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U.S. and Iran Signal Progress in Negotiations to End War; Crews Race to Prevent Chemical Tank Explosion in California; Millions of Americans Hit the Road as Gas Prices Near All-Time Highs; Former Attorney General Bondi to Testify in House Epstein Probe. Aired 8- 8:30a ET

Aired May 25, 2026 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00]

TIM REAM, USMNT DEFENDER: This squad for 2026 is going to have more club experience. They're going to be a little bit older. They've played a lot more games at a, you know, at a high level in some of the biggest clubs in the world.

And we are and will be able to draw on the experience of 2022. So the experience alone, there's no substitute for it. You cannot replace it.

And we have a lot of guys who now have that experience and know what it will feel like to go into another World Cup.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OMAR JIMENEZ: Next hour, Tim Ream talks about what it's like to be made into a superhero ahead of the World Cup.

A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

New details this morning on the weekend of negotiations as the U.S. and Iran inch to a deal closer to end the war. President Trump saying this morning, quote, the deal with Iran will either be a great and meaningful one or there will be no deal. We will see.

Meanwhile, a race against the clock in California, as crews work to prevent a potential catastrophic explosion of a chemical tank. Could the discovery of a crack actually be good news? We'll explain.

And it is the unofficial start to summer, and rising prices are not stopping millions of travelers from hitting the roads and skies on this Memorial Day.

Kate, Sara, and John are out today. I'm Omar Jimenez, and this is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

All right, this morning, both Iranian and U.S. officials are downplaying the possibility of an imminent deal to end the war. But they do indicate there's progress. Here's Secretary of State Marco Rubio just this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: So we have what I think is a pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the straits, get the straits open, enter into a very real, significant, time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matters. And hopefully we can pull it off. It has a lot of support in the Gulf.

It has a lot of support globally. Every country that we've walked through it understands not just very reasonable, but it's the right thing for the world to get done. As the president said, he's not in a hurry. He's not going to make a bad deal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: Now, a spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry says Tehran has reached a, quote, degree of understanding with the United States. This as the two sides say they are moving forward on a framework that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz. It would also push toward a final agreement on ending the now nearly three months old war, essentially a deal to get a deal.

CNN's Betsy Klein is at the White House for us. So Betsy, there's a lot we don't know. There's a lot of progress that still needs to be made. But what do we know at this moment?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right, Omar. A lot of activity over the weekend. President Trump working the phones with Gulf leaders.

And we are learning that the U.S. and Iran are getting closer toward an agreement to ultimately finalize what could be a deal to end this war. So what that means is they are working toward a deal to make a deal. Now both sides are working toward a memorandum of understanding.

That is going to be a roadmap that will start a clock working toward those very thorny issues that remain. There's so much still that we don't know about what's in this, but let's lay out what we do. It would make progress toward reopening that critical oil thoroughfare, the Strait of Hormuz.

It would gradually end the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports. There will be a commitment by Iran to not pursue a nuclear weapon. It will set a 60-day clock to reach some of those final points, including what Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described as, quote, a real significant time-limited negotiation on nuclear matters.

Now we've heard from the president repeatedly saying that he is not in a rush to make a deal. He is also preemptively trying to dispel comparisons to the Obama-era Iran deal. Look at this post from this morning on social media.

The president saying, quote, "I laugh at all of the Democrats, RINOs, and fools who know nothing about the potential deal I am making with Iran, things that haven't even been negotiated yet." He goes on to say, "... The deal with Iran will either be a great and meaningful one, or there will be no deal. It will be the exact opposite of the JCPOA disaster negotiated by the failed Obama administration, which was a direct and open path to a nuclear weapon for Iran. No, I don't do deals like that."

Now there are still some major outstanding sticking points and questions, including the Strait of Hormuz, how that will operate, as well as what is going to happen to Iran's existing highly enriched uranium, as well as whether there is a timeline for how long Iran must have a moratorium on that highly enriched uranium. We're already starting to hear some pushback from conservative Republicans who say that this deal will not end the nuclear threat of Iran.

Now we know the president is hesitant to resume this conflict.

[08:05:00]

There's significant political pressure on him to end this war, including those $4.50 a gallon gas prices, but this day we are honoring the 13 U.S. service members who have lost their lives over the course of this war -- Omar.

JIMENEZ: Yes. Betsy Klein, really appreciate the reporting.

We're also following breaking news this morning out of Southern California, where a state of emergency has been declared. Tens of thousands of people are spending this Memorial Day unsure of when they'll be allowed back home as crews race to cool a massive tank to keep it from exploding or leaking. Inside 7,000 gallons of a toxic chemical and about 50,000 people within the roughly nine square mile potential blast radius have been told to evacuate. Now crews discovered a crack on Saturday, but that may actually be a good thing because fire officials tell CNN they were conducting an operation overnight to see whether the crack is actually easing the pressure.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TJ MCGOVERN, INTERIM FIRE CHIEF, ORANGE COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY: We are doing our operation tonight to confirm that the pressure has been released and the BLEVY threat is eliminated. So that is our goal tonight because that is a catastrophic worst case scenario that we've all been talking about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: CNN's Veronica Miracle is on scene this morning in Cypress Creek, California. So what's the latest there on the ground? Do we have those results that the interim chief was talking about?

VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Omar, we're all just waiting here anticipating for the next update to see if this all-night mission, how it's been going, if it's been successful or not and if they were able to determine if the crack in fact is relieving pressure. If it hasn't been relieving pressure, we know that at last check, the temperature gauge maxed out at 100 degrees. MMA, this toxic chemical, actually prefers to sit at about 50 degrees.

So not a good sign at all. And potentially, if this crack has not been relieving pressure, then it could point to a worst case scenario, catastrophic explosion, where they were (INAUDIBLE) released into the air. Now, if the crack has been relieving pressure, then there's potentially good news.

It's potential that they could minimize and make the evacuation zone smaller. Some of the 50,000 people that have been ordered out of their homes could potentially return home. But it's been a really scary situation for so many, a lot of uncertainty.

Here's what one evacuee had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel really stressed out because I'm not sure what the future has to tell for us. I don't know how long this is going to be, how long we're going to have to be displaced, where we're going to be, if we're going to have the money to be able to provide for our kids and our family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MIRACLE: At the company at the center of this crisis, GKN Aerospace has released a statement saying, in part, "We are working closely with the Orange County Fire Authority, the EPA, OSHA, and all relevant federal, state, and local agencies and remain deeply grateful for the dedication and expertise of all the emergency services and agencies involved. Our priority remains the safe resolution of this incident so that residents can return to their homes as quickly as possible." They're asking people to follow instructions. About 800 state and local first responders are here on scene trying to mitigate this crisis and we're just going to be waiting for that next update with some hope for good news for all the people in this area.

Back to you, Omar.

JIMENEZ: Yes, hopefully a good update to come. Veronica Miracle, appreciate the reporting early for us out there. Meanwhile, tens of millions of people hit the road for Memorial Day despite soaring gas prices. We'll have the latest on a record-breaking weekend of travel.

And you may trust AI to do a lot, but how much would you trust it as a passenger on a flight piloted by artificial intelligence? We're going to take a look at a plane flown without a human in control.

Plus, what exactly is a bun competition? A dozen people scale a 45- foot tower to collect as many buns as possible. You are seeing some of it here. We'll show you the winner when we return and tell you what this is all about.

[08:10:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JIMENEZ: In case you haven't noticed this morning, gas prices offering no relief to the millions of Americans who are traveling for the Memorial Day holiday. The national average price of gas right now, $4.50 per gallon, making this the most expensive Memorial Day for travelers in four years. And AAA projects a record 45 million Americans still are traveling at least 50 miles from home for the holiday.

I want to bring in CNN's Ryan Young, who's with me now. So Ryan, Atlanta set to see millions of people come through as they return home today. What can they expect?

I see you in the car there, I think.

RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they will. You know, here's the thing Omar, 39 million Americans will hit the road and of course dads and drivers all across this country will be thinking about the idea of having to hit the road and spend the money for gas. Just take it this way.

This car alone takes about $110 to fill up and that's what Americans will be having to decide all across this country as they do their budget. Look, a family of four traveling, what we've noticed here is that across the country, they're going to have to be making budget decisions. We actually talked to a business owner just in the last hour or so who was telling us he thought this weekend in particular was going to be strong for business, but that's not been the case.

A lot of people have been traveling different locations.

[08:15:00]

Orlando is one of the top destinations for people in terms of travel. We've seen that with rental cars, so that's just part of the process. Here at this gas station, unleaded is about $4 a gallon.

So you understand the pricing and people come here to quick trips across the country and they want to make sure that when they come in -- what's going on guys, how you doing? They want to make sure that when they're here, they're shopping and thinking about what they're going to spend. So the average family is going to spend over $200 to $400 a day when it comes to travel across this country.

You talk about the air flights, we know 2 million people are going to pass through Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport just this weekend alone. When you add the fact that so many people are on the road, that's higher than last year and that's one of the things that was surprising. Even with gas prices being high, there's a pent up demand for people to be able to travel over the summer.

In fact, we talked to one traveler just a short time ago about how expensive this trip has been.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We didn't particularly budget because I'm driving with a few friends, so we're all kind of splitting the gas prices between each other. So I guess we knew we were going to have to drive, so we kind of had to, you know, spend the money -- you know, gas.

YOUNG: Has there been any sticker shock when it comes to paying for things on the road, when it comes to food or anything like that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not a whole lot that I've noticed, but yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG (on camera): Yes, $200 to $400 a day is what people are dealing with. You know, when you get on a trip, you have to make sure the kids are hydrated. All the parents are thinking about, hey, what are they going to buy? What are they going to do?

That's part of the process here when it comes to dealing with this. So you have to have all your snacks. Guys, give Omar his snack. Wanted to make sure since you're our co-pilot today, Omar, you also have a treat here.

