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One World with Zain Asher
Bessent to Detail Economic Pressure Campaign on Iran; Bessent: "Economic D-Day" is Coming for Iran; Teacher Pleads for Release of Husband in I.C.E. Custody; New Report Highlights Growing LGBTQ Plus Population Across U.S.; 90,000 Urge to Flee Fast-Forward Nevada Wildfire; Finger Pulling: The Ultimate Bate Knuckle Sport. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired August 24, 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)
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: Live from Atlanta, I'm Lynda Kinkade. Zain is off today. This is "One World". Ahead on the show, ramping up
pressure on Tehran. We're live at the White House as the Trump Administration threatens an Economic D-Day for Iran.
Plus, can the LGBTQ Plus community sway the midterm elections? I'll speak with the President of the Human Rights Campaign. And Gianni Infantino gets
a boost from Africa. CNN speaks exclusively with the Cameroonian Football Legend Samuel Etoo about why he backs the FIFA President.
In about two hours, we're expecting to learn more about the latest threat from Washington meant to force Tehran back to the negotiating table.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is set to explain his warning that an Economic D-Day is coming for Iran.
In a Financial Times op-ed on Sunday, Bessent wrote that the world should understand that our objective is to sever every economic lifeline that
sustains the tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone. And he added that the war is now quote entering the end game. Bessent goes on to say that
there will be tremendous economic consequences for countries doing business with Iran.
That places China, the largest buyer of Iranian oil by far, squarely in the crosshairs. And experts warn it's a move that could draw retaliation from
Beijing. American sanctions, of course, are not a new tactic. Iran has been under a U.S. economic siege for nearly 50 years, and it's the Iranian
people, not the government, who suffer the most. Iran's foreign minister warns the regime has had plenty of experience finding new sources of
revenue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABBAS ARAGHCHI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: This is a repetitive scenario from the crippling sanctions imposed during the Obama Administration to the
maximum pressure campaign during Mr. Trump's first administration, and now to the latest sanctions.
All of these measures have been introduced under different titles, but they represent the same kind of bullying that we have always seen in American
policy. In other words, it's the same movie they keep playing over and over again. We know this movie, so we know how to confront and deal with.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: CNN's Alayna Treen joins us now live at the White House. Great to see you there, Alayna. So, President Trump has promised the most crushing
economic operation ever taken against any country. What can we expect from the Treasury Secretary when he speaks two hours from now?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Look, this is being described by officials as the most comprehensive assault on Iran's economy
to date. And it's clear that really there is now a shift that we are seeing in this war, which has gone on for more than six months now, which is one
from a military operation now to an economic war.
And it's designed what we're going to see later today with the announcement from Scott Bessent, is designed to inflict as much pain on Iran, I should
say, as much economic pain on Iran as possible, in order to weaken them to a point where they're forced to surrender a lot more in negotiations to end
the war.
We'll see, though. I will note some experts argue, look, this is not new for Iran. They have been under economic strain for several decades. And at
times, this kind of aggression toward another country, but specifically from the U.S. to Iran, could have the opposite effect of hardening their
position against them, including hardening the public's position against the U.S.
But I want to get into a little more about your specific question, Lynda, about what we should hear. I think it's clear that the U.S. is looking to
allies to unite with them in their strategy of trying to isolate Iran economically, and that there are likely going to be secondary sanctions
announced against countries who continue to buy oil from Iran and continue to prop them up.
I do want to read for you another quote from that op-ed you mentioned from Bessent yesterday. He wrote; total financial isolation can obviate the need
for American force while enlarging the sphere of freedom for our allies.
Look, there's going to be a question though about how much pain the U.S. is willing to inflict not only on Iran but on other countries, as you
mentioned, like China. China is the biggest buyer and purchaser of Iranian oil. And this comes at a time when we know that the President of the United
States, Donald Trump, wants to keep ties with China in a good place.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is coming here to the White House to meet with President Trump and others next month, so this could create a very
interesting dynamic if Beijing isn't in board. I will say Bessent has suggested that China was aligned with the U.S. particularly when it comes
to trying to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.
But this could be a future problem we see with this announcement today. But a lot of I think specific things you're going to hear from Bessent, and
he'll give us the big. Picture at 01:00 p.m. today, Lynda.
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KINKADE: We will be tuning in, no doubt. Alayna Treene, good to have you there at the White House. Thanks so much. Well, blame Canada, that's the
Trump Administration's view on the collapse of trade talks over the weekend. And now Canada is promising to match U.S. tariffs on $20 billion
of Canadian goods dollar for dollar.
