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U.S. & Iran Demand Compensation as Precondition for Talks; Six Killed, 19 Wounded in Russian Strikes on Zaporizhzhia; Russia, Ukraine Ramp Up Aerial Attacks Against One Another; Fight Over Democratic Party's Future Shifts to Wisconsin; New Test for Progressive Democrats in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Aired 9-9:45a ET

Aired August 11, 2026 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: An elaborate ruse and a secret flight to protect U.S. President Trump. New details on a cloak and

dagger operation are unveiled. It's 09:00 a.m. in Washington and 02:00 p.m. here in London. I'm Christina Macfarlane, and this is "Connect the World".

Also coming up, a frantic search for survivors after a devastating earthquake rocks Colombia. And Russia is accusing Ukraine of launching

drone attacks on more Wildberries warehouses. We will be live in Kyiv. The stock market in New York opens in about 30 minutes from now.

Let's have a quick look, though. A bit of a flat open, but all indices up in the green after a lackluster Monday session. The persistent uncertainty

over a U.S.-Iran deal is weighing still on investors. An Iranian threat to President Trump prompted him to secretly switch planes in Turkey last

month.

This was followed reported by this was followed reporting from "The Washington Post". Apparently, Mr. Trump boarded Air Force One, then slipped

off using an airport catering vehicle and transferred to a smaller plane. And one of the reporters behind the post story shared more details about

the extent of the secret operation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN LAMOTHE, U.S. MILITARY & PENTAGON REPORTER FOR "THE WASHINGTON POST": My understanding is there was some White House staff that did not know this

was kept close hold in a small group. The C-32 simply did not show up in flight tracker data at all, at least in the publicly available information

we had.

And the Air Force One jet landed with the Air Force One call sign, despite the president not being aboard, that there's a serious shell game of sorts

that occurred there. You know, effort to keep the president safe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Well, CNN's Kevin Liptak is joining us from the White House. And Kevin, as we kind of wrap our heads around the somewhat wild sequence

of events here. Tell us how credible we know -- what we know about how credible that threat from Iran was that forced this decision.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, clearly it was very credible in the eyes of administration officials to have planned and

executed this very elaborate shell game, really, to try and fool the Iranians about what exactly the plane was that the president was flying on.

And so, I think that did reflect a degree of very deep concern about not only the threat itself but also the capabilities that Iran might have to

target the world's most secure aircraft that was flying in a different country, and so it was, I think, in the eyes of the administration, very,

very real.

And the way this all played out is that when the president was pulling up to that old legacy blue and white Air Force One, the reporters who were

with him saw him climb the stairs to the plane as they were getting on the plane through the back entrance, what apparently happened is that the

president was bundled into a catering truck that was lifted on a hydraulic lift to a different door and spirited away to a different plane that was on

the tarmac waiting for him.

That took off. The blue and white plane took off when they landed in the United Kingdom. The plane was on the ground for a while. The president, we

don't know exactly how, but got back on the blue and white plane and then was filmed walking off. So quite an elaborate attempt at deception in a way

that is not really with any president that we know of.

Now, what you hear from officials is that yes, decoys are used periodically to keep the president safe, but almost always the president is accompanied

by pool reporters who can reflect and report on where exactly his location is, even in the you know chaotic hours after the attacks on 9/11, George W.

Bush kept a pool with him as he flew around the country to what was then undisclosed locations.

And so, this is really an extraordinary step by the president by the White House to conceal his location. At the time, what the president said was the

reason for this swap in planes was that he wanted to show off the new Qatar donated plane to troops in the UK. Now, of course, we know that there was

something else entirely going on, which was this threat from Iran.

[09:05:00]

MACFARLANE: Yeah, well, spirited away in a catering truck, not words I thought we'd hear in relation to the president of the United States, but

there it is, Kevin. Thanks for your reporting. Now a race against time to find survivors. Let's connect you to what's going on in Colombia, where

emergency responders are working round the clock to pull people from the rubble around 24 hours after that devastating 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit.

