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Russia Continues Onslaught On Kyiv; Donald Trump's Tariffs To Go Into Effect Next Month; Search For Missing Flood Victims Continues In Texas; Deprivations Worsen in Gaza as Ceasefire Talks Continue; Kim Jong-un Builds Luxury Beach Resort Trump Once Pitched. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired July 10, 2025 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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SARA FISCHER, CNN MEDIA ANALYST: -- Enterprise licensing, also very hard. And so what he did was he had xAI, his AI company, basically acquire X in an all stock deal to sort of, in my opinion, obfuscate some of these finances so that X itself does not have to be this very profitable company. I think he wants X for the data to power his AI. I don't think he cares as much about this being a global social discourse platform like it historically has been.
OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sara, this is why I love having you here. You laid everything out so perfectly. Sara Fischer, appreciate it as always.
FISCHER: Thank you.
JIMENEZ: All right, everyone, that's it. That's where we're going to end it. Thanks for watching. Anderson Cooper 360, up next.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN NEWSROOM HOST: Hello and a very warm welcome. I'm Paula Newton. Ahead right here on CNN Newsroom, Kyiv is under heavy attack for a second second night in a row. And as the latest Ukraine recovery conference gets underway in Rome, many wonder if diplomacy can ever bring an end to this war. More tariffs and even more threats of tariffs. Donald Trump is warning of a 50% levy on Brazil for what he calls a witch hunt of the country's former president. Plus, high rise hotels, water slides and even a beer hall. How Kim Jong Un turned his family's favorite summer retreat into a resort even Donald Trump might envy.
ANNOUNCER: Live from New York, this is CNN Newsroom with Paula Newton.
NEWTON: So at this hour, Russia is carrying out another intense aerial assault on Kyiv. And that's just hours before world leaders are set to meet for the 4th Ukraine Recovery Conference now going on in Rome. Authorities in Kyiv say six people were wounded as Russia launched drones and missiles on the Ukrainian capital overnight. CNN staff in Kyiv reported hearing strong explosions around the capital. Officials, of course, are urging residents to stay in those shelters.
Now, this assault comes less than 24 hours after Russia launched its largest drone attack on Ukraine since the start of the full scale invasion. More than 700 drones and missiles were fired in total. Ukraine's air force says the assault was largely repelled, though one person was killed by debris. Meantime, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he discussed weapons supplies, air defenses and joint defense production with the Trump administration's envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg.
That, again, was just before that Rome conference. Now, meantime, the Kremlin says its taking Donald Trump's anger in stride after the US president used an expletive, inventing his frustration with Vladimir Putin over the stalled peace efforts. CNN's Matthew Chance has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Across Kremlin controlled television outrage at a frustrated President Trump's remarks about Vladimir Putin. After months of fawning coverage of the US President in Russia, it's now turning hostile amid US threats of new sanctions and military aid for Ukraine. Threatening Russia is pointless, this state TV anchor reminds her viewers.
DONALD TRUMP, US PRESIDENT: We get a lot of bull**** thrown at us by Putin.
CHANCE: It was these unusually critical remarks that shocked many Russians, more used to praise from President Trump and now just confused. Trump is first our friend who will give us Ukraine, says this Russian official. Then he's an enemy who will impose sanctions, then a friend again. For its part, the Kremlin has played down any suggestion that President Trump's critical outburst has had much impact. We're taking it quite calmly, the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters on a conference call, adding that Trump in general tends to use a fairly tough style and expressions.
But back on state television, influential voices are far less diplomatic, warning of dire consequences of a renewed fallout between Russia and the U.S. Trump is bringing a third World War closer with all of this, warns a prominent pro Kremlin presenter, even though Trump said his main task, he adds, was to prevent exactly that. Matthew Chance, CNN London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Let's bring in Mick Ryan, he's a retired major general in the Australian Army and senior fellow for military studies at the Lowy Institute. He's also the author of the book the War for Ukraine: Strategy and Adaptation Under Fire, and he joins me now from Brisbane, Australia.
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Good to see you again. President Trump seems to now recognize that, look, Ukraine is in a tough spot, and yet Ukraine's defenses have been, I have to say, quite impressive in terms of those air defenses, how long do you believe this can continue?
