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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
Ukraine: At Least 15 Dead, 130 Hurt In "Double-Tap" Strike; Ukraine: New Wave Of North Korean Troops Arriving In Russia; Supreme Court Allows Construction For WH Ballroom; Pentagon Fires Top Staff At Military News Outlet; U.S.- Canadian Talks Continue As New Tariff Deadline Looms; Trump's Take On Nuclear Nonproliferation And Deterrence. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired August 21, 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]
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR, "THE BRIEF": Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington, and
you're watching "The Brief."
Just ahead this hour, more than a dozen dead and more than a hundred wounded after Russia hits a Ukrainian shopping center in what's known as a
double-tap strike. This, as Ukraine says, North Korea is now sending thousands of reinforcements to aid Russia's war, including a drone unit.
And the Trump White House fires top staff at a U.S. military news outlet after an investigation involving a U.S. aircraft carrier.
Russia carried out what's known as a double-tap strike in central Ukraine, killing at least 15 people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says
some 30 minutes after the first strike on a shopping mall in his hometown, we should note, of Kryvyi Rih, a second drone attack targeted emergency
responders. That's deliberate. At least 130 others were injured, including children.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): A rescue operation is currently underway in Kryvyi Rih following a strike on a
shopping mall. All necessary forces have been deployed. Unfortunately, many people have been injured. The attack involved several Russian drones. It
was deliberate and vile, one after another. An absolute act of Russian brutality, simply beasts. We will certainly respond.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: This comes as Ukraine is facing a severe shortage of air defense interceptors. The Financial Times reports that Kyiv is seeking Elon Musk's
approval to use Starlink-equipped drones to target those missile launchers deep inside Russia.
A senior Ukrainian intelligence official says a new wave of North Korean troops has now arrived in Russia. He says that Pyongyang sent some 8,500
soldiers, including a drone unit, and that the Russian President Vladimir Putin could ask for some 50,000 more when he meets next month with Kim
Jong-un. North Korea has been sending troops to help Russia in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine since 2024.
Joining me now is Ivo Daalder. He was a U.S. ambassador to NATO. He's now a senior fellow at Harvard's Belfer Center. Ivo, it's good to have you back.
IVO DAALDER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO NATO AND SENIOR FELLOW, HARVARD UNIVERSITY'S BELFER CENTER: Good to be here, Jim. Thanks for having me on.
SCIUTTO: I wonder, given North Korea increasing its support for Russia in this war, we already know China is helping with key components for its
weapons. We know Iran is helping. Is it more correct now to look at this not just as Russia's war on Ukraine, but North Korea's, China's, Iran's?
DAALDER: Well, it clearly is. I mean, it remains Russia's war. Russia started it. Russia invaded a neighboring country. Russia is trying to annex
and take territory from a neighboring country, contrary to international law and any other legal standing. But it's clear that countries like Iran,
China, and North Korea are consistently and have consistently helped Russia for their own political reasons.
They don't want this war to end other than with a Russian victory. That's true for China, which sees this war as occupying Western forces in Europe.
They would like to see Western forces occupied there, so they won't focus on East Asia. President Trump is helping with withdrawing troops from and
capabilities from East Asia to the Middle East. That is all playing into China's hand.
At the same time, the North Koreans are showing where their true colors are. The president may think that Kim Jong-un respects him. But, in fact,
what Kim Jong-un wants is he wants to be with countries like China and Russia to take the West.
SCIUTTO: You know, it was only a few weeks ago when there was a sense of optimism in Ukraine and in Europe because Ukraine, with its drone advances,
was pushing Russia back at the front lines, but also punishing Russian energy infrastructure with drone attacks deep inside Russian territory.
But does this combination of all these actors helping Russia now with troops and drones and missiles and so on, but also Ukraine's territory, but
does this combination of all these actors helping Russia now with troops and drones and missiles and so on, but also Ukraine's deep, deep shortage
of missile interceptors, could this turn the war in Russia's favor? Could it force Ukraine to capitulate?
[18:05:00]
DAALDER: It's going to be difficult. Let's step back for a second. The reason why people were getting more optimistic is because Ukrainians were
hitting Russia where it hurt, and that is still the case. There are still shortages of petrol. There are still shortages at the pump. There are
significant shortages in energy, and those attacks are continuing. The same is true with regard to Crimea, where there were significant strikes that
the Ukrainians were launching and kind of cutting off Crimea from the kind of military support that Russia has enjoyed.
But Russia, of course, is hitting back. It's hitting back because, as you rightly report, the Ukrainians have run out of interceptors. And if you
don't have interceptors like the Patriot air defense system, you can't intercept ballistic missiles and ballistic missiles that are targeted not
just on energy facilities, but as we see with this latest strike at civilian targets are meant to cause fear in the Ukrainian mind.
