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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
CNN International: Zelenskyy Urges U.S. to Sell 10 Percent of its Patriot Missiles to Ukraine; Israeli Settlers Besiege Palestinian Families; Concerns Over Conditions on USS Lincoln; Video of ICE Agents Conflicts with Government Account; U.S. and Canada Hold Trade Talks as Tariff Deadline Looms; Trump Says U.S. Has Full Control Over Strait of Hormuz; Volunteers Search Through Rubble in Colombia; Taiwan Trains for Possible Attack by China. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired August 13, 2026 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a very warm welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Paula Newton in New York in for
Jim Sciutto. You are watching "The Brief."
Just ahead for us this hour, CNN sits down with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy as he makes an impassioned plea for more defense aid.
Palestinian families under siege in the occupied West Bank, how the Israeli military has responded after settlers cut off one community's water and
electricity. And concerns about mental health onboard the USS Lincoln after it sets a record for the most days at sea.
The president of Ukraine making a direct plea for more U.S. missile defenses. Vladimir Zelenskyy spoke to CNN's Nick Paton Walsh in Kyiv. He
warns that Ukraine only has a tenth of the interceptor missiles it needs from the U.S. to stop surging Russian ballistic missile attacks. Moscow has
indeed been exploiting Ukraine's dwindling stock of Patriot interceptor missiles. President Zelenskyy says more U.S. help could turn the tide.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: I'm asking American partners to sell me 5 percent, 5 percent of missiles, what they have in their stocks.
If they sell us 5 percent, we will go through the winter and save people's lives. If they can sell us 10 percent, we will destroy all the Russians'
ballistic missiles.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now, in an extensive and quite candid interview, Nick Paton Walsh also asked President Zelenskyy about his post-war plans and about how the
war has impacted him on a personal level.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: We heard an impassioned plea from President Zelenskyy over Ukraine for urgent, not
only more interceptor missiles for the Patriot systems, the only thing really that can take down Russian ballistic missile attacks that have been
causing devastation in Ukraine's cities over the last weeks, but also too for the license to be able to manufacture those devices here in Ukraine.
That plea, direct to the White House, who responded, a White House official essentially saying their priority was U.S. stocks, and those were partners
and allies, but also said they had to protect the future security of U.S. technology, and that nothing in terms of co-production had been decided or
guaranteed for Ukraine. Really not what they want to hear in Kyiv, a city where, months ago, people would walk calmly through air raid sirens, but
now because of the chronic lack, possible absence of those interceptors, they rush for subways or shelter.
But still, after our interview with President Zelenskyy, I had a moment to talk to him about his emotions, his desires for that moment, distant as it
seems, when the war indeed ends. Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENSKYY: Thanks so much. No, I had too many meetings today with the soldiers and they will have, after the interview, the second military
cabinet.
WALSH: You have said in the past that when this war is over you just want to sit on the beach and drink beer.
ZELENSKYY: Yes.
WALSH: Is that still your abiding feeling, or do you know that there'd be more work to do afterwards?
ZELENSKYY: No, I want really. I need some time with my family and with the city.
WALSH: I mean, that's a key question, because this must be for you physically, incredibly exhausting, to deal with the loss, the pressure. You
say every morning phone calls about Patriot interceptors and lives depend upon. How you handle that particular stress, and do you get to talk to your
kids every day or --
ZELENSKYY: Every day, but sometimes by phone, of course. Not every day I can see them, but, I mean this -- I'm very happy to --
WALSH: What did you say to them?
ZELENSKYY: To them? Morning. How are you? How are things? Yes. And they tell me what the dreams they had.
WALSH: You miss them?
ZELENSKYY: I miss, of course. Of course, miss. And of course, I always say how I love them, and it's like you -- you know, you physically need to hug
them. You need to understand that it's like big support. Big energy support.
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WALSH: Thank you, Mr. President. I have one last question.
ZELENSKYY: Yes.
WALSH: What is that?
ZELENSKYY: This elephant?
WALSH: The elephant with the cold. What is it? You know?
ZELENSKYY: This is where a historic building is, you know.
WALSH: Sure.
ZELENSKYY: Thank you very much.
WALSH: Thank you, sir.
ZELENSKYY: You gave me some moment to relax.
WALSH: Please have it removed. Time on the beach at some point.
ZELENSKYY: After the war. After the war.
WALSH: You worry you might get trapped in a political world of Ukraine after the war?
ZELENSKYY: Nobody can take my seat. Right. I will fight for this. I need it.
