Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

U.S.-Iran Negotiations Are Stalled But Not Over Yet; L.A. Firefighters Battle Massive Warehouse Fire For Fifth Day; LAPD Releases Video Of Officer Fatally Shooting Dog; Colombia's War On Drugs A Key Issue In Presidential Election; Big Match-Ups On The Pitch As Spain Crushed Saudi Arabia; Famous Big Bear Eagles Under Threat From Development Project. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired June 21, 2026 - 14:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:00:27]

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN HOST: Breaking news. President Donald Trump reportedly makes fresh threats against the Iranian delegation in Switzerland over the Strait of Hormuz. This, as his own vice president is meeting with them for peace talks.

Plus, state of emergency. Flames engulfing a large warehouse in Los Angeles, sending huge plumes of smoke into the air. The health and safety concerns for residents as that fire still actively burns.

And coming up later, bird battle. They're arguably the most famous eagles in the world. We're going to tell you why some say Big Bear Lake's bald eagle couple and their chicks could soon be under threat.

Hello and welcome. Thank you so much for joining us. I'm Danny Freeman sitting in for Fredricka Whitfield.

We begin with breaking news. Critical meetings that were underway between delegations from the U.S. and Iran in Switzerland are stalled, according to an Iranian source.

Again, this is breaking right now. We have full coverage of these major developments. Nic Robertson is in Switzerland, Julia Benbrook is at the White House, and Oren Liebermann is in Jerusalem.

Nic Robertson, like I said, is joining us from Switzerland, where those talks were starting. But Nic, tell us, what are we hearing from Iran right now about the progress of these talks?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes. Look what we're hearing in the talks right now is silence. And there shouldn't be. You know, the talks are going on up there or were going on up there in the mountains.

They should still be in conversation. They're not because the Iranians are upset about what President Trump has said today.

He has said variously that if they don't open the Strait of Hormuz, then the Iranian delegation here won't be able to get back to Iran. That he said that they need to rein in their proxies. Otherwise the United States will attack them again.

What we've heard from the head of the Iranian delegation here, Mohammad Ghalibaf, he's the speaker of the national parliament.

He has said that the United States should choose its words carefully because Iran may come back with a response. This, or rather, President Trump's words seem to be a mile away from the message that J.D. Vance was delivering although the Iranians weren't in the room when he delivered his sort of starting message, which is transforming the region for peace through diplomacy, a new relationship in the Middle East with Iran, with the United States, that this was a potential transformative moment, that he had been given a mission by the president to, to, to try to achieve this.

So right now, the best understanding we have of what's happening with the Iranians is they are deciding whether they're going to go or are they going to stay.

And we can believe at this moment that the Qataris and the Pakistanis, who are the mediators who have been through this before with Iranians and some of what President Trump has said in the past, it's not the first time his language has inflamed the Iranians, that they will be working to try to persuade them to stay and hammer out the issues that they want.

They want a ceasefire in Lebanon. They don't get it if they walk away. The war comes back. And this is the threat over everyone's heads right now.

So at the moment, it's wait and watch what Iran does, not what they're saying in their tweets. Wait and watch what they do. And that's the sort of pause we're in at the moment.

FREEMAN: All right. Nic Robertson, thank you for that update.

I want to turn now to D.C. We have Julia Benbrook at the White House for us. Julia, what are we hearing about all of this from the administration?

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, as Nic pointed out, President Donald Trump is not the one there taking part in these negotiations. But what he is saying in these brief phone interviews, on social media, no doubt is having an impact.

The group that is there on the ground, these talks are taking place at a high level. They were taking place just hours ago, led by Vice President J.D. Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Trump's son-in- law Jared Kushner, with mediators from Pakistan and Qatar helping in this process.

But a reminder that the Memorandum of Understanding, that agreement that has been signed is really just a starting point here. It kicked off a 60-day time period for the negotiations to tackle the details of the bigger issues, like Iran's nuclear program and the fate of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

BENBROOK: Vance, when he was speaking with reporters earlier, he did say that a lot of good progress had been made. He also warned that there is a lot to tackle here, and that he does not think all of the disagreements will be solved immediately.

[14:05:04]

Now he is expected to be there for 1 to 2 days, and then the technical teams are expected to stick around for a little while. Again, these recent developments will keep an eye on how that plays out.

