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One World with Zain Asher
U.S. Supreme Court Lets States Ban Transgender Athletes from Playing on Girls Sports Teams; Search Efforts Continue as Death Toll Mounts; South Africa on Edge after Anti-Migrant Deadline Arrives; U.S. Supreme Court Issues Opinions on Four Key Cases; Round of 32 Delivers Shocks, Tense Shootouts; Sail 250 will Celebrate Tall Ships in New York Harbor. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired June 30, 2026 - 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)
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: Live from London. I'm Christina Macfarlane. This is "One World". The U.S. Supreme Court has just knocked
down Donald Trump's effort to end birthright citizenship, upholding more than a century of legal precedent.
We begin with some blockbuster rulings from the High Court on the last day of its current term. The court struck down the U.S. President's executive
order to end birthright citizenship, which grants full citizenship rights to anyone born in America. Well, the decision has enormous consequences for
hundreds of thousands of children born every year in the U.S. to parents who are not citizenships.
Another decision involves transgender athletes, marking a win for Trump. Justice decided that the states can ban transgender girls from playing on
girls' sports teams. Several Republican-led states have enacted such bans in recent years. And the court also lifted a Watergate-era cap on how much
money political parties may spend with candidates siding with Republicans.
Well, for more on these rulings, let's get straight to David Weinstein. He's a Former U.S. State and Federal Prosecutor, and a Former Assistant
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, he's also a partner at Jones Walker. Thank you so much for joining us, David.
Now, I mean, let's get straight to the biggest decision here that's just been announced on birthright citizenship and the Supreme Court upholding
over 150 years of precedent enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, here.
Look, we know that justices expressed skepticism about this decision before. This ruling was not entirely a surprise, but can you just explain
what determination the judges used to reach this decision and break it down for us?
DAVID WEINSTEIN, FORMER U.S. STATE & FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well, Christina, they looked at the document itself, something that's been around for 125
years. And then they looked at other decisions back in the 1800s that had interpreted this same document, the 14th Amendment, at the time it was
written.
And they came down on the right side of the law, the facts, and the document itself, and that is it was the intent at the time it was written
that anyone born here would be subject to the protections and jurisdictions of the United States Constitution, and they found that that protection
still existed today.
What was surprising was that there were three judges who dissented from the opinion. It's rather clear cut and rather black leather law. The document
is what it says it is, and while some have said it's an evolving and breathing document, that's what it said when it was written, and that's
what the law was.
And again, if you look at the facts behind all of this, at the time it was written, there were people who were born here, whose parents were brought
here illegally, and who didn't enter the country legally, and they were still subject to the Constitution. So, for me, it's a win for the citizens
of the United States, and for people who were born here, and who should be protected by the Constitution.
MACFARLANE: Yeah, something that could have impacted the lives of millions of Americans across the country. And as you say, David, the traditional
understanding of the 14th Amendment here has prevailed. How much of a check is this with that decision on Donald Trump's executive powers?
WEINSTEIN: I think it's a big check. Look, yesterday we saw decisions that gave great deference, and we've seen them in the past, as far back as
presidential immunity years ago. And then the decisions yesterday about the executive's ability to fire people at will, this one really put the powers
of the executive in check.
And they said you cannot, by executive order, change our constitution. It has to be by an amendment of that constitution. The question even remains,
whether or not legislation can do that? But I think it's an important check from one of the three branches of our government to balance all three
branches and to keep power in check.
MACFARLANE: David, turning to the next ruling, and that was the decision to allow states to ban transgender athletes. This too was expected, given
during the oral arguments in January. There were indications that the judges were leaning in this direction, but during the opinions I saw that
three of the court's liberal justices partially dissented from the decision.
[11:05:00]
So, can you just again walk us through that decision, and what came out of it here?
WEINSTEIN: Certainly interesting. So, this again was deference to states' rights and the basis upon which they made their decision. It also
incorporated a law called Title Nine, which is colleges that receive funding the ability to place certain restrictions on what was going on.
But I think the importance of the dissents and the fact that Justice Sotomayor read her dissent was her focus on how this got to where it was in
the scrutiny that had to be placed on the restrictions that were put in place by the states and the effect it had on the people who were the
subject of this lawsuit.
And that is why it took so long to come to this determination, but again, no surprise, based on the conservative composition of the court, that they
would rule the way they did, and allow states to set frameworks for at least, at the moment, college athletes to have to compete on teams based on
their biological status how they were born.
