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Trump Administration Shutting Key U.S. Researchers Out of Global Virus Response Talks; Holiday Travelers Largely Brushing Off Rising Gas Prices; "WHY WE DREAM" Premieres Tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired May 25, 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]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Now to a CNN exclusive. Key officials responsible for leading U.S. research on infectious disease threats have been barred from speaking directly with the World Health Organization, effectively shutting them off of global discussions on virus outbreaks. This is according to official documents and multiple sources who spoke to CNN.

The Trump administration issued the directive stopping individuals at the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases from communicating with the WHO. However, the communication limits were relaxed slightly in the past week as the Ebola epidemic centered in the Democratic Republic of Congo intensified. Now some officials can attend virtual WHO meetings, but only in small groups and only in a quote, listening capacity.

The spokesperson for the HHS says that the CDC quote, engages with the WHO to support information sharing and coordination during infectious disease outbreaks and it is fully equipped to protect Americans and mitigate risk.

We're joined now by Dr. Dan Jernigan. He led the CDC Ebola response team in Sierra Leone from 2014 to 2016. Doctor, thank you so much for being with us. First, just your reaction to the news.

DR. DAN JERNIGAN, CDC EBOLA RESPONSE TEAM LEAD IN SIERRA LEONE, 2014- 2016: So right now we're hearing that there may be upwards of 900 suspect cases and about 220 deaths so far. So the numbers keep going up. And I think that just reflects that we don't have control of this.

We don't know the chains of transmission. And so it really is going to require a lot of people putting a lot of effort to try and contain this outbreak.

SANCHEZ: And what could be the impact of keeping some U.S. officials limited in the discussions globally on Ebola and other outbreaks?

[14:35:00]

JERNIGAN: I think in the past, there's been a reliance of the WHO on the federal government of the United States, both through USAID and through CDC and NIH for some of those countermeasures. And so not having that ongoing conversations before this happened makes it very difficult that when an emergency does start, you can just start in with a whole lot of communications and planning.

This is the kind of thing that you want in peacetime so that when you have a problem like now, you're already running closely with them and working with them. And I think that this stopping of the communications between CDC and the federal government and WHO is not good for controlling outbreaks like this.

SANCHEZ: Yes. One of the headlines that really caught my eye was that in Eastern Congo, these young men stormed a hospital that was treating Ebola patients, and it winds up being the third attack like this in about a week. Why is that happening?

JERNIGAN: It's a great question. And I think it's an important thing to think about the tools that you use to try and control a big outbreak like this. Those public health tools include things like case management, contact tracing, safe and dignified burials, all of those kinds of things that you put together to try and stop the outbreak.

But one of the most important things is community engagement. So working with the imams, working with the opinion leaders, those folks that understand how that community, what they want to hear, what they need to hear in order for that outbreak to come under control. And we know that funerals are an important part of their culture.

They want to be able to touch the body, to be able to move the body, to have rituals that are important but can be a source of infection. So understanding that and working closely with them to see how it is that they want to be able to control Ebola is as critical as diagnostics and clinical care.

SANCHEZ: Yes. So the Red Cross and Red Crescent are saying that three of its volunteers died in the outbreak, but they contracted the virus on March 27th. What does that tell you about the timeline of this outbreak?

JERNIGAN: It's hard to say right now exactly when this started. If you go back to 2014-15, it was months after the very first case of a child in part of Guinea caused a whole series of different cases. Here, it's going to probably be several months ago that this actually did start.

So I think the fact that you've got several different chains of transmission right now that aren't connected means that this has been going on at a low level for a while. And that means it's just going to take that much more effort for it to be contained.

SANCHEZ: Dr. Dan Jernigan, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate your time.

JERNIGAN: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Still to come with Memorial Day signaling the unofficial start of summer, millions are wondering if high fuel prices are going to disrupt their travel plans. We're going to ask an expert about when we may see those prices drop when we come back.

[14:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: As Memorial Day weekend winds down, millions are finding that going home is more expensive than it's been in years past because of the Iran war and also the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Gas is averaging $4.51 a gallon, according to AAA, and airfares are up more than 20 percent compared to last year, according to Kayak and Major Airlines. But that's not keeping people from driving or flying.

AAA reports a record 45 million people -- million just to be clear with an M, they were expected to travel this holiday. Let's talk about the summer travel season with travel analyst Peter Greenberg. I didn't want to write in a population explosion there, Peter, just to be clear with my mistake in how I said that.

