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U.S.-Israel War with Iran; U.S. Senate Panel to Vote on Blanche Nomination; Hundreds Evacuated in Greece, Athens Region at High Risk; Saudi Aramco Reports 44 Percent Increase in Q2 Net Profit; E.U. Ministers United in Readiness to Protect Spain's Border during Migrant Crisis; U.S. Immigration Crackdown; Regulating AI; Ariana Grande Tells Fans She Is Stepping Back. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired August 04, 2026 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Welcome to the second hour of the show. This is CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson in London, where the
time is just after 3:00 in the afternoon.
While the U.S. and Iran inches closer to diplomacy for President Trump says Tehran is, quote, "one last chance" to make a deal. Iran, though, insists
there are no negotiations.
A man is being charged with arson in connection with one of the wildfires which includes Washington state in the United States.
And for the Democrats, the witnessing another Mamdani moment. Today voters head to the polls in a key Senate primary, where Abdul El-Sayed, dubbed the
Mamdani of the Midwest, is putting a bold, progressive message to the test in Michigan.
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ANDERSON: We start with more tough talk from the U.S. president warning Iran, it is one last chance to make a peace deal or face, in his words,
"decapitation."
Donald Trump also says there is no deadline looming. He explained his reasoning at the White House on Monday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: If I am given a chance to let a lot of people live, I want to give that chance. So I'm under no time constraint.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: While the region waits for what happens next, there's a report of another vessel struck today in the Strait of Hormuz and Iran is
threatening to attack American warships if the U.S. Naval blockade reimposed last month continues.
Alayna Treene joined me last hour with more on President Trump's tough talk and what the actual state of negotiations may be right now.
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ALAYNA TREENE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: part of the reason you heard the president use that language yesterday, saying that Iran is incredibly
duplicitous, is I was told by one White House official that he was fuming yesterday when he was seeing all of the reports from the Iranians,
essentially arguing that no.
They had no plans to move forward with talks and negotiations on this and that, you know, Iran was saying that they were solely having these
negotiations with the Omanis. You know, White House officials argue that's just not the case.
What they told me, and of course, as we've seen throughout this entire war, Becky, a lot of this is you know, you get one version of events from the
U.S. side, another version of events from the Iranians.
But they argue that there was a huge uptick in reach out from the Iranians and from different officials, people like the Foreign Minister Abbas
Araghchi, to U.S. officials directly throughout the weekend, trying to solve, particularly this issue on the Strait of Hormuz.
I do want to note that the latest we've heard on a potential deal is coming from the Qataris today. A spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry
arguing that there are drafts of a potential agreement that are being circulated and that all parties are in discussions here.
But from the president's view, he's willing to see how this goes. I think, from the conversations I've been having, he's very much in a wait and see
kind of place and posture right now.
He does, of course, his ultimate goal, which has been the same goal really from the beginning, is he wants there to be some sort of long term,
permanent deal to both reopen the strait, have free flow of traffic through that key waterway, and also a deal on nuclear.
The issue has been, of course, can they actually get there?
Particularly after the strikes, we've seen exchange between both countries in recent weeks, really continuing to chip away at the lack of trust
between these two countries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, Alayna Treene reporting there.
I want to hear those comments now from the Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson on what he says is the positive state of negotiations. Have a
listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJED AL-ANSARI, SPOKESPERSON, QATARI FOREIGN MINISTRY: We can confirm that the efforts are still ongoing with all the parties. We are looking
toward diplomatic resolution as we are speaking right now.
As you know, there are current efforts on the ground that are in very progressive stages and we are working with all the parties to see this
effort. So I can confirm that the efforts are ongoing as we speak
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I want to bring in CNN producer, Leila Gharagozlou, who's covered the Gulf region extensively.
Leila, we just heard there from the Qataris. It does certainly seem like somewhat of a positive sign that negotiations are going on behind the
scenes.
What are we hearing from the Iranians?
LEILA GHARAGOZLOU, CNN PRODUCER: Yes. So the Iranians haven't been nearly as positive as the Qataris or even the Americans. We did hear from
Secretary Scott Bessent, who also told CNBC that he's expecting some deal Tuesday or Wednesday.
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And said that it could help move things along in terms of what is going on in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranians, for their part, have said that
they've mostly only been speaking to the Omanis.
A Iranian negotiator also very specifically said that this would be a temporary deal lasting just about one to three months. And I think that's
really key here, given how many issues and how much discrepancy we saw around the MOU in particular.
So the language is really going to matter as to how long this potential deal could even last for when it comes to opening the strait, Becky.