MACFARLANE: And David, so at the moment I think we've got over two dozen states that currently have enacted these bans. I mean, does looking ahead,
and does this mean that we can expect to see more bands rolled out immediately? How is this going to work?
WEINSTEIN: I think we will see more bans. I think that any state and any university, any institution that was waiting to see what the ruling would
be, they're now going to use this as a guideline, as a framework, and whatever restrictions they place are going to look in that opinion.
Find out exactly what the baseline is for them to put something in place, and if they choose to do so, they're going to put them in place, and the
question becomes, how quickly can they roll them out?
MACFARLANE: Additionally, David just wanted to get your opinion too on the campaign finance ruling that we just announced, I think, was just
announced, just in the last sort of few minutes, that a court ruling in favor of this, which means there will no longer be curves of spending
between political parties and candidates. What did you make of that?
WEINSTEIN: Well, again, this one focused on what they call coordinated spending. It has always been permissible for a political party, whatever it
might be, to spend funds on a campaign without the coordination or consent of the candidate. This one now says that earlier rules were incorrect.
And that if a party wants to coordinate with a candidate and give them not just a small amount of money, the cap was below 10,000 now it's above
500,000. They're allowed to do it. And what was interesting to me within the ruling was part of what they looked at was, does this establish the
coordinated campaign financing, any sort of quid pro quo?
Will give you this money if you follow what we're saying that you should do with regards to when you are finally elected when you replace, they seem to
put that aside. To me that's a far bigger issue, because we always want an appearance of impartiality. You can support the candidate, but your support
for that candidate shouldn't be tied to how much money we give to that.
But again, the conservative justices here sided with the parties who brought the lawsuit, Republicans, and said no, you can coordinate the
campaign, and we're going to raise that cap an incredible amount of money. So, all three of these decisions are very important decisions.
But this one I think down the road is going to have an impact, because the ads we see now, I think voters need to ask, well, who paid for the ad? What
are they expecting in return? And do I want my candidate tied so closely to that particular party, even though they say that's the ticket they're
running?
MACFARLANE: Yeah, and particularly consequential as well, of course, in an election year. David, always great to have you. Thank you so much for
walking us through that seismic day there for the Supreme Court. Thanks, David.
Now, around 24 hours ago, President Trump claimed Iran wanted to speak with U.S. officials in Doha. Now that the time has come, no such meeting is
taking place. According to Qatar's Foreign Ministry, U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's Son-in-Law, Jared Kushner, are expected to meet with
Qatari mediators today, while Iranian negotiators are not meeting face to face with the U.S. They are still sending a delegation to Doha.
Those talks with Qatari officials are set for Wednesday, and they expect to cover implementation of the U.S.-Iran agreement, as well as Iran's frozen
assets. And it has been nearly two weeks since the U.S. and Iran signed off on a memorandum of understanding, since then talks on Tehran's nuclear
program have not yet begun.
There is renewed tension over maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, and the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon has not stopped. Well,
Nic Robertson is joining us now live from London. So, in this moment, Nic, a lot of mixed messages about who's meeting with who or not?
[11:10:00]
But nevertheless, it is crucial for both sides to get together at this moment with so much left to negotiate.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, there is a lot, not least, as you say, the Strait of Hormuz, and another thing on the
agenda is the ceasefire in Lebanon. We heard that from the Qatari officials today.
But the fact that you won't get these two teams, the U.S. team, Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, in the same room as the Iranians, I think points to
the difficulties that lie ahead. The Iranians coming in tomorrow to Doha, expected to meet with just the Qataris, expected to talk, amongst other
things about frozen assets that Qatar has an involvement and a certain level of control over.
We heard from the Qatari officials today saying that none of Iran's frozen assets have yet been released. But it's -- that is front and center of part
of Iran's agenda to make sure they get that money, and that is for them part of a sort of a proof that the United States is cooperating on all
points of the memorandum of understanding before they'll move forward to the final agreement, which is thought to include the nuclear issues,
because those are the toughest issues.
In short, Iran wants to make sure it's getting the money. They'll be speaking to Qatari officials about that. But we heard from U.S. Vice
President J.D. Vance about a week and a half ago, saying that for Iran to get the frozen assets, the U.S. has to sign off on it, as well as the
Qataris.
We don't know if that's part of what Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner are doing. But we do know that that's how the U.S. understands the process for
Iran to be able to get that money. And we also understand from the Vice President, U.S. Vice President, that the money would be spent on U.S.
agricultural products, which would then go to the Iranians, but the Iranians push back on that.