Canada walked away from negotiations late Friday. Prime Minister Mark Carney says the U.S. introduced last-minute demands that would have harmed
the Canadian economy. White House officials say the economic impact will bring Canada back to the negotiating table soon.
President Trump says 50 percent tariffs on cars, auto parts, and steel from Canada will kick in on January 1. In a Truth Social post, he writes, Canada
has been ripping off the United States of America for years. They are among the worst nations in the world to deal with. They feel entitled, and yet we
don't need Canada. They need the U.S.
Well, obviously, a trade war will hurt consumers on both sides of the border. For a look at what will now go up in price, here's our Matt Egan.
MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: The U.S. and Canada have long had one of the closest trading relationships in the world, but that relationship right
now is clearly in crisis. And this is a trade war that could end up leaving consumers in both countries stuck in the crossfire if it leads to job loss
and higher prices.
Now, the 50 percent tariffs that were imposed by the Trump Administration in recent days they are impacting a wide range of imports from Canada,
including everything from milk and honey to dog leashes, gloves, smartphones, hockey sticks, fishing rods, Christmas ornaments, wigs, false
beards. I could go on and on.
Also, alcoholic beverages facing tariffs as well. That includes beer, wine, whiskey, and vodka. Now, these 50 percent tariffs, they are going to be
paid first by businesses, and we know that these businesses they often pass along at least some of the import taxes to all of us as consumers in the
form of higher prices.
Sometimes they're able to absorb at least some of the impact of the tariffs. However, it's going to be a lot harder to eat the tariffs right
now because the Iran war has already lifted energy and transportation costs significantly for businesses.
Now, what's also telling is what was not tariffed, because my reading of the documents that have been put out from the administration in recent
days, some of the items that the U.S. really relies on from Canada, they are not facing the 50 percent tariff. That includes oil, electricity,
potash, maple syrup, and fully finished automobiles.
And that does seem to be an acknowledgement of the fact that if those items were tariffed, then you could see an even bigger hit to prices. Now, all
told, we're talking about $20 billion of goods that are imported from Canada that are being tariffed. That's a lot, but it's also a very big
trading relationship.
So, this makes up just about 5 percent of total imports from Canada. Now Ottawa is clearly not taking this lying down. Canadian Prime Minister Mark
Carney, he is vowing dollar for dollar retaliation. Starting on September 8th he's targeting a variety of U.S. sectors, including steel, dairy,
appliances, agricultural equipment, paper, and electronics.
This is a big deal because Canada is the number one foreign buyer in many U.S. states. And the risk is if those American-made goods are now facing
steep Canadian tariffs, then there could be a loss of demand, a loss of demand that causes some U.S. employers to let go of American workers.
One other point for you is just to note the unprecedented nature of these tariffs. The administration is relying on a section of trade law that's
never been used before. We're talking about Section 338 of the Smoot-Hawley Law, of course, that's the law that infamously made the Great Depression
even worse.
It's easy to see how this is going to be tied up in court battles for some time to come. But as we learned over the last year and a half or so, these
trade battles they can take quite a lot of time to play out. And in the meantime, this whole battle between the U.S. and Canada is injecting a
significant amount of uncertainty into the economy. Back to you.
KINKADE: Thanks to Matt Egan there. Well, I want to take a closer look at the fallout from Donald Trump's trade war. And welcome Justin Wolfers,
Public Policy and Economics Professor at the University of Michigan. Great to see you, Justin, as always.
JUSTIN WOLFERS, PUBLIC POLICY & ECONOMICS PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN: Likewise, isn't it exciting? What a great day today? We get
tariffs at 11 on Canada, and tune in for 01:00 p.m. for more tariffs.
KINKADE: I mean, it's better than your weekend, I'm sure. On this sort of news cycle, it keeps you busy. But I mean, it's going affect a lot of
people. And I have to -- I want to start with Canada, because these tariffs are on again, off again, now back on again.
[11:10:00]
Trump threatening 50 percent of tariffs on $20 billion worth of goods. And of course, Canada threatening to retaliate from September 8th. Just what is
this going to mean for Americans?
WOLFERS: Oh no, it got even more exciting while I was in the green room. We now have Trump promising 50 percent tariffs on autos that cross the border
as well. Look, I'll tell you the truth. Just before I came on air with you, my dog Max was tapping at my door, and I went and I let him outside.
And then he was outside, and then he tapped on the door again he wanted to come inside. And then Max tapped on the door, and he wanted to go outside.