ANDERSON: It's interesting to hear Donald Trump describe the Iranians as unbelievably duplicitous when it comes to Tehran admitting or not, that
negotiations are going on. Of course, the U.S. says negotiations are going on. Tehran not willing to support that contention.
How will that comment land in Tehran?
GHARAGOZLOU: Well, you know, the Iranians are going to turn around and say, well, the U.S. also has been duplicitous and hasn't really lived up to
its agreements. And this has always been a key issue.
It was a key issue from the start of this war and even before. The Iranians have said time and time again that they don't trust the Trump
administration, specifically. The Trump administration is the administration that pulled out of the JCPOA.
The Iranians kind of view this as the original sin, if you will. And ever since then, the Iranians say, every time they've come to the table, the
Trump administration has ended up starting some sort of war or conflict.
So they would throw it back to the Trump administration, say, well, you also have been duplicitous when it's come to any sort of negotiations.
ANDERSON: Leila, good to have you. Thank you.
You are bang up to date, folks. Coming up, voters heading to the polls in five U.S. states with all eyes on a high-stakes Democratic Senate primary
in Michigan. Why the results there could offer a glimpse into the future of the Democratic Party. More on that is coming up.
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ANDERSON: Happening on Capitol Hill this hour, the Senate Judiciary Committee meeting ahead of a vote on Trump's pick for U.S. attorney
general, Todd Blanche. The vote's been on hold for a week over opposition from two Republican senators.
Now those holdouts say they are on board after Blanche on Sunday released a memo saying that he is formally rescinding President Trump's controversial
anti-weaponization fund.
Well, before Blanche's agreement with Republican senators Cornyn and Tillis, my next guest wrote an op-ed for "The New York Times" entitled,
"There Are So Many Reasons to Reject Todd Blanche. Here's Another One."
And I'll go ahead and spoil that other reason. He argues that Todd Blanche is, quote, "embarrassingly bad at lawyering.
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"The quality of the department's work has sharply deteriorated under his", quote, "'temporary' leadership."
And Ankush Khardori joins us now. He's a former federal prosecutor himself who worked at the U.S. State Department from 2016 to 2020.
Firstly, can you just expand on your argument there, particularly for our international viewers, who may not be following the inner workings of the
DOJ as closely as you are, sir?
ANKUSH KHARDORI, LEGAL ANALYST: Yes. Well, I think in addition to all of the other criticisms that have been made about the Justice Department,
about abuses of authority and, you know, pursuing improper objectives and Trump's adversaries and the like, there is this other very large problem,
which is an issue of competence.
And I think we've actually seen it on display just in recent days. On Friday, the Justice Department here in Washington, D.C., the U.S.
attorney's office had to dismiss this quit case, claiming that David Hearn was responsible for damaging the Reflecting Pool.
It turned out that the government had it all wrong. They had to dismiss the case and now they're pointing fingers at each other about how this
inappropriately filed criminal case got off the ground.
And then, of course, you have all the back-and-forth over Todd Blanche here, you know, before the Judiciary Committee this morning and about
whether or not his effort to facilitate Trump's anti weaponization fund was appropriate and how to wind it down.
And you've seen days and days and days of Blanche going back and forth with the senators. They produced a document yesterday that doesn't say what they
claim it says. It doesn't resolve the issue as they've claimed it does.
And that, frankly, raises just as many questions as it answers. So this is my argument essentially. And I don't think the taxpayers should be footing
the bill for this very bad lawyering across the board, even if you thought that the objectives they were pursuing were appropriate.
ANDERSON: I want your thoughts on the turnaround for today, then, from senators Cornyn and Tillis. Your thoughts on their shift in tone.
And do you think the agreement that they have struck -- and let's talk about what we believe that is -- with Blanche is sufficient?
KHARDORI: I do not believe it is sufficient. Now I will say I don't think Thom Tillis here has been actually a very relevant player here. He has not
put up much of a fight. I think he has enjoyed the attention more than adding anything useful to this whole debate.
John Cornyn has been very different, I would say. He has been pressing on this in a substantive way. But I think the thing that he was asking for and
that he received is really not as much as he has claimed it is.
You know, Todd Blanche has already testified to the Judiciary Committee that he thinks he's obligated to take Trump's instructions. And that could
include reversing himself on the very same document that he produced a couple of days ago on the fund.
You know, Blanche has said over and over again that he thinks it's Trump's right to be able to direct the Justice Department. And there are other
mechanisms that the Justice Department can use to pursue payouts to these exact same people, who, you know, were -- participated in the siege of the
Capitol on January 6th.
So it is simply not sufficient to resolve the stated concerns. But again, I put Cornyn in a slightly different category than Tillis.
ANDERSON: Fascinating. All right. Let's put this into a wider context. We have seen headline after headline of administration officials, Trump's
family, Trump himself financially benefiting from his office.
