Return to Transcripts main page
What We Know with Max Foster
U.S. Official: Military To Begin Blockade On Ships Heading To Iran; Trump: U.S. Will Become "Guardian" Of Strait Of Hormuz; Trump Plans To Address The Nation Thursday; Oil Prices Surge To Highest Level In A Month; Khanna On West Bank Incident: "The Arrogance Of Power"; Senate Holds First Session Since Lindsey Graham's Death. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired July 13, 2026 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:14]
MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: Oil prices surge higher as Donald Trump tries to take control of the Strait of Hormuz.
This is WHAT WE KNOW.
The U.S. naval blockade of ships heading to Iranian ports will resume soon, another blow, a major blow to the deteriorating truce between the U.S. and
Iran. A U.S. official tells CNN the American military is preparing to restart that blockade along the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier, President Donald Trump said he was reinstating it and claimed the United States will be collecting tolls from ships transiting the strait.
With strikes intensifying between the U.S. and Iran, Tehran is warning the conflict could spiral into a regional war.
CNN's Kevin Liptak joins us now.
It really does feel as if this peace process has gone away, Kevin.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah, I think it has. And you can kind of see sort of piece by piece as this memorandum of
understanding is coming apart.
You know, the blockade that the U.S. had had in place earlier in the course of this conflict had been one of the last remaining pieces of this
memorandum of understanding. And now the president today saying that it would in fact go back into place. And what Central Command says is that the
blockade will be reinstated tomorrow.
So July 14th, I guess it would be at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time and that the U.S. would be enforcing the blockade and all vessels that were transiting
to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas. So it will be a massive undertaking on the part of the American military. You have, you know,
fighter jets. You have naval destroyers who are going to be patrolling this wide swath of the Arabian Sea to try and exert pressure on Iran to reopen
the Strait of Hormuz entirely.
And I think you kind of see the president here sort of grasping at his options. He is at something of a strategic impasse. It is clear that the
gamble that he made with this memorandum that Iran by offering them incentives in the form of sanctions relief would reopen the straight that
gamble turned out not to be what happened.
And you see now the president trying to figure out whether to go back to full scale war, which I still think we are still a step away from or to
allow some of the negotiations to continue, which he is in theory doing, but which they don't seem to be yielding much of anything at all. When it
comes to this toll that the president says that he will impose, he is saying that it will be at a rate of 20 percent of the cargoes, the value of
the cargoes that are being shipped. It's not precisely clear how that will be implemented.
It also runs counter to what the administration had been saying just a month ago when Marco Rubio, the of State said that because the Strait of
Hormuz was an international waterway, that quote no country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on any vessels that are passing through it.
And so, clearly, there is just a massive, I think, lack of mutual understanding between the two sides here about what exactly the agreement
that the president signed three weeks ago actually stated about the Strait of Hormuz. We heard from American officials on Friday who said that their
expectation was that Iran would come out this weekend and say that the strait was open and that they would stop firing on ships that were passing
through. And it turns out the exact opposite happened, which launched this whole back-and-forth retaliation.
Now, we should also point out that President Trump, just within the last few minutes, has said that he will be delivering an address to the nation
on Thursday. So some days from now, he didn't specify what the topic would be. Of course, he has been focused on Iran, but he's also been focused on
all of these other issues in Washington, including. the so-called SAVE America Act, which is this voting reform law that he is insisting be passed
through Congress before he turns his attention to any other domestic matter.
And so, we don't know exactly what the topic of that speech will be. But clearly, this issue of Iran is posing a number of challenges for the
president. Enforcing this blockade and enforcing these fees will be, I think, an enormous undertaking for the U.S. military. And it's not clear at
this point how the president plans to extricate the U.S. himself from what is essentially a stalemate.
FOSTER: Kevin, thank you so much for that.
Now, strikes between the U.S. and Iran ramp up. Oil prices are surging to their highest levels in a month. Here's a live look for you. Gasoline and
diesel futures are also way up. They took their biggest single-day jump since early April.
What we don't know, will oil prices keep going up if Mr. Trump's plan goes ahead?
