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Spanish Prime Minister in Ceuta After 50K Cross From Morocco in a Day; BTS Won't Submit Music for 2027 Grammy's Over Category Concerns; AI Influencers Flooding Socials with Unverified Medical Advice. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired July 31, 2026 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Spain's leader has rushed to the side of a deadly border crossing after local officials say 50,000 people streamlined from Morocco into Spain's tiny territory there of Ceuta in one day. Since Thursday, at least 57 have died, many by drowning. Spanish officials say most of those who arrived illegally have already returned to Morocco and that they are working to expel others as quickly as possible.

Let's bring in Anna Terron Cusi. She's a senior fellow of the Migration Policy Institute. Thank you so much for being with us this afternoon, Ana.

I wonder if you could take a step back and just tell us why so many people are all at the same time trying to flee Morocco and get into Spanish territory.

ANNA TERRON CUSI, SENIOR FELLOW, MIGRATION POLICY INSTITUTE: Well, good afternoon. Thank you. There are many reasons for them.

That happened before and that will continue to happen. We are talking about a city surrounded by -- or circled into Morocco and the sea. So the reason now is because the information of the possibility of getting into Spain and to be accepted was well spread by the social media.

They have been using a number of things like a ruling of the Supreme Court and other related things to tell people that they could come and they could stay and cross to the European continent, which is not at all easy and which is not going to happen. But apparently the reason is this one, the well spread false information in the social media.

SANCHEZ: So help us understand that, because the Supreme Court ruled that migrants arriving by sea could not be returned to Morocco. So how is that being exploited? And how do you see this playing out now that so many have crossed over, even though many thousand have been sent back?

What happens to those who have stayed?

CUSI: Well, many thousands have spontaneously went back to Morocco when they see that the situation was completely different to what they guessed. So at this very moment, more than 80 percent of the people getting into Ceuta in the last 36 hours are back to Morocco spontaneously. I mean that they crossed again through an habilitated path to Morocco.

Others are going to be repatriated in the next days. They can be repatriated. What the Supreme Court ruling is saying is that they cannot be pushed back immediately when they are found arriving to Ceuta as they can do when they go through the fence, which is very difficult, but sometimes happens.

But they can be repatriated. They have to do it case by case through the normal procedure, but they can be repatriated.

SANCHEZ: Understood. The Moroccan government has not weighed in on this officially. How do they see this situation?

CUSI: Well, they say nothing. What we can see from this side of the border is that things happened.

[14:35:00]

And it's easy to understand that they were witnessing what was happening and not reacting. They did. And at this very moment, Spain and Morocco are in good cooperation in order to restore normality. They are cooperating in accepting people getting back to Morocco.

And they are controlling their side of the border at this very moment.

SANCHEZ: So the reaction from some European leaders has been notable, including Italy's Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni. She called for Spain's membership in the Schengen Agreement to be paused. It allows for freedom of movement within the European Union.

She actually called for it to be suspended. I should be clear. How do you think European nations are viewing mass migration more broadly?

CUSI: Well, first of all, let me say that you cannot jump into the Schengen continental area while you are in Ceuta and Melilla. The two cities are in the African side. They are not in continental Europe.

And you have to pass through a border control in order to get to the continental Schengen area. So first of all, this will not happen. The president of the government in Germany has said that Spain promised they would not allow these people to get into the continental area.

And that will not happen at all. The problem is that you have some rules in Schengen that can be applied in order to reinforce control here and there. And the most important thing from my point of view is to see the European Union reacting as one voice in front of this situation and in its diplomatic relations with Morocco.

This is not acceptable. This cannot happen. And what we should do from the European Union is to make sure that this will not happen again.

At least that cooperation will stay and it will not begin after these kind of things happen. SANCHEZ: Anna Terron Cusi, thank you so much for joining us.

CUSI: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Of course. Still to come, one of the world's most popular musical groups saying no thanks to the Grammys, the new category that caused BTS to mic drop the Academy.

[14:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: This just came into CNN. A fighter jet we're learning, has crashed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California. Video from CNN affiliate KGTV shows smoke from the crash, which could be seen billowing from miles away. The Pentagon telling KGTV that the aircraft involved was an F-35B Lightning II fighter jet.

The plane appeared to go down just short of the base's runway. KGTV reported that the pilot did eject and has been recovered. The cause of the crash not immediately clear, but we're going to continue to follow this for you and bring any updates you receive on that crash.

One of the world's biggest bands is boycotting next year's Grammys, BTS announcing it will not submit music for award consideration. The K-pop supergroup says they don't want to be divided by region or language.

SANCHEZ: All seven members shared their decision on social media just a month after the Recording Academy confirmed its first ever Asian pop music performance category. Grammy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. is now responding in a statement to CNN saying he's saddened but respects the group's decision.