So, there is so much detail to work out. But each step is a step in the direction of getting to the nuclear talks. But as we've seen the steps
backwards, like violence between U.S. and Iran over the past couple of days, that's still very present, lurking in the background.
MACFARLANE: Yeah. And on that point, I mean, on the evidence, the violence that we've seen between the two sides over the weekend, the confusion that
still exists around these talks. What chances, Nic, do you think there are of something constructive coming out of these talks? Is that 60-day
deadline, let's remember, is continuing to tick down?
ROBERTSON: It is. And there's a 30-day deadline as well, which is the deadline for Iran to have done what it was supposed to do to allow
international maritime traffic to resume normal transit through the Strait of Hormuz, who were less than 20 days on that ticking clock for them to do
that and that does include the demining.
And of course, this confusion, if you will, the ambiguity that was in the MOU that has to be hammered out into hard understandings. Iran's
understanding that it wants at the end of the 60 days to be able to put tolls or have some kind of management fee on the Strait of Hormuz.
Clearly, both sides are such a long way apart on that fundamental issue that 60-days does not really seem adequate. We do not know what is
happening in the technical level talks, but it will be important for Iran to see that it is getting its frozen assets for them things like the
assets, the sanctions waivers, the sanctions relief as well as a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Those are all the things that they want to see move forward on before they'll move forward. Some of this really feels like a catch 22 but it's
about sequencing, and that's what technical talks do. They work out who moves first? How much they move? How much money they get? When they might
get the next amount of money, all of that is in play.
MACFARLANE: Yeah, you call it a catch 22. I was thinking more chicken and egg, which, which, whichever way you split it, it's a tough path ahead. Nic
Robertson, there with the analysis. Thanks, Nic.
Now, in Venezuela, a moment of hope among so much devastation and heartache. A Jordanian rescue team freed a three-year-old child from the
rubble six days after a pair of devastating earthquakes. There are also reports of a 12-year-old boy being rescued from under mounds of rubble.
Look at that. And despite the stories of survival, the death toll has climbed to more than 1700 with thousands of others injured. Families in
Venezuela and in the United States are also desperate to find out what happened to nearly 150 people deported from the U.S.
[11:15:00]
The group, which included seven children, landed in Venezuela the day the earthquake struck. The hotel they have been taken to in La Guardia
collapsed in the disaster, and their families are demanding more information.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSE GREGORIO RINCON AVILA, GRANDFATHER OF MISSING DEPORTEE: Please, those of you who are here, help us, help us. We have been waiting many days. We
already know those bodies have been there for several days, since Wednesday, but at least let us take our loved one's home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: CNN's Isa Soares is in Caracas with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT: So, this is roughly the plan of this eight-storey building here in the Caracas. They've broken it down into
floors to get a sense of who lived and what floor. It tells you how many people have died? 12 people, how many people have rescued three so far, 20
approximately, families, people still missing here from this eight-storey building in Caracas.
SOARES (voice-over): But over the last two days no one has been found alive. Still, the rescue operations continue, and families wait for however
long it takes.
MIRELLA HERRERA, RELATIVES MISSING AFTER EARTHQUAKE: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
SOARES (voice-over): It has been an agonizing wait for Mirella Herrera, who has been here every day, longing for signs of life, waiting for her son,
her daughter-in-law, and her granddaughters, both in their 20s.
HERRERA: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
SOARES (voice-over): There's also fury from those who say that Venezuela was not prepared for a tragedy of this magnitude. It's certainly the case
at the main pediatric hospital in Caracas. Right now, they are treating a 12-year-old girl for multiple and life-threatening injuries. Her little
body in excruciating pain as she was crushed by the weight of the collapsed floors.
DR. HUNIADES URBINA-MEDINA, INTENSIVE CARE PEDIATRICIAN: We could receive at least 10 patients here in this area, but since at least 10 years ago we
don't have enough personnel. We don't have enough medicines. We don't have enough mechanic ventilators, so we only can work with four patients here in
this area.
SOARES (voice-over): More than 100 children have ended up here following last Wednesday's back-to-back earthquake, tells me Dr. Huniades Urbina-
Medina, who has been a pediatrician for 20 years.
SOARES: You're not prepared; Venezuela's hospitals are not prepared?
DR. URBINA-MEDINA: Not prepared.
SOARES: Never been prepared?
DR. URBINA-MEDINA: Any hospital in no -- no one -- no hospital in -- is prepared for the day by day, but with this catastrophe, it's worse because
we don't have enough medical medicines, equipment, personnel.
