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Quake Toll Rises To Around 235 Dead And 4,300 Injured; Hundreds Die As Europe Endures More Record-Breaking Heat; Model Sues Retailer Over Alleged AI-Generated Images. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired June 26, 2026 - 04:30   ET

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

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[04:31:48]

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN Newsroom. I'm Salma Abdelaziz in London.

Rescuers are right now racing to find survivors in Venezuela after two powerful earthquakes rock the country on Wednesday. At least 230 people have died and more than 4,300 were injured and many more remain missing in the largest earthquake to hit the country in more than a century. Now, officials fear the death toll will be much higher as crews continue to dig through the rubble.

Many survivors are left on the street with nowhere to go, creating an urgent need for humanitarian aid and shelter. The U.S. has temporarily lifted some of its sanctions on Venezuela to allow for that humanitarian aid. Countries around the world are pledging support resources.

The U.S. marine Corps general has arrived in Caracas to help lead the U.S. military's response. And Venezuelans are reeling from the physical destruction of their country and the lack of government coordination in the aftermath. CNN's Osmary Hernandez is in Caracas with the latest for us.

OSMARY HERNANDEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are walking in Los Palos Grandes. This is a neighborhood located in the east of Caracas and one of the most affected after the power earthquake that broke Venezuela. Let's see how is the situation where the rescue are working in the area. They are trying to remove the device and try to rescue some people because around there are some relatives waiting for news about them.

They say that they have no communication with them for so many hours. At this moment they are trying to rescue four young men in this building. And at the same time the feeling in the area is with pain, with sadness, also with fear. Still with fear.

Some people spend the night in squares, also in public spaces because they don't know if the cracks like this one that we can see in this building can affect the structure and can make that building collapse like other four buildings in this same area. But also in the middle of this chaotic situation, we can feel the solidarity of the people, people who come here to bring with them medicines, food, water, some masks. Because in this area we have to wear a mask like this one because there are so, so much power around and sometimes difficult to breathe, it's difficult to see and people. There are some volunteers here working to help people and to help also the rescue.

To support the rescue with food, with water and waiting for the international aid.

ABDELAZIZ: Now to the heat wave in Europe where many parts are yet again facing record breaking heat. Temperatures have surpassed 104 degrees Fahrenheit in towns and cities across France. Five heat related deaths have been reported in Italy and at least 212 deaths have been linked to the heat in Spain over the past four days. A rare red extreme heat warning has been extended into Friday for parts of southern England and in the Netherlands the first ever red alert was issued for heat for Friday.

[04:35:29]

The forecast does call for a bit of ease towards the weekend in the UK and France with the most significant relief coming on Sunday. I want to welcome now CNN Saskya Vandoome. She is live with us from Paris with the latest.

Good morning to you Saskya. I hope you were able to sleep through the night a little bit, but it is that nighttime that is so difficult for many of us because you know, our homes are not air conditioned. How are people getting through it in France? How are they getting through the nighttime?

SASKYA VANDOOME, CNN PARIS BUREAU CHIEF: Salma, very badly. I mean it has been a week now and people are fed up because they cannot sleep at night. As you said, households here just do not have AC. So people have been heading to public parks to go and try and sleep there to find some kind of respite.

And Salma, it's worth noting that still today more than half the country is in the red alert zone that is the highest alert for heat waves, meaning that there is still a danger to life. Emmanuel Macron, the French president yesterday was saying that this is a public health emergency, especially for the elderly and for young children. Hospitals here as well are under increasing strain. And so, the Paris police chief, to try and ease that pressure, has banned Parisians from drinking alcohol outdoors starting at 12:00 p.m., today, starting at noon.

I think it's worth noting that France is playing in the World Cup this evening. So, I'm sure that played a part in his decision making. Salma?

ABDELAZIZ: Some really extreme decisions there that families are making to go sleep in the parks. What decisions are authorities making? What steps are they taking to keep people safe?

VANDOOME: Well Salma, I'm here in front of the Canal Saint-Martin and officials here have opened some parts of the canal to help Parisians cool off and officials are urging people not to go swimming in unauthorized swimming spots. And that comes as French media today are reporting that over 50 people have drowned since last Thursday in France. So that really is a huge figure.

What other measures are they taking? Well over 10,000 schools have either been closed or they've shortened the school day because as we said, these buildings just do not have AC. Three nuclear power plants have been shut down to try and protect river ecosystems to try and keep those river temperatures cool.

But as you said Salma, there is some respite in sight. France Meteor, the French forecaster says that on Sunday temperatures should ease. Salma.

