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Isa Soares Tonight
Progressives Sweep Three Congressional Primaries in New York; Trump Blasts Republicans Who Voted to Limit War Powers; Israel: No Withdrawal from Lebanon; U.N. Commission: Israel "Deliberately" Killing Palestinian Children; Tourism Slump Hits Cuba's Hospitality Workers. Schools Closed, Trains in Turmoil and Temperature Records Broken in Devastating Heatwave Sweeping Across Europe; Trump Pressures Republican Lawmakers to Pass His Controversial Elections Bill; Final Round of the Group Stage of the World Cup Kicks Off Today. Aired 2:00-3p ET
Aired June 24, 2026 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
MAX FOSTER, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Max Foster in for Isa Soares. Tonight, schools closed, trains
in turmoil and temperature records broken. We'll bring you the very latest on the deadly heatwave now gripping Europe.
Then Senate Republicans say they can't get the votes. Sources tell CNN, the President is tired of hearing the word, no. We'll go live to Capitol Hill
where Mr. Trump is pressuring Republican lawmakers to pass his controversial elections bill.
And the final round of the group stage of the World Cup kicks off next hour with a packed schedule. I'll speak with Haitian musician Wyclef Jean as
Haiti takes on Morocco later. Now, heat records really are falling across Europe as blistering temperatures batter this continent.
The U.K. has reported its hottest June day since record-keeping began. Spain also breaking its record. France, the epicenter of this heatwave has
temporarily shut down one of its nuclear power plants as temperatures there top 40 degrees Celsius for a second day.
That's about 104 degrees Fahrenheit. More than 40 people have died, thousands of schools have closed, and authorities across western Europe are
urging people to stay indoors and only travel if absolutely essential. Nada Bashir is in London's Hyde Park. Nada.
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Max, it is starting to cool down just a little bit here in London. Although it has been a sweltering day,
not only here in the capital, but across the country. And as you mentioned, we have now seen records being broken.
This is marking now the hottest June since 1976, surpassing 36 degrees Celsius or 96 degrees Fahrenheit in Hampshire, in southern England. And of
course, there has been that red alert warning from the U.K. Met office, given the severity of the hot weather today, and we have seen schools being
forced to close, offices telling their employees to work from home.
We've also been hearing from transportation networks telling people to only commute and travel on rail networks if it is absolutely necessary. And of
course, those who have been braving public transport have faced very difficult conditions inside. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Going back to Worthing. My little boys had to be off school because he's been sick with heat. Heat exhaustion inside --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Really?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. I was meant to do the Disney Experience --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But had to miss it, as I say, because I've got to get back home --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because, yes, the heat is --
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is getting high(ph) --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Playing havoc.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I've been traveling like through London, and it's like so hot. Like I Uber-ed into the train station, even though it's like a
13-minute walk. It's been --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's been a nightmare.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASHIR: Now, of course, this is extreme weather, but scientists are warning that this could become a more frequent occurrence here in the
United Kingdom and of course, across Europe, where we have seen even hotter temperatures.
In Spain, for example, in France, there has been warnings, of course, around health concerns as well, and particularly around young children and
swimming. Of course, there have been reports of people in France, for example, drowning as a result of spending time in the water here in the
United Kingdom.
That certainly was the case during the May heatwave as well. So, that warning remains in place. And of course, many people here are just trying
to find ways to cope with the hot weather. But this is going to become a longer-term issue.
And this is really a country that is not built for the hot weather, more likely built for the colder weather without proper insulation. And of
course, with about only 5 percent of homes in the United Kingdom actually having air conditioning. So, this sweltering heat could become the new
normal in the Summer. Max?
FOSTER: OK, Nada, thank you. Europe is the world's fastest warming continent. Experts warn that its infrastructure, as Nada was saying, isn't
adequately prepared for what could become the new normal each Summer.
Chief climate correspondent Bill Weir joins me now to discuss. Bill, there will be those saying, you know, these events do happen. You go back to the
'70s, that happened. Just explain what you think is happening here.
[14:05:00]
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Well, they happen, but with much less frequency, Max. Last Summer, there was a five-day heatwave. You
recall over 2,000 heat-related deaths as a result of that, because old Europe, the charms of those old buildings aren't so charming when it's in
the 40s.
And about 20 to 25 percent of the buildings in France are air conditioning. In fact, there's air conditioning opposition. It's almost a political
stance whether you're for or against there, considering that the United States is 90 percent.
It's seen as wasteful there. But these days, it's a matter of life or death, especially for the vulnerable and the elderly in these places. So,
this conversation these days, it's just -- it all comes back to, yes, there's mitigation stopping the fossil fuel use that's causing the source
problem.
