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Destructive Tornadoes, Giant Hail Pummel Central U.S.; Trump Officials Discussing Possible 2nd Meeting with Iran; Trump Publicly Criticizes Pope for Third Day in a Row; DOJ Report: Biden Administration Singled Out Anti-Abortion Protesters. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired April 14, 2026 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00]

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: For today, so we'll likely see similar video coming out of the region. So here it is the large and expansive area that stretches from the northeast all the way down to the border of Mexico. Large hail, few tornadoes, and damaging winds.

Now we do have an isolated tornado threat across northern New England, but let's focus on the areas that have our greatest risk. And I'm highlighting this region, southern Wisconsin, eastern Iowa, into northern Illinois, inclusive of Chicago. This area has the potential for EF2 and even EF3 tornadoes.

That's winds in excess of 136 miles per hour in some instances if they're able to form and it's looking more and more likely as we destabilize the atmosphere today. By the way, Storm Prediction Center talking about giant-sized hail over three inches in diameter. That's a baseball falling from the sky. Very dangerous not only for your life, but also for the property.

So timing things out, this is when we expect thunderstorms to really erupt this evening. Heads up into Wichita, down to Oklahoma City, and then Milwaukee to Des Moines, Dubuque, Chicago this evening between 7 and 9 p.m. As you head home from work, be weather aware. Have multiple ways to receive your weather warnings because these storms will be rolling through. And then on top of that, we've got our multi-day severe weather threat continuing with Friday being a big-ticket day potentially. We're going to add to the rain and the flood threat across the Great Lakes as well with major flood stage already reached with record levels for portions of Michigan already -- Boris.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: A lot to keep an eye on. Derek Van Dam, thank you so much.

Still to come, the potential for new peace talks between the U.S. and Iran. President Trump saying that something could be happening soon as the ceasefire is set to expire in just seven days.

[14:35:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: President Trump hinting now at fresh talks, fresh peace talks with Iran with just a week to go before this ceasefire is set to expire. The president telling the New York Post something could be happening over the next two days in Pakistan where marathon top-level negotiations over the weekend did not, of course, result in a deal. A U.S. official tells CNN American negotiators pushed Iran to accept a 20-year pause for enriching uranium. Today, President Trump said he's not in favor of that time frame. At the talks, Iran countered with a five-year suspension, an offer the U.S. ultimately rejected.

With us now is Michael Allen. He was special assistant to President George W. Bush for National Security, also senior director for counterproliferation on the National Security Council and is now a managing director for Beacon Global Strategies. When we look at where things stand now, the president now saying 20 years wouldn't be enough.

To walk back into the negotiations with that, what does that do?

MICHAEL ALLEN, FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: Well, I think he's sending the message that he's trying to drive a hard bargain. I think he may be excited that we're now quarantining or blockading Iranian ports. I think he expects to get a bunch of economic pressure applied to them, and I think he thinks he's conditioned them to make additional concessions to the United States.

I, myself, don't think the Iranians are really in the mood to give up too much, but I think that's the play he's thinking of.

HILL: I was speaking just within the last hour or so with an Iran and energy expert from the Eurasia group who was saying, you know, one thing that's interesting here is the Iranians have been at this negotiating table before, right, and they have walked through much of what is being walked through now. The U.S. team is less experienced when it comes to these specific points.

ALLEN: Right.

HILL: How much does that put the U.S. at a disadvantage?

ALLEN: Well, also, it does put us at a disadvantage, but we also seem to be in a hurry, and if you want a deal bad enough, you're going to get a bad deal. So I think we have to show some patience. We have to stick to our guns.

We have to stick to this blockade of Iranian ports, let that further constrict the regime, and then maybe we can raise things as they come. But to rush, rush, rush and press, I don't think it's going to work because the Iranians are tough, they don't want to capitulate, their backs are against the wall, and they're playing for keeps.

HILL: So you think this blockade could, in fact, be effective when it comes to getting the Iranians to the table to the point where they're willing to give up a little bit more?

ALLEN: I think so. We haven't seen yet whether commercial insurance will fund or back these tankers from going through the straits. I mean, Saturday, when you saw the Freedom of Navigation operation, I think that was just to say, hey, listen, there is a pathway to get through.

But it's really not necessarily about whether they can get through, it's about do the commercial vessels, their owners and their insurance companies think, you know what, the threat has gone down in a substantial way, so you go forward. And that's the moment I think things really begin to bite on the Iranians.

HILL: What do you see -- so this is a president who likes to drive a hard bargain, right? This is the way that he negotiates. He goes in maximalist demands.

Do you see areas, though, that would make sense for the U.S. to pull back on a little bit to get a little bit closer to something that would work for both sides?

ALLEN: I think we could dangle sanctions relief and say that is part of a final type arrangement. That's one area where I think we're able to give. The president, of course, isn't interested in the uranium enrichment part of this.