WALSH: Thank you. Take care. Thank you so much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALSH: And the idea of it all being over, as I say, is still distant. But that emotion of what people would like to get back to, I think something
every Ukrainian can indeed identify. But at the same time, Zelenskyy's directly to the United States, born here, of an absolute crisis for
Ukrainians nightly. We're hearing rumors that potentially there could be ballistic attacks this night, the following nights, and Ukrainians will be
racing to shelters when that happens. This is born of a global lack of Patriot interceptor missiles, essentially spawned from the U.S. and Israeli
attack on Iran and what happened in the Gulf states around them, their use of them afterwards. An acute crisis felt worse here and accounted in lost
lives.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Our thanks to Nick Paton Walsh there. Now, a new video shows Israeli troops clashing with a group of settlers in the Palestinian village
of Qusra. The confrontations turned intense at times, with Israeli soldiers using tear gas on the settlers. This comes after they surrounded three
Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank. Residents say it's an attempt to drive them from their land. CNN's Jeremy Diamond has more now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The view from this Palestinian home is the same from every angle. Israeli settlers
everywhere you look. For days now, they've set up camp and surrounded three homes on this hilltop in the occupied West Bank in a bid to force the
residents out and take over.
They've cut water and power lines and have tried to stop anyone from approaching. All of this is illegal, and yet this is what happened when
Palestinian residents first called the Israeli military. The soldiers joined the settlers in prayer.
LOUI RIDI, PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN, OWNS HOUSE BESIEGED BY SETTLERS: They start hugging the settlers and they start praying with the settlers and
absolutely did nothing to protect my brother and his son.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Loui Ridi owns one of those houses. A Palestinian- American, he's watched all of this unfold from Ohio.
And this is what he saw on Wednesday. Israeli military trying and ultimately failing to remove the settlers from the area. Hours later, we
drive up the hill to see if anything has changed.
DIAMOND: So, these are actually the three homes that have been besieged by these settlers for four days now. We're going to try and climb up this hill
and see if we can get past the settlers who are blocking the area.
DIAMOND (voice-over): The settlers are still there, and so are two Israeli soldiers who order us to stop and turn off our vehicle. The soldier tells
me this is now a closed military area, and that we're interfering with military activity.
DIAMOND: Why are we interfering and not them? I don't understand.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can contact the military spokesperson. This is a closed military area.
DIAMOND (voice-over): An IDF spokesperson said the order does apply to the settlers, but it's clearly not being enforced. The IDF said it would soon
deploy more troops to the area to restore order.
DIAMOND: They're telling us that it's a closed military zone that we're not allowed to be here, but at the same time, we're seeing multiple Israeli
settlers who are here, who are not being made to leave, and who are continuing to block the access to these homes.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Down the hill, we call Loui's brother Qusai, who's been staying in his home.
DIAMOND: Qusai, this is the closest we're able to get to your home. Unfortunately, how are you doing? Do you still have supplies?
DIAMOND (voice-over): The food I have is going to run out in two to three days. Beyond that, I have no food, nothing, he says. But at the same time,
even if I run out of food, I will not leave the house.
DIAMOND: So, do you have any hope that these settlers are actually going to be kicked out of this area?
DIAMOND (voice-over): Honestly, from what I saw today, the settlers were monstrous, he explains. They even attacked the Israeli army, forcing them
to fire sound grenades and tear gas. They have their eyes set on the house and this hilltop. They want to take it.
DIAMOND (voice-over): The next day, Israeli soldiers temporarily order Qusai out of the house, leaving him to move in with his neighbor. The
soldiers say they will use it as a base to operate against the settlers, but Qusai's fears aren't abstract. In recent weeks, settlers in this area
have set fire to a mosque and besieged this home.
[18:10:00]
DIAMOND: This right here is why those families are afraid to leave their home. You can see Israeli settlers on the rooftop of this house here. Three
weeks ago, Palestinians were living in that house, but it's been taken over by Israeli settlers.
DIAMOND (voice-over): With a messianic flag now flying above it, these settlers want their presence known from one hill top to the next.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Qusra, The West Bank.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Now, for the Israeli perspective, I spoke with Doran Spielman. He's a spokesperson for the office of the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin
Netanyahu. Here's what he said about efforts to restore order to the area.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DORON SPIELMAN, SPOKESPERSON FOR OFFICE OF ISRAELI PM: It's an incredibly unfortunate situation. I would say everybody, certainly in the upper edge
lands of Israel, including the people that are living in Judea and Samaria, which is this area, which you call settlements, is really the historical
area of the Jewish people, have outright condemned this. It's deplorable.
By this point, it's stopped. The damage has been done. The family has already been communicated with the top general in the area. The army is
there. The outposts have been taken down. It doesn't matter whether this home was built illegally or not illegally. Israel is a state of law. When
Israel finds that people break the law, whether it is Jews carrying out violence against Arabs or Arabs carrying out violence against Jews, it's
enforced.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now, amid reports of worsening conditions onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and its record-setting deployment. An official says the USS George
Washington carrier group is on its way to the Middle East to replace the Lincoln, a swap that had been previously planned, they say. Now, this comes
after a sailor went overboard last month from the Lincoln. The sailor was rescued, and officials tell CNN the Navy considered the incident a mental
health episode.