Paula Newton, I mean, they have to, don't they?
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not necessarily. I mean, we'll see what happens in the next few days. I think the actual price in real time is
actually not as high. I would have expected it to be much closer to $100 a barrel, and that's because there are other modes of transport and other
supply of oil throughout the world. It will depend whether or not oil traders have any confidence that whatever is going on in the strait right
now will get to some kind of normal transiting and that what was going on last week.
This is what's extraordinary here, Max. This seemed to have really been dealt with. Yes, energy prices were elevated, but they were what everyday
people like you and me and the markets could handle.
But this is what's happening in the strait now. I want you to listen to marine traffic and what they posted on X. And the point was they saw a
stark difference between what was going on last week, which it wasn't normal. We were getting to 56 percent of the transit that is normally
through the straits to this. They say vessel activity through the Strait of Hormuz declined sharply over July 10th to 12th, with confirmed crossings
down, as you see more than 50 percent there, and that's according to the traffic that they trace.
Even more concerning, Max, is the fact that gasoline and diesel futures also jumped here in the United States, many expecting some kind of a supply
shock again within the next week or two. I think, Max, it's always important to note as well that some of these resources do transit through
the straits kind of in what they call dark crossings, right? They don't turn their transponders on, and there are other ways that they get through.
What the United States, the U.S. military, is trying to do is follow the Trump administration's orders and make sure that nothing from Iran gets
through. This is something that is very difficult to impose.
But our Pam Brown, who, as you know, was on that aircraft carrier last week, spoke to the commander, Captain Timothy Hawkins, and he said that,
look, they are getting ready to impose this blockade.
What everyone is waiting for now, Max, is to see how and when Iran responds. And if the president is serious about that 20 percent, I mean,
they're already talking about the fact that insurance difficulties, transit difficulties, was already bringing up the energy prices. We're now, we're
dealing with a levy from the U.S. government. No one was expecting that. So it'll be interesting to see from the Trump administration how that rolls
out in the coming days -- Max.
FOSTER: OK, Paula, thank you so much.
U.S. lawmaker Ro Khanna says the Israeli military is lying about an incident involving his convoy in the West Bank, calling his detention by
settlers an outrage. But he says it's nothing compared to what Palestinians experience every single day.
Khanna was visiting the West Bank last week when he says he was detained by Israeli settlers brandishing American-made weapons. He says soldiers
dispatched to the scene took the settlers' side.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): I saw the arrogance in the eyes of those settlers, 21- and 22-year-olds with guns laughing that they had detained us, the
arrogance of those young IDF soldiers that my tax dollars are funding, having no respect for the fact that they were detaining Americans, no
respect that there was an American congressperson in that bus, and laughing when our translator told them that there are Americans there in the
American Embassy is concerned.
It is the arrogance of power, of a power that has had no accountability, total impunity, and it's created a toxic culture of oppression.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: The head of Breaking the Silence, which is a group of former Israeli soldiers, says he was on the scene. He's backing up Khanna's
account, saying the IDF did take part in detaining the American convoy.
The IDF denies all of that. It says troops were dispatched to the scene quickly -- quickly dispersing the Israeli civilians and reopened the
blocked road.
Well, just days after that incident, CNN and other journalists came under attack by armed settlers, capturing it on camera this time. Our Jeremy
Diamond was accompanying a father who lost his son, an American citizen, to a mob of settlers who beat him to death last year.
As Jeremy reports, Saturday's attack only deepened the father's trauma.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kamel Musallet hasn't been able to reach this land in over a year. This is the hillside
where his son Saif, an American citizen, was killed.
DIAMOND: It's like it's down here if you want to walk.
KAMEL MUSALLET, FATHER OF AMERICAL KILLED BY SETTLERS: Yeah.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Beaten to death by Israeli settlers exactly one year ago. Since then, settlers have illegally occupied the area, preventing this
father from getting the closure he so desperately seeks.
MUSALLET: We have to keep an eye because usually they'll come down that way.
DIAMOND (voice-over): We've come here in an armored vehicle, wearing bulletproof vests because of how violent these settlers have been, but
we've made it.