Particularly jarring for many this week was Trump media launching a service that sells Wall Street firms early access to market moving Truth Social
posts. I mean, his critics say that this all amounts to corruption.
Do you do you buy that argument?
And if so, do you believe the Justice Department has enabled it or has been part of it, the process of enabling this?
KHARDORI: Oh, I don't think there's any question that the Justice Department has enabled Trump's misconduct. Now let's set aside whether or
not that feed is a criminal violation. I don't think there's evidence or facts to support that.
But there's no question in my mind that in his abuse of Trump's position as the president, he is profiting off the presidency, taking information that
we have entrusted to him as voters and using it to line his own pockets.
I honestly cannot think of anything more corrupt off the top of my head as we sit here right now. It's a direct violation of the public trust. And no
doubt the Justice Department and Todd Blanche have facilitated this.
Just consider, I'll just toss this one last thing out, that Trump made about $1 billion plus in his crypto investments over the course of the
last year. Crypto is inherently fraught, risky, scammy product.
Last year, Todd Blanche signed a memo disbanding a criminal enforcement team that was dedicated to pursuing crypto fraud, thereby elevating and
boosting the very market that Trump has profited from.
So there's no question that there's been a correlation between the Justice Department's conduct and decisions under Todd Blanche and Trump's ability
to profit.
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ANDERSON: It's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed for joining us.
Well, happening now, voters casting ballots in a critical Democratic Senate primary showdown in Michigan.
Now that contest between congresswoman Haley Stevens and former public health official Abdul El-Sayed is emerging as one of the party's most
important races of the year, pitting the Democratic establishment on the Left against its progressive wing as the party looks to regain control of
Congress.
The Michigan primary, one of several closely watched races taking place across five states today, Arlette Saenz following this story for us from
Detroit.
I've got to ask you about Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, who has gone viral. Our international viewers may very much recognizing his name as a result of
that virality on social media.
Is he a Mamdani in the making?
And what are you hearing from voters as they head to the polls today?
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Abdul el-Sayed certainly is embracing the progressive mantle within the Democratic Party. He will say
that he himself is not a Democratic Socialist like we have seen in Mamdani and other Democratic candidates across the country this year.
But he is tapping into a frustration within the Democratic Party, especially with that more insurgent and progressive wing. This Senate
primary here in Michigan really encapsulates a lot of the debates taking place about the Democratic Party on the national level.
You have the progressive versus moderate divide, congresswoman Haley Stevens, El-Sayed's opponent, is the more moderate candidate in this race.
There is also debates about what it means to be electable and what kind of Democrat can win, especially in a battleground state like Michigan.
And then there is the issue of Israel and Gaza, which has really loomed over this race. The state of Michigan also thinking back to the 2024
election. One thing that the moderate candidate, Haley Stevens, has received a lot of criticism for is the outside spending that has been
pouring into the state on her behalf in this race.
In total, there has been more than $60 million spent on Stevens' behalf here, with about half of that coming from AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobby. That
is something that El-Sayed and his supporters have really spoken out against throughout this campaign.
In fact, speaking to voters here at this polling location in Detroit, many of them have said that the fact that AIPAC has been spending so much money
on Stevens in this race has been a real turnoff for them.
But really, this contest is about to offer some insight into the direction that Democratic voters would like to see their party take. We have seen a
lot of success from progressive candidates in areas like New York City and Denver, which are more heavily blue.
Now the real test is here in this very purple battleground state of Michigan. Michigan is a state that has flipped between Democrats and
Republicans in recent presidential cycles. So there's big questions about how a progressive movement might work in a general election campaign if El-
Sayed were to be successful.
But this race here in Michigan could very well help determine control of the U.S. Senate next year.
Democrats have to hold on to this seat plus flip four Republican-held seats, really highlighting the highest stakes placed on this Michigan
primary as the progressive and moderate candidates battle out for -- it out for not just the nomination but the direction the party should be
taking going forward.
ANDERSON: Yes, this is really developing into a fascinating story and one we will keep a keen eye on. Thank you for that.
Well, extreme heat still tightening its grip on Europe. Hundreds have been evacuated in Greece as the region of Athens remains at high risk.
Wildfires west of the Greek capital jumped what are known as containment lines after two firefighting helicopters crashed trying to contain the
blaze on Sunday. I spoke earlier to journalist Elinda Labropoulou about what is going on as far as efforts to stop this is concerned.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELINDA LABROPOULOU, JOURNALIST: Residents have been talking about firefighters coming door to door and asking them to leave within just five
minutes. This is because the fire was approaching their homes so quickly.