There are now growing concerns about the psychological toll on crew members onboard the aircraft carrier. It has been deployed for more than 250 days.
CNN's Pamela Brown was on board the carrier in July and spoke to some sailors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would say morale is pretty low, and not just in the division, like in the ship entirely.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kind of like Groundhog Day. I mean, like, re-living the same day over and over. That thing is hard.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were running pretty low on rations. I mean, at some points of the day, it would just be about noodles and tuna mixed in
together, and that was it.
PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: That's all you were eating?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sometimes you get a corn dog, sometimes you get a hot dog. But, you know, those were some rough days. I'm glad we made it past
that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Brian Todd joins us now from Washington. I mean, Todd, look, at least good news. We don't have a timetable for when they might be relieved.
But a lot of challenges right now, given the length of the deployment.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. The USS George Washington, Paula, is on the way to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln in that theater,
but it's not clear when that's going to happen.
This is new reporting we have now from our colleagues Pamela Brown, who you just saw there, and Ross Adkin. They cite three U.S. officials saying a
sailor on board the aircraft carrier of the USS Abraham Lincoln went overboard earlier this month. Two of the officials tell CNN the sailor was
quickly rescued and was medically evaluated. One official said the sailor went overboard wearing a life vest and was not injured.
The official added that the Navy considered the incident a mental health episode. One official said the sailor was recovered by an air wing search
and rescue helicopter, received treatment on board, then was transferred off the ship for follow-on care.
This incident, which has not been previously reported, adds to the growing concerns about the crew of the USS Lincoln. The news outlets Stars and
Stripes and the Navy Times reported this week that there had been multiple attempts by crew members on the Lincoln to jump overboard. Those outlets
cited interviews with sailors and families of those on board who described the impacts of a very lengthy deployment.
Since the Lincoln left its home port of San Diego, and that was last November, it's been deployed for more than 250 days after being redirected
to the Middle East to take part in the Iran War. According to Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, who sits on the Armed Services Committee, the
Lincoln has not made a port call in more than 200 days. That's about six and a half months.
The Navy Times and Stars and Stripes report that about a week ago, around 200 family members of the sailors on board the Lincoln voiced concerns over
the sailors' mental health and safety conditions when they met at a town hall meeting in San Diego with acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao and other
senior officials. The Stars and Stripes reported that during that town hall, one spouse was in tears when she said she had received a message that
same day from her husband saying, quote, "He hopes he doesn't wake up tomorrow," end quote.
Democratic lawmakers are now demanding answers from the Defense Department over all of this. Senator Blumenthal has written a letter to Defense
Secretary Pete Hegseth and the acting Navy Secretary relaying what Blumenthal called widespread reports of basic shortages of basic supplies,
of water contamination, of plumbing issues, of deteriorating mental health and deck safety concerns.
[18:15:00]
Now, in a statement to CNN, the U.S. Navy said, quote, "We have not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship. We
take every service member's well-being seriously and have religious, medical, and mental health professionals available to assess and address
concerns as they arise," end quote.
One U.S. official told CNN the Navy's internal tracking of reports of suicidal ideation on the ship had gone down in recent months. Also, Paula,
the Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has pushed back on some of this reporting, saying that this has been mischaracterized. But this reporting
now multiple outlets, including CNN, of sailors going overboard and, of course, the two other outlets reporting that multiple sailors at least
attempted to go overboard. Paula.
NEWTON: Brian Todd in Washington for us. Really appreciate the update. Now, a new controversy in the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
This video appears to conflict with the government's account of what happened when an ICE officer pulled a gun on a woman in a Virginia parking
lot.
Now, the Department of Homeland Security says Carolina Molina drove in circles around agents and tried to use her car against them. Molina says
she only yelled insults at the agents as she drove by and that when she tried to leave the parking lot, one officer pulled a gun on her. Dash cam
video from Molina's car shows the exchange. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You almost ran us over.
CAROLINA MOLINA: I didn't --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You almost ran us over. Stop playing.
MOLINA: You're so full of --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop playing.
MOLINA: You are full of --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're not funny.
MOLINA: You're not funny.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will arrest you. Keep it up.
MOLINA: I'm a legal citizen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep it up. I don't care.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: John Sandweg is a former acting director for ICE, a former acting general counsel for the Homeland Security Department and a partner at the
Nixon Peabody law firm. Good to see you as we continue to try and understand exactly what operating procedure is for ICE.
It is chilling to see that video, given all of the incidents and the fact that two Americans are dead, including then others who've had traumatic
incidents, been injured or also died in their interactions with ICE. I mean, what should they be doing to avoid things like this?
