Return to Transcripts main page
Isa Soares Tonight
U.S. And Iran Ceasefire Disintegrates As President Trump Reinstates The American Blockade; Firefighters Battle A Huge Forest Fire Near Paris As A Devastating Heatwave Extends Its Deadly Sweep Across Europe; U.S. Senate Set To Return In The Wake Of Lindsey Graham's Sudden Death; Republicans Scramble To Find Replacement For Graham; Ukraine Loses Major U.S. Supporter With Death of Graham; Lawsuit To Stop Paramount-WBD Merger. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired July 13, 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, the U.S. and Iran
ceasefire disintegrates as President Donald Trump reinstates the American blockade.
Then firefighters battle a huge forest fire near Paris as a devastating heatwave extends its deadly sweep across Europe. Plus, the U.S. Senate is
set to return next hour in the wake of Lindsey Graham's sudden death. Who could replace him, the Republican lawmaker?
Well, President Trump has a suggestion that and much more just ahead. We begin, though, with the reinstatement to the American blockade in the
Strait of Hormuz, a U.S.-Iran ceasefire in shambles, and threats of a wider war breaking out across the Middle East now.
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump posted that the U.S. blockade on Iranian ships in the Strait is back on. A U.S. official says the American
military is getting ready to restart blockading ships heading to the Iranian ports.
The President also declared that the U.S. was now the guardian of that critical waterway, and would be charging ships for passage. It comes after
an escalation of military strikes between the two countries.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(ARTILLERY FIRE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: The U.S. ramped up attacks, most of which were focused on Iran's southern coast. Tehran says it struck Gulf neighbors Bahrain and Kuwait and
Jordan. A top Iranian military official says by cooperating with the U.S., those countries have increased the risk of war spreading across the region.
CNN's senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes joins us now. And these threats about the blockade were more than that. They're happening
right now, I think.
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. So, we've heard from U.S. officials that they are starting the process to
reimpose that blockade. And one thing to note is that this was not an easy thing to do the first time.
There was no playbook on how to form a blockade for this large of a scale. But it is interesting if you talk to U.S. officials, they do believe that
this is the most, or at least, one of the most effective ways they have to exert control over Iran, more so than even those strikes that we are seeing
now on a more consistent basis.
They believe that this chokes off Iran in terms of any kind of financial gain. And now, it seems as though they are going to try to reimpose that
blockade as -- at least, according to these officials, the process has already started in order to bring them back to either the negotiating table
or perhaps, this is where we land.
Right now, it seems as though we are careening into territory of that heightened conflict that we saw before the ceasefire, President Trump
saying, we're going to hit them back harder. He also said that they had a done-deal, unclear there if he was referring to that Memorandum of
Understanding or something else, but that Iran circled back, that they went back on their deal.
And he's really been lashing out at the country overall. Now, we had known that President Trump was looking for a diplomatic off-ramp. He did not want
to get back full into military escalation, although, right now, it appears we are getting closer to that every single day.
The question, of course, is whether or not, one, this blockade, they actually can escort regular commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
That is something that would be considered extremely dangerous.
And on top of that, we know that there are a lot of commercial vessels that might not want to traverse through the Strait of Hormuz if they don't have
permission from Iran, just because it is more dangerous. The other part of this is this kind of toll or amount of money that President Trump says that
the U.S. should be reimbursed for if they do take on this role of the, quote-unquote, "guardian of the Strait of Hormuz".
I mean, we should note that U.S. officials have themselves said that nobody should be making money off of a global waterway like the Strait of Hormuz.
So, how exactly they would impose this and what that would look like are all still ongoing questions.
FOSTER: Kristen Holmes from the White House, thank you so much. U.S. lawmaker Ro Khanna says the Israeli military is lying about an incident
involving his convoy in the West Bank, calling his detention by settlers an outrage.
[14:05:00]
But he says it's nothing compared to what Palestinians experience every single day. Khanna says, quote, "it's time to share their stories that
American politics have silenced and ignored." Khanna was visiting the West Bank last week when he says he was detained by Israeli settlers brandishing
American-made weapons. He says soldiers dispatched to the scene took the settlers' side.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): These hoodlums with M4s circled our van. They started kicking the tires. They yelled insults. They said it didn't matter
that we were Americans. And then the IDF came and they blocked the road. There's breaking news.