And while the United States continues to say, okay, we might be sending more military aid now, how have you seen that change in the last few weeks? Because there was certainly a sense of desperation in Ukraine not understanding if that US aid would continue.
MICK RYAN, SENIOR FELLOW MILITARY STUDIE LOWY INSTITUTE: Yeah, there's a lot going on there. I mean, first and foremost, President Trump is starting to realize the real predicament that Ukraine's in, but also the fact that his reach out of diplomatic ties to Russia since he's been inaugurated, just has not worked. And I think he's coming to the realization that other measures besides sending special negotiators might be required here.
The massive drone strike of over 700 drones the other night is a very big step up by the Russians. One, it indicates I don't think America will respond. But two, I think it might indicate some desperation on the part of Putin, whose ground forces are not achieving on the Eastern front what he hoped they would by this point in time.
NEWTON: You make a good point there. And in fact, even Ukraine has had some success, even though Russia's put a lot into this summer offensive. I want to get back to that issue of drones. They have, of course, been a prominent feature of this war for both Russia and Ukraine. Right? How is the use of drones contributing to the continuation of this war? I mean, and of course, it's been reported that China is definitely helping Russia to be able to keep up with this drone production.
RYAN: Yeah, I mean, they've used pretty much everywhere on the battlefield for casualty evacuation. But these Shahed drones in particular, the Russians are now manufacturing them at about $50,000 a pop, which means they can produce a lot of them and they can use them to saturate Ukraine's air defences. Now, fortunately, Ukraine is able to use indigenous solutions to shoot down these Shahed drones. Where the problems lie are with the more sophisticated hypersonic missiles and ballistic missiles, which require Patriot missiles to shoot down. And that's what Ukraine really needs.
NEWTON: Yeah, and it is clear that Donald Trump says that he is at least going to entertain whether or not he will provide a more missile defense to Ukraine. And President Zelenskyy has, in fact, been quite optimistic about that. There has been some confusion, though, between the Defense Secretary in the United States about who ordered any kind of pause to military aid to Ukraine and why.
I want to point out that CNN's Jake Tapper interviewed Republican Senator Thom Tillis. You know, he was really blunt, saying, look, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's behavior has been amateurish and that the secretary might be, and I'm using his words here, out of his depth. If even a fraction of what he says is true, how do you believe that could impact the next few months in Ukraine?
RYAN: Well, I think from a Ukrainian perspective, they don't quite know what's going on. They see dysfunction in US policy towards Ukraine, where the Secretary of Defence, since the beginning of the year, has three times unilaterally cut off aid, whereas this time the president has had to come in and say, no, we're not cutting off aid, we're going to help you. So, the Ukrainians want a bit of consistency out of the United States and they're just not getting it at the moment.
NEWTON: Yeah. Which is a problem, especially as you're given that Russian onslaught that has been full force throughout this summer season. Mike Ryan -- Mick Ryan, pardon me, for us. Thanks so much. Appreciate it.
RYAN: Thank you.
NEWTON: Now, the US President has threatened Brazil with a crippling 50% tariff set to kick in next month, not because of a trade deficit. The U.S actually has a trade surplus with Brazil. No. Donald Trump is going after Brazil in part because of what he calls a witch hunt. I know that sounds familiar to the audience, against Jair Bolsonaro.
Now, the right wing former president who has bragged about his closeness with President Trump is on trial for allegedly trying to stage a coup. CNN's Marc Stewart is following this and other tariff news and there has been a lot of it. I want to thank you for joining us live from Beijing there. You know, President Trump is clearly picking sides in Brazilian politics right now. And let's be clear, this isn't exactly, you know, new territory for him.
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Paula. I mean, as you know from covering tariffs in Canada, as I know from covering tariffs in China, this is not just about economics. There is a big political aspect to all of this. And look back to earlier in this tariff debate with Colombia, President Trump threatened tariffs on that nation if it didn't accept American deportees.
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But this case with Brazil is a bit extraordinary in that it is such a heavily domestic issue, accusing the current president of engaging in this witch hunt against former President Bolsonaro over these allegations that he staged a coup, allegations that he has denied, but it goes to show that these tariff prospects can be very wide sweeping. And as you mentioned, President Trump and President Bolsonaro do have this relationship, this close relationship, between each other. Now this is starting to unravel in the sense that the current president of Brazil, President Lula, is vowing to reciprocate.