But adaptation, those days are well past behind us where we should be thinking in terms of this being a new normal, and thinking about
infrastructure. There are no -- in some places, it's impossible. The tube system in London, for example, there's no way to put air conditioning on
some of those trains because of the way it was originally built.
But this is -- this is what makes the climate crisis one of the toughest puzzles humanities has ever faced.
FOSTER: Yes, I mean, that took me forever to get in today. And that was because the trains are canceled, because the lines were buckling in places.
And also, I saw some estimate that hundreds of millions of dollars are being wiped out of the economy because of lost productivity.
I mean, you know, there weren't many trains. There weren't actually many people on them. They weren't going to work. So, there's a real cost here
now, isn't there?
WEIR: There is. There have been studies of factories in India and productivity when it goes -- when the temperatures are so high, but more so
in the overnight temperatures, because even if the factory has some sort of relief and air conditioning, if you can't sleep at night because it's so
hot, that adds up. It takes a toll over time.
FOSTER: OK, Bill, appreciate it, thank you so much.
WEIR: You bet.
FOSTER: Well, whether it's the lack of air conditioning or the risk of train tracks buckling in this extreme heat, Europe faces major
infrastructure challenges in dealing with heatwaves like this, particularly if they're going to become more common.
Let's bring in Ladd Keith; director of the Heat Resilience Initiative at the University of Arizona. He joins us from Tucson, which is also under
excessive heat right now. But you know -- you know, that city was built with heat in mind.
And Europe, you know, these cities weren't, were they? They're much older. And the heat change has been more recent.
LADD KEITH, DIRECTOR OF THE HEAT RESILIENCE INITIATIVE, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA: Yes, absolutely. Thank you for having me today. I think the main
message here is that wherever you are in the world, cities were built for climate that no longer exists.
So, whether it's the hot deserts of Arizona or Europe, you know, our cities are vastly outdated for the climate that we're seeing take place right now.
FOSTER: The thing that happens, I mean, I can certainly speak for the U.K., is that if there is this spike in heat, we should do get in southern
Europe, but everything seems to collapse. So, I mean, we were focusing on the trains, but we will talk about the homes, but we're talking about, you
know, power systems going down. All sorts of costs, which, you know, the infrastructure wasn't built to handle.
KEITH: Yes, definitely. And I -- and I would say the current heatwave would be virtually impossible without the influence of climate change. But
unfortunately, we keep treating these events like one-offs when they occur, right?
And we really need to treat them like they are going to occur because they've been projected to happen exactly as they are happening, but more
frequently and more severely in the future. And so, again, we really need to update our city plans and our infrastructure to deal with the
temperatures that we're experiencing now and the temperatures that we're going to continue to experience in the future.
FOSTER: But the cost of that is unmanageable, isn't it? Particularly in these times when all the European governments are struggling.
KEITH: Yes, to that, I would just say the cost of inaction is even greater. And you can just see with the death toll and the heat illness is
already rising from this particular event, not acting is not an option, and will only result in the loss of lives and the loss of infrastructure that
is critical.
And looking at the economic costs, just keeping track of the number of events that have been canceled and workplaces that have been forced to
close and schools that have been forced to close across Europe. There's a huge economic toll to this, too.
FOSTER: A lot of focus on air conditioning because there isn't as much of it in Europe as there is in America. But is that really the answer? Surely
that just creates more of a climate problem.
KEITH: Yes, I think this is one of those situations where there's no one- size-fits-all solution for the world, right? We do have a higher prevalence of air conditioning in the United States, but even here, folks can't afford
to turn the air conditioning that they have on due to the rising energy costs.
[14:10:00]
I think Europe, particularly with the older building stock and a lot of the -- a lot of the building stock being very well built for the cooler climate
that it used to experience, it's very hard to retrofit, right?
And so, while I think, you know, indoor cooling will probably continue to increase across the world, and we do have to counterbalance that with the
greenhouse gas emissions that will create, and of course, the cost on individuals when they're expected to upgrade their own homes and kind of
living situations to deal with it, too.
They did really focus on indoor cooling for public spaces, transit systems where it's possible, is really important especially for the most vulnerable
in our communities.
FOSTER: Are there some, you know, relatively cheap options? I know, you know, in South America, for example, there are cities where they just
planted lots of trees, things like that can make a big difference, can't they?
KEITH: Yes, absolutely. So, I think there's -- like I said, there's not one single silver-bullet solution that will save us from the heat, reducing
greenhouse gas emissions is the first step. And cities across Europe and across the world are already looking at other heat mitigation strategies.