Video camera released just this morning that shows those IDF officers siding with the settlers against the Americans. Many, even conservatives,
have said, how dare they do this to an American passport holder, not just me. Four Americans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Ro Khanna appears to be referring there to a video posted today by the head of breaking the silence, a group of former Israeli soldiers who
back up Khanna's account. The IDF has a different story. It says IDF troops were dispatched to the scene, quickly dispersed the Israeli civilians and
reopened the blocked road.
Now, just days after that incident, CNN and other journalists came under attack by armed settlers in the West Bank. Our Jeremy Diamond was
accompanying a father who lost his son, an American citizen, to a mob of settlers who beat him to death last year on his family's land.
As Jeremy reports, Saturday's incident only deepened the father's trauma.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kamel Musallet hasn't been able to reach this land in over a year. This is the hillside
where his son, Saif(ph), an American citizen, was killed.
(On camera): It's like it's down here if you want to walk --
KAMEL MUSALLET, FATHER OF AMERICAN KILLED BY SETTLERS: Yes --
DIAMOND (voice-over): Beaten to death by Israeli settlers exactly one year ago. Since then, settlers have illegally occupied the area, preventing this
father from getting the closure he so desperately seeks.
MUSALLET: We have to keep an eye because usually they'll come down that way.
DIAMOND: We've come here in an armored vehicle wearing bulletproof vests because of how violent these settlers have been. But we've made it.
(On camera): What does it feel like to finally be here after a year?
MUSALLET: It's just like I'm -- be honest with you, I'm imagining like. Now just imagining him, you know, like, so it's just a lot going on in my head
right now. Like just what he went through at that moment.
DIAMOND: I'll let you take a moment, Kamel.
(Voice-over): But this solemn, sacred moment won't last. Within seconds, we spot a car speeding towards us. We start to leave, but as we drive away, we
see that four settlers have set up a roadblock, armed with clubs and rocks, they try and block our way first with their bodies, and then --
(On camera): And now it looks like he's trying to slash our tires. He's trying to slash our tires.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, he's got a knife, he's going for our tires --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my God!
DIAMOND (voice-over): A group of independent journalists and activists are in the car behind us, but their vehicle isn't armored.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Move!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Drive! Go! Watch out! Watch out!
MUSALLET: Without an armored car, without a bulletproof vest, how do I get to my land? The Israeli army should -- right now should be here and kicking
them out. It's illegal for them to be there. It's frustrating. It's -- you're so angry and you can't do nothing about it. It just kills you from
inside.
DIAMOND: But the settlers aren't done. More arrive blocking another road before chasing us and attacking us again.
(On camera): No, they're trying to stop our car again. They're hitting us.
(Voice-over): We finally make it back to safety where I get on the phone with the Israeli military, which is responsible for security in this area.
But settlers have also called the military, and these soldiers are only interested in harassing us, refusing to take action against the settlers.
Minutes later, the commander of a different battalion arrives and sends his soldiers after the settlers, detaining them until the police arrive. The
Israel police said they arrested four suspects and seized clubs and a knife they vow to, quote, "bring them to justice accordingly".
A full year later, Kamel Musallet is still waiting for his son's killers to be brought to justice.
MUSALLET: No one has been arrested, no accountability.
DIAMOND: Saif(ph) was just two weeks shy of his 21st birthday when he was killed. A Florida native, he had been visiting his family in the West Bank.
(14:10:00]
At the time, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee condemned Musallet's killing as a criminal and terrorist act, and vowed to pressure Israel to
bring his killers to justice.
(On camera): I reached out to the U.S. Embassy, I sent them a list of questions, and this is the response they gave me. They said "the Trump
administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans due to privacy considerations, we have no further information to
provide at this time.
MUSALLET: I just feel if that was true, you know, they would do something about it, you know, at least, an open investigation. You know, that's the
least that they could do if it was anywhere else in the world. An American citizen was killed by a mob of extremists, of terrorists.
What kind of outrage would there be? You know, how disappointed would Saif(ph) a lot be right now that, you know, his U.S. passport did nothing
for him.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Saif(ph) believed in that blue passport.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Blue is blue, not because he's a Palestinian-American, he's just an American.
(LAUGHTER)
DIAMOND: But his family is still waiting for it to mean something, anything in their pursuit of justice. Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Sinjil, the West Bank.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Firefighters have managed to get a huge wildfire burning near Paris to at least, partially under control. The massive blaze has scorched
hundreds of hectares of the famed Fontainebleau Forest, south of Paris.
