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What We Know with Max Foster

Gaza Health Officials: 20 Killed In Israeli Attacks On Hospital; Judge To Require Abrego Garcia To Remain In U.S. For Now; Trump: "Would Like To Meet" Kim Jong Un This Year; Kajiki Makes Landfall In Vietnam As A Typhoon; Zelenskyy, World Leaders Mark Ukrainian Independence Day; State Officials Lash Out At Trump Plan For Chicago; Has The Princess Of Wales Gone Blonde? Aired 3-4p ET

Aired August 25, 2025 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[15:00:20]

MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: Attacks on a hospital in Gaza sparked outrage.

This is WHAT WE KNOW.

The U.N. Human Rights Office says the killing of a group, including journalists in Gaza, should shock the world, not into stunned silence but

into action. Gaza's health ministry says at least 20 people were killed, including five journalists in back-to-back Israeli strikes on hospital in

Khan Yunis today. After the first attack, journalists, emergency rescue workers and health workers rushed to the scene.

Here you see them on a hospital balcony. That's when Israel struck them. One of the journalists killed has been extensively reporting from that

hospital on doctor's efforts to save starving children. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel deeply regrets the tragic

mishap at Nasser Hospital. It says its war is with Hamas. But earlier, an Israeli official acknowledged to CNN that the second strike targeted rescue

workers who've arrived at the scene.

Our Paula Hancocks has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A rush towards Gaza's Nasser hospital after an Israeli strike Monday morning. Emergency response

crews, health workers and journalists can be seen on live television on a damaged staircase. A television camera is held up, "Reuters" says a

photojournalist working for them is killed. A white body bag is carried away and then a second Israeli strike.

We are not showing the moment of impact. Smoke hides the staircase from view. When the dust settles, five journalists and four health workers are

among more than 20 killed. Palestinian journalists who formed the backbone of international coverage of this war, working with "AP", "Reuters:" and Al

Jazeera, among others. Israel does not allow international media to enter Gaza beyond restrictive embedding with its military.

A double strike just minutes apart. The second impact killing workers rushing to help casualties from the first.

JODIE GINSBERG, CEO, COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS: Just to be clear, if it is a double tap that is considered to be a war crime, this attack,

which we believe was deliberately intended to take out the camera, the camera being used by "Reuters" cameraman. He was killed in the first

attack.

HANCOCKS: Israel's military says it carried out a strike in the area of Nasser Hospital, but does not target journalists or civilians. The chief of

staff has ordered an inquiry into the attacks, the IDF adding it, quote, acts to mitigate harm to uninvolved individuals while maintaining the

safety of IDF troops.

An Israeli security official with knowledge of an initial inquiry says forces identified a camera on the roof of the hospital they claim Hamas was

using to monitor Israeli forces authorized to strike the camera with a drone. The IDF instead fired two tank shells, the source says. The first at

the camera, the second at rescue forces.

Mariam Abu Dagga, 33 years old, worked for "AP" and other outlets throughout the war, most recently highlighting the impact of famine in

Gaza. In this recent video, she says, "I can't describe how tired people are, how sad, or how hungry they are. It's been two years of this war on

Gaza. They can't handle any more.

She spoke to CNN last year about her concerns for her safety, saying when a journalist is targeted, all other media question when it will be their

turn.

At her funeral Monday, her family mourns a death they had feared for the 22 months of this war. Mariam has a son. Her cousin says he went abroad with

his father at the start of the war. She was waiting for the war to end so she could see him again.

An injured journalist working for "Reuters" says he went to check on his colleague after the first strike, but saw he had been killed. There were

journalists, patients, nurses, civil defense on the stairs, he says. We were directly targeted.

A 22-month war, which has been the deadliest ever for journalists.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Abu Dhabi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: You heard there from the head of the committee to protect journalists about the strikes in Gaza in that piece. According to the

nonprofit, the majority of the 46 journalists killed just this year lost their lives in Gaza.

CEO Jodie Ginsberg told CNN that Israel needed to be held account -- accountable for these attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[15:05:02]

GINSBERG: We're in this endless loop because Israel has not been accountable -- held accountable for any of these killings. This is the

deadliest conflict for journalists that CPJ has ever documented. To date, 196 journalists if we include today's killings have been killed, 189 of

those Palestinians killed by Israel. And despite the fact that Israel keeps saying it doesn't deliberately target journalists, the evidence is very

different.