So, you mentioned urban forestry, urban greening to help cool our cities using more reflective materials, especially on the rooftops, to help
reflect some of that heat where it's appropriate. And I think really important is reducing waste heat.
And so, waste heat from existing air conditioning and from fossil fuel powered vehicles can contribute quite a lot to their urban heat island
effect. And reducing waste heat also has the co-benefit of reducing those greenhouse gas emissions, too.
So, really kind of looking at a holistic approach on how to cool our cities when we're faced with these more extreme heat waves as they occur.
FOSTER: Ladd Keith, appreciate it, thank you very much for joining us from Arizona. Now, still to come, he is a Grammy-winning artist, producer and
composer, and a big supporter of Haiti's World Cup squad as well. The legendary Wyclef Jean joins us after the -- after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: The final round of the group stage of the World Cup kicks off in the next hour. Canada will take on Switzerland for the first place in Group
B. Both squads seem likely to move on into the knockout round. Also, at the top of the hour, Bosnia and Qatar.
Fans of both are hoping for something to cheer about following embarrassing defeats and after drinking Boston dry, the Tartan Army has invaded Miami to
cheer on Scotland against the powerhouse, Brazil.
[14:15:00]
Also, amongst the matches, later Haiti, looking for its first World Cup point as it takes on Morocco. Our Don Riddell is in the fan zone in Atlanta
ahead of that Haiti-Morocco match. I mean, you've got a busy night altogether, haven't you?
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yes, a little bit loud here, Max. As you can see, a lot of people are having an awful lot of fun and the games haven't
even started yet. We're still about 45 minutes away from the first action of the day.
This is the period of the tournament where the group stages are starting to conclude. So, three groups will be wrapped up today. Morocco, as you say,
are going to be featuring in this game here in Atlanta, playing Haiti.
They are a really strong team, might even be a dark horse consideration to go all the way in this tournament. They are the reigning Afcon champions by
virtue of the fact that the African football's governing body disqualified their opponent, Senegal, from the final this year.
But I was in Qatar four years ago and watched Morocco go all the way to the semifinals. It was the first time an African team had ever done that. So,
Morocco, with high hopes today playing against a Haiti team that's already been knocked out of this competition.
Big game coming up later, I think you just referenced it in Florida, Brazil against Scotland. Brazil, I think their fans would say have been less than
fully convincing so far in this tournament. A lot of intrigue around this game, though, because we're expecting Neymar to play some kind of role in
this game.
He hasn't played for his country in two-and-a-half years, but he is Brazil's record goal scorer. The Scotland fans, of course, are totally up
for this game. I think a lot of people in the United States will be hoping Scotland can stick around for at least one more game after this, because
everybody has fallen in love with the Tartan Army.
For the Scots, Brazil are kind of an old enemy in World Cup terms. This is going to be the fifth time they've played them. They've never beaten them.
It may well be that the Scots don't actually have to win this game today.
Maybe a narrow defeat will still get them through, but they won't know until the end of the group stage on Saturday night. And another game worth
keeping an eye on is one of the three co-hosts, Canada, they are also kicking off in about 45 minutes time against Switzerland.
Their fans marching in unison to that game. Canada having a great World Cup, before this tournament, they'd never even picked up a World Cup point,
but they got that in their first game. Then they got their first win with an absolute thrashing of Qatar, 6-0 in their second game.
A win or a draw against Switzerland today will confirm their place and as the top of the group. And that's important because it will mean that they
will stay at home in Vancouver through the next two knockout games.
And that will be huge. A terrific home advantage if the Canadians want to keep going in this tournament. But first, Switzerland today, an important
game for them.
FOSTER: Hope you keep up, Don, thank you. Well, while Haiti's squad will not be moving on to the round of 32, just getting to the men's tournament
has brought a huge sense of unity to a divided nation facing enormous challenges.
Music icon, Wyclef Jean is one of the club's biggest supporters and one of the country's most important voices. His new album, "Clef Notes", out this
Friday, I'm sure you're all aware, but we are very pleased to have Wyclef Jean on the show tonight. Thank you so much for joining us.
And I mean, just describe what it's been like for the nation being just part of this tournament, despite the fact they're not going all the way.
NELUST WYCLEF JEAN, HAITIAN RAPPER, SINGER, SONGWRITER & RECORD PRODUCER: Well, I think that, you know, they're already winners because they've taken
the heart of 12 million people that's on the island. And you see the pouring out, happiness of the diasporas all over the world.
And you see within the United States of America, the pouring in, the excitement. So today, as a football fan, you know, all I need is one goal
from Haiti. That's the focus point. You know what I mean? Big shout-out to Morocco, they've been pretty amazing.