Luckily, the evacuations so far have gone smoothly and firefighters are now telling us that they are very close to being able to at least partially
contain these fires. The big mega fire that's burning close to Athens, which has caused all this immense devastation, is now under control.
And the partial control in it is a fragile situation is the way that they are describing. And this means that the residents are now going back.
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Looking at their properties, trying to assess what's happening, joining the many -- this summer that have found themselves in similar situations.
ANDERSON: And despite improved detection methods and, of course, more cooperation with the EU, Greece does continue to suffer these devastating
wildfires, Elinda, every year. I mean, what's the conversation locally about what more needs to be done to avert disaster of this scale?
LABROPOULOU: Well, first of all, Greece has changed its penal code. It has criminalized arson. It has given very severe penalties that go up to life
sentences in the case of deliberate arson that causes death, that causes a loss of life. So this is one of the many things that have been happening.
Greece has also been buying a number of aircraft. What has happened in this particular case, however, is that the conditions were so extreme that none
of this fire craft has been able to take part in these operations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, that's Elinda Labropoulou on the ground in Greece for you.
Well, ahead on CONNECT THE WORLD, staggering profits from the world's biggest oil company. And it's not alone. Coming up, expert insight on the
oil companies making a boatload of cash in the wake of the war with Iran.
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ANDERSON (voice-over): Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. These are your headlines this hour.
U.S. president Donald Trump says Iran has a, quote, "last chance" to sign a peace deal. But he's not placing a time limit on negotiations he says. On
Monday, Iranian officials disputed his account that talks between the countries had resumed. Qatar's foreign ministry says peace efforts are in
very progressive stages.
Well, Russia and Ukraine blaming each other after debris from a Ukrainian drone came down on a crowded beach in southern Russia, killing at least
seven people. Russian officials say at least four of those killed in Monday's incident were children.
Lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee have been meeting for an hour ahead of a vote on President Trump's pick for attorney general and, of
course, Todd Blanche.
The vote's been on hold for a week over concerns raised by two key Republicans, both of whom have now signaled they are on board after Blanche
rescinded President Trump's controversial anti-weaponization fund.
The world's top oil exporter is unveiling soaring profits, 44 percent up.
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That's how much Saudi Aramco says its profits jumped in the second quarter. The war with Iran has pushed oil prices higher and Saudi Aramco's chief
says more than 2.5 billion barrels of crude have been lost at the same time from global supplies because of the conflict.
Well, today, oil prices are actually lower, helped by some optimism that a U.S.-Iran peace deal could be getting closer. Qatar, as we've reported,
says efforts to resolve the conflict, quote, "are in very progressive stages."
I want to bring in Noureldeen AlHammoury, who's chief market strategist at Equiti Group. He joins us now from Abu Dhabi.
Good to have you on board. Thank you. Bumper profits, then, from the world's biggest oil company.
NOURELDEEN ALHAMMOURY, CHIEF MARKET STRATEGIST, EQUITI GROUP: Thank you for having me.
ANDERSON: Its CEO also warning, quote, "The global refining system is operating near maximum utilization, leaving little buffer against major
disruptions."
What do you make, one, of their profits and, two, of the warning?
ALHAMMOURY: I mean Aramco results are undoubtedly strong. The second quarter, as you mentioned, the net profit of rose of 44 percent year over
year toward about 32.7 billion supported by higher prices, this time, for crude and refined products and chemicals.
But the headline also profit number tells us that maybe only half of the story. Aramco total hydrocarbon production averaged roughly about 9.5
million barrels of oil equivalent per day during the quarter, compared to 12.8 million a year earlier.
In other words, the company produced significantly less but earned also substantially more because of the value of every barrel increased so
sharply. So this -- or this demonstrates the extraordinary pricing power created by the supply shock.
It also shows that, in the commodity markets, prices can temporarily matter more to earnings than actually than volume, at least on the short term
right now. The important also qualification is the cash flow.
Adjusted net income was about 33.4 billion but free cash flow was only about 12.3 billion after 13.6 billion, I think, last -- the last quarter.
So the accounting profit is extremely strong. But not all of that windfall immediately became distributed cash.
ANDERSON: That's fascinating. It's not only Saudi, of course, with bumper profits. Donald Trump chastising oil majors Chevron and Exxon for making --
and as I quote him here, for making "too much money." Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: They're making too much money, OK. Based on a shortage, they're making too much money. I
don't like it and I should be the last one to say because I'm a big free enterprise guy. Nobody bigger.
And you know, you're going to see oil, when we're finished with Iran, you're going to see the prices drop through the floor. But they made too
much money, too much money. Chevron, too much money. ExxonMobil, too much, too much money.