At least 175 people have been killed, with dozens of those deaths here in the City of Cali. The city's fire department says the challenge is

enormous.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SGT. PEDRO RAMIREZ, CALI FIRE DEPARTMENT: Several parts of the city have been affected with structural damage. We have hospitals and schools that

have been badly affected. The entire Cali Fire Department was deployed with all its capabilities. We are at different locations, trying to reach every

last area and verify whether there are signs of life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: And the impact is being felt across Colombia. A total of five, major cities are under red alert. Dozens of buildings have collapsed, and

seven airports have suspended operations. Stefano Pozzebon has more on those ongoing rescue efforts.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR (voice-over): It's a scene of complete chaos as travelers in Matecana International Airport in Pereira seek cover

and run for their lives as a deadly 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit much of western Colombia on Monday. It is the strongest quake to hit the country in

over a decade, according to the Colombian Geological Survey, and was followed by two aftershocks.

The epicenter hit in the northwestern department of Choco, less than 200 miles west of the capital Bogota. The area, known as the country's coffee

region, was heavily damaged, and multiple people were killed. In the City of Manizales, a cathedral tilted after the ground shook for almost a

minute.

In Cali, drone footage points to the scale of the devastation. Survivor Saul Pas (ph) can barely believe what's in front of his eyes as he comes

through what's left of his home. To give you an idea, look how this house looks like now. The whole block was destroyed. I'm sorry, but I'm left with

no words.

This is just so very tragic. Others had to climb down several floors to reach safety. As the sun sets, the evening is pierced by the screams from

the search and rescue operations. It's a silent race against time. Even a whisper can result in a life saved when more than 100 people have already

been found dead.

Shouts of joy follow a successful rescue as a survivor is taken to an ambulance. One little cheer against an abyss of despair. Stefano Pozzebon,

CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: And as we mentioned, the Colombian City of Cali has borne the brunt of the earthquake's impact, and we can speak now to a Cali resident,

Mark Ericson, who's joining us on the line. Mark, thank you very much for joining us. I understand you were there at the time the earthquake struck.

Can you just describe to us what you experienced as those tremors hit?

MARK ERICSON, RESIDENT OF CALI, COLOMBIA: Yeah, I hope I can put it into words. It was just an incredible. I am from California, so I grew up with

earthquakes. I'm very familiar with them. I'm not, you know, usually shocked by them. I was in the Northridge earthquake in 1994 in California

that brought down the 10 freeway, but this was in another category.

I've never felt anything like this. It was scary. I was absolutely frightened. I don't usually get scared with earthquakes because, like I

said, I'm very familiar with them. Right around 07:34 in the morning, I received this very strange tone on my phone. It was the earthquake warning

system, which I'd never heard before.

And then, about five seconds later, it started. And -- I'll tell you, it started like any normal earthquake would, with some gentle rumbling. And

then the strange thing about this, it just kept getting worse and worse and worse, and it just kept going and going -- have lasted at least 45 seconds

to a minute.

And if you know anything about earthquakes, that is a long time to endure that kind of shaking. It was more. It was really. It was more than just

shaking the ground. She just felt that the ground was giving way.

[09:10:00]

It was just the most frightening feeling, and then of course, I have a wife and two kids here. We were trying to get out of the house, but we just

couldn't. We couldn't walk. We couldn't keep our balance. My son is autistic. I have a wife and two kids here. We were trying to get out of the

house, but we just couldn't.

We couldn't walk. We couldn't keep our balance. My son is autistic, and we were trying to get him out, and it was very difficult, to say the least.

MACFARLANE: Yeah, and Mark, I can see how this is affecting you, and as it would do to anyone to be in that situation like you said, 45 seconds. It

must have felt to you incredibly alarming, especially as you had your loved ones with you. What did you do then? You know, in the immediate aftermath

of that, you were clearly at home.

Did you go out into the streets? And what was the scene like around you?