Officials closed a major highway linking Paris with Lyon due to the nearby flames. Now, firefighting planes have been pulling water out of the Seine
River as they battle that blaze. Scientists say climate change is making fires like this more common and harder to contain.
Europe is currently dealing with its third scorching heatwave of the Summer. Health officials say the heatwaves across Europe are doing more
than cause fires. They're also responsible for more than 10,000 deaths.
Joining us with more on all of this is CNN chief climate correspondent Bill Weir. I mean, you keep across these statistics over time. I mean, how are
they shaping, would you say?
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: These are grim, Max. This is numbers coming in from 27 European countries focused on that last week of
June. The heatwave there and the average death rate is about 500 per week.
This is so far above. And because obviously there's no pandemic going on, there's nothing external that could cause such a spike, it is related to
the heat. About 90 percent of those 9,000 of those deaths are people 65 and over.
So, this is a reminder that these heat waves prey on older folks and older homes without cooling infrastructure. And this, of course, is changing the
whole conversation about heat pumps and air conditioning in Europe, where it wasn't really needed until now.
We're reaching these record-shattering levels. There was a separate study that came out today focused just on the -- on the U.K., England and Wales
specifically, and they found about 27 ex -- 2,700 excess deaths, about 42 percent of those caused by this heat as well.
And so, as you mentioned there, first-time ever that firefighting aircraft have been called up from the south of France into near Paris to deal with
this. And, you know, folks in the U.K. now understand why people in Arizona keep oven mitts in their car.
You can touch the steering wheel on some of these really scorching days. And then here in the North America, another one of these sort of omega-
shaped heat domes made it 20 degrees Fahrenheit hotter in Montana this weekend than in Florida. So, it's upside down and causing agony and all
kinds of strange places these days.
FOSTER: But heat domes are nothing new, are they, Bill? Just explain why you think they're becoming more of a threat over time.
WEIR: Well, the latest science that looks at this, it really concentrates on the jet stream, the band of wind around the top of the earth that has
historically been tight and kept the cold up high and the tropical temperatures below.
But as Greenland melts, as the polar ice caps melt and more open water absorbs more heat, the theory is that sending the jet stream into these
wobbles and with pressure systems that just hold them in place like a lid on a pot, and they're becoming more frequent as we've seen recently, and
will only become more so as temperatures go up.
FOSTER: OK, Bill Weir, as ever, thank you so much for tracking this ongoing story for us. Still to come tonight, new information about the
investigation into the suspected murder of a former British lawmaker. The latest as counterterrorism police now lead operations.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:15:00]
FOSTER: Here in the U.K., officials say the man arrested in the suspected murder of former lawmaker, Ann Widdecombe, was not previously known to
counterterrorism authorities. They are now leading the investigation, though, into the 78-year-old's death.
So, Widdecombe was found dead in her home on Thursday after suffering what police say were sustained serious injuries.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHABANA MAHMOOD, SECRETARY OF STATE, HOME DEPARTMENT, BRITAIN: I have new information and evidence that means counterterrorism policing is leading
the investigation. We are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry to establish the motivation for this attack.
The police now have a suspect in custody. A 28-year-old white British man. And I can confirm to the House that this man was not known to prevent. The
police have cautioned against speculating about the case. That is the right thing to do for Ann's family and friends.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Well, whilst little is known outside the U.K. about Widdecombe, she was a prominent figure here in the U.K., famous for both politics and TV
appearances. But her legacy is highly divisive, having expressed fierce opposition on issues like abortion and gay rights as well.
Let's bring in Nic Robertson, who is here in London. I mean, this story develops every day, doesn't it, Nic? Just tell us about the significance of
the fact that counter-terror police are now heading up this investigation.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, and this is perhaps a sort of most significant development. And it's taken four days
for the police in Devon to involve the counterterrorism police, which I think perhaps might be slightly surprising for some people in the U.K.
The 28-year-old British, white British male who is now in police custody on suspicion of those acts of, you know, connected with terrorism, was first
picked up late Saturday and then re-arrested again today.
And this is when we're learning that the counterterrorism police have become involved here. You're right. Ann Widdecombe was popular. She had
been a very -- sort of outspoken conservative politician from the 80s all the way through to 2010.
She later joined the Brexit party, becoming a euro MP, MEP for them for a brief year, and had followed Nigel Farage's Reform Party, a popular and
populist right-wing party doing well in the polls here.
