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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Deadly Strikes Hit Central Gaza As Ceasefire Talks Falter; "Superman" Director's Comments Spark Anti-Woke Backlash; Sinner Defeats Rival Alacaraz To Claim First Wimbledon Title. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired July 14, 2025 - 05:30   ET

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

[05:30:00]

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NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Those reports come after an Israeli source also told CNN last week that the key outstanding issue on the table was at that point the terms around where the Israeli military would redeploy in Gaza once the ceasefire takes effect. But on Sunday Netanyahu claimed Israel had accepted the latest proposal put forward by the U.S. and instead accused Hamas of rejecting the deal on the table.

The Israeli prime minister is facing growing pressure at home in Israel for a deal to be struck to secure the release of the remaining hostages help captive in Gaza.

And on the ground in Gaza the humanitarian toll continues to rise with growing international calls for an immediate end to the war as Israel's attacks on civilian areas continue.

On Sunday several children were killed in an Israeli airstrike at a water distribution point in central Gaza, according to health officials in the strip. Distressing video from the scene showed multiple casualties amid buckets and makeshift water carriers.

The Israeli military later acknowledged the airstrike claiming it had targeted an Islamic Jihad terrorist but that the munitions had landed dozens of meters from the target.

This attack came shortly after Gaza health officials reported that 139 bodies were brought to Gaza's hospitals in the space of just 24 hours with many more victims feared to be buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings.

All this as families in Gaza continue to face crippling shortages of humanitarian aid and medical supplies.

Nada Bashir, CNN, London.

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MJ LEE, CNN ANCHOR: Meanwhile in the West Bank a large crowd of Palestinians attended a funeral procession on Sunday for two men killed in clashes in recent days. One of those killed was a 20-year- old Palestinian American man beaten to death by Israeli settlers, according to local health officials and an eyewitness.

Settler violence against Palestinians has ramped up in the West Bank and Israel has increased military operations in the territory displacing thousands of Palestinians and raising entire communities as it targets what it says are militant operating in the territory.

Plus, new trade tensions are brewing between China, the EU, and the U.S. We'll take you live to Hong Kong to explain.

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[07:37:00]

LEE: President Trump is threatening massive new 30 percent tariffs on products from the European Union and Mexico starting August 1. Mexico's president says she's confident her country will reach a trade agreement with the U.S. And the EU is dealing its trade countermeasures against the U.S. They were due to take effect on Monday but are now on hold until early August so there's more time to negotiate a deal.

Trade ministers from the European Union are meeting today to discuss trade with the U.S. and with China.

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout is live in Hong Kong with more. Kristi, EU trade ministers are discussing relations with the U.S. as well as China. How are those talks shaping up with regards to Beijing?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, MJ, yes, these two massive trading partners, EU and China, are clashing and that is a key focus today in Brussels. That's where EU trade ministers right now are taking part in this policy debate on China ahead of this much anticipated senior leader summit between EU and China due to take place not in Brussels but in China later this month.

And trade tension between Beijing and Brussels has, indeed, been heating up. That was made very clear in recent comments made by the EU chief Ursula von der Leyen who outright accused China of overcapacity and trade distortion.

I want to bring up the comments that she delivered recently to the European Parliament in regard to China and trade. She said this. "Let me be clear. If our partnership is to move forward, we need a genuine rebalancing. Fewer market distortions, less overcapacity exported from China, and fair, reciprocal access for European businesses in China."

Look, trade tension between the EU and China is simmering on a number of fronts. Let's bring up the bullet list for you.

For example, you have those Chinese tariffs on EU branding. You have brandy. You have the EU tariffs on Chinese EVs. You have recent action on the ban of medical device tenders -- the Chinese response. Its own curbs on EU medical devices. And, of course, Chinese curbs on rare earth exports. These are the key ingredients that are used in everything for manufacturing cars to household appliances.

Now, China, in recent weeks, has been calling for, despite the tension here, greater cooperation, greater communication, and coordination. Perhaps it's because of what is at stake here. Again, China and the EU -- this is the world's second-largest economy and the world's third- largest economy, and together they account for about one-third of global trade in products and services and over one-third of global GDP.

MJ, back to you.

LEE: Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. Thank you so much.

Still ahead, the latest "Superman" movie is leaping audience and box office expectations in a single bound, but some people are accusing the director of having a political agenda. We'll dive into that with a film critic right after the break.