ERICSON: It was chaos. It felt like it was like you were one of those disaster movies. You know, it just felt unreal. It really did. So, we

finally, when the shaking finally subsided, we got out of the house, went into the street. It was chaos. Everybody was out, and it was just everybody

kind of looking around.

Are you OK? Are you OK? We fortunately for us, our house was sturdy. It's a two-story house -- We could have been buried underneath rubble, but thank

God it didn't happen. So basically, just everybody's out in the street, just trying to figure out what's going on.

Behind us, a couple blocks behind us, an entire apartment building came down. And I went out -- there on Facebook for my friends and family back in

the United States. It was a complete disaster scene. I don't know how anybody survived that, especially at 07:30 in the morning.

You know, people are asleep. As a matter of fact, late last night we hear cheers and celebration. It looked like somebody had been finally rescued.

So, if you do the math, they were in there for 12 hours underneath the rubble, but they finally survived.

MACFARLANE: Yeah. And we're actually seeing on our screens now, Mark, some rescue efforts happening in Pereira, another city not far from Cali. What

are you seeing now in terms of those rescue operations happening around you in the city where you are, you mentioned that building that had collapsed

very close to you?

Is there other operation underway that you're seeing?

ERICSON: Yes, there's -- the thing is that it was such a broad damage and devastation that the rescue services are really stretched thin. So now it

falls to the civilians, and we can see that at the apartment building complex, where it was just people, everyday people out there, like you see

right there in a bucket brigade.

You know, everybody just coming together to help each other out, and you know that really is the DNA that we all share -- It's in our nature to

help, and that's what you're seeing.

MACFARLANE: Yeah, and look, Mark, I know I can tell from the tone in your voices has been a really distressing 24 hours, as I'm sure it is for

everyone there. But I'm really glad that you, your family, are safe, and thank you so much for coming on and telling us what you witnessed.

ERICSON: Absolutely, my pleasure, Christina. Thank you very much.

MACFARLANE: Thank you. All right, let's turn now to the Middle East, Iran, and Iran and the U.S. appear to be closer to reaching an agreement to

reopen the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. President Donald Trump is responding to Iran's latest list of demands with a condition of his own, compensation

from Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: They asked for reparations, you might say, or they asked for money for the damage that

we've done, and I said that's a good idea. Well, we're going to ask for money for the damage they've done over a 50-year period.

If there's damages to be paid, I think Iran should pay those damages.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Well, CNN's Paula Hancocks is joining us live from Abu Dhabi. And Paula, I mean, what else are we learning about President Trump's demand

for compensation from Iran? Because I think this was part of the original MOU.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this Christina comes from Tehran's demands over the weekend, really conditions to open up the Strait of

Hormuz, saying that they wanted compensation for the kinetic activity, the war that's just happened this year since February 28th and also for the

U.S. and Israeli strikes against the nuclear program back in June of last year.

So, what we've heard from the U.S. President now is he has taken that idea on board and he has increased it.

[09:15:00]

He has said that he wants compensation for all the people that have been killed by Iran over the past 50 years, saying that that those families of

people who have been killed by roadside bombs, by the wars that Iran has famously been involved in, in his words, also for thousands of protesters

that have been killed by the regime over those decades as well.

So, what this really shows us is that at this point it appears as though we are certainly no closer to any idea of these two sides reaching an

agreement. In fact, it really points to the exact opposite. Now, with those demands that we did hear over the weekend, we also heard from the

Revolutionary Guard that they wanted the U.S. to withdraw their troops from the area to end this naval blockade of Iranian ports and vessels and to

unfreeze all assets.

So, at this point, there is no indication that there are any direct talks. According to Tehran, we understand from the U.S. President, he said that it

is low-key negotiations at this point. But we have heard acknowledgement from Tehran that there are at least messages being passed between the two

through the intermediaries who are trying to get the two sides back together again.