JOHN SANDWEG, FORMER ACTING DIRECTOR, U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT: Well, Paula, that's right. I mean, this is also with 20 now
shootings since the beginning of the Trump administration, all involving vehicular stops.
Look, clearly the agency right now is struggling with use of force issues. And to be clear on this particular incident, when you see those images,
it's hard to see any justification for the use of force in the pointing of the firearm at this woman. Of course, to be fair, there needs to be a look
at all the videos in the investigation here.
But I think a lot of this is a byproduct of what the administration has done in terms of pushing these officers to do things that they historically
haven't done. These vehicular stops and these interactions with people behind the wheel of a vehicle is just not what ICE and really in the
history of the agency, how they've made arrests. Typically, ICE is making arrests primarily of people who are already in custody, picking up people
at state prisons and jails and or down at the southern border.
But again, as part of this mass deportation effort, we've seen a transition in tactics and where this administration is really pushing these agents out
into the field. These traffic stops and unfortunately, I just don't think the officers have the training or experience necessary to do that safely.
NEWTON: Yes. And it's interesting because there have been criticisms of this. There was supposed to be a new policy, but then President Trump said
he wouldn't put up with that. So, it seemed to be that they would continue.
I want to ask you about the federal government planning to spend up to $20 million on electric shock gloves for ICE agents. I mean, these are non-
lethal, but would they escalate or de-escalate events with these ICE agents or incidents, I should say? Do you think it's a good or bad thing?
SANDWEG: You know, Paula, look, it's not going to impact things like that scene we just saw there, right? What these are gloves that deliver electric
shock when you have your hands on someone's skin. So, therefore, these situations where someone might be, you know, resisting as you're taking
them into custody.
But, Paula, I mean, the problem is we have an agency that's struggling in terms of escalating how much force it's using too quickly, right, or in a
way that's not necessarily reasonable or consistent with a longstanding policy about how you use force. And to give another tool like this, right,
where, you know, it makes -- it just makes you worry that there's going to be a rush to just deploy the tool.
And so, I guess in a technical sense, it would de-escalate the situation quickly. But I think, you know, especially when you remember -- I guess two
things I would say are really important about this. One is no other law enforcement agency that I'm aware of has ever deployed these types of
gloves to officers who work in the field. Typically, you'll see them inside, like, a detention center or a prison or a jail. So, that would be
unique.
But two, to have it -- ICE itself has a unique mission. So, to deploy it to a law enforcement agency whose primary focus is apprehending people for
civil immigration offenses. And as we know, a lot of these individuals now, the targets don't even have a criminal history. You can see where that
relates.
[18:20:00]
Our primary focus is apprehending people for civil immigration offenses. And as we know, a lot of these individuals now, the targets, don't even
have a criminal history. You can see where that rate could raise so many concerns about how these will be used in practice.
NEWTON: And, John, I want to get to that point, because there has been support in this country, certainly, for deportations. Now, you worked under
Obama. He was called the deporter-in-chief. A lot of advocates did not like his tenure in all of this. But a review of that time has now shown that it
basically focused on the deportation of criminals and recent unauthorized border crossers. In other words, it really did, you know, align with what
voters wanted. There were record numbers at the time deported under those policies as well.
Why do you think the Trump administration just refuses to look at that and just go down that road and instead ends up with all of these
confrontations?
SANDWEG: Well, clearly, I think they have a different goal in mind, right? Our sole focus was a prioritized approach, a targeted approach focusing on
those individuals who pose the greatest threat to public safety and/or border security by getting people only recently across those borders.
Look, this is not about that. This is about a mass deportation effort. And we've seen a lot of efforts here, not just in terms of what ICE has done.
What ICE is doing gets a lot of the focus. But there have been a lot of changes here to limit migration or to make this country less welcoming to
immigrants, writ large, regardless of whether you have a criminal history.
Listen, at the beginning of the administration, the administration was very vocal and kind of trying to say, paint this as the worst of the worst. I
hear less of that these days, Paula. And I will say that I see with the way in which the operations are shifting and especially with these quotas put
in place and just the realities of if you're at ICE and you're under this quota, the only possible way to do that is really by targeting a lot of
these people that historically ICE would never touch.
So, these are people applying for a green card, married a U.S. citizen, no criminal history. It would be interesting to me to see how the public
reacts, especially after, you know, despite our focus on a prioritized approach to the Obama administration, we did get a lot of criticism for
what we were doing. I will be curious to see if that same amount of criticism applies to the Trump administration.
NEWTON: Well, yes, and to be clear, even in Republican districts, even the Ohio governor is saying this is just not the way to go about this. John
Sandweg, good to check in with you given all the developments here. Appreciate it.
