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One World with Zain Asher
Hamas Criticizes Witkoff's Response to Gaza Ceasefire Talks, Say Breakthrough was Close; Elon Musk's Starlink Experienced Network Outrage; Deputy Attorney General to Meet Ghislaine Maxwell for 2nd Day; Delegates Meet to Discuss Extension of 2015 Deal; Fed Approve Merger of Paramount and Skydance Media; Woman in Viral Jumbotron Video Resigns from Job. Aired 11a- 12p ET
Aired July 25, 2025 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: Israel and the United States considering alternative options to return hostages. Ceasefire negotiations falter "One
World" starts right now. The international pressure on Israel to end the war is mounting as the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza grows.
And the second most powerful official at the Justice Department is meeting with convicted child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell again as questions
swore over why? Plus, the FCC has approved an $8 billion merger of Skydance Media and Paramount we look at what this means for TV shows networks and
the Trump Administration. Live from London. I'm Eleni Giokos. This is "One World". Welcome to the show.
Unspeakable and indefensible, that is how British Prime Minister Keir Starmer describes the suffering and starvation in Gaza. His comments come
ahead of an emergency call with France and Germany on the situation. Now France's President says his country plans to recognize a Palestinian State
at the U.N. General Assembly in September.
The U.S. and Israel condemned the decision, saying it rewards Hamas and sets back peace as for talks to end the bloodshed and free Israeli
hostages, they are on hold. Israel and the United States withdrew their negotiators Thursday, saying Hamas was not acting in good faith U.S. as
President Trump adds the group's options of running out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Well, we got a lot of them out. And it's always, I've always said those last 10 or 20 are
going to be the toughest, because Hamas knows what happens when they don't have any bargaining chips and they really broke a deal.
They broke a deal, and you're going to have to do what you have to do right now. It's a terrible thing. And I always knew that I said, when you get
down to the last one, they're not going to be able to make a deal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, in response Hamas is saying they were close to a breakthrough and U.S. comments contradict what actually took place. Meanwhile, in Gaza,
nine more people have died of starvation in the last day. That is, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health, which adds 122 people have lost
their lives to salvation since October 2023. Most of them have been children.
I want to bring in Nic Robertson. He joins us now live from Jerusalem. Nic, always good to have you with us. We know there is growing and international
as well as domestic pressure mounting over starvation and malnutrition in Gaza.
You've got the big question on negotiations. They're on hold. It's a pressing time so our talks -- is there a chance that talks could start
again to try and figure out hostage deal as well as ceasefire and, importantly, get more aid into Gaza?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, I think it's very hard to know precisely what's going on with the talks at the moment. We're
certainly hearing that a from mediators, that a level of conversation continues, even though Israel has pulled its delegation back here for
consultations, even though Steve Witkoff has said that Hamas is not really engaged in a meaningful way.
But I think, you know, we're being guided here by a number of things, interpreting and understanding what we're hearing from both Steve Witkoff
saying Hamas has not committed. And now we're hearing from President Trump saying that -- you know that essentially, Israel is just going to have to
go in and fight and go in and finish it off.
But we're also being guided here by what we're hearing behind the scenes that officials here are saying. Look what Steve Witkoff said last night was
merely a wake-up call for Hamas. Remembering, just yesterday morning, people were saying that Hamas' position had moved, that it was more
positive than the Israeli delegation got pulled back.
The indication there was that Hamas hadn't gone far enough. Criticism of the Hamas' position. And so, we're being briefed here behind the scenes,
that what Steve Witkoff was doing was really a jolt, a wake-up call to Hamas to get more realistic. And we got a sense of that from Prime Minister
Netanyahu too.
So is that what we're hearing from President Trump right now by saying, essentially, Israel is going to have to go into Gaza and finish it off. Is
it just part of the negotiations? Are the talks completely dead? I think the bottom line here is, no, they're not completely dead.
Yes, they are continuing at some level. And yes, there's been pushback against Hamas, and it's big -- Hamas' latest position, and Hamas has said,
you know what, why we were this doesn't reflect what was happening in the talks in. This is the last part of really super tough negotiations, it
appears to be, and this last part could play out over a while.
[11:05:00]
As President Trump said, look, when Hamas only has a handful of hostages left, however much people want to get them back, they know that's their
last shield, and that's the hardest time to get a deal. So, I think what we're seeing here is the pressure being turned up on Hamas.
Now is that going to work? That's not clear. That's what the mediators are going to be trying to fix, trying to remedy, trying to find a way forward
in all of this.
GIOKOS: Yeah. And while we're speaking in this dire humanitarian situation is getting even worse. Look in the last 24 hours, French President Emmanuel
Macron says that they will recognize a Palestinian State. President Trump a short time ago, saying that it doesn't matter what Macron says.
