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Spirit Airlines Halts All Flights, Begins To Shut Down Operations; U.S.-Israel War with Iran; U.S. Gas Prices Jump to $4.43 a Gallon; Mexican Workers Rally for Higher Wages; Trump Pitches Economic Policies to Seniors; Trump's Third Pick for U.S. Surgeon General; Theaters Hope for Continuing Box Office Success in 2026; Derby Goers Show Off Unique Fashion Choices. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired May 02, 2026 - 04:00   ET

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

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): This is CNN breaking news.

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. We begin with breaking news.

Thousands of employees are now out of work and millions of ticket holders left scrambling as discount carrier Spirit Airlines shuts down. A statement from the company, released a short time ago, says all flights have been canceled and customers shouldn't go to the airport.

It also warns that customer service is no longer available. Other airlines have said they will help passengers and workers who have been left stranded. Now this is the first significant U.S. airline to halt operations in nearly 25 years.

A last-minute bailout from the Trump administration failed to materialize late on Friday. Earlier, as reports swirled that the carrier would shut down, Spirit customers in Florida said they were caught by surprise. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's insane. I've never -- I mean, I always thought Spirit had a bunch of customers and a lot of support with like other people flying as well, whether it's economy and back and forth and just a safe flight to use.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Usually we fly Spirit all the time. Usually it's the best affordable flight and it's like -- it's kind of like that reliable car that you have. It's -- always gets you from point A to point B safely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The long-troubled airline filed for a second bankruptcy last August. An operating deal was reached in late February but the war with Iran began just days later and, since then, the price of jet fuel has nearly doubled, which obviously has hurt Spirit's already narrow operating margins.

Coming up, I'll speak with a travel expert on what rights passengers have and what this could mean for other airlines.

President Trump is casting doubt again on a potential deal to end the war with Iran. At an event in Florida on Friday night, he said maybe the U.S. could be better off not making a deal at all. He says his options on Iran boil down to making a deal with Tehran or a major military escalation.

Iran sent its latest proposal to end the war with the U.S. to Pakistani mediators on Friday. The details of the proposal and the specific reasons behind the deadlock aren't clear. But president Trump says he isn't satisfied, even though he admits Tehran has made strides in negotiations. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: They've made strides but I'm not sure if they ever get there.

Do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever?

Or do we want to try and make a deal?

I mean, those are the options.

PETER DOOCY, FOX NEWS WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Do you want to go blast the hell out of them?

TRUMP: I prefer not. On a human basis, I prefer not. But that's the option.

Do we want to go in there heavy and just blast them away?

Or do we want to do something?

They're not getting along with each other and it puts us in a bad position. One group wants to make a deal. The other group wants to make a certain deal, including the hardliners. The hardliners want to make a deal, too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, Iranian state media on Friday published a new statement attributed to the country's supreme leader, who says Iran, quote, "has emerged as a military power after years of effort." CNN's Larry Madowo is standing by in Nairobi. But first, our Leila Gharagozlou joins us now from Abu Dhabi.

So Leila, let's start with where things stand right now. Take us through. LEILA GHARAGOZLOU, CNN PRODUCER: Yes. So the Iranians have given a

proposal to the Pakistanis. We're not sure about what was in this particular proposal.

But as we heard, president Donald Trump said that it does look like the Iranians have moved a little. Now in terms of if we can actually get a deal, it is looking unlikely at this point, particularly given president Trump's comments. He said the other day that this couldn't be very this might not be very good for the U.S. Take a listen

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Iran wants to make a deal because they have no military left, essentially and they want to make a deal. But I'm not satisfied.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GHARAGOZLOU: So we're not really sure where this stands. President Trump's reading of the Iranians is very different from the messaging we're getting from the Iranians. Mojtaba Khamenei said that Iran has emerged as a military power.

And I think that really shows us where Iran's mindset is and where the Tehran headspace is at, which is that they're coming from a position of strength.

[04:05:00]

And they're unlikely to capitulate when they view themselves as a power and in a very strong position to get what they want. Now the U.S. is trying to put economic pressure on them as well with this blockade. It recently seized ships with cargo and oil as well.