We did this a bunch of times, and honestly, I forgive Max because Max is a dog. And dogs don't always know what they want.
What stranger is I find myself talking to you right now about whether we love Canada or hate them, and whether tariffs are on or off. And honestly,
I feel like the president is approaching this with all the strategic noose that my dog Max brings to his everyday life.
KINKADE: And of course, in the background is the big mess of Trump's broader tariff policy that's already playing out. That's being rejected by
the courts. You've got companies trying to get back billions of dollars in tariffs right now, but the problem is most consumers won't get that money
back, right?
WOLFERS: Absolutely. So, look, there's a deep argument to be had whether tariffs can ever be helpful. I think most of the time they can't, but I'm
also happy to say there's some debate about that. What's been absolutely striking about this tariff agenda is we've pursued it literally in the
dumbest way possible at every single opportunity.
If there's a way to design a tariff so we get all of the costs and none of the benefits, that's what we're doing. Let me give you an example, for
instance. One of the benefits, for instance, of imposing a tariff is you might get people to buy more stuff in America, and that would lead
factories to come to the U.S. maybe from Canada.
The problem is, who's going to pick up sticks and move across the border from Canada to the U.S. based on a set of tariffs that exist today, but may
not exist by 02:00 p.m. this afternoon? No one. So, we're all going to pay the higher prices that come out of this.
We're going to lose the opportunities for closer enmeshment for North America to become a stronger economy on the global stage. We're going to
pay all those costs. We're not going to get any of the benefits that, if tariffs have them, one might hope to get.
KINKADE: And of course, in the meantime, this disrupts the deeply integrated U.S. Canadian supply chains, right?
WOLFERS: Yeah. So, I live in Michigan, which is right on the border, where we have the auto manufacturing plants in Detroit. But for instance, the car
door on your car might be made in Canada, and so what that means is American cars get world's best car doors, and that helps the American auto
industry.
And the Canadian firms have a really good set of folks who are buying their car doors. And so, what that's created is one of the world's great auto
manufacturing areas because it uses the strengths of both sides of that border. But you suddenly put a wall up or a tariff wall between those two
sides, it makes business a whole lot harder for both the Canadians and the Americans. Very much hurting both.
Let me just put it one other way, if this was a good idea, now remember, I'm from the State of Michigan. We have one border with Canada and one
border with Ohio. If putting up a wall between the U.S. and Canada would make Michigan wealthier, then we should also put up a wall between Michigan
and Ohio.
But everyone understands that's a dumb idea that it would get in the way of good friends doing business with each other, and the same thing holds
whether it's a national border or a state border.
KINKADE: I want to get your perspective on the Economic D-Day. We're expected to hear from the Treasury Secretary talking about the single
greatest financial offensive ever marshaled against an adversary. We're talking about the U.S. really punishing Iran and anyone who trades with
Iran. What could this entail?
WOLFERS: Oh wow. I thought you were referring to the Kennedy Administration, which did the exact same thing against Cuba in the early
1960s. And they said that they would impose sanctions and get the rest of the world to gang up against them and squeeze the Cuban economy dry, and
that would force the end of the Castro regime.
I just want to remind folks that 60 years later, the successor of that regime is still in power. We still have those sanctions on, and nothing
good happened. It's actually quite astonishing if you line up the language of the current Trump Administration with respect to its economic D-Day
against Iran.
It matches almost one for one what we were saying against Cuba in what turned out to be a 60-year-long failed attempt to change Cuba's political
regime through economic force.
KINKADE: Justin Wolfers it's always good to get your perspective and the perspective of your dog Max. I hope you guys have a good rest of the day.
We'll speak soon.
WOLFERS: Take care.
KINKADE: Still ahead on One World, Andy Burnham looks to give Ukraine a much-needed boost. Details ahead on why the British Prime Minister's visit
involves classified technology?
[11:15:00]
Plus, an American teacher is fighting to reunite with her family while her husband remains in immigration custody. We'll hear her heartfelt plea next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is in Ukraine for his first overseas trip since taking office. And
today's visit comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pays tribute to the people defending Ukraine on the country's Independence Day.
Foreign dignities are celebrating the 35th anniversary of Ukraine's break from the Soviet Union. President Zelenskyy says his country absolutely
wants peace, but it is not ready to simply surrender.
Well, the British Prime Minister knows that Kyiv is looking to boost its production of long-range missiles. And now the UK plans to give Ukraine
access to classified British technology. The goal is for British and French-designed weapons, known as Scalp cruise missiles, to be produced in
Ukraine.