I tweeted, you know, on my Twitter. I was like, it's kind of like the year of the underdogs a lot. You're seeing like a lot of teams that you probably
was not expecting are definitely rising. So, again, we commend Haiti and we're very proud of them, and I couldn't be prouder at this time.
FOSTER: How is that -- you know, how have they managed to train in that environment that they've been in? Obviously, so much of your infrastructure
has been wiped away. There are so many other priorities. What's the training been like for the team as you understand it?
JEAN: Well, the thing is, a lot of this is what's amazing about Haiti, right? So, keep in mind, as a Haitian, I left Haiti at nine years old, I
came to Haiti. But the first time America saw the Haitian flag was at the Grammys, right?
I wasn't living in the country, but I was still part of the country. So, what you have is a lot of Haitians that play for different clubs outside of
Haiti, and have decided to represent for their country.
[14:20:00]
So, again, in order for the country to move forward, right? It's going to take the energy of the diaspora that's outside of the country to bring
pride back in and instill it in the nation, which has 12 million people. So, definitely, again, it's a sign of hope for 12 million people.
FOSTER: Great. Shame for a lot of the fans, I mean, if they could afford to go there, they couldn't get there, could they, at one point? It was only
recently they were even allowed visas. What happened there?
JEAN: Well, you know, again, I think that, you know, sadly, I wish that it was different, right? That some people could have got visas to come over to
the United States. But despite the fact, again, Haitians have showed up in record numbers in these stadiums and are -- and are representing, you know.
And on a lighter note, you know, I did see in Cape Verdean, you know, that he was -- the goalie was able to get his mom an actual visa. So, you know,
even amongst -- sometimes when we have stories that are sad, there's still amazing stories.
FOSTER: Yes, it's been a really great story generally. Wyclef Jean, really appreciate you joining us tonight and good luck later. Hope you get that
goal.
JEAN: Thank you. I've got to teach you a word. (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
FOSTER: Go on.
JEAN: Goodnight, Jay --
FOSTER: What could it mean?
JEAN: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(CROSSTALK)
JEAN: Let's go Haiti, baby.
FOSTER: That's who -- oh --
JEAN: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
FOSTER: Let's go Haiti -- I'll just say let's go Haiti, baby --
JEAN: Let's go, I need you to say this --
FOSTER: Anyway, thank you --
JEAN: On TV, goodnight jay --
FOSTER: Goodnight jay.
(LAUGHTER)
JEAN: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
FOSTER: This is going to go viral because it's so bad.
(LAUGHTER)
FOSTER: So --
JEAN: No, I need you (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
FOSTER: Thank you for joining me --
JEAN: There you go --
FOSTER: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
JEAN: Baby, we're up, let's go now!
FOSTER: Yes --
JEAN: My man, let's go CNN!
FOSTER: Still to come tonight, not just the football, the progressive power broker. I will discuss how New York's mayor is pushing the Democratic
Party to the left, and whether his local success can impact politics across the U.S.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:25:00]
FOSTER: Let's take you straight to Capitol Hill, where U.S. President Donald Trump has just been speaking. Let's listen in.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So, I think we had a really great meeting, and we're very proud of the party. We like our leader, we
like everybody really in the room, I don't like a few people, but that's OK. I think you know who they are.
But we -- I'll give you -- I'll give you that information someday. But for the most part, we have a really well unified party. And I said it very
strongly. We have the hottest country anywhere in the world. We're the most powerful. We're the smartest. We're the most respected.
Two years ago, we were a laughingstock all over the world. We had a terrible group of people representing us. Every leader -- I just left G7 --
every leader, and we had a lot of people in addition to G7, as you know, came.
Everyone said, what we've done in a year-and-a-half is a miracle. We have the hottest country in the world, and we want to keep it that way. We have
more factories being built right now than we have at any point at any time in the history of our country.
And all of those factories are opening up soon. It's all jobs. And our job numbers are incredible. Anyway, I see that oil just broke the $70 number.
Who would have thought that was going to happen? And that's during a war.
And Iran is being very nice. They're agreeing to everything that I want, and they have to. Otherwise, we just go back and do what we have to do.
Thank you very much.
FOSTER: CNN's chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju is with us. I think he was on a bit of a tangent there, wasn't he, Manu? Because he was
actually there. He's got an issue with some of the Republicans on the Hill.
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, no question about it. And in fact, he did not take questions there as you saw. He did take
one question going in, didn't speak to -- ask the questions leaving, which is notable because the President often does engage in lengthy back-and-
forth with reporters.
But there are so many contentious issues that he is dealing with, with Senate Republicans. In fact, I am told that this meeting grew rather
intense behind the scenes. In fact, there was a flare up between one Republican Senator, Bill Cassidy, and the President, who -- Trump actually
pushed out, actually effectively defeated in his primary just last month.