When you look at one company, where they made 12 times what they made the year before, they ought to give some of that back to the public.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, this is clearly about gas prices, by which I mean the price of gas at the U.S. pump increasingly important, of course, as we
approach the November midterm elections.
But how worrying do you think are reports that the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve is already at its lowest level since the early 1980s?
ALHAMMOURY: I mean, it's genuinely worrying. But at the same time, it could be a good news at the same time. It means -- or it could mean
basically that diplomacy should be at the top level going forward.
President Trump is pointing to a genuine political problem here. Households are paying more for fuel, while energy companies report, as he said,
exceptionally high profits. But high profits alone are not evidence for, let's say, manipulation.
Exxon or Chevron and Aramco do not just basically individually determine the global oil prices. The windfall was primarily created by lost supply,
restricted also shipping, depleted inventories and the geopolitical risk created by the administration, unfortunately.
But this is also contradicting in asking oil companies to invest more, increase production and strengthen also energy security while criticizing
them whenever high prices generate the returns required to finance the -- to finance the investment.
So I guess if there is an evidence of collusion or refining manipulation or prices manipulation, that should be investigated. But if the profits
reflect the global market prices, then they are consequences of the shortage rather than its original cause.
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ANDERSON: Yes, very good point. Before I let you go, Scott Bessent, the Treasury Secretary, said this morning on CNBC that he thinks there could be
a deal on the Strait of Hormuz today or Wednesday.
I mean, that's really significant and will help to keep oil prices lower today. And we've seen those prices drop back, of course. President Trump
has also said he wants to see a deal and he's not putting a timeframe on it.
And he's sort of, you know, sending a warning to the Iranians saying, and look, I'm not concerned by the midterms at this point, perhaps suggesting
to them, don't think I'm being squeezed because I'm worried about what's going to happen to gas prices ahead of the elections.
What do you make of all of that?
ALHAMMOURY: I mean, the credible agreement that restores safe shipping through Hormuz would remove a substantial part of the geopolitical premium.
So oil prices basically could decline quickly. But again, another thing, this is not the first time we've seen an agreement.
I mean, who pulled from the nuclear agreement and at the same time, even after the MOU?
But a peace announcement (ph) would not instantly reverse the physical damage. That's something that everybody needs to be aware of. Inventories
are depleted. Refining systems are also stretched. Tanker availability and insurance conditions must normalize first.
And buyers even need the confidence that any reopening is or need to be durable, at least not just only in Strait of Hormuz, also the Red Sea now.
So I guess it's not just about announcing that there will be a deal.
But what comes after?
Is there an actual safe passage for -- in the Strait of Hormuz?
Is there an actual safe passage through the Bab-el-Mandeb?
That is what's basically going to dictate every single -- every single -- every single thing going forward, not just if the conflict ends today --
doesn't mean that oil prices are going to go down through the roof as the president described it.
ANDERSON: Good to have you. Always a pleasure. Thank you very much indeed.
We're in London and Noureldeen is in Abu Dhabi, where we normally broadcast this show from, of course.
Well, it's being called one of the biggest deals in gaming history. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund set to close a deal today to buy game
developer Electronic Arts, better known as EA. That deal, valued at $55 billion.
And it's seen as a major push by Saudi Arabia in its efforts to become a global game for -- global hub, sorry, for esports and games.
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ANDERSON (voice-over): Let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories that are on our radar right now.
A Salvadoran man who was held at a controversial ICE detention facility in New Jersey has died. An ICE statement says 41-year-old Edwin Lopez-Cornejo
experienced a medical emergency at the Delaney Hall facility. It was the focus of protests earlier this year over accusations of inhumane conditions
for detainees inside.
The fires raging in the Pacific Northwest in the U.S., three fires have scorched more than 40 square kilometers of Spokane County in Washington
state since Saturday. On Monday, a man was arrested on an arson charge in connection with one of those fires. Tens of thousands of people have been
forced to leave their homes behind.
We're going to take a very quick break. Back after this.
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ANDERSON: European ministers say they stand united and ready to help Spain protect its borders after an influx of migrants. The interior ministers in
the European Union have been holding an emergency meeting to discuss the situation in Spain's North African territory of Ceuta.
Now far right anti-immigrant politicians have been stoking fears of a, quote, "invasion" after some 60,000 people made a chaotic and dangerous
crossing from Morocco. CNN Portugal's Helena Lins with this update.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HELENA LINS, CNN PORTUGAL REPORTER: It's been four days since thousands of migrants entered Ceuta coming from this border with Morocco. The majority
has gone back but according to the local government, about 3,000 to 5,000 are still here and around or actually, more than 800 are minors.