Some people are cheering the news coming out from France, saying it's a historic decision, while others are criticizing and also criticizing the
timing of this move. What is the reaction in Israel, Nic?
ROBERTSON: You know, I think people here are divided. There's a lot of them that just don't want to see Israel isolated. A lot of people here feel that
this is the wrong thing for France to be doing right now, certainly politically. That's a sense here. There's -- there's a sense that Hamas is
using the starvation, the dire starvation, of malnutrition in Gaza, as part of a negotiating ploy to get more out of Israel at the negotiating table.
So again, I think let's try and read carefully what we're hearing here from President Trump and from others. Prime Minister Netanyahu has said, Hamas
has got it wrong, gravely wrong, if they think that we're going to -- you know even though we want a deal that we're going to give in and give a deal
that's going to compromise Israel's national security.
So, when President Trump says what President Macron says doesn't count, does he really mean that, or does he mean we just need to remove this issue
from the discussion, because it's only making the negotiations harder. Certainly, when Hamas has greater and the Palestinians have greater
international sympathy and support, Hamas' position tends to harden.
And so, what you may be seeing at the moment is an effort to sort of dislodge that move the narrative forward. Have airdrops, as we've heard
Israeli officials say that there will be again, air drops of humanitarian aid into Gaza. The U.N. very clear that this is expensive, that it's
dangerous. It's been tried before.
But -- you know, look at it in the big picture here from -- you know, from the -- from how Israel is trying to shape the narrative here around all of
this. It is trying to move the dial forward, take the initiative away from Hamas. It was happening in Gaza, and the images people see, those images,
are horrific. We heard the statements from the British Prime Minister as well.
All of this contributes to increasing the pressure on both sides. And what we're hearing is essentially those sides pushing back against the pressure,
trying to maintain their position, get out from under the pressure that's forcing them to the table and to compromises.
As hard as it is to watch what happens in Gaza, this is, I think, the context has to be taken at this moment, what we're hearing publicly from
leaders like President Trump, Emmanuel Macron, is all part of the machinations around this bigger picture of finally getting a deal done.
GIOKOS: Yeah, the bigger picture getting the deal done. But the reality is, for so many people, is just completely dire and mixed. So, thank you so
much for your reporting. I want to turn now to Southeast Asia, where Thailand has now activated martial law in two provinces bordering Cambodia.
This as a second day of border clashes is underway.
The Thai military says fighting resumed early Friday morning with an exchange of small arms fire, heavy weaponry and artillery. The violence has
forced more than 130,000 people to flee their homes. The Thai Army warned that clashes were happening in several areas along the disputed border and
called for Cambodia to return to the negotiating table as a friendly nation.
According to Thailand's Ministry of Health, at least 16 people have been killed and dozens injured in Cambodia at least one person has been killed.
Kristie Lu Stout has more on the latest developments.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thai artillery fire pounds Cambodian positions on the second day of deadly conflict between two
Southeast Asian neighbors. Their 500-mile shared border now a conflict zone. The flare up has already claimed several lives, displacing over
100,000 people in Thailand, according to its Ministry of Interior, and thousands more in Cambodia, AP reported, citing an official where families
are sheltering on the grounds of temples.
VENG CHIN, 74-YEAR-OLD COMBODIAN RESIDENT: I was so scared, shaking so much, I didn't bring anything with me, and then my son tried to pull my
child's hand up onto the tractor.
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STOUT (voice-over): The roots of the conflict go back to the colonial era when many of Asia's borders were drawn by European powers, including the
areas of religious and archeological significance.
THITINAN PONGSUDHIRAK, CHULALONGORN UNIVERSITY: Both sides, Cambodians and Thais feel resentful of history. Thais think that the French took some land
from Thailand, gave to Cambodia. Cambodians think that this is their civilization from a long, long time ago.
STOUT (voice-over): In Thailand's Surren Province, evacuees shelter in a university a hospital in the area abandoned after being bombed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't want this war to happen. I don't want fighting.
STOUT (voice-over): But the violence continues. Cambodia accuses Thailand of using banned cluster munitions. CNN has contacted the Thai military for
comment. On Friday, the Thai Army released this footage showing its drones destroying Cambodian ammunition stocks. CNN cannot verify the video, which
purports to show jungle positions destroyed, Washington has called for restraint.
TOMMY PIGOTT, PRINCIPAL DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT: The United States urges an immediate cessation of hostilities, protection of
civilians, and a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
STOUT (voice-over): But Beijing is watching too as the border battles threaten to develop into something bigger.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And as far as China is concerned, we are going. We are mediating between the two sides, and we do hope that the situation can
stabilize as soon as possible.