Cassidy has come back and has been a thorn in the side of the President on a number of issues, including on the war with Iran. Cassidy joining with
three other Republican senators behind yesterday to limit the President's war powers with Iran.
In fact, Cassidy has said publicly that the war with Iran is a blunder. And I'm told that they went back-and-forth in a rather intense confrontation
there. And I -- you know, as you heard Trump there, he alluded to some senators that he didn't particularly like, that, probably a reference to
Bill Cassidy there.
And that was a question that I had to him, but he did not take about the feud that he has had with GOP senators. But nevertheless, even though the
President came out and said that, everybody is on the same page, this is a party and a -- and a White House that is very much not on the same page on
a number of issues.
Not only about strategy, about what legislation they pursue, and about the central issue of affordability in this campaign season. The President
canceling that signing ceremony over this bipartisan bill to deal with housing issues that was approved by major big majorities in the House and
Senate, something that Republican leaders wanted to tout on the campaign trail.
But in doing so, doing and demanding passage of a separate bill, this so- called Save America Act, which does not have the votes to pass for feuding with his own party President, trying to put a different spin on it, leaving
this meeting. But the reality is that very much not on the same page in this critical Midterm election season, Max.
FOSTER: Fascinating behind the scenes observations from Manu there on Capitol Hill. Thank you so much as ever, Manu. Now, it is likely too soon
to call it a political bellwether meanwhile. But it is clear that in parts of America, progressive candidates are gaining strength, and New York may
be their home base.
Three progressive Democrats won congressional primaries on Tuesday. Each of them had the backing of the democratic socialist Mayor of New York, Zohran
Mamdani. Two of the victories involved the ousting of long-time Democratic congressional incumbents.
Mayor Mamdani says voters respond to candidates who focus on affordability and the working class.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK STATE: What is shining through for New Yorkers and for Americans is a focus on the working person.
And when I walked the streets with Claire, with Brad, with Daria Lisa, what we spoke to New Yorkers about was how we could make it easier for them to
afford child care.
For them to afford their rent check, for them to afford to live in the district that they grew up in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Let's bring in CNN's Gloria Pazmino in New York with the very latest on this. Because Gloria, you know, when he was elected, some people
said it was a one-off, you know, a Democratic socialist. It's not going to go any further than this.
It was extraordinary to see how everyone he endorsed in this latest round of elections actually succeeded. So, it is bigger than Mamdani.
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right, Max, and that's how the mayor described it last night. In fact, while he was delivering
victory speeches at some of the campaign headquarters for the campaigns that he was supporting, he said that this movement actually started with
his election.
I have to remind you, we're only seven months into the Mamdani administration here in New York City, and already he not only took a big
swing by getting behind these three Democratic candidates, but he took out two Democratic incumbents. He broke with the party establishment, backed
the progressive challengers, and it delivered for him yesterday night.
There is a lot of talk here today in New York City about Mamdani, the kingmaker, right? He now has three new members on their likely way to the
House of Representatives, three of them that challenged the -- two of them challenged the incumbents, and I should say two of them are backed by the
Democratic Socialists of America. I think that is also an important detail because this is the ascendant left wing of the Democratic Party.
So, I think a lot of the conversation today is about what it means for the party, what it means for the future of the party, and certainly the
messaging that Democrats are going to be using going into the midterm elections.
These three candidates, you're seeing them there, Claire Valdez and Brad Lander, along with Darializa Avila Chevalier, they all shared the same
platform, a focus on working class issues, talking about affordability, and I think very critically, they all shared a sharp criticism of Israel and
campaigned on ending U.S. support for military aid in Israel. I think that is a really important distinction and really shows you just how much things
have shifted certainly here in New York since October 7th, since Israel's military campaign in Gaza. That was certainly a major issue across these
three campaigns. So, I think we are going to see an interesting few months now.
I think one major question is, how is this mayor going to work with this congressional delegation, which is still led by Hakeem Jeffries, who is
still in office and has said that he obviously disagrees with Mayor Mamdani on some of his support. And I think it's going to be an interesting dynamic
between the two of them in the next few months.
FOSTER: Yes, absolutely. Gloria, thank you so much. Joining us from New York. For some additional analysis of all the U.S. political action today,
it's been a busy day, we are joined by CNN contributor Lulu Garcia Navarro. Lulu, thank you so much for joining us.
I mean, I have to say, the Mamdani story has really resonated here because, you know, he's one of the few political figures that really breaks out of
America, isn't he? And, but, you know, this is just a story about New York, right? This isn't necessarily going to translate elsewhere.