SOARES (voice-over): The tragic consequence of years of crisis and mismanagement now coming to the fore. Isa Soares, CNN, Caracas, Venezuela.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: For more information about how you can help Venezuela's earthquake victims, do go to cnn.com/impact. OK, still to come: South
Africa is on edge after an ominous deadline set by anti-migrant protesters arrives. We're in Johannesburg live next with the latest.
Plus, a city in Ohio is bracing for major change. A large part of its Haitian community is now faced with uncertainty following a Supreme Court
ruling.
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MACFARLANE: Welcome back. Many Haitians living in the U.S. are looking for other legal immigration pathways to stay in the country. This, after the
Supreme Court ruled last week that the Trump Administration could remove their temporary protected status. Springfield, Ohio, is home to more than
10,000 Haitians. CNN's Omar Jimenez spoke with some affected immigrants there, who are now fearful about their future.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I've been here multiple times over the past two years, and each time during a period of fear or uncertainty for
the Haitian population here. And we're getting ready to meet with a man I first met a little bit more than a year ago. He's had a steady job
throughout all of this, but is now among the many trying to figure out what he's going to do next. Daniel, how's it going?
DANIEL AULA, HATIAN IMMIGRANT LIVING IN SPRINGFIELD, OHIO: Yeah, good. How are you doing?
JIMENEZ: Yeah, doing OK.
AULA: Not too bad.
JIMENEZ (voice-over): Daniel Aula came to the U.S. from Haiti in 2022 running from what he says was a serious threat on his life. He had to leave
behind his wife and daughter.
AULA: I have to protect my life to save a life, to stay alive, to take care of my family.
JIMENEZ (voice-over): Since he's been in Springfield, he's worked steadily at a local metal works manufacturer, building a life he fears he could soon
lose.
JIMENEZ: Are you scared right now?
AULA: Very. I'm off with all day. They take me and go back in and with me by force.
JIMENEZ (voice-over): He's not alone either. Viles Dorsainvil is the Executive Director of the local Haitian Support Center.
VILES DORSAINVIL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HATIAN COMMUNITY HELP & SUPPORT CENTER: Haitian Support Center.
JIMENEZ: We've just been trying to talk to him for a few minutes, and he's getting calls.
JIMENEZ (voice-over): He's helping manage the immigration paperwork for their attorneys.
JIMENEZ: What are you telling people who are calling in?
DORSAINVIL: We tell them that if they have children, choose a trustworthy person and give that person power attorney in case something happens to
them.
JIMENEZ (voice-over): A lot of the Haitian population here came pretty suddenly over the last five years through a combination of immigration
programs, but among them temporary protected status, along with just word of mouth from other U.S. communities, but as you might imagine, not
everyone is happy about their presence here.
But economically, the city and Republican Governor Mike DeWine have pointed to the influx as one of the reasons the area has seen an economic
revitalization. Since the Supreme Court decision, Dorsainvil says some people have been calling in to the community centers, taking a victory lap.
JIMENEZ: Are you nervous at all about what comes next here in Springfield?
DORSAINVIL: Basically, yes, because there is so much at stake.
JIMENEZ: So, people are calling the community center, saying it's time for you to leave?
DORSAINVIL: To live, and they are not saying that in that beautiful words that we are using now. So, they are using n words to tell us to leave.
JIMENEZ: Are you afraid if you're sent back that you would be killed?
AULA: Very afraid. If any -- will be safe, it will be all good pleasure to go back on my account.
JIMENEZ: But right now, that's just not.
AULA: No, right now, no.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: Omar Jimenez, there. Now an unofficial deadline in South Africa has arrived, and anti-immigration protests are taking place nationwide.
Thousands marched Tuesday as heavy police guarded several cities, some businesses were forced to close, while many foreign workers stayed home out
of fear.
The so-called deadline for all undocumented migrants to leave the country follows a month-long series of protests, threats, and attacks targeting
South Africa's migrant population. CNN's Larry Madowo is joining us from the streets of Johannesburg with more.
[11:25:00]
And Larry, there was a serious threat yesterday that violence was going to escalate. What have you been seeing today? Has that materialized?
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We have seen not much violence, to be fair, throughout the day. We have seen some sporadic cases of some
protesters throwing bottles at some homes, maybe sometimes vandalizing property, but not to a large scale.
What we're tracking right now, we're behind a march that we've been essentially tracking the whole day, since about maybe 9, 10 in the morning.
What's happened over the days that we've seen small sporadic marches, people coming together into larger groups, sometimes thousands of people,
other times it's a few 100, but it's been.
