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Isa Soares Tonight
Russia Bombards Odesa Grain Storage; Biden Addresses Artificial Intelligence Risks; Tony Bennett Dies At Age 96; Sexual Assault Video Fuels Demands For Justice; Tensions Flare In Manipur After Appalling Video Messages Emerged Showing Sexual Assault; Mexico: 28 Bodies Found In Reynosa Near U.S. Border. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired July 21, 2023 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, Russia is hitting Odesa hard for the
fourth night in a row, the city and its grain warehouses have been enduring Russian bombardment. We'll have the very latest for you. Then, the U.S.
President is addressing artificial intelligence. How he plans to regulate the cutting-edge technology. And --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(TONY BENNETT SINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Beautiful, crony legend Tony Bennett has passed away at the age of 96. We'll look back on his legacy. But first tonight, we begin in Ukraine
where the southern city of Odesa is reeling from the fourth night of Russian attacks. Moscow is striking grain warehouses, destroying tons of
crops.
The Ukrainian military says the attacks are tied to Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain deal in our attempt to destroy Ukraine's ability
to export food. Now, U.S. officials are warning that Russia could be preparing a false flag operation to attack a ship in the Black Sea. Here's
John Kirby from the National Security Council speaking to my colleagues in the U.S. earlier. Have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KIRBY, COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AT THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL, WHITE HOUSE: We do have information that the Russians
are potentially going to try to attack ships, civilian ships in the Black Sea that could be used for carrying grain out of -- out of Ukraine. And we
-- the information that we had, Phil, is that they could use sea mines, and they could also use more kinetic attacks, with say unmanned surface
vehicles to attack ships.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, let's get the very latest from Alex Marquardt who is in Kyiv for us this hour. Alex, good to see you. I mean, these attacks that you
have been reporting in your team for days now, for four days. We've seen in Odesa, we also saw in Mykolaiv yesterday, a clear sign that Russia, Alex,
is deliberately targeting at the grain infrastructure and its exports. What is Russia trying to achieve here besides, of course, inflicting pain on
Ukraine, Alex.
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, these are incredibly intense attacks, Isa. What Russia appears to be doing, and of
course, this is in the wake of them pulling out of the grain deal on Monday, is trying to not just inflict pain on Ukraine, but really apply
pressure to the West and much of the rest of the world by going after this grain infrastructure, by going after the ports, by going after these
storage facilities.
Earlier today, we saw 120 tons of different types of food destroyed. They are putting pressure on Ukraine and the West, they may be trying to seek
leverage to get concessions from Ukraine and the West. They are certainly going to be driving up food prices. They are going to be lessening food
supplies at a time when hundreds of millions of people around the world are going hungry.
So, it does appear that Russia is using one of its few lanes of leverage, if you will, to try to weaken some of the sanctions, pressure that has been
imposed on them by western countries. Remember, in pulling out of this grain deal, Russia said that it was a lopsided deal, that it only benefited
Ukraine, that Russia was not able to export its food and its fertilizer.
Those explanations, those excuses for pulling out of the grain deal were completely dismissed by the West, saying that it was absolutely absurd that
the grain deal was put into place in any way to benefit Russia. So, now, we are seeing these warnings from the Russian side that in the wake of the
grain deal being dismantled essentially, that if ships are coming towards Ukrainian ports, that they may be considered to be military targets.
And that, according to the Biden administration, might be setting up what they are calling a potential false flag attack against these ships. So,
now, you are seeing this warning, perhaps to preempt this kind of attack from Russia or get ahead of it, try to essentially dissuade Russia from
carrying this out.
But this is a stark warning from the United States. We're also hearing from President Zelenskyy tonight, saying that there will be a response to these
four days of intense strikes on southern Ukraine. President Zelenskyy also saying he's going to reach out to President Erdogan of Turkey, Isa.
[14:05:00]
Of course, you know, Turkey was one of the main brokers of that Black Sea Grain initiative between Russia and Ukraine that went into place last
Summer, Isa.
SOARES: Yes, all of this, clearly, a power play that we have seen from Putin seeking to impose a cost on the West, Alex. And yet again, today, we
are trying to read Putin's moves, on the center's moves. The CIA director, I saw, has been doing the same, trying to understand the deal, of course,
that was made between Prigozhin, Lukashenko and Zelenskyy. What did he make of that, of that deal?
MARQUARDT: Well, it's actually -- well, we heard first from the head of MI6 speaking to our CNN colleague, Nick Paton Walsh, essentially saying
that Putin was trying to save his hide by brokering this deal or agreeing to this deal that was brokered by Belarus. But the interesting comments
today from the CIA director, saying that essentially, the score has not been settled between Wagner Founder Yevgeny Prigozhin and Vladimir Putin.