SANDWEG: Yes, thanks for having me.
NEWTON: Now, we have new developments in the Luigi Mangione case, the suspect in the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. CNN
has learned Mangione could plead guilty to federal charges in the case as soon as Friday when the next hearing is scheduled. Plea negotiations are
apparently ongoing and nothing will be final until it's announced in court. Mangione faces criminal charges in both state and federal courts for the
killing of Thompson, who was gunned down on a Manhattan street in December 2024.
OK. Still ahead for us, trade talks between the U.S. and Canada are heading down to the wire. We'll hear from a Canadian auto industry official urging
his country to hold firm, even as new 50 percent tariff hikes loom.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:25:00]
NEWTON: And welcome back. In today's Business Breakout, across the board gains for U.S. stocks with the S&P 500 closing at fresh record highs.
Stocks getting a boost from another investor-friendly inflation report. Delight wholesale prices were in line with estimates following an
encouraging consumer inflation report earlier this week.
Now, the U.S. and Canada are holding high-level trade talks as the clock ticks down to big tariff deadlines next week. The U.S. says it will impose
an additional 50 percent tariff on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods if a deal isn't reached by Wednesday. Now, hundreds of Canadian
products would be affected here.
The CBC, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, says the U.S. offered a new proposal earlier this week that would lower some tariffs, but not enough to
satisfy Ottawa, which is looking for broad tariff relief for sectors like autos, steel, and aluminum. All this is separate, in fact, from any future
extension of the USMCA trade agreement between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Mexico also wants the U.S. to lower tariffs as part of any future
deal.
Flavio Volpe joins me. He is the president of the Canadian Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association. He is also a member of Prime Minister Mark
Carney's Council on U.S.-Canada Relations. Flavio, good to see you. And about those relations, now look, you are very close --
FLAVIO VOLPE, PRESIDENT, AUTOMOTIVE PARTS MANUFACTURERS' ASSOCIATION OF CANADA: Thanks for having me.
NEWTON: -- to these negotiations. I understand that they met again with Jamieson Greer, the U.S. trade representative, this afternoon. What can you
tell us about the state of negotiations right now?
VOLPE: Look, they're grinding down -- between the American team and the Canadian team, grinding down on comprehensive issues, not just the
industries that were targeted in the new 338 action, not just the ones that are in the original 232. But look, if we're going to talk about coming back
from the cliff, let's talk about what also we can do together in defense, in energy, in critical minerals, and then perhaps get to a point where
before that August 19th deadline on the 338s, we can agree to what our plan is moving forward on USMCA discussions.
NEWTON: It's Wednesday is the deadline on the additional tariffs. Do you think that there is a chance that the Trump administration will at least
pull back from those if negotiations are going well? And you know better than I that it's actually only one man, the president, who decides if
negotiations are going well or not.
VOLPE: Look, at this point, I'm optimistic we can get there. I'm not confident yet. And what we do know that for the first time in a year and a
half, that Ambassador Greer and his counterpart are sitting at a table together on a regular frequency of meetings face to face with the teams,
and there's paper going back and forth.
It's been about a year and a half of chill between these two countries, and really probably nine or ten months since the last time we actually sat down
formally. So, the president has said to Ambassador Greer, well, go get your best package, see what we can get. And his Canadian counterpart, Dominic
LeBlanc, has got the same marching orders from Prime Minister Carney.
So, everything that needs to happen to be able to put a deal in front of the prime minister and the president is happening. It's now just a question
of, can we bridge those gaps between the two positions?
NEWTON: And, Flavio, I want to drill down a little bit more on your industry. And look, there is a lot at stake here, not just for Canadian
auto manufacturing, but Mexican and American as well. And I know American manufacturers behind the scenes have been quite active on this file as
well.
So, where do you see that landing? And do you see this hopefully being discussed this week and next, or is that something that's going to be
months in the offing? Because it seems to me that some of the proposals on the table are very complicated, especially if it's still to involve a deal
among the three countries.
VOLPE: Well, I think what we're trying to do is reach an agreement in principle, and that's doable in the next few days. And then, of course,
you've got to grind down all the finer details. The chapter in the USMCA on the auto rules is a full chapter. It's dozens of pages long.
[18:30:00]
But right now, what American automakers are saying, and American automakers who are heavily invested in making cars in Canada as well, are saying, look
right now the Trump administration has put a better deal in place for countries like Japan and Korea, a 15 percent tariff for imports into the
U.S., than it has for a country that's across the Detroit River, where General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis make cars that have 50 percent U.S.
auto parts content in them, and probably 55 to 60 percent U.S. steel and aluminum in them.
So, the administration understands, and I think has acknowledged that, and we're getting a lot of help in getting everybody their right spot from
Detroit, and from automakers that are invested in the U.S. We're currently talking about how to have a better position than we have right now, better
than those countries that just import into the U.S. and don't make things together.