We're joined now by Executive Music Editor for Variety, Jem Aswad. Jem, thanks so much for being with us. So why did the Grammy Awards decide to include this Asian pop music performance category for the first time?

JEM ASWAD, EXECUTIVE MUSIC EDITOR, VARIETY: Well, it's an acknowledgement of the rise of K-pop over the last 10 to 15 years. BTS, of course, led that charge toward the end of the 2010s. And the Recording Academy sees it as an acknowledgement, a recognition that K- pop is a genre that deserves attention, like certain forms of Latin music, hip-hop, you know.

It deserves its own award as a genre. What happens with those awards a lot of the time, though, is the artist, a K-pop artist, for example, is going to feel pigeonholed by that award and they feel they're not going to be considered for the bigger awards, you know, album of the year, song of the year, things like that. So I think that's the way that BTS felt.

They have never won a Grammy. They've been nominated before, always in pop categories. And this has happened in the past before as well. You know, other artists have felt alienated by the Recording Academy's laws or the Recording Academy itself. And they've basically said, I'm not submitting, which is a form of protest. And usually Harvey is able to bring them back into the fold, you know, just by a lot of positive messaging.

HILL: So that's how it's worked in the past. As I understand it, too, artists who were to submit, if they submitted in the Asian pop music performance category could also submit in those general field categories. But to your point, other artists have also had an issue with, you know, characterizing in many different ways and splitting this up.

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So in the past, maybe Harvey could bring them together. But how is this playing out right now?

ASWAD: It's a long process. You know, Jay-Z, Beyonce, The Weeknd, Drake, all said, we're not submitting, we're out. And, you know, in order to win a Grammy Award, you must submit.

The ultimate decision for which category your submission goes to is up to committees at the Grammy Awards. And those are like, you know, people picture smoke-filled rooms, but these are like genuine, involved music executives who may make the distinction. You know, they may say that record is not hip hop.

That's a pop record. That's not, you know, a Latin record, things like that. You know, and I think that BTS just decided, as Drake and The Weeknd and others did in the past, that they just don't want to be a part of it.

They feel that there's no real way -- no real fair way that they can win. But again, you know, they've all come back. Jay-Z has been back at the Grammys.

Drake made a surprise appearance at the Grammys a couple of years ago. And The Weeknd is back on board as well. So the people making those decisions, it's all committees at the Grammys, they've been pretty significantly upgraded in the last five to 10 years, especially under Harvey's watch.

SANCHEZ: I wonder if you have seen any indication that there are groups that may follow BTS's lead when it comes to this Asian pop category.

ASWAD: It's entirely possible. We haven't seen it yet. I mean, quite honestly, apart from Blackpink, who aren't really in that conversation last year because they issued a bunch of solo records.

Apart from Blackpink, there isn't really another K-pop group that comes close to the recognition, the popularity and the reach that BTS has. So I don't see anyone doing it just yet, but you never know, there could be a lot of them. They could follow their lead. HILL: So to that point, right? Do you feel like this was -- I mean, does it seem that there is a sense within the community, the music community writ large, that this was the right time for this specific category? Or is it more that it's perhaps the right time to have the discussion about what the category actually is, which it seems like BTS actually wants, right?

Like, do we need to be separated out or can we just be who we are without another label?

ASWAD: Yes. And I mean, this is something you see all the time in the Latin categories because a lot of Latin artists feel that they've been segregated, quite honestly, into that category. It happens with hip hop artists as well.

And there's no reason, quite frankly, for it not to happen with Asian pop. But having said that, you know, there are so many, there's jazz genre awards, there's Americana, there's country, there's all kinds of different award possibilities there. And, you know, artists do win both.

I think this coming year, 2027, is going to be a very big year for country because this is a separate example, but Ella Langley has dominated the singles charts this year. She is the breakthrough artist of the year. And I would be very surprised if she didn't get, in addition to a number of country awards, a number of mainstream awards, for lack of a better term.

HILL: It's a lot to discuss. But I'm happy we're having the discussion, right? And I think BTS should certainly be a part of that discussion along with a lot of others.

Jim, really appreciate it. Thank you.

ASWAD: Thank you.

HILL: Here's a look at some of the other headlines we're watching this hour. Some federal reserve officials breaking ranks, now calling out the central bank for being weak on inflation, arguing the Fed needs to hike interest rates to deliver the strong medicine needed to fight inflation. They say the Fed's decision this week to leave rates unchanged was a mistake.

The group argues the risks are too serious to allow inflation to get out of control.

Seattle's police chief is resigning in the wake of last weekend's deadly shooting at a local food festival. Chief Shon Barnes was criticized for being slow to release key information about the shootout.

Police are still searching for at least one other possible suspect. Barnes was the second Black police chief in Seattle's history.