LULU GARCIA NAVARRO, CNN CONTRIBUTOR AND NEW YORK TIMES JOURNALIST AND PODCAST HOST: Well, that is the question, isn't it? Is this an indication
of what is to come in this country, or can we just look at New York?
But let me give you this sort of counterintuitive point. New York is the epicenter of the Democratic Party. Hakeem Jeffries from New York, Chuck
Schumer you know, Senate minority leader from New York Mayor Mamdani from New York. So, you know, it is not just a very blue city, it is the most
important financial center in the country, and it is, one could argue the very important base of Democratic politics.
And so, what happens in New York might translate to the rest of the country, and that is something that certainly many people are looking at.
Listen, we have now had 10 years of tumultuous politics in the United States of America.
And if you look at other countries, which we often don't like to do here but I have been, you know, based in Latin America and the Middle East and
all sorts of places. We see often that when you have a hard right government like you have here now the pendulum then swings in the opposite
direction.
And so, are we at a moment when Americans, American voters, Democrats in particular, are looking to have that countervailing force to Trumpism, to
the far right in this country? And that remains to be seen, but certainly voters that I've spoken to, especially young voters, are looking for
something different.
FOSTER: Yes, he really has. I mean, he's phenomenal on social media, isn't he? They got that going on the left of your politics. On the right, we were
just hearing from Manny Raju about this bust-up behind the scenes between Trump and congressional Republicans.
[14:35:00]
They're standing up to him now. I mean, what's going on at that side of politics?
NAVARRO: Yes, Republicans in Congress are finally getting a spine. Many people have been wondering during the Trump era, where obviously
Republicans control the three branches of government, the president, the presidency, and the two upper house and lower house of Congress. And, you
know, Republicans have sort of kowtowed to Trump at every turn.
And what is happening now? Well, a few things. First of all, Trump did a bit of a self-own here, where he was primarying members of his own party.
And the way our system works means that they still have many, many months left in government, and they're mad. And so, with these very thin margins,
they now are vocal dissenters in the party.
So, when Trump needs them to do a vote for him, like right now, he wants to pass the SAVE Act, for example, which is a sort of voting restriction act,
they are in opposition to him. And they've been called a little bit waggishly here, the YOLO group, you know, which is like, you only live
once. They sort of don't care anymore about what Trump thinks. And so, that has caused problems for him in Congress.
We also, in some sense, have a lame duck Congress, right? Because these midterms are coming up very soon. The primaries are already underway. And
so, what they can actually accomplish is very little. And thirdly, the president is deeply unpopular. He is underwater now. They are not kowtowing
to a president that is, you know, very popular, is coming off a series of wins. No, this is a president that is wounded, a president that has
launched a very deeply unpopular war with Iran, and also is overseeing an economy that most Americans are deeply dissatisfied with.
FOSTER: His critics will name endless mistakes that he's made. But would you argue that, you know, we'll look back on history here and see Iran as
the really, really big turning point for Trump and how he handled that?
NAVARRO: I mean, it's difficult to know. I think when we look back at the Biden administration, right, there was a real turning point with
Afghanistan. And we saw that he never recovered from the grave misstep of how the United States withdrew from Afghanistan. And perhaps history will
look at Donald Trump's adventure in Iran in the same way.
There were already deep warning signs. The economy was already in trouble because of some of his actions, like tariffs. But Iran certainly has sort
of turbocharged that. And it's caused great divisions within his own party. What you see on the left regarding Israel, we just heard about there, you
are also now seeing on the right.
FOSTER: What do you think Trump and other Republicans, meanwhile, just to take it back to the beginning of the conversation, are going to make of
Mamdani's success? Do they see that as a threat? Because I have heard the suggestion that they would welcome Mamdani to sort of have a much bigger
role because they feel he won't work in other parts of the country.
NAVARRO: Well, I mean, they are going to try what they did in 2018, when AOC and the quote unquote squad came in and try and use some of these
figures who are, let me be honest, quite controversial. I mean, Darializa, one of the people who won in New York, has deeply controversial and very
outside of the mainstream positions, and has very problematic social media history.
And so, while the Democratic Party wants to portray itself as a big tent that it welcomes everyone, Democrats have really been trying to shake this
image of them as extremists, as sort of culturally out of touch with mainstream Americans. And so -- and they want to fight on the ground of
affordability, which they feel like they have much stronger footing on.
This, I've heard many Republicans say, is a gift to them because they can use some of this, they believe, to sort of fight these culture war battles
that have been so successful for them in the past.
FOSTER: Yes, it's fascinating. Lulu, as ever, thank you so much for your analysis on all of that.