But it does look increasingly like we're moving toward some form of escalation as president Trump himself kind of alluded to. And we're not really seeing a particular offramp. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Warning sign. Leila Gharagozlou, thanks so much.

Well, the U.S. is reducing its military footprint in Germany just days after Chancellor Merz criticized the war with Iran. The Pentagon says thousands of troops will leave in the coming months.

And president Trump's floating similar moves in other European countries that don't support the war. So for more on that, CNN's Larry Madowo joins us from Nairobi.

So Larry, take us through this move from the president and the reaction so far.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kim, president Trump has been frustrated by the Europeans' refusal to join the war. And despite his constant threatening and basically complaining, they have not done so.

On Monday, the German chancellor did criticize the U.S. directly, saying that the Americans we're getting humiliated in this war in Iran. And he compared it to Iraq and Afghanistan; said the Americans did not appear to have any kind of exit strategy out of this war.

On Friday, the Department of Defense, which likes to call itself the department of war, announcing that 5,000 U.S. troops will be pulled from Germany. And a spokesperson saying that this is after a careful reevaluation of the Defense Department's force posture in Europe.

And in recognition of the theater conditions and requirements on the ground, this withdrawal is likely to take between 6-12 months, so it's not immediate. But that still leaves more than 30,000 U.S. troops stationed in Germany.

Germany is a key hub. It's the largest base for U.S. troops in Europe. It's got, like I said, right now, about 36,000 troops. It's used for training for medical as well as for logistics. It hosts the European Command and the Afghan Command as well.

But president Trump essentially using this as a warning shot to Germany, to NATO nations, that have not gone along with this war in Iran. And he's been complaining basically over the last two months that, even though the U.S. is paying for NATO, they are not there when he needs them.

And maybe he will not be there when they need him. And this actually plays into some within the Pentagon who have been quietly, according to reports, wanting for this drawdown in Europe so that there can be more U.S. troops stationed not in Europe or in Middle East but more in the Indo-Pacific.

So I guess this works out in their advantage. President Trump did actually try to do this in 2020 during his first term. That did not go through because shortly after Joe Biden came into power, he reversed those plans.

But this is going ahead. He's also complained that Italy and Spain could be next. He's been very unhappy with the Italian and Spanish leadership. There's about 12,000 troops stationed in Italy, about 3,800 in Spain and those two could be, some of them at least, could be withdrawn if this goes ahead. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, we'll see whether Trump follows through on that. Larry Madowo, thanks so much.

So as the U.S. continues its war with Iran, president Trump says he considers it treasonous for people to say that the U.S. isn't winning the war. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We get the radical left to say, we're not winning, we're not winning, they don't have any military left. It's unbelievable, it's actually I believe it's treasonous. OK, you want to know the truth?

It's treasonous.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: A former special counsel at the U.S. Defense Department

says treason isn't about speech but the act of assisting enemies during times of war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RYAN GOOD, FORMER SPECIAL COUNSEL, U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT: It's a loaded legal term. And president Trump, himself in the past, has noted that treason comes with the death penalty.

There is a dark period of American history in the World War I in which there were the Alien Sedition Acts and they did prosecute individuals who had spoken out against the war. There was the purpose of it.

But that's a dark period. The Supreme Court would strike any of those laws down today. And the treason statute itself has nothing about speech. It's really about materially assisting an enemy at a time of war with intelligence information or something like that, nothing like what the president is talking about.

What he's talking about is rhetorical but it's still kind of sets a tone. And if it ever were pursued, the Supreme Court would eliminate it, I think, 9-0.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: President Trump's calling the war powers resolution totally unconstitutional. Now the law says he has to get congressional approval for further military action in Iran now that the war has hit the 60-day mark.

But in a formal letter to Congress, the president argued that the hostilities ended after a ceasefire was put in place. At the same time, Trump wrote that Iran remains a significant threat that will be assessed, addressed as necessary. New polling shows that a majority of Americans are blaming president Trump for rising gas prices.

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AAA reports the national average has jumped again to $4.43 a gallon. Now that's the highest level since July 2022, when president Trump insisted his price will drop when the war ends. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: It's going to come tumbling down. There is so much oil out there. It's pent up. It's locked up in the Strait of Hormuz. When all of that gets released, when all of that comes out, these people tried to hold up our country for years and years.

