. Hillary Clinton won it. It is a blue

state in presidential matters, but Susan Collins is a Republican, so Democrats thought they had an opportunity here to win this, but it has been

an internal mess to the highest order here.

But Graham Platner, even though he denies these allegations, he's still likely to step aside, but the question is when? And with every bit of a

passing time here, it makes it more complicated to fill the ballot for his replacement.

MACFARLANE: Yeah, and how much time they have to find a replacement. Jeff Zeleny will continue to keep across this.

Thank you. Sure.

Turning now to the growing concern over U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell's health, the Republican lawmaker, who is `84, has been hospitalized for

three weeks, so it is still not clear why he was admitted or what his condition actually is. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear is now asking

McConnell's team to provide a full update.

And a U.S. federal judge is ordering President Donald Trump to make a $5 million payment to former magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll. That's after

the president's legal team for a delay in paying those damages. It is called on the Supreme Court to consider a challenge to the jury's 2023

verdict that found that Mr. Trump sexually abused and defamed Carol. It's not clear whether attorneys for the president will seek a stay of order.

And crews in Washington, D.C. are once again draining the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. This is the second time in three months that the water has

had to be drained. However, the Trump administration says this cleanup was already scheduled to happen after the 4th of July holiday. Officials say

they're removing firework debris, repairing vandalism, and fixing the ongoing algae issue.

OK, still to come. The best TV shows of the year, the Emmy nominations are out, and we will tell you about the medical drama that dominated today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:56:50]

MACFARLANE: Well, if you want to know the very best TV shows to watch, Hollywood has a list for you. The Emmy nominations were announced today.

Last year's best drama, "The Pitt," is among the favorite for the nominees again. However, it could face stiff competition from Apple TV's "Pluribus".

And on the comedy side, the final season of Hacks is seen as the frontrunner, though "Widow's Bay" and "Shrinking" are said to be strong

contenders, too.

Let's begin, CNN Entertainment correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister to help us sort through the nominations.

So, Elizabeth, it seems the medical series "The Pitt" got the most nominations of any show with 25 in the drama category, while HBO's "Hacks"

scored 24 nominations, which is the most ever for any comedy. So, do you think it's a done deal that these two will be the big winners on the night

when the statues are handed out?

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Look, I don't think that anything is ever a done deal. There are always surprises when it comes

to the actual night of the Emmys, but this is a huge showing for both of these shows, which have always done incredibly well with Emmy voters ever

since they came out. So, we're looking at "The Pitt" right here, and that's Noah Wyley, who was nominated, and he is the reigning champ from last year.

"The Pitt" really was the huge success story of the Emmys last year. They won for Best Drama. Noah Wyley won. Katherine LaNasa won. When you look

down at some of these categories, you have four actors from the same show with "The Pitt" being nominated against each other.

Now when it comes to "Hacks", this is its farewell season and what we often see with Emmy voters is they like to really bid farewell to some of their

favorite shows with a healthy showing of nominations. And as you said, with "24", that's a pretty big showing. Also breaking the record of "Schitt's

Creek", which previously had held the record for the most nominations in the final season for a comedy.

Now some of the other big winners with nominations day. At least we don't know if they'll be winners when the Emmys come in September, but we have

some new shows from Apple TV, both "Pluribus" and also "Widow's Bay" or some of the two most nominated shows this morning, and that was the most

nominations that Apple TV has ever seen ever since it started coming out with original programming.

MACFARLANE: Yeah, and on that point, I mean, Matthew Rhys had a heck of a day, didn't he, scoring Best Actor nominations in both comedy series for

"Widow's Bay" and the limited series for "The Beast in Me".

Who else is thrilled with the nominations today and who else perhaps not? Who got snubbed?

WAGMEISTER: Yes, Matthew Rhys, a double nominee. A very good day for him and I'm not sure if you watched "The Beast in Me". He was so good in that,

Christina. He scared me like that is how good he was. So, I'm very happy for him.

Now, there's always some snubs and surprises. Stranger things, of course, one of the biggest hits in Netflix history was snubbed in all of the major

categories. "Stranger Things" got a lot of nominations in the below the line, more technical categories, but no love there in the main category or

for any of the actors.

Also, "Euphoria", Zendaya and Coleman Domingo getting nominations, but not as many nominations as we have seen in the past for that HBO series and

"Euphoria", of course, it's third and final season there.

Now also "Landman", which is one of Taylor Sheridan shows. on Paramount Plus. That is one of the biggest hits that has come out recently, but

completely shut out. Now if we want to go to some of the surprises, I will just quickly tell you a lot of people in the reality TV space are

celebrating today.

Bravo "Summer House" was nominated. Ariana Maddox was nominated as host of "Love Island" and "Dancing with the Stars", getting their first major

nomination in 10 years.

So, a lot to look forward to as we wait for the Emmy Awards in September, Christina.

MACFARLANE: A lot to look forward to. I personally am obsessed with "Hacks", so keeping my fingers crossed for the cast and crew.

Elizabeth, we will wait to see how it pans out. Thank you.

And a reminder that HBO is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of CNN. So good night for them, too.

That is it for me, Christina Macfarlane. And that is WHAT WE KNOW. Stay with CNN. We'll have more after this quick break.

END

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