Just to be clear, if it is a double tap that is considered to be a war crime, this attack, which we believe was, was deliberately intended to take

out the camera, the camera being used by a "Reuters" cameraman. He was killed in the first attack. Then, as you say, first responders moved in,

including journalists. And they were killed in the second attack.

So, in both instances, it looks like Israel has committed unlawful killings, war crimes, both in the deliberate killing of the "Reuters"

cameraman and in this so-called double tap attack, subsequently.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: We are tracking new developments now, in the case of the man at the center of President Trump's immigration crackdown. A federal judge

plans to order federal officials to keep Kilmar Abrego Garcia in the U.S. while she weighs a new legal challenge. This is the Trump administration

announced their plans to deport him to Uganda, surrounded by a crowd of supporters here, Abrego Garcia was taken into ICE custody earlier this

hour. It's unclear how long the judge's new pause will last. Earlier, Abrego Garcia lawyer told spoke on the courts need to weigh all of this in

the right manner.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON SANDOVAL-MOSHENBERG, KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA'S LAWYER: In the last five minutes, Mr. Abrego Garcia has filed a new lawsuit in the federal district

court for the District of Maryland, challenging his current confinement and challenging deportation to Uganda or to any other country unless and until

he's had a fair trial, as in an immigration court, as well as his full appeal rights.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Priscilla Alvarez joins us now from Washington.

Priscilla, just explain what happened here, because, you know, people last week would be aware that he was released. What happened after that?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He was released on Friday, as you mentioned, he kept a pretty low profile over the course of the weekend. And

first thing this morning. So around 7:30 a.m., he went to an immigration and customs enforcement facility in Baltimore, Maryland, where he had a

mandatory check in. And it was during that check in that he was placed into custody. So, he is currently being detained by ICE. This was something that

his attorney expected might happen after Trump administration officials repeatedly said that if he were to be released from criminal custody, that

they would then take him into ICE custody.

So, the next question has been where will he be deported? And that is exactly where this new lawsuit comes into play by his attorneys to

challenge his both detainment and deportation. Now, we had initial court proceedings over the last hour in which the federal judge expressed

concerns over the administration's plans to deport Abrego Garcia. Those concerns stem from the Trump administrations attempt to send him to Uganda,

a country with which he has no ties but an approach the administration has been taking, sending deportees to far flung countries.

Now that originally came from a plea deal the Trump administration had offered Abrego Garcia where, if he were to plea and do his criminal

sentence in the United States, he could be sent to Costa Rica. But if not, he'd be sent to Uganda.

Well, he did not accept the plea deal. And that is what the state of play has been. Even earlier today, the Department of Homeland Security touting

on social media that they plan to send Abrego Garcia to Uganda.

Well, the judge is putting a stop to that effort, at least for now, it seems. She said that she would soon have an order to keep in place a block,

essentially keeping him in the United States while he challenges his deportation to Uganda. And she offered some thoughts to -- to that effect,

essentially saying that Costa Rica has offered him refugee status, has made assurances that he wouldn't be sent back to El Salvador. Uganda, however,

hasn't made those assurances. So, she said that the contrast quote is clear here.

Now, moving forward, the judge said that the two parties are to come together to come to an agreement on a schedule. So how the hearing is going

to continue here on out. But from what we understand, the timeline so far is that an initial order blocking his deportation until Wednesday remains

in effect. And then she may at least suggested that she would extend that order.

So, it's unlikely that he would be deported before the end of the week. But this is all very much in motion. The parties are conferring to decide how

they're going to continue with these court proceedings, and what schedule they will have.

[15:10:04]

But it was very clear from these initial proceedings that the judge was concerned and had some questions as to how the Trump administration plans

to justify deporting Abrego Garcia to Uganda when a country like Costa Rica has already agreed to take him. Lastly, we did also learn over the course

of these proceedings that he has been moved to an ICE facility in Virginia. Remember, only earlier today he was detained in Baltimore, Maryland, while

now he's at a facility in a different state, a neighboring state.

But his attorneys did ask the judge to request that the administration not move him again, particularly because these proceedings are very much still

in motion and expected to happen quickly -- Max.