They can be used against buried military targets such as command bunkers. It could still take several years for Ukrainian production for it to scale
up, but the prime minister says London is back in Kyiv for the long haul.
Well, I want to welcome Nic Robertson, who joins us now from London. Great to see you, Nic. So, it's fascinating that the UK is now allowing this
major European missile manufacturer to share this classified information with Ukraine so they can produce these missiles in their country. As a
result, of course, Russia is increasing its threats on Britain. Just take us through the latest on both sides.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, this is significant. It is what Ukraine has been asking for. Ukraine has asked for
a lot over the years, and typically its allies and partners have been pretty slow about providing it, whether it was tanks or artillery shells or
fighter aircraft.
But it does come, and the recognition clearly is that this war is not going to end quickly. That the only way to bring it to an end is to give Ukraine
the ability to put more pressure on Russia. So even if they're building these missile factories towards the end of the year and they're producing
missiles sometime next year, which would be ambitious.
It still speaks to the long-term nature of the support that's coming from European and other partners for Ukraine, and that was something Andy
Burnham, British Prime Minister, spoke about. As much help as you need for as long as is necessary that's what he said.
[11:20:00]
And to your point that Russia is continuing to put pressure in. You know, if we think about what it did the day Andy Burnham became Prime Minister,
the day that he was there on the steps of Downing Street, that was the day a Russian naval frigate fired at a couple of British pensioners on a yacht
in the English Channel.
The next day, the Russian Ambassador to the UK left hasn't come back since. There's been accusations coming from Russian officials that Britain's
support is of Ukraine, its military support of long-range missiles is going to have consequences. But it was very interesting to listen to what
Emmanuel Macron said at that coalition of the willing, because he got to exactly this point.
You know, the Russians are trying to put pressure not for the first time on the UK new prime minister. Can we get him to change? Can we get him to back
off in his support for Ukraine? And the answer from Burnham today is very clearly absolutely not. And Macron said we have to expect as NATO nations
that Russia will try to target us, that it will increase its pressures.
So, I think this is the framing that the European countries see. This is a long-term message of long-term support for Ukraine when Russia is trying to
put counter pressure on these countries individually, and the British Prime Minister is clearly saying no way.
KINKADE: Yeah. And Nic, it's quite the statement, isn't it, that the new UK Prime Minister chose Ukraine as his first foreign trip. What was he trying
to signal?
ROBERTSON: This was that Ukraine is important, and the support of Ukraine is important for the UK. That the UK is committed for the long haul. That
it's committed to provide the technical know-how as well as the equipment that Ukraine needs.
Also, you know, President Zelenskyy was the first world leader that Prime Minister Burnham hosted in London as well after became Prime Minister. So,
he's had Ukraine at the top of his agenda. Look, Burnham's come in and he's got a massive scope of work that he wants to do with UK and has sort of
been generating news lines almost every day since he came into office.
This is his first big international step. So yes, very significant that he chose it to be about Ukraine, about long-term support for Ukraine. He says
something very significant in some of the things he said today. He said, look, Ukraine is at the forefront of European security. It is not a drag on
our security. It is at the forefront of it. That's the kind of language Ukraine and Ukrainians like to hear because that's how they feel it.
KINKADE: Yeah, Nic Robertson is always great to see you. Good to have you with us from London. Thank you. Well, the sheriff's office from Polk
County, Florida, says a woman and her 19-year-old daughter were taken into custody at a hospital following a car crash. Video inside the hospital room
captures the dramatic moment the Ecuadorian mother and her adult daughter were detained.
The sheriff's office says they were both allegedly living in the U.S. illegally, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement had issued detainers for
both women. A family member disputed that, saying the mother has a pending asylum case and that the daughter has a visa that is valid through 2030.
CNN can't independently verify those claims.
A teacher in the State of Texas is pleading for the release of her Venezuelan husband, who was detained by I.C.E. more than six months ago.
CNN's Carolina Peguero reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HEATHER ALAMBARRIO, HUSBAND DETAINED BY I.C.E.: Neither one of us know when we're going to see each other again, and I don't know when I'll get the
call to bring him home with me.
CAROLINA PEGUERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Heather Alambarrio, a teacher and U.S. citizen, is moving mountains, hoping to be reunited with
the love of her life, her husband Jose Rafael Alambarrio Cardenas. He has been held in an I.C.E. detention center for more than six months.
ALAMBARRIO: My husband is kept in a place like that. Such a beautiful, kind person, and there's thousands of Rafaels, hundreds of thousands across our
country who are similar situation. And the weight of that falls on me as I turn to walk away from that place.