But this is something to think about. This is impacting businesses tremendously when you think about how people are traveling over the next 24 hours or so. The weather will play a role as well because we've had a lot of rain in the Atlanta area and throughout the Southeast. That's something that people have to watch out for as they're on the roads to make sure they travel safely.

But at the same time, Omar, people are out there. They're spending money and they're driving to a lot of these locations. So hopefully you'll enjoy that treat.

JIMENEZ: Ryan Young, man, taking us on this journey with you this morning. Really appreciate it. Also, appreciate the snack.

Yes, we're both up early. One thing I noticed, I'm going to let you go. Go lock the car.

I didn't see someone lock the car. So go do your thing. Good to see you, though.

YOUNG: Thanks for having us. The proximity locks it. It locked when I walked away.

JIMENEZ: I should have known you had everything covered. I should have known you had everything covered. Ryan Young, good to see you.

YOUNG: Absolutely.

JIMENEZ: All right, coming up. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi enters the hot seat this week on Capitol Hill. The tough questions she'll face on her handling of the release of the Epstein files.

And then tributes pouring in following the stunning death of NASCAR legend Kyle Busch. The emotional scenes from the biggest weekend in racing.

[08:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JIMENEZ: This week, former Attorney General Pam Bondi is set to face tough questioning from the House Oversight Committee over the Justice Department's handling of the release of the Epstein files under her leadership. Now, the department initially pushed back against the request, arguing Bondi was no longer serving as Attorney General at the time of the subpoena, but the new date was set for this Friday after House Democrats threatened contempt proceedings if she failed to show up and testify.

I want to bring in CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson on this. So what exactly are lawmakers hoping to learn about the DOJ's handling of the Epstein files?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, Omar, good to be with you. The answer is quite a bit, right? Remember that there has been this activism by this Oversight Committee, which has interviewed quite a few people, including Bill and Hillary Clinton, including the former attorney for Epstein, the former accountant for Epstein, the former Attorney General Bill Barr.

There's been so many others that this committee has interviewed, and they've been doing that work since last summer, even before the Epstein Transparency Act was passed. That's the act, of course, that Congress passed, which enabled the release of all these files. And I think they just want to get to the heart of the matter.

And I believe that there'll be very pointed questions with respect to the Department of Justice's role under her leadership in following that law. And there'll be many questions with respect to whether the law was followed, whether people were protected, why were they protected, who's being held accountable? So there'll be a bevy of questions by this committee directed to her with respect to Epstein and whether the American people, Omar, are really getting the truth, or whether there is an actual cover-up.

JIMENEZ: I mean, as you were talking, we were showing footage of then Attorney General Pam Bondi testifying publicly in Congress. I mean, she testified publicly before the Judiciary Committee before. How is this deposition different from what she's done in the past?

JACKSON: So it's different in as much as, yes, she testified in front of the Judiciary Committee, and that committee serves as oversight over the federal government in some respects, right? You have it looking at the Department of Justice, you have it looking at the FBI, it has jurisdiction over the federal courts. This is an oversight committee, which is different, and their focus is primarily Epstein.

If you remember her last interview, Omar, it really devolved into -- I'm not even sure what to characterize it. There were attacks that she was giving upon lawmakers, she was talking about the crime rate in the country, she was talking about the stock market, she was going after people. It was a five-hour limited type of deposition.

Here, I'm not even sure it's a deposition.

[08:25:00] There's been an argument to whether a deposition -- just to clarify, a deposition is a legal proceeding where someone would, in this case Bondi, and she would give sworn testimony under oath. There's questions here whether this is just a transcribed interview.

Well, what's the difference? The difference is, unlike a deposition, which has legal formalities, if you don't want to answer the question, you could assert the fifth. In a transcribed interview, you don't even have a legal obligation to assert the fifth. You could just say, hey, I don't want to answer the question.

Of course, here, there's no time limit, but I think the core issue is accountability. I think lawmakers want to know why you didn't follow the Transparency Act. It was a 30-day requirement that information be released to the public. How did you miss that when you did release it? Why was there this heavy redaction of people who were powerful, people who were connected, and those people who were influential?

Meanwhile, you have the outing of survivors and victims. They were not redacted. What's going on with the prosecution, if any?

And why did you prosecute or hold anybody else accountable? And essentially, whether or not you're protecting the president, where was that relating to him, as opposed to all the files that were released that were not really involving him? A lot of critical questions that she's going to be asked when she sits and testifies.

JIMENEZ: Joey Jackson, always appreciate the insight. Thanks for being here.

New this morning, Iran says a, quote, understanding has been reached with the United States, but President Trump says he's in no rush to make a deal. We'll have the latest on the back and forth.

And then the countdown to the World Cup is on, only 17 days until kickoff. And tomorrow, we're going to find out the roster for Team USA. We're hearing from one of the stars of the team as the tournament returns to U.S. soil for the first time in decades.

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