Return to Transcripts main page
One World with Zain Asher
Putin Praises Trump's Energetic Efforts To End Ukraine Conflict; What's At Stake During Trump-Putin Meeting? Trump Believes Putin Is Going To Make A Deal; Netanyahu Says He "Connects" To The Vision Of A "Greater Israel"; Weather Delays Trial Of Hong Kong Media Tycoon; Taylor Swift Gets Candid, Talks New Music On Kelces' Podcast; K-Pop Industry Is Big Business For Merchandise; YouTube Tries Out AI Age Verification To Protect Minors; American Teen Hired by World-Famous Mariinsky Ballet In Russia; Aired 12-1p ET
Aired August 14, 2025 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:26]
PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: The countdown is on. The world is watching. Donald Trump says there is a 25 percent chance his meeting with Vladimir
Putin will be a failure. The second hour of "One World" starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: He does believe that Putin wants a peace deal.
FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: For the Russians, this is also about possibly a broader reset in the future.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: When Trump and Putin get in the room together, that is a huge roll of the dice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: How can you stop the fighting in Ukraine? Up to the minute details on how Russia and the US are preparing for tomorrow's summit.
Also ahead, what's next for the people of Gaza? Israel says they could be settled in other countries.
And later.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LISA RESPERS FRANCE, CNN REPORTER: To quote Taylor Swift, it's a love story. And the Swifties are still trying to process all the joy that we got
last night.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Taylor Swift says she's been writing about this kind of love since she was a teenager. Swift and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, as you've never
seen them before.
Live from New York, I'm Paula Newton. Zain and Bianna are off today. And you are watching the second hour of "One World."
Now, one day before his high-stakes summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, the U.S. president changing his tone again, this time predicting it will be
a success.
During a radio interview, a short time ago, Donald Trump said he believes the Russian president wants to end the fighting in Ukraine, and that he's
ready to make a deal. He also said the goal is to move towards a second meeting that would also include the Ukrainian president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't know that we're going to get an immediate ceasefire, but I think it's going to come. See, I'm
more interested in immediate peace deal, getting peace fast.
And depending on what happens with my meeting, I'm going to be calling up President Zelenskyy, and let's get him over to wherever we're going to
meet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now, during the interview, the U.S. president suggested that as the talks progress, there would be a, quote, give and take on boundaries and
lands.
Now, those comments are coming as Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders are trying to prevent any deal that carves up Ukraine's territory and
doesn't protect it from future attacks.
Russian president meanwhile is praising what he's calling the Trump administration's energetic efforts to stop the fighting. But the Kremlin
says there are no plans to sign any documents after the summit.
CNN's Zachary Cohen is in Washington. And, Zach, you have been following this so closely and again, leaning on your sources here. What more are you
learning about what the president believes will happen?
I was struck in the last few hours about his optimism, especially given the fact that the intelligence before the president, as you continue to report,
is really, you know, quite from a realist perspective in terms of what's achievable.
ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes. We've seen this happen with Donald Trump several times, including during his first term, where
often what comes out of his mouth is inconsistent or not as skeptical as what U.S. intelligence agencies are telling him.
And, look, we've heard Donald Trump essentially brag about his uniquely positive relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin. We've heard
him do that for years now.
But we're told now that recently, in recent months, as those frustrations on the White House side of things, we're really starting to mount as Trump
was unable to secure a peace agreement, a comprehensive peace agreement like the one he's talking about now.
The president himself was asking White House aides and European counterparts what changed in Vladimir Putin from the time of now to from
six years ago, when the two of them last interacted and held that notorious summit that we all remember from his first term.
And, look, we're -- the answers were a variety of things, right? But one of the answers that did consistently get put to Donald Trump was that Putin
changed because in part of COVID and that there were some U.S. intelligence reports around 2022, right around the time of the start -- the start of the
invasion of Ukraine, where U.S. officials were reporting that Putin did appear to be more erratic and unpredictable than normal.
But that is taking a long time for Donald Trump to ultimately kind of question what he's always believed to be a unique and positive relationship
with the Russian president. Obviously, it's coming just ahead of this summit on Friday. And so, window into where Trump's head is currently.
Now, on the Russian side, U.S. intelligence agencies, the most current assessment on that front, is that Putin still maintains those maximalist
territorial goals that he's had since the start of the war. He essentially wants to conquer all of Ukraine, despite other indications that he is maybe
more focused on securing some short-term victories. In the meantime, that includes things like maybe some economic relief, maybe pocketing those
territorial gains he's already made, while agreeing to his ceasefire.
[12:05:17]
But interestingly enough, the assessment on the U.S. side is that if Putin does agree to a ceasefire, who likely use it to refit his forces and
potentially make another run at Kyiv.