PEGUERO (voice-over): Heather and Rafael met during salsa lessons, and months later they married in 2025 and filed a spousal petition with
immigration authorities. They attended their routine I.C.E. appointments in Dallas, Texas, until the last one turned into their worst nightmare, where
he was detained.
ALAMBARRIO: And I waited, and I waited, and after about 45 minutes, the door opened, and our attorney walked out. And she looked at me, and she
just shook her head.
PEGUERO (voice-over): CNN confirmed through court documents and Rafael's attorney that he doesn't have a criminal record.
[11:25:00]
He entered the United States from Venezuela in 2023. And upon arrival applied for a political asylum. He passed his credible fear interview, but
that case is still under review by the federal government. The Department of Homeland Security says Alambarrio Cardenas is expected to remain in
I.C.E. custody while his immigration proceedings are resolved.
ALAMBARRIO: We had submitted all of you know our documents and even had our interview, so we felt like you know if anyone was OK, Rafael would be OK.
PEGUERO (voice-over): After spending several months in the Prairieland Detention Center, Rafael was transferred to the Adams County Correctional
Center in the State of Mississippi. We spoke to him through a video call.
PEGUERO: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
JOSE RAFAEL ALAMBARRIO CARDENAS, DETAINED BY I.C.E.: To be honest, I feel like I'm back in my country because the way things are being handled are
the same way like back home.
PEGUREO (voice-over): Despite the distance and missing their first wedding anniversary, Rafael shares the love he has for his wife.
CARDENAS: The love of an immigrant, it's not easy, but I never thought it would be this difficult. I love Heather more than anything, and she has
showed me the same, and that's what keeps me strong here.
PEGUREO (voice-over): This is not the first case of immigrants married to U.S. citizens being detained by I.C.E., which is why Heather wants to send
this message.
ALAMBARRIO: Our country is a country that is great because of our constitution and the bill of rights and checks and balances, and we need
the balances and checks to be working for us.
PEGUERO (voice-over): Carolina Peguero, CNN, Dallas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, still ahead on "One World", new data shows a record number of adults identify as LGBTQ Plus in the U.S. We're going to talk about the
social and political and economic implications with an expert next. Also ahead, dry conditions and strong winds are expected to complicate
firefighting efforts in Nevada, where a wildfire is forcing tens of thousands of people to flee.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
KINKADE: Welcome back to "One World". I'm Lynda Kinkade. Here are some of the headlines we're watching today. About 90 minutes from now, U.S.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is expected to outline new measures to further isolate Iran's economy. In a Financial Times op-ed, Bessent said an
Economic D-Day is coming for Iran. Tehran's foreign minister, meanwhile, is mocking the move, calling it a film Iranians have seen over and over.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is in Kyiv on his first overseas trip since taking office. It comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
warns Russia will likely mobilize another 300,000 troops later this year.
For the first time in two months, the U.S. military has struck what it says is a boat carrying suspected drug traffickers. Sunday's strike in Eastern
Pacific killed two people Sunday. Since September, the U.S. military has destroyed at least 67 vessels and killed more than 200 people in the
controversial strikes.
Canada is preparing to match new U.S. tariffs dollar for dollar. Talks broke down on Friday, prompting the Trump Administration to put a 50
percent tariff on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods. The biggest price hikes for U.S. consumers will be on dairy products, alcohol, and
paper goods.
We want to turn now to a new report from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, highlighting what it says is the growing population of the
LGBTQ Plus community across the U.S. HLC says the analysis uses federal data collected from 2021 to 2024, and has major social, economic, and
political implications.
The community represents a huge voting block for the midterm elections and beyond. According to the data, a record high of 25.6 million adults across
the U.S. now identify as LGBTQ Plus. That's more than 12 percent of the population. Let's bring in Kelley Robertson. She's the President of the
Human Rights Campaign and joins us now from Washington DC. Great to have you with us.
KELLEY ROBINSON, PRESIDENT, HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN: Wonderful to be here.
KINKADE: I want to start with that figure, 25.6 million Americans now identifying as LGBTQ Plus. That's 12 percent of the population. Just how
politically consequential is that heading into these midterms?
ROBINSON: This is important data because it reminds our community and the world that we are not a demographic footnote. We are a huge voting bloc, we
are a huge base of consumers in this country, managing $1.4 trillion of buying power. We are the current and future of the workforce, and we have
to be considered as such.
So, I think that for anyone that's running for office, you need to be prioritizing reaching out to and engaging the LGBTQ Plus community.