SANCHEZ: And a search is underway for at least six mountain climbers, including world-renowned climber Nirmal Purja. After a devastating avalanche swept through a mountain range in Pakistan, Purja made history in 2019 by climbing 14 of the world's tallest peaks in just over six months. So far, the bodies of four mountain climbers have been recovered.

Turning now to the battle over the future of the Democratic Party. That fight will be on full display next week with primaries in Michigan and Missouri. This Sunday on "THE WHOLE STORY," CNN's Donny O'Sullivan takes a look at the growing power of Democratic progressives speaking with activists, candidates, and controversial voices online from across the Democratic spectrum.

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Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Boris. Yes, I mean, the fight that is happening right now within the Democratic Party is what is supposed to happen during a primary process where the party debates these issues about how far left the party should go. Should it stay in the center?

And then, ideally, everybody comes together and gets behind their candidates in the general election, whether it be the midterms in November or the 2028 presidential election. A person who's become central in this debate within the party of just how left the party should go is not a politician.

It's an activist, a Twitch streamer named Hasan Piker. You might remember over the past few months, there's been a lot of controversies about him, about statements he has made about Israel and about 9-11. And he has been using his platform and joining candidates on the campaign trail, left and Democratic Socialist candidates, even, of course, going to Michigan to campaign with El-Sayed there.

In 2024, at the DNC, Piker didn't get behind Kamala Harris. He didn't get behind the nominee. So I asked him for our documentary on Sunday night if he'll ultimately get behind the candidates in 2028.

O'SULLIVAN: Will you endorse the 2028 candidates if they are pro- Israel in a way that you don't like? If you ultimately are about defeating fascism in this country, as you describe it, surely shouldn't you get on board with whoever the main candidate is?

HASAN PIKER, ACTIVIST AND TWITCH STREAMER: Luckily, I don't think I will have to make that calculation at all because there is 0 percent chance that whoever the elected Democrat is that wins the primary will be pro-Israel in any way, shape or form. You'll see.

O'SULLIVAN: So as you can obviously hear there, there is a lot of confidence on the part of the Democratic Socialist, the left flank of the party, but of course, a critical test on this comes on Tuesday in Michigan with that democratic primary for U.S. Senate. Ultimately, the big question and debate here is what strategy, what type of candidate is ultimately going to win in a general election in November and of course in 2028 -- Boris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Donie O'Sullivan, look forward to watching that. Make sure you tune in "THE WHOLE STORY WITH ANDERSON COOPER, THE LEFT INSURGENCY," airing Sunday at 8pm on CNN. The next day on the CNN app.

And still to come for us, the dangerous trend of AI health influencers. How to spot AI generated content that may be trying to sell you fake health advice.

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SANCHEZ: When you're scrolling your socials today, you may want to look with an extra critical eye because some doctors or herbalists promoting novel health solutions and products may not actually even be human. Fake AI health influencers are flooding social media feeds, with some getting millions of views while promoting unverified claims and, let's say, not great products.

CNN's Clare Duffy has been looking into this for us. Clare, what is going on here?

CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH REPORTER: Yes, Boris, look, there has always been wacky health information online, but AI has now made it so easy to create these really realistic looking and potentially credible figures like doctors and herbalists to spread faulty health information. We're also seeing, in some cases, real doctors having their images used without their permission and their likeness taken to create AI fakes to promote fake health products. And this is showing up across social media.

I want to play just two other examples that I found on Facebook Reels. Watch these.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is high blood sugar. This is high blood sugar. And this is also high blood sugar, too.

Try this one simple drink every morning for two weeks and you don't have to spend thousands of dollars on insulin or metformin every year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've put together everything I've learned about reversing high blood sugar naturally. The foods, the herbs, the daily habits that keep insulin steady after 45. Comment yes, and I'll send it to you personally.

You must be following me. Otherwise, I can't message you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DUFFY: So I plugged those videos into an AI detection tool made by the company GetReal Labs, and it turns out they had a hidden watermark showing that they were created with Google's AI. And yet they were running on Facebook Reels with thousands of views. There were also associated influencer profiles where that same AI character was sharing multiple posts with health information.

When I went to Meta about this, they said they did remove those videos and that they're working to improve their technology for detecting and labeling these kinds of AI videos. But Boris, you could see how this could get really dangerous if people are taking this faulty, questionable health information rather than talking to a human doctor.

SANCHEZ: No doubt. We've seen something similar with CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Somebody was imitating him online.

Who is behind these videos? I imagine they're doing this for money somehow.

DUFFY: Yes, as I've talked to experts about this, a lot of it is commercially motivated. Either they're promoting supplements that they're selling online or they're trying to just direct traffic to websites that earn ad money. There is also some thought that some of this could be state-sponsored actors trying to sow discord and sow distrust among Americans in health institutions.

A lot of these videos, you hear them saying, don't trust your doctor. Your doctor won't tell you this.

I spoke to David Evan Harris. He is an AI researcher and ethics advisor. He told me ...

END