Today's CNN 10 Transcript

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COY WIRE, CNN 10 ANCHOR: What's up, sunshine? I'm Coy Wire. This is CNN 10, the best 10 minutes in news. Hope you are finding fun ways to spend your summer. I've just been practicing my ABCs backwards, ZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA. It's going OK so far.

Today we have one famous sneaker company lacing up for an A.I. makeover, and we're going to show you a soccer league proven you don't need superstar salaries to create superstar passion. But first, another nation hits the pause button on social media.

We begin in France, making headlines this week, not just for the Tour de France, but for becoming the first country in the European Union to ban social media for those under the age of 15. French lawmakers overwhelmingly voted Tuesday in favor of the bill, which was championed by President Emmanuel Macron. He will now sign it into law.

Macron pushed lawmakers to move quickly so the new rules could be in place before students head back to school this September. The new law will be enforced by France's audiovisual and digital communications regulator, ARCOM. The agency says French teenagers spend an average of nearly 90 minutes every day on TikTok alone.

The ban is expected to apply to major social media platforms, although exactly how companies will verify users' ages is still being worked out. Some parents say it's a step in the right direction. Others wonder whether it goes far enough.

France isn't alone. Of course, Australia made history last year by banning social media for children under 16. The United Kingdom plans similar restrictions next year, while Spain, Greece, and Denmark are exploring minimum age requirements of their own.

Next up, imagine your favorite shoe company saying, we're done making shoes. Well, if this sounds like it's a setup to a joke, it's not. It is real.

Earlier this year, iconic sneaker maker Allbirds stunned customers by announcing it was stepping away from footwear and reinventing itself as an artificial intelligence company called Smartbird. What sounds like an April Fool's prank has become one of the boldest examples yet of businesses betting their futures on A.I. Our Clare Duffy spoke to the Smartbird president and CEO about the company's decision to go all in on artificial intelligence.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH REPORTER: The company that made these sneakers is dropping Allbirds for A.I. News this spring that Allbirds was rebranding as Smartbird sent the company's shares soaring nearly 600 percent. But it also left some wondering whether it was a joke or a gimmick. New CEO Nadia Carlsten says she's very serious.

NADIA CARLSTEN, CEO, SMARTBIRD: There's a lot backing this up. It's the fact that we have a new company now very much dedicated to A.I. We have a board that is committed. And this is something that I have done before. So, I know that it's a market that exists and something that we can deliver.

DUFFY (voice-over): Smartbird wants to provide computing power for companies to run A.I. systems, a business that is dominated by giants like Amazon, Google and Microsoft.

CARLSTEN: A.I. is so hot right now. This is maybe an unusual way to start an A.I. company. But it wouldn't be unusual for a company that wants to provide value to choose to be an A.I.

DUFFY (voice-over): It's not the first time a struggling legacy company has made a bold bet on a hyped-up new technology. And it doesn't always pan out. In 2018, film company Kodak announced it was going all in on blockchain and launching its own cryptocurrency.

While that news initially sent the company's stock up, the effort quickly fizzled. Last year, Kodak warned investors it was on the verge of bankruptcy. But Smartbird's Carlston says she's confident about the opportunity in A.I. As for whether she'll miss the shoes?

CARLSTEN: I actually have never owned an Allbird shoe. People talk about Allbirds being the preferred shoe brand of tech bros. And of course, I am in this space, but I'm one of the few women in the A.I. infrastructure business. So, I'm not a tech bro. And I actually tend to prefer high heels myself.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WIRE: Pop quiz hotshot.

Roughly how long does it take sunlight to reach Earth?

Eight minutes, 15 minutes, 27 minutes or 43 minutes?

If you said eight minutes, you are sensational. Even though the sun is about 93 million miles away, its light reaches us in just eight minutes and 20 seconds. That's less time than this show.

Summer break is here. That might mean more beach trips, more camping trips. And if your parents or anything like mine, they're probably yelling, put your sunscreen on, son. Or maybe trying to get you to wear one of those sun shirts when you're swimming.

So, how much does that stuff really work though? And just how dangerous is the sun that we need to protect ourselves from it?

We are going to turn to our very own CNN Medical Correspondent, Meg Tirrell, for some answers. Meg, just how dangerous is the sun that we need to protect ourselves from it?

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Coy. Well, the main reason is that the sun produces something called U.V. rays or ultraviolet light. Now, some of it can be good, helping the body produce vitamin D, but too much can damage the skin cells and potentially lead to skin cancer.