FOSTER: Priscilla, thank you. It's complex, but really important. Thank you so much for bringing us that.

Donald Trump saying he would like to meet with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un this year. The U.S. president was meeting his South Korean counterpart,

Lee Jae Myung, at the White House. As you can see, he flattered the U.S. president, saying he is the only person who can improve relations on the

Korean peninsula.

Mr. Trump went on to speak in glowing terms about the North Korean dictator.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have a very good relationship. I understand, and I spent a lot of free time with him talking

about things that we probably aren't supposed to talk about. And, you know, I just, I get along with him really well. I think he has a country of great

potential, tremendous potential.

REPORTERR: Is it possible you'd meet him this year or maybe next year?

TRUMP: Well, I'm meeting a lot of people. I mean, it's hard to say that, but I'd like to meet him this year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Earlier, President Trump said Chicago could be the next city targeted in what his administration has called a crackdown on crime. Mr.

Trump says Chicago is a disaster and pushed back on critics of his federal takeover of Washington, D.C., police.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: As you all know, Chicago is a killing field right now, and they don't acknowledge it. And they say we don't need them. Freedom, freedom.

He's a dictator. He's a dictator. A lot of people are saying, maybe we like a dictator.

I don't like a dictator. I'm not a dictator. I'm a man with great common sense. And I'm a smart person.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Mr. Trump signed a flurry of executive orders, including one that will allow the Pentagon to form specialized units specifically trained and

equipped to deal with public order issues.

To the White House, CNN's chief national affairs correspondent Jeff Zeleny.

What of all of that really grabs your attention today, Jeff?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Max, certainly, law and order and crime is a focus of President Trump, hoping to

change the subject from some other matters. But again, signing the executive orders to effectively replicate in some cities across the United

States, the National Guard of force that is here in Washington.

But of course, cities and other states are set up different. The president has different legalities of where he can send troops and the like. And a

crime, of course, has been down in Washington. The president is taking some credit for that, but it has been down for several months and a couple of

years leading into this.

However, there is no doubt there is violent crime in the nation's capital. So, the president still drawing an attention onto that by signing a series

of executive orders. But it was one where he directed his defense secretary to create specialized units that could be sent across the country in

moments of public disorder. Well, of course, the National Guard can always be sent in in moments of disorder. The question of what is that -- what

does that look like exactly? They're not intended to be law enforcement officials. It's intended to be for emergencies and natural disasters and

the like.

So, the president clearly trying to draw a focus on crime and law and order, when he does not have any answers for other things. Most

importantly, he was asked today, what about that meeting between Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zelenskyy? The president had very little to say on that

because, as we know, the Kremlin has very little interest in setting up that meeting.

FOSTER: Yeah, it does seem so.

I also want to play you this moment where he talked about renaming the Department of Defense.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Pete Hegseth has been incredible with the, as I call it, the Department of War. You know, we call it the Department of Defense. But

between us, I think we're going to change the name. You want to know the truth? I think we're going to have some information on that maybe soon. But

I think because, you know, Department of Defense, we won the World War I, World War II, it was called the Department of War and to me, that's really

what it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: What did you make of that, Jeff? Because, you know, he's talked about being a president of peace. Youd imagine him calling it a department

of peace as opposed to war, I don't know. What did you make of it?

ZELENY: Look, he clearly has seized upon this. It's something that has been discussed in recent months. In fact, his defense secretary, Pete

Hegseth, raised it for the first time in April.

[15:15:01]

But you're right, President Trump obviously campaigned and talked extensively about trying to end conflicts. But the whole reason the

Department of War was changed, the Department of Defense back during, shortly after the Second World War is because it's a civilian agency. It is

designed to do many more strategic things than simply war.

So that's why it was changed. So unclear if that would mean an act of Congress to actually change the name. We believe it would. Unclear also if

he's serious about this, or if it's simply one more example of trying to change the subject from other matters that are a bit more pressing.

FOSTER: Yes, we did. We did end up talking about it. So that worked.

Jeff, thank you.

The remnants, meanwhile, of Typhoon Kajiki leaving a path of destruction in Vietnam. Still ahead, we'll have the latest on the storm's projected impact

as well.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Now to a potential breakthrough in science and medicine. Whilst there has been some recent success in transplanting pig kidneys and hearts

into humans for the first time, a genetically modified pig lung has been transplanted into a brain dead man.