DIAMOND: What does it feel like to finally be here after a year?
MUSALLET: It's just like I'm honest with you. I'm imagining -- like just imagining him, you know. Like so, it's just thought a lot going on my head
right now. Like just what he went through at that moment.
DIAMOND: Just take a moment, Kamel.
DIAMOND (voice-over): But this solemn, sacred moment won't last. Within seconds, we spot a car speeding towards us. We start to leave, but as we
drive away, we see that four settlers have set up a roadblock. Armed with clubs and rocks, they try and block our way. First with their bodies, and
then.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And now it looks like he's trying to slash our tires. He's trying to slash our tires.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, he's got a knife --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my God.
DIAMOND (voice-over): A group of independent journalists and activists are in the car behind us. But their vehicle isn't armored.
MUSALLET: Without an armored car, without a bulletproof vest, how do I get to my land? The Israeli army should, right now, should be here and kicking
them out. It's illegal for them to be there. It's frustrating. You're so angry and you can't do nothing about it. It just kills you from inside.
DIAMOND (voice-over): But the settlers aren't done. More arrive, blocking another road before chasing us and attacking us again.
MUSALLET: No, they're trying to stop our car again. They're hitting us.
DIAMOND (voice-over): We finally make it back to safety, where I get on the phone with the Israeli military, which is responsible for security in this
area. But settlers have also called the military, and these soldiers are only interested in harassing us, refusing to take action against the
settlers.
Minutes later, the commander of a different battalion arrives.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's OK. We'll take care of it.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Sends his soldiers after the settlers, detaining them until the police arrive. The Israel police said they arrested four suspects
and seized clubs and a knife. They vow to quote, bring them to justice accordingly. A full year later, Kamel Musallet is still waiting for his
son's killers to be brought to justice.
MUSALLET: No one's been arrested. No accountability.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Saif was just two weeks shy of his 21st birthday when he was killed. A Florida native, he had been visiting his family in the
West Bank. At the time, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee condemned Musallet's killing as a criminal and terrorist act and vowed to pressure
Israel to bring his killers to justice.
DIAMOND: I reached out to the U.S. Embassy. I sent them a list of questions, and this is the response they gave me. They said the Trump
administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further information to
provide at this time.
MUSALLET: Let's feel if that was true, you know, they would do something about it. You know, at least an open investigation. You know, that's the
least that they could do. If it was anywhere else in the world, an American citizen was killed by a mob of extremists, of terrorists.
What kind of outrage would there be? You know, how disappointed would Saif -- be right now that you know his U.S. passport did nothing for him?
DIAMOND (voice-over): Saif believed in that blue passport.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Blue is blue. Not because he's Palestinian-American. He's just American.
DIAMOND (voice-over): But his family is still waiting for it to mean something, anything, in their pursuit of justice.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Sinjil, the West Bank.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: As the U.S. Senate meets in session, South Carolina's governor is set to announce a temporary position to fill the seat of the late Lindsey
Graham. Senator Graham passed away after a sudden illness over the weekend at the age of 71. Both President Trump and Senate Majority Leader John
Thune suggesting his sister fill the vacated seat.
Let's have a look at the Senate floor right now where the majority leader is currently speaking.
SEN. JOHN THUNE (R-SD), MAJORITY LEADER: His long service in the Air Force, the South Carolina Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve. His career
in politics, first as a member of the South Carolina House and the Air Force, the South Carolina Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve. His
career in politics, first as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, then as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives,
where I served with him for six years, and then in the Senate, where he was just completing his fourth term.
In the Senate, Lindsey distinguished himself as a staunch conservative and a fierce advocate for South Carolina, but also as someone who was willing
to work across the aisle to find common ground and to reach solutions. A lawyer by trade, he served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee
from 2019 to 2021, where he helped confirm a Supreme Court justice and numerous federal judges, the kind of judges who believe in following the
law and the Constitution instead of legislating policy from the bench.
Most of all, of course, Mr. President, Lindsey was known for his national security and foreign policy work. There was no bigger believer in America's
role in the world. He was confident that the United States could be a force for good, and he gave everything he had to ensuring that we would be. He
was a friend and defender of freedom-loving peoples all over the world. He stood with the Ukrainian people in their fight against Russian aggression.