But here's what Vance said about talks so far.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What today really represents is the beginning of a technical negotiation. That's not going to solve every disagreement, but it's going to allow us to sit together as teams for the first time, really in history, to figure out what matters most to the respective parties, to settle those issues, to solve those issues and get to a better tomorrow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: According to sources familiar with the negotiations, so far they have focused in on Iran's nuclear program, on the conflict in Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz.

And on the strait, specifically, Trump did a roughly 20-minute interview phone call with Fox News earlier today, and he appeared to threaten the Iranian delegation over their recent claim that they had closed the Strait of Hormuz. Now, U.S. military has pushed back on that, saying that they will allow vessels to pass through.

But I want to highlight Trumps exact words here. This is reported by Fox. They said that he told the Iranian officials, you close it, referring to the Strait of Hormuz, and you won't have a country. Adding, "You won't even make it back to your effing country."

Now, Iran's chief negotiator appeared to respond to that, calling any of those threats desperate, and adding that Iran's military would be ready to take action if need be.

FREEMAN: All right. Julia Benbrook, thank you for that latest update from the White House.

But of course, these talks were already delayed from last week because Iran objected to the fighting in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah.

So for more on that end of it, we turn to Oren Liebermann. He's in Jerusalem.

Oren, tell us, as this is all taking place in Switzerland and unfolding there, what is the view from Israel? OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well Danny, today we see

it as president Donald Trump's comments that have disrupted negotiations. On Friday and Saturday, it was the fighting in Lebanon that disrupted negotiations.

On Friday, Iran delayed their participation in the talks until the fighting stopped. There was a ceasefire put in place Friday night, and then there was more fighting on Saturday.

In fact, Friday and Saturday were some of the deadliest days we have seen since the start of the war, not only as a result of Israeli strikes in Lebanon, killing dozens there according to the ministry of public health. But also five Israeli soldiers killed in a period of 24 hours.

Sunday, we have not seen the same sort of kinetic activity. According to Lebanon's national news agency, Israeli strikes killed seven people in Tyre and the Bekaa Valley.

But it is worth noting that the Israeli military says they're not familiar with any Israeli military activity in that area. Nevertheless, even without continued fighting there, you see the difficulties in getting talks going.

Lebanon will always be sort of at the center of these talks, even though this is supposed to be about Iran's nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has prioritized Lebanon. It has connected the nuclear talks to the fighting in Lebanon, something Israel was trying to avoid. And it's trying to use the first clause of the Memorandum of Understanding, which calls for cessation of hostilities across the region, including in Lebanon, to force the U.S., and that is to force President Donald Trump to compel Israel to stop fighting.

But Israel has made it clear it's not withdrawing. In fact, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that point earlier today. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: We have achieved tremendous accomplishments, and we will not give them up. We will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary to protect the residents of the north who are dear to us and the citizens of the entire country.

As prime minister of Israel, I insist on this unequivocally, and nothing will change that.

And regarding Iran, whatever diplomatic developments may occur, I will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons as long as I am prime minister of Israel. It will not happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP) LIEBERMANN: Israel's position on Lebanon, that refusal to withdraw and to continue operating in southern Lebanon has and will almost certainly continue to be a problem for negotiators in Switzerland, Danny.

FREEMAN: Yes. And clearly, whether Lebanon or in this case, President Donald Trump's remarks, getting those talks really started in earnest seems to continue to be a challenge.

Oren Liebermann in Jerusalem, thank you so much for that reporting.

Still ahead, disturbing body cam video. We're going to show you the moment an LAPD officer shoots and kills a dog wearing a Knicks shirt after a neighbor mistook the owner's victory screams for a serious crisis.

Plus, this story. A state of emergency in Los Angeles, a massive warehouse fire choking communities with smoke for days. Now the governor is stepping in.

[14:09:49]

FREEMAN: And today, eight teams, four huge games. We have the latest wild World Cup action as this group stage really heats up.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FREEMAN: California Governor Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass have declared a state of emergency in response to a massive fire at a warehouse in Los Angeles.

[14:14:46]

Now, video shows large plumes of dark smoke coming from the Boyle Heights Fire that crews have been battling for five days now. Officials say the warehouse is a large cold-storage facility with a complicated layout packed with frozen food, giving them, quote, "zero visibility" inside.