ABDELAZIZ: Honestly, after all this heat the last few days, I'm ready to jump in that river as well. Thank you so much. Saskya Vandoome there in Paris.

Artificial intelligence role in the fashion industry is getting pushback. Coming up, how models are trying to reclaim their image from a growing tech trend.

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[04:41:39]

ABDELAZIZ: The financial markets are reacting to a mixed day on Wall Street. Let's take a look at where the Asian markets, which are closed today stand. You have the Hang Seng down just less than 2 percent to the Kospi, down just under 6 percent, but down all across the board.

The European markets are down as well. You have the DAX there, which is showing the lowest drop at 0.87 percent. And this is where the U.S. futures stand just hours ahead of the opening bell.

You have the Dow futures up just very slightly at 0.11 percent, but down across the S and P 500 futures and the NASDAQ futures as well.

A model is suing a clothing retailer over images of her allegedly generated by artificial intelligence. Francheska Pujols filed her lawsuit against Rainbow USA for what she says is a misappropriation of her image. CNN's Antoinette Radford has this report for us.

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ANTOINETTE RADFORD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): This is the photo model Francheska Pujols says she posed for. And this is what appeared in advertisements. A picture Francheska says she never posed for showing her sitting on a bar stool with her legs spread apart. And another photo showing her drinking coffee with her leg raised.

FRANCHESKA PUJOLS, MODEL AND ACTOR: It makes me feel devastated. Definitely devastated. Super disrespected. Especially that I never agreed to it. The one with the white background was the one I shot in the studio. The next one that's in the sitting at the bar. I never shot that picture.

RADFORD (voiceover): Pujols filed a lawsuit against the retail company Rainbow USA in New York in May before trying to settle outside of court. But after failing to reach an outcome, both parties were happy with, the 30-year-old model refiled allegations of defamation, misappropriation, violation of her right to privacy and false endorsement and false association against the clothing company in June.

PUJOLS: I hold my image to the highest standard, so in a million years, no amount of money I would portray myself with my legs open.

RADFORD (voiceover): While her contract allowed for some changes to her image, including blurring, distortion, alteration, optical illusion or use in composite form and without restriction as to changes or transformations, she alleges the retailer used new AI generated depictions of her relying on her likeness that exceeded the scope of the contract. CNN reached out to Rainbow USA who denied the allegations and say they intend to defend the action through the appropriate legal processes. They say their actions were fully consistent with the rights granted under their legal agreement with Pujols and reject her allegation that the images were sexualized or that she was portrayed inappropriately.

Companies are increasingly turning to AI as a means of selling their products, with leading fashion retail brand H and M telling CNN year it would create digital clones of 30 models and the models would own the rights and be paid for their likeness. But like everything with AI, the tech appears to be evolving faster than the guardrails to protect those affected by it.

SARA ZIFF, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MODEL ALLIANCE: Increasingly over the last few years we were hearing about models concerns about their images being used or manipulated with AI without their knowledge or consent.

[04:45:08]

RADFORD (voiceover): In June 2025, the Fashion Workers Act, a piece of legislation designed specifically to address digital replica use and put the power back in the hands of models, went into effect in New York State.

ZIFF: I think, you know, the line between innovation and exploitation is thin, but it can exist. Historically, the modeling industry has been a backwater for workers' rights, and it's really only in the last few years that we've been able to put some labor protections in place. But this technology is changing things rapidly, and I think it's more important now than ever that workers have a voice and have a say in how this technology is being used.

RADFORD (voiceover): While Francheska alleges her identity was misused, other companies are utilizing AI avatars as an alternative way to modify an individual's likeness or even create someone who doesn't exist. Generating avatars like this.

This is Fit Aitana, an influencer account with nearly 390,000 followers run by the Clueless, which calls itself a new media tech agency.

DIANA NUNEZ, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, THE CLUELESS: People see AI influencers as, like, the competition, as if they were always in competition with, like, flesh and bone influencers. But that's not it. I think that, well, here in the Clueless, we always think, and we say that AI influencers are the natural evolution of the real, like, flesh and bone influencers. An AI influencer can help you create more campaigns without you sacrificing your life for it or without you doing that much effort.

RADFORD (voiceover): The Clueless say they hope their agency might protect models from having their likeness misappropriated.

RADFORD: How can your -- what you're doing sort of help avoid that outcome for people who are, you know, real flesh and bones, as you say, models.

NUNEZ: What we do, for example, with cloning is that we always. We take, like, the legal part really seriously. We cannot control what every -- what other companies or other creators do with clones.