[14:20:00]
And in fact, become a spokesperson for them on -- amongst other things, immigration issues, and had actually been talking with a TV host, a British
media TV host on air earlier in the day before she was killed. She was speaking on that show at about 8 O'clock in the morning.
And police believe that by at least, by 1:00 p.m., perhaps by 12:30 later that same day, she had been killed. And I think one of the interesting, if
you will, takeaways in trying to understand what precisely took place.
And clearly, this is what the police have been doing at speed. And they describe a sort of a quickly-changing and developing investigation here.
The person that was arrested lived about 270 miles, about 430 kilometers away from Ann Widdecombe, you know, who was living in the southwest of the
country.
You know, about four or so hours' drive-time away from where she was murdered. So, it's not clear. And as the Home Secretary said, people
shouldn't speculate, but it's her public profile, of course, that was a popular one.
But as you say, she had some strong views on issues that are politically- contentious. And that's really as much as we know from the British authorities, prevent that the Home Secretary mentioned there. That is, of
course, the multi-agency government body that tries to stop people becoming radicalized into terrorism.
FOSTER: All right, Nic Robertson, thank you so much for the update there on Ann Widdecombe. Now, with the recent wave of attacks on the Jewish
community and surging anti-Semitism, the British government has announced additional police protection for Jews here in the U.K.
From today, extra officers will patrol predominantly Jewish neighborhoods across the country, all in an effort to prevent further incidents like the
major stabbing, ramming and arson attacks that we've seen over the past year.
Two worshipers were killed during an assault on a synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur last year. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh spent the day with one of
London's Met police, one of London's Met police specialized units. And a warning, viewers may find some of this footage in her report, disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(POLICE SIREN BLARING)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're trying to --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Description of the suspect.
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): They're responding to a call about a male with a knife outside a school. We are
really close by.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yegola(ph)!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, where's the guy with the mask?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were down the road. All I know is, there was one with a knife and one was indecent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And how long ago did they go?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Less than a minute.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
KARADSHEH: This isn't an ordinary police patrol. We're out with the Met police's proactive patrols. Additional forces dedicated to securing these
predominantly Jewish areas of London. They spot men matching the description.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Final and no choice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They all do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got any idea why the given description matches you, mate?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No idea, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After a quick stop and search, they find no knife, so they let them go.
KARADSHEH: So, what we just saw now, that was an incident that wasn't -- it didn't seem to be targeting the Jewish community, but you responded.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our overriding aim as a police service is to protect life. So, when a call comes out where a knife is present, and that could be
a direct threat to someone's life, no matter who it is, then it's our job to respond to that.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): Following a string of attacks earlier this year, mostly targeting the Jewish community, the terrorism threat level in the
U.K. was raised to severe, and the Met police is on high alert, especially in this part of North London.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The demand has been astronomical. It's definitely the highest demand I've ever seen. I think it's because of the incidents that
have happened in the area, and quite naturally, the communities that live within this area of London feeling unsafe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've also seen sort of physical assaults. So, we had one not that long ago where someone was making Nazi salutes and sort of
shouting "hail Hitler" and baby killers and things like that, and then walked into a cafe and punched a random member in the public in the face,
simply because they were visibly Jewish.
KARADSHEH: These officers have also had to deal with what they say has been a steep increase in all kinds of anti-Semitic abuse. Incidents like this
one, authorities say two young men traveled to a Jewish area to film themselves for social media, going, quote, "fishing for Jews with a
banknote on the end of a fishing rod."
They both pleaded guilty and were convicted of religiously aggravated harassment. For many in this community, the visible police presence is
welcome.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's been a lot of patrol cars like driving up and down.
[14:25:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, but I feel -- also I feel it's needed --
KARADSHEH: Since the October 7th attacks and the war in Gaza, anti-Semitic offenses in London have hit record levels according to official figures,
and have spiked again since the U.S. and Israel's conflict in Iran. The Met works closely with local Jewish security groups.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sir, how are you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm OK.
KARADSHEH: Twenty-four-year-old Nathaniel Fahidi says the police presence helps, but he still feels nervous about revealing his faith in public.
(On camera): If you were to explain what it's like being Jewish in the U.K. right now to people outside the country, what would you say?
NATHANIEL FAHIDI, JEWISH LONDON RESIDENT: Worrying. I mean, I'm not particularly religious, but I now refrain from being openly Jewish, and I
know lots of other families who are in my community who have now decided to move to different countries, because being here just doesn't feel safe
anymore.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): With British Jews feeling the repercussions of what's happening thousands of miles away, an anti-Semitic hate on the rise.