Residents in and around the area have been encouraged to follow local officials' guidance and monitor air quality conditions.

And we're following growing outrage over how a family dog was killed by officers in Los Angeles. Newly-released body cam footage shows the shocking moment Jameson, a two-year-old poodle mix right there, was fatally shot.

Police say officers were responding to a 911 call made by a neighbor, who says she heard screams coming from a nearby apartment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I heard my neighbor, she's been screaming, "oh my God", for 20 minutes, like something really bad happened. I just was wondering if someone could do a wellness check on them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: So Jameson's family says they were celebrating the New York Knicks winning the NBA championship last week before officers arrived.

Now a warning. We're going to show you what happened to Jameson outside of that apartment. But some of our viewers may find this video disturbing.

Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: LAPD. LAPD. Hello.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you put your dog in? Put your dog in. Your dog right there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put your dog away. (EXPLETIVE DELETED)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a big.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) I'm not getting bit by that dog.

Is the dog put away?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sorry. He's not -- he's not aggressive. Oh.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's huge. You know what -- put him in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: Ok, so in the video, a woman can be seen opening the door for officers. They ask her to put her dog away. She tells them her dog is not aggressive.

But Jameson slips past her and into the hall towards one of the officers, who then fired his gun several times, killing Jameson.

A statement from Jameson's family reads in part, "What began as a call for justice for one beloved dog has grown into a community united by compassion, accountability and a shared commitment to protecting animals."

Now, the LAPD says there is no incident more serious than when an officer fires a service weapon, adding, "A thorough, multilayered examination of this weekend's incident in Canoga Park is already underway. But it will take time to ensure fairness, transparency and accountability."

The incident remains under investigation. Ok, more on our breaking news now. An Iranian source telling CNN the

peace talks with the U.S. are stalled, but not over. We have the latest developments from Switzerland coming up after a quick break

[14:17:36]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FREEMAN: We continue to follow breaking news on the fragile U.S. talks with Iran. An Iranian source telling CNN the negotiations in Switzerland have stalled after President Trump reportedly threatened the Iranian delegation in a phone interview with Fox News.

The network says the president told Iranian officials in an overnight phone call that if they closed the Strait of Hormuz, quote, "you won't have a country".

President Trump reportedly said the U.S. Would respond to any strait closure by taking over the critical waterway and charging tolls on Hormuz shipping traffic.

For more on this, let's discuss with Megan Sutcliffe. She's the Middle East and Africa principal analyst for Sibylline, a private intelligence firm.

Megan, thank you so much for joining us on a really fast developing day.

President Trump's comments came after J.D. Vance said the two sides had made great progress in talks. Meanwhile, Iran has since lodged a protest to Trump's threats. But Iranian sources back-channel dialogs are underway to make the diplomatic parties return to the table.

So if that's where we begin, what's your perspective on the impacts that President Trump's comments might have on negotiations?

MEGAN SUTCLIFFE, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA PRINCIPAL ANALYST, SIBYLLINE: Well, as with President Trump's comments regarding Iran, its nuclear program and broader dynamics in the region, these are not something that are going to add to the stability or the calm heads that are going to be needed to make progress in what are extremely complex and sensitive talks.

Statements about a resumption of airstrikes targeting Iran, statements that are seen as insulting the leaders of the Islamic Republic, or statements that they believed veered into a lack of trust between both parties are only going to have negative implications for the move forward when it comes to such a complex and sensitive matter.

FREEMAN: Yes, and we're seeing that play out I mean, truly in real time, as this is the second time in just a few days that talks have stalled basically after trying to get started.

I'm curious though, Megan, if the U.S. actually did, in their words, take over the Strait of Hormuz like President Trump is threatening and began charging tolls, what kind of impact would that have on, let's say this global oil supplies and prices and stability in the region?

SUTCLIFFE: Well, it would be extremely destabilizing, though I would interpret President Trump's comments with a degree of caution. Of course, this is not the first time we have seen him making rather outlandish statements when it comes to developments in the Middle East.

Throughout the course of the conflict with Iran, we saw numerous statements being issued from the White House whereby President Trump stated that potentially the U.S. was going to take control of Kharg Island. but those never materialized.