And of course, the Canadian position, and even the Mexican position, is look, have a standing tariff like you have in auto parts, but if they're
USMCA compliant, and, you know, Canadian cars have about 50 percent U.S. content in them, they should then also be exempt like all the other USMCA
exemptions that meet a high test of local content. Will we get there? Well, you know, it's less than a week away. I'm hopeful we can get to a spot that
says, OK the bridge is -- we can build that bridge and then grind it out with each other through a longer USMCA negotiation.
NEWTON: So, Fabio, I don't have a lot of time left, but if you don't get there, are you in favor of more severe retaliation, or do you think Canada
should show some good faith, and just to name something, have some of the provinces actually stock American booze again?
VOLPE: Look, the prime minister of Canada has made a series of concessions in advance of negotiations with the president that he's demanded digital
sales tax for example, and hasn't received anything in return. The Canadian public is loathed to make concessions that aren't part of a wider
conversation, and I don't think the prime minister has that operating room.
The 338s are retaliations on tariffs that were put unsolicited on Canada, so it's a really tight space, and I think the prime minister has no choice
but to retaliate if we can't get something here.
NEWTON: Interesting. I guess we will wait until next week then, just to see if anything, in your words, they can grind something out. Fabio, always
appreciate your candor, and we will wait to see the state of negotiations this time next week. Appreciate it.
VOLPE: Thank you, Paula.
NEWTON: Now, checking some of today's other business headlines. A rough day on Wall Street for tech giant, Cisco. Now, shares dropped more than 8
percent despite the company posting better than expected quarterly results. The company's results getting a boost from strong demand for its gear used
in A.I. data centers, but some of the company's sales metrics disappointed investors.
A lawsuit has been filed against the pricey new subscription service launched by President Trump's social media firm, Trump Media. The federal
lawsuit calls the service a violation of the First Amendment because it gives Wall Street clients early access to the President's social media
posts, which can often move markets. Trump Media says more than 10 clients have already signed up for the service, which costs up to $100,000 a month.
Some lucky winner in Illinois has won the eighth largest jackpot in Powerball history. Now, they match the winning numbers for Wednesday
night's drawing for a prize of just over a billion dollars, the biggest jackpot since last year. They have the choice of taking the full amount
spread over 29 years or a lump sum payment estimated at more than $400 million.
Now, President Trump says the U.S. has full control of the Strait of Hormuz, a claim that does not appear to be supported by the facts. We'll
have the latest, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:35:00]
NEWTON: And welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Paula Newton. Here are the international headlines we're watching today.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is once again urging the U.S. to send more interceptor missiles to his country to help defend against
Russian attacks. In an interview with CNN, Mr. Zelenskyy says Ukraine has only a tenth of the missiles it urgently needs. He says if Ukraine had just
five percent of the U.S. missile stockpile, it would help get his country through the winter. He says 10 percent of the U.S. stockpile would help
Ukraine destroy all Russian ballistic missiles.
A new controversy involving the U.S. law enforcement agency ICE. A woman in northern Virginia captured on video a confrontation between her and ICE
agents earlier this week. One officer can be seen pointing a gun at her. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson described the woman in a
statement as an anti-ICE agitator. She denies the claim.
U.S. officials tell CNN that a sailor went overboard earlier this month off the USS Abraham Lincoln. It happened amid reports of worsening mental
health struggles for crew members during their extended Iran war deployment. The sailor was rescued within an hour and was not injured. A
U.S. official says the USS George Washington carrier group is on its way to the Middle East to replace the Lincoln.
Now, Iran's foreign minister is warning the U.S. to, quote, "be careful." That was today after President Trump insisted that the U.S. has full
control of the Strait of Hormuz. Now, shipping data does not back the president's claim, with traffic through the waterway still very much
stalled. Initiatives to reopen the Strait of Hormuz are becoming more urgent, as the International Energy Agency warns that global oil stockpiles
are rapidly declining.
Now, falling oil supplies could give Iran more economic leverage. Aaron David Miller is a former Middle East negotiator for the U.S. State
Department. He's also a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Good to see you, David. Here we go.
I've been hearing the words more and more strategic surrender to describe the position the U.S. is in right now. I mean, do you agree with that? And
do you think the best they could do right now is to come to some kind of accommodation with Iran and get the Strait open?
AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT MIDDLE EAST NEGOTIATOR AND SENIOR FELLOW, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE: I mean, it
would be nice, but I think we're facing another new normal. Look, the president has issued two options, both of which I would argue are unwise
right now. Number one is massive escalation to extend the target set to include civilian and energy infrastructure. That ain't going to work,
because the Iranians are going to respond against the Gulf, and the Gulf states are highly vulnerable.