Now, tech billionaire Bill Gates has acknowledged he may have been in the presence of Jeffrey Epstein's victims, but he says he never personally
interacted with them or witnessed any crimes. That is according to a newly released transcript of his closed-door testimony to a congressional
committee earlier this week. Month, rather. Gates said his three-year relationship with the late sex offender was strictly professional. A
spokesperson for Gates says he supports the full release of the Epstein files.
[14:40:00]
Still to come tonight, Israel's defense minister says under no circumstances will Israeli troops withdraw from occupied positions in
Lebanon. What that could mean for the interim U.S.-Iran peace agreement ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: Despite new shuttled diplomacy by the U.S. Secretary of State, an interim peace deal with Iran looks increasingly threatened by the day by
the Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon. Israel's defense minister says there is no U.S. request to withdraw Israeli troops from Lebanon, and even if
there were, Israel wouldn't do it. Lebanese state media say an Israeli strike killed two people today in southern Lebanon, despite a ceasefire
between Israel and Hezbollah.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is trying to separate the war in Lebanon from the U.S.-Iran peace agreement, even though ending that war is the
first requirement of the 14-point plan. Rubio is now in Kuwait on a regional tour to shore up support from U.S. allies. He says control of
Lebanese territory is a key focus of talks underway in Washington between Israel and Lebanon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The more of that area the Lebanese armed forces is able to secure, the less of it's in Hezbollah's control,
the less Israel will be in Lebanon. But obviously that's the process we're working through right now with these talks. That's at the core of these
talks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Well, while the world focuses elsewhere in the Middle East, an independent U.N. Commission is raising the alarm about Gaza, saying Israeli
forces are still committing genocide there by deliberately targeting children. The commission issued a 94-page report that says Israel is
attacking the very capacity of the Palestinian people to exist by harming their sons and daughters. It says it's identified specific Israeli military
units responsible for the killing and injuring of children.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SRINIVASAN MURALIDHAR, CHAIR, U.N. COMMISSION OF INQUIRY: The commission found indisputable evidence with regards to the deliberate, targeted
killing of Palestinian children, including since the October 2025 ceasefire, the use of torture, inhumane and degrading treatment, including
use of sexual and gender-biased violence against Palestinian children, as well as targeting of critical infrastructure essential to children such as
health care and educational facilities.
[14:45:00]
Israel targets children to weaken demographic vitality and deny the Palestinian people's right to self-determination.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Israel is slamming the U.N. Commission's report, calling it propaganda and political blood libel. It's repeatedly denied committing
genocide.
Now, to Cuba, where the country's once robust tourism industry has been gutted by U.S. sanctions and an effective oil blockade, as the Trump
administration ramps up pressure on the Cuban government. The sharp decline in visitors has wiped out a key source of revenue for hospitality workers.
As Patrick Oppmann reports, many fear even harder times are ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN HAVANA BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): You can look for tourists in Cuba, but good luck finding any these days. The colonial
streets and plazas in Old Havana, one of the island's main attractions for foreign visitors, are strikingly empty.
OPPMANN: Cuba's tourism sector is enduring the worst moment in years, if not decades. We've come to an area that should be absolutely full of
tourists to see how bad it's gotten.
OPPMANN (voice-over): Rolando is trying to promote the restaurant where he works, but there's hardly anyone to make his pitch to. You don't see any
tourists.
ROLANDO, TOURISM WORKER: Maybe in this moment, 10 persons. Ten persons, tourists in -- in this square. That is the best square, is Plaza Vieja and
the other square in Havana. Maybe 10 persons. It's nothing.
OPPMANN (voice-over): The oil blockade placed by the Trump administration on Cuba earlier this year has contributed to rolling blackouts and a
scarcity of jet fuel for airlines carrying tourists from Europe or Canada, which have canceled flights.
Threats of increased U.S. economic sanctions on international hotel chains is forcing many companies to abandon the island and remove the brands off
hotels they used to manage for the Cuban government.
According to official statistics, only 360,000 tourists visited the island in the first five months of 2026, a more than 58 percent drop from the
previous year.
The Trump administration says it is pressuring the island's communist rulers to open the tightly controlled economy and political system.
But people like Elio and Andres (ph), who have been playing traditional Cuban music on the street corner for nearly 30 years, are among those
feeling the squeeze.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
OPPMANN (voice-over): When we meet them, the guitar duo had earned less than a dollar in tips that day. They told me the economy has never been
this bad, even during the pandemic.
There are no tourists, Elio says. Maybe they are at home. One comes by only every half hour or hour.
Even the famed Hemingway trail, the bars where the American writer drank his way across Havana has gone cold.