That, there is retribution, that Putin still intends to exact against Prigozhin. He is biding his time, he doesn't want to do anything too
quickly to appear to rash or to appear that Prigozhin got the best of him with that really remarkable insurrection that was carried out on June 24th.
Bill Burns at the CIA calling Putin the apostle of payback, saying that revenge is best served cold. So Burns certainly thinks that there is still
a lot to come in this saga between Prigozhin and Putin, Isa.
SOARES: Alex Marquardt for us this hour in Kyiv, Ukraine. Thanks very much, Alex, good to see you. Now, safety, security and trust. U.S.
President Joe Biden says those three principles are critical to ensuring the responsible development of artificial intelligence. Here he is hosting
executives from seven tech giants at the White House today.
Mr. Biden says they have voluntarily agreed to implement safeguards, including water-marking, A.I.-generated content to try to prevent fraud as
well as misinformation. The president spoke to reporters moments ago, stressing the urgency of this effort.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We'll see more technology change in the next ten years or even in the next few years than we've seen
in the last 50 years. That has been an astounding revelation to me, quite frankly. Artificial intelligence is going to transform the lives of people
around the world.
The group here will be critical in shepherding that innovation with responsibility, and safety by design to earn the trust of Americans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Our Jeremy Diamond is live at the White House with much more. And Jeremy, just talk us through what these seven companies have pledged to do
regarding artificial intelligence in their systems. I know it's voluntary, but are they all on board here?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, seven major leading A.I. companies, including Microsoft, Google, Meta, OpenAI which is
the company behind ChatGPT. So, seven leading A.I. companies all together signing on to these commitments. There are a couple of notable exceptions
like IBM for example, that is not a part of this.
But White House officials have told me they welcome other companies coming on board. But what the White House is saying about these commitments is
that they believe that they will set a higher standard for safety, security and public trust in A.I. going forward. And what one White House official
in particular, Bruce Reed; the deputy White House Chief of Staff who is managing his A.I. Policy Process, he described these commitments as a
bridge to regulation and legislation.
Meaning that this is a first step as the president said, but certainly not a last. Now, among some of the more significant commitments here, one of
those is that all of these seven companies have committed to outside testing of their A.I. products before they are released to the public.
That's a process referred to in the tech world as red teaming, where you try and push and probe the possibilities of a cyber attack, testing the
bounds of these systems and also trying to use them for nefarious purposes so that you can prevent that once that product is released.
A lot of these companies do internal red teaming, but these commitments now include external testing of these systems before they are released to the
public. There is also focus on water-marking, which is the notice of clearly labeling A.I.-generated contents inside the code of it, and also
making it visible to the public.
So when you see an image or when you hear something from an audio perspective that is generated by A.I., that you will know that it is indeed
generated by A.I. So, that speaks to the kind of public trust aspect of this. Now, I can tell you that these voluntary commitments, they are the
result of months of discussions between these companies, and the White House.
The White House also sought input from non-industry A.I. experts, including academics who are very skeptical and critical of A.I., all of this with the
goal of boosting the safety and the trust in these systems. But as you said, Isa, these are voluntary commitments. There is no enforcement
mechanism to ensure that these companies stick to these commitments, and there are a lot of skeptics out there who point to the poor track record of
a lot of these tech companies in following through on this.
[14:10:00]
I can tell you in speaking with White House officials, that that poor track record both from Washington to regulate the tech industry, and also from
these companies to step up and call for regulation and work with Washington towards that. That is looming very large over this entire process as they
work to craft not only these commitments, but also going forward, they are looking at executive action that could be released as early as later this
Summer, and legislations, several months further down the road.
But they certainly were looking to make these commitments as robust as possible. And White House officials told these tech companies, look, don't
make the mistake that you made 10, 15 years --
SOARES: Yes --
DIAMOND: Ago, as it relates to social media. Step up here, regulate and also establish these guardrails on the road --
SOARES: Yes, regulation early, clearly, the lesson learned from social media over the years. Thanks very much, Jeremy, appreciate it. Well, a date
has now been set for trial never seen before in the United States, a former president as criminal defendant. Today, a federal judge scheduled May 20th
of next year as the start date for Donald Trump's trial involving the mishandling of classified government documents.
He's been indicted on 37 counts and could face years in prison. Trump has pleaded not guilty. This is just one, of course, of several legal cases
threatening to overshadow his campaign for the 2024 presidential election. Officials are warning that the heat waves ripping Europe have only just
begun. High temperatures are expected to persist throughout August.