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LEE: Welcome back. I'm MJ Lee. Here are some of the stories we're watching today.

U.S. President Donald Trump is teasing possible sanctions on Russia as the war rages on in Ukraine. We are expecting a major announcement from him later today. It comes as the NATO Secretary General travels to Washington to meet with President Trump.

More thunderstorms are forecast for central Texas today and rivers are expected to swell to flood stage this week. Slow-moving thunderstorms brought heavy rain the region on Sunday as the death toll from the recent flooding rises to 132 victims.

[05:45:08]

Two women were killed by a gunman who opened fire in a Kentucky church on Sunday. The Lexington Herald Leader reports that the victims were a mother and daughter, and that the shooter had children with a relative of theirs. The shooter was killed by responding officers. Police say he had shot a trooper during a traffic stop before carjacking someone and fleeing to the church.

The latest "Superman" movie is soaring up, up, and away from opening weekend expectations.

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Clip from Warner Bros. "Superman."

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LEE: With an 82 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, the newest installment in the famed franchise has grossed nearly $220 million at the global box office. "Superman" is the first film from the new Warner Bros. and DC Universe partnership headed by James Gunn. The film's director and co-CEO of DC Studios.

Gunn's remarks about the film have already triggered an anti-woke backlash. He told the London Times "Superman is the story of America. An immigrant that came from other places and populated the country. But for me it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost."

Full disclose. Warner Bros. Discovery is the parent company of CNN.

Joining us live from Los Angeles is Andrew Freund, TV host and entertainment news expert. Andrew, it's great to have you for this conversation.

I want to get to the controversy in a second but first, set the scene for us. You know, what should folks know about this film in terms of who is playing who, the director, the plotline without giving away any major spoilers.

ANDREW FREUND, TV HOST AND ENTERTAINMENT NEWS EXPERT: Yeah, MJ. You know, the film stars David Corenswe as the character of Superman. It also stars Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.

And really, it is a classic Superman story about an alien who came to this planet and is really -- his sole purpose is to help save humanity. To help save the vulnerable. That's why the character was created. And it has made a smash at the box office, making over $122 million this weekend alone. It is a huge, huge success for Warner Bros.

LEE: Yeah, and let's just talk about this controversy for starters. You know, when the director said that quote we just referenced that Superman is about an immigrant and it's a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something that have lost. He is now being accused by people in some corners as being too woke, of politicizing the movie.

Listen to this.

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DEAN CAIN, ACTOR, FORMER SUPERMAN: That's the part that makes me go look, don't try and make it all woke and crazy. Keep that character as -- you know, the way I like him is truth, justice, and the American way.

KELLYANNE CONWAY, FORMER ADVISER TO PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: He found himself unable to say Superman's slogan: "Truth -- fighting for truth, justice, and the American way." He said, "Truth, justice, and all those good things."

BEN SHAPIRO, COMMENTATOR: And he just refused to acknowledge the American way is good. That the American way is, in fact, unique. And this lies at the root of a leftist world view. That leftist world view is astonishingly anti-American.

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LEE: Andrew, what do you make of this backlash?

FREUND: Um, I think that some of the people on FNC didn't really do their research. I mean, Superman was created in the '30s by two Jewish men partly because of the rise of Hitler and the rise of Naziism. And Superman was the American dream that they created to embody every -- to help everyone. To help the vulnerable. That is why this -- why this character of Superman exists.

So it's not really an American thing; it's really a world thing. Superman is here to help everyone. That's really the point of why the character was created.

So I think that people saying that, you know, Superman is being too political -- Superman has been political for 87 years. In 1940, the character took on Hitler and Stalin. In 2015, the character in the comics was a go-between between police and protesters. In 2020, DC Comics tweeted out -- tweeted out a quote in support of Black Lives Matter.

So Superman has always been involved in politics. I think people just haven't really done their research.

LEE: Well, and it is interesting because Superman has also always been an immigrant. You know, that fact is not new.

I mean, do you think this controversy speaks more about the political climate that we're in or something more about the specific sort of entertainment industry culture right now?

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FREUND: You know, MJ, I think it's a mixed bag of both. I think that obviously we're here on television now and we work in media, and media works off soundbites and clickbait. And I think when people make comments about Hollywood, and Superman, and politics it generates some of that stuff.