WIRE: And we definitely want to avoid that. So, what are some of the best ways to protect ourselves from the sun?

TIRRELL: Well, covering up, wearing a swim shirt, a hat, sunglasses, and of course, sunscreen.

There are a couple of different types, chemical and mineral or physical. And the main difference is the way they provide protection against the sun.

Chemical sunscreens usually contain ingredients like avobenzone and octisalate. They work by absorbing the sun's rays and preventing them from damaging the skin. Mineral or physical sunscreens have ingredients like zinc and titanium dioxide, and they work more like a shield that reflects U.V. light off the skin.

The main difference is chemical sunscreens take a few minutes to become effective. So, be sure to apply early before going out into the sun.

Either way, you want to make sure you get at least SPF 15 and make sure it's broad spectrum. So, protecting against both UVA and UVB rays and apply it liberally to any skin that's exposed to the sun. You want to make sure you apply every two hours that you're outside and after swimming. And if you're using a spray form, make sure it actually goes where you're intending and not off into the wind.

WIRE: OK, sunscreen and a hat. Got it. Now, what if it's cloudy? Then do I have to wear it?

TIRRELL: Well, a good rule of thumb is to check the UV index for the day. Any day it's three or higher is a day for sun protection.

WIRE: Meg Tirrell, thank you so much. And how fitting is it that we're talking about sun protection? Because July is U.V. awareness month.

So, as you're having fun this summer, remember to take that extra second or two to put on that sunscreen. Your future skin will thank you.

The 2026 World Cup is officially in the books. Congrats once again to Spain for taking home the trophy. But while soccer's biggest stage has gone dark, the beautiful game is still shining in some unexpected places.

In China, a league that began in one of the country's poorest provinces has become a national sensation and fans cannot get enough.

Our Mike Valerio has more on how one special league is refreshing reminder that sometimes the purest version of sport isn't played under the brightest lights. It's played for hometown pride.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE VALERIO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the pitch, in a remote corner of northern China, the chanting, dancing and thousands of fans hanging on every shot. This isn't the World Cup. This is Cun Chao, China's amateur Village Super League.

Right back, Tong Zehao and his teammates are one win away from Cun Chao glory. But first, he has teeth to fix. Tong the dentist becomes Tong the defender.

TONG ZEHAO, AMATEUR SOCCER PLAYER (through translator): You could say it's a dream come true. Standing in the spotlight like this, it's not something I normally get the chance to experience.

VALERIO (voice-over): Like Tong, nearly all the players have day jobs. Professionals are barred, giving amateurs a stage of their own. That grassroots model reverses the top-down path Chinese soccer has pursued for years.

Beginning in the 2010s, China's property giants spent billions bringing international stars into the professional league. The spending brought a brief burst of success before China's property boom unraveled, along with bribery and match-fixing scandals. All this despite Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, himself an avid fan, making soccer a national priority.

VALERIO: So, there are no multi-million-dollar contracts here. As soon as all these guys are done work, they pack up their things, drive for hours, put on their cleats, and come here because of their love of the game.

VALERIO (voice-over): While Tong and his team step onto the pitch for the final, the entire community gathers at the stadium near festive performances and bustling night markets. But above all, they're here to cheer on their home team.

Cun Chao offers what money and mandates struggle to produce, local stars playing for the communities, cheering them on.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WIRE: Today's story, getting a 10 out of 10, a nutty world record that is sure to crack you up. The town of Luverne, Minnesota claims to have more nutcrackers than people, and they've added one giant addition to their roster. The world's tallest nutcracker, Verne the Patriot stands at a jaw dropping 66 feet tall. That's more than twice the height of the previous record holder in Neuhausen, Germany. And yes, the star-spangled superstar has a working jaw. The nutcracker craze was started by 96-year-old local legend, Betty Mann, who donated her epic collection to the town to help drive tourism.

Nutcrackers aren't just a holiday tradition in Luverne, they're a year-round celebration. Every summer, the town hosts Nutcracker Fest, proving they're willing to go to great lengths to crack a smile. Safe to say Betty and company are crushing it.

All right, rise up. We have two shout outs today. This first one goes to Miss Tara at Lakeside International School in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Thank you for hanging out with us today and pura vida.

Next up, we have Mrs. Gee or Miss Gee for Mrs. Great at the Misericordia School in Chicago, Illinois. Thank you for subscribing and commenting on our YouTube channel and making CNN10 part of your classroom.

Stay cool, stay curious, stay kind, make someone smile today. Remember, you are more powerful than you know. I'm Coy Wire and we are CNN10.

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