What started as temporary patrols is now here to stay. Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: In Thailand, an investigation is underway into what caused a fire at a pub that killed at least 27 people in Bangkok. CNN's Mike Valerio has
more. And a warning, his report contains disturbing images.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A huge fire tore through a popular pub in Bangkok early Monday morning, killing at least, 27 people
and injuring dozens more. Witness video shows violent flames raging as terrified patrons ran for their lives.
Thick smoke gushed out of the entrance with fire engulfing the building in minutes. Firefighters from multiple Bangkok stations rushed to the scene,
taking about half an hour to bring the fire under control. But by then, the damage was devastating.
CHAKRIT KHONKOM, LEAD FIREFIGHTER (through translator): The fire was not that aggressive, but the smoke had engulfed 100 percent of the venue. Once
we knew there were a number of victims inside, we sent in a search and rescue squad and found that a lot of them were inside the toilet.
Most of them were trying to escape to the back because they saw that the flames were at the front.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): My friend, who is a singer singing on stage, said at first, they noticed the smell of something
burning. Then a little after, they saw the ceiling was on fire.
VALERIO: The blaze broke out around midnight at the Na Lat Phrao Brewery restaurant. Popular live music venue in Bangkok's Chatuchak District.
Footage of the aftermath shows scorched interiors, collapsed furniture and blackened walls.
Authorities are working to identify victims with many of their ID cards unable to be found. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited the
site in the early hours and directed agencies to assist victims' families. Investigators are now working to determine the cause of one of the
deadliest pub fires Bangkok has seen in recent years. Mike Valerio, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Still to come tonight, as the U.S. Senate remembers, an outspoken ally of President Trump, the race is on to fill the seat of the late
Lindsey Graham. We'll have a live report for you from Capitol Hill. Also, is the U.S. close to making a monumental shift in its stance on Russia's
war against Ukraine? Isa speaks with the former Russian Prime Minister who served alongside President Vladimir Putin.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:31:25]
MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: As the U.S. Senate returns to session next hour without one of its key members, U.S. President Donald Trump is suggesting
that Senator Lindsey Graham's sister should be appointed to temporarily serve his seat. The longtime Trump ally from South Carolina died suddenly
over the weekend at the age of 71. The state's governor has scheduled a news conference in two hours to announce his pick to fill Graham's vacated
seat.
Graham's death could shake up the November election where the Republican's slim margin is already under stress with the absence of Senator Mitch
McConnell after weeks of speculation. The Kentucky Republican released this picture and announced that a fall and a mild case of pneumonia led to his
hospitalization.
Manu Raju joins us from Washington. I mean, it is difficult to imagine the Senate without him. It's going to -- you know, it's a distinct lack of
presence in that session that's opening.
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, look, he is -- he was a power player in the Senate. He really did not see many members
like him that are currently in this body. Someone who is really in the center of every major fight, whether it's domestic fights or foreign policy
fights.
On the domestic front, he would either battle with Democrats and be outspoken as he was in trying to get Donald Trump's Supreme Court picks
through, like the very controversial pick of Brett Kavanaugh during those highly contentious Supreme Court confirmation hearings, or he'd work across
the aisle and cut deals with Democrats.
He voted for several of President Joe Biden's signature legislative achievements, like the bipartisan infrastructure bill that passed the
Senate, bipartisan gun legislation, the biggest gun legislation in a generation that passed here in the United States.
He voted for two of President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominees, and he had been pushing for a bill to sanction Russia that had been stalled in the
United States Congress, but had started to get some momentum behind it just days before his death as he traveled to Ukraine and back from Ukraine, in
part to try to rally support behind legislation to slap Russia with new sanctions, all of which shows just how influential he was on a whole wide
range of issues, Max, domestic, foreign policy.
And of course, he was one of the leading proponents throughout his career of someone who was pushing for a robust and interventionist approach for
the U.S. around the world, was very much supportive of the U.S. war with Iran, had been advocating for military action against Iran for quite some
time.
So, the president was in line with him on some of those key issues like Iran, and he emerged, after being a critic in President Trump's 2016
campaign, he emerges as one of his closest, if not his closest, allies in the Senate. So, the Republicans here were missing a key liaison between
President Trump and the Senate GOP conference now that the Senate is about to open without Lindsey Graham.
FOSTER: And the president clearly want another ally to retake that seat. Take us through the implications here for business in the Senate.