Well, here's what we know. Strategic bombing of this kind just doesn't work. It didn't really work in World War II to the extent that we thought
possible, except with the use of a nuclear weapon. In fact, two nuclear weapons. It didn't really work for the United States with regard to Iran.
And I don't think it's going to work for Russia with regard to Ukraine in this case either.
SCIUTTO: Of course, the trouble is Ukraine is shedding so much blood as a result, a real spike in civilian casualties. Europe has interceptors. I
mean, we hear that. I spoke to the to a foreign minister yesterday who said she was disappointed. The Romanian foreign minister with European support.
Why isn't Europe stepping up more to help supply you? We already know President Trump's position. But why isn't Ukraine -- sorry. Why isn't
Europe able to fill that gap?
DAALDER: Yes, I think it's a very good question. It's a question that with increasing urgency is being asked by the Ukrainians. I mean, part of the
reason is they have already given large amounts of interceptors to Ukraine and they only have limited stocks left. The Europeans are not only worried
about what's happening to Ukraine, they're worried about a Russian thrust into Europe itself to challenge NATO to actually bring Europe directly into
this war. If that happens, they don't want to be without those interceptors.
Now, the strategic questions that Europe face, are we better off fighting Russia directly in the place it is fighting now, which is Ukraine, by
helping Ukraine succeed, or do we husband our resources for the day that Ukraine fails and the Russians are, in fact, coming after them?
My strategic calculation would say it's better to help Ukraine now to continue to strengthen your defenses, to make sure that Russia does not
succeed in Ukraine, thereby limiting the likelihood of an attack on Europe directly. But then again, I'm not responsible for the defense of Europe.
And I understand why there is a hesitancy here. It is necessary to have this strategic debate. And I think what we're seeing, the pictures we're
seeing, is putting that debates directly into the ministries of defense and prime minister offices throughout Europe.
SCIUTTO: Ivo Daalder, we appreciate you joining. Well, the U.S. Supreme Court is allowing President Trump to continue building his massive new
White House ballroom. For now, the justices have temporarily frozen a lower court ruling that would have halted construction by the end of today. The
order does not address whether the project is legal. It simply gives the court more time to consider the case. The Trump administration says the
ballroom complex, we should note, is already 65 percent complete.
Kevin Liptak is at the White House. Kevin, I wonder if the White House, if President Trump thinks they already have the courts licked here. Because
here's the -- there were already two-thirds done. Here's the Supreme Court now giving them more time. If and when the Supreme Court gets around to the
decision, it'll be more done. I mean, I don't know what likelihood they consider it that the Supreme Court would tell them to tear it all down. I
wonder if Trump thinks he's already got this.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: I think in a lot of ways he does. And you're right. Every day that this goes past, that the Supreme
Court continues to deliberate on the actual legalities of it is another day complete, essentially. You know, they have made extraordinary progress.
They only started building this less than a year ago.
Now, they say that they've built five stories underground. They've built 60 stories in the air. Obviously, the structure itself is not in place. But
they are getting there pretty quickly. They say they have a team of 250 people working seven days a week, 20 hours a day.
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And so, it does seem evident that the president believes that if he can just keep going with this, that eventually it will be just so far gone that
no court will essentially be able to say, to stop it. And none of the two courts that have ruled against it that said that it was illegal because the
president hadn't gone to Congress, neither of them actually laid out a remedy for what should happen if this is deemed illegal and that
construction halts. They essentially said that that's a problem for the president to solve. That wasn't a problem for them to try and figure out.
Essentially this giant hole in the ground, which also includes the military complex that the president says is going to be going underneath the
ballroom.
And so, of course, we will hear eventually a final opinion from the justices, but president Trump seems fairly convinced that this will just
keep going. And it has been interesting to hear how the administration and how the president has sort of shifted the rationale for this project over
time. It began because the president said he didn't want to keep using a tent on the South Lawn for state dinners.
Now, the way he talks about it is as this national security imperative, as a structure that is required for the safety of presidents. And that speaks
to the bunker underground, but also what the president says is going on the roof, which is the drone port. And that is partly, I think, a legal
strategy here, that by saying that this is essential for the nation's security, that that will make it even more difficult for the justices to
rule against it.
And so, we'll see what they say, but clearly the project is continuing apace and there's very little to suggest that it won't be built altogether.
SCIUTTO: Tariffs, right? Change of justification for a ballroom. Kevin Liptak, thanks so much.