STOUT (voice-over): The U.N. Security Council will meet Friday to try to mediate an end to an ugly chapter in a combative relationship. Kristie Lu
Stout, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Turning now to Russia's war on Ukraine and Moscow's intensifying attacks on the country's second largest city. Local authorities say Russian
forces dropped a blinded bomb on a medical facility in Kharkiv, killing at least one person and injuring 14 others, including a child. This is how
some civilians described it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OLEKSANDR BAUKOV, PATIENT: I never thought anything would ever hit this place.
MARYNA YAVTUSHENKO, HOSPITAL WORKER: Tuberculosis patients are treated here. There's nothing military here, only cemetery and field near the
hospital. That's it. What are they targeting?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Meantime, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters today that he may be speaking with both U.S. and Russian counterparts this
week to see if they can be convinced to meet for peace talks in Istanbul.
Joining us now from Kyiv CNN's Chief International Security Correspondent, we've got Nick Paton Walsh. Nick, you know we've seen these images of the
aftermath of the Russian strike on Kharkiv hospital. Give us a sense of the strike and how could possibly derail talks, as we know that there's an
imposed -- Trump imposed 50-day deadline, and what this ultimately means for what could we could be seeing in Istanbul?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, I mean the Istanbul meeting, I think, added evidence to the narrative that
essentially, Moscow is buying time uninterested in real diplomacy, and the major outcome of their 1200 prisoners swap just a repeat of things we've
seen and heard of over the past months.
And indeed, the main idea of President Zelenskyy of Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin meeting in person, something Ukraine has pushed
and proposed gain little traction. Instead, now we have the separate initiative from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to potentially call
Trump and Putin and see if they will meet.
Now clearly, a bilateral with the White House is higher on the Kremlin's wish list than meeting Zelenskyy directly in person. But none of this is
going to be fast. The Kremlin today even suggesting they simply couldn't see a meeting with Zelenskyy and Putin happening to the back end of next
month, so far away from that Trump 50-day deadline.
In fact, no chance at all of satisfying it. Instead, though, the focus now very much on the air assaults here and the frontline Kharkiv hit
horrifically over the last 48 hours, two airstrikes in broad daylight, another that followed, killing one overnight as well, many bracing here in
Kyiv too, after two quiet nights, frankly, comparatively, that something worse may be coming in the days ahead.
And a little glimpse of the frailty of Ukraine's frontline defenses last night when Elon Musk's Starlink system, a space-based satellite internet
provider, went out for a couple of hours. Now you and I might think that's just something that means you don't get to the internet for a little while,
almost a break.
But across Ukraine's front lines, it is utterly vital for Ukraine to coordinate its defenses, to run the drones that it desperately needs
because of its lack of manpower.
[11:15:00]
Yes, Russia uses Starlink to use its drones, but it has a huge amount of infantry it can deploy. Ukraine doesn't and that hour long, two, three,
hour long gap that they had to endure, I think, let many feel a slight sense of anxiety, certainly, if not outright panic. But if it had endured
longer, that could have been very challenging indeed for Ukraine's defenses in the east, which are already heavily challenged.
There are three, possibly even four, now, key towns increasingly seeing Russian advances around them, the possibility even of their supply lines
being cut off. We always talk about Russian advances being slow and incremental, but there is a point eventually down the line where those
begin to stack up and change the reality of the picture on the ground.
Now Zelenskyy talking to reporters yesterday, said that the Russians are not advancing. Said it was tough everywhere, but that Ukraine was holding
its ground. That's not entirely borne out by the picture we've seen from independent mapping over the past days or so.
But it's a sign of the acute pressure Ukraine is under, and an easy explanation as to exactly why Russia has been buying time they feel,
potentially, that they have the resources to make a change on the front lines, whether they will or not, we'll see in the weeks ahead, Eleni.
GIOKOS: All right. Nick Paton Walsh in Kyiv thank you so much. Up next on "One World", questions continued as well about why the Justice Department
is spending a second straight day talking to Jeffrey Epstein's co- conspirator. We'll break down that story for you after this, stick with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Welcome back. You're watching "One World". U.S. President Trump is heading to Scotland for a five-day trip. He departed from Joint Base
Andrews a short time ago, and will land in Glasgow this afternoon. During the trip, the president is expected to meet with the UK's Prime Minister to
refine a recent trade agreement. He will also make stops at two of his golf courses and attend the opening of a new one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We're going to meet with the prime minister right now. We're going to be over there in about six hours. We're meeting with the prime minister
tonight. We're going to be talking about the trade deal that we made and maybe even improve it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, security has been beefed up at Trump's Turnberry Resort after protesters said they had plans to demonstrate across several cities on
Saturday. Earlier this week, the national newspaper had this headline quote, convicted U.S. felon to arrive in Scotland.