But clearly, that is a long way apart from where they were when they signed this memorandum back in June. And of course, on top of that, you've got the

U.S. Treasury, which has just introduced as well new sanctions against certain individuals, exchange houses, and companies that they allege have

been involved in helping Iran to fund its military operations.

Something that Iran said simply wouldn't work. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointing out that they have been heavily sanctioned in the past,

and that has not strangled their economy, Christina.

MACFARLANE: All right, Paula Hancocks there, appreciate the context. Thank you. All right. Still to come, Russia and Ukraine launch more attacks

against each other. And civilians once again caught in the crossfire. We'll take a closer look from Kyiv next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACFARLANE: Russia and Ukraine continue to attack one another with civilians caught in the crossfire. Ukrainian officials say Russian strikes

killed six people and wounded 19 overnight in the southern City of Zaporizhzhia. In Kyiv, officials in Ukraine say a Russian missile strike

damaged a children's hospital, leaving craters outside the facility.

Patients and medical staff were taking shelter at the time and survived the attack uninjured. The Russian assault came as Ukraine continues its drone

attacks on warehouses belonging to Russia's largest online retailer. As CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is following the story for us from Kyiv.

[09:20:00]

So, Nick, it is civilians obviously caught in crossfire as Russia and Ukraine continue to exchange aerial attacks. What more are you learning

about this latest attack overnight?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, I mean here in Kyiv, as you pointed out, the children's hospital hit some

damage done there. Some quite dramatic images, in fact, of the impact on the building.

But as you pointed out, the children inside the patients in the shelter at that particular time, but in Zaporizhzhia, the city in the south that took

the brunt of the Russian assault last night, six dead, 19 injured, apartment buildings hit there. Interestingly, Ukraine pointing towards

North Korean missiles, predominantly being used in this attack.

The KN-23, suggesting further help from Pyongyang and possibly also to limits maybe in the Russian supply of their missiles. But does seem as

though Moscow increasingly has more ballistics to use on a nightly basis, going from about 60 a couple of months ago to close to possibly edging

towards 200, maybe at some point in the months to come, but they're able to fire over a month-long period.

So, startling rise here, and aimed clearly to exploit the massive gaps in Ukraine's air defenses now. A huge lack of patriot interceptors that

Ukraine has made public. The result of so many of them being used during the Gulf conflict that there's very few left for the United States or

European nations to potentially provide here.

A real crisis there, one that President Trump suggested he might potentially fix when he, during the NATO meeting in Ankara, suggested

Ukraine might get a license to produce them themselves. That simply hasn't happened, and in fact, his latest comment suggests that may indeed be very

far off, indeed, if not entirely impossible.

But at the same time, Christina, Ukraine is responding to this Russian nightly barrage that's been going on for years, a result of Russia's

invasion. Ukraine now able to take some of that fight back. And it's the Wildberries distribution network, kind of like a Russian Amazon, so to

speak, that's taken a lot of the strikes over the past weeks, one near Voronezh, 180 kilometers inside Russia's borders being hit, 16,000 square

meters indeed.

Officials there saying had a fire on it. Potentially, Wildberries seeing over 10 percent of its capacity reduced. Ukraine says it's a legitimate

target as it's involved in the logistics of the Russian military used essentially to deliver the things indeed that they need, and also too

overnight in Orsk, an oil refinery 1,500 kilometers inside Russia also hit.

So, Ukraine continuing the exact toll. We have seen Russian civilians killed as part of these strikes in the past week or so. And indeed, in

Ukraine we've seen now the deadliest month last month in July since April 2022 for civilians. So, these nightly barrages suggesting the war is

becoming less about the tiny territorial gains that Russia hasn't made much of, frankly, over its past summer offensive, and more about the damage each

side is inflicting on the other in these nightly assaults.

MACFARLANE: Nick Paton Walsh, there reporting from Kyiv. Thanks, Nick. Appreciate it. Now, 6 U.S. states are holding primary elections today,

including some key races in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Connecticut, and to fill late Senator Lindsey Graham's seat in South Carolina. In Wisconsin's race

for governor, Democratic Socialist Francesca Hong faces the Democratic Party's more moderate alternative David Crowley.