So, again, Donald Trump publicly expressing optimism about the hope -- again, about the hopes for a peace deal. The U.S. intelligence community,
as always, a little bit more skeptical.
So, we'll have to see ultimately what these two world leaders say to each other in this meeting and what the-- what the outcome ultimately is.
NEWTON: Yes. And as you and your colleagues have pointed out before, President Trump himself sometimes doesn't always believe his own U.S.
intelligence. So, it'll be interesting to see what frame of mind he -- he brings to the summit.
Zachary Cohen for us, thanks so much.
Now, as we previously said, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will not be at this summit. He's met today in the U.K. meeting with British
Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Zelenskyy says they discussed expectations for Friday's summit and security guarantees for Ukraine. A key issue, of
course, in getting Kyiv to agree to any ceasefire here.
Now, the meeting comes on the heels of Zelenskyy's virtual summit with President Trump and key European leaders on Wednesday. They urged Trump not
to strike a unilateral deal with Putin. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARIANNA PODESTA, E.U. SPOKESPERSON: It is for Ukraine to decide on the matter of territorial integrity. Furthermore, on security guarantees,
Ukraine forces must be able to defend their country.
And, of course, we welcome that the U.S. president has said that the U.S. would participate to such security guarantees.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Russia, meantime, is celebrating after they say 84 prisoners have been returned in a swap with Ukraine. Russia says the servicemen are
receiving medical evaluations in Belarus before being sent back to Russia.
Ukrainians are embracing loved ones as well who have also come home in the swap. Eighty-four prisoners have been held captive in Russia since 2014.
In the meantime, on the battlefield, Ukraine says the frontline, the Donetsk region, that was pierced by small groups of Russian troops this
week has been in their estimation, stabilized.
CNN's Nick Paton Walsh has more now on what's at stake ahead of Trump's meeting with Putin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALSH: Any peace deal in Ukraine is going to ultimately be about land. When President Trump talks about swapping territories, this is Russian-occupied
areas, but it's these three parts here, black surrounded, that have always been part of Russian President Vladimir Putin's most maximalist war goals.
It's what he wants.
The lines we've drawn as best as we can here, but the stakes are incredibly high. Any minor inaccuracy of my pen could be a place that thousands of
people have fought and died for or still live.
Now, in just recent days, there's been a tiny advance here by the Russians, but it's significant and caused some concern and even denials and
reinforcements sent from Kyiv.
But this Donetsk area is potentially, if we understand what the Kremlin's proposed, somewhere they want Ukrainians to withdraw from entirely in
exchange for a ceasefire. And look at it, it's a huge area.
What could they give back? These tiny border parts occupied by Russia, a buffer zone President Putin calls it, but it's hardly a fair exchange.
And so the real hard-to-solve question, what happens to Zaporizhzhia here and Kherson? Now, Russia occupies probably about two-thirds of each, but
Putin wants all of it. They were kicked out, the Russians, here in the first year of the war.
(CHANTING)
But it's impossible to imagine Ukraine deciding to pull out of massive areas like this and equally impossible to imagine that Russians will give
up a big strategic gain of a land corridor that they managed to take when the big invasion began down to Crimea that they've hold since 2014. That's
the sticking point, and there's very little obvious way through it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Thanks to Nick there.
We want to get straight to General Wesley Clark and get his take. He's -- he was NATO's former Supreme Allied Commander, and he joins us now from
Little Rock, Arkansas.
You know, just going through the maps there with Nick, it seems incredibly daunting. Can you take us to that negotiating table, when you are a
military strategist at this point in time, whether you're with Europe or Ukraine or the United States, and you're looking at that map thinking, what
is possible here? What swap would actually get us to peace and would make sense?
GEN. WESLEY CLARK, FORMER NATO SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER: Ukraine cannot give up that area in Donetsk because it's heavily fortified. And there's
nothing behind it. There's no secondary line of -- of -- of -- of bridges and -- and -- and valleys and other things. It's mostly open step at that
point. So, you can't easily put a defense in.
[12:10:15]
These defensive positions that are being held there and around Kramatorsk, those defensive positions have been continuously fortified since 2014. So,
there's no way that Ukraine can give this up and -- and shouldn't. It would jeopardize Ukraine's security irretrievably.
NEWTON: And just getting to some developments in the last few hours, you know, Secretary of State Rubio himself saying, even as I speak, even as we
talk here, there are changes happening on the battlefield, which will have an impact and which the sides will use as leverage.
Now, look, he is likely talking about the fact that Russia has made some gains, although Ukraine now says that those Russian units have been, in
their words, stabilized. I mean, how much do you believe this plays into Putin's hands going into this summit?
The fact that, you know, the counteroffensive, you know, by Russia didn't really amount to what it was supposed to be, but it has had some success.