RAJU: Yes. We do expect at 4:00 p.m. Eastern, Henry McMaster, the Republican governor of South Carolina, to appoint a temporary replacement.
All signs are pointing to Graham's sister, Darlene Graham Nordone, someone who the senator, late senator, actually had raised after their parents had
died at a young age. Lindsey Graham actually had adopted her in order for her to get his medical benefits while he joined the military here in the
United States.
[14:35:00]
They had a very close relationship throughout his life. And it is widely expected that she will get this temporary appointment, President Trump
putting his support behind her getting that, as well as Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
But that appointment would only last until the end of this Congress, which is the beginning of January, January 3. They'll have to figure out a new
senator to run in Lindsey Graham's just fill out six more years, because Graham was running for reelection in the Republican primary fight will play
out next few weeks over that six-year term, Max.
FOSTER: OK. Manu Raju, back with you later. Thank you so much.
Senator Graham may have been Ukraine's biggest supporter on Capitol Hill as well. Graham visited Kyiv and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy just hours before his death. It was his 10th trip to Ukraine since Russia's invasion in 2022. In a tribute, Zelenskyy called Graham a
true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer. Ukraine now moves forward in the war with Moscow without an important American
voice.
Isa sat down with former Russian prime minister, Mikhail Kasyanov, last week here in London. She began by asking him about reports that everyday
Russians are growing increasingly frustrated and anxious as the war drags on.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKHAIL KASYANOV, FORMER RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER: We shouldn't expect in the foreseeable future any social unrest which would change the regime. No,
this scenario doesn't exist for upcoming for foreseeable future.
But what I see just having this county called these aspects that by the end of the year, if the West takes consistent position, principled position,
and will recognize finally not only European leaders but also U.S. administration that who is aggressor and who is a victim. That's not two
guys just who hate each other and that's why they fight each other. And then we should press both of them to sit down and negotiate.
ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: But we haven't heard that. We haven't heard that from the United States.
KASYANOV: We haven't heard. But Marco Rubio already said, we just on the Ukrainian side. We're not mediator because we provide just our equipment.
SOARES: Do we need to hear that from --
KASYANOV: That's why we're under this way. We need this administration to make a strong statement on that.
SOARES: We need to hear from the president of the United States.
KASYANOV: Exactly.
SOARES: They're the aggressor. They're the victim.
KASYANOV: Exactly.
SOARES: Do you think we'll ever hear it?
KASYANOV: Absolutely. Absolutely. That's coming to this. And the discussion in Ankara, that's already close to this.
SOARES: You've seen that shift?
KASYANOV: That's shifting. That's already taking place. That is one aspect. All others as well. And that's why Mr. Putin would realize that he's facing
big, big problems. And there is no hope that President Trump would help him. There is no hope that the economy will start growing or at least will
stand at this stage. And there is no hope that he can draw just more people to the battlefield. It means he will be willing to negotiate.
SOARES: What are you hearing then? What are people inside Russia, you know, what are they telling you? Are they feeling hurt, demoralized? Give us a
sense of the mood.
KASYANOV: Fear.
SOARES: Fear.
KASYANOV: Total fear. For all activists, total fear. They cannot just for criticizing the government, you can get six, eight, or 10 years, or 25. For
instance, me, they already add me to the list of terrorists.
SOARES: I saw.
KASYANOV: Yes. And that's why if I come back, I will be sentenced for life. Because they're expecting just me to change the government and lead this or
something like this. Yes.
SOARES: But fear also within the elites, Mikhail?
KASYANOV: Same, fear. People cannot escape. They understand they're like hostages, all those ministers, and on the lower level. They serve Putin
because they have to survive. But they're all dreaming about stop the war, because they understand that's already finito.
SOARES: Yes, the human cost, the human toll it's taken on Russia.
KASYANOV: Absolutely, absolutely.
SOARES: I can only imagine what some families and mothers and fathers are going through right now. Give us a sense of what -- of who Putin is. You've
had a working relationship with President Putin, working, and I assume personal relationship. The man you knew then and the man you know now, is
there a difference?
KASYANOV: Oh, absolutely different persons here. At that time, we all believed that Putin, as all of us, we all came from the Soviet Union. And
we all believed, and President Yeltsin, who nominated Putin as a potential successor, just we all believed that Putin could be continuing all these
democratic reforms in the economy, just without mistakes, what Yeltsin did. With the energy, more young person, et cetera, et cetera.