Well, in a blow to press freedom, the Pentagon has fired senior staff members at the U.S. military news outlet Stars and Stripes. The publication
led reporting on mental health concerns and harsh conditions on board the USS Abraham Lincoln. The Lincoln has since left the Middle East. A reporter
at Stars and Stripes confirms to CNN she was fired, along with her editor- in-chief and the outlet's publisher.
Brian Stelter joins me now. I mean, Brian, you know, the immediate cause for this seems pretty clear. They didn't like the story coming out as they
have haven't liked a lot of stories we or other news outlets have done.
Stars and Stripes, as you know, has existed since the Civil War. It's built its credibility on independence. Who is on the right side here, not just of
history, but the law principle in terms of how it's structured?
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Well, you brought up the law, and that's a very important part of this, because Stars and Stripes does have
some protections that were established by the U.S. Congress. And those were intentional. Those were decades ago in order to keep the free flow of
information going, even at wartime, so that U.S. service members and their families were and are aware of what's going on inside the military and with
taxpayer dollars.
So, now, this is a test by Pete Hegseth's Pentagon up against some of those protections that Congress put in place. And we have already heard from some
Democratic lawmakers who do raise concerns about these changes. But of course, given the Republicans are in power right now, unclear if that will
amount to much.
However, some Democrats have raised alarms about Hegseth's attempts to remake Stars and Stripes earlier this year. This goes back more than six
months at this point. The indication that Hegseth's inner circle wants to reorient the publication into what it calls a war fighting mode, but which
others would say a propaganda mode on behalf of the Trump administration.
So, a couple of months ago, these reporters, the top editor of Stars and Stripes, granted interviews to CBS News about it. There was a long segment
on the newscast CBS Sunday morning about the concerns about editorial independence. And today, a reporter, Lara Korte, was told that that's why
she was being fired. It was because of insubordination because she spoke to CBS News. So, that's certainly raising alarms and creating some concern
among press freedom groups today that that's at least the cover story for why one of these firings, two of these firings, is happening.
Also, notable, Jim, that the publisher of Stars and Stripes announced earlier this week that he was planning to retire on his own accord, but
he's been fired before he could do it on his own terms. So, pretty clearly here, an attempt by the Pentagon's public affairs unit to exert its power
and control over a publication that has historically been independent. And we don't know where this goes exactly because right now there is no editor
for the publication.
[18:15:00]
SCIUTTO: A judge ruled earlier in this year, as you know, that that Hegseth's Pentagon press policy, which allowed him to take away credentials
or suspend them over reporting, ruled that that violated their constitutional rights. Is there a potential legal challenge to these
terminations?
STELTER: I think there will be. And we've already seen a little bit of that from the ombudsman at Stars and Stripes. That's a person who's supposed to
work independently of the newsroom, set up by Congress in order to have oversight. That person's been forced out. And I believe she has filed a
First Amendment lawsuit. So, there is some legal action on those fronts.
This is a weird situation, though, because it's a newspaper that is covering the military. These employees do work for the military, but
historically they've enjoyed their independence. So, it may become a real question of how much of that independence actually enshrined. I think the
broader story, though, here, Jim, is about an attempt by Hegseth to avoid questions and to control the information flow.
It is very clear, and it's been clear for more than a year now, that he does not respect and support independent news coverage. He's pushed the
reporters out. He's refused to have press conferences. We can go through a long list of examples. It is clear that he wants to exert control over the
information flow. And by the way, that relates to a lot of other stories we cover on a daily basis.
What's all the hoopla about Natalie Harp at the White House? It's because she controls the flow of information to President Trump. So, a lot of these
stories are all about the same thing, about whether people are getting the information they should get. Now, the Pentagon today, a concerning sign
that there's an attempt to stop that from happening.
SCIUTTO: No question. And yet, a hopeful sign, perhaps, good reporting still gets through, right? They've tried a lot, but the stories still get
out.
STELTER: That's right.
SCIUTTO: Hard-working journalists. Brian Stelter, thanks so much. Still ahead, less than six hours ago, before new 50 percent U.S. tariffs kick in
against Canada, the two sides still working on what they hope to be a last- minute deal. We're going to get the very latest after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: Welcome back. In today's Business Breakout, across the board gains for U.S. stocks, but a second straight losing week overall on Wall Street
with turmoil in the bond market still very much weighing on sentiment.
Long-term U.S. Treasury yields rose for a second straight session Friday. They're trading pretty much where they were before the U.S. Treasury
announced its surprise program to attempt to ease bond market stress. Yields initially fell on the news, as the Treasury had hoped, but they have
since been rising.
Traditional safe haven gold, as well as Bitcoin, have been the beneficiaries of the stressed-out bond market. Gold up some 5 percent,
Bitcoin more than 20 percent.