And in recent days, Hong was has walked back some of her previous statements after they came under scrutiny. Here's how some voters have

responded to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's wording. Sometimes it's semantic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And yes, what politician hasn't had to walk back something that they've said?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Most people don't care. It's like four people out of 200 this last like 10 days that have knocked on doors.

TIM EICHINGER, FRANCESCA HONG SUPPORTER: She's not trying to hide who she is. And sometimes when you do that stuff, maybe sometimes you do say some

stuff that maybe you might regret later on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Well, that was CNN Jeff Zeleny interviewing voters, and he joins us now live from Madison, Wisconsin. Good to see you, Jeff. So, can

you just explain for our viewers, Jeff, why the Wisconsin race in particular is one to keep an eye on?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, this Wisconsin race, Christina, has been so interesting because it really

is the basically the last chapter in this summertime surge of a progressivism. We've seen tests really in several states across the U.S.

here, but Wisconsin is a state that really has it all.

It is a battleground state. It is largely 50-50. Donald Trump won it twice. He lost it once. Barack Obama won Wisconsin twice. So, it is split

effectively right down the middle. But this whole argument of about what type of Democrat is the strongest, if it's an establishment Democrat, more

middle of the road, or a progressive Democrat, even a Democratic socialist that has been really coursing through the conversation we've been having

with voters here.

[09:25:00]

And here is, just a few examples of what these voters have been thinking as they've been weighing their choices going to the polls.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DENNIS NEFF, DAVID CROWLEY SUPPORTER: The Democrats didn't get their act together to try to figure out who should be viable candidate.

COLLEEN LEAHY, FRANCESCA HONG SUPPORTER: What they're calling socialist policies aren't necessarily socialist. It's working for people.

KAREN NEFF, DAVID CROWLEY SUPPORTER: I don't think there's anything wrong with being a democratic socialist, but she's come out so strong that I

think she's going to scare people.

EICHINGER: I think that's why you're seeing maybe somebody who maybe has some bigger ideas, some bold ideas that might seem a little bit crazy, but

it's like, hey, let's give it a shot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: So, look, this Wisconsin governor's race has largely come down to a couple candidates. Francesca Hong is the 37-year-old state legislator.

She's a Democratic socialist, a proud one, and she's really saying that now is the time for big change. David Crowley, he's the Milwaukee County

Executive.

Of course, Milwaukee is the largest county in the State of Wisconsin, and he's been arguing that really more of a centrist policy is the way to go

here. So, we will see how this chapter of this debate is going to play out. But we are in front of a polling place here. It looks quiet now, but there

have been a steady stream of voters going in and out over the last hour or so, the first hour or so of voting here.

But the outcome of this race tonight, as well as other races in neighboring Minnesota and other states, will really add one more datum point, if you

will, Christina, to this ongoing debate of this direction of the Democratic Party. But all eyes are always on Wisconsin because, again, it's a

perennial battleground state, so Republicans also watching this very carefully.

They would love to win back this governor's seat, Christina.

MACFARLANE: Yeah, and it is fascinating to see the reaction there to the sort of Democratic progressives that are moving forward. We'll continue to

watch this state closely. Jeff, appreciate your reporting. Thank you. Now, still ahead, President Trump says the U.S. controls the Strait of Hormuz,

but traffic remains a fraction of normal.

So, why are so few ships actually making it through? And what's the real impact on the oil supplies across the globe? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACFARLANE: Hi, welcome back. I'm Christina Macfarlane in London, and you are watching "Connect the World". These are your headlines this hour. A

race against time in Colombia as rescue workers search for anyone alive after Monday's 7.4 magnitude quake.

[09:30:00]

At least 175 people have been reported dead so far, with hundreds of others injured or missing. The U.S. and Iran have set tough conditions on each

other for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump is now demanding compensation from Iran for quote, all of the people that they

have killed.