That being said, though, statements to the effect indicating that the United States wishes to exert control over the Strait of Hormuz will be extremely destabilizing to these talks with Iran.

Since the beginning of the conflict, Iran has asserted that it has this so-called natural right to regulate the movement of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

[14:24:50]

SUTCLIFFE: And when it wasn't seeing progress on that, that's when we saw relations between Iran and its regional partners and, of course, the United States deteriorating even further.

Statements by President Trump indicating that the United States intends to supersede that right will only be more destabilizing and will undermine the very fragile confidence that is already wearing under the pressure of these negotiations.

FREEMAN: Megan, can I ask you, is there any way that this might be some sort of intentional strategy where President Trump is almost a bad cop to J.D. Vance's good cop? Or does it actually seem like President Trump is shooting from the hip, undermining potentially these talks?

SUTCLIFFE: Well, I think it is entirely possible that we are attempting or seeing attempts from the White House to essentially modulate pressure on Iran, with President Trump emphasizing that a return to conflict is entirely possible and could be very rapid.

While J.D. Vance, who within Iran is understood to be an individual within the White House who was most opposed to the beginning of the conflict back in late February, that essentially that dynamic could be something that the United States could use to its advantage.

That being said, though, in the past, we've already seen President Trump making statements to these effects, and that has undermined Iran's confidence in these negotiations.

We saw that in 2025, and we saw that earlier this year, before the war began.

These statements are not going to help. And rather, when it comes to diplomacy with Iran, the United States right now has an unprecedented opportunity of direct and public contact in Islamabad.

Throwing that away is not something that is going to be conducive to deescalation in the region, the moderation of shocks on energy and commodity markets, or indeed the broader stability of the Middle East as we know it today.

FREEMAN: Well, and let's talk about the other thing that has derailed these talks at least once already so far. These talks face the constant risk of being derailed by the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon. Do you see a scenario where the talks move forward in any really productive way if there are attacks between Israel and Hezbollah?

SUTCLIFFE: I think it is entirely possible that we will see the negotiations moving forward, despite the continuation of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, particularly in southern Lebanon.

Throughout these talks. Of course, we have seen Iran emphasizing its view that, of course, Lebanon is an integral part of this ceasefire dynamic, that there cannot be a Memorandum of Understanding or a broader agreement between the United States and Iran unless there is peace in Lebanon.

The United States and Israel have a differing view of this, that there can be a ceasefire within Lebanon but that potentially that ceasefire should look like the one that we saw over the past year between Israel and Hezbollah.

And that meaning that the IDF is able to maintain its positions in southern Lebanon and the Israeli air force continues to conduct airstrikes targeting what it has identified as Hezbollah targets throughout Lebanon.

That dynamic is not something that's going to be easily broached. However, it is notable that in the text of the Memorandum of Understanding, there was a particular emphasis on restoring Lebanon's sovereignty.

And that's similar language that we saw in previous ceasefires between Israel and Lebanon, under which Israel continued to conduct those types of operations.

It is possible to separate these dynamics, but Iran is not going to make that easy. The past 24 hours have showed that with its announcement that the Strait of Hormuz would now be closed, though we continue to see vessels moving through this waterway.

It is a very complex dynamic. It is possible to separate them, but that will not be easy and that will not be free when it comes to the other concessions that Iran will expect in response to that.

FREEMAN: All right. I have one last question for you, Megan, on kind of the broader picture here, because obviously, both Iran and the United States both facing economic political pressure to reach some sort of deal to bring this conflict to an end. They've put this timeline essentially, though, on themselves. Do you

see a deal actually materializing in this current 60-day negotiating window?

SUTCLIFFE: I'd say it would take a heavy dose Of optimism to expect a broad and comprehensive agreement to emerge between the United States and Iran within this 60-day period. Though it is notable that the MOU, of course, notes that this could be extended by mutual consent.

So it's possible we will see essentially a rollover of this Memorandum of Understanding. However, even a rollover of 60 or 120 more days, I would doubt whether or not that is going to be enough to secure a more comprehensive agreement between the U.S. and Iran.

It took almost two years to negotiate the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the JCPOA. that was over 100 pages, and that involved China, Russia and many European states as well.

Right now, we only have 60 days, A two-page Memorandum of Understanding, the United States, Iran and two other mediators.