And it's not the reprieve Italy, Spain and Greece really are hoping for as they continue to face unrelenting heat. Temperatures in Rome reached a
record high of nearly, get this, 42 degrees Celsius, prompting officials to work on protocols for workers spending hours, of course, in the sweltering
heat. In Greece, workers at the Acropolis are striking, protesting, having to work in the baking sun, and temperatures are expected to reach 44
degrees Celsius.
This weekend, it is expected to get higher next week. Well, with heat waves becoming really the new normal, the question remains, what changes can we
as a society, implement to combat the rising temperatures? Earlier today, I spoke about this with Dean Emerita at The Fletcher School at Tufts
University, Rachel Kyte, who has been leading action on climate solutions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RACHEL KYTE, DEAN EMERITA, THE FLETCHER SCHOOL, TUFTS UNIVERSITY: We've got extraordinary temperatures in the oceans all the way up into the
Arctic. And we've seen extreme heat across south Asia, southeast Asia as well. So it's global and It is a disaster foretold. We've been warning
about this, the scientists have been warning us about this. And now it's here.
So extreme heat is not something that we should be worried about into the future, we are losing people to extreme heat today.
SOARES: Let's talk policy because I'm keen to try and get an understanding for our viewers because, every day, we cover this story. What needs to
happen? If this is indeed the new normal, what do we need to see from governments here in terms of policy?
KYTE: Well, first of all, urgency. This isn't something which we can kick the can down the road any longer. So, this means that public buildings, our
hospitals and our schools are going to have to be retrofitted so that we're safe inside them. Maybe we have to change the hours that we study. It means
that we will have to make available a price point that lower middle income people can afford air conditioning that is not polluting in and of itself
and isn't super energy efficient.
So, we -- because we need to manage energy demand. It means that we have to in the short term open up cooling centers as they are doing in Phoenix and
Boston where I live, and in Serville(ph) and other countries -- cities, which are on the leading edge. A cooling center might be a gymnasium of a
school, it might be a church basement, but somewhere where people can get out of the cold.
We're going to have to change labor laws, and we're beginning to see that happen now. You can't be out working in the fields in this kind of
temperature. So, it's the way that we think about how we do what we do, and certainly the ways that we heat and cool our buildings, the way we build
our buildings and the way we build our cities in particular. As you said, in the low income part of a city --
SOARES: Yes --
KYTE: Often, it's a concrete jungle. Well off, live and leave your suburbs.
SOARES: Talk to us about the buildings of our city, making them greener, adapting. Because you're talking about us changing the way we live in many
ways, but also the way we construct buildings.
KYTE: So, the materials that we construct, the way in which we think about how those buildings use energy, but also how they can actually generate
energy. If you go to countries like Denmark, and you can also see this in Vancouver and other places, there are whole districts of a city which are
cooled using the water, which is right next to the building.
So, you can use district cooling. To use the water, you bring it up through pipes through the building, and cool the building by just using the
difference in temperature in the water. So, that doesn't need massive air- conditioning, it doesn't require enormous amounts of energy. These technologies exist. There are new technologies of air-conditioning which
allow you to both dehumidify and cool the air at the same time.
[14:15:00]
So, these technologies exist, they're going to have to be sped up and deployed, you know, really quite quickly.
SOARES: How expensive is all of this? One thing with developing countries, you talked about urgency or really, the lack of urgencies that we have. And
we haven't seen much of so far. But for developing countries, this is very costly.
KYTE: Well, energy demand is very costly.
SOARES: Yes --
KYTE: So some of these technologies actually would lower energy demand. There's nothing more demanding of energy than everybody running a super
inefficient window --
SOARES: Yes --
KYTE: Rykler(ph) --
SOARES: True, yes --
KYTE: So for, I think some of the most exciting work over the last few years has been developing air conditioning which doesn't use pollutants
which are dangerous, and which is super efficient, and which could be purchased at a price point that a low income Indian family can afford. Now,
that's where the population is growing, that's where the heat is the most intense. So there is a solution, actually, could fix all of those problems.
SOARES: You advise governments, are they listening? Are they -- do they see the urgency?
KYTE: I mean, frankly, in the main, no, right? We're still sort of -- well, let's review it. Let's study it. Let's think about it. Let's, you
know, get a panel of experts together. We're now at that point. Surely this year --
SOARES: I thought we were reviewing it five years ago, right?
KYTE: Exactly. So, now, it really is about having integrated energy policy which understands at the moment we're using energy to cool ourselves, which
is often inefficient and which produces more heat. And so then you've got an even hotter environment to cool down. So, we have to actually listen to
the scientists and the engineers who have solutions to this.
And then we're going to have to make it possible for people on low income, middle incomes to be able to afford this.