That's why he got 52 percent of the vote. And that's why we supported Putin. And that's why I accepted to work with him, just subject that he
will support all my initiatives, just all those reforms, just which we managed to launch and we pull out Russia of the crisis to the trajectory of
sustainable growth.
[14:45:00]
SOARES: Yes, economic crisis.
KASYANOV: Yes. We had just 6, 7 percent GDP growth per year at that time. And we had excellent relations with the United States.
SOARES: So, what's happened? Where did you see the shift then? And how do you see him now?
KASYANOV: The shift was that Mr. Putin thought -- that's another story, that's a different story. Just you remember the Iraq operation?
SOARES: Yes.
KASYANOV: Yes. And you remember at that time, President Putin, Chancellor Schroeder and President Chirac were against this. And they decided and
Putin decided just to close eyes and to allow, not to criticize much President Bush on that. And Putin believed that is a silent contract. He
interprets international law as he wanted, but simultaneously he doesn't criticize and doesn't create problems for Bush, for Iraq.
SOARES: How would you describe him right now?
KASYANOV: Now, he's a real KGB guy. Before, at my time, demonstrating to President Yeltsin, demonstrating to me and my collaborators in parliament
when we all supported him, just as a person devoted to democratic changes. But on a later stage, he lost this, he pretended to be a democratic person
and appeared to be, now she's a real guy with this, I would say, wrong vision, worldview.
SOARES: Right. Narcissistic, you know, grand ideas of himself and of where he sees himself, place in history. How do you think?
KASYANOV: Keep power.
SOARES: Power?
KASYANOV: Keep personal power. That's the only reason. Keep personal power. Just SCIUTTO: - not setting up a new Soviet Union, no. Not being in
history, not future of the country. That's why sometimes people in the West and leaders in the West sometimes making decisions, they understand, Putin
should understand that is not good for the country. He's indifferent on this. He's thinking about himself, what will today and maybe tomorrow, not
the day after.
SOARES: Do you ever get scared, Mikhail, of speaking out? I mean, Putin's tentacles are very wide, as we have seen in numerous years. Do you get
scared about speaking out about Putin?
KASYANOV: I'm not scared. But of course, this problem exists. Of course, that's correct. My friend, Boris Nemtsov, was killed just on the wall in
Kremlin. Other of my collaborators, Navalny was killed in the prison. Some other people too, et cetera. A few of my regional activists in jail because
they're speaking quite openly, et cetera.
SOARES: But they can't silence you?
KASYANOV: Yes, they can't. Some of us moved to Russia, some didn't, but they continue criticizing and that's why they're in jail. And of course,
this problem exists.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Isa's interview. Now, still to come tonight, a major lawsuit in the U.S. to stop the paramount takeover of Warner Brothers Discovery. Why
several state attorneys general say the merger is illegal.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:45:00]
FOSTER: For the second time in less than a week, an American community is dealing with a deadly ICE-involved shooting. A state official in Maine says
it happened in Biddeford. The circumstances surrounding the shooting aren't yet clear, though officials say one person has been killed. It comes just
days after a federal immigration officer fatally shot Mexican immigrant, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, that incident taking place at a traffic stop in
Houston, Texas.
Now, a coalition of 12 U.S. states are suing to stop the paramount takeover of Warner Brothers Discovery. The lawsuit claims a merger would lead to
higher prices, lower quality, and less content for film and television. If completed, it's a deal worth $110 billion. Opposition to the deal is being
led by California attorney general, Rob Bonta. Paramount has vowed to fight the lawsuit. We should note Warner Brothers Discovery is the parent company
of CNN.
Brian Stelter joins us now. This was in part expected, wasn't it, Brian, some opposition in terms of regulation, but could it stop or at least delay
the deal?
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: This could delay the deal if a judge in Northern California agrees to do so, but we're not quite there
yet. This lawsuit was filed just a couple of hours ago. The state level attorneys general are now making their case in public.
We're waiting to see if Paramount makes any legal maneuvers in response, but essentially these state attorneys general are asking Paramount to hold
off on completing the deal until this lawsuit can be heard. I suspect that in the coming hours, Paramount and Warner Brothers will not agree to that
offer. As a result, the states will go back to court and they will ask a judge to issue a restraining order.
And then it all comes down to the choice the judge makes. Will he put a restraining order in place, essentially freezing this merger before it can
be completed? That's a possibility in the days to come, but we're just not quite there yet. It is one of two major wild cards for this deal. The other
is in Great Britain, where regulators are looking closely at this deal and may take a similar step to intervene in the coming days.