So the prices -- this is really interesting -- the prices aren't stopping people from traveling. Is that because they'd already booked this travel or is there some other reason why they're just not dissuaded from doing what they wanted to do?

PETER GREENBERG, TRAVEL ANALYST: Well, let's start with the cars. We're addicted to our cars. We love to drive.

And that's not really had an impact at all. I had to refill my car with gas last week in Los Angeles. It was $7 a gallon.

It costs you $132. I had to drive. Everybody else is driving as well.

But when it comes to the airline situation, that's a different story. The reason why all the planes are full right now, you have to go back and look. Those reservations were not made last week when those prices were up.

Those reservations were made three, four and five months ago before fuel prices skyrocketed and the airfares went stratospheric. The real key to finding out what Americans are going to do for the rest of this year is to take a look at the advanced bookings for July 4th, Labor Day, etc. And they're very soft right now.

KEILAR: Really interesting. So what trends are you seeing as people are planning their summer vacations, even if they still are planning to travel? Are they changing how they do it?

GREENBERG: They're planning to spend less money. They're planning to spend less time. They're still going to go domestically.

But foreign travel, that's a different story. It's a double-digit drop on Americans traveling overseas. It's a serious double-digit drop on foreigners traveling to America.

That's not going away. That's only increasing. KEILAR: Interesting. OK, so oil prices did drop overnight to $97 a barrel for Brent Crude on signs of an Iran deal. And Kevin Hassett, who's the director of the Council of Economic Advisers at the White House, said this weekend that every refinery will have all the oil they need within two months of the straight reopening. What does his prediction mean in reality, though, for drivers who are looking for relief?

GREENBERG: Well, remember this. In terms of drivers, those prices may come down. In terms of flyers, those prices may not come down.

[14:45:00]

Because remember, what the airlines have done in the last two to three months, they've adjusted their capacity. They've reduced frequency. All the planes are full.

The demand is flat. But that means demand and supply. That same law applies.

Guess what? Airfares stay high. Same thing for fees.

The airlines raise their baggage fees. Those fees aren't going to come down when oil drops. Those fees are going to stay exactly where they are. It's a revenue-generating source for the airline.

So for flyers who want to book their tickets in advance, do it now. Because those airfares are still going to climb about 1 percent to 2 percent every week.

KEILAR: Peter, you mentioned that people aren't traveling to the U.S. from international destinations as much. They're not planning to for the summer. What is the outlook, especially in Europe, when it comes to jet fuel?

Because there were these previous concerns about shortages.

GREENBERG: If shortage predictions come true, you're not going to see a lot of flights there simply because they can't be refueled to fly home. So that's another reason why the airlines have cut capacity.

The real problem, though, which predates the Iran attack, goes back to February of 2025, and has gone on for the last 16, 17 months. And that's the perception of America from Europe of being inhospitable and unwelcoming based on announcements from the Trump administration that haven't even been implemented. The $250 visa fee, the $15,000 bond you have to post under the announcement to make sure you don't overstay your visa.

And last but not least, the idea that they're going to ask you to supply five years of your social media history. Now, none of those three things has been implemented, but the mere perception of that drove people away.

KEILAR: Peter Greenberg, thank you so much.

SANCHEZ: You got it.

KEILAR: Boris.

SANCHEZ: None of some of the other headlines we're watching this hour. With less than three weeks until the kickoff of the World Cup, Iran's national team has yet to receive U.S. visas. Ahead of the games, the Iranian team moved their training camp from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, to avoid visa-related complications amid the U.S. war with Iran. The team is set to play their first game in Los Angeles against New Zealand on June 15.

Also, a scary scene to show you in South Carolina. At least 19 people hurt in a stampede. Officials say that someone started running, triggering a chain reaction when others followed suit. This happened early on Sunday during the Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival in Atlantic Beach. Several people were taken to the hospital. Fortunately, none of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening.

And performance-enhancing drugs will normally get you kicked out of an athletic competition, but at this event last night in Las Vegas, they were actually encouraged. The so-called enhanced games featured various competitors in swimming, weightlifting, and track, all under the supervision of medical doctors.

And while not everyone who competed used PEDs, the purpose, organizers say, was to see how much better they perform with using steroids and other enhancements, including swimsuits normally banned in competition. The results were a mixed bag. One swimming record was broken, but other winners fell short of the record books.