SOARES: Yes ---
KYTE: But you can't just sort of say, we don't do it because we can't afford it. We can't afford it and we can progressively attack these
technologies in a way that works. In the developing world, there are low -- there are low technology solutions. You can blow a fan over a block of ice
enough to keep one room cool.
You can use solar power over a machine which would keep vaccine safe, as you deliver them to remote villages. So, there are low tech solutions, and
high tech --
SOARES: Yes --
KYTE: Solutions depending on where you are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Rachel Kyte there. And still to come tonight, football fans in the U.S. hoping their women's team will pull off a historic free peat at the
World Cup. Their campaign kicks off in just hours from now. And the battle between "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" is now underway. What will movie
audiences choose this Summer, escapism or naturalism or both? Those stories after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:20:00]
SOARES: Well, in a few hours at the Women's World Cup, team USA, the reigning champions, of course, will play their first match of the 2023
tournament. They will face off against Vietnam in Auckland in the hopes of winning a third title in a row. On Friday, Switzerland and Spain won their
first matches, but Canada had a goalless draw against Nigeria on Thursday.
New Zealand and Australia are co-hosting, this time around, the final will be held about a month from now in Sydney's Olympic stadium. Keeping an eye
on all the action for us is "WORLD SPORT" anchor, Patrick Snell. Patrick, good to see you. So all lies, clearly, on the favorites, the defending
champions, team USA. What are their chances?
PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: Very high, absolutely, yes, I expect them to win their opener, absolutely. Do I expect them to go on to
retain their title, because after all, Isa, America is looking to do what no other team has done before, and that's win the World Cup for a third
consecutive occasion. Wouldn't that be absolutely phenomenal? Because no other team has done that in the history of the sport.
No other men's team and no other women's team has ever done that before. So much of the focus will be, of course, on the young players like Trinity
Rodman, of course, Sophia Smith, but when it comes to experienced veterans, then look no further than Megan Rapinoe. The 38-year-old has announced that
she will be quitting the sport at the end of the current season.
She of course, is a truly iconic player for the United States. Huge impact on and off the field of play over the years. So it's not going to be the
same game, of course, without her. And of course, another big question buildup to this big game later on is, will she get her landmark 200th
international cap for her country? America, let's hear now from Megan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MEGAN RAPINOE, U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM: That feeling doesn't change. It's so difficult to make it to World Cup, it's so difficult to
make our team, much less make it to the World Cup. So, always feels like something that's so hard-earned, which I think, you know, makes you
appreciate it so much. I mean, I think, obviously, from a zoomed out perspective, you know, I'm feeling all the feels, and knowing this will be
-- this will be my last World Cup and you know, my final season just in general, feeling really grateful to be here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNELL: Now, the iconic Megan Rapinoe there, what an impact, as I said, on and off the field of play. Now, the side that's ranked 32nd in the world,
Vietnam, Isa, they're making their Women's World Cup debut later with their head coach describing their opening game against the Americans as like a
mountain that they must climb. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAI DUC CHUNG, VIETNAM WOMEN'S NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM COACH (through translator): We are far behind the U.S. team, frankly, we come here not
just for tourism, we are here to play and we have a very high spirit. But the U.S. is a very strong team. It is like a mountain we must climb. But it
doesn't mean that we will give up. We will have very suitable tactics so that we can minimize conceding goals, and we can minimize any injuries. And
if we can score a goal, then it would be great.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNELL: Well, we shall see. Now, some action, Isa, from earlier on this day. Olympic champs Canada are ranked 33 places above Nigeria in the world
rankings, and their skipper, Canadian skipper Christine Sinclair missing the chance to make some history earlier. The 40-year-old is one of just
three players to score in five FIFA World Cup alongside Brazil's Marta, and someone by the name of Cristiano Ronaldo on the men's side.
And as she looks set to become the first player to score at six editions of the tournament, what is going to happen? She steps up to take the penalty,
it's very well saved, I will say. But the Nigerian goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, a great save from her. Sinclair left very frustrated indeed, 0-0,
the final, dropped points there by the Canadians, as the focus now switches back to USA-Vietnam in the hours ahead, Isa.
SOARES: Patrick, really appreciate it, thank you very much. Now, legendary singer, Tony Bennett has died at the age of 96. Bennett carved out one of
the most remarkable careers in entertainment history, performing over eight decades. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2016, but continues to record
and actually perform. Stephanie Elam looks back at a man whose golden voice spanned genres as well as generations.
[14:25:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(TONY BENNETT SINGING)
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A legend on stage, Tony Bennett's career spanned more than 70 years. He was opening up for Pearl
Bailey when Bob Hope discovered him in 1949 in a New York City club.