And Paula, that is significant because this is really the first time in months that we have seen a country threaten to match this tariff threat with President Trump, from President Trump. And as you know, Paula, Brazil already has been under scrutiny because of its affiliation with BRICS, one of the leading members of BRICS, which has also faced a lot of scrutiny from President Trump over some of its economic policies. So, this is yet another new battle in this broader trade war, if you will, between the United States and the rest of the world, Paula.
NEWTON: It has been absolutely unpredictable. So much more unpredictable even than the President's first term. You know, the president has also announced a punitive 50% tariff on copper. Many believe China will actually benefit from this move. How so? STEWART: Right. So what has struck President Trump's attention is concerns about national security. And that copper, it's a commodity that is used in electronic wiring and batteries. It's a big part of the defense industry and defense needs. And it's something that the United States is having to get from other places. It's partly dependent on other nations. So, if you look at some of the data from the London Stock Exchange, about half of it is imported from other places.
That includes China, so it's a dependent nation, the US being somewhat dependent on China for copper. Now, it's not alone. Other nations on that list include Japan and Congo, but again, it's part of this bigger push by the White House to not be so dependent on other nations. In fact, if we look at a posting that President Trump made on Truth Social, he talks about the need to again restore America's golden age, and he believes that less dependency on others for copper is a big part of that formula, Paula.
NEWTON: Yeah, and we'll see how long this tariff stays in place, and if it's a negotiation or something he really plans to stick to. Marc Stewart for us in Beijing. Appreciate it. Now still to come, rescue teams continue the search for the missing in Texas after the weekend's deadly floods. We'll have the latest on their recovery efforts.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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NEWTON: Multiple officials within FEMA tell CNN they were ready to deploy search and rescue teams and other life saving resources to Texas over the weekend. But new protocols forced them to wait more than three days after the flooding began. Those officials point to a new internal policy enacted by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem requiring her personal approval on any expense above $100,000.
Now a department spokesperson said in part, quote, the old processes are being replaced because they failed Americans in real emergencies for decades. Flags meantime are flying at half staff in Kerrville in honor of the flooding victims. The death toll has climbed to at least 120. With more than 160 people still reported missing, CNN's Isabel Rosales has more details now on the continuing recovery efforts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY LEITHA; KERR COUNTY SHERIFF: Sometimes evacuations is not the safest. Sometimes it's better to shelter in place. The Hill country is not a one size fit all place.
ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Local officials defending their team's action flood ravaged Texas before facing heated questions from reporters and promising that answers are coming.
LEITHA: We're in the process of trying to put a timeline. You know, that's going to take a little bit of time.
ROSALES: CNN affiliate KSAT now reporting a firefighter in nearby Ingram, Texas requested the Kerr County Sheriff's Office issue a code red nearly six hours before that emergency alert was issued and sent to residents' phones. The sheriff asks about that lapse in time.
LEITHA: I believe those questions need to be answered to the family of the missed loved ones, to the public, you know, to the people that put me in this office. Please understand that, you know, we don't have, we're not running. We're not going to hide from anything.
ROSALES: Search and rescue teams are on day six of this exhaustive search, focusing now on combing through nearly 60 miles of riverside and piles of debris looking for victims.
KOURTNEY RAND, FLOOD RESCUE VOLUNTEER: We're getting down in places that normally people can't get to by foot. More harder terrain.
ROSALES: Dozens of volunteers have joined state and local agencies coming out on foot, boat, ATVs, horses and even mules who can help carry heavy equipment. These volunteers talked to CNN about what they witnessed when arriving to help.
DUSTIN BERTERO, MISSION MULES VOLUNTEER: The water damage, how high the water got on trees, the debris piles around, like bridges and parts of homes and stuff, like fridges or water heaters.
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MICHAEL TOBERER, MISSION MULES PRESIDENT: That amount of people getting taken like that just tells me that this nobody was ready for it.
ROSALES: Drew Yancey owns this RV resort park. The July 4th weekend is his busiest of the year, but he managed to safely evacuate all of his guests.