CNN's Jacqueline Howard has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: A new study to transplant a pig lung into a human, I'll break it down into three steps.

In the first step, what scientists did to perform the transplantation is they took a long from a pig that was genetically modified. This pig had six

modifications so that it would be a more compatible organ donor for a human. Without these edits, the organ would be almost automatically

rejected. In the second step, the scientists surgically transplanted that pig's lung into a 39-year-old man who was declared brain dead after he had

bleeding in the brain. In the third step, scientists closely monitored the lung's functioning after it was transplanted.

And the scientists noticed there was severe swelling that developed about 24 hours after the surgery, and a few days later, there were some signs of

the body rejecting the lung. By day nine, the experiment was terminated. That was at the request of the man's family. But over those nine days,

scientists say the lung itself was viable and it was functioning. So, the study demonstrates a major first step in making pig to human lung

transplantation a possibility. More studies are needed before we see this type of surgery happening among the public.

The scientists, they're based in China, and they wrote this in their study quote, "This study demonstrates the feasibility of pig to human lung

xenotransplantation. Substantial challenges relating to organ rejection and infection remain," end quote.

So again, more research is needed to see what long-term support and medications would help make this type of xenotransplantation successful

over a longer period of time. Now, there have been separate studies on using pig hearts and pig kidneys in humans, and pig valves have been

transplanted into human hearts for the past 30 years. We know that pig organs are anatomically similar to ours. Plus, we know a lot about pigs

medically and scientifically. Pig products already go into dozens of lifesaving drugs and medications, and they are a big part of agriculture.

So, this is definitely a growing space in medicine to watch. And we know there is a growing need. More than 103,000 people in the U.S. are currently

waiting for an organ transplant. And despite that need, last year, just 48,000 transplants occurred. It's estimated, sadly, in the U.S. about 13

people die a day waiting for a transplant.

So, the potential when it comes to xenotransplantation is a major, major area of research right now in medicine and science.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Huge amount of hope on that project.

Now the remnants of Typhoon Kajiki have battered Vietnam. More than 40,000 people along the coast had to leave their homes before the storm made

landfall. Residents are now dealing with powerful wind and flooding after waves gushed through the streets of coastal towns.

Joining us now, meteorologist Allison Chinchar.

And it's the sheer amount of water they're going to be dealing with in the coming days, Allison.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah. Now, the good news, Max, is that for the folks right there along the coast, the worst is now over. The

real concern now begins to move inland to a lot of those communities that are there. Take a look at some of the damage here from China. Again, you

can see some trees down, some traffic lights, power lines and a ton of debris. Just littering, a lot of these streets and roadways here.

The concern now is going to be for Vietnam. And then as the storm continues to make its way off towards the west, it's really starting to weaken

quickly. This is good news. This is what you like to hear. And it's going to continue to weaken further as it makes its track to the west.

One of the bigger concerns, however, is going to be rainfall. Look at how much rain has already fallen just in the last 24 hours. It's very

significant for some of these communities, and now were going to continue to see additional rainfall coming down. Widespread totals, especially where

you see all of that yellow color, you're looking at about 50 to 100 millimeters of rain, but there are several pockets here where you see the

orange and even the brighter red color. Now you're talking in excess of 150 or even 200mm of rain before the system finally comes to a complete end.

Winds are also going to be relatively strong, but really just for about the next 6 to 12 hours. You're talking wind gusts, maybe around 30 to 60

kilometers per hour, but those will rapidly start to decrease as we head later on, especially past about 12 hours from now.

Here's a look at the storm as it continues to make its trek off to the west. And again, you can kind of see it in those first few frames, but then

it really just starts to fall apart. And that's what we expect with storms like this, especially when you're already dealing with remnants of a storm.

It really kind of falls apart very quickly when it no longer is over the water. It doesn't really have that fuel to keep it going.

And so that's what we're going to see here with this particular storm. So still got to make it through the next 6 to 12 hours, Max, for a lot of

these communities. But really after about the next 24 hours, we'll start to see some big improvements.

FOSTER: Okay. It'll be good to see. Allison, thank you.