CLARK: It all depends on how President Trump handles Mr. Putin. If he handles Putin with the -- with the expectation, I'm going to save Ukraine
because it's about to collapse right now, so there's a -- give us something. That -- that's a bad way to go into this.
Ukraine has actually pushed the Russian penetration back. That penetration was a couple of dozen soldiers who infiltrated individually. They got
through the drone screens. Ukraine has put its infantry reinforcements back up there, so that penetration doesn't mean anything.
But on the other hand, if the United States continues to withhold assistance, continues to pull back, continues to sort of draw a separation
between the United States and our European allies, it certainly jeopardizes Ukraine.
So, it's really all about President Trump's attitude. Hopefully, he will tell Mr. Putin at the outset, we're not going to discuss root causes. This
is just about a ceasefire. And we're not going to discuss broad strategic issues. This is about a ceasefire.
Of course, from Mr. Putin's perspective, what he wants is the opposite. He wants to discuss. Let's do a strategic arms agreement. And -- and lots --
you've got to understand why Russia has to have this and so forth.
So, this is really all about -- not about the front lines, not about recent battlefield success. It's about the president's skill as a negotiator. He
says he's the best. He's going to have to prove it.
NEWTON: And yet, Secretary of State Rubio already pointing to those facts on the battlefield and acting as if somehow this gives Russia more
leverage.
What does a durable peace look like to you when he comes out of that meeting? And look, President Trump has already said he wants a peace plan,
not necessarily just a ceasefire.
CLARK: Well, you're going to have to have security guarantees no matter what the frontlines look like. Those security guarantees are going to
require participation by the United States. You're going to have to have confidence building measures.
So, what that means is that you're going to have to have intelligence sharing and cooperation so that the Russians can't build up a large force
right behind the line and then suddenly, say Ukraine has violated the ceasefire and boom, and the war starts again. So, you need the confidence
building measures. You need the security guarantees.
But beyond that, I don't think Ukraine could accept any peace agreement that doesn't bring back the abducted children and account for the missing
people. And you still have the reparations and war crimes issues hanging out there.
Let's remember, this war started -- was started by an aggressive move by Russia and they've caused billions of dollars of damage in Ukraine. Who's
going to pay for that? Shouldn't Russia pay for that? Why should Russia be rewarded for this aggression?
So these are issues of justice. They're issues of the international community that have to be looked at in terms of a durable peace agreement.
NEWTON: You know, when you start to peel back the layers of this, it looks ever more daunting. So, how does Europe then play into this, whether there
is a deal or no deal?
And if it's the latter, right, how can they make the cost of prosecuting this war far higher for Russia? Can they do it?
CLARK: Europe could do it. Europe is slow to mobilize, slow to recognize this. It's -- it's been going on for three and a half years. We're still at
peacetime conditions in most of the European countries. There have been some talk about reintroducing conscription. There's been talk about
increasing defense budgets. There's been some investments, but nothing like what's required to actually confront Russia with an immovable force that
they could not penetrate.
[12:15:24]
And right now, what we're hearing in -- in Belarus is the Russian logistics nose is going in there. So, they're preparing to, let's say, slingshot
Russian troops either into the rear area in Ukraine or perhaps into the Baltic States at some future time. Would it be this autumn? Would it be a
year from now? We don't know that, at least at the unclassified level.
But it's clear that Mr. Putin has a continuing strategic objective and Europe is going to have to really mobilize, build up its forces, start its
industrial base on a 24/7 basis to build up ammunition stocks to put new weapons in, to deal with the reality of home warfare to put the anti-
aircraft systems in place.
There's so much to be done. And I know our NATO generals are working this. They're pushing it every single day. But it's really hard to mobilize
opinion into democracy. Mr. Putin knows it.
NEWTON: Yes. There are real sacrifices to be made across many countries for that increased military spending. And I do hear you on the military
maneuvers and how they show Russian posture going forward in the coming months and years.
General Wesley Clark, we'll leave it there. Thanks so much.
CLARK: Yes.
NEWTON: Now coming up for us, Israel is in talks to possibly relocate Palestinians in Gaza to other countries. The Israeli official says that
includes another country grappling with crisis, South Sudan. We'll have the details, ahead.
And we'll have the latest on the trial of an outspoken Hong Kong media mogul, Jimmy Lai, has become a symbol of China's crackdown on the financial
hub.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: Israel's Prime Minister calls its, quote, a voluntary migration. Critics say it would amount to a violation of international law or ethnic
cleansing.
Benjamin Netanyahu says talks are underway with multiple countries about taking in Palestinians displaced by the war in Gaza. A senior Israeli
official says one of those countries is South Sudan.