[18:20:00]
The dollar, however, has fallen to a three-month low against other currencies, including the euro, this week.
It is down to the wire, again, in the U.S.-Canada trade talks. The two sides still trying to hammer out a last-minute agreement before yet another
midnight tariff deadline. And the U.S. extended trade talks earlier this week paused new 50 percent tariffs against Canada after the two sides
reported progress in the talks. Tariffs, if they do take effect, would apply to some $20 billion worth of Canadian goods.
A tariff agreement, on the other hand, could significantly reduce U.S. tariffs on Canadian-built vehicles and cut tariffs on steel and aluminum by
half. The U.S. would get concessions as well, including lower Canadian tariffs on U.S. cars and metals. A ban imposed by some provincial leaders
on U.S. liquor sales could be lifted as a sweetener, too.
Joining me now is Drew Dilkens, the mayor of Windsor, Ontario. Mayor, thanks so much for taking the time.
DREW DILKENS, WINDSOR, CANADA MAYOR: Thanks for having me, Jim.
SCIUTTO: So, listen, given Windsor's geographical position, you're right in the middle of this. So much business there in the auto industry, cross-
border. First question is, do you believe the two sides are going to come to an agreement here?
DILKENS: Well, it sounds initially like there are some wins across the board. What I'm most concerned about, of course, being Canada's auto
capital across from Detroit, the Motor City, is what's in place here with respect to autos. And when I hear 15 percent is sort of being floated out
there, it makes me concerned because you think of Great Britain. They have a 10 percent tariff by the United States on autos. Korea, Japan, 15
percent.
We have built an integrated automobile industry between the United States, Canada and Mexico that has worked to put a lot of bread on a lot of tables
for families in all three countries. And to think that we're going to have the same effective tariff rate as those countries, it's unbelievable.
SCIUTTO: Well, do you think it's personal and political, right? Because, I mean, a lot of these tariffs are not driven so much by hard economic
policy, but it seems how the president feels in the moment.
DILKENS: Well, and I think that comment itself underlines the concern that a lot of Canadians have that if you agree to something today with Donald
Trump, you know, tomorrow if there's another wildfire in Northern Ontario, he's threatening another tariff.
And so, my point really is when you look at Great Britain, Korea and look at Japan, you're hard-pressed to find any American-made or Canadian-made
vehicles on the road there. They put in non-tariff barriers that stop that from happening.
And so, we are different. We're different because we've created a different setup here with the free trade agreement, the North American free trade
agreement, and, of course, COSMA, which Donald Trump and USMCA, which Donald Trump called the best trade agreement of all time in his first term.
We want to get back and get to a point in time here where all COSMA, USMCA goods continue to remain tariff-free between our two countries. It's been
working.
SCIUTTO: My question is, given that uncertainty and unpredictability and reversals, Trump's not just reversing past U.S. trade agreements. He's
reversing his own trade agreements. Can you do long-term economic planning? Can businesses in Windsor do so? I mean, when you're trying to figure out
how to make automobiles right, you know, you've got to make plans years out. How do you manage?
DILKENS: Well, and I think that's the predicament that the OEMs find themselves in, is where are they going to locate product? How do they deal
with the existing supply chains that are here? You know, when you set up a new plant, you're talking about a billion-dollar investment. It's not
something that they walk away from and abandon on behalf of shareholders. This has to make sense for everyone.
And so, for Canada to sort of fall on bent knee here and think that we're going to take a bad deal, I say don't take a bad deal. I love a good U.S.
bourbon. I love a good California cab. But not so much that I can't find alternatives if it means that I can just hold out a little while longer and
get a better deal between the United States and Canada.
Any negotiation, any deal has to work for all parties. It can't be one party sacrificing for the advantage of the other only. Otherwise, it
doesn't work.
SCIUTTO: Regardless of what's agreed to or not agreed to in the next several hours or perhaps over the next several days, if the deadline moves
again, are Canadian consumers ready to start buying American again, or are the wounds deep enough here, right? Because it's not just about the
tariffs. It's about the 51st state talk. It's about, you know, threats to crush the Canadian economy. I just wonder how quickly you could turn that
around.
DILKENS: There's going to be a period of healing, and we're going to need a period of healing. And I'll tell you, it was a little hard for us to open
the Gordie Howe Bridge a few weeks ago that's connecting Windsor and Detroit, a time when you'd normally have a great celebration. The
president, the prime minister ought to have met in the middle, shook hands, and celebrated this wonderful binational relationship. Regretfully, we
couldn't do it.