BOB HOPE, LATE AMERICAN COMEDIAN: You know, it's been about 16 years since I discovered you singing in a Greenwich village nightclub. How come this is
your first appearance on my television show?
TONY BENNETT, LATE SINGER: Well, I've been waiting for you to make good.
(LAUGHTER)
ELAM: Bennett had a string of hits in the '50s, but the best was yet to come. He won his first Grammy Award in 1963 for his song, "I Left My Heart
in San Francisco" and performed it on the Judy Garland show.
(TONY BENNETT SINGING)
BENNETT: I left my heart --
ELAM: The crooner's unique voice and timeless style helped him win a total of 19 Grammys and two Emmys throughout his career.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tony Bennett, ladies and gentlemen, maybe the best pop singer in the whole world.
BENNETT: You know, I asked Sinatra, why do you think we stayed around so long? And he said because we stayed with good songs.
ELAM: But the classics weren't always hits. In the '70s, Bennett found himself without a recording contract. He was in debt and battling a drug
problem.
BENNETT: I realized that I thought I was doing well with the drugs, and I really wasn't.
ELAM: That's when Bennett's son Danny stepped in as his manager. Bennett resigned with Columbia Records and began to revitalize his career. It was
then he discovered a new audience, the "MTV" generation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look, it's Tony Bennett.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, good to see you.
BENNETT: I had the Simpsons only did a commercial for "MTV", and they liked it so much they gave me an unplugged special and it won album of the
year.
(TONY BENNETT SINGING)
ELAM: Bennett went on to collaborate with singers like Amy Winehouse for "Body and Soul", and Lady Gaga for "The Lady Is a Tramp". At 85, he became
the oldest living artist to hit number one on the billboard 200 chart with his "Duets II" album. Several years later, he toured with Lady Gaga to
promote their album, "Cheek to Cheek".
Yet, Bennett's talent went beyond singing. He was an accomplished painter with art work at the Smithsonian.
BENNETT: I have a sound life because I've always known what I wanted to do.
ELAM: The son of a grocer and a seamstress, Bennett married three times and had four children. He and his third wife, Suzanne, founded The
Exploring the Arts Foundation, and opened the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in New York.
BENNETT: Everybody has a dream and hope that something is going to work for them, and then when it happens, it's a great joy.
ELAM: Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2016, but with the encouragement of his doctors, kept doing what he loved best -- singing.
(TONY BENNETT SINGING)
He cut his final album, "Love for Sale" with Lady Gaga and performed with her one last time in two sold-out concerts for his 95th birthday.
STEFANI GERMANOTTA, SINGER-SONGWRITER: He's my musical companion. And he's the greatest singer in the whole world.
ELAM: Aired on "CBS", it was a moving tribute to a musical legend.
(TONY BENNETT SINGING)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Truly remarkable life, the legendary singer, Tony Bennett dead at age 96.
[14:32:26]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Why did it take the police, as well as the government, took so long to act and when will there be justice? Furious
protesters across India are demanding answers to those very questions after a video recently surfaced showing the sexual assault of two women months.
As Vedika Sud reports, the video shows just part of the horrific story that's linked to ongoing ethnic violence.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VEDIKA SUD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Anger in the north eastern state of Manipur and across the country. In Delhi, huge crowds gathered
protesting after graphic videos showing two women being sexually assaulted circulated online.
In the 26-second horrific clip that's gone viral on social media, two women were forced to walk naked on a road with a mob of at least three dozen men
surrounding them. The women were groped and sexually assaulted. They were terrified crying out for help covering their bare bodies with their hands.
They were let her feel where they were allegedly gang raped.
The horrific incident took place on May 4th, but police only made arrests after the video surfaced. A massive manhunt is underway for potential other
suspects. The sexual assault has renewed attention in Manipur and money for which has been grappling with ethnic clashes since May. More than a hundred
people have been killed and tens of thousands displaced during violent clashes between two communities.
The Kukis, a tribal group in the state and the majority Meitei population, they're fighting over access to government benefits. As national outrage
over the video spreads, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally made his first public statement.
NARENDRA MODI, INDIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): And I want to assure the countrymen that no culprit will be spared. The law, with all its
might and strictness, will take steps one by one. Whatever has happened with the daughters of Manipur will never be forgiven.
SUD (voice-over): But the opposition wants more from the prime minister.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we want a discussion here on Manipur. We want a discussion and the Prime Minister has to (INAUDIBLE) Manipur, Manipur,
Manipur.
SUD (voice-over): Despite the prime minister's assurances, Manipur remains tense. Women in the state have torched the house of one suspect and
questions remain as to why it took so long for authorities to take action.