And he died with his boots on, having just returned from a trip to Ukraine, his tenth.
He believed fiercely in the importance of a strong national defense, in ensuring that our country and our military men and women were always
prepared to deter and defeat any threat. But while there was always a lot made of his support for American hard power, he was also a big believer in
the use of soft power, economic, diplomatic and political solutions to the world's problems.
I was fortunate to travel with him all over the world, including to Israel after Hamas' October 7th attack. And I saw firsthand the work that he did
to promote American security and the security of freedom-loving peoples around the globe. And, of course, I don't need to tell anyone in this body
that Lindsay was fearless in his commitment to the causes that he espoused. It didn't matter to him whether he would catch flack on an issue. He was
undaunted by the politics if he believed he was right on the principle. Senator, warrior, patriot, statesman.
FOSTER: The Senate majority leader speaking.
Annie Grayer joins us from Washington. She was watching as well. I mean, he was a towering figure, wasn't he?
But interesting there, he was a big voice on Ukraine, wasn't he, the Ukraine-Russia war. Interesting there that there should be some sort of
legacy policy movement on that.
ANNIE GRAYER, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: That's right. Graham was one of the loudest and arguably kind of on his own, starting to be on his own island,
loudest voices for support for Ukraine and the U.S. relationship there. And he was a key voice in trying to get some of many of his colleagues were
growing more skeptical of providing more aid for Ukraine.
But Graham was such a staunch ally. He made multiple trips to Ukraine. In fact, he was there the day when he came home -- he came home from Ukraine
on Saturday, and that was the night that he was rushed to the hospital.
But Graham was such a power player in the Senate. He was involved in so many different legislative fights. In fact, also on Saturday night, he was
calling President Donald Trump. They were speaking behind the scenes about how to move forward on one of Trump's key priorities right now, which is
overhauling the U.S. election system. And that that legislation has based a major standstill in the Senate and the House. And Graham was trying to work
with Trump on how to pass parts of that bill and try and get some that over the finish line.
Graham has become such a key ally for Trump in Congress on so many different fronts. Graham is also a member of the Senate Judiciary
Committee, and that committee was expected to begin the confirmation process for Todd Blanche this week. Graham, of course, now, now Republicans
will have to fill that seat now that Graham has tragically and -- tragically passed away. And Republicans are now dealing with an even
smaller majority here that we are expecting the Republican governor of South Carolina to make an appointment as quickly as possible to fill
Graham's seat.
But because Graham was running for reelection, there is now a last minute primary unfolding in South Carolina that is really up in the air as how
that is going to unfold.
[15:20:07]
And another issue in terms of the numbers here is Republican Senator Mitch McConnell has been in the hospital for weeks and continues to remain
hospitalized. That is one less vote that Republicans can count on right now.
And this is such a critical time for Republicans who are trying to pass more legislation before the November midterm elections. And, you know, just
thinking big picture here about Senator Graham. He -- when he first met President Trump, he was not a big fan. They ran against each other in 2016
and Graham was a harsh critic.
But over the years, Graham and Trump have developed a very close working relationship. And that evolution to where we are today, it is no question
that Graham will be missed on both sides of the aisle.
FOSTER: Yeah, really, a towering figure. And it will have political repercussions, as you say.
Annie, thank you so much.
Now, as Annie mentioned, after weeks of silence and mounting speculation, U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell has resurfaced. The senator said a fall and a
mild pneumonia led to his hospitalization. He released this picture over the weekend. McConnell revealed he was briefly unconscious around the time
he was taken to hospital, which was four weeks ago.
Well, the massive wildfire that's been burning near Paris is now at least partly under control. It scorched hundreds of hectares of the famed
Fontainebleau forest south of Paris.
Now, CNN's Melissa Bell got up close to the fire just a short while ago and sent back this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we've come really as close as we can to, but to give you a little perspective, those
are not clouds that you see behind me. That is the fire coming from that fire still not fixed, say authorities, so they still haven't managed to
contain it and what we understand as authorities have spoken about what has been happening here since last night, we're about 60 kilometers to the
southeast of Paris. This is most unusual to see wildfires this far north.