[11:20:00]
Now Donald Trump's Scotland trip comes during a second week of controversy over how his administration handled the Epstein files that continues to
dominate the discussion in Washington. Trump has also been trying to shake persistent questions about his relationship with the late convicted sex
offender Jeffrey Epstein.
One long-time member of the White House Press Corps won't be making the trip to Scotland because of the Epstein story. The White House removed "The
Wall Street Journal" from the press pool earlier this week, after the paper published a story describing what appeared to be a note written by Trump to
Epstein for Epstein's 50th birthday in 2003.
Now days later, "The Journal" reported that Attorney General Pam Bondi told Trump in May that his name appeared in the Epstein files. And today, we get
day two of truly extraordinary situation in Florida connected to the Epstein case, Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, who also served as
Donald Trump's criminal defense attorney, will meet for a second straight day with longtime Jeffrey Epstein associate, Ghislaine Maxwell in
Tallahassee.
Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence for conspiring with Epstein in his sex trafficking operation. Our major questions surround yesterday's
meeting. What exactly was discussed? What information did Maxwell provide? Can she even be trusted to tell the truth? It is worth noting that Maxwell
was charged with perjury for making false statements under oath during a 2016 civil case going into the meeting today, Maxwell's attorney called her
a scapegoat and said Thursday's talks were productive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID MARKUS, ATTORNEY FOR GHISLAINE MAXWELL: He took a full day and asked a lot of questions, and Ms. Maxwell answered every single question. She
never stopped. She never invoked a privilege. She never declined to answer. She answered all the questions truthfully, honestly and to the best of her
ability.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: And here's what the president had to say right before he left for Scotland, when asked about Maxwell.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you consider a pardon or a commutation for Ghislaine Maxwell?
TRUMP: It's something I haven't thought about --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- it's really recommended.
TRUMP: I'm allowed to do it, but it's something I have not thought about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Right to help us sort through all of the latest news surrounding the Epstein files, I want to bring in CNN's Senior Legal Analyst, Elie
Honig. Great to have you with us. And there is a lot going on. And frankly, a very serious question about Ghislaine Maxwell's credibility, I want you
to listen to what U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson had to say. Do we have that sound?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): Is she a credible witness? I mean, this is a person who has been sentenced to many, many years in prison for terrible,
unspeakable, conspiratorial acts and acts against innocent young people. I mean, can we trust what she's going to say?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Right. So, really interesting in terms of perception of her credibility, how that will, you know, influence whatever she says and
whether that information is going to be released? How are you weighing this Elie?
ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Well, I think Speaker Johnson's spot on, right there. One of the things that makes this so unusual is that
prosecutors are seeking to convey Ghislaine Maxwell as somebody who they can believe, they can trust, they can get information from and bank on it.
Yet, if you look at Ghislaine Maxwell's record, she's been involved in crimes, very serious crimes, for decades. She's never made any move towards
coming clean or cooperating when she could have done that when her prosecution began five years ago and actually helped herself, she did no
such thing.
In fact, her record is to the contrary. She has testified under oath in civil cases, at depositions where she has flatly denied knowing anything
about Jeffrey Epstein being involved in a sex trafficking network. And this Eleni is why I'm skeptical of this whole exercise here.
It looks like DOJ is making a good faith effort to get information from her, but I don't think there's any realistic way DOJ ever banks on her as a
credible, reliable cooperating witness.
GIOKOS: Yeah. I mean, the big question is, you know to what extent President Trump was involved with Jeffrey Epstein? You know whether his
name was mentioned? We know Pam Bondi had confirmed that from our understanding. But give me a sense of how significant this is in terms of
what we -- what we will learn about President Trump's relationship with Epstein, ultimately?
HONIG: Well, that's entirely within the control of the Justice Department and Todd Blanche, who's the Deputy Attorney General.
GIOKOS: Yeah.
HONIG: By the way, very, very unusual to see the number two person at the Justice Department handling a case in a hands-on manner, like that. But
Todd Blanche is the one who's in that room with Ghislaine Maxwell and her lawyer. He's the one who's deciding what to ask.
And that question -- that decision what to ask, to me, is just as important as the answer. So, I want to know. I think we will know eventually, does
Todd Blanche come right out and ask, tell me everything you know about Donald Trump?
[11:25:00]
Tell me everything you've ever saw Donald Trump do with Jeffrey Epstein and on down the line. That's up to him.