His announcement comes just days after Iran demanded war reparations from Washington. And ringing the bell, the opening bell, Logistic Solutions

Company GXO. Let's take a little look and see how stocks are getting open - - getting on at the open. And as you can see there, the down is up by 12 percent.

The futures were barely moving about 30 minutes ago, and as you can see, it is now up for the DOW. And as uncertainty swirls over the fate of the

Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump now claims the critical waterway is open and that the U.S. Navy is in control of it, but shipping data tells

a different story.

This is a live look at the marine traffic vessel tracker. Only eight vessels actually crossed the strait on Monday, according to the maritime

firm Kpler. That's a fraction of the roughly 120 that typically pass through each day before February 28th, the start of the war. Let's have a

look and see how oil trading is getting on as the deal between Tehran and the U.S. on Hormuz increasingly seems distant.

No surprise, as Brent crude and the global benchmarks are both down $87 a barrel, $81 a barrel for Brent and WTI. So, let's discuss all of this with

Ziad Daoud. He is the Chief Emerging Markets Economist with Bloomberg Economics. Great to have you with us, Ziad.

Let's first start with one of the points you wrote about recently, that the Middle East supplies the world with three resources, energy, trade routes,

and capital. We've seen a lot of price movement in the last few months. But how is oil supplies impacted as we are hitting six months now since the

start of the conflict?

ZIAD DAOUD, CHIEF EMERGING MARKETS ECONOMIST WITH BLOOMBERG ECONOMICS: Well, the Iran war has changed the picture completely for the oil market.

At the beginning of the year, oil was at $60 per barrel, and the expectations was that oil was going to fall over record oversupply.

This seems hard to believe now because since the Iran war began, we've had historic disruption and shortages of -- to $90 per barrel, and our risk

could go higher, but also the risk could go lower. So, as far as the oil market is concerned, as far as the energy market is concerned -- completely

from a condition of abundance to a condition of shortages.

MACFARLANE: Yeah, and meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz and now Bab al-Mandab have sort of shot up in our daily news feeds, haven't they? I mean, most

people didn't realize how important these trade routes were before, unless they were economists like yourself.

Now we are all aware that the problem is getting bigger, no matter what President Donald Trump says on social media. Which of the countries are

getting the heavier blows at this point do you think?

DAOUD: You're an oil-exporting country, and you're around the Strait of Hormuz. You're exposed to the disruption there, and there are eight

countries around the Strait of Hormuz that export oil and gas. Some are more affected than others. The heaviest, the ones that are hardest hit, I

think, are countries like Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain, and Qatar.

Why? Because they don't have an alternative route that can get their energy supplies out of the basically out to the rest of the world. If you think

about other countries like Saudi Arabia, like the UAE, they have alternative routes and they can get some of the energy supplies out -- oil

that could offset the reduction in volume, but Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iraq, they don't have that luxury.

Now, two of them are incredibly -- had problems there, but in the case of Bahrain and in the case of Iraq, they need that oil income. We saw in the

case of Bahrain that the UAE has stepped in to support Bahrain with -- the case of Iraq, they really need all supplies to resume to be able to pay

public salaries.

MACFARLANE: Yeah, Ziad, we are having slight issues with your audio, unfortunately, but I think we got the general view of what you're saying.

Thank you very much for joining us and breaking down where things sit with the oil market right now. Appreciate it.

When we come back, beating China in the AI race, the debate over how heavily regulated AI should be is heating up in Silicon Valley. We'll have

those details.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:35:00]

MACFARLANE: Mark Zuckerberg is laying out his vision for the future of artificial intelligence, making the case that powerful AI should be in

everyone's hands. The Meta CEO published a lengthy manifesto on Monday as his company also launched a new customizable open weight AI model called

Glimmer.

Open weight means that users can access and customize the underlying parameters of AI models. Zuckerberg's manifesto reads in part, most other

labs are focused on building AI for companies, governments, or other institutions. So, if those labs lead, then the balance of power will favor

larger institutions over individuals.