But really, Superman has stood for everyone for 87 years. He's always been in politics, like I said. So it's kind of much ado about nothing but also this hasn't made any difference at the box office. In fact, I kind of did a deep dive and in specific conservative counties here in the United States the movie did exceedingly well, if not better than expected. So this is kind of all much ado about nothing.

LEE: Yeah. There had been a lot of speculation about this controversy hurting the film in the box office. And as you said, it's done incredibly well, at least over the weekend, really beating estimates.

Were you surprised that we were able to get to this point with the film when so many people were predicting maybe the controversy would hurt the opening weekend?

FREUND: Yeah. You know, I wasn't surprised. I don't think Dean Cain's words can really hurt this kind of billion-dollar franchise. And I wasn't surprised at all because Superman stands for hope.

Superman stands for perseverance and right now that is exactly what we need. So I think that people went to the box office as a means of escape and they were very happy with what they saw, MJ.

LEE: And Andrew, before I let you go, politics and Hollywood have often clashed or maybe blended, depending on how you look at it. It's not a new phenomenon. I do wonder how much sensitivity you see right now in Hollywood and across the entertainment industry about saying something or doing something that will be perceived as political.

FREUND: Yeah, it's an interesting time. It's different now than it was even five years ago. So I think people are being politically correct. They are being woke. But I don't necessarily think that being considerate of other people and being kind and highlighting that is a bad thing. So I personally think we're moving in the right direction. I think that it is good to stand up to injustice. It's good to stand up to discrimination.

And let's get this straight. Like, Superman is an action film. There is plenty of action in this film. There are plenty of fight sequences. There are insane affects. So it's a Hollywood film and I think all the politics is -- it's kind of getting in the way.

LEE: Andrew Freund, thank you so much for that discussion.

FREUND: Thanks, MJ.

LEE: Still ahead, our Don Riddle breaks down all the unforgettable actions from the rematch to remember at Wimbledon. Stay with us.

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LEE: A thrilling win for tennis star Jannik Sinner. He is the new men's Wimbledon champion. Sinner beat two-time reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz.

CNN World Sport's Don Riddle has all the details.

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DON RIDDLE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT, WORLD SPORT: There is no question that we have a compelling new rivalry in men's tennis, and Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are head and shoulders above everybody else in the game right now.

On Sunday, in London, the Italian world number one Sinner won his first Wimbledon title beating the two-time defending champion Alcaraz in four sets.

Alcaraz arrived on center court in the form of his life. He'd beaten Sinner in the French Open final last month, and he was riding a career-best 24-match winning streak. Sinner was in unfamiliar territory, but he started well with an early break only for Alcaraz to break him twice to win the set.

As we've come to expect from these two, the standard of tennis was exceptionally high, and Sinner brought his A-game fighting back to win the next three sets to become the first-ever Italian champion at Wimbledon. It is a fourth grand slam title for him, and he now holds three of the four major titles at the same time.

Afterwards, he explained that this was a harder win emotionally than it had had been physically.

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JANNIK SINNER, WORLD #1: Yes. I would say mostly emotionally because I had a very tough loss in Paris. So --

(LAUGHTER)

SINNER: -- it's -- but then today it doesn't really matter how you win or you lose, especially in important tournaments. You just have to understand what you did wrong and trying to work on that. That's exactly what we did. We tried to accept the loss and just kept working. And this is, for sure, one of the reasons why I hold this trophy here.

And we were talking, actually, before the match we would never have thought to be in this position. And back in the days when I was young this was only a dream -- dream after dream because it was so far away where I'm from. So it's all -- I'm just living my dream. So it's amazing and --

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Yeah.

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RIDDLE: Well, to emphasize just how dominant Jannik Sinner is, he was just a point away from completing the grand slam. He had three championship points against Alcaraz in the French Open final.

But this all goes just to emphasize the magnitude of their rivalry. They have now won the last seven major titles between them, and it seems as though they've raised each other to the point where nobody else on tour is anywhere near their level.

Back to you.

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[06:00:00]

LEE: Whale watchers off the coast of Brazil's Rio de Janeiro are witnessing this year's remarkable humpback migration. Experts are investigating why the whales have appeared so early in the season. There has already been an increased amount of sightings compared to previous months, and reports of larger whales as well. While researchers are praising successful conservation efforts some

are also suggesting that environmental factors are responsible for the changing whale population.

Thank you so much for joining us here on EARLY START. I'm MJ Lee in Washington. "CNN THIS MORNING" starts right now.