[12:20:06]
Netanyahu says Palestinians are not being pushed out but being allowed to leave. He outlined his vision to an Israeli T.V. channel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Do you really believe that this will happen in the end?
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): The most natural thing would be for all those who say they're concerned for the
Palestinians and want to help the Palestinians to open their doors. Why are they coming and preaching to us? Open your doors.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Jerusalem bureau chief Oren Liebermann picks up the story for us here. Can you explain to us why even float this kind of an idea because it
would seem ill-advised at best but really close to impossible unless it's done by force?
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tried to float this as an idea that is workable. It's frankly
as close as Israel and Netanyahu have ever come to try to put forward some sort of day after plan for what to do with more than two million
Palestinians who -- who live there.
The problem is this plan from everything we see is completely unfeasible. Netanyahu has in this interview that we just showed here, and in several
other interviews, reference talks with other countries several times, not just yesterday but in the past as well.
But he's never given many more details than that. We have learned from a senior Israeli official that there are five countries that have at least
taken part in these talks, according to that official, South Sudan, Libya, Ethiopia, Somaliland and Indonesia.
Two problems here. First, it's unclear if these talks have actually gone anywhere and if there is any sort of traction.
Second, a number of these countries have flat out rejected even the existence of these talks. We saw that from South Sudan a few days ago. We
saw that from Somaliland a few months ago.
Meanwhile, Indonesia, for its part, within the last couple of weeks, said that it could take in 2,000 injured Gazans but it would be for treatment
and they would go back to Gaza after that treatment.
So, none of the countries, at -- at least that we've learned, have been involved in these talks, have -- have issued any sort of indication that
they're willing to play along with this.
What would they get out of it? Well, perhaps international funding and billions from the U.S. but there has to be some sort of concrete plan, and
it doesn't look like we're at that point yet.
And that doesn't even mention the other issue here and that is getting Palestinians to want to leave their home, to want to leave Gaza for
anything more than temporary treatment. And it's not clear that that would happen as well.
As for the voluntary part, throughout the course of nearly two years of war, we have seen Israel issue repeated evacuation warnings for different
areas of Gaza essentially forced displacement from the movement of Gazans.
And it's not clear that this would be any different because Netanyahu has never put forward a plan of -- of how to convince Palestinians to leave
Gaza.
NEWTON: Yes, certainly significant, even when you think about South Sudan and the fact that international organizations saying that that state itself
is on the brink of collapse.
Oren Liebermann live for us. Thanks so much.
Now, bad weather has delayed the national security trial of a Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy advocate. Jimmy Lai was supposed to appear
in court. His closing arguments were set to begin today. Long seen as a thorn in the side of Beijing.
The 77-year-old has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges of sedition and collusion with foreign forces. Kristie Lu Stout has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jimmy Lai was the media mogul who risked his fortune for Hong Kong's freedom. Now awaiting his fate
in jail, he is a flashpoint between the U.S. and China.
Before his victory in October 2024, Donald Trump, in a phone interview with Hugh Hewitt, vowed to secure Lai's release, saying he would do so, quote,
100 percent yes. And as President Trump pledged to raise Lai's case in trade talks with China.
TRUMP: I think talking about Jimmy Lai is a very good idea. We'll put it down or we'll put it down as part of the negotiation.
LU STOUT (voice-over): Two people campaigning for Lai's release say that they were told U.S. officials did bring up Lai's case during the talks.
Since those talks, the U.S.-China trade truce has been extended, but China is standing firm. Its U.S. embassy spokesman saying, "We strongly oppose
external forces using judicial cases as a pretext to interfere in China's internal affairs or to smear and undermine Hong Kong's rule of law."
A rabble-rousing tycoon behind a popular pro-democracy tabloid, Jimmy Lai had long been a thorn in the side of Beijing.
His high-profile trial, which began nearly two years ago, is now coming to an end. He's charged with two counts of colluding with foreign forces to
endanger national security, along with a separate charge of sedition. He's pleaded not guilty.
His arrest, after a sweeping national security law imposed by Beijing, which China and local leaders said restored stability to Hong Kong after
months of anti-government protests in 2019.
At that time, Lai had lobbied foreign governments to apply pressure on China and made this direct appeal to President Trump.
[12:25:03]
JIMMY LAI, FOUNDER, APPLE DAILY: Mr. President, you're the only one who can save us. If you save us and stop China's aggressions, you also save the
world.
LU STOUT (voice-over): Prosecutors say Lai's actions amount to lobbying for sanctions against Hong Kong and China, which is banned under the national
security law. His lawyers argue, he stopped doing so after the law came into effect. Lai faces a possible sentence of life in prison.
And for the 77-year-old, life would most likely mean life. Lai has already been in jail for nearly five years.
Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Spanish officials say they've made a major drug bust off the coast of northwestern Africa. That's where they say three tons of cocaine seized
from a boat in the Canary Islands on Wednesday.