Maybe at the end of the day, the language on ballistic missiles is not as ironclad as we would like, but he seems very clear. He wants them to renounce a right to uranium enrichment, and he wants, and appropriately so, them to give up or down-blend the 440 kilograms of 60 percent highly enriched uranium. So I hope he sticks to his guns on those because those are the most important.

HILL: When we look at the timetable here, I mean, you mentioned more than once, right, this isn't something that can necessarily be rushed as much as everybody would like it to be wrapped up yesterday.

ALLEN: Right.

[14:40:00]

HILL: The ceasefire is also a part of this. Do you think that's something that could potentially be extended if the talks are going well, right, to get us a little bit further down the road?

ALLEN: I think so. This might be the most likely outcome, by the way. I don't know that anybody has a real incentive to get back to a shooting war right now, at least Iran and the United States.

I sort of think we may have an extended ceasefire, indirect, de facto, not necessarily negotiated and signed in any particular way. But if the Iranians take some shots at commercial vessels or, God forbid, U.S. naval vessels, I think this could be right back on again. So this will be a touch-and-go week as we try and see whether some of these tankers, if they're insurance companies, think it's safe enough and get insured for them to go through the straits.

So lots of ifs, ands, and eventualities that we need to go through this week. HILL: Yes, absolutely. It will certainly be a busy week. It would be a fly on the wall in some of these discussions.

Michael, great to have you back with us today. Thank you.

ALLEN: Thanks so much.

HILL: Still ahead here in the growing dispute between President Trump and Pope Leo, Vice President J.D. Vance now offering some advice for the Pontiff.

[14:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: For the third straight day, President Trump is criticizing the Pope. The president told an Italian newspaper that the Pontiff, quote, doesn't understand and shouldn't be talking about war because he has no idea what's happening. Pope Leo has opposed the war with Iran, saying that Jesus rejects war.

Meantime, the highest ranking Catholic in the U.S. government is now weighing in. Vice President J.D. Vance, who's writing a book about finding his faith and Catholicism, said this on Fox News.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We certainly have a good relationship with the Vatican, but we're also going to disagree on substantive questions from time to time. I think that's a totally reasonable thing. I certainly think that in some cases, it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality, to stick to matters of, you know, what's going on in the Catholic Church, and let the president of the United States stick to dictating American public policy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Let's talk about this with CNN Vatican analyst Katie McGrady. She's also the host of the Katie McGrady Show on Sirius XM's The Catholic Channel. The channel is operated by the Archdiocese of New York.

Katie, thank you so much for being with us. What does the Pope decide to speak about when it comes to world affairs? What does he decide?

How does he go about deciding what to weigh in on?

KATIE MCGRADY, CNN VATICAN ANALYST: It's a great question. He's often obviously well-informed. The Holy Father is not some sort of, you know, locked away in a castle, unaware of the world's challenges and problems.

He's a very well-connected, well-informed man. But he's not going to make pronouncements on everything. His personal opinion is not going to be announced on every single issue. In the case of this particular kerfuffle, the Holy Father was specifically asked at a press gaggle about President Trump's tweet about ending a civilization if a deal wasn't reached. And he said, obviously, that can't stand. He wasn't the only global leader who spoke about that. It was widely condemned.

And that was perceived as a punch. The Holy Father speaks about issues that he's asked directly about that obviously directly affect church affairs, but also, he is a moral voice in the world.

Think back to Pope Francis during the time of COVID, and he prayed for healing. Or think about Pope Benedict and John Paul II during Iraq and Afghanistan. So they will absolutely speak on issues of global affairs, both when asked and when they know they need to be a moral voice of authority, talking about common good, talking about peace.

You know, he's not like being the president in his late night tweeting. The pope is answering questions and praying.

SANCHEZ: President Trump has claimed that Pope Leo was only put there by the church as a response to his presidency. I see you nodding and sort of laughing a little bit. What do you say to that?

MCGRADY: I mean, utterly absurd and ridiculous. I don't know how much main character energy you have to have to think you got the Pope elected. The thing is, I think what comes with an American Pope on a global stage is this assumption that American Pope will love American president will love American policies.

And Pope Leo XIV is probably the only American that could have gotten elected because of his global -- not just connections, but his ministry, his background, his CV, his history. I think it's patently absurd.

And I think we should call that out for what it was, this this weird interjection of, well, you know, I have some power over you. I put you in that position of power, so therefore you should be OK with what I'm doing. That's how it read.

And I mean, many, many Catholics were upset by that, because obviously we believe that the conclave is this not political thing. It is a very prayerful thing. And almost a year ago, we were covering that extensively here on CNN and talking about that. That was really out of line for the president to say that.

SANCHEZ: Katie, a moment ago, you mentioned his predecessor, Pope Francis. How would you compare the approach from Pope Leo to Pope Francis when it comes to commenting on world affairs?

MCGRADY: Also a great question. Pope Francis was very shoot by the hip, kind of give a lot of general commentaries, especially on planes. He loves doing his press conference on planes.