Meanwhile, this river in Pakistan's Punjab province has also reached a dangerous level. More than 19,000 people have fled potential flood zones

over the weekend following warnings from local authorities. Despite this, many residents are hesitant to abandon their homes and their belongings

forced evacuations haven't been ordered but could come into effect if the water continues to rise. Since the start of monsoon season in late June, at

least 785 people have been killed in those floods across Pakistan.

[15:25:08]

Coming up, the foreign press association calls it one of the deadliest attacks on journalists working for international media since the war in

Gaza began. Much more on the Nasser Hospital strikes ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Back to our top story, international outrage growing over Israeli attacks on the last functioning public hospital in southern Gaza. Gaza's

health ministry says at least 20 people were killed, including five journalists in back to back Israeli strikes after the first strike hit

Nasser Hospital, journalists, emergency rescuers and health workers rushed to the scene. Then, Israel attacked again. This video shows a doctor

outside the hospital talking about the initial strike when the explosion, the second explosion, rocked the building.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office calls it a tragic mishap. What we want to know is how can humanitarian workers operate safely in Gaza

right now with situations like this happening?

Joining us, Tjada McKenna. She is CEO of the U.S. based aid group Mercy Corps.

Thank you for joining us.

You know, the first attack was horrific enough, wasn't it, from what we can see of it. But what do you make of this second tap happening, which some

are calling a war crime?

TJADA D'OYEN MCKENNA, CEO, MERCY CORPS: Yeah, this is -- this is just devastating. And, it's just horrible to have this happen. And sadly, aid

workers are in the same situation. Over 520 aid workers have been killed since this conflict started.

And last year, over half of the aid workers that were killed around the world were killed in Gaza. This continues to be the deadliest crisis for

everybody, particularly those who are trying to serve civilians and serve people in the midst of all of this.

[15:30:11]

FOSTER: In our industry, were hearing that journalists have been targeted. The Israelis have admitted that. Is that the same for your sector as well?

Do you feel -- do your staff feel targeted now?

MCKENNA: You know, our staff know that they are just as vulnerable as anyone else. And we have certainly heard stories of staff of different

organizations feeling targeted. We've also had our infrastructure targeted. We ourselves had a warehouse in Rafah and last May, we lost access to that

warehouse because of military lines. But soon after there, it was -- it was destroyed. And that was where we had all of our supplies.

And I know a number of organizations have also had their warehouses destroyed, despite the fact that the coordinates and all of those locations

are known to military officials.

FOSTER: And this at a time when things are critical, according to the U.N., they've officially declared famine, haven't they, in parts of Gaza.

So clearly, your staff need to get to them. But they're not just worried about, you know, the safety of Gazans now, are they? They're worried about

their own safety.

MCKENNA: No. And our staff also are suffering from the same hunger and famine that everyone else is suffering from. They also are forced to wake

up every morning, looking for food, wondering where food was going to come from. They are employed, they have jobs. They're in better situations than

most Gazans, and yet they still can't afford what's in the marketplace in a lot of cases. And they also are suffering from the same lack of access to

water as everyone else. So, there are no safe zones for anyone in Gaza right now.

FOSTER: Are you concerned, you know, your staff could face a starvation crisis then?

MCKENNA: We are concerned for our staff. Employees that that go in and out and those that interact with that staff regularly on video or in person say

that they have seen, like, notable changes in staff appearances because of -- because of their loss of weight. We're very, very concerned. And it's

just a tragedy.

You know, a lot of times our organizations, we employ people from the local community because they care about their community. They care about their

fellow citizens. They know how to operate in those communities. They don't feel that they're better than anyone else, but they also -- to have them

targeted or to see them suffering as well lets you know how widespread this all is.

FOSTER: How much support are you getting from the U.S. government on all of this?

MCKENNA: You know, we from the beginning of the conflict, we have let the U.S. government and the Israelis know all of our coordinates. We've

informed and done all the things that were supposed to do. And yet our staff still suffers from the same lack of access to food, and we still had

warehouses destroyed.

FOSTER: But, obviously, Donald Trump's the one person that can really hold sway over Benjamin Netanyahu. Do you feel, you know, there's a lack of

movement from the U.S. government on trying to support you and your work?

MCKENNA: We would welcome much deeper engagement with U.S. authorities. And anyone that can help provide unimpeded access for aid organizations.

And the resumption of the un, sponsored aid distribution system in Gaza, and any intervention that can help us get our supplies in over the border.