KINKADE: And it's interesting, Kelley, when you look at the age brackets; those aged between 18 to 34 represent half of people that identify as LGBTQ
Plus. That's an enormous concentration of young Americans. What does that tell you about the political power in this electorate? And what that could
look like not just this November, but over the coming decades?
ROBINSON: Well, that's the interesting thing. We are an ascending demographic. It's estimated that this year we will be 1 in 10 of the
electorate, and by 2040, we'll actually be 20 percent of the electorate, 1 in 5 of every voter will be an LGBTQ Plus person.
So that tells me that if you want to win elections today, or if you're thinking about the future of this nation, you got to be thinking about our
issues. And also say that look, when LGBTQ Plus people go to the polls, we care about the same things as everybody else, right?
Affordability, the ability for our kids to have a better life than ours. But what impacts that most is our ability to not get fired at work for
being who we are, to be able to marry who we love, to be able to make sure our kids can read books about their lives in school. So, we have to be
speaking to that reality, and when you provide that context and that humanity to our lives, you really help all communities thrive.
KINKADE: Yeah, you mentioned some of the key concerns and how they are similar to many other groups. Healthcare is also another major concern.
Young Americans have been less reliable when it comes to turning up to vote. Why are you confident that the rapidly growing LGBTQ Plus population
will turn up come November?
ROBINSON: Look, we find that across our LGBTQ Plus voters, we are 92 percent likely to go out to vote this year. That motivation level is higher
than other demographics. And I think it's because we see the crisis that's in front of our face. We see a Supreme Court that has systematically
dismantled so many of our civil rights. We know that this election is going to determine the future for whether or not we can live and be who we are.
[11:35:00]
That sort of urgency is showing up in every conversation that we have with voters. And that's why I feel confident, especially for young folks who are
entering the process, that now is a time not only to get engaged and get people who represent us elected, but to make sure that we're holding them
accountable to actually creating the change that we need on the other side.
KINKADE: And I want to bring up the battleground states, these swing states, the ones that could determine the outcome of the midterms and also
the next election two years later. When you look at Arizona, Texas, Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and North Carolina, you know, they
average somewhere between 11 percent and almost 13 percent of people who identify as LGBTQ Plus.
Are these voters potentially decisive in these very places where the margins are the tightest? What do you think it could mean in these states?
ROBINSON: Absolutely, we can be the difference maker. Look, some of these states, when Joe Biden won, were determined by less than 20,000 votes. And
in those states, we have hundreds of thousands of our LGBTQ Plus people that could be the difference maker.
Not only that, if I think about the United States House, there are out folks that are running for office that could change the game. I think about
you know Marty Von Wilperts in California or Scott Weiner or Chris Pappas in New Hampshire. These are out candidates that could actually change the
nature of who is running Washington DC.
And whether or not we have a pro equality majority. That's an exciting moment for us, one that really, we've never seen before. To use the power
of our base to get folks elected who are in service of our interests, but to also have more out members than we ever have before. This is something
you know to be excited about in a dark world. This is light for our people.
KINKADE: And in terms of your community, how many people are actually registered voters? And you know are they likely to be persuaded by you know
different political candidates?
ROBINSON: Look, our community skews higher in terms of registration to vote and motivation to get out to vote. Our job is to make sure that they've got
the information needed to get to the polls about every single person running, and that we're holding folks to a high standard.
Look, one thing that I experience every time I'm out talking to voters is they don't want to elect people who are going to do the same old things.
We're going to reinforce the same systems and policies that got us in this place where our rights could be overturned in this way.
So, we have to both be talking about an aspirational future and doing the pragmatic work of getting folks elected. This voting bloc, the LGBTQ Plus
community, is motivated to do just that, to be a part of the process from getting folks in office to also the accountability that's necessary to
actually get change for folks.
KINKADE: Kelley Robinson, great to get your insight. We really appreciate your time today. Thank you.
ROBINSON: Thanks.
KINKADE: Well, a state of emergency has been declared in the U.S. State of Nevada, where a fast-moving wildfire is prompting tens of thousands of
people to flee. In just two days, the Hawk Fire near the City of Renault has scorched more than 15,000 acres. That's about 6,000 hectares.
Officials say it was caused by human action, but we don't know any more about how it started. The weather outlook points to a challenging few days
ahead for firefighters. CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam joins us now. This certainly is a really fast-moving fire, Derek. And of course, the winds
have played havoc. Just what can firefighters expect in the coming days?