What we understand is that this fire started last night. There were two different fires that started on either side of this main motorway, the A6
that leads south out of Paris, right by Orly Airport. Those two fires have now, say authorities become one, and it is raging out of control. As you
say, 800 hectares already burned. It's about a fifth of the forest of Fulton Bleu, this very ancient forest here to the south -- southeast of
Paris. And just behind me, near where that fire is currently raging, of course, the famous Chateau of Fontainebleau, the royal residence here in
France, and one of the most famous royal residences there are.
So, still not contained, and what we're hearing is that this nearly 1,000 hectare fire now is likely to continue being pushed on by the kind of winds
that we've been seeing. But it is also very dry conditions. We're now in the middle of our third heat wave in just a month and a half. Already
across France, it is 32,000 hectares that have burnt. That is more than the entire season of wildfires of heat of 2025, and it gives you an idea of
just how dry the earth is and just how hot the air is.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Our Melissa Bell there, reporting from Fontainebleau. Now, scientists say the wildfires in France and elsewhere in Europe are at least
partly a result of climate change. Europe is in the midst of the third major heat wave of the summer right now. A new study finds that the last
heat wave in late June may have been the cause of 10,000 deaths across the continent. Those deaths come from heat stroke as well as cardiovascular and
respiratory problems.
Coming up, new information about the investigation into the suspected murder of a former British lawmaker. The latest as counter-terrorism police
lead operations.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:27:12]
FOSTER: Here in the UK, officials say the man arrested for the murder of former lawmaker Ann Widdecombe was not previously known to counter-
terrorism authorities. They are now leading the investigation into the 78- year-old's death. Widdecombe was found dead in her home on Thursday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHABANA MAHMOOD, BRITISH HOME SECRETARY: We now have new information and evidence that means counter-terrorism policing is leading the
investigation. We are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry to establish the motivation for this attack. The police now have a suspect in custody, a 28-
year-old white British man. And I can confirm to the House that this man was not known to prevent. The police have cautioned against speculating
about the case. That is the right thing to do for Anne's family and friends.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: While little known outside the U.K., Widdecombe was a very prominent figure here in Britain, famous for both politics and TV
appearances. But her legacy is highly divisive, having expressed fierce opposition on issues like abortion and gay rights.
So what we want to know is, why did it take so long for counter-terrorism police to get involved in this case?
Joining me now is Dal Babu, former chief superintendent for London's Metropolitan Police.
I know we have to be careful, Dal, you know the law better than me, but people were immediately thought, you know, when the murder investigation
was launched, it might have some sort of political motive, because we have had attacks on working politicians in recent years. And she was someone who
did have strong views.
DAL BABU, FORMER CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT, LONDON METROPOLITAN POLICE: Yeah, I think the police were, as you'd expect, basing this very much on the
evidence that they presented.
And what normally happens in investigations in the U.K. is you have an SIO, senior investigating officer appointed. He or she will then have a working
hypothesis of what they think has happened. And on the basis of that, the SIO will be responsible for communications, the forensic strategy, the rest
strategy, resource strategy, collecting CCTV, they're overall in charge of that.
What we saw straight away, because of the high profile nature of Anne Widdecombe, and as she said, she was a prominent politician, but also her
post-career, post-politics career, although she's still a prominent member of the political party, she was then appeared in celebrity shows.
And so what was then happening is that the media appetite for information and fresh information was insatiable. So rather than the SIO do all of the
things investigated and the comms, a separate police officer, senior police officer took over responsibility for the communications elements of it, and
they've been providing information.
[15:30:03]
And what they've said initially was that there was no evidence to suggest that this would be motivated. We know that subsequently that the suspect's
been arrested, he was arrested by counter-terrorism police. And breaking news today has been that he's been further charged with terrorism offenses,
and the investigation is now being led by the southeast, which is the southern part of England's a counter-terrorism command. So that's where we
are at the moment. And at the moment there's just a huge amount of speculation, and the police are asking people not to speculate on social
media, to respect the family and with the family and friends.