And these are the numbers that the local government has given today but they might go up, especially the numbers of minors, because these are the
ones that have been identified and taken to shelters for minors. But it is very likely that some of them are still on the streets of Ceuta.
They might be hiding because they are afraid that if they are taken by authorities, they might just be dropped near the border, so they have to go
back to Morocco or they might have been taken by locals that are trying to help.
So minors are the priority, they are the most vulnerable. But also a lot of adults, young adults, are staying on the streets of Ceuta.
This morning a lot of them were on a beach, the nearest beach to the temporary shelter for youngsters and adults. It is completely full, so it's
not taking any migrants at the moment. So these hundreds of people are just staying on the beach with the military around.
This morning they got water from the military and we also know that this afternoon, Red Cross was also on the beach giving some help. As I said,
after four days, most of them complaining they haven't been able to find any water and any food.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: The latest from there.
Well, more than 150 migrants have been rescued after a boat caught fire in the English Channel. They were trying to travel to Britain from France.
French maritime officials say that the boat's engine caught fire and its, quote, "condition deteriorated very rapidly."
There are no reports of any fatalities but these types of voyages are notoriously dangerous. The Migration Observatory says 162 people have died
in migrant boats trying to cross that body of water, the Channel, between 2018 and 2025.
Well, the leader of Britain's right wing Reform U.K. party is proposing using the military to stop asylum seekers crossing the English Channel.
Nigel Farage says his so-called Operation Fortress would intercept asylum seekers in small boats before turning them back. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIGEL FARAGE, LEADER, REFORM UK: We are very confident that our policy of securely picking people up and safely taking them back to France. We are
entirely confident that that falls within other conventions of international law.
The Australians faced all of these problems many years ago. They tried offshore processing. They tried a number of things and, in the end, what
worked was towing the boats back to Indonesia.
And since then, hardly a boat has landed in Australia. I am entirely confident that under a Reform government, within a fortnight, there would
be no more boats.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: But Reform U.K. is facing growing political pressure. Farage's party has lost its lead in opinion polls for the first time in a year. He's
currently running in a by-election for the parliamentary seat that he resigned from as he faces investigations into alleged financial
impropriety.
Well, a couple brought to the U.S. as children has made the grueling decision to leave the only home they've ever known to escape what they
describe as persecution from the Trump administration's harsh immigration policies.
[10:40:05]
The Dominguez family, including their four U.S.-born kids, is now adjusting to life in Mexico and the transition hasn't been easy. CNN's Carolina
Peguero has got their story
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROLINA PEGUERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With songs and prayers. This young Mexican couple of pastors held their final church service in
Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Months later, from their kitchen table of their new home in Morelos, Mexico. Abdiel and Adilene Dominguez share why they decided to leave the
United States.
ABDIEL DOMINGUEZ, BROUGHT TO U.S. AS A CHILD: It's one thing to say we're going to move to another city and another thing to say we're going to move
to another state but then to move to another country, it's a big, big move. So we prayed a lot. We ask God for guidance.
PEGUERO (voice-over): In the last year, the Dominguez family says that along with their community, they have been targeted by the Trump
administration and its anti-immigration policies.
ADELENE DOMINGUEZ, MOVED TO MEXICO: That wasn't just us; it was thousands of other families that were going through the same things.
ABDIEL DOMINGUEZ: Just the fear that paralyzed the whole state, the whole country. I think they felt the fear -- the fear -- the fear that we were
fearing.
PEGUERO (voice-over): Both dreamer recipients say their resources and livelihood became limited because they couldn't work or go out. Together
with their four children, they felt trapped in their own home.
ADELENE DOMINGUEZ: They saw a lot of parents being taken away. And so, that's why they agreed with also coming. And so, there's a song that I sing
to my son every night and it's you're my sunshine, little sunshine, you know, please don't take my sunshine away.
And so, singing that song, it's like has a deeper meaning now, because that's singing that song there, it was just like I don't want them to take
them away.
PEGUERO (voice-over): They drove several hours to the Chicago airport, accompanied by loved ones, so they could give them their final goodbyes.
Now in Mexico, they still haven't been able to adjust to their new life.
ABDIEL DOMINGUEZ: Like in "The Wizard of Oz," you know, like when she said you're no longer -- I think she says you're no longer in Kansas, you know
or something like that. We feel like we're somewhere down South in the U.S, you know, living in a small-town border.
But we just -- we just got to keep busy, keep our kids busy and just trust in God. You know and know that God has good things for us, better things
for us.
PEGUERO (voice-over): Carolina Peguero, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, the Trump administration appearing to answer the mounting calls to rein in AI. The White House set to meet with top tech companies
today as part of a push for AI regulation.