And sometimes that would get misinterpreted. Or he was speaking from a very Argentinian, South American perspective.

[14:50:00]

Leo has been a little more reserved. He's not been quiet. He certainly roared like Leo the lion but has done so in a little bit more of a measured way. And I think that's very appreciated.

It's interesting that this comment is being made, oh, stay in your lane, only comment on morality, you know, just the church affairs. The Pope is never going to stay in a lane that somebody else puts him in. The Pope is the one who makes the lanes.

And honestly, the rest of the world should get on board because he is going to preach truth with a capital T and the gospel. And so, yes, they're very different. They are aligned, though, as all Popes have been aligned in preaching Jesus Christ and the truth.

And that's going to ruffle feathers.

SANCHEZ: Katie McGrady, thanks so much for joining us and sharing your perspective.

MCGRADY: Absolutely. Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Of course -- Erica.

HILL: Let's get you caught up on some of the other headlines we're watching at this hour. A last second agreement averting a strike for the nation's second largest school district. Schools for L.A. Unified's 400,000 students opened today as a result of that late night agreement.

The union representing the workers says they secured a 24 percent wage increase and an expansion of health care benefits for teacher aides, after school workers and other support staff.

If GLP-1s did not help you lose weight, turns out you're not alone. Clinical trials suggest up to 15 percent of people who try a GLP-1, drugs like Wegovy or Zepbound, do not experience substantial weight loss.

New research from the University of Toronto, however, finds those same medications can help with other things, including heart conditions, kidney disease, and liver health, even if the participants didn't lose weight. And so because of that, researchers argue insurance companies should consider other factors, not simply weight loss, when determining whether to pay for those medications.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, kicking off their four-day visit to Australia. Stop number one, they met with some young cancer patients and their families at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne. They're also visiting with veterans and their loved ones at the National Veterans Art Museum. This is the couple's first visit to the country since their 2018 royal tour, and the first since they actually quit the monarchy and royal duties back in 2020.

Still ahead here, the Trump Justice Department is now accusing the Biden administration of singling out anti-abortion protesters for prosecution. We've got a live update on that next.

[14:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: The Trump Justice Department is bringing new allegations against its predecessors in the Biden administration. The DOJ's new weaponization report has just been released, and it accuses Biden-era prosecutors of misusing a federal law to go after anti-abortion protesters.

CNN's Paula Reid is with us now. So what else is in this report and what's behind these allegations?

PAULA REID, CNN LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Erica, what's really significant about this report is this is the first one we're getting from this so-called weaponization group, and this was a big deal at the beginning of the administration. It was one of the first things the attorney general announced. She formed this group to look into certain things that happened during the Biden administration, and they described them as weaponization.

I think they can also be described as things President Trump didn't like, right? The Jack Smith investigation, January 6th cases, what Letitia James is doing. They also added some causes that have been really near and dear to Republicans writ large.

They have questions about the treatment of Catholics. How certain abortion protests are handled. So it's a laundry list of things that they wanted to look at. It's been a year, and they haven't produced anything.

And as we reported earlier this year, this group was under a lot of pressure to come up with something. So they've been meeting weekly, and this is the first report. And here, again, they're taking on one of the lesser-known issues, and they are alleging that under the Biden administration, there was what they describe as bias in terms of how they are prosecuting cases under the FACE Act, which was passed amid concerns about violence around abortion providers.

So the acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, who's actually on another network earlier today and laid out some of the accusations. Let's take a listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOD BLANCHE, ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL: What we saw is prosecutors arguing for really harsh sentences, inconsistent with what they should have been doing and inconsistent with what they were arguing when it was exactly the opposite. And we saw internal e-mails, internal correspondents, which is now part of the report, where Department of Justice prosecutors are working hand in hand with NGOs and nonprofits to target and go after pro-life individuals who were not breaking the law.

(END VIDEO CLIP) REID: So we have to remember, he's the acting attorney general. He's under a lot of pressure to make good on the president's push to pursue his political adversary, something that the administration really hasn't been able to do to the president's satisfaction. So here he is day three or four officially on the job.

He moved into the attorney general's office yesterday, and he's on Fox News. He's talking about bias from the Biden administration against anti-abortion protesters. This is the kind of thing that, of course, the administration wants to see.

Will it be enough to permanently secure him that post? We'll see. But I do want to get in.

This is a statement from the Biden civil rights chief, Kristen Clark. She responded to this report, saying that that "... division brought law enforcement leaders, crisis pregnancy center representatives, faith leaders and reproductive health staff together to address the real violence, threats of violence and obstruction that too many people face in our country when it comes to reproductive health care." She said that they enforce the law even handedly.

Now, I will also note that roughly four prosecutors have been fired, folks who worked on these cases and also deep in this report is a mention that they have referred other people to the appropriate departments within DOJ because this report doesn't have legal weight. So I asked, I said, did you refer the attorney general, Merrick Garland ...

END