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah, really exploded in size yesterday. Sunday was a big day for this growth and development of this very erratic
fire, but it's an all-hands-on deck. And what I mean by that is they're fighting this fire from the ground, but also from the air.
Here's a National Guard flying in helicopters, taking and dumping fire retardant water on the front lines, trying to get a handle on the fire. And
then this is a scary moment. You had this video up earlier, but this is just astounding to see the fire creeping up and over a ridge line with a
community directly below it.
We already know some houses have burned and more are threatened as evacuation orders are in place for roughly about 90,000 people. So, we
still have dozens of active fires over the western U.S. But trying to give our international audience kind of a geographical reference.
The Hawk Fire that we're talking about near Reno, Nevada, is located here. There are several other fires across Oregon, Washington, into portions of
Northern Idaho as well. But this is the burn scar, and here's Reno. By the way, the actual ignition point for the Hawk Fire was about five miles to
the north and west of the downtown area.
But this is the area that it's already scorched. So, it is a largely wind- driven wildfire that continues to advance to the north and east. But we don't want to let our guard down here across Nevada or Reno because there
are communities that are threatened here, and the evacuation map shows just that.
The winds will pick up. It'll pick up those embers and start additional spot fires. Unfortunately, with the dry vegetation in place. So, what's
causing the wind?
[11:40:00]
Well, we've got this kind of a pressure squeeze, the difference between low pressure moving in from the northwest and this heat dome we've been talking
about for several weeks now across the south. Those put the squeeze on the winds, and it funnels it through, just like wind getting pushed through a
city like New York City or Hong Kong, for instance.
That wind speeds up as it goes between two immovable objects, and that's what we have forecast here across much of the Western U.S. picking up
between 20 to 30 miles per hour, roughly 40 to 45 kilometers per hour, and then the relative humidity.
This is a factor of the available moisture in the atmosphere when we have that recovery overnight, where the temperature and the dew point get close
to each other, the firefighters should get an advantage on the fire, but that's just not happening as the temperatures aren't dropping like they
should. And we stay very, very critical across that area in terms of relative humidity.
So, the potential for dry thunderstorms, that means thunderstorms without any rain, just sparking additional wildfires are there that continues into
the week. But notice as we head into tomorrow -- as we head into tomorrow across Reno, that area is now inclusive of this critical fire threat.
There's no rain in this forecast, Lynda. So, the forecast looking very dire for firefighters on the ground battling this blaze, Lynda.
KINKADE: Yeah, we wish those firefighters all the very best, especially those people, the tens of thousands that have evacuated. Derek Van Dam,
thanks so much.
DAM: You got it.
KINKADE: We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Well, this week on our African Inc Series, we're exploring the African music business and its global influence. It's a journey that takes
us to a beach in Southern Portugal, where a festival founded by a Nigerian entrepreneur is doing big crowds and doing big business. Adefemi Akinsanya
reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ADEFEMI AKINSANYA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On a beach in Southern Portugal thousands of fans gathered from around the world to see some of
the biggest names in African Music. But this festival isn't just a big party; it's a big business founded by a Nigerian.
OBI ASIKA, FOUNDER, THE MALACHITE GROUP: Afro Nation came about to prove a point, and you know, and that was what it was. It was like we wanted to
prove that, you know, this audience is like will buy tickets anywhere. And just to show that we could do something special.
[11:45:00]
AKINSANYA (voice-over): In 2019, Asika co-founded Afro Nation. Four years later, he turned that festival success into a broader entertainment
business.
NATASHA MANLEY, CEO, THE MALACHITE GROUP: So, I'm Natasha Manley, and I am CEO of TMG. TMG, The Malachite Group, is a global entertainment company,
very much with live experiences at the heart of everything we do. And when I say live experiences, what I mean by that is very deep, immersive,
culturally led experiences.
AKINSANYA (voice-over): From this office space in London, a relatively small team runs a truly global events company.
MANLEY: We've had, shows in the past five or six years, from Puerto Rico to Detroit, Ghana, Portugal, all over the UK, Dominican Republic. And that is
a really operationally challenging thing to pull off. And it's also a difficult thing in terms of message and culture and how we keep a very
credible sort of core of who we are to our audience while moving and reflecting the cultures of everywhere we go.
AKINSANYA (voice-over): The global live event space is dominated by a handful of companies, but they split a very large pie. For instance, one of
the biggest players, Live Nation, generated more than $25 billion in revenue last year. Small operators need an edge to carve out a small slice
of that pie, and TMG believe this location gives them that.