[14:35:04]
It could take months for peace to return to the state. Vedika Sud, CNN, New Delhi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Mexican officials say they are investigating after gruesome find near the U.S. border. And a warning, of what you're about to see is
graphic. Authorities say 28 bodies were found in hidden graves in Reynosa earlier this week. The city sits across from McAllen, Texas in the U.S. and
an area known for organized crime. And member of a group that searches for missing people says they found the graves after an anonymous tip on social
media. We'll stay on top of that story for you, of course.
And group, aid groups, Medecins Sans Frontieres, say one of its teams has been aggressively assaulted by armed men in Sudan's capital. MSF is also
known as Doctors Without Borders. It says its 18-member crew was physically beaten and whipped in Khartoum on Thursday. They also report a vehicle was
stolen and a driver was detained and threatened. MSF didn't indicate if the attackers were from Sudan's military or the rival paramilitary group, Rapid
Support Forces.
The fighting in Sudan began in April, escalating quickly into a civil war. As CNN's David McKenzie now reports, ethnic violence is raising fears of a
new genocide. And a warning, his report contains graphic images.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In El Geneina, the survivors have fled, but the bodies remain. The city came under coordinated
attack by the Rapid Support Forces and Arab militia, witnesses tell CNN. This, the awful consequence of Sudan's civil war and decades of ethnic
hatred in Darfur. In Misteri, a town of 40,000, Human Rights Watch say attackers swept in a dawn in late may, executing at least 28 men, burning
and looting the town like so many others in Darfur.
Now, extensive reports of mass graves are emerging.
MOHAMED OSMAN, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: Fear of accountability sure I think is not that much for many of the perpetrators in Sudan.
MCKENZIE: And what could that lead to?
OSMAN: With the stories we are hearing, I think the concern that we might be heading to a situation in which would amount to be an ethnic cleansing
or a genocide.
MCKENZIE (voice-over): If this off-repeated phrase of never again is to mean anything, it must mean something here and now for the people of
Darfur. But justice then and now hasn't come. The images eerily similar to Darfur's genocide of 20 years ago. "You're all dead, dead, dead," yells a
child in Arabic at a convoy of refugees. "You sons of bitches," shouts another.
Witnesses say snipers target civilians on the road trying to flee. Refugees are often harassed and robbed near the border like in this video obtained
by CNN. If they make it out alive, they end up in sprawling camps in Chad. More than three million Sudanese have fled their homes, say the United
Nations. In Sudan's heart, Khartoum, the vicious fighting goes on. The generals of the Sudan armed forces and RSF holding the country at gunpoint.
ALAN BOSWELL, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: The big fear was that a civil war in Sudan would not only collapse the state in the center, but it would
eventually prove almost difficult to unravel anytime soon because so many other conflicts across the country would flare up.
MCKENZIE (voice-over): The paramilitary RSF with its roots, in the Janjaweed Arab Militia, seem to be gaining the upper hand in Khartoum and
Darfur. As ceasefire talks brokered by the U.S., Saudis, and others are going nowhere.
BOSWELL: Whatever happens in Sudan won't stay inside Sudan and I think the major concern is we could be looking at a Somalia type situation where if
we don't restabilize the situation soon, it could be decades before the window arises again.
SOARES: Very troubling indeed. For very latest, David McKenzie joins me now from Johannesburg. And David, the concern there, of course, is that we
could be seeing the echoes of the atrocities we saw some 20 years ago, history repeating itself. What is the international community doing? What's
the U.N., the ICC, the mediators here, what are they saying?
MCKENZIE (on camera): Well, the International Criminal Court prosecutes, Isa, you saw some of his statements in that piece, he said that the
international mechanisms have failed collectively the people of Sudan. Of course, there were already indictments for their atrocities and genocide of
20 years ago, none of those have resulted in any convictions. And, of course, Omar al-Bashir, the former dictator of Sudan, is still not being
prosecuted in Sudan at this moment.
[14:40:00]
And you say the echoes of the atrocities, yes, the worry is it could be even worse than what happened 20 years ago. You saw those images of people
being killed and left in the streets. There are multiple reports from the U.N., Human Rights Watch, and just our own reporting, of mass graves in
multiple parts of Darfur. And that fighting has also spread to other parts of that vast region in the west of the country.
You look at this propaganda video from the Sudanese armed forces, of general al-Burhan, the leader of the military in Sudan looking confident,
talking to his leadership. But really, it's a false image in many ways because they are struggling to hold on to Khartoum. The RSF paramilitary
group, which has a very troubled history of atrocities itself, is making ground, as I said, in Khartoum and in other parts of the country. This
really could be a wholesale collapse of Sudan. Analysts worry that it would draw in other countries, both in terms of supporting the belligerence, but
also possibly of the fighting spreading into the other neighboring nations.