There are about 4,500 trucks of supplies waiting to get into Gaza from different aid organizations in the un, and we all have a lot of challenges

with safe movement within Gaza for those aid trucks, because of the lack of food. So, we welcome all interventions designed to have a resumption of a

functioning aid system and for safe passage of aid workers.

FOSTER: Well, we wish you the best in your essential work. Tjada McKenna of Mercy Corps, thank you very much.

Ukraine marking 34 years of independence from the Soviet rule as the momentum for Russia/Ukraine peace talks stall.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, there vowing the country, would celebrate its independence day in 100 years, as he addressed the crowd on

Sunday. World leaders also delivered messages to mark the day.

U.S. President Donald Trump sent a letter of support to Kyiv, praising its courage. The administrations Russia Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg attended

the ceremony. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made his first official visit to Ukraine and expressed his country's unwavering support for Kyiv.

[15:35:05]

Cities across Europe expressed solidarity with Ukraine. The Eiffel Tower here lighting up in blue and yellow, as was the Colosseum in Rome, the

colors of the Ukrainian flag.

CNN's Nada Bashir has more on Kyiv's Independence Day.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, marking Ukraine's 34th Independence Day, U.S. President Donald Trump has sent a letter of support, praising the

nation's courage and saying the United States believes in its future as an independent state.

The letter was shared on X by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who thanked Trump for his message with Keith Kellogg, the Trump

administration's Russia Ukraine envoy in attendance for Kyiv's Independence Day ceremony on Sunday.

Zelenskyy, meanwhile, also delivered his own address to Ukraine, reiterating his determination to triumph against Russia. In recent weeks,

Ukraine has ramped up its attacks on Russia, particularly when it comes to Russia's energy infrastructure, according to a CNN tally of attacks,

Ukrainian drones have struck at least ten key Russian energy facilities this month alone.

And while reports have emerged that the Pentagon has for months been blocking Ukraine's use of U.S.-made long-range army tactical missile

systems to strike inside Russia, President Zelenskyy said Sunday that he has not yet discussed the use of such weapons, with the U.S., and that

Ukraine is currently using domestically produced long range weapons.

Efforts to secure a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, meanwhile, appear to have stalled once again, with the Kremlin pouring cold water on

the possibility of a meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy in the near future.

However, speaking to NBC, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance indicated some degree of optimism, saying that Russia has made significant concessions and

that the U.S. will keep on pushing for a diplomatic solution.

Nada Bashir, CNN, in London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: The drug lord, known as El Mayo, is back in court. After the break, we'll update you on the new plea that he's just entered. And why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:40:22]

FOSTER: Back to one of our top stories. State officials in Illinois are pushing back on U.S. President Donald Trump's plans to send national guard

units to Chicago. Illinois governor and potential U.S. Democratic presidential candidate J.B. Pritzker writes on social media, "We don't have

kings or wannabe dictators in America, and I don't intend to bend the knee to one."

While the state attorney general told CNN that Trump's approach to crime in Chicago has -- is more performative than actually crafted to make an impact

on the ground. Despite the protests from state officials, the White House appears ready to act.

CNN's Whitney Wild has more now from Chicago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITNEY WILD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Our reporting is that this plan has been in the works for weeks, but it is not clear how many troops are going to be

deployed. It is not clear when they're going to be deployed.

Illinois leaders here are firing back aggressively. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, says there's plainly no emergency that would warrant

such a deployment. The mayor of Chicago also firing back the Illinois attorney general, has made clear that they plan to fight this in court.

Right now, the status quo here is that they are looking at the options. But the -- as you know, the White House has not actually spoken to anybody here

in Chicago. Civic leaders here in Illinois and Chicago are saying that they have not heard anything directly from the federal government. So, they are

also in a bit of a holding pattern while they wait to see what the reality of this National Guard deployment actually looks like.

The major questions here are whether or not surrounding states with Republican governors can send their National Guard troops into Chicago,

into Illinois, which is a non-consenting state. And as we are reporting this out, the question that our team is asking is, is this deployment going

to look more like Washington, D.C., where the dynamics are very different, where the federal control of that area is very different? Or is this

deployment going to look much more like Los Angeles?