The world, by closing up the Strait of Hormuz when all of that stuff comes out, you're going to see prices dropping on gasoline like you've never seen. And all of that electricity, gasoline, anything having to do with energy. Grocery prices are way down. Used car prices are way down. Look at eggs. Eggs are down by four, even five times.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The Israeli military is warning residents in parts of southern Lebanon to evacuate urgently. The Israel Defense Forces is telling people to stay at least 1,000 meters away from nine towns and villages and move to open areas.

The IDF gave the evacuation order Saturday morning. Both Israel and the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah accuse each other of violating the ceasefire, despite the extension brokered by the U.S.

Lebanon's health ministry says Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Friday killed at least nine people, including one child, and 21 people were wounded.

Activists and union workers take to the streets around the world to call for higher wages and benefits amid rising energy costs. Just ahead, we'll look at some of the rallies on International Workers Day.

And later we have new video of the suspect storming through security at last week's White House correspondents dinner. CNN breaks down the footage and analyzes the timeline of the events. Those stories and more coming up. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Returning to our top story, thousands of employees are now out of work and millions of ticket holders left scrambling as discount carrier Spirit Airlines shuts down.

A statement from the company, released a short time ago, says all flights have been canceled and customers shouldn't go to the airport. It also warns that customer service is no longer available.

Now other airlines have said they will help passengers and workers who've been left stranded. I want to go now to Simon Calder in London. He's a travel correspondent with "The Independent."

Good to see you again. I want to get to the reasons behind this.

But first, the most important question for many of our viewers, I mean, if there's someone who has a spare ticket for the next week or month or so on, what should you actually be doing right now?

SIMON CALDER, TRAVEL CORRESPONDENT, "THE INDEPENDENT": Well, there is absolutely no way you are going to be traveling, of course, with Spirit. They officially shut down just over one hour ago and that will be the end of them.

Now they are saying that, if you booked a ticket direct from the airline, you will be able to get a -- get your money back because they will be refunding those charges. If you booked through a travel agent, then you need to talk to that agent.

But there's a whole category of people who are not going to be getting anything at all. And those are people who typically might have used a voucher or frequent flier miles to buy their Spirit ticket. They are now unsecured creditors and they just need to take their place in the long queue of people to whom Spirit sadly owes money.

And I don't think they will be getting much back from there. But as you say, other airlines stepping in. This is normal when, well, regrettably, we've seen a number of airline collapses. Other carriers will come in and offer so-called rescue fares. Those are less than they could be charging.

But unfortunately, there will be many people traveling this weekend who actually have no choice but to spend a fortune on another ticket.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, I was listening to you list the options there. You talked about you get a refund if you book directly, if you book through a travel agent.

I'm just wondering, if you book through online, let's say Expedia or something like that, where does that stand?

CALDER: Well, it's going to be messy, unfortunately. But, of course, all the big online travel agents will be looking at this most unfortunate situation. And I hope they will be addressing that on behalf of their customers.

But yes, for the many, many people who have a forward booking on Spirit, it's going to be tricky, not least extricating your cash.

But also finding alternative transportation, particularly in the weeks and months ahead, moving into peak summer, when a lot of people will find that actually the alternative flight is going to cost them an awful lot more.

BRUNHUBER: OK. Well, let's let me ask you that before I get to the reasons behind that, since you just mentioned it, I mean, Spirit was known for those, you know, rock-bottom prices that basically forced some of the, the big carriers to lower their prices.

So I guess it sounds like you're saying that, on top of the huge fuel fees that are pushing ticket prices up, this will just push those ticket prices up even more, right?

CALDER: Oh, certainly. Yes. I mean, I'm afraid, whenever an airline goes out of business, then the main beneficiaries are other airlines. There's less supply in the market. But suddenly a surge in demand.

And they can put those ticket prices up and they will certainly be cashing in exactly, as you say, at a time when many tickets are increasing anyway because of the high cost of aviation fuel, which the airlines are seeking to reclaim from passengers.

BRUNHUBER: So yes, bad news for passengers here in the U.S. all around. So let's look at what's behind this. I mean, you actually started your career, as I understand it, with Laker Airways, which was another budget carrier that went under.