[18:25:00]
And so, when I had the opportunity to meet the mayor of Detroit in the middle of the bridge and give her a hug, it just felt so great to be able
to connect again. But I'll tell you, there are a lot of Canadians who are going to take a period of time and need some time to heal from the comments
and the pain that have been inflicted on us here, collectively, across the country, in different sectors and different industries.
And so that will happen, undoubtedly. Donald Trump won't be here forever. This, too, shall pass. And I think, you know, we're looking forward to your
midterms. And certainly, if that doesn't work out, we're looking forward to two years from now, and hopefully things change for the better.
But listen, we want to work with Donald Trump. He's here. But any deal that is being negotiated must work for all parties. It can't be everyone falling
on bent knee to the United States and sacrificing employment livelihoods here in Canada.
SCIUTTO: Elbows up, as you like to say. Mayor Drew Dilkens, thanks so much for joining.
DILKENS: Thanks for having me.
SCIUTTO: Checking some of today's other business headlines now. President Trump has announced a plan to cut tariffs on some 300 metric tons of ground
beef coming into the U.S. over the next several months in an attempt to help ease affordability problems. The president says importers have agreed
that the ground beef would be sold 25 percent below market prices. Sounds like price controls. The move criticized even by some Republicans who say
it will hurt the domestic cattle industry.
A new report says more than 150 wallets on the online trading platform Polymarket may have traded on U.S. military secrets. The new figures coming
from the research group the Anti-Corruption Data Collective. Polymarket tells CNN it has referred dozens of accounts showing signs of these
suspicious trades to the Justice Department.
A U.K. court ruled Friday that Britain's Prince Harry, Elton John and other high-profile figures must make an initial $13 million payment to the
publishers of the Daily Mail newspaper. The payment to cover a portion of the paper's legal costs must be made by the end of next week. The group
took the tabloid to court claiming reporters illegally gathered information on them, including hacking their phones. London's High Court dismissed the
case. The Daily Mail denies the charges.
Did Donald Trump's loose comments about Kim Jong-un give Iran incentive to build a nuclear weapon? What he revealed about Kim's arsenal and what that
might say to Iran. Just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Jim Sciutto, and here are the international headlines we're watching today.
Ukrainian officials say at least 15 people were killed after Russian attack drones struck a shopping center in central Ukraine today. More than 100
people were wounded. The latest attack was a so-called double-tap strike. After the initial attack, Ukraine says Russia launched a second drone
targeting emergency responders.
A new wave of North Korean troops has arrived in Russia. A senior Ukrainian intelligence official says Pyongyang is sending some 8,500 soldiers,
including a drone unit. He says Russian President Vladimir Putin could ask for 50,000 more when he meets North Korean leader Kim Jong-un next month.
The U.S. Supreme Court is allowing construction on the massive White House ballroom to continue for now. The order does not address whether the
project is legal. It simply gives the court more time to consider the case and, well, Trump to keep building it. The decision freezes a lower court
ruling that would have forced construction to stop at midnight.
The U.S. and South Korea cut short their joint military drills on Friday, ending them days early on instructions from President Trump. He has
frequently questioned their necessities and says it damages his warm relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Trump said on Wednesday
he plans to meet Kim later this year.
The president asserted at that time that Kim has 57 very powerful nuclear weapons, adding, I get along with him, that's not a bad thing. Those
comments highlighted his quite different approach to nuclear armed North Korea and non-nuclear Iran.
Joining me now is Tom Nichols, staff writer for The Atlantic, also author of "Our Own Worst Enemy: The Assault from Within on Modern Democracy." Tom,
it's good to have you on.
TOM NICHOLS, STAFF WRITER, THE ATLANTIC: Thanks, Jim.
SCIUTTO: So, your piece in The Atlantic makes an interesting point, that Trump is basically saying to Iran, you know, I'm treating North Korea
differently because it has nuclear weapons, you know, unintentionally, unwittingly. What does that tell Tehran, in your view?
NICHOLS: It tells Tehran that if you're a country that gets even a small nuclear arsenal, Donald Trump will pay attention to you, especially if you
lavish praise on him and say nice things about him. He has made this whole war, once regime change didn't happen, which I think was his initial goal,
he's made this whole war about keeping Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. But every time he talks about North Korea, he's basically sending a message
to the rest of the world that getting a nuclear weapon is a good thing to do if you want the United States to pay attention to you and to respect
you.
SCIUTTO: Yes.
NICHOLS: It's the opposite message that we've been trying to send, the Americans have been trying to send for decades.
SCIUTTO: You make another point in your piece, and that is that Trump revealed a potentially sensitive piece of intelligence by citing that
specific number of nuclear warheads, 57. I mean, it's not the first time he's revealed sensitive intelligence publicly. How serious is it for the
president to put such a specific figure on that?