OPPMANN: This is one of the most famous bars in Havana. You can see Hemingway's signature there on the wall. This is one of the many places he
drank. He said he came here for his mojito. I've never been able to come here without there being just a crush of tourists. We're the first
customers of the day. It's a tourist trap without any tourists.
OPPMANN (voice-over): For the first time, Cuban officials say they may allow Cuban exiles or Cubans still living on the island to manage hotels.
But full ownership, so far, at least, is still not permitted. The collapse of the tourism economy is a disaster for a government that spent years
pouring scant resources into building hotels.
OPPMANN: This is not only Cuba's largest hotel, it's the tallest building on this island. This is one of the most expensive things this government
here has ever built. Architects who worked on this project told me it cost more than $200 million to build this hotel, which is now empty and closed.
OPPMANN (voice-over): Still, construction continues on even more hotels that are unlikely to see paying customers anytime soon. Cubans who work in
tourism are trying anything to make ends meet.
Alexander tells us he lowered prices to take a carriage ride with his horse, Napoleon, so that Cubans could afford a city tour. He still barely
makes enough money to pay for his government license to work as a guide. More reforms urgently need to take place, he says.
ALEXANDER, TOURISM WORKER: If we don't change our system, if we don't change our economic model, we'll never survive like a human being. Because
every day, daily, there are problems and problems and problems. And if we don't solve, if we don't change those things, you will never have a real
future.
OPPMANN (voice-over): Cuba's tourism industry has already collapsed under increased U.S. pressure. Now, the fear is the rest of the island's
teetering economy could soon follow.
Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[14:50:00]
FOSTER: Still to come tonight, forget team statistics, the best predator - - predictors, rather, for World Cup wins may have four legs or fins. We'll introduce you to the tournament's animal oracles.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: Well, forget the pundits and the prediction markets. The best predictors for winners at the World Cup may be at your local zoo. Don
Riddell takes a deep dive into the world of animal oracles that includes a shockingly accurate goldfish.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT (voice-over): Meet Swimbappe, a goldfish in Toronto who, quote, "predicts World Cup matches every morning." The
competing country's flags are placed above the tank and below in the water, Swimbappe swims either left or right to put in his prediction. His owners
say he has a good record. Of the decisive outcomes so far, the fish has correctly predicted around 75 percent of the time.
TIM GLENN, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, ONEMETHOD: So, this is kind of our way of participating in this big cultural moment that's happening for our city
here in Toronto and also for our country here in Canada. But we'll see. We'll see what happens. We have to trust the fish.
RIDDELL (voice-over): A trio of lions at Dallas Zoo are also taking the pitch. Paper mache soccer balls filled with food are scattered around a
goal with two flags on either side. Whichever side they go for first represents their pick. However, their lead zoologist says the exercise is
more than just being the best guesser.
MAGGIE KLOZA, LEAD ZOOLOGIST, DALLAS ZOO: So, this is an enrichment for them. And so, enrichment is very important and elicits certain like natural
behaviors. So, we want them to scratch, to hunt, to search. And this is our way of doing it. So, we do something like this every single day for them so
they have the best lives and they're very enriched in their lives.
RIDDELL (voice-over): For some, this isn't their first World Cup. An orangutan from Germany has been participating in this tradition for over 20
years. Walter is faced with two sacks of competing countries. And the one he pulls down is his prediction.
MARCEL STAWINOGA, SPOKESPERSON, DORTMUND ZOO (through translator): There are so many World Cup oracles or football predictors these days. But
Sumatran orangutan Walter is definitely the most experienced one we have here in Germany. No one else comes close.
RIDDELL (voice-over): Ritinha the Shark, Tarak the Elephant and Junior the Dog are also making their picks for the World Cup. They're all following in
the footsteps with the tentacles of Paul the Octopus.
[14:55:00]
The late sea creature rose to fame during the 2010 World Cup when he correctly predicted eight games out of eight. That's a hard act to follow.
But if any of our furry, finned or feathered friends can do something similar, they'll be guaranteed World Cup immortality.
Don Riddell, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Now, one of the biggest events of the summer may be coming to Madison Square Garden meanwhile. According to the New York Times, a permit
has been filed to close the streets nearby. It's not known who filed the permits, but Swifties are following the clues.
Pop superstar Taylor Swift is known for hosting big 4th of July parties and Swift is soon expected to say yes to her fiance, Travis Kelsce. The closure
is from July the 2nd to July the 4th. And several members of his team, the Kansas City Chiefs, have reportedly booked New York hotel rooms on those
dates. These Swifties are sleuths.
Thanks for watching tonight. Do stay with CNN. I'll have "What We Know" after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