DREW YANCEY, RV RESORT OWNER: We lost 10 trailers.
UNKNOWN?: You lost 10 trailers?
YANCEY: 10 trailers.
UNKNOWN?: Out of how many?
YANCEY: 12. We pulled two out. That's all we could get. That's all we had time for.
ROSALES: At least 160 people remain missing, and authorities say they have a long way to go, maybe even weeks. And what we're seeing here at Drew's park is strangers coming together. They just showed up is what Drew told me. Lending their time, their hands, heavy machinery, to try to get all of this clear, to try to help these families that have been impacted and turn the next page, the next chapter in this horrible moment. All as first responders are scouring the Guadalupe River, trying to find all of these people that are still missing, getting their families some answers. Isabel Rosales, CNN Centerpoint, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE) NEWTON: Powerful picture illustrates the crisis facing hospitals in Gaza. Four babies share an incubator meant for only one. More on that story and the ongoing talks to reach a temporary ceasefire.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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NEWTON: And welcome back to CNN Newsroom. I'm Paula Newton. Now let's take a look at today's top stories. Russia is carrying out another intense aerial assault on Kyiv. Authorities say two people were killed and more than a dozen wounded as Russia launched drones and missiles on the Ukrainian capital overnight. It comes less than 24 hours after Russia launched its largest drone attack on Ukraine since the start of the war.
FEMA officials tell CNN their efforts to deploy rescue teams to Texas were hampered by new department protocols. Those crews were not approved until more than three days after the flooding began. At least 120 deaths have been reported since last weekend and more than 160 people are reported missing.
And in the world of Formula 1, there are ongoing shockwaves of the surprise firing of Red Bull's team principal. Red Bull did not give a reason for sacking Christian Horner, but thanked him for his work. He led the squad to eight drivers and six constructors championships.
Key players are indicating they are making progress as they try to bring at least a temporary end to the brutal war in Gaza. US President Donald Trump now says negotiators are, in his words, very close to striking a deal on a 60 day ceasefire. While Hamas says it's working, quote, diligently and positively to overcome obstacles at the ongoing talks in Qatar, it's also confirming earlier reports that the deal would involve the release of 10 living hostages. CNN's Jeremy Diamond has more now.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's no question that there is progress being made in those negotiations between Israel and Hamas over a potential ceasefire and hostage release deal, both in the Qatari capital of Doha where those proximity talks are taking place, but also in Washington D.C. where critical negotiations are taking place between the Israeli Prime Minister and his team and President Trump and his administration.
But the fact that we saw President Trump sitting down with Prime Minister Netanyahu last night for the second time this week, but not inviting cameras in, not delivering any kind of statement afterwards, suggests that there's still quite a lot of work to be done and puts into question whether or not this deal can actually get done by the end of this week. As President Trump has been repeatedly said, he believes is possible.
The US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said yesterday that three of the four main sticking points have been closed out over the course of the last few days of those proximity talks. But a sticking point still remains. And my sources have told me that one of the main issues here is the timeline and the location to which Israeli troops would withdraw during that 60 day ceasefire.
One of the main arguments that has arisen as both parties try and close out this agreement. We know that the United States and President Trump in particular have provided assurances to the mediators, to Hamas ultimately, that Israel will remain at the negotiating table and that the ultimate goal here, during this 60 day ceasefire, is indeed to reach a deal over an end to the war altogether and the release of all of the remaining hostages being held there.
But there's no question that time is running out, not only for those hostages whose families and former hostages we have heard remind the world that their situation is urgent, that every single additional day they remain in captivity is another danger to their lives, but also for the people of Gaza, who continue to suffer very intense Israeli bombardment. And also not only food shortages, but fuel shortages that are also affecting hospitals in the Gaza Strip.