This OK -- here's now we're not sure what it is, but it appears to be people trying to get into a private business. The police are behind us --
and see what's going on here. This is one of the things that was feared could happen during this protest moments of vandalism and crime.
OK, this appears to be people vandalizing, looting actually. What we see is people looting a shop that's been left open. It seems to be a garage or
something of the kind, and they're grabbing whatever they can get. The piety of forces are open.
OK, the police are moving in here. Here's the police moving in. All right, he's OK. So that's the police quickly breaking up what appears to be a few
people who are looting. This appears to be pains I believe that they were getting from there and they've quickly gotten it under control.
What has been happening throughout the day is you see this line of police cars peacefully escorting the marchers throughout the city but making sure
that they're not looting or vandalizing anything and if something like that happens, they quickly get it under control.
A few moments ago, we saw a car that some people tried to set on fire, and police came in and threw out all the bits of kind of inflammable material
and made sure the car did not set ablaze, essentially. So, what they're doing is now trying to close that place that they were looting from.
This appears to be somebody's home, because we can see a car under that, and the police are making sure that they can't take it back. OK, somebody's
brought back something that was grabbed from there a moment ago. So, there's been a few moments of these throughout the day.
But nothing extraordinary, suddenly not at large scale. But you see part of the fear during these protests that they could descend into vandalism, into
crime, and into violence Christina.
MACFARLANE: And Larry, where have migrants been today? I mean, yesterday when we spoke, you know, we were talking -- you were talking to them
outside consulates in Johannesburg. Where are they? They staying home? Are they at the consulates? Have you managed to speak to any of them?
MADOWO: There's been a few migrants, few 100 migrants in certain places, in parts of Cape Town, Kozilena (ph), and here in Johannesburg. We had quite a
few 100 at the Malawian Consulate in Johannesburg. Some Nigerians were able to get evacuated on Monday.
But there's still some of them who are within these communities who are hiding, who they didn't come out to do their businesses, to do any of their
trades, because of the threats of these marches of these protests. So, they stayed away from basically the city.
Most of Johannesburg today has been sort of a ghost town. We didn't see a lot of activity because of people kind of marching through the streets,
singing this song, celebrating Zulu Pride, but the migrants have largely stayed safe. We haven't seen any major arrests. We haven't seen any
violence, or anybody getting attacked to a large degree.
MACFARLANE: Yeah. All right. Well, it continues to be quite a volatile situation there, Larry. We will, of course, continue to track it. Thank you
so much for bringing us that from Joburg for now, Larry Madowo.
OK, still ahead, more on a slew of important opinions coming out of the U.S. Supreme Court in the past couple of hours. We'll go live to Washington
to break down all the latest decisions next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
MACFARLANE: Welcome back to "One World". I'm Christina Macfarlane in London. Here are some of the headlines we're watching today. U.S. Supreme
Court shut down Donald Trump's effort to end birthright citizenship for millions of people. The court's decision means that anyone born in the
United States is a citizen, even if that child's parents are not.
In other rulings, the justices decided that states can ban transgender girls from playing on girls' sports teams. We're getting mixed signals by
both the U.S. and Iran about the status of peace talks. U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's Son-in-Law, Jared Kushner, are in Doha, where they are
expected to meet with Qatari mediators. Despite President Trump's claims from Monday, Iranian officials say they will not be at this meeting.
Six days after Venezuela's devastating earthquakes, the government confirms that more than 1700 people have lost their lives, more than 5000 others
were injured, and tens of thousands remain missing. Among those unaccounted for, more than 100 Venezuelans who were deported by the U.S. just hours
before the earthquake hit.
And police in Monaco want to know who sent a mail bomb that wounded three people. Monaco's prosecutor calls it an attempted assassination, but rules
out terrorism as a motive. CNN Affiliate BFM TV reports the target was Ukrainian Businessman Vadim Yermolayev (ph). Ukraine sanctioned him in 2023
for doing business in Russian-occupied Crimea.
So, let's turn back now to our breaking news story. The U.S. Supreme Court issuing some major decisions on the final day of its blockbuster term. The
most eagerly anticipated ruling was on birthright citizenship. The court rejected the executive order President Trump signed on the first day of his
second term.
The president declared that children born to parents who are in the U.S. temporarily or legally are not American citizens. Also today, other
landmark decisions, the court lifted a cap on how much money political parties may spend with candidates President Trump, which he praised the
decision for as a win for Republicans.
CNN's Alayna Treene is joining us from the White House. So, Alayna, it's been a bit of a big hour with some blockbuster rulings from the Supreme
Court. And I think the biggest and the most consequential there, as we pointed out, is the upholding of birthright citizenship, which is seen as a
real check on Donald Trump's executive powers.