But here in the U.S. as I mentioned earlier in the show, I believe this is the first major airline to fail in the U.S. in 25 years. This doesn't happen very often.

So why did Spirit fail?

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CALDER: Well, let's go back. And if you go back just as far as 2022, there were repeated attempts by Frontier and by JetBlue -- JetBlue to actually buy Spirit. And that would have been a really good outcome, I think, for the airline staff, certainly, and certainly for the airline shareholders.

We had the Department of Justice blocking it on antitrust grounds. JetBlue came back and had another go. Spirit had been in and out of so-called Chapter 11 bankruptcy, trying to restructure.

But I'm afraid in the past few days, they have just looked at the landscape. They plan to shrink, to shine, which was the idea that, well, we'll reduce our operations to a kind of profitable core. That certainly didn't work.

And with aviation fuel basically doubling in price since the start of the Iran conflict, they just looked at the numbers and thought, well, we cannot carry on. There will now be a rush for the gates that they have for the slots that they have at key airports and quite possibly also for their very nice Airbus aircraft.

So, it's just -- clearly if they had been able to merge with JetBlue or Frontier, then that would have meant that there was another bigger force in U.S. aviation, which is, you know, every time a competitor goes, that makes things more tricky for the traveler.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. And that is the bottom line, which we will leave it there, unfortunately. Simon Calder in London really appreciate getting your expertise on this. Thanks so much

CALDER: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Well, president Trump is threatening to raise tariffs on cars and trucks from the European Union to 25 percent next week. He says it's going up from 15 percent because the bloc isn't complying with its trade deal with Washington.

E.U. lawmakers have been slow to implement parts of the deal, which include removing duties on U.S. industrial goods. Here's what president Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I raised the tariffs on cars and trucks to 25 percent. That's billions of dollars coming into the United States. And it forces them to move their factory production much faster.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: European officials quickly criticized the move and the European Commission rejected Trump's claim that Brussels wasn't complying with last summer's trade deal.

Massive International Workers Day or May Day rallies were held across the U.S. on Friday. A key theme this year was rising energy prices, living costs and immigration crackdowns.

In downtown Los Angeles, thousands of people gathered to protest against immigration raids and to demand higher wages.

There were also many protests across New York City. At this one, hundreds of people took a stand in favor of unions and against large corporations.

Marchers in Washington focused on Immigration and Customs Enforcement and, at one point, some people chanted, "ICE has to go."

And in Minneapolis organizers pushed for better wages and benefits and against immigration crackdowns. Here's what one protester had to say in South Carolina.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're here to unite as one working class, as one international working class, no divisions. We won't fall for the scapegoating of immigrant communities. We won't allow ICE to terrorize our neighbors, because an injury to one is an injury to all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: And May Day demonstrations also took place around the world, from Paris to the Philippines. CNN's Valeria Leon has more from a protest in Mexico City.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the biggest Labor Day protest in Mexico. Thousands of workers are marching on Reforma Avenue, the main street in Mexico City. And they are calling for higher salaries and also changes to the pension system.

Part of the protesters are from the teachers' union and they are known for hard line demands, including a 100 percent salary increase although, last year, President Claudia Sheinbaum gave them a 10 percent raise. But they say that wasn't enough.

Also this year, Mexico's government approved a cut to the workweek from 48 hours to 40 hours, although that will be introduced gradually through 2030. And many here have come from different parts of the country. And also, there are some that come from abroad, showing support for Mexican workers.

REMI DIDIER, FRENCH PROTESTOR IN MEXICO: I'm really proud to be here today with you, the Mexican workers. It's a real honor for us. We are really happy.

We are not just in Mexico to visit the country. We are here to be with the people, to create real international links and solidarity. We need it, because, right now, the situation is quite fierce, if we look at what is happening in Iran.

[04:25:00]

In Palestine, in Cuba, in all the continent, American continent, with the aggressivity of the United States government. So for us, it's really important to create strong links together.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).

LEON: They are marching toward the Zocalo, the city's main center. And union leaders are saying they're considering setting up a permanent camp in the Zocalo. And with the World Cup just around the corner, this could become a much bigger problem for the government.