Earlier, CNN spoke with journalist Kara Swisher about the manifesto. She says Zuckerberg's vision also serves Meta's own interests as the company

plays catch up in the AI race.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARA SWISHER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I mean, it's you know for the low, low price of what we're going to charge you and steal your privacy, we'll give you an

agent that's your own. I mean, it's just the problem is, Meta has been real behind in the AI wars. Others have surpassed them.

And so, they're trying to find an in either through open source or through giving everybody an agent. But the agents will be linked to privacy and

advertising and everything else they already do. And so, it's just a way in to try to talk his own book. He's done it twice. There was an essay in "The

Wall Street Journal".

Some of it is word for word for this one. This is a longer one, a 6500-word memo. He does these from time to time. They're usually in desperate need of

editing, but they're sort of outline how he's different from they are, and it's largely because he's behind.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Well, staying with AI, an ancient spa town in Italy has an unusual new council member. The state appointed Eva Statiella, an AI

personality, to work alongside elected officials. They say she'll be used to analyze information, prepare reports, and offer advice.

The town's mayor says special guardrails have been put in place.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANILO RAPETTI SARDO MARTINI, ACQUI TERME, ITALY MAYOR: The first safeguard is that no sensitive data relating to residents can be disclosed. That's

guaranteed because Eva operates on an independent server.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Oh, Eva won't have the power to vote, but the unusual move to appoint an AI assistant has left locals divided.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Technology is moving forward, and the council is trying to adapt.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a step towards the future, but it must be used with caution. In my opinion, it is a complete joke. It serves no purpose at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Somewhat of a preview, perhaps, we could be seeing more of these debates coming our way into our towns in the future. Now, a British

artist has become known for his intricate maps of cities around the world. But if you tried to actually use one, it wouldn't be much use.

It's not a typical city map. Meet Gareth Fuller, who says for him the journey is just important as the destination.

[09:40:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARETH FULLER, BRITISH ARTIST: My name's Gareth Fuller. I've been wandering and exploring cities for the last couple of decades. My long walks, they're

part of my process to create what I call maps of the mind.

FULLER (voice-over): So, when I'm exploring a city, I'm always looking for the corners to lift up. I'm looking for hidden meaning. I'm spending a lot

of time on the ground. Sometimes it could be up to nine months. So much of what I'm doing is documenting my journey and research across the city,

meeting people along the way.

These experiences become drawings in my work. It's the tragedy, the folklore, the comedy, and culture. This is where a city really exists in my

mind. It's past, present, and future. It's not always the obvious landmarks that make a city what it really is. With my art, I'm exploring the

landscape and the environment as a place of memory and imagination.

I'm kind of mapping an emotional terrain, I suppose. Back in the studio, I work with pen and ink, and I draw on cotton board. I delve into research,

notes, and photos from my exploring, and I dive deeper into all sorts of resources to inspire that sense of place. They're quite large canvases, and

the work evolves slowly, and building up layers upon layers of rich tapestry of different drawings.

I drew the D.C. artwork during the presidential campaign in 2024, so it felt only right to pepper the artwork with a little playful satire. There

was a Big Mac hanging from Marine One. I've also included a rocket taken off to Mars. When I begin drawing, I tend to start with the natural

topography.

I draw rivers, I draw hills. It's the bones of a place. Then I start with the makeup. I start creating the face, and this tends to be the culture,

the memories, the thoughts, and experiences that have shaped it.

FULLER: Friends call it an obsession. I probably think the truth lies in wearing very, very comfortable shoots.

FULLER (voice-over): I can't see an end to my wandering art works. Perhaps it's a lifelong journey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Actually, love that. Fuller's work can be seen in the U.S. from September to December. His exhibit will be at Stony Brook University in New

York. "World Sport" with Patrick Snell is coming up next. And I'll be back at the top of the hour with more "Connect the World". Do stay with us.

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[09:45:00]

(WORLD SPORT)

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