Five people were arrested, the Spanish Civil Guard, says the vessel was scheduled to deliver the drugs to smaller boats that would distribute it
further. Investigators from the United States, the U.K. and Portugal also took part in that operation.
Now, once it was called the Imperial Russian Ballet, now the prestigious Mariinsky Theatre is saving a spot for an American dancer. Just a little
later, how the U.S. state of Mississippi, the center stage when it comes to ballet diplomacy.
Plus, Taylor Swift breaks the internet again, this time, sharing details of her new album and the journey to getting her master recordings back. We'll
have that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:30:07]
NEWTON: Now to Taylor Swift's candid appearance on boyfriend Travis Kelce podcast with his brother Jason, it is called New Heights and gosh, it got
to new heights. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JASON KELCE, CO-HOST, NEW HEIGHTS PODCAST: Are you ready for it? Making your podcast a debut. The most requested guest in the history of shows,
Taylor Swift.
TAYLOR SWIFT, AMERICAN SINGER AND SONGWRITER: Oh. That intro, Jason. Oh, my God.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: We set new heights. And here's the big news the fans were waiting for.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SWIFT: This is my brand-new album.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: The Life of a Showgirl is Taylor's 12th studio album, releasing on October 3rd. Swift said she wrote the album during her historic Eras Tour.
Can you believe it?
The 12 tracks describing her time on the road during the show. She opened up about so many things. She was in fact emotional as she discussed buying
back her master recordings. Front row seat to all of it.
Lisa Respers France is joining us from Atlanta. Look, you live blog through this. I'm not sure if the anticipation, if it actually lived up to the real
thing.
I mean, tell me, what did you think? It definitely -- we are underplaying this. This thing broke the internet.
FRANCE: It did break the internet and it absolutely lived up to the expectation. We got so much information from Taylor. She talked about her
relationship with Travis Kelce.
And while the fans came for the music, they weren't, Paula, unhappy about staying for the tidbits she had about their love affair. And I think we
have a little bit of that of Taylor talking about their relationship.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SWIFT: So I was like, this guy isn't crazy, which is a big if. This is sort of what I've been writing songs about wanting to happen to me since I was a
teenager.
TRAVIS KELCE, CO-HOST, NEW HEIGHTS PODCAST: Yes. And I was sitting there at the Eras Tour listening to every single one of those songs. Like she -- I
know what she wants me to do.
J. KELCE: I --I feel that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANCE: OK. So, of course, the -- because their -- their origin story is that he went to see her in concert in the -- the stadium where he plays. He
tried to get her a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it and he wasn't able to do it.
So -- but she clearly appreciated the effort and appreciating him coming on the New Heights podcast shooting his shot. And so here we are. They're
completely in love and baking sourdough bread together.
I mean, what says love, Paula, more than baking sourdough together?
NEWTON: Well, in my house, they would be taking out the garbage, but I digress.
This was a big deal though for Swifties themselves, right? In terms of the music. They've got a new album to look forward to.
FRANCE: They have a new album to look forward to. And also, they got a Taylor Swift last night like they've never seen before, Paula. You
mentioned about her getting like really emotional about her masters because she was finally able, after years, to get her masters back.
And we learned the backstory with that. We learned that she didn't send an attorney to fight the battle for her. She sent her mother and her brother.
And she just got very choked up about it. And let's hear what she had to say about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SWIFT: I get a call from my mom and she's like -- she's like, we -- we -- you got your music.
T. KELCE: Yes.
SWIFT: And so sorry that this is -- it's literally been so long since this happened, like, it's every time I talk about it.
She was like, you got -- you got your music. And I just, like, very dramatically hit the floor for real. Like honestly, just started --
T. KELCE: It's been a long time coming.
SWIFT: Balling my eyes out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANCE: You see Travis there being such a supportive boyfriend rubbing her back. And we learned that Travis cried too.
So, I mean, to quote Taylor Swift, it's a love story. And we love to see it, Paula. We love to see it.
NEWTON: We love to see it. I do want to ask you about one thing, though. In my family, I've got both the Swiftie and the football fan. I mean, this is
usually a sports podcast. I mean, how do you think in terms of the pop culture, you know, lexicon here? How everybody took this in?
FRANCE: I think people took it in -- I think they were kind of exuberant about it, because quite as it's kept with the dads, brads and chads, they
complain about Taylor Swift being so involved with the NFL because whenever she's at a game, we get to see a lot of her.
But if you think about it, when I interviewed Mama Kelce, she said one of the things that she loves, and that's of course, Travis and -- and his
brother's mom, when you think about it, she is bringing in a whole new audience for football.