NICHOLS: Probably not very, because intelligence estimates don't usually zero in on an exact number. They usually give some kind of a range. But
it's clear that he heard this number somewhere about something, and it's stuck in his head. And I'm sure that foreign intelligence organizations are
now trying -- especially the North Koreans, are now trying to figure out exactly what he meant and why he coughed up the number 57.
But the range in open sources has been between 50 and 60, and he may have just settled on that number. But it's never smart for the president or
anybody else to talk about possible numbers that they've heard in a classified briefing.
SCIUTTO: Let me ask you about North Korea specifically here, because even though it is a nuclear power, and by the way, expanded its nuclear arsenal
not just in the Biden administration, but during the Trump administration as he was lavishing all these summits on Kim Jong-un, does it indicate to
North Korea that President Trump might be willing to recognize them as a nuclear power?
[18:35:00]
Because it's my understanding from speaking to people in South Korea that they believe that might be Kim's price for another summit.
NICHOLS: Well, by saying what he did, it's almost de facto recognition as a nuclear power. He's saying, well, they have 57 nuclear weapons, and as long
as I'm president, they'll be fine. Well, that -- you know, short of saying we accept the North Korean arsenal and that's the end of it, you have to
wonder what the president thought he was accomplishing by saying that.
But the North Koreans have responded to this and to the curtailing of exercises that you just reported on with a shrug and basically saying, you
know, we own Donald Trump. I mean, he sucks up to us. He sends us love letters. He tells us he wants to meet, and we get to keep our nuclear
weapons. So, you know, we don't really care about anything else he does as long as, you know, we're left to do the things that we want to do. And the
president seems to be indicating that he's fine with that.
SCIUTTO: I mean, it's not just U.S. adversaries that are listening to President Trump's comments, but also watching the U.S. And as it reacts,
there is increasing public discussion in South Korea, at least of the possibility of acquiring nuclear weapons. You hear similar in Japan. You
hear a country such as Germany talking about sharing France's nuclear deterrent. I mean, you have Saudi Arabia in the market at least for a
civilian nuclear program.
Is one of the broader concerns here that everyone's going to look at this situation and say, what distinguishes those who get attacked from those who
don't is nuclear weapons?
NICHOLS: Right. And, of course, the United States, since the dawn of the nuclear age, has been trying to send the exact opposite message, that
getting nuclear weapons is dangerous. It gives you more problems than it solves. It's a headache for you. It puts you on a nuclear target list of
other countries that have nuclear weapons.
And Donald Trump, you know, because he is very incautious in the way he speaks, kind of blew that up and said, yes, you know, North Korea has
nuclear weapons. I respect them. They'll be fine. Iran doesn't. And that's why Iran keeps getting, you know, pummeled and attacked.
I mean, neither of these countries, both of them, ghastly dictatorships, should have nuclear weapons. But Donald Trump's made a very clear
distinction in how he feels about one as opposed to the other. And that's, I think, in terms of nonproliferation, that's an absolutely dreadful
mistake.
SCIUTTO: Absolutely. Tom Nichols, thanks so much for joining.
NICHOLS: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: Well, two organizers of what used to be Hong Kong's annual vigil to commemorate the Tiananmen Square massacre have now been found guilty of
inciting subversion. Their verdict is part of a years-long crackdown by Hong Kong authorities in the name of national security.
On June 4, 1989, China's leadership sent troops and tanks to break up pro- democracy demonstrations in Beijing. Judges ruled the pair had engaged in activities intended to, quote, overthrow the Chinese Communist Party.
Beijing and the Hong Kong government say the national security laws enacted in 2020 were necessary to return the city to order and stability. Those two
organizers now face up to 10 years in prison.
There were scenes that stunned Spain and reignited fire debate around migration to Europe. There was a side of the story not always seen. We take
a look at the vital economic role migrants are playing when it comes to feeding Europe.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:40:00]
SCIUTTO: After weeks of living in limbo, hundreds of migrants in the Spanish territory of Ceuta are now housed in temporary shelters. Many
migrants have been living at a makeshift beach camp since crossing the border from Morocco to Spain illegally three weeks ago. Images of those
crossings set off outrage across parts of Europe, even though many of the same areas rely heavily on migrant labor.
Jomana Karadsheh traveled to southern Spain to meet some of the people who play a crucial role in Europe's food supply chain.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chaos and utter human despair at Spain's doors scenes, the fast became fuel for the far right and
growing anti-immigration voices on both sides of the Atlantic but behind these images lies a more complex reality, as we found on our journey to try
to understand Europe's immigration debate and what drives so many to risk everything to get here.