And Mexico, it will host matches and also receive millions of visitors from around the world. So how far this protest could go is still unclear. But workers say that, on Labor Day, this is just the beginning -- Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: King Charles is in Bermuda after wrapping up his four-day visit to the U.S. It's his first trip to a British overseas territory as king. A royal military parade and a 21-gun salute provided the welcome. He made the trip alone.

Queen Camilla returned separately to Britain after the U.S. visit. And the king also viewed artifacts from the transatlantic slave trade, took a boat ride and attended an event at an aquarium, which was celebrating its 100th anniversary. The king's trip to Bermuda is set to last three days.

Street artist Banksy has confirmed he's behind the mysterious new statue that appeared in the heart of London this week. The sculpture shows a suited man marching off a pedestal, his face covered by a flag; apparently a commentary on blind patriotism.

Banksy confirmed the work in a video posted online, showing it being installed during the night. Local officials say the statue will remain on display for the public, calling it a striking addition to the capital's public art scene.

All right, we'll take a quick break. For our viewers here in North America, we'll have more news in a moment. For our international viewers, "CNN CREATORS" is next.

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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States and Canada. I'm Kim Brunhuber, this is CNN NEWSROOM.

New video shows how the shooting at last week's White House Correspondents' Dinner unfolded. CNN's Tom Foreman breaks down the timeline of events as he focuses in on the suspect's actions captured on surveillance video inside the hotel.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Friday, April 24, the FBI says this video shows the suspected shooter just before 9:00 pm on the day before the Correspondents' Dinner, walking down a hallway and gesturing in the host hotel where he was a guest.

The man enters the gym, chats with an attendant, checks out the equipment, then leaves, once again glancing at doorways in the hall.

For this investigation into what officials say was a plot to kill the president, these videos, the man's movements, his actions, can all be critical evidence.

JEANINE PIRRO, U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: To find out whether or not he had the intent to -- and whether we can prove he had the intent to kill additional people by name, based upon what we determine from the investigation.

FOREMAN (voice-over): Saturday, April 25th, the night of the dinner the FBI released this video, which seems to show the same man in a long coat heading down the same hall, at the end of which a third video shows law enforcement officers working on a magnetometer, a metal detector used to screen dinner guests.

Investigators say that's the alleged gunman in the background ducking through a set of doors. A police dog quickly follows the man through the doors. The dog's handler pulls him back. The dog returns to the man again but is pulled away once more.

Then the suspect rushes out and toward the security checkpoint with what appears to be a shotgun in his hands.

SEAN CURRAN, U.S. SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR: It was immediate. It was right at the MAC (ph) checkpoint, which was just remarkable speed. When you talk about an individual who is determined to do what they do and that speed you're talking almost about four seconds from start to finish there.

FOREMAN: A single officer draws his weapon as the man in the video appears to raise his gun and court filings say the suspect fired once, although that is not clear in the video.

Those same filings and the FBI video show the officer fired repeatedly, never hitting the suspect nor, fortunately, any of his fellow officers in the background. In addition to all the questions about what the suspected gunman was

up to, there are questions about the officers, too.

Why did that one with the dog turn away so quickly after approaching the man?

And would all the other officers have been ready if it wasn't one gunman but two or three or more running down that hall? -- Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Tennessee and Alabama are now joining Louisiana in a move to redraw their congressional maps ahead of the November elections. The states' Republican governors announced special legislative sessions next week to pave the way for redistricting.

It comes after a Supreme Court decision this week, further weakening what's left of the Voting Rights Act. Wednesday's ruling threw out a Black majority district created in Louisiana, making it much harder to challenge redistricting plans as discriminatory.

On Friday, president Trump visited The Villages, a large retirement community in central Florida, to pitch his administration's economic policies. But his message on topics like Social Security and taxes quickly veered into a broader series of political attacks. CNN's Betsy Klein reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump was here in the sprawling retirement community of The Villages, Florida, trying to shift his message back to Florida with a special focus on senior citizens. This event was ostensibly about no tax on Social Security.

That policy passed in his one big, beautiful bill last summer. Of course, we should note that that bill does not actually eliminate taxes on Social Security. Instead, it does give seniors a boost to their standard deduction for the next couple of years.

Now a concise message on the sign behind me, "Golden age for your golden years."

And yes, president Trump got to that. But this speech was full of asides and anecdotes and grievances.