But I know the president, as I said, there has been on social media responding. What has he been saying?
[11:35:00]
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, I'll start with birthright citizenship. Actually, we have heard the president weigh in
directly, Christina, on Truth Social, on the two other cases that you had mentioned, not yet on this big blockbuster decision on birthright
citizenship, where the justices, at least the majority of the justices, I should say, really rebuffed the president's push to try and limit that into
the United States.
Some context here, this is something that has been very important to President Donald Trump, not only this term, but back during his first
administration as well, something that he has been fixated on. He, I know from the conversations I've had with officials, both in this administration
and back then, have argued that the president believes that birth tourism has really been on the rise in the United States, really wanting to try and
tamp some of that down.
This decision, of course, saying that nope, the 14th Amendment and the Constitution say that you cannot do that. Now, I will say, as well, one of
the things that I think is important to point out with this birthright citizenship case is that many people within the White House kind of
expected this to not go their way.
Part of the reason he pushed forward with this executive order was because he wanted to bring this fight to the highest court in America. He wanted to
show his base, Christina, that he was trying to push on this issue. We also kind of saw this play out in April, when I remind you that the president,
in an unprecedented move, showed up to the Supreme Court to sit down and kind of stare down the justices during the legal arguments in this case.
So, just a fascinating case all around, but one that really did not go President Donald Trump's way. On these other cases, though, I want to start
with the ruling upholding the state bans in Idaho and West Virginia, ruling that trans women, trans girls cannot play in girls' sports.
The president trying to take a victory lap on this, he wrote on Truth Social, the United States Supreme Court just ruled against men playing in
women's sports. Wow, that takes that ridiculous situation off the table. Some context here as well, that's not necessarily the way that he's framing
this, is not necessarily true.
What the Supreme Court said was that the bans in these states can stand, and that their bands can move forward. This is not, though, a federal ban
on trans women playing in female sports. Now, if other states want to ban that, this ruling kind of sets a precedent here, but a little bit different
from what he's claiming.
He also took a victory lap, as you said, on that issue of political spending and caps that have really been in place on what these
organizations can give directly to candidates, these caps have been in place I should say, back to the Watergate era. The president calling it a
big win for Republicans.
So, something that's definitely going to likely play a major role in the upcoming midterm elections with the spending and campaign finance around
all of that.
MACFARLANE: Yes, certainly. And it really does feel, doesn't it, the Supreme Court here are really reshaping the country, perhaps you know more
so than Congress at the moment, some seismic decisions. Alayna Treene, thank you very much.
In the next few hours, Serena Williams is set to play her first Wimbledon singles match since 2022. And her opponent is less than half her age. We'll
have the live report just ahead. Plus, shocks and shootouts at the World Cup. Stay with us for a look ahead to today's action at the tournament,
where anything can happen.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:40:00]
MACFARLANE: Penalty shootouts ended the World Cup hopes of two of European football's giants on Monday. Germany, who lost out to Paraguay, and the
Netherlands beaten by Morocco. In the round of 32 today Ivory Coast will face Norway in Dallas, then tournament favorites France come up against
Sweden in New Jersey.
And Ecuador must brave the fanatical atmosphere of the Mexico City Stadium as they take on the co-hosts. And following all of the action is always
CNN's Don Riddell. Good to see you, Don, again.
Look, when we spoke yesterday, you told me that I think that alarm bells were ringing for Germany's fans. Well, I guess today they must be fully in
shock. Let's start with that Germany game. How massive a loss is this for these World Cup giants?
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: I mean, huge. Although I would say that the German team and the German fans are now getting used to this. I mean,
remember they won the tournament in 2014 and since then it's been pretty much a miserable experience. They didn't even get out of the group in 2018
or 2022.
And although they qualified from the group as winners in this competition, as we say, the alarm bells were ringing. I think the fans felt as though
they might be just about good enough to get past Paraguay, but then they'd probably run into France when they might be, or might have been, completely
taken apart.
And so, perhaps they avoided the humiliation of that by losing to Paraguay on penalties. But they just didn't do enough in this game. Paraguay were
very organized. The defense was very strong. Arguably, Germany had a goal in extra time ruled out from Jonathan Todd that should have been allowed to
stand, but did they morally deserve to win the game? Probably not.
As for Paraguay, what an extraordinary accomplishment this was. Everybody in Paraguay is getting a national holiday today, so they're absolutely
loving it. An incredible moment from them. And seeing the scenes of those fans and what it means to them is just a reminder of why this is such a
beautiful game, and especially when you get to the knockout stage of the World Cup, pretty much anything can happen.