KARADSHEH: We are in the middle of a sea of plastic so vast its visible from space greenhouses everywhere you look. This is Almeria in southern
Spain. It is often described as Europe's vegetable garden because of this concentration of greenhouses, it produces millions of tons of fresh fruit
and vegetables every year, enough to feed half a billion people.
KARADSEH (voice-over): In the shadow of one of Europe's agricultural heartlands exists a darker side rarely seen slums like this one that have
been around for years, home to part of the massive African workforce helping feed this continent. In a scene of squalor in modern day Europe, we
find migrants from North and West Africa.
In his previous life, Amoateng Foster was a math teacher in Ghana. Two years ago, he left it all behind, saying he paid smugglers about $2,300 for
a perilous journey through Libya and across the Mediterranean, eventually making it to Spain
AMOATENG FOSTER, GHANAIAN MIGRANT WORKER; And I'm not going to recommend anybody to do so. Very dangerous
KARADSEH (voice-over): He shows us around this rundown shack he shares with another worker.
FOSTER: So, this is my place. KARADSEH (voice-over): Amoateng story is that of so many parents
enduring the subhuman conditions, all for the future of his kids, he says, to save enough to put them through college.
KARADSHEH: A lot of people are saying, we don't want any migrants close the borders. I mean, how does it make you feel?
FOSTER: It becomes a little bit worrying. Everything that they are doing here is farming and the workers that they are using, all of us are
immigrants. These white people can't do it. The government saw that we are helping them. They are also helping us. It's a mutual benefit.
KARADSEH (voice-over): The Spanish economy relies on migrant workers so heavily that the government announced an amnesty in April, offering legal
status to hundreds of thousands already in the country. Amoateng hopes being here legally would bring him rights and respect.
FOSTER: If you are outside the fence, you may think that it is rosy here, it's not rosy here. Look at the environment that we live in. But when you
are outside, you may think that, oh, Europe is, Europe. No, no, no, no, there's no roses here because you suffer before you can get a cent. Do you
know how much they are giving us here, how much they give us here to work in this farm? For one hour, they give you five euros.
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This hot environment like this, you kneel down like this, work continuously, just like that. And they give you five euros.
KARADSEH (voice-over): We get a glimpse into that grueling reality. Amoateng described inside one of the countless greenhouses. These men spent
hours delicately planting tomatoes. Their hard labor will soon fill the shelves of European supermarkets. In the sweltering summer heat,
temperatures must remain constant in here.
KARADSHEH: We've been here for a few minutes, and this heat is intense. I'm sweating and I can't begin to imagine what it's like for these guys working
in these conditions, in this heat. Apparently, it hit 44 degrees or 111 Fahrenheit earlier today, and they have to do this for hours and hours.
KARADSEH (voice-over): The owner of this greenhouse told us he only hires documented workers and pays the legal minimum wage.
But across Almeria, you find so many who are undocumented, vulnerable to exploitation, some of it happening in plain sight. At roundabouts and
street corners, they wait to be picked up for off the book jobs that pay well below the minimum wage. Off camera business owners told us they pay
what they can afford to still make a profit.
The arrival of foreign labor helped revive a region that was once in decline. All around here, you find thriving migrant communities that have
left their mark on this place, and the far right has seized on that.
In suburbs like La Canada that overwhelmingly voted for the populist radical right party Vox, in the last election, we find pensioners echoing
the rhetoric of these parties.
If they can work and have papers, great. The rest is an invasion. They tell us they are people who don't want to integrate.
It's a narrative that's been gaining traction across Europe. Fears of demographic change and migrants being blamed for the rise in the cost of
living. Scattered graffiti hints at brewing tensions this one reads no Muslims, no NGOs.
Perhaps a message for the groups on the frontline of this crisis, like the Mercedarian Sisters of Charity, the calls for help to this Catholic NGO
helping migrants get back on their feet seem nonstop during our visit.
SISTER FRANCISCA, MERCEDARIAN SISTERS OF CHARITY (through translator): No, I'm sorry my boy.
KARADSEH (voice-over): Sister Francisca turned 80 this month, but there's no rest for this woman on a mission.
SISTER FRANCISCA (through translator): The most common thing is that ask us for is a sandwich, and they tell us, I'm hungry.
KARADSHEH: So, they come saying, we're hungry, we want a sandwich.
SISTER FRANCISCA (through translator): Of course, they come here asking for something to eat.