I mean, the Swifties might tune in to see her at a game, but they're still tuning in to the game. So the NFL loves it. She's supporting her boyfriend,
and he's supporting her.
I mean, you see him right there literally sitting beside her. And when have we ever seen that, Paula? We've never seen her make an announcement about
her music with a man next to her. And this is why fans are fingers crossed for an engagement and a wedding.
[12:35:02]
NEWTON: Yes. And if you want to know why this is a new era for Taylor Swift, just listen to all too well, right? Lisa, you would --
FRANCE: Yes. That is perfect. Perfect.
NEWTON: Go now. Yes, no matter your age, go listen to it. You'll understand why this is completely different.
Lisa, thanks so much --
FRANCE: Thank you.
NEWTON: -- for bringing us up to date. Appreciate it.
FRANCE: Appreciate it.
NEWTON: Now, it is a huge week for K-pop fans right around the world and the new animated musical fantasy film, "KPop Demon Hunters" from Netflix.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: The smash number one hit song, "Golden," is making history, claiming the top spot, in fact, on Billboard's Hot 100. And the show is
moving from the small to the big screen.
Tickets to sing-along screenings of "KPop Demon Hunters" are now officially up for grabs. It'll hit movie theaters next weekend August 23rd and 24th.
The KPop industry, let's remember this, as very passionate, die-hard fans, growing in numbers, continually growing in the United States and beyond.
And it's big business when it comes to merch as well.
A recent Billboard online survey found that in the United States, 74 percent of fans were serious collectors, 68 percent had purchased items and
nearly half of all fans surveyed were in the coveted 13 to 24 age bracket.
Joining me now is Jeff Benjamin, who covers K-pop for outlets like Billboard, Forbes, and Rolling Stone.
Jeff, again, I need that pop culture education. I'm a little bit behind the times. I want to deal with the here and now of K-pop and this latest
phenomenon, right?
I didn't expect it to come back with this kind of ferocity, shall we say? What's the -- you know, what's the secret here?
JEFF BENJAMIN, K-POP COLUMNIST, BILLBOARD MAGAZINE: Yes. It's been, like you said, a huge week. The number one song in the country is "Golden," a
song from "KPop Demon Hunters" that sang in English and also in Korean. It got over 30 million streams in the country this last year.
That's -- that's numbers that, you know, huge superstars like Kendrick Lamar and SZA are getting. And it's really kind of hit this sweet spot of
being able to take a moment, you know, lots of people have Netflix. People can tune into this movie.
But it's not just about tuning into the movie and -- and kind of, you know, leaving it at that. People are actively engaging with this movie, with this
soundtrack. It's seven weeks out and the song is still getting bigger and bigger.
So you're really seeing kind of how K-pop has -- has found this really great moment and able to connect with people and take it just beyond having
just one moment or -- or one movie.
NEWTON: And because you -- you've been covering this for so long, what is the secret there of K-pop?
You know, when I was in South Korea covering, you know, the popularity of K-pop way back, I mean, we're talking almost a decade ago now. You wonder,
will it have that really -- that ability to -- to last? And it seems that it has. Why?
BENJAMIN: And that's a really great point. And I'm -- I'm glad you've been there from a -- for a long time, because, you know, that was the thing is
that K-pop, it wasn't necessarily meant to always be just about, you know, hitting one audience. It was always meant to be exported and to reach a
more global audience.
You've kind of seen that grow in -- in really meaningful ways with the partnerships that a lot of the K-pop industry is getting at, you know,
working with a huge partner like Netflix, working with Sony Animation, working with Republic Records, who put out the soundtrack for "KPop Demon
Hunters."
These are people, on one hand, that have been in the K-pop industry for a really long time. Teddy is the main producer for Black Pink, and he's part
of "Golden." Ejae is a songwriter who is the singer under Golden.
And these people have been in the industry for a very long time, but the partnerships and kind of these really tangible, kind of financial successes
and abilities and connections and opportunities to make K-pop grow in ways that just don't stand in -- in simply just putting out music and hoping it
resonates with an audience, but making really strategic smart partnerships.
And -- and this is across the board. This comes whether you are, you know, BTS teaming up with Coldplay or more and more artists playing bigger and
bigger arenas, bigger stadiums, working with bigger brands. All these things have kind of work in tandem to kind of keep K-pop in the
conversation.
Whether or not you have a group like BTS super active and on top of the charts, but the industry itself has always kind of been keep -- it keeps
growing and it keeps kind of making moments to keep the excitement going.
NEWTON: Yes. One time when BTS was in front of me, I don't think I've recovered from the screaming in my ear when they just passed in -- in front
of us.
You know, what you just described is really a profound ecosystem here that has been created for South Korea itself. How important has K-pop, the
export of K-pop, and -- and what it brings to South Korea both culturally and financially? How important has it been even just to the identity of the
country?