And I think we've seen that so far. We've only had four knockout games, and they have all been so close, all of them. You know three of them we've had
goals scored after the 90th minute, which have impacted the direction of the game, if not settled it, and we've already had two penalty shootouts as
well.
MACFARLANE: Yes, I was going to say the other penalty shoot-out of the night, obviously. Netherlands, Morocco, did the right team win in the end?
RIDDELL: Yeah, I think they probably did. I think Morocco deserved to win that game. But I mean it was a frenetic game. It was high energy, high
intensity, it was a thrilling game to watch. But remember that the Dutch were winning that one until the 91st minute when they conceded that late
header, and all of a sudden, they were into extra time and penalties.
The Dutch have a nightmare experience with penalty shootouts. And Christina, you and I have followed the England team, so we kind of know
that experience and what it's like? But the Dutch are absolutely there as well. I think, we have a graphic to show you just how many times they have
gone out of the World Cup on penalties: 1998, 2014, 2022 I was there in Qatar when they were knocked out by Argentina on penalties, and now here
again, losing to Morocco in a shootout, it is quite extraordinary.
Their luck in this competition. And it was a real heartbreaker, too. I mean, their goalie actually saved one of the kicks, and then the ball
squirmed under his body, and he accidentally knocked it back in with basically back heeled it into the net, which is an absolute tragedy for
him.
There you see him. And that kind of changed the direction of the shootout, so just another heartbreaker for the Netherlands.
MACFARLANE: Yeah.
[11:45:00]
RIDDELL: But great for Morocco. Remember, they are kind of one of the emerging world powers in the game. They made it to the semi-finals in Qatar
four years ago, maybe they can do it again, or maybe even go further.
MACFARLANE: Yeah, well, look, as you say, Don, we know all too well how painful it is to go out of a World Cup on penalty. So, it's a shared
sentiment, and we look forward to the round of 32 tonight. Don, appreciate it. Thank you.
Now let's turn to tennis, because anticipation is also building at Wimbledon, as tennis great Serena Williams prepares to play her first
competitive singles match in nearly four years. The seven-time Wimbledon singles champion accepted a wild card entry just days before qualifying
began.
The 44-year-old will face Australia's Maya Joint at 20. She is less than half Serena's age. Williams is also in the doubles' competition with her
46-year-old sister, Venus. Their first-round opponents are Colombian Kamala Osorio and Solana Sierra from Argentina.
So, joining us now to chat is CNN Contributor Cari Champion. She's the Host of the Podcast Flagrant and Funny with Cari Champion and Jemele Hill. Cari,
great to see you. I know, having worked at the Tennis Channel, that you have covered Serena Williams' career for years.
And so, you know, as we prepare to see her walk out here on Center Court, I think in the next hour, I'm reminded that four years ago she said she was
evolving away from tennis and never actually retired. So, I want to know, do you think this decision to return to tennis and the single straw --
center court today was always going to be on the cards? And what do you think her mindset is going to be?
CARI CHAMPION, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I think when she retired, I was there at the US Open, I think she played that very first match. And if you recall,
she won, and then she went on to the second round, and then she went on to the third round. And very much as she has done in her career, she has
played her way into shape, into competition.
And I didn't -- I believe this is just my humble opinion, I believe she was surprised that she still cared as much and loved the game as much. She is a
mother. She had just had her second child. And I felt as if she was moving into motherhood entrepreneurship. She owns many businesses. She has a
venture fund that she helps us support other businesses as well.
She started a makeup line. Serena has been very busy being the entrepreneur that she's always wanted to be, dabbling in tech. But the thing is this:
when you have that type of adrenaline rush, that high that can't be replaced by any other job or any other situation, you often crave that when
you are a champion at the best level.
When you look at someone like a Michael Jordan, he retired a few times and came back. You can't get over that until you really accomplish something.
And so, for me, I always thought that she would return, especially when I saw her just, you know, showing us on Instagram that she was playing a
little bit.
But this time she's returning with her children, and that is the difference for these women that I see, much like an Allyson Felix, like coming out of
retirement. It is for the children. It is the legacy. Go to her and watch her social media, you'll see that she is truly enjoying this moment with
her little girls, and that is the important part here. In addition to what else she would like to leave for her legacy.
MACFARLANE: Yeah. And you're so right, because she said this decision was shaped by her daughters wanting them to see her play as the icon that she
is on the tennis court. But how important is it to for all of us to see a female athlete of this caliber, and the mother competing here well into her
40s, you know, rewriting the rules of what's expected in sport?