And then the second part of that is, will Ghislaine Maxwell A, does she even know enough about that she must know something about the relationship,
but does she know anything that's truly incriminating, or will it be the kind of thing that's already in the public record, that they were friends,
that they went to parties together, that Trump was on certain flights, so that all is information that I think is crucial, that will come out, I
believe, in the future.
GIOKOS: And actually, on Todd Blanche, he said, on X if Ghislaine Maxwell has information about what anyone who has committed crimes against victims,
the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say. So, in terms of how consequential her testimony ultimately will be. And you're talking about,
you know, the questions on credibility, what do you make of that statement from Blanche?
HONIG: So that's the standard line that any DOJ prosecutor would give in this scenario. And by the way, this scenario of prosecutors meeting with a
convicted defendant to try to get information from him or her is very common. I mean, it happens all the time. Of course, what's uncommon here is
who the parties are.
But, yeah, I mean, that's the goal, when you're a prosecutor and you sit down in this situation, you want to download every single thing that person
knows about any crime ever committed by any person. And to that end, by the way, it is completely unsurprising to me that they're going into day two.
In fact, if you were to fully get all the information that Ghislaine Maxwell knows that would take days weeks of sitting down in this kind of
meeting.
Now we'll see how long this goes. But if Todd Blanche is making good on that statement, then he will get all the information she has. So, there's
really two parts of the equation here. One, will DOJ ask those key questions? And that, I think, is, you know, I would give them the benefit
of the doubt on that. Two is, will Ghislaine Maxwell answer fully and truthfully? And I have serious doubts about that part.
GIOKOS: All right. Elie Honig, thank you so much.
HONIG: Thank you.
GIOKOS: Really good to have you with us. Great insight. All right, still to come, Iran comes back to the bargaining table for another round of nuclear
talks. Ahead what came out of Friday's meeting with European officials? Plus, a Venezuelan migrant recently released from a Salvadorian prison,
says he was told welcome to hell when he arrived his interview with CNN just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
GIOKOS: Welcome back to "One World". I'm Eleni Giokos, live in London. Here are some headlines we are watching today. Protesters in Scotland say
they'll mount a wave of resistance as President Trump heads there for a five-day trip. He'll be at two of his golf resorts, and has plans to meet
with the UK Prime Minister next week.
There's already a huge security operation underway at one of his resorts, and thousands of police are expected to deploy this weekend, according to
PA media. Australia's Prime Minister has warned the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza has gone quote beyond the world's worst fears, and he's
urging Israel to immediately meet its obligation under international law and allow food into the besieged territory.
It comes as Palestinians in Gaza are facing what the World Health Organization calls a man-made mass starvation. President Emmanuel Macron
says France will recognize the Palestinian State in September at the U.N. General Assembly. Israel and the U.S. have condemned the decision as
rewarding Hamas and setting back peace. Spain, Ireland and Norway have already formally recognized Palestinian State.
Nuclear talks between Iran and European countries have restarted with delegations meeting in Istanbul, making it the first face to face meeting
Tehran has held with Western delegates since the bombing by Israel and the U.S. last month. Iran is insisting that its position on enrichment remains
unchanged.
Right here we will -- we've got Fred Pleitgen joining us. Fred, good to see you. I mean, the first meeting between Iran and Western delegates
significant. I think the question, the main question, is whether you can see restarting of these talks, and whether they can find a way forward on
Iran's nuclear enrichment?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think the big question is going to be whether or not these talks with the E3 with
those 3 with those three European countries that, of course, are part of the Iran Nuclear Agreement, which is pretty much on its deathbed, but it's
still these members are part of it.
The UK, France and Germany as well, whether or not that could lead to restarting those talks between the United States and Iran. Of course, the
Iranians think that those are very important. The Trump Administration has also said that it's ready to restart those talks as well.
But I think for the Iranians right now, what they're doing is they're really trying to feel out the West and see how far the West is willing to
go, as far as a new sort of agreement is concerned. But however, there are things that are immediately at stake as well.
The Europeans, of course, have been threatening to trigger so called snapback sanctions, which they can do until about October, which would then
bring United Nations sanctions back on Iran as part of that nuclear agreement. The Iranians have said that would have very detrimental
consequences.
And at the same time, the Iranians are saying they believe that the Europeans need to change their stance. They were very critical of the
Europeans, especially when it came to the 12-day war that the Iranians had with Israel, where, of course, both the Israelis and the United States
bombed Iranian nuclear facilities, and the Israelis, of course, also bombed Iranian cities.
The Iranians answering with missiles of their own. And that really brought the process of any sort of diplomacy to a halt. So now the Iranians are
saying that they are willing to talk to the United States again, but only under certain circumstances, one of those being that they don't get
attacked while talks are taking place.