Unfortunately, I don't think that that is going to be enough. This is going to take far more time to be productive and to be long lasting, have the longevity that would be needed to make progress in this region.

FREEMAN: Yes. And it's also hard to think about the end of 60 days when we're seeing stalling on day one.

Megan Sutcliffe, thank you so much for your expertise.

[14:30:01]

Really do appreciate it today.

SUTCLIFFE: Thank you.

FREEMAN: Coming up, decades of violence on the ballot. Colombians are voting in a pivotal election today. And a Trump-backed far right firebrand could completely upend Bogota's relationship with the U.S.

We're going to bring you that story after a short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FREEMAN: Happening now, polls are open in Colombia for a crucial presidential runoff election. Voters will decide between a left-wing senator and a far-right outsider, backed by President Trump. A key issue on the ballot, Colombia's war on drugs and the climate of violence plaguing the country.

[14:35:04]

CNN's Stefano Pozzebon is following this election for us from Colombia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR (voice-over): Colombia is at a crossroads between two different visions for how to put away half a century of violence and a far-right populist with Trump's backing, who promises to go after criminal groups with all guns blazing.

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

POZZEBON (voice-over): To understand Colombia's conflict, we joined a demining unit from the army. A legacy of decades of guerrilla warfare, Colombia's one of the countries most affected by landmines in the world

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

POZZEBON (voice-over): Last year, Colombia recorded 137 landmine incidents. Everyone working here must wear protective gear as a precaution. A deminer can clear only 10 square meters of forest every day, and this unit has 37,000 to deal with. In this location alone, a quick fuse and the landmine is taken care of.

In town, even the children learn about landmines.

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

POZZEBON (voice-over): The army sends instructors to primary schools every month to hold classes like this.

POZZEBON: They're using puppets and videos and cartoons. It can all seem very funny, but actually, the core of the lesson is that in this part of the world, touching or even poking with a stick, a weird object, can be very dangerous.

POZZEBON (voice-over): While landmines have been used in Colombia for decades, attacks have grown in recent years. The war on drugs and the violence stemming from it are at the core of this weeks presidential election.

Behind armored glass, firebrand candidate Abelardo de la Espriella promises a new offensive, including joint operations with the U.S. military. Colombia is the largest cocaine producer in the world, and production remains at record levels despite government efforts to replace coca with legitimate crops.

Farmer Maria Pena says the state must support people like her, who started growing cocoa beans instead of coca.

MARIA PENA, COCA FARMER (through translator): We saw criminal actors entering our territory, and we didn't want to go back to the same violence as before. I bet against coca for my children.

POZZEBON (voice-over): Outgoing President Gustavo Petro tried a new approach to the war on drugs. Dubbed "total peace", it meant engaging in negotiations with the insurgents rather than prosecution. Nine thousand hectares of coca have been cleared in the last year, he claims, but many believe this is too little, too late. "If this strategy is so successful, why have the U.S. criticized it?

Was it a diplomatic defeat that you couldn't present this new plan to go beyond the war on drugs?"

PRESIDENT GUSTAVO PETRO, COLOMBIA (through translator): The Trump administration decided to decertify Colombia because they saw cocoa crops explode. The beginning of my mandate and not my program and action.

POZZEBON (voice-over): This month, Trump endorsed de la Espriella, who has managed to turn this election into a vote on Petro's peace efforts. Colombians will decide whether to give him a strong mandate to resume the conflict or stick to peace negotiations with Petro's ally Ivan Cepeda.

Teacher Karen Martinez, who sees the scars of war every day in a town surrounded by minefields, says that neither option convinces her she has a dream of a Colombia free from conflict. But how to get there remains an open question.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

POZZEBON (on camera): And, Danny, after this long presidential campaign, we finally reached election day today. This Sunday, more than 40 Colombia -- 40 million Colombians will cast their vote. We are outside a polling station in the city of Barranquilla, which is the hometown of Abelardo de la Espriella, the Trump-backed candidate. This is a technical school, and we're seeing a constant stream of people going in, casting their votes and coming out.

A lot of them. I don't think we have them now, but a lot of people are showing up wearing the jersey of the Colombian national football team. It's not only because of the soccer World Cup, it's because Abelardo de la Espriella has called on his supporters to use the national soccer team's jersey as a symbol to identify themselves and to come out in numbers.