The second option the president doesn't want to embrace is to cut a deal with the Iranians in which he surrenders, on behalf of the United States
and much of the International Community and the global oil industry, a fair amount of Iranian control, perhaps even sovereignty over the Gulf. I think
that would be a terrible outcome.
[18:40:00]
And as a consequence of the fact that he cannot accept either outcome, we drift. And the drift option is the economic one. Keep the blockade up,
don't unfreeze Iranian assets, limit the amount of oil they can sell, continue to sanction it, and hope, because I think that's really what it
is, that in the weeks and months to come, Paula, months to come, that the Iranian economy will somehow be broken.
I don't know whether that strategy works. The Iranian specialists I know say likely it won't, severe pain to the Iranian public and perhaps even to
the regime over time. You know, you run out of storage capacity. You don't want to shut down or shut in your wells. You've got to store the oil
somewhere. So, and whose pain threshold is higher, Iran's or ours? So, I can see this going on for quite some time.
NEWTON: And a lot of the Gulf allies are already acting as if it will go on for some time. I'm wondering in this scenario, though, what kind of a
timeline do you think we're looking at here? I mean, look, there's a political timeline in this country, which is the midterms. But on the
economic level, I mean, it's even been startling to me that China that is getting its oil some way somehow has not put more pressure on Iran to come
up with some kind of a deal.
MILLER: I think it surprised me as well. But the Chinese have restricted imports, right? They're importing much less oil than before. What, 50
percent comes from Iran. They're high on renewables. They'll burn coal if they have to, to compensate for their, the lack of imports.
I mean, Chinese are well prepared to continue to allow the U.S. to basically marinate in its own strategic malpractice here. And the Chinese
do not look at their allies in the Middle East the way we might look at ours. They are not going to get, interpose themselves militarily or
politically, I think, between Iran and the United States.
So, I think it could go on for quite a while. I don't -- the midterms -- I mean, look, the only three times in the last hundred years, Paula, has an
incumbent president's party gained significant seats. It happened in 1934, in 1998, in 2002. The Ds may take the House. I think Trump is perfectly
prepared to blame the Republican Party and bad candidates for these losses. I don't think midterms are any sort of sacred date for him.
NEWTON: Interesting. I said he'll just blame his party and not himself and not any one policy that he has. We'll leave it there for now. Aaron David
Miller for us. Thanks so much. Appreciate it.
MILLER: Thanks, Paula.
NEWTON: Now, more than 72 hours have passed since Columbia's deadly earthquake, and experts say the chances of finding survivors in the rubble
may have faded dramatically. But that's not stopping the search effort. It is led by ordinary citizens, and you will see that next here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:45:00]
NEWTON: The search for survivors in the wreckage of the Columbia earthquake is entering a desperate new phase now that the critical 72-hour
mark has been passed. Colombian officials say that at least 273 people are confirmed dead and 380 others missing. That was following Monday's quake.
Now, experts say the chances of finding someone alive dropped dramatically after three days. Still, as you can imagine, search and rescue crews are
working around the clock, hoping for some kind of a miracle. In Cali, ordinary people have joined the search and rescue effort.
Our David Culver has been in the city for several days. He spoke to people there about the whirlwind of emotions they've been experiencing since
Monday's devastating quake.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're headed now to a southern part of Cali where we're told there are active rescues underway,
including just a few hours ago where someone was pulled out alive.
You can hear people still right now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. Yes.
CULVER: Well, they won't -- let's have a -- OK, he said you can still hear people, so let's go see.
They just handed us masks. They said, please put these on because they're worried about asbestos and anything else that's in the air that we're also
seeing some of this dust.
We've been told what we're looking at here was an apartment building that was about four storeys high. You can see the rooftop pool, the blue tiles
over there, now about a storey-and-a-half up in the air. So, it has totally pancaked down, collapsing into the basement of this apartment complex.
CULVER (voice-over): Looking into the collapsed rubble, Harold Valencia recognizes something.
CULVER: You can see your dad's mattress.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly. Which is that one that he's showing right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's right there.
CULVER: Have you heard anything? Is there any movement or any --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. I've been here for two days, and we don't hear anything there.
CULVER (voice-over): Harold flew in Tuesday from his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and he isn't the only one here doubling as a first
responder.
CULVER: And how old are the two people still missing, roughly?
JAVIER TABARES, VOLUNTEER: Late teens.
CULVER: Teenagers?
TABARES: Late teens, yes.
CULVER: And a brother and sister?
TABARES: Yes.
CULVER: How do you even process this moment? Like how --
TABARES: There's no way to process it, like you don't process it. You're just here dealing. Like if you're home, maybe you may have to find some way
to cope with it. Like there's no time to process this type of stuff, like you have to be here helping. Otherwise, there's nothing else to do.