But having said that, that sort of speculation continues, and some of it may be quite challenging for the police to manage, but the police will want
to try and investigate and expedite this investigation at the earliest opportunity.
FOSTER: Yeah, of course. I mean, what we can speculate about is how we protect politicians. I mean, she lived in this rural village, didn't she,
on the edge of a national park in Devon. You know, we've talked about her strong views, but she was highly respected, wasn't she? She was very much
part of the political debate in the U.K. and a very valuable part to that debate. And no one would have any question that she should have been part
of that debate.
But we've had other attacks on politicians in recent years. But I guess, you know, given the round-the-clock protection is something that's
unaffordable to the system. I mean, how do we protect them?
BABU: Yeah, I mean, Ann Widdecombe was a conviction politician. She stood by (INAUDIBLE). I remember having breakfast with her once at the House of
Commons. She had voted, her party had voted for fox hunting, but she was very much against hunting, which was contrary to the position that she had,
along with her other views which were on the right.
So she was her own person, she made her own decisions. But in all the dealings I had with her and other people I talked about, she'd always been
very, very polite, very open, and people respected her, if not her views. The difficulty we have here is that there's a lot of speculation as to what
the motivation is for the suspect. But ultimately, protecting politicians, and I used to frequently meet with politicians once they'd be elected,
talking about their protection in their home and protection in their surgeries when they're meeting constituents.
And you have to get the balance right in order for people to feel that they're accessible to their constituents, but also safe. So it's an
extremely difficult balance. And I think you're not going to secure people up to the lines and making sure that they've got absolutely everything,
that you have to make a risk assessment and the judgments.
Some politicians don't have the kind of interest in what they're saying or what they're doing. Other politicians are sort of are much more known for
their views and perhaps need to have a more It's a suitable presence for protection, so it really depends on the individual politicians.
FOSTER: Yeah, okay, Dal, appreciate it. Thank you for your time today.
Still to come, a Maine community is in shock after a deadly ICE-involved shooting. Details ahead on the reignited calls for accountability amongst
agents.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:37:04]
FOSTER: We're tracking a second ICE-involved shooting in the U.S. in less than a week, this time happening in Biddeford, Maine. The circumstances
surrounding today's shooting aren't yet clear, though officials say one person has been killed. Just days ago in Houston, Texas, a federal
immigration officer fatally shot Mexican immigrant Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.
Rafael Romo joins us live from Atlanta.
I mean, one shocking incident. but then another one so soon after it's raising concerns about the system again, Rafael.
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, that is right, Max. And the incident you mentioned happened less than a week ago. So, there's a lot of concern
about that. And the main immigrants rights coalition says the men killed in a shooting involving ICE is a 26 year old Colombian national, but
authorities have yet to publicly confirm the men's identity and CNN has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for confirmation and are
waiting for a reply.
Earlier today, Maine Senator Angus King, an independent, said during a media briefing that the person who was shot was the target of an
immigration enforcement operation, citing Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin. He also described the individual shot as a male in his
20s, who, still citing Mullin, used his vehicle as a weapon, he said, before he was shot by an ICE agent.
Biddeford resident Laura Peters told CNN she heard multiple gunshots come from a nearby intersection around 7:17 this morning. The gunshots are heard
in a video captured by her doorbell camera. Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(GUNFIRE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is that a car?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Max, multiple gunshots can be heard, but Peters' surveillance video doesn't appear to show any law enforcement or vehicles or personnel
reacting to the shooting.
Maine Governor Janet Mills posted the following statement on her official Facebook page, "I have been briefed on the fatal shooting in Biddeford this
morning involving federal law enforcement. I know that situations like these are alarming and frightening. The Maine State Police are at the scene
supporting and working cooperatively with the Attorney General's office, Maine's Office of Chief Medical Examiner, and federal officials to
determine the facts of what occurred this morning."
And this is how he was Representative Shelley Pingree, a Maine Democrat, reacted to the shooting earlier in a video posted to her X account.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. SHELLEY PINGREE (D-ME): I am so deeply disturbed and angry. I, of course, need to know all of the answers here. Were they pursuing someone
with a criminal record? Was this a random traffic stop? How did this possibly happen? And why was this person shot?