And what we're trying to do is create like a -- maybe, I don't want to say blueprint, but like a process that they can copy in, like, how to take care of those type of -- contracts or of clients. Hopefully, in the future, we can create, like, I don't know, maybe like a legal stamp that we know that all of the clones, if they are real, they have to have that, like, stamp or something like that so that we can prevent deepfakes.

But right now, deepfakes are something that, like, the only thing that we can do is try, like, be ethical and protect our clients from that.

RADFORD (voiceover): Something Francheska, Diana, and Sara have in common is their belief that it's not tech that's the problem when it's not.

PUJOLS: When it's not weaponized against models, actors, creators, I think is a great -- it's a great tool if both parties agree and approve to it.

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ABDELAZIZ: Sources tell CNN that lawyers for Luigi Mangione discussed the possibility of plea deal in his federal case. Mangione is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO in December of 2024. He is facing prosecutions both on the state and federal levels. Now, it's not uncommon for these types of talks to occur.

However, the source said the discussions with his attorneys did not result in any agreement. We'll be right back after the break.

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ABDELAZIZ: Yet another chapter in the saga of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting pool in Washington, D.C. It will now be drained, inspected and repaired after July 4th celebrations.

The National Park Service said in a court filing on Wednesday that the work will start after the Independence Day holiday. The filing echoed the president's vandalism claims, stating dozens of fences of fence posts rather were thrown into the pool and the bottom was cut with a sharp object. The NPS also asked for help identifying the woman from this security footage. They say they're investigating her for destruction of government property.

The Great American State Fair is now underway in Washington, D.C. the celebration kicked off on Thursday to honor the 250th anniversary of the United States on July 4th. It features booths highlighting each state and territory, but not every state chose to participate. CNN's Julia Benbrook has more for us.

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm here on the National Mall. This is where the Great American State Fair event is taking place. And it is quite a sight. If you're out, 210-foot Ferris wheel is somewhere in between the Washington Monument and the Capitol building.

And then near that, you're really going to see the influence that President Donald Trump has had over the Freedom 250 events. Specifically. This is a mock-up of the triumphal arch that he wants to build here in the nation's capital. This one is much smaller than the one that he wants to see. But that brings me to another point, that this event has had some controversy.

Some big-name musical acts did pull out of the event saying that they believed that they had been misled about the partisan nature of it. But as you walk down here, you'll see that every state and territory is represented in some way. There are these 25 by 30-foot pavilions. Then it's up to each state how to decorate what they want to highlight what they want to put into it so that visitors take that away from their state.

A handful of those states did not participate, most of them citing costs. But at least one state, Oregon, said that the political aspects of it discouraged them from wanting to take part.

Now, Freedom 250 did make sure that every state is represented in some way. So, they do all have pavilions even if the state isn't participating.

Then back there, you can see there are rodeo events, there is fair food, there are military jet flyovers. This goes on for 16 days total. It ends on July 10th. Julia Benbrook, CNN, Washington.

[04:55:04]

ABDELAZIZ: If your Fourth of July holiday plans include flying, get ready for a lot of company at the airport. The U.S. transportation Secretary administration says it's ready to process the nearly 19 million flyers expected to move through security checkpoints between June 30th and July 6. Officials expect Thursday, July 2, will be the busiest day. The agency says significant technology upgrades put in place for visitors going to the World Cup will faster screenings at key airport.

In Brazil, scientists are hoping that three sisters who are all centenarians can help them find the key to a long and healthy life. The de Deus sisters are 103, 104 and 109 years old. Guinness named them the world's oldest living trio of siblings. They attribute their long lives to a healthy diet and an active lifestyle. Researchers at the University of Sao Paulo are working with the sisters, looking for genetic factors that protect against aging.

Over in Seattle, the World Cup spirit isn't confined to just humans. At the Seattle Aquarium, the beloved sea otters are also getting in on the action. They've received World Cup themed ice treats in celebration of Seattle's role as one of the tournament's host cities.

These icy enrichment treats are created especially by the aquarium staff and are an important part of the sea otter's career.

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KATIE KAICIK, SEATTLE AQUARIUM SENIOR ANIMAL CARE SPECIALIST: We try to do enrichment for them every day, not this extravagantly, but they love ice. They love chewing on ice and they love ice treats and like breaking fish out of ice. So we give them a variety of toys and different enrichment every day. It's very important for them because it helps stimulate them and change up their environment.

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ABDELAZIZ: Thank you so much for watching us. I'm Salma Abdelaziz. CNN Headline Express is coming up after a quick break.

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