ASIKA: The reason I chose Portugal is because of the amount of flight routes, and the amount of hotels. I can sleep 250,000 people right within
an hour of that site. It's incredible. In the summer, Faro as an airport has the most flights from the UK to any European airport, this incredible
amount of infrastructure there for you know bringing large groups together.
AKINSANYA (voice-over): The mayor of the host city says that the relationship with Afro Nation has been beneficial.
ALVARO BILA, MAYOR, PORTIMAO, PORTUGAL: The direct economic impact is around 90 million euros each year. Beyond that, there are the wider
benefits to the local economy, from hotels and restaurants to tourism, not just here in Portimao, but across the entire Algarve region.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Africa Inc. in association with Dangote.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[11:50:00]
KINKADE: Welcome back, I'm Lynda Kinkade. Pressure for Gianni Infantino is to step down as President of FIFA has been building nonstop for weeks. A
stream of senior football figures have condemned him over the attempt to rush through a plan to sell off a stake in future World Cups.
But not everyone has turned against him. He has the backing of Football Legend Samuel Etoo, a former star player for Cameroon, now President of its
Football Federation. In an exclusive interview Etoo tell CNN's World Sports, Amanda Davies, Infantino has done nothing wrong.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAMEUL ETOO, PRESIDENT, CAMEROON FOOTBALL FEDERATION: I don't think that President Gianni Infantino was wrong. I think all these things are
happening because of the timing. There's an election coming up where Gianni Infantino is standing. All of this has happened because there's an election
coming up. That's all there is.
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: We have the letter from UEFA CONCACAF and the AFC from August the 10th, saying trust is broken through deception when
an individual places himself above the collective about duty being abandoned. I mean, is that not your assessment?
ETOO: Listen, I don't want to make any comment on others' political positions, but I want to talk about actual fact.
DAVIES: But is this not at this moment an issue of whether or not the FIFA President Gianni Infantino crossed the line, and whether or not he is
putting football first or putting himself first.
ETOO: To what extent do you mean that the president is putting himself first? I need to understand what you mean by that. The president's job is
to take football further, to make all of the nation's grow. That's the role of the President of FIFA, and for each of the federations, their role is to
develop football.
I don't think at all President Infantino wanted to put himself forward. He made a proposal. The 211 members were supposed to sit down, debate the
issue, and let the majority win. But I am convinced that the voices that were raised, those are not the voices of the majority.
DAVIES: But is the point here not the fact that this project was taken so far down the road that it wasn't up for discussion? It wasn't up for
debate, and it wouldn't have been until it was almost too late.
ETOO: There was a need for debate. I would agree with that. We should have talked about the question, talked about whether it's a good thing or not.
President Gianni Infantino has changed football. He has given opportunities to nations that didn't have them to participate in the most beautiful of
competitions, the World Cup.
I salute the courage he had to withdraw this project. Even though, for me personally, this project is not bad, it is even very good for the African
nations because it would allow us, should allow us, if it went all the way through, to truly compete with the big nations.
DAVIES: So, just to reiterate, you would like to see the FIFA Forward Enterprise revisited as a model?
ETOO: It's about majority rule. I think it's important that we should bring all the federations together to debate together. I remain convinced that
for us as Africans, this project was something that could have been incredible. It would have reset the balance of power in football to ensure
that our talent doesn't disappear and end up playing for other nations.
DAVIES: So, your goal is to get this FIFA Forward Enterprise back on the agenda for a proper discussion.
ETOO: Our administration has its rules, and it will bring a motion before FIFA to have this project re-examined.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Norwegian Football Star Erling Haaland is the talk of the English Premier League after the first weekend of its new season. The Manchester
City star got a haircut. He chopped off his famous long blonde locks in favor of a buzz cut. Haaland revealed the transformation in his social
media post. His long hair had made him one of the most recognizable players during Norway's run at the 2026 World Cup.
Well, finally, before we go this hour, competitors of all ages gathered on Sunday in a German village for a very different competition, Finger
Pulling. In each match, rivals hook a finger through a loop and try to pull their opponent across a line on a table.
[11:55:00]
Now, the contest was a way for men to settle disputes without a fight back in the day, and it's not just finger strength; it's technique, speed, body
position, and pain tolerance that matter. Dislocated and bleeding fingers are not unusual, but I guess it's better than a black eye.
Well, today the competition is highly organized. It is complete with referees, lederhosen, and of course, beer. Lots of beer. I'm Lynda Kinkade.
You've been watching "One World". Stay with CNN. A special edition of Amanpour starts in just a moment. But don't go anywhere.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