The Trump Administration also says that it's ready to do that as well. And if we look at the statements that were made after the talks today,
especially from the Iranians, they did say that they were very critical of the European position, that they certainly voiced all the concerns that
they do have.
But they also said that this talks in this format with the E3 countries, the European countries and the Iranians are going to continue, that there
are going to be further meetings coming up. So certainly, it seems as though both sides in all of this believe that there could be a diplomatic
way forward, that certainly the process is one that should be followed, at least for now.
And at the same time, Eleni, you also have the International Atomic Energy Agency that says that it wants to do further checks on the Iranian nuclear
program. Of course, for now, the Iranians are saying they're stopping their cooperation with that body. But the IAEA also hopes that the talks in this
format could then lead to possibly them being allowed back into the country and to inspect some of those nuclear facilities.
Of course, at this point in time, the United States saying that they essentially obliterated, as President Trump said, Iran's nuclear program.
The Iranians have acknowledged that massive damage was done, but the same time, they also say that their right, as they call it, to nuclear
enrichment, is something that stands.
It's not something that they're willing to give up on. In fact, yesterday, the Foreign Minister of Iran, Abbas Araghchi.
[11:35:00]
He came out, and he once again reiterated that the Iranians, as he put it, are going to continue to enrich uranium, Eleni.
GIOKOS: Right? Fred Pleitgen thank you so much. Venezuelans deported from the U.S. are speaking about their experience inside El Salvador's notorious
mega prisons. Some say they were beaten by prison guards, shot with pellets and deprived of proper medical care for months. CNN's Stefano Pozzebon has
the harrowing story of one of the 252 migrants released last week. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A homecoming fit for a star Jerce Reyes left Venezuela last year alone, and this is how he
returned. Welcome back after being deported from the United States and spending four months in El Salvador's notorious prison.
He was returned last week with 251 other Venezuelan migrants in exchange for 10 U.S. Nationals and permanent residents, plus dozens of political
prisoners held in Venezuela. Reyes told CNN that his stay in the prison was agony.
JERCE REYES, VENEZUELAN NATIONAL, DEPORTED FROM U.S. TO EL SALVADOR: After they shaved our heads, we had to walk about 100 feet, crouching like this.
They beat us when we got to the cells, people were screaming. There was blood on the floor, vomit. Then the director spoke and said, welcome to the
center for the confinement of terrorism. Welcome to hell on Earth.
POZZEBON (voice-over): On one occasion, he claims he was sent to solitary confinement for hours as a punishment because he tried to shower outside
the allocated time. At times, he says he contemplated suicide.
The Salvadoran government denies these allegations, saying it respects the human rights of those in custody. Quote, without distinction of
nationality. A former professional soccer player Reyes crossed the U.S. southern border last September for an appointment with migration
authorities.
He was accused of being a gang member and immediately detained by immigration and customs enforcement. In December, he applied for asylum
site in Venezuela's economic crisis, but in March, U.S. Homeland Security accused him of belonging to the infamous gang Tran De Aragua, an assessment
DHS confirmed to CNN in a statement then and reiterated Thursday. Reyes says this is a misunderstanding.
POZZEBON: This is the incriminating tattoo he's saying that it represents his favorite soccer club, the Real Madrid, from Madrid in Spain. A crown
and a soccer ball, and he's saying that that's why he spent four months in a maximum-security prison.
POZZEBON (voice-over): His tattoo artist told us he in team in 2018 when Tren de Aragua was barely known inside Venezuela, let alone abroad. CNN
verified, Reyes has no criminal record in his own country.
POZZEBON: What is your message for President Trump?
REYES: As the Bible says, do not judge by appearances, but by justice.
POZZEBON (voice-over): This week, Venezuela opened an investigation into several Salvadoran officials, including President Nayib Bukele for the
alleged abuses at the prison. Reyes says that he won't be leaving this place anytime soon, simply glad to be back on the field. Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN, Venezuela.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: And still to come on "One World" how a pair of TV producers threw a last-minute wrench into an $8 billion Hollywood merger? We'll explain what
it is after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:40:00]
GIOKOS: Now, the Trump Administration has approved the $8 billion merger of Skydance Media and Paramount. The review process took longer than usual,
but now clears the way for Skydance to take over Paramount and its many entertainment subsidiaries.
It comes one day after one of those subsidiaries, Comedy Central, aired a scathing attack on the U.S. President in the TV show South Park. The
program featured an animated version of Trump in a compromising relationship with Satan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Another random -- dominated on my Instagram that you're on the Epstein list.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Epstein list. Are we still talking about that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who are you on the list or not? It's weird that whenever it comes up, you just tell everyone to relax.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not telling everyone to relax, relax guys.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I need counseling.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, the White House slammed the episode, saying South Park hasn't been relevant in 20 years. The creators of the program jokingly apologized
for the depiction of Trump and said they are ready for a subpoena or lawsuit.