This image right here shows four newborn babies at Al-Helou Hospital in Gaza all crammed into one incubator that would normally be closed and normally just be for one premature baby. [00:30:00] DIAMOND: But -- but this is the kind of situation that Gaza's hospitals, after being decimated over the course of this war, are facing. Not enough NICUs. And now, fuel that is really posing a threat to the ability of these
incubators to function. We have seen hospitals like al-Shifa Hospital shutting down its dialysis center. And the United Nations says hospitals are rationing fuel. Ambulances
are stalling, and water systems are on the brink. They say they urgently need fuel to get into Gaza. We've reached out to the -- to COGAT, the Israeli authorities
responsible for coordinating that aid. They have yet to respond to our request for comment. Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE) NEWTON: So, a sweeping display of extravagance in one of the world's poorest and most reclusive nations. But for North Korea, this is more than a resort. It's a monument to self-reliance. We'll explain. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:35:50] NEWTON: So, a brain drain of sorts appears to be taking place inside some of Elon Musk's largest companies. The CEO of his social media firm, X, Linda Yaccarino, announced her
resignation Wednesday after two years on the job. Musk has also seen other top executives leave Tesla and xAI in recent months. Now, Yaccarino didn't give a reason as to why she was leaving, but it
comes amid controversy involving xAI's chat bot, Grok. It's been responding to some user inquiries with antisemitic tropes weeks after Musk said he was, in his words, "fixing Grok" because of responses he said were too politically correct. Now, a big milestone meantime for chipmaker Nvidia. It hit $4 trillion
in market value on Wednesday. It is the first publicly traded company to ever reach that mark, beating out both Microsoft, valued around 3.7 trillion, and Apple at around 3.1 trillion. Now, thanks to the company's leading role in the artificial
intelligence boom, Nvidia shares have soared around 21 percent this year. Its chips power the data centers that tech companies need to fuel
their A.I. models and cloud services. North Korea recently unveiled a grand seaside resort, taking a page
from the Trump playbook and beating the U.S. president to the punch. Donald Trump first pitched this idea to North Korean leader Kim Jong- un. It was years ago. CNN's Will Ripley has our story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kim Jong- un's yacht glides ashore on North Korea's Eastern coast. The Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone. Miles of white sand beaches,
water sports, luxury villas: 1,500 hotel rooms. Wonsan was known as the ruling Kim family's favorite summer retreat
and one of North Korea's most active military testing grounds. DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: But they have great beaches. You see
that whenever they're exploding their cannons into the ocean. And I explained. I said, you know, instead of doing that, you could
have the best hotels in the world right there. RIPLEY (voice-over): President Donald Trump once pitched U.S.
investment in Wonsan. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where the doors of opportunity are ready to be
opened. Investment from around the world. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One moment. One choice.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Today, seven years later, Kim beat Trump to the punch, building it on his own. The resort features grand hotels with luxurious amenities, even
international-grade summit halls, a soft power backdrop perhaps setting the stage for diplomacy. Kim did bring the Russian ambassador for the grand opening.
These days, Pyongyang reportedly won't even accept Trump's letters at the United Nations. Kim's wife, Ri Sol-ju, made her first state media appearance in more
than a year, often walking several steps behind her husband and their teenage daughter, believed to be Kim Ju-Ae. She often appears alongside her father at official events, fueling speculation she's being groomed as a possible successor. Kim personally inspected the Wonsan project at least six times,
including once when I was there reporting for CNN. RIPLEY: On the ground here in North Korea.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Now they're building a beachfront resort that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un came here to Wonsan to inspect just yesterday. RIPLEY: How have things improved under Kim Jong-un?
"Every day we see changes," he told me. "Like new construction." The new resort includes a massive water park and a surf machine
generating artificial waves. And this very real wipeout. Even grannies firing pistols on horseback.
This retiree says she was moved to tears thinking about how their leader has given them such amazing benefits. Even as much of the country still struggles with food shortages, medical care, and electricity. Now, North Korea celebrates a resort. Kim built it without Trump,
without aid, without compromise, and with every single one of his nuclear weapons still intact. [00:40:09]
RIPLEY: They built it. But who will come? Aside from locals, only Russian tour groups can visit the beach resort. Certainly, no westerners. Not even Chinese tourists, at least for now. In fact, it may be quite some time before North Korea even comes close
to being able to fill those dozens of brand-new hotels designed to accommodate up to 20,000 people. Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.
(END VIDEOTAPE) NEWTON: And I want to thank you for watching. I'm Paula Newton. I'll be back with more news at the top of the hour. WORLD SPORT is next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:45:31] (WORLD SPORT)