[12:40:13]
BENJAMIN: One thousand percent. And -- and, you know, you take that super fan excitement right and you can kind of see that translated in different
ways for the country itself. Lots of people call K-pop a south -- a soft power, rather, of South Korea that it's kind of able to be this influential
important part of people's lives, but it's not something that might be super, super obvious.
And what's really kind of cool about K-pop in particular and so many of its artists is that there is a lot of pride and there is a lot of excitement
for their culture. So, you're not only seeing K-pop music be able to reach more people but you're seeing different elements such as Korean food, K-
beauty, more Korean dramas are -- are -- are finding more people.
So, there's lots of different elements that because you are, if you are such a super fan of someone like BTS or Black Pink or whatever the artist
might be, you're also getting more invested in their world and their life, right?
We were just talking about Taylor Swift and -- and her love life and how excited those fans are about where she's at with their moment.
This is also something that K-pop fans definitely incorporate as well. They're taking, you know, parts of the Korean culture, parts of the world
of these superstars and being able to kind of explore and learn more about them, simply just by, of course, becoming, first and foremost, a fan of the
music and who these celebrities are, but then also kind of taking it to another level.
And I think that's been super key as well for the country because we've seen tourism grow in -- in many different ways. Many K-pop stars like BTS
and New Jeans, they're faces of the tourism for K-pop -- or for South Korea rather. So, it's a lot of exciting kind of connections happening in the
(INAUDIBLE).
NEWTON: I'm so -- I'm so interested that you talk about the investment to fans, right, that they really are invested in this. You know, when I've
been to South Korea, I've covered very serious stories. And believe me, South Korea's a lot of serious challenges ahead of it economically,
politically and otherwise, there is an infectious joy about K-pop that can't be ignored.
Where do you think that comes from?
BENJAMIN: You know, I -- I think on one hand, you know, as you kind of hinted to South Korea, you know, there -- there are -- there are
challenges, right? It's a more conservative country.
And many times, you know, if the western pop standards are might be a little too raunchy or -- or too controversial for certain listeners, K-pop
is a -- is a really nice bed and it's a really safe bed in the sense of that many times the artists, they are very formal. They're very polished
with the way, not only that they perform and that they sing, but also the way that they conduct themselves, you know.
Sometimes, I almost -- you know, I'm trying to get some -- some dirt out of these artists, but they really kind of do perform and work in -- in this
really respectful nice way. So, I think that kind of translates across the board.
It's not about, you know, bringing, you know, something nasty to the scene or it's really about kind of inspiring hope. The music itself is very
hopeful. Listen to a song like "Golden."
And the artists themselves, I -- I -- I always hear from artists that they want to inspire hope with their fans. They want to give comfort to their
fans.
So, I really take that as kind of you know the motto of K-pop is just to give something to kind of bring that joy, bring that happiness, bring that
comfort. And I think it's something that that is connecting a lot in this world of, you know, in this very kind of chaotic digital world we're in. K-
pop can kind of be that safe space for sure.
NEWTON: Jeff Benjamin, you've given us quite an education here and when any of us question why -- why the heck it's got the longevity it does we all
know now. Appreciate your insights. Thanks so much.
Now coming up for us, YouTube says it's going to use AI to guess your age. I'll just tell you right now it's 56. So, how accurate is it? And what if
it guesses wrong? We'll investigate.
Plus, OpenAI said the latest version of ChatGPT would be PhD smart, but we're hearing that the new program can't even label a map. We'll tell you
about dumb after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:45:58]
NEWTON: YouTube will start using AI to guess how old you are. OK. We'll see about the accuracy of that. But if it gets it wrong, it'll be up to you to
prove your true age.
Can you imagine? The system will analyze the user's activity like what they watch and search for it to decide if that user is a minor.
Now, if you're mistakenly labeled as under age, you'll have to upload a government ID, a credit card or even a selfie. The new technology went into
action Wednesday on a trial basis.
The idea is to prevent kids from accessing inappropriate content. While it's still in its early stages, privacy concerns are already being raised,
as you can imagine.
For more on all of this, we bring in our Clare Duffy. You follow this for so many years because the issue here is what information are you giving to
them? And, yes, they can use your age, not just to prove that you're not a minor, but for other things as well.
CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH REPORTER: Yes. Paula, this is so tricky because parents have been asking YouTube and other big tech platforms to do more to
protect young users and to make it so that kids can't just go on YouTube and sign up with a fake birthday to get around some of these youth safety
features.
So, this is YouTube's effort to address that. How this is going to work is the AI is going to analyze the videos that users are watching, what they're
searching for, the length of time that their account has been active.