Were the officers wearing body cameras? Will there be investigations? But more than anything else, I want to know, why are you in Maine?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: CNN has reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Department of Homeland Security for comment, and we were talking about it
at the beginning. Max, the shooting happened less than a week after an ICE agent fatally shot an immigrant during a traffic stop in Houston, sparking
mass protests and demands for transparency and accountability.
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican national, was on his way to work Tuesday when he was shot in what ICE initially described as a targeted
operation, though a source said he was not the target. Salgado's shooting reignited calls for accountability among ICE agents earlier this year.
Those calls reached a fever pitch after 37-year-old mother Renee Good and 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti were killed by federal immigration agents
during an immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis.
But yes, Max, you were absolutely right, a lot of concern being felt here in the United States.
Now back to you.
FOSTER: Appreciate the update. Rafael, thank you.
Final moments of trade on Wall Street. Stocks are in the red. The Dow turned negative after some gains earlier in the session.
This is our Business Breakout.
SpaceX shares are set to finish at a new low as the company's losing streak continues. The shares are edging closer to their IPO price of $135. They're
already below their first trading price of $150.
The United Kingdom and Switzerland have agreed to a trade deal on services. Roaming charges will be scrapped for travelers as part of the deal, which
Prime Minister Keir Starmer calls a landmark agreement. The British government says it will also pave the way for U.K. travelers to use e-gates
at Swiss airports.
U.S. President Donald Trump is urging Congress to pass a crypto bill in memory of Senator Lindsey Graham. The Clarity Act, which would change which
government agency is in charge of regulating crypto markets. Whilst the late senator's website makes no mention of the legislation, Mr. Trump says
Graham was a big supporter of the bill.
There's new jeopardy for one of the biggest merger deals of the year involving the parent company of CNN. The attorneys general of several U.S.
states are now moving to block Paramount's takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Last hour, Brian Stelter explained to me what this all could mean for this deal.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: This could delay the deal if a judge in Northern California agrees to do so, but we're not quite there
yet. This lawsuit was filed just a couple of hours ago. The state-level attorneys general are now making their case in public. We're awaiting to
see if Paramount makes any legal maneuvers in response.
But essentially, these state attorneys general are asking Paramount to hold off on completing the deal until this lawsuit can be heard. I suspect that
in the coming hours, Paramount and Warner Brothers will not agree to that kind of offer. And as a result, the states will go back to court and they
will ask a judge to issue a restraining order. And then it all comes down to the choice the judge makes. Will he put a restraining order in place,
essentially freezing this merger before it can be completed? So that's a possibility in the days to come.
But we're just not quite there yet. It is one of two major wildcards for this deal. The other is in Great Britain, where regulators are looking
closely at this deal and may take a similar step to intervene in the coming days. But it's a remarkable turn of events because Paramount has secured
approvals for this deal in virtually every other market all around the world, from the U.S. with the federal government to China and many
countries in between.
So, now, you have Democratic states stepping in, saying the Republican Trump administration is failing to enforce antitrust law.
Here's a little bit of what California AG Rob Bonta said at a press conference in Hollywood today.
ROB BONTA, CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL: This merger will mean fewer journalists informing the electorate. It'll mean fewer opportunities for
Americans to hear the full breadth of information and opinions on a subject and then come to their own conclusions. It'll mean fewer documentarians,
filmmakers, showrunners, producers, writers and artists shedding light on important stories that too often go untold.
It'll mean fewer shots for the next generation to break in. That is a death knell for the film and TV industry. And yes, for our democracy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: That was Brian Stelter speaking to me a bit earlier about that big deal.
Now, still to come, a judge says Donald Trump tried to manipulate the legal process. After the break, find out why his lawyers may be about to face the
music.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:47:42]
FOSTER: U.S. President Donald Trump is trying to manipulate the legal process. That is the ruling from a federal judge today who's now ordered
sanctions for Mr. Trump's lawyers. This is all to do with the president's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service after his tax records were
leaked.