[14:40:02]

This, Danny, can really be a pivotal moment in the history of Colombia. It's been 10 years since this country had hoped to bury the problems of the past. With that historic peace agreement. Of course, those hopes and those wishes have come up dramatically short. And there is a new candidate who is poised to win this election who is now instead saying, let's go back to the past. Let's reopen the war and go after the criminal groups with all guns blazing.

So, we'll bring you all the latest here. We should hear who is the new president of Colombia in about four hours' time.

FREEMAN: Just a fascinating story. So glad that you were able to bring this consequential election to us, Stefano. And I'm glad that you're safe after being out there clearing mines. Thank you so much. I really do appreciate it.

And there's much more ahead in just a moment. Please stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:45:38]

FREEMAN: It is a busy day for FIFA World Cup fans, starting with Spain crushing Saudi Arabia. La Roja, as Spain is known, had been looking for redemption since that shocking draw against Cape Verde, who is now set to face Uruguay in Miami later this evening.

CNN's Rafael Romo is watching all the action from the Atlanta fan zone.

Rafael, high stakes on the pitch today. Tell us, how are the fans reacting?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Danny. Well, let me put it to you this way. What a difference six days can make for Spanish fans, especially after that very disappointing draw between their team and Cabo Verde in their first game of the world cup. After today's very convincing four-zero victory over Saudi Arabia, they tell us their faith in the team ranked number two by FIFA, has been restored, and this is a festival, a sporting event, a rock concert in a day at the park, all rolled into one. We are seeing massive crowds that showed up early this morning lining up around Centennial Olympic Park for up to an hour to get inside.

It's mostly a sea of red here at the 2026 FIFA fan fest, with fans from across the region and all over the world, including Spain, of course, showing up to support La Roja. Fans who know this sport, not a soccer, Danny, but football. And there are also many Saudi Arabia fans as well, wearing the Saudi's team green color, which, with so many Spanish speaking fans here, is by itself an act of courage and patriotism.

For local fans, this is a moment to remember and to experience welcoming international visitors, telling them bienvenidos and being a part of it all. This is what some of them told us earlier. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HALEY MEDVED KENDRICK, ATLANTA SOCCER FAN: Not having the world cup here since I was a child. I want to be part of the fun and action. So came out to get to enjoy some of the fan energy and international interaction and get to celebrate, hopefully with whoever wins today and just be part of it.

ASHLEY LEDOUS, ATLANTA SOCCER FAN: I love it. I'm born and raised here. You know, I haven't seen this much excitement really in the city in a very long time. So I'm loving it. It's awesome.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: Atlanta will host eight matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including the one just played between Spain and Saudi Arabia. Atlanta is one of 16 host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States, of course, and will host the semifinal game on Wednesday, July 15th. The FIFA fan fest here at centennial Olympic Park, Danny was scheduled to operate for 16 days over the course of the world cup, and fans tell us it's the second-best thing to being at the stadium itself -- Danny.

FREEMAN: I'm telling you, you got the best assignment. I mean, it looks like such a good time up there. And I will say I'm happy for Spain, but the other teams, I'm sure will be very, very scared that Spain seems to have its groove back.

Rafael Romo, thanks so much. Good to see you, my friend.

Still ahead, a horrific crash caught on camera. A Tesla slams into a home, leaving a 76-year-old woman dead. We're going to tell you why its raising questions about the car's automated driving system.

And CNN is speaking to voters in battleground Pennsylvania. We're going to tell you what they're saying about issues they'll be weighing in on in November, including Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One more person in the -- in the congress that is going to stand up to Trump. That's going to get my vote.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:53:48]

FREEMAN: For over a decade, millions of fans from around the Internet tuned in to see what the bald eagles of Big Bear were up to. Their lives in the nest are shared 24/7 with the world. Thanks to the work of the late conservation advocate Sandy Steers. But now her legacy and the beloved bald eagles are possibly under threat, and the nonprofit she co-founded is rallying to fight back.

Here now to discuss is "L.A. Times" reporter Lila Seidman. She reports on California's wildlife and outdoors.

Lila, thank you so much for being here to talk about this story that really caught our attention, because we know the camera, oh, so well here at CNN.