CULVER (voice-over): Here in Cali, Colombia's third-largest city, with a population roughly the size of Houston, Texas, even folks working at
hotels, or taxi drivers even, are splitting their day between their actual work and helping with rescues.
Motivated by scenes like this, a man handing off a baby boy from within the rubble, dust-covered and struggling to breathe, but he's alive.
CULVER: You saw the baby's little head. He's not a first responder. He works in a bank, and he was just around the corner, and rushed down this
street where the collapse and rescue is still underway for several others. And he says he goes there, and he hears -- what did the voice say?
He -- the voice says, I'm here, I'm here with a baby. Brian and several others immediately go in. Over the course of three to five minutes, they're
able to pull the baby out. How's the baby right now?
Stable condition right now, as well as the dad. The only thing is the mom is still missing.
CULVER (voice-over): More than 130 miles north, we watched on for hours as this close-knit community dragged huge slabs of concrete from this
collapsed apartment in Pereira.
All of these folks are volunteers. Late in the evening, their hands reached a 32-year-old woman clinging to life. Her stepmother held vigil there for
more than 24 hours. She tells us her daughter suffered heart failure and shattered nearly every bone imaginable, but says she's hopeful she'll make
it. From that same wreckage, someone's beloved pet also pulled out alive.
Back here in Cali, this moment, reality briefly surfaces for Harold.
HAROLD VALENCIA, SEARCHING FOR FATHER IN THE RUBBLE: Trying to get my dad home where he belongs.
[18:50:00]
CULVER: You could tell in that moment, Harold started to allow almost the reality of what he was looking at, the potential aftermath, to soak in, and
he had to push it away, almost compartmentalize a bit, so that he could then focus that and get back to work.
And looking at him from afar, when we first were pointed his direction, we assumed he was part of first responders or a work crew. I mean, he was
directing traffic and having essentially some of the workers follow some of his orders so as to remove some of the large slabs of concrete. Then it
turns out that he, like so many we've met here, have just flown in and are not part of the experience team so much as are just here looking for loved
ones. He and many others have said, if you want to do it, you have to do it yourself sometimes, and they're doing just that.
David Culver for CNN, Cali, Colombia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: People scramble for cover and clear the streets as sirens blare and Taiwan's mobile internet goes down while the country is taking its
annual war games further than usual with a warning about China. We'll have that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: For a brief period in Taiwan today, mobile internet slowed to a crawl and people took shelter from the streets. It wasn't a hack or a
terrorist attack, but a deliberate and planned exercise by the government in Taipei, conducted as part of the country's annual war games. The drill
was intended to show residents what it might look like if China were to launch an attack on the island. Our Will Ripley was right there in the
middle of it and gives us this look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Air raid sirens are going off, streets are being evacuated. It's wild. It's like the
apocalypse.
See all the buses are pulled over. Everybody's kind of hunkered down inside or underground. And something strange is happening to our phones. The
mobile Internet is slowing down drastically here in Taipei.
Here's what's happening. These are Taiwan's biggest annual military drills, with a major focus this year on preparing the entire society for a
potential Chinese attack. Taiwanese security officials say they're preparing for a scenario where cell towers could be sabotaged, undersea
cables severed or networks hit by massive cyber-attacks. So, for 30 minutes, millions of people are getting a taste of what that could be like.
BEN LEWIS, FOUNDER, PLA TRACKER: In the event of an actual invasion or an attack, we could expect Taipei and really the entire island to be blanketed
with strikes by the PLA.
RIPLEY: And this is just one part of a much bigger exercise. Taiwan has mobilized around 20,000 reservists for 10 days of unscripted war games,
practicing everything from defending ports and airports to drone warfare, mass casualties and repairing communications under attack.
Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: So, police in Ecuador seized hundreds of kilos of cocaine with packages bearing the face of Norwegian football star, Erling Haaland, if
you can believe it. The drugs were discovered in a truck stopped near the Colombian border.
[18:55:00]
The 370 green packages had stickers of Haaland. Police said one person was arrested but gave no details on why the bundles had images of the key
striker there. However, it is common practice for drug traffickers to label their shipments with the names of well-known sports figures and
celebrities. I guess you can call it branding.
Now, yesterday's total solar eclipse came in tandem with another rare celestial sight for part of the planet. People in the Northern Hemisphere
had the chance to see the Perseus Meteor shower at its peak last night. Now, stargazers would have seen countless shooting stars blazing overhead.
The display has been ramping up since early July, but if you missed it, you can still catch some meteors in the early morning hours of Friday before
the shower begins to fade away. Stunning.
I want to thank you for your company. I'm Paula Newton in New York. You've been watching "The Brief." Stay with CNN for more news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:00:00]
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