[04:35:00]

Just to tick through a couple of them, he polled the crowd at one point on a nickname for Joe Biden, whether he should call him sleepy Joe or crooked Joe. He complained about Democrats at the State of the Union.

He took aim at Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom of California, a mocking impression of congresswoman Ilhan Omar opining on cognitive tests and anecdotes about his fat friend, about the price of eggs and even the song, "YMCA" to an enthusiastic, if older, crowd here.

Now this also marked the president's first trip outside of the White House after that shooting incident at the White House Correspondents' Dinner last week. President, addressing that as he began his remarks. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I shouldn't be here. There was just an attempt. I won't use the word. An attempt, they say, on my life. I should be indoors at a secure facility where I can quietly, beautifully and safely play out my term, destroying everything that comes in our way, like bad countries that want to get nuclear weapons. We'll take care of that.

So they want me to be in a secure place.

I said, what's more secure than The Villages?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLEIN: I should note that the president did go on to attack working journalists here on the press riser. But this event is part of broader plans by the White House to get president Trump on the road talking about affordability in the lead up to the midterm elections.

Of course, that has been challenged amid this broader conflict with Iran. And we are seeing that here in The Villages. Just this week, gas prices, on average up $0.33 per gallon.

Here in Lake County, Florida, it's about $4.31 a gallon, just under the national average of 4.39. All of that complicating the president's efforts to talk about affordability -- Betsy Klein, CNN, traveling with the president, in The Villages, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: A federal appeals court has temporarily reinstated a nationwide requirement that abortion pills be obtained in person. The ruling restricts access to mifepristone, one of two drugs used in medical abortions. The pill accounts for roughly two-thirds of all abortions here in the U.S.

Mifepristone's manufacturer has asked the court to put its ruling on hold for now, so it can appeal to the Supreme Court.

President Trump has named yet another nominee to be U.S. surgeon general. On Thursday, he announced radiologist and FOX News contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier as his third pick. Trump pulled his second choice, Dr. Casey Means, after her nomination stalled on Capitol Hill. CNN's Jacqueline Howard has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH CORRESPONDENT: Here's what we know about Dr. Nicole Saphier, who is president Trump's third nominee for surgeon general. We know that she is a radiologist. Her title is listed on the Memorial Sloan Kettering website. Her specialties include breast imaging and breast cancer.

She is also a media contributor. Specifically, she has been a contributor for FOX News and on her social media she describes herself as a full time wife, mother and doctor. And when it comes to what her views are on certain health policies, we have gotten some insight into that through her podcast titled "Wellness Unmasked."

On her podcast, she has called vaccines one of the most effective tools that we have to prevent serious illness. She also has said that it's a problem that we're seeing this declining rate of children getting their measles vaccines.

On the other hand, she also has applauded the Department of Health and Human Services for no longer universally recommending COVID-19 vaccines and instead making them available after having a conversation with your doctor.

We also know that she has also questioned the original CDC vaccine schedule. Here she is talking about that on her podcast. Have a listen.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

DR. NICOLE SAPHIER, RADIOLOGIST: Now the reality is I did think the original CDC vaccine schedule was somewhat bloated. I thought we could scale back on certain things. Some of the things the RFK Jr. and has done. You know, I wasn't staunchly opposed to.

But the way that it has been communicated makes it seem that changes are being done because they found new evidence showing it's not safe or it's not effective. And that's just not true. So for me, it's been the messaging that has been the failure when it comes to some of these changes. I think we need to have open, honest discussions.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HOWARD: And she also really leans into this message that there is a need for clear health communication. And it will be interesting to see if she also leans into that during her upcoming Senate confirmation hearing. No date has been set yet for a confirmation hearing but we know that that is a critical, critical hearing for surgeon general nominees.

[04:40:00]

Back in November 2024, that's when president Trump made his first surgeon general pick, he nominated Dr. Jeannette but her nomination was pulled just days before her confirmation hearing.

And then in this past February, we know that that's when Dr. Casey Means had her confirmation hearing but her nomination has now been pulled and we now have Dr. Nicole Saphier as the president's third surgeon general pick in his second term as president.