And the early read from our sources is that this deployment will resemble Los Angeles. We know that that deployment was challenged in court. There is

not yet a ruling on that. Any potential court ruling is being watched very closely here. We expect to learn more about what civic leaders plan to do

here, as this day unfolds and in coming days.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: An infamous Mexican drug lord has pleaded guilty in a New York federal court. Prosecutors say Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada ran the Sinaloa

cartel, turning it into the largest drug trafficking operation in the world. It did more than just move heroin, cocaine and fentanyl. The cartels

hitmen have carried out assassinations, kidnappings and torture.

Maria Santana is in New York.

I mean, this figure was, you know, he's an incredibly powerful man.

MARIA SANTANA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Max. And it was a pretty remarkable moment in court today when Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, known to be

one of the founders and leaders of the Sinaloa cartel, pleaded guilty in court to two charges in two separate indictments, he pleaded guilty to a

charge of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise in an indictment that he faced here in New York, and also to charges of racketeering in an

indictment that he was facing in Texas.

But it was pretty remarkable, this man that had evaded U.S. authorities for decades stood up in court, and he had to admit all of his crimes. So, one

by one, he said that he started in the drug trade when he was just 19 years old. He is now 75. And that for 50 years he led and supervised the Sinaloa

cartel, a vast criminal organization responsible with trafficking at least a million and a half kilos of cocaine and other drugs, primarily into the

United States.

He also said that in order to maintain control of the organization, he was the head of a group, an army of armed men, who would carry out murders in

his name, murders that he ordered, and that, you know, not only members of rival organizations and his own cartel were killed, but also that innocent

people were caught in the crossfire of these cartel wars. And he said that he had to bribe politicians and police and military in Mexico in order to

be allowed to operate freely.

So, imagine hearing those words in court from this man who is was one of the most powerful leaders of one of the more violent criminal organizations

in the world.

Now, he will be sentenced on January 13th.

[15:45:01]

And the judge said that he will be sentenced to life in prison. That is the mandatory minimum for one of the charges. The U.S. government is also going

to seize $1.5 billion in assets from Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, who was the partner of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who is also serving a life sentence

here in the United States.

Now, the judge also said that he was going to fine him about $2 million, and this is seen as a big get for the United States government. Obviously,

they are celebrating this as a strong hit against the cartels and the drug trafficking organizations. So much so that we are expecting at any moment a

statement from Attorney General Pam Bondi here in New York about what this means for the United States, this plea agreement with El Mayo Zambada, Max.

FOSTER: Okay. Maria Santana, thank you so much for joining us from New York.

Still to come, why has this photo of Princess Kate caused such a stir online? We'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Photos of the princess of Wales from the weekend have sparked wild speculation online, with many wondering, has she now gone blond?

This is the photo in question. Prince William and Princess Kate were attending a church service near Balmoral Castle in Scotland, when many

noticed Kate's hair appeared much lighter than usual. What we don't know is has the princess of Wales really dyed her hair blond?

Joining me now Ian Jones, a photographer who's been photographing the princess of Wales since her first official engagement with Prince William.

I really appreciate you joining us.

I mean, you're a very experienced photographer, Ian, and, you know, you guys know the princess of Wales's face as well as anyone, right? And how

she changes and also how the light works. I mean, what was your first impression when you saw the photo?

IAN JONES, BRITISH ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHER: Well, good evening, Max. Thank you very much for having me on.

Yes. I mean, it was obviously a bit of a surprise, but, you know, it's not all, I think, clear cut because in these circumstances, the simple fact is

that we just don't know. The princess of Wales was with the with the prince of Wales in the car and, you know, the glass, the light can play devious

tricks on the viewer. And on this occasion, we don't know, it appears that the princess's hair is lighter than it was recently, but that could be down

to any number of factors, such as the flash, the lights, the tinting on the glass.

[15:50:05]

But the simple fact is, we don't know. But it has led to a huge amount of speculation.

FOSTER: Could it be that she's had some sort of highlights or something, which, you know, wouldn't be that apparent if you saw her face to face, but

get picked up by the light as it comes through, and there's a particular light in Scotland as well, isn't there, in that area?

JONES: Yes. It is, Max. And I think, you know, it could -- it could well be. We you know, we do know obviously. The princess she changes her hair,

quite regularly. And her style. Varies depending on the functions and the events that she has -- she is attending.