KARADSEH (voice-over): But their food distribution center, the hungry queue for donations from local supermarkets. Emil (ph) tells us she hasn't eaten
today. Sometimes she doesn't have money to buy water and bread. She had to leave her six and four-year-old children in Morocco, she tells us, and came
here on a contract to pick strawberries. After a dispute with her employer, she found herself on the street begging for any work.
It was poverty that brought me here, she says. If I had something back home, I wouldn't have come.
Sister Francisca remembers a time when there were no migrants here. Then the greenhouses came. The road to a better life has led so many to this
miserable place. It is in this land of plastic and shattered dreams, where Europe's paradox is laid bare.
Jomana Karadsheh, CNN. Almeria, Spain.
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SCIUTTO: Fear is gripping Haitian communities across the U.S. today following the first deportation flight sent to Haiti by the Trump
administration. More than 160 people were on that Immigration and Customs Enforcement flight. The first since temporary protected status ended for
some 350,000 Haitians living in the U.S.
The plane could not land in the capital Port-au-Prince because of the danger of gang violence. Some Haitians in the U.S. have gone into hiding
over fear of being confronted by ICE agents.
Please stay with us. "The Brief" will return in just a moment.
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SCIUTTO: In our Field of Play now, no play for world number one Jannik Sinner. The tennis superstar has withdrawn from the U.S. Open due to a knee
injury. It's the first time he will miss a Grand Slam event since his main draw debut at the tournament back in 2019. One star we will see back on the
court, Carlos Alcaraz, who is now ready to defend his title after he had to take a timeout due to a wrist injury.
Don Riddell joins me now. You know, that pair was just, you know, going to dominate tennis, but we lost Alcaraz for a bit. Now, we've lost Sinner. How
long is that going to take?
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: You know, tennis fans were just getting used to this amazing rivalry because the pair of them entered nine consecutive
Grand Slam tournaments and carved them up between them. Nobody else could get a look in. Remember, during that period, Alcaraz won five Grand Slams.
Sinner won four. They played in three finals against each other. But this year, it's been a completely different story.
As you just mentioned, Alcaraz missed a couple with a wrist injury. He couldn't play in Paris or in London for the Wimbledon Championships. Now
he's back, but now Sinner's out. So. you can have one or other, but not both, apparently, at the moment. Sinner explained his situation on the X
platform. He's dealing with a right knee issue. He said he's sad and disappointed. He was working out with his team in Monaco, and he realized
that he needed a bit more time to recover. So, he's going to be watching on television. Alcaraz, who, as you say, is the defending champion, won't have
to worry about Sinner in the draw. That tournament gets going later this month, August the 30th.
SCIUTTO: It'd be nice to see them back on the court in the same tournament, no question. But I understand, on another Field of Play, big weekend for
English football.
RIDDELL: Yes, Premier League is back, and Arsenal have signaled their early intent. Remember, the Gunners had to wait 22 years to win the Premier
League Championship. They did it last year. They might now just go on and sweep this tournament, because they look really, really good already.
Last weekend, they comfortably beat Manchester City 3-nil in the Community Shield. Tonight, at home against Coventry City, who are newly promoted
after a quarter of a century out of the top flight, Arsenal were just far too good for them, leading through Kai Havertz in the 15th minute. Arsenal
fans didn't have to wait long for another goal. Bukayo Saka making it 2-nil in the 23rd minute.
Arsenal really were in the mood, and even the mishits were going in. This early in the second half, when their captain, Martin Odegaard, made it 3-
nil in the 49th minute. That is how it finished. A wonderful start to the new season for Arsenal.
And the best might yet be to come, because some of their biggest World Cup stars have barely featured yet. So, Mikel Merino, who won the World Cup
with Spain, he hasn't featured much. Eze, England's star who made it to the semi-finals, he hasn't had much involvement yet. And they're still sitting
on a pile of cash with which they're hoping to go out and buy another striker. So, if that all comes to pass, Arsenal might just be too good to
beat this season.
SCIUTTO: You know what? I miss the World Cup, Don. You know, it was so much fun while it lasted.
RIDDELL: It was, but the Premier League's awesome, and the Champions League was awesome, and these things are only just beginning.
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SCIUTTO: Don Riddell, thanks so much.
RIDDELL: All right.
SCIUTTO: Well, media reports are suggesting Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, may have an acting job lined up in the U.K. Reports not yet confirmed.
Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, expected to return to the U.K. in just days. Security among the top issues, with the British Prime Minister
saying it is, quote, "a private matter."
London's Madame Tussauds is already anticipating the royal arrival. Statues of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been moved to the museum's British
zone. You'll also spot suitcases by their feet, a nod to their journey back to the U.K. after six years in the U.S.
Thanks so much for joining us today. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. You've been watching "The Brief." Please do stay with CNN.
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