So again, we're waiting to see when a possible confirmation hearing will be held and what exactly happens next now that Dr. Saphier has been nominated.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: For all you film fans out there, the summer box office is already heating up. Coming up, we'll have a look at the movies hitting theaters in the U.S. this weekend and what several big blockbusters could mean for Hollywood. Stay with us.

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(VIDEO CLIP, "THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2")

BRUNHUBER: I've been waiting for this myself, "The Devil Wears Prada 2" now in theaters. Keyword there, theaters. It's the latest movie that theaters will -- hope that will make a big money this year, following others like the new Michael Jackson biopic, "Michael," Project Hail Mary" and "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie."

That's leading to a renewed discussion and hope across Hollywood that the box office may finally be making a post-COVID comeback. This comes as people are increasingly tired of streaming price hikes.

Just one latest example, Netflix raised prices for all tiers in March. Joining us live to talk about this from Los Angeles is Seth Schachner, who's the host of the "Breaking Down the Biz" podcast and managing director of Strat Americas.

Good to see you again. Thanks so much for being here with us. So the 2026 box office is up about 15 percent over last year.

[04:45:00]

So far, we've already had several movies cross the $100 million barrier.

What's behind the rebound here?

SETH SCHACHNER, PODCAST HOST: Great to be here, Kim. Well, you know, it's the fastest start since the pandemic. And, you know, it sounds kind of basic and obvious but there's a lot of great pictures coming into theaters.

So you know, we have a really robust kind of slate of things coming. And it's a pretty broad spectrum, from Spielberg pictures to things like "Toy Story" to superheroes and action heroes coming back again.

And, you know, they're kind of event-driven, community-based, a lot of excitement around all of them. These are kind of classic Hollywood tentpole pictures and there's a very steady stream coming for the whole summer. So I think that's probably the most basic factor that's bringing people back to theaters. And that's what Hollywood's hoping. BRUNHUBER: OK, so that's number one. But I guess it's more than just

the movies themselves. It seems to be part of a trend. I saw a Fandango study that found that it's actually young people driving this, which seems kind of counterintuitive to me.

What do you think is pulling younger people back to theaters when they've clearly got so many options at home?

SCHACHNER: Well, that's a very encouraging piece of it. I mean, we saw a lot of that last year with things like Minecraft. And a lot of that is kind of, you know, social media and buzz and, you know, marketing amongst the younger generations, if you will, something that catches fire.

Even this week, there's something called "The Drama" that I couldn't even get into with Zendaya. So I think there is that youth factor, if you will.

And I mean, I still see social media, even TikTok, which, on some levels, are actually competitive with spending and the time you spend in movies or streaming. But that's probably the biggest piece of it in my view.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. OK. So we're seeing a rebound here but it's not all good news for the theater industry.

There are some parts of the business that are still struggling, right?

SCHACHNER: Yes, for sure. I mean, you know, independent theaters have been closing. You know, obviously AMC and Regal are the big ones. But there's a whole host of theater chains around our country here that don't have the same size and scale. And they've really been struggling just with the volume of pictures coming in.

It's this is the first time in some time where there's been a flow of movies for them. So you know, for sure they're struggling. They're trying to figure out how to manage their business with whether they're charging more for popcorn or merchandizing or charging more for seats.

So it's they're probably in the toughest spot in the whole landscape right now.

BRUNHUBER: OK, so charging more for seats that -- you couldn't have had a better segue there for what I wanted to talk about. Let's bring in "The Wall Street Journal" headline that caught our eye. It's about the $50 movie ticket. Regal tried that for some opening night Imax seats. Obviously, that's the extreme.

But these premium format tickets now, I saw, make up about 17 percent of all ticket sales.

So what are you seeing in this trend that looks more like airline seat pricing?

SCHACHNER: Yes. I mean the theater chain owners are trying to be as savvy as they can to survive, right? I mean, they're in the toughest spots. So whether it's wildly expensive popcorn or diet soda, they're taking a page from airlines, from maybe -- from hotels and they're looking, you know, primarily in big cities where people are going to be more amenable to spending because that's a huge pop. I think the $50 thing was for Dune 3.

So I think probably the real premium pricing is probably more along the lines of 30 bucks but they're trying to figure out how to charge more and how to, you know, extract more from consumers from heavy moviegoers who want to go.