Meanwhile, on daytime talk show, "The View" Co-Host Joy Behar announcing a summer hiatus with audiences asking if the show is going off air
permanently following White House Calls for cancelation. Earlier this week, Behar criticized President Trump for his attacks on Former President Obama,
saying Trump is jealous of him. In a statement to -- a White House spokesperson attacked Behar, calling her an irrelevant loser who should
self-reflect before her show is the next to be pulled off.
I want to bring in CNN Media Analyst Sara Fisher for more on everything going on between shows, networks and Trump Administration. And I see that
she's in Athens Greece. Good to have you with us Sara.
You know, the question on everyone's mind, and one thing that is pretty obvious, is that all these shows that are being canceled or perhaps being
put on pause, is that they all have criticized President Trump or the Trump Administration. Do you believe that it's, you know, political? Do you
believe it's because of monetary viability, or that you know, these shows need to be rejected. How are you reading into this?
SARA FISHER, CNN MEDIA ANALYST: Well, with "The View" they go on that summer hiatus every summer. So that is not a political thing. That's on a
new thing. The MAGA right jumped on that clip and tried to turn it into something bigger. It is not a story. "The View" is not going on any sort of
permanent pause.
But when it comes to what happened with the Late Show with Steve Colbert, yes, I do think a lot of people are wondering, why was the show canceled,
and why was the announcement of the cancelation made two days after the new owner of Paramount Skydance Media, CEO, David Ellison, met with the Chair
of the FCC (ph) pledging to have certain commitments in programming.
I think that's made people very, very skeptical of the cancelation of that show. But big picture here, there's no question that this administration is
putting a lot of pressure on media companies, particularly ones that report things or that portray things that they don't like, and they've been
largely effective.
I mean, NPR and PBS just got $1.1 billion of funding gutted. You saw CBS got its merger Paramount got its merger through, but only after making a
bunch of concessions. ABC settled with the company. Donald Trump is still suing "The Des Moines Register". So, this is the dynamic right now in the
U.S. It's very fraught.
GIOKOS: It absolutely is. I know to your point, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr on the approval of Skydance merger, said this. Americans no longer trust
the legacy national news media to report fully, accurately and fairly. It is time for a change.
That is why I welcome Skydance's commitment to make significant changes at the one storied CBS broadcast network. Those are the comments. For me are
these comments disguised as intimidation, as interference that is not being playing out in real time? What's your sense?
[11:45:00]
FISHER: I think Brendan Carr actually truly believes that. The issue I take with it, and I respect what he thinks. The issue I take with it is that
there's a difference between CBS national broadcast and then the local affiliates that CBS owns. If you take a look across the board, polls will
show that local broadcast is still the number one most trusted media and news programming in America.
So, I don't think people have major issues with their local broadcast nets. I do think he's on to something. People do feel like the mainstream media
is less trustworthy, and there's plenty of polling to show that. Gallup every year has shown that trust in mainstream media has gone down in the
U.S.
Now the question becomes, how do you rectify that? I don't know that the approach that the FCC is taking is what other people in the media would
take. What they're trying to do is essentially use the power of the -- you know political, regulatory force, to force media companies to make
adjustments.
I'm such a free market capitalist, I don't think that's the best way to do it. If you think that media companies are losing trust, then in turn, their
businesses will go down, and they should be making the adjustments on their own to adjust that. It's weird to have regulators step in in this kind of a
way.
GIOKOS: Yeah, I mean, the market will recalibrate and consolidate on its own if consumers are losing trust. I just want to talk about South Park,
because I find it quite interesting. President Trump shrugged it off saying, you know, I've never watched the show. Kind of very difficult to
think that he hasn't come across South Park.
But we know that it crosses the line in a very big way, often with other administrations and so forth. This is a time where I think everyone, not
only domestically, but internationally knows that this is an administration that like -- doesn't like to be criticized, where the fair criticism, or
even when it goes on to -- you know the comedian -- on the comedian side of things, where they do tend to cross lines. What do you make of this,
specifically on the South Park front?
FISHER: So ironically, I actually do believe President Trump when he says he's never watched South Park because this is a guy who still likes to read
things printed out for him and watch cable news. He's not somebody who I think spends his time watching cartoons.
However, anytime any critical voice comes in front of Donald Trump, he will use it as an opportunity to knock a mainstream voice. South Park is
mainstream. I mean, they just struck a $1.5 billion five-year deal with Paramount, because it's one of the most popular cartoons in the country.