But who's to say whether, she has had. Highlights and had her hairstyle changed? I mean, we know from a fact that, you know, it did appear that the

princess had highlights in back in April, she went a hint lighter. But who knows? I think possibly with the wonderful weather we've been experiencing

here in the -- in the U.K. this this summer, then she may well have gone for that summer vibe.

FOSTER: You've also followed -- you know, you have to follow how her trends change. And as you say, there are lots of subtle differences all the

time with her hair. But do you really think she would suddenly go blond?

JONES: I don't think there'll be anything quite, quite as sudden as that. I think -- I do think that the lighting there and the tinting of the glass

and the way it's been reproduced, I think maybe I think enhances what possibly will have -- will have gone on. You know, it does look in the

photographs that it is lighter. I can't see that the change will be that radical. But we don't know, as I say, I mean, her hairstyle changes.

I mean, she looks fabulous. However, she has her hair. I, you know, we've seen it where she wears it long, where she wears it tied up, and, you know,

depending on the circumstances. She looks fantastic. However, it is. And I have to say, in the pictures, she really does suit that lighter, blondish

hint. Maybe I say that the good weather, the good weather and the good times.

And, you know, she's feeling particularly good. She's gone for that summer look, but I can't see it being that her going for such a radical change, I

think it may be a little bit of a trick of the light and the tinting on the windows, which may well have you know, sort of, I think enhanced it

slightly.

FOSTER: I think it does mean, doesn't it, that all the royal photographers will be out like you, I'm sure, at the next official engagement, just to

confirm, you know, I think what you and I both think that it's just a trick of the light.

JONES: Yeah, exactly that. I mean, time will tell. I mean, they're away on holiday up at Balmoral at the moment. They attended church on that day

which, which is completely normal. But it is a private occasion. So, it would only be seen through the car.

I think the next time when the autumn season starts and they're out and about, as I say, we will, we'll get a clearer indication. But as I say,

however, however, you know, it looks I think she looks fantastic in it.

And it will be interesting to see how it is. And all I know is that she may have gone, may have gone blonder, but I've gone a lot grayer since I

started photographing her.

FOSTER: Yeah, exactly.

Ian, as ever, thank you very much for joining us.

Now, it can be hard work being a photographer sometimes, especially if you get a little too close to the action. The U.S. Open descended into chaos

last night when a photographer stepped onto the court as a Russian tennis player. Daniil Medvedev faced a match point. His opponent, Benjamin Bonzi,

had a second serve, but the chair umpire put Bonzi back into a first serve. After the disruption there, it brought the match to a standstill and

sparked a spectacular meltdown for Medvedev.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you want to go home? He wants to go home, guys. He doesn't like to be here. He gets paid by the match, not by the hour. Yeah.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Former U.S. open champion went into a loss actually in five sets in the first round tie. So, the anger would not have dissipated.

English golfer Tommy Fleetwood kept his cool on Sunday to finally claim his first PGA tour victory. It came on his 164th tour start at the tour

championship in Atlanta. The world number ten shot two under on the final round to claim the title. There, he spoke with our Don Riddell.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Tommy, many congratulations. Your quest for your first PGA Tour win has felt more like an odyssey at times, but

finally, you've done it. If you can close your eyes for a moment and let it sink in, what are the emotions that you're experiencing?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD, 2025 TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER: I think multiple. Like, it's not really sunk in yet, but I think there's definitely some relief

there. There's some pride. There's joy.

[15:55:01]

There's a lot of things. I think a lot has gone into the story that has been me chasing that first PGA tour win and, yeah, it's been an amazing

place to do it. It's been an amazing day and yeah, very, very happy.

RIDDELL: Every time you and I speak, we talk about your love of the Everton football club. And they are a team who don't always put a smile on

their fans faces. But I felt like there was a good omen today. First game in their new stadium and they won.

Did you feel some synergy? Did you feel as though that might have helped you in any way today?

FLEETWOOD: Oh, no. Very unlikely that you get both in a day. So, I don't know. I don't know, but yeah, it's been a great day. They put on a great

performance this morning that I watched in the hotel room and then came out and it was my turn to play. So, I really, really great day for us all

around Evertonians.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Yeah, absolutely. What a moment.

That is WHAT WE KNOW.

I'm Max Foster.

"QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is up next.

END

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