Still to come, Pope Leo warning of AI fueling warfare amid calls for strict ethical limits on its use.

[14:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: The all-new CNN film "WHY WE DREAM" follows a group of World War II veterans as they travel back to Normandy, France for the 80th anniversary of D-Day. And it weaves together moments of reflection from their lives with memories of liberating Germany and concentration camps and rebuilding America after the war. The film tells the human stories of the heroes who helped turn the tide for the allies.

Among those heroes is veteran-turned TikTok star Papa Jake Larson. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAKE LARSON, WORLD WAR II D-DAY VETERAN: I came home from the war, never thinking I'd ever get married and meet the love of my life. Her name was Lola. Whatever Lola wanted, Lola got. I just loved her.

We had two boys and a girl. I got nine grandchildren and 11 great- grandchildren. My kids were raised quite differently than I was raised. My dad never picked us up and played with us. He didn't know what love was. I never hesitated in telling my children. I loved them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were so grateful to be alive. I guess we were all trying to make up for what happened during the war. More babies were born in the years right after the war than any other time in American history.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: We're joined now by the son of D-Day veteran Papa Jake Larson, Karlin Larson. And Karlin, your dad actually lied about his age so that he could join the military even though he was only 15. Why do you think it was so important for him to serve his country?

KARLIN LARSON, SON OF D-DAY VETERAN "PAPA JAKE" LARSON: I think he felt he wanted to make a difference.

[14:55:00]

And he knew that with Hitler trying to take over the world, he knew that eventually he would have to serve and he joined to make a difference. And he tried to free the world of Nazi Germany.

KEILAR: The photos are just amazing of his service. And the 82nd anniversary of D-Day is next month, the first since your dad passed. You're going to be traveling with your family back to France, sort of paying ohmage to your father. He did this on the 80th anniversary of D-Day. How are you thinking about that day?

K. LARSON: It's emotional for me because it meant so much to my dad to go back over there to honor not only the ones that, you know, lost their lives over there, but to honor the French people as well. Liberating France. And to this day, we still have relationships with different families in France that call my dad part of his family.

So it's super emotional to me. We're really looking forward to it. And the main thing that I want to do is continue the legacy of what my father has done and people like Betty Huffman Rosevear, that's in the film as well. We just lost her last month. And to continue the legacy of what they did to liberate the world.

KEILAR: Yes, it's so important to remind people because even though it is a unique story, I think we get a sense that it's not necessarily unique. There's so much to be learned from what they did and from what happened then. It's important for people to know that your dad actually gained more than a million followers on TikTok, which I love.

He won an Emmy from his CNN interview with Christiane Amanpour. His story clearly resonates with the public. What do you think it is about his story that people connect with so much?

K. LARSON: I think he just tells it as it was. He was, as he says, a farm boy from Hope, Minnesota. And nothing special about him. He also said that the Germans weren't very good at shooting at toothpicks because he was very small in stature. And so he had a lot of humor when it came to dealing with all the things that he experienced over there.

KEILAR: Your daughter played a big role in your father's social media fame. What led her to start making videos with him?

K. LARSON: It started, she had her own TikTok account and she had my dad do just a little cameo on hers. And the response was so overwhelming. Please make him his own TikTok so we can hear his stories.

And once again, it's all about having his legacy live on.

KEILAR: And as people are watching this film, "WHY WE DREAM," even that title kind of gets to what you're talking about. Is there something that you want to leave viewers with? Maybe something about your father's legacy that can't fully be captured on film?

Not to put you on the spot, but I wonder if there is something that kind of, you know, you think of when you think of your dad that you want to communicate to people.

K. LARSON: What I want people to know is what the film doesn't show is what a hardworking dad he was. Dad worked two jobs most of my life to provide for the family. And he allowed me to go along with him.

He was a TV repairman back in the day when you could go to people's houses and repair the TVs with tubes. And I would be able to go along with dad on the service calls. And he was just a good dad.

Just very blessed to have him in my life, to bounce things off of him. I miss dearly now.

KEILAR: I love this story for Memorial Day. I think it's so important as people connect with your dad and sort of the theme of the day. It's just so important and so meaningful.

Karlin Larson, thanks for sharing with us today.

K. LARSON: Thank you for having me.

KEILAR: And don't miss the all new CNN film, "WHY WE DREAM." It premieres tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern, only on CNN.

Work in progress. President Trump says peace ...

END