Your piece this week focused on how the friends of Big Bear valley is honoring its late leader with a $10 million mission. Let's start there. Tell us how they're doing this

LILA SEIDMAN, REPORTER, LOS ANGELES TIMES: Thanks so much for having me. So, this development has been an adversary of this nonprofit for about 25 years. They have been trying to fight this. In September, county officials approved this development. It would be 50 homes and a 55-slip marina. And it's less than a mile from their nest.

[14:55:01] And so, after this happened, the late advocate Sandy Steers helped negotiate an option for a land trust to buy the site of the development. However, you know, this is prime real estate. It's just two, 2-1/2 hours from Los Angeles. So they're asking for $10 million. And the option expires at the end of July.

So, the nonprofit has been racing to try to raise that, you know, pretty large amount of money for a small nonprofit by that time frame.

FREEMAN: I mean, just -- it's a remarkable story. What have the developers said, if anything, about this effort to raise this money and essentially acquire this land?

SEIDMAN: So, I did speak to a representative from RCK Properties, which owns the land. They said they have no comment on the claims made by the nonprofit. They confirmed to me that, yes, there is this option to buy the land, but it expires on July 31st. So, time is ticking.

And -- but previous stories that I read about this, the developers have mentioned, like this is prime real estate and they're saying this is one of -- if not the last undeveloped slice of shore around big bear lake, which is very popular. So, they have said in the past, look, we think a lot of people from L.A. and Orange County would love to have a vacation home here.

FREEMAN: Well, and just for our viewers, we're watching this camera right here on our screen. It's little eaglets, I believe, from one of these cameras. So, you see -- it's live, right? I mean, this is what we're talking about here.

I'm curious though. So, to that point, I don't doubt that people would love to have vacation homes or anything up there. And I'm sure that part of that does, you know, tourism is key to this area. But with this battle, listen, this ecosystem is fragile, I guess. Is there a world where both these nesting eagles and Big Bear's tourism can coexist? Is there a world where that can happen?

SEIDMAN: Well, I should mention that the nonprofit is saying this development should not go forward because this is where these eagles, Jackie and Shadow, the father and mother that have raised eaglets there, like the ones we were just watching for. This is their eighth year nesting together. And they're saying this is their hunting and their feeding grounds and so much of the lake is developed.

So they're saying, yeah, there is this bustling tourism economy. But we need to preserve this last slice of land, which is about 63 acres. The development was approved. However, the nonprofit told me, even if we don't raise 10 million by the end of July 31st, we are going to go to our backup options like financing or potentially partnering with another organization to buy it. They told me failure is not an option. So, to them, this site cannot be developed on in their eyes.

FREEMAN: Yes, certainly a tremendous amount of determination here.

Last thing, Lila, I'm curious your perspective here. America, of course, turning 250 in a few weeks, yet our national bird is still up against human threats to wildlife. I'm curious, what -- what Sandy Steers and other activists you've covered might want to see in the years ahead for this just incredibly captivating species, this eagle here?

SEIDMAN: Yeah, that's a good point. You know, this is this iconic species, and the bald eagle has actually made an extraordinary comeback. It was on the verge of extinction in the Lower 48 by the early 1960s. But protections and banning of DDT helped it come back.

However, you're right, there are still threats. There's still threats of being electrocuted on power lines, and they frequently consume rat poison when they eat prey like rats. So, advocates say there still needs. There's still work to be done. For example, they want to see rat poison go away or be, you know, very controlled because it's a big threat to raptors like bald eagles.

FREEMAN: Sure. Well, again, just a fascinating story and some -- one that we will certainly keep our eye on.

Lila Seidman, thank you so much for joining us on this Sunday to break it all down. Appreciate it.

SEIDMAN: Thanks so much for having me.

FREEMAN: To this now, tonight on a brand-new episode of the CNN original series, "THIS LAND", an audacious plan to carve a canal to Lake Erie puts New York state on the map as a global trading superpower.

Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

G. TODD ASTOR, JOHN JACOB ASTOR'S GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GRANDSON: My name is G. Todd Astor. I'm John Jacob Astor's great-great-great-great- grandson.

John Jacob Astor, the first, must have been a go getter because he got a lot.

John Jacob Astor, the first, came over as a 20-year-old from Germany, son of a butcher, and that gave him the ability to go and do the fur trading because animals being skinned and sold, probably didn't smell that great.