And you're probably going to see that pressure on ticket pricing for some of the biggest pictures as they come out -- New York, L.A., Chicago -- some of the biggest cities.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. But it's not just theaters.

I mean, this is going into streaming as well, right?

I mean, Netflix, as I mentioned, just hiked prices. A Deloitte study found that some 40 percent of Americans now have cut back on their streaming options because it's getting too expensive. And there's a term for that, right, streamflation.

SCHACHNER: Yes, yes. Look, this is one of the most interesting trends.

You know, five years ago when we had the streaming wars come out, we were always saying, how many of these things do you actually need?

And I think we're getting to the point now where I think they're saying the average household is spending around 70 bucks a month for all these streaming services, save for three or four.

But how many do you need?

Do you need standalone sports?

There's a bunch of studios that have their own thing. So I think you're starting to see certain pricing pressure. A lot of people are saying if you raise the price of 5 bucks, I'm quitting basically.

And so you'll probably see some people, you know, cutting back because there are a lot of inflation across the board, even with other products and services. So you know, Netflix, Disney, maybe Prime, HBO, some of these guys might be safe.

But I think depending on how high they push that price, you're going to start to see some cuts. I'd add it's not just video; Spotify, some of the audio streamers, too. So there's pressure all around the streaming ecosystem on it.

[04:50:00]

And streamflation could be a real problem for the business. BRUNHUBER: Yes, absolutely. More cost and more ads. And it basically

feels more like you're watching TV old school now. We'll have to leave it there. Thank you so much, Seth Schachner. Really appreciate it.

SCHACHNER: Great to be here, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right.

Well, it's no runway but the Kentucky Derby has plenty of fashion sightings. A preview of some of the styles you can expect to see at the big race. That's coming up. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Well, it was a nail-biting Friday night in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The Los Angeles Lakers dominated the Houston Rockets, closing out their series to advance to the Western Conference semifinals. They'll face the defending NBA champs, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Now over to the Eastern Conference. The number one seed Detroit Pistons ruled the second half against the Orlando Magic to force a win or go home game seven. The Pistons are trying to overcome what was it three games to one series deficit.

And in Toronto, the Raptors stunned the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime, winning 112-110 with a last second three-pointer from RJ Barrett. The teams will meet again in their decisive game seven Sunday night.

[04:55:00]

The annual Kentucky Derby will be run later on Saturday at the iconic Churchill Downs track. The horse race kicks off the Triple Crown season with plenty of glitz and tradition. Fans' fashions are part of the spectacle, including, of course, those fabulous hats. CNN's Andy Scholes previews what we might see.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you know how long I've been waiting for this?

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS: Oh, what was the thought behind your headwear?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was really color. So I knew I was wearing a white today, so I needed something that was white.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought there's three different days, three different outfits and I wanted, like, a different kind of vibe each day.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The thought was to get something to match my outfit.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got it the day before I came here.

SCHOLES: Oh.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So not too much thought but enough thought to make it worth it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The big theme this year was, like, bright colors. And I was like, you know what, I want to look pretty much like a traffic cone. And you know what, coming in, I pretty much did.

SCHOLES: You were successful. How much did it run you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was $50.

SCHOLES: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't imagine. It was probably several 100 for the person before me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: About $400.

SCHOLES: $400?

That's an upper tier.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That is.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Last year, I paid over $500 for a really large hat. And so this year I was like, you know, I think I can make one myself.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was like, 20 Bucks. SCHOLES: Only $20. Wow. You did quite well.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was me with a hot glue gun up until midnight last night. I kid you not.

SCHOLES: Oh, you made it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I did. Yes.

SCHOLES: Are you ever going to wear it again?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I live in (inaudible) I'll be here next year with this.

SCHOLES: So you bring it back?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Probably not. One and done.

SCHOLES: One and done.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One and done.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely never again.

SCHOLES: Is that hard to maintain out here in the wind?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is -- it is kind of -- it is kind of hard with the wind blowing and stuff but I may manage it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And honestly, once you start drinking, it's kind of a sobriety test whether or not your hat is going to stay on or not and it's doing good so far. Check in with me in about an hour.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: I love that sobriety test.

All right. That wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news in just a moment