Now in June, President Donald Trump signed an executive order allowing the government to have early access to some AI models, foundational models,
before they launch. And companies can choose to participate in the framework.
CNN's AI correspondent Hadas Gold has been following the story for us. She joins us now live.
And what's the latest on this meeting?
Who's attending and what do we understand to be sort of, you know, what's being taken in and what the White House hopes they'll get out of this?
HADAS GOLD, CNN AI CORRESPONDENT: So as far as we know, this meeting hasn't taken place yet. I think it's supposed to take place this afternoon.
And representatives from the top AI companies, from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta will be among those attending this meeting.
And what this meeting is for is to reveal the details of this framework.
What will this process look like?
That was set out in this executive order, where these companies, who are said to have the most advanced AI models.
First of all, what is the definition of an advanced frontier AI model?
Who will be included?
What will that process look like?
We know that they are said to have -- to be submitting these models up to 30 days before they're publicly released.
But there's a lot of details there about, is it your final version of your model that you have to submit?
Can it be an early prototype of the model?
These companies don't even know which organization within the administration will be the point person, you know, the point group that
they send these models to.
Will it be, you know, the NSA?
Will it be the Treasury?
So all of those details are set to be laid out in this meeting. My sources at the company say that they've been in the dark on the final details of
what this framework will look like. And again, it is supposed to be voluntary.
But keep in mind that I'm sure the administration will not look kindly upon a company that releases a frontier AI model and doesn't submit to this
voluntary review process. And we've seen what the administration is willing to do when they have security concerns over these models.
They had Anthropic pull some of their most advanced models, putting an export control ban on them.
They asked OpenAI to delay the release of their latest GPT model, again for concerns over its advanced capabilities. They had some discussions over,
you know, some safety guardrails.
And so although this is being described as voluntary, it is very much being seen as the first steps toward the administration taking -- getting
involved into AI regulation.
[10:45:08]
And that's something that the industry has been begging for. They want regulation. OpenAI has been calling for a national framework. Google has
set out its own kind of policy paper. Anthropic is asking for it as well. They all want some sort of regulation and these are the first steps we're
actually taking toward that.
ANDERSON: Yes. Elon Musk's SpaceX ramping up its AI spending, of course, this year. I mean, SpaceX is not just about going to space. It's a myriad
of things across AI and advanced tech.
Wall Street is about to get its first-ever earnings report from the company. This is, of course, post-IPO a couple of months ago.
What are investors expecting to learn from this first SpaceX report?
GOLD: Yes, I mean, SpaceX had been a private company for so long before it went on its IPO. Most companies would go on to an IPO, especially at
SpaceX's size, well before. So there's a lot of excitement over this earnings report getting to, you know, take a peek under the hood on exactly
their revenue streams from the AI side.
There's a lot of excitement over not only their, you know, seeing what their AI spending is doing but also their plans, their data centers,
because SpaceX is -- while, you know, they still have Grok, they have their AI models and they have, you know, bought Cursor, which is a big AI
platform.
They have definitely become kind of -- established themselves much more in the infrastructure of AI in these data centers that are being rented out,
you know, being -- having deals with Anthropic, having deals with these other companies and especially with their plans for, you know, data centers
in space.
Which now seems like a very far-out possibility. But in Elon Musk's mind, that is going to happen. So it will be -- I think a lot of investors will
be looking at the numbers around those data centers.
What are they bringing in?
What is the output when it comes to their AI models?
Especially because, you know, there's kind of an admission that maybe Grok and these AI models, while some people really love them, they're just not
catching up as much to the frontier AI models.
How much more are they going to spend on those models versus places where they obviously can be making money, like these data centers?
ANDERSON: So much going on. I'm glad you've got your arms around it. Thank you for your reporting. Hadas Gold in the house for you.
Well, China testing humanoid robots in real work environments. The goal is to move beyond the traditional industrial robots that follow fixed programs
and instead use artificial intelligence that these robots or bots can learn and adapt on factory floors. CNN's Mike Valerio is in Beijing with the
details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
MIKE VALERIO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): So why are we lifting with robots?
Well, this underground lab in Beijing offers a glimpse of what's next for China's humanoid workforce. Forget robot backflips. China is now trying to
build humanoid robots that can actually work on factory floors.
Tell us why a factory of the future needs a humanoid robot like this.
YULI ZHAO, CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER, GALBOT (voice-over): One is that currently, the industrial robots they can only work with a fixed program
routine.
VALERIO (voice-over): For decades, factory robots have repeated the same movements thousands of times. Chinese robotics company Galbot (ph) is
betting the next generation will need something more, machines that can learn and adapt using AI.
All right, so we could do this. It's not fun. And again, this robot would not complain and could probably do it more efficiently than I could for six
hours.