In particular worry is Chad, of course, in the west of the country on that border region. It's a very bad situation. In terms of the negotiations,
such as they are, there really is no progress in a meaningful ceasefire, and there has been criticism of various actors in the International
Community of not working in concert, but almost competing for influence in trying to stop this fighting. Isa.
SOARES: An important story and analysis there from our David McKenzie. Thanks very much, David.
And we'll be back after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: The Box Office battle so many of you have been waiting for is now on. In one part of the ring, Oppenheimer, a three-hour epic about the
Father of the Atomic Bomb. And in the other corner, Barbie, a comedy about the most popular doll in the world. They were required so much pink paint
in fact there was an international shortage. The two movies releasing in the U.S. this Friday has led to an internet phenomenon known as
Barbenheimer with clips of the two trailers mashed together going viral.
Let's go now to CNN'S Jason Carroll. And Jason, this is going to be quite the battle and they couldn't be any more different.
[14:45:01]
Who will come up on top?
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, wait. I know you were building this as a battle, but let me just say one thing, I mean, as we've been standing
out here, yes, we've seen a number of people walk by, wearing their pink and, yes, we've heard people walk by saying Oppenheimer first, but rather
than a competition, which is like what we've seen in the past with certain films, this go-around, we've got fans saying this time, it's going to be a
double feature.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL (voice-over): Probably not much of a surprise when one hears something odd has come out of Hollywood. But now, there's this.
CILLIAN MURPHY AS ROBERT OPPENHEIMER, ACTOR: The world will remember this day.
CARROLL (voice-over): That's not a clip from a real movie, it's a fan- driven mash-up of two and it's the answer to anyone out there trying to figure out what to do when two potentially blockbuster films open on the
same day. Barbie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Barbie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Barbie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Barbie.
CARROLL (voice-over): And Oppenheimer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MURPHY: This is a matter of life and death.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL (voice-over): The internet's answer is too see both. Barbenheimer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZOE BALL, PODCASTER: I saw Barbie in the morning, I saw Oppenheimer in the afternoon.
EMILY BLUNT, ACTRESS: How did that go?
BALL: It was the right way to go.
BLUNT: OK.
RYAN GOSLING, ACTOR: I think you see Barbie afterwards as well.
BALL: Yes. OK. Yes. Again.
GOSLING: Yes. A Barbie chaser.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL (voice-over): There are TikToks, tweets, and T-shirts, even a Barbenheimer Wikipedia page promoting what has become a viral marketing
phenomenon, pushing moviegoers to try both.
CARROLL: I see you've got your Barbie pink on. So the question is, will you see Barbie and Oppenheimer or just one?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, yeah. Both. Both. Both.
PRIYA MAHABIR, MOVIEGOER: Yes. We kind of like the idea of walking into Oppenheimer with full pink, so. It's the Barbenheimer --
CARROLL: It's a look.
MAHABIR: -- experience.
CARROLL (voice-over): Both films are worlds apart.
MARGOT ROBBIE AS BARBIE, ACTRESS: You guys have a thing about dying?
CARROLL (voice-over): On the one hand, you have director Greta Gerwig's fantasy comedy about a doll experiencing an existential crisis and has to
go to the real world to resolve it. The company behind it, Warner Bros. Discovery, parent company of CNN.
BLUNT: It's happening, isn't it?
CARROLL (voice-over): And on the other, you have Christopher Nolan's biographical thriller for Universal about a physicist credited for
creating, well, you know.
MURPHY: I mean I'll be going to see Barbie a hundred percent. I can't wait to see it. I think it's just great for the industry and for audiences that
we have two amazing films by amazing filmmakers coming out the same day.
ROBBIE: It's a perfect double bill. I think actually start your day with Barbie, then go straight into Oppenheimer and then Barbie chaser.
CARROLL (voice-over): Could a double feature about a plastic doll and the so-called Father of the Atomic Bomb breathe a much needed life back into a
movie industry hit hard by streaming, disappointing post-pandemic Box Office and now actors and writers on strike?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REBECCA RUBIN, FILM AND MEDIA REPORTER, VARIETY: I think this is the best thing that's happened to movie theaters in a really long time because it's
happening really organically.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL (on camera): So a little bit of movie trivia for you back in the day, 15 years ago on July 18th, there were two other movies that were
released the same weekend. You had Mamma Mia and The Dark Knight, both went on to make a lot of money that Dark Knight ended up making a billion
dollars, Mamma Mia over 600 million, both of them considered to be commercial successes, but both of them had to end up relying on the
international market to really draw in those funds. These two films, this go-around, will likely have to do the same. Back to you.
SOARES: And which one would you watch first, Jason? Would you do Oppenheimer first to start the day?