CHAMPION: You're right, it's so important. She is rewriting the rules. She's creating her own narrative, as she has since she started playing
tennis as a teenager alongside her sister, Venus. We need to start to realize that truly age is only a number and a mindset. With the advances in
technology, how you can take care of your body now. 40 doesn't mean it's over for you.
We saw this with Lindsey Vonn, she still needed more, and while it didn't, you know, pan out the way she wanted to physically, she was up to par.
We'll see this more and more with women. Women have often been told in sport; you can have one or the other. When it's time to have children,
you're going to have to retire, because your body's just not going to do what it's supposed to do, and you just can't.
And that may be true in many cases. But for athletes, very similar to Serena and others who have that mindset of there can be more, and we can
continue to make history, not necessarily history. They will do that, and that opens up an entire world for the generation behind her.
[11:50:00]
The legacy that Serena, not only leaves behind for her children, she's leaving behind for those who are coming up: the Coco Gauffs of the world,
the Sloane Stephens of the world, the Naomi Osakas of the world. Naomi Osaka did something very differently. She had a child early on, and people
told her not to, and she said, I can play my way back into shape. I can still be the champion I was beforehand.
Serena really is such a crown jewel to tennis, and I don't even know if the sport appreciates it in real time. But history will be so kind to her
because of what she has been able to contribute to this sport and what she's doing for the women who are following her alongside her sister,
Venus.
She's often said there would be no Serena if there was no Venus. And we should remember that as we look ahead to her playing today on Center Court,
and eventually playing doubles with Venus. It's going to be something spectacular, and something that we should all really understand.
MACFARLANE: Yeah, collectively, they've won six doubles Grand Slam Champions at Wimbledon. That's something we should remember when we see
these sisters on court again this week, and appreciate them. Cari, always great to have your perspective in moments like this. Thank you so much.
CHAMPION: Thank you.
MACFARLANE: And we will be right back after this. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MACFARLANE: Four days from now, the U.S. will celebrate a historic milestone, America's 250th birthday. Part of the big day will involve tool
ships from around the world. The ships and crews are making their way to New York Harbor for an event dubbed Sail 250. CNN's Leigh Waldman and her
team are on the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, better known as America's Tall Ship.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAPTAIN KRISTOPHER ENSLEY, COMMANDING OFFICER, USCGC EAGLE: We represent America's maritime heritage and the Coast Guard to the public, and this
summer we're doing that as part of Sail 250.
LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the first time in 50 years, four or five sister ships, including the Coast Guard Eagle, are
sailing together for Sail 250.
LT. ROBERT MEYER, NAVIGATION OFFICER, GORCH FOCK: The Portuguese ship, the Sagres (ph), is here. The Romanian ship, the Mircea, is here. The Coast
Guard, the Eagle, is here, and these are our sister ships, and it's unbelievable to have all of these ships here together.
WALDMAN (voice-over): Leaving Baltimore's Inner Harbor Sunday after welcoming thousands of guests on board, the Tall Ships are now on their way
to New York Harbor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For us, it's a historic moment, because we are celebrating the independence of United States.
WALDMAN (voice-over): It's an honor for the officers of these tall ships to sail together again as a way to mark a major milestone in the United States
history.
[11:55:00]
WALDMAN: What does America 250 mean to you and Sail 250 mean to you?
ENSLEY: Right now, it means we need to sail into New York Harbor safely, which is where we got our head. We're getting ready to do that this week,
while you're here on board.
WALDMAN (voice-over): For weeks the Eagle crew and cadets have made port at several U.S. cities along the East Coast, all culminating to the largest
maritime festival in our nation's history, a Fourth of July Parade. Captain Ensley says it's a celebration with some friendly competition.
ENSLEY: We're going to race between New York and Boston we're lining up the ships, and believe me, we're bringing home the gold.
WALDMAN: Absolutely, you got this.
ENSLEY: We're excited. That trophy is coming home.
WALDMAN (voice-over): On board the Eagle I'm Leigh Waldman.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: Oh, well, that's not by far the only celebration taking place on July the Fourth in Washington. Pyrotechnic crews are setting up
fireworks around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Organizers hope to set a new Guinness World Record to mark America's 250th birthday.
They plan to set off more than 850,000 fireworks. And President Trump says he will personally launch the show. Let's hope the pool is blue. That's it
for me with CNN, there's more "One World" coming up with my colleague Bianna straight after this break. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