Good job. High five.
Companies like Unitry (ph) are already selling humanoid robots here in Beijing. Some are inspecting factories but certainly many more are already
entertaining crowds across China. But getting them to work on assembly lines, that is a much harder challenge.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): China's robots, are a think the industry is in a very early commercialization stage. I think maybe two years is
enough. Two years you will see lots of robotics in (INAUDIBLE).
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: When we come back, pop star Ariana Grande taking a break from the public eye. But she is reassuring fans that it is all going to be OK.
We're going to explain what is behind her decision -- up next.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:50:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ANDERSON: Well, singer Ariana Grande has addressed concerns from fans after announcing that she's taking a break from the public eye. Here's what
she said during a performance in Chicago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARIANA GRANDE, MUSICAL PERFORMER: The announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing. It is something that I have decided.
It's a plan that I had quietly made a long time ago and it's a decision that was made from a thoughtful and empowered place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Her decision to take a step back from the spotlight or the limelight follows renewed scrutiny about her weight and her health. Shortly
after releasing the music video for her single, "Petal," many fans raised alarm about her petite frame.
Well, a heated debate online growing about where to draw the line when commenting on women's bodies. Let's bring in CNN's Lisa Respers France,
live from Atlanta.
It's always good to have you, Lisa. Firstly, let's start with how fans are reacting to what she said there at that concert.
Has that calmed any of the concerns that people have had about what's motivating Ariana to step back?
LISA RESPERS FRANCE, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, what we're seeing is that she's getting a lot of support. But there's still
concern and worry from a lot of fans, as we saw in that music video.
She wears outfits that you can clearly see how thin she is. And so while people feel reassured by the fact that she wants to assure them that this
is based on not negativity, as she said, but something that she's planned and thought out and was not impulsive and not reactive.
People still have concerns about how very small she appears to be right now. Becky
ANDERSON: And there is this fine line, isn't there?
And you're seeing this online over, you know, between commenting on women's bodies and championing healthy habits and standards. I wonder how you sort
of, you know, you see that playing out online at present.
FRANCE: Yes, I wrote about it and I talked about. I used two examples. One was Karen Carpenter, who, of course, we tragically lost back in the 1980s
after she battled anorexia and bulimia.
And then also I talked about Chadwick Boseman, who there was a lot of commentary around how thin he was and only to find out when he passed away
in 2020 that he had been battling colon cancer for years.
So the difficulty here is that, yes, there's concern. But in reality, we don't know what's going on with Ariana Grande. We don't know how her health
is. We just know what she looks like.
And some people feel like some of the concern is really about policing, especially women's bodies. But there is the conversation, as you point out,
about how far people can go with their concerns.
She's still a person. She's an adult. She's in her 30s and she can make her own decisions about what she looks like. But at the same time, people do
remember the case of Karen Carpenter, who we literally watched those who were alive then died right before our very eyes. We watched her waste away.
And so there's so much love for Ariana Grande. But also there's the fact that she has hundreds of millions of followers. She has fans that are young
women, she has fans that grew up with her.
And you know, it's what do these images say about, you know, how, you know, what is presentable and what is acceptable in terms of how thin is too thin
is what we're seeing a lot of the conversation being built around.
But I do believe that at the heart of it, it's because a lot of people she's being built around. do believe that at the heart of it, it's because
a lot of people have a lot of love for Ariana Grande. She's incredibly talented as both a singer and an actress and people just want her to be OK,
Becky.
ANDERSON: And I remember the Karen Carpenter, you know, story so well, of course, being old enough to certainly remember that.
[10:55:00]
Just very, very, briefly and finally, what's the Jameela Jamil controversy?
FRANCE: Well, it's that she spoke out and said that we could potentially be watching this woman dying. She was responding to, you know, all the
discourse on social media.
And there was a particular posting from a woman who is a eating disorder survivor. And, you know, she said, this poor woman is dying right in front
of us. This outfit is designed to accentuate the thinness for discourse.
And she took her team to task, Ariana Grande's team to task, saying that they were irresponsible for not guiding her away from this deeply damaging
image, for her young fans to see so glamorized.
And that rubbed some people really the wrong way. They felt like she crossed a line. They felt like, you know, who was she really to speak on
what Ariana Grande's team may or may not be involved in, may or may not be doing, Becky.
And so there was a lot of controversy, again, about how far is too far and is this actual concern or policing, Becky.
ANDERSON: Got it. All right. Well, it's really good to have you. Thank you. And that is such an important conversation. I'm really glad that we've
had it today. And thank you so much for your input on that.
FRANCE: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Well, that's it for CONNECT THE WORLD. Stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is up next.
END