But it's a remarkable turn of events because Paramount has secured approvals for this deal in virtually every other market all around the
world, from the U.S. with the federal government to China and many countries in between. So, now, you have Democratic states stepping in,
saying the Republican Trump administration is failing to enforce antitrust law.
Here's a little bit of what California A.G., Rob Bonta, said at a press conference in Hollywood today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROB BONTA, CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL: This merger would mean fewer journalists informing the electorate. It will mean fewer opportunities for
Americans to heat the full breath of information and opinions on a subject, and then come to their own conclusions. It will fewer documentarians,
filmmakers, showrunners, producers, writers and artists shedding light on important stories that too often go untold. It will mean fewer shots for
the next generation to break in. That is a death note for the film and TV industry. And yes, for our democracy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STELTER: I find that framing from Bonta really interesting because he is focusing on the impacts to the news industry, to CNN and the possibility of
merging CNN with CBS News. He's saying layoffs would result.
But the lawsuit really focuses not on the news industry, but on the entertainment industry, on the idea that Paramount and Warner Brothers
Studios coming together would hurt competition in the marketplace and would ultimately hurt consumers.
Paramount has responded aggressively in the past hour, saying it will fight this lawsuit, saying that actually the real threat to Hollywood comes from
giants like Netflix, these tech players that have upended Hollywood. And that's true, they have for the past few years. Paramount basically says it
needs to be allowed to get bigger to compete with the likes of Netflix.
So, Max, this is going to go on for days, maybe weeks, maybe months, we don't know how long, but the legal battle has started today.
[14:50:00]
FOSTER: Keeping you busy, Brian, thank you so much. Now, to a stunning rebuke of U.S. President Donald Trump's lawsuit against the Internal
Revenue Service. A federal judge ruled that the controversial suits brought by the Department of Justice against the IRS sought to manipulate the
judicial process and that the president acted in bad faith.
This is the case that was used to justify giving President Trump and his business amnesty for any past tax issues. It also led to the creation of
the now defunct $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund for the president's allies. The judge has ordered sanctions against the attorneys involved in
the case. And we'll have more on this ruling for you in the next hour. But now we're going to take a short break. Stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: Now, when Cape Verde made their World Cup debut this year, the experts didn't expect much from the tiny African island nation. Then
something truly magical happened. The team's determination and courage turned the naysayers into fans and the players into heroes. World Sports
Patrick Snell takes a look at the future of football in Cape Verde.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT (voice-over): Cape Verde's football team have gained unexpected fame around the globe after emerging as a surprise
fan favorite at the World Cup. With a population of less than 600,000 people, they became the smallest nation ever to reach the knockout round of
the tournament, but their fairy tale run ended after a thrilling 3-2 defeat during extra time to reigning champions Argentina.
This was Cape Verde's World Cup debut, though they have long been preparing for their chance. The country's football association has run youth
development programs for years, often funded by FIFA.
SILVERIA NEDIO, COACH, CAPE VERDE ACADEMY (through translator): The aim of football is, first of all, to form good citizens, to keep them away from
trouble with the law through football, the main passion for every child in Cape Verde. And that's why we decided to turn the project into a football
training school.
SNELL (voice-over): FIFA says it's invested more than $5.7 million into the country across 17 FIFA forward projects. The investments have included new
artificial playing fields and stadium upgrades, along with national team development programs. A couple of the Blue Sharks, who played on the
history-making World Cup team, trained with the program.
[14:55:00]
MARIO SEMEDO, PRESIDENT, CAPE VERDEAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION (through translator): Yes, I believe we have indeed made real investments. Take our
own example. We have four players in the national team who received all their training here at the federation's training center through the Bola
Para Afronte program. This center is clear proof that investing in training is a priority for us.
SNELL (voice-over): If Cape Verde's success at the World Cup shows anything, it has the talent and an enthusiastic fan base. One of the
biggest obstacles so far has been money, but the country is expected to receive a payout of over $20 million for reaching the round of 32, which
could be a game changer for its football program.
NEDIO (through translator): The future of football in Cape Verde, both women's and men's, is strong. It is big. From this World Cup moment, things
can change, not only in football, when people are in country, but in the whole structure.
SNELL (voice-over): Patrick Snell, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Thank you for watching tonight. Do stay with CNN. I'll have more with "What We Know" coming up next here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