And if it suspects a user is a minor, they will automatically be placed into these teen safety features. So the types of videos that they watch
will be restricted. Their content recommendations will be adjusted. They'll get these take a break reminders if they've been scrolling for too long.
And they also won't see personalized ads.
But as you said, if you were an adult who is incorrectly labeled as a minor, you'll -- you're going to have to submit your I.D., your credit card
or a selfie in order to prove that you're an adult to go back to that adult-only experience.
And this is worrying. Some adults who would rather not have to hand over that personally identifiable information to Google. And privacy experts who
are concerned about how Google is going to be handling that information.
I did ask YouTube about this and they said that Google has world-class security systems. It won't be using that information for advertising. But,
you know, we'll see how this plays out and how often the system gets it wrong.
NEWTON: Yes. And it's difficult, obviously, to trust what happens there for obvious reasons.
And that brings us to another discussion, Chat GPT. I've been really unnerved by what the latest edition is doing.
DUFFY: Yes. It is interesting because ChatGPT rolled out GPT-5 or OpenAI, I should say, rolled out GPT-5 last week with great fanfare. It said it would
be PhD level in almost anything was this big step towards AGI. This theoretical point when AI is smarter than all humans, but it has not
exactly lived up to the hype.
We've seen users posting these honestly kind of hilarious examples of the system getting very basic things wrong, making up names for U.S.
presidents.
Just yesterday, our colleague, Allison Morrow asked it for a map of the United States and it presented one with the great state of Yirginia.
And users are also complaining that the system has lost its warm and friendly personality that they got used to with the previous version of
ChatGPT and replaced it with something that is more cold and more terse.
[12:50:05]
Now, OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, did acknowledge some of these complaints yesterday. He said they would be working on making ChatGPT warmer and
friendlier but not as annoying as he called the previous version.
And he also just said this rollout has been bumpier than they expected. And so I think a real sign of how despite the fact that some of these AI lads
are rolling out very impressive technology --
NEWTON: Right.
DUFFY: -- they aren't necessarily, you know, getting ahead in creating these consumer facing products, Paula.
NEWTON: Yes. Which raises a whole host of other questions.
Clare Duffy for us, thanks so much.
Now, what happens when your dreams come true?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEXEI OROHOVSKY, BALLET DANCER: It almost never happens. So, that's why when this did happen, I was just in complete shock.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Up next, an American dancer takes a big leap into Russia.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: So, as Russia's president heads to the United States for what many are hoping is historic summit, an American teenager is heading to Russia,
crossing the cultural divide to join an iconic ballet company.
A teen from Mississippi with a big jump is taking a big leap into the rich history of the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. A rare opportunity for
any American.
Journalist Delaney Dukes of WDAM-TV in Mississippi brings us this story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DELANEY DUKES, JOURNALIST, WDAM-TV (voice-over): Born, raised, and trained in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Alexei Orohovsky is now set to perform as a
soloist at the world famous Mariinsky Theatre.
ALEXEI OROHOVSKY:: The Mariinsky Theatre in Russia is arguably the best and definitely the most historic theater, pretty much in the world.
Being from here and being offered to be a part of such a prestigious company is pretty historic. And I'm quite shocked this even happened.
DUKES (voice-over): For the 18 year old, every plie and every pirouette has led to this moment.
ALEXEI OROHOVSKY: It was unbelievable. And I mean that in the literal sense where I was like, I did not actually believe that this was happening. As a
ballet dancer, almost all of us dream of an opportunity like this.
DUKES (voice-over): He says the way this opportunity came about was anything but traditional.
ALEXEI OROHOVSKY: One person saw me. They sent it to a ballet master there, showed me to the director. Director is like, I need him, and that was kind
of how that happened. So, very untraditional because that's usually not how it works.
DUKES (voice-over): Alexei began dancing at the South Mississippi Ballet Theatre under two instructors that know him best, his parents.
[12:55:07]
ARKADIY OROHOVSKY, ALEXEI'S FATHER AND TRAINER: I still can believe it's actually happening. It's -- it's a big deal. It's probably the best theater
in the world.
DUKES (voice-over): For his dad, a ballet dancer himself, this is a dream passed from one generation to the next.
ARKADIY OROHOVSKY: When I was little, I dreamed to dance there and it didn't happen. When I didn't -- I moved to U.S. instead of there. Now, he
has chance to make it happen.
DUKES (voice-over): Now, Alexei is packing his bags, ready to take on an opportunity, he says, few Americans ever receive.
ALEXEI OROHOVSKY: It almost never happens. So, that's why when this did happen, I was just in complete shock. I never thought someone like me, a
boy from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, that grew up training with his parents would ever have an opportunity quite like this.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: And what an opportunity it will be.
That does it for this hour of "One World." I'm Paula Newton. I want to thank you for watching. "Amanpour" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