CARROLL: Me, personally --
SOARES: -- or would you do Barbie?
CARROLL: Me personally, I would probably do Oppenheimer first because it's a darker, more serious subject. And then I would follow it up with
something lighter such as Barbie. But if I was really going to follow up with something lighter, I'd probably do Star Trek because I'm a geek, but
that's just me.
SOARES: Yeah. I'm with you. I'll start with Oppenheimer and then Barbie. You want to end on a lighter --
CARROLL: There you go.
SOARES: -- happier note. Jason, appreciate it. Thank you very much.
CARROLL: There you go.
SOARES: Now there is a new strategy to save the dwindling population of seahorses in Australian waters. Hundreds of baby seahorses have been
released into what scientists are calling hotels beneath the surface of Sydney's harbor. I take a deeper look at how scientists are hoping to save
these hotel guests from extinction.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES (voice-over): This may look like divers simply releasing seahorses into the ocean, but the divers like to think of it this way, seahorses
checking in to a new hotel room. The room is a structure made from biodegradable metal, a construction of the Sydney Seahorse Project, working
to conserve the endangered white seahorse species.
MITCHELL BRENNAN, PROJECT MANAGER, SYDNEY SEAHORSE PROJECT: But essentially, what we're trying to do is to give the seahorses habitats so
the reason that these seahorse species is endangered is through habitat loss.
[14:50:04]
So the loss of things like sea grasses and soft corals. So the seahorse hotels, we place it out into the wild and that over time, they will
accumulate lots of natural growth, including sponges and algae, and become a suitable habitat for all the seahorses, replacing that habitat that's
been lost or degraded in the past.
SOARES (voice-over): Seahorses are actually fish. The white seahorse, also known as the Sydney Seahorse, is one of two seahorse species in the world
to be classified as endangered.
BRENNAN: This is largely due to human impacts, including the effects that we have on their habitats. We've seen dramatic population losses, which
means that we need to act now in order to help these guys persist into the future.
SOARES (voice-over): Above sea level, several hundred seahorses are bred at the Sydney Institute of Marine Science Aquarium. In 2020, 90 of them were
released from this facility into the wild.
BRENNAN: After one year, 20 percent of these seahorses were still found on the seahorse hotels, so it's a really positive first sign, as well nine
seahorses were observed to be pregnant within the wild, which is really positive for the reproductive success of them after their release.
SOARES (voice-over): This month, they released more than 350 seahorses, hoping to save them from extinction and conserve the ecosystem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Two tourists have been fined more than $1,500 for taking selfies with dingoes in Australia. Authorities in Queensland said the pictures were
extremely dangerous to make since dingoes are wild animals. One woman took her picture laying down next with sleeping pack of dingo pups as you can
see there. The other woman posted a video posing next to a growling dingo. Luckily, the women were not injured.
And still to come tonight, he gets the kind of backstage access most of us could only dream of and now he's sharing some of those inside stories,
photos and words of wisdom from celebrity photographer Greg Williams coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Finally, tonight, our colleagues at CNN star have brought us the wisdom of photographer Greg Williams whose new book, "Photo Breakdowns,"
the stories behind a hundred portraits, as you can see there, features inside into his incredible celebrity snaps. Like this one of Rooney Mara
and Joaquin Phoenix here, sharing a down-to-earth moment around his new Oscar.
[14:55:01]
Or this one in fact of Cate Blanchett glowing in the sunshine, one exquisite photo.
William's advice, based on this photo you can see, if you can't move the light to your subject, well, move your subject to the light. William gives
Cake Winslet credit for this incredible scene. He thought of taking her portrait in the sea, but he says that he imagined nothing like the violent,
powerful image he ended up with. It goes to the heart of one of his biggest tips. Let's go off expectations to capture the image that is unfolding
right in front of you.
But it was William's story of this image here that caught our attention. Olivia Colman, as you can make out there, was promoting "The Crown," but
the photo shoot was basically over when she saw the toy tiaras that she has said her daughter would love. William says this moment lasted only a few
seconds and, "The lesson to anyone trying to take pictures that have this sort of joy is, it's not over until everyone has left the building." That
bit of wisdom really serves as our quote of the day.
And before we leave tonight, I want to say a huge thank you to our Senior Producer. That's this beautiful lady here wearing the red jacket with her
pearls. She has been an incredible Senior Producer here on the show. She is moving to Abu Dhabi, that's her, beautiful lady here, right here. She's
moving to Abu Dhabi to work with my colleague, Becky Anderson. We are going to miss her terribly. I also know that she's going to miss us. We are,
after all, the best show on this network. Laura, don't forget that. QUEST MEANS BUSINESS is next. Bye-bye.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