So, for him, this is a pretty convenient way of knocking a mainstream voice and at the same time it's happening as its parent company or the company
it's negotiating with is going through regulatory approval. Donald Trump knows what he's doing here. But you're right it's a very contentious time
for people, not just in the news media, but as you mentioned, people in comedy, people who are in Hollywood, anyone with the voice.
GIOKOS: Right to pivot and also, importantly, Sara, you're in Athens. Are you having spanakopita or bougatsa for breakfast?
FISHER: I had a spanakopita as soon as I got off of the airplane. I love that you asked that.
GIOKOS: Do you favor -- get a bugatza and a Fredo Express so yes.
FISHER: Yeah. OK, thank you so much.
GIOKOS: OK, thank you so much. All right, they say you're only as old as you feel, but extreme heat could make you feel older than you really are.
We'll tell you why after the short break, stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:50:00]
GIOKOS: All right. You've heard it for years about the damage extreme heat does to the environment, but now we're finding out it can also make you age
faster. Researchers analyze blood from more than 3600 people in the U.S. ages 56 and older compared to climate data where they lived.
I want to take a look at their findings with CNN Health Reporter Jacqueline Howard. Jacqueline, it's not looking good, and I'm devastated by this news,
actually, because I live in Dubai and it is extremely hot there. So, give it to me. What does this mean?
JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: Eleni, this is very, very interesting data, and many people may not even realize that this is
happening in their bodies. But this new study found that extreme heat can age ourselves, specifically people who experience at least 140 days of
extreme heat where they live each year.
Age up to 14 months faster than those living in places with fewer than 10 extreme heat days a year. And in this study, extreme heat was measured as
at least 90 degrees fahrenheit. That's about 32 degrees celsius or higher. And these soaring temperatures can actually deteriorate our tissues, our
cells, and that's how it appears to advance biological aging.
And just to take a step back, Eleni, our chronological age is obviously how many days we are living here on Earth. So that's based on our birthday. But
your biological age is actually based on how well your tissues and cells are functioning, and that appears to be impacted by extreme heat.
It's interesting when you think about some older people you may know, in their 70s, 80s or 90s, the people who are still active and moving around,
that can be a sign of their vitality, can be a sign of their biological age.
GIOKOS: Yeah. I mean, it's really interesting, when you were talking about cell deterioration and putting pressure on you, you know? I mean,
everyone's like thinking, OK, it's going to age me, which means I'm going to look older. But actually, it's far deeper than that. It's far more
serious than that, exactly, you know, and this is the thing.
So, let's talk about mitigating it. How can we counter the heat? Is it about sitting in an air conned room and environment to try and protect
ourselves?
HOWARD: That's one way to do it, just being mindful of how much time you are spending in high heat, also when you go outside to exercise, avoid
exercising during the hottest part of the day. Go when it's cooler outside.
And some people may not realize if you have been prescribed a medication for a chronic disease, if you have diabetes and you are prescribed
Metformin, for instance, Metformin has been associated with slowing down that cellular aging, as well as some GLP 1 medication.
So that's important to keep in mind as well. But really for all of us, Eleni, these are steps we can all take to maintain good health as we age.
Exercise regularly, maintain a healthy diet, do not smoke, limit alcohol, maintain a healthy weight. These are the steps we can all take to be
mindful of our health as we age.
GIOKOS: You sound like my mom. Great advice. All right. Jacqueline Howard, thank you so much. Good to have you with us.
HOWARD: Thank you.
GIOKOS: All right. San Diego Comic-Con opened its door Thursday to tens of thousands of self-professed nerds, some dressed in costumes, considered the
world's number one pop culture convention. Comic-Con attracts large crowds to see a list celebrity -- a list celebrities speak on panels.
This year, Hollywood Star -- is notably absent, but fans aren't deterred. This convention's lineup includes panels for movies like Predator, Badlands
and Tron Ares and Star Wars. Of course, creator George Lucas will make his Comic-Con debut as well. The convention runs through Sunday.
And finally, the sour we've already seen one executive resign over this moment, and now there are two. The woman who was part of the Coldplay Kiss
Cam scandal is stepping down from her role as the Head of HR at the tech company.
[11:55:00]
Astronomer Kristen Cabot's resignation comes after she and the company's then Chief Executive Andy Byron, were seen embracing on camera before
quickly separating and hiding their faces, and our Coldplay Frontman Chris Martin quipped, either they're having an affair or they're just very shy.
The rest, as they say, is history. The video went viral. Now the company is trying to shift attention away from the scandal, saying it will focus on
its work with data and AI. All right stay with CNN. I'll have more "One World" right after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