Now, a judge says, Mr. Trump acted in bad faith, bringing the lawsuit at all.
Evan Perez joining me now.
I mean, very strong words coming from the court.
EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR U.S. JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, it's not very common for you to hear a judge lash out like this. And part of the reason
why she's doing this is because -- not just because of the lawsuit, but also the way it was, quote/unquote, "settled" by the president working with
his -- who was his former attorney, Todd Blanche, who is now the acting attorney general.
And the deal was worked out before a judge even had a chance -- this judge had a chance to even get to the issue of whether there were actually
adverse parties here, and I'll read you just a part of what she says in her ruling. She says this lawsuit was brought was not brought to vindicate
rights. It was brought to manipulate the judicial process to pursue benefits unavailable in litigation because the parties were not adverse.
Typically, Max, as you know, you know, for you to bring a lawsuit, there has to be two opposing sides for judge to be able to hear it. And in this
case, the judge points out that Todd Blanche is the attorney general and the president makes clear that he tells Todd Blanche what to do. And so in
this case, there were not really two parties negotiating at arms length that this was actually the fix was in.
And she points out, of course, the fund which was set up to benefit people who attacked the Capitol in January 6th. The $1.776 billion fund, which has
now been removed, they say it's dead. However, part of this agreement that was made between the administration and the president of the United States
is for President Trump, his sons, his anyone associated with his companies essentially to have immunity, to not only not be audited for certain years,
but also if there is any investigation ongoing in the United States government that essentially they have immunity.
[15:50:00]
She ordered that they can no longer even claim that that was a settlement because she said the whole thing, essentially, Max, was a farce.
FOSTER: OK, Evan, appreciate it. Thank you.
Now, the legendary film and TV actor Sam Neill has died at the age of 78. Neill, who starred most famously in "Jurassic Park" and "Peaky Blinders",
died suddenly on Monday in Sydney, Australia. According to his family, he had battled a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer, but revealed in
April that he was cancer-free.
Neill spoke with my colleague, Lynda Kinkade, about his career just a few years ago.
Okay, we'll try and bring that to you later.
Now, a night of fun ending in horror after a deadly fire rips through a pub in Thailand. After the break, we'll look at what investigators believe
happened.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: In Thailand, an investigation is underway into what caused a fire at a pub that killed at least 27 people in Bangkok.
CNN's Mike Valerio has more and a warning. His report contains disturbing images.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A huge fire tore through a popular pub in Bangkok early Monday morning, killing at least 27 people and
injuring dozens more. Witness video shows violent flames raging as terrified patrons ran for their lives.
Thick smoke gushed out of the entrance, the fire engulfing the building in minutes. Firefighters from multiple Bangkok stations rushed to the scene,
taking about half an hour to bring the fire under control. But by then, the damage was devastating.
CHAKRIT KHONKOM, LEAD FIREFIGHTER (through translator): The fire was not that aggressive, but the smoke had engulfed 100 percent of the venue. Once
we knew there were a number of victims inside, we sent in a search and rescue squad and found that a lot of them were inside the toilet. Most of
them were trying to escape to the back because they saw that the flames were at the front.
SUKANYA WONGWONGWAL, FRIEND OF MISSING PERSON (through translator): My friend, who's a singer singing on stage, said at first they noticed the
smell of something burning. Then, a little after, they saw the ceiling was on fire.
VALERIO (voice-over): The blaze broke out around midnight at the Na Lat Phrao Brewery Restaurant, popular live music venue in Bangkok's Chatuchak
district. Footage of the aftermath shows scorched interiors, collapsed furniture, and blackened walls.
[15:55:01]
Authorities are working to identify victims, with many of their ID cards unable to be found.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited the site in the early hours and directed agencies to assist victims' families.
Investigators are now working to determine the cause of one of the deadliest pub fires ever been seen in recent years.
Mike Valerio, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: That is WHAT WE KNOW. I'm Max Foster. Thank you so much for watching.
Do stay with CNN. More after the break.
END
TO ORDER VIDEOTAPES AND TRANSCRIPTS OF CNN INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMING, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS