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National Day Of Action Rallies Underway Amid GOP Redistricting; Trump's Sway Within The GOP Tested In Louisiana GOP Primary; CDC Updates Guidelines For People Exposed To Hantavirus; Understaffing, Poor Medical Care Drive Deaths In ICE Detention; Hundreds Of Thousands Of Commuters Stranded By Long Island Railroad Strike; Smoke In The Cabin Forces Plane's Emergency Landing; $1.25M Bond Set For Live streamer Accused Of Attempted Murder. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired May 16, 2026 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:53]

PAULA REID, CNN HOST: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Paula Reid in Washington. Jessica Dean has tonight off.

And we are following voting rights rallies across the country. The events called "All Roads Lead to the South" come as a major redistricting battle is underway. In a historic decision last month, the Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana congressional voting map. And in the ruling, the High Court effectively gutted parts of the Voting Rights Act, setting off a wave of redistricting efforts before this year's midterm elections.

Activists kicked off their events in Selma, Alabama, before heading to Montgomery. There, Democratic officials slammed Republican-led redistricting efforts, accusing them of trying to dilute the power of Black voters.

CNN national correspondent, Rafael Romo joins us now from Alabama.

Rafael, I know it has been a little noisy there, but what are you seeing there on the ground?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. It is hard to hear, Paula.

But let me tell you, the rally started at 1:30 P.M. Central Time, and we just hit the 3.5 hour mark here in Montgomery at the steps of the Alabama State Capitol, where thousands of people gathered to express deep concern because they say their voting rights are being diluted, especially after the landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court less than three weeks ago.

This day of action called All Roads Lead to the South started in historic Selma, Alabama, at 9:00 in the morning, local time, with a prayer service at Tabernacle Baptist Church, followed by a silent march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, site of the Bloody Sunday police assault on unarmed protesters in 1965. Around 600 people had been expected to march there. Here at the rally, Paula in front of the Capitol, political leaders, including Democratic senators Cory Booker of New Jersey and Raphael Warnock of Georgia, delivered speeches, as well as New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Senator Booker told CNN, this movement is not only about voting rights for Black people, but protecting democracy for all Americans.

Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ): Well, look, we see what they're trying to do. They're trying to rig maps and dilute African American voices in the House of Representatives. This is overt. We know exactly the end they are trying to create, which is a removal in some states completely of Black representation in the House of Representatives.

This smacks of the post-reconstruction period. There they used terror there. They used poll taxes. There they lynched people and they used the law, a broken law, immoral law to try to stop Blacks from voting and having representation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: Let's remember, Paula, on April 29th, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a landmark ruling, made it easier for Republicans to disassemble the majority-minority districts that are about all Democrats today have here in the Deep South.

The GOP has quickly set about doing that. Tennessee has already carved up a majority Black district based in Memphis to give Republicans a nine-zero map, and Louisiana is expected to soon eliminate one or both of its majority Black districts.

Alabama, this state has petitioned to lift a court order that requires it to keep a second majority-minority district.

Paula, now back to you.

REID: That's right, Rafael, because, of course, the Supreme Court said there are some ways to preserve those districts, but the one in Louisiana, they said, did not meet the requirements they laid out.

Now, what exactly is the message that Democrats are offering to voters in the midterms right now?

ROMO: Well, the message that we have heard once and again from Democrats who have spoken here on this stage is you have to do something about it to the people who gather here, and by that, they mean not only going out to vote in November, but also organizing to register as many people as possible, creating awareness about what is happening.

[18:05:14]

They say it is time to fight for a right, they say, that took decades to gain, only to have it lost three weeks ago.

Now back to you.

REID: Rafael Romo, thank you.

And tonight, a major test of President Trump's influence within the Republican Party. Voting is underway in Louisiana, where Trump is hoping to unseat two-term Republican Senator Bill Cassidy.

Cassidy voted to convict Trump during a Senate impeachment trial over his role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Trump is now backing Congresswoman Julia Letlow, but a third candidate, State Treasurer John Fleming, is refusing to drop out, likely sending the race to a runoff next month.

Joining us now, CNN White House correspondent, Alayna Treene and CNN politics reporter, Patrick Svitek.

Alayna, let's start with you.

How closely is the President watching this race?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Oh, incredibly closely, Paula.

I mean, look, in any race, when the president makes an endorsement, he is invested in it, and particularly because he doesn't like to make endorsements that he doesn't win. So obviously, you're seeing him have this level of wanting to closely watch how Julia Letlow performs.

But even more than that, and I think a bigger reason in many ways for this endorsement is because of his criticism and, you know, personal dislike of Senator Bill Cassidy, and what this shows, I think, is that if you're a Republican who crosses Trump, you see the President kind of make it a priority to try and take you out and ruin your political viability.

And of course, as you mentioned, Cassidy's cardinal sin was voting to impeach the President for what had happened on January 6th at the capitol.

Now, I do want to read for you what we heard from the President, because he did post specifically about Cassidy morning on Truth Social. He wrote: "Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana is a disloyal disaster. His entire past campaign for the Senate was about Trump. Now, he is with me all the way, and then after winning, he turned around and voted to impeach me for something that is now proven to be total B.S." He used the full word there.

Now I want to point out that the President's criticism today, but also throughout recent months of Cassidy comes even despite Cassidy really trying over the last 18 months or so since Trump got reelected to try and get back into his good graces and make moves that would calm the MAGA movement. And, you know, I think one of the biggest ones being his vote to confirm Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to HHS, to be HHS Secretary. That came despite Cassidy, who was previously a doctor, you know, having a lot of strong beliefs about vaccines and kind of disagreeing with Kennedy on a lot of those fronts.

But even despite all of that, it shows that I think, you know, the President has not gotten over that, neither has his team. He is still surrounded by a lot of the big political people who helped get him reelected back in November 2024. They are still holding on to this, and it is a bit personal for him.

So all in all, he is watching this very closely -- Paula.

REID: Patrick, the Trump factor here is so interesting because there are three Republicans, one an incumbent, right? And then you also have the Congresswoman that he has endorsed. And then, the other candidate, Mr. Fleming, who Trump has even recently called acceptable. Right? And Mr. Fleming actually took that as somewhat of an endorsement.

How does the Trump endorsement, quasi endorsement factor in here?

PATRICK SVITEK, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Yes, well, look, I mean, if you're a republican running in a primary, you would much rather would have Trump's endorsement than not have it. But Fleming has been a real factor here and I think has helped keep this race competitive. All three sides of this race, in talking to them in recent days, agree that a runoff is possible, if not likely.

And I think Fleming is a big part of that. Even in Trump's Truth Social post this morning, you know, he reiterated that he was supporting Julia Letlow in the race, but he later went on to refer to Letlow and Fleming as, "two great people." So I think that the President even recognizes that maybe some of his supporters in Louisiana are feeling a little conflicted on this one.

REID: Yes, it seems like he is effectively saying anyone but Cassidy.

Now, today's elections, they are happening under some really unusual circumstances with the House primary races postponed and a whole new primary system, even though the Senate primaries are continuing.

What the heck is happening here, Patrick?

Patrick, what is going on in Louisiana?

SVITEK: So, there is a new closed primary system in Louisiana where generally speaking, registered Republicans have to participate in the Republican primary; registered Democrats have to participate in the Democratic primary.

[18:10:09]

And if you're an unaffiliated voter, someone who doesn't identify with either of those parties, you can participate in one of those primaries, but you have to fill out some extra paperwork first. And this has been particularly concerning to Bill Cassidy because he is hoping to turn out a lot of those unaffiliated voters, those unaffiliated voters are people who may be more moderate, who may be less pro-Trump, less hardcore Trump supporters. And so he has been ringing the alarm in recent days that these changes have been confusing voters that he is talking to and confusing his supporters.

And so even today, you know, as people are voting, he is trying to get out the word that not only is the Senate primary still today compared to those postponed House primaries, but also he is trying to emphasize this new paperwork that is required for those unaffiliated voters.

REID: Fascinating political developments down in Louisiana. Alayna Treene, Patrick Svitek, thank you so much.

And we will have a lot more on the redistricting war taking place across the country. Our political panel will join us next on what this means for the upcoming election and the influence of President Trump on certain primaries.

Plus, we've got new exclusive reporting as CNN investigates, uncovers poor medical standards at ICE detention facilities that have led to preventable deaths.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:16:03]

REID: Another major loss for Democrats in the ongoing battle over redistricting. The Supreme Court on Friday tossed out an emergency request from Virginia officials to reinstate a congressional map that was approved by voters, but then struck down by the State Supreme Court.

The proposed map could have helped Democrats pick up as many as four additional House seats.

We are joined now by CNN senior political commentator and former senior adviser to Mitch McConnell, Scott Jennings; also Democratic strategist, Chuck Rocha.

All right, Chuck, Republicans, they are really coming out on top in this redistricting tit-for-tat. How are Democrats going to fight back?

CHUCK ROCHA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I think that the Democrats do have the wind at their back, but the Court decision is a setback and it puts different seats on the map.

It is ironic that in most of the seats where this Supreme Court ruling is going to affect folks like in Tennessee and South Carolina and Louisiana, there are no marginal seats.

Keep your eyes on Texas. Keep your eyes on New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada. There are a lot of seats there that are 50/50 and this is where the real majority is going to be won and lost, and these seats that are 50 to 51 percent Democrat or Republican and Republicans right now in the House are betting on that they are not going to do very good in those 50/50 seats, but they've got themselves a cushion now because they have more safe Republican seats after this court ruling.

REID: Scott is looking very smug right now, I will tell you.

But, all right, Scott, are these redistricting wins enough to buck historical trends and give Republicans an advantage trying to keep the House in November.

SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, it is certainly enough to put Republicans back in the game. I mean, the Virginia thing to go from a six-five to a 10 to one, that was a huge problem. So, when that map got flipped back and then you had a few seats coming in the South, that put Republicans back in the game.

But as Chuck knows, you've still got to run the races and I do think there are going to be a lot of close races out there. The advantages that I think Republicans have are candidate quality money. There is a huge financial advantage on the right at this moment. Democrats, in fact, blew about $70 million on that referendum in Virginia with nothing to show for it.

So I do think the Republicans have a little bit of momentum now, after frankly, spending several months in the doldrums thinking that this was a lost cause. Now you've seen a little bit of a pendulum swing back, but you've got to run the races and that's what will happen this November, I expect a lot of close House races out there.

REID: Scott, I want to ask you about what is going on today in Louisiana. We have the Senate primary. President Trump is trying to unseat the incumbent Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, after he, of course, voted to convict him in his second impeachment.

He has endorsed one of the two challengers, but also said the third candidate is acceptable. How does the Trump factor work in this primary? How do you think this is going to play out tonight?

JENNINGS: Well, you're getting on the wrong side of Donald Trump in any Republican primary is a huge problem. That's what happened to Senator Cassidy here, and so you had two other people file against him, Letlow and Fleming. Fleming is the State Treasurer. He has been around a long time. Letlow is in the Congress.

It looks like it will head to a runoff. Most people down there think it is likely to be between Letlow and Fleming if it does head to a runoff, so we will see.

But this goes for Louisiana. It goes for what happens in Kentucky on Tuesday. It went for what happened in Indiana a couple of weeks ago. You get on the wrong side of Donald Trump in a Republican primary, in most places in the United States of America, at least, that's a major problem, and that's what has happened to Dr. Cassidy here.

REID: All right, Chuck, we know food, snack runs very significant on the campaign trail and when it comes to Senate races, I want to talk about Texas Democrat James Talarico sparking a debate this week with his taco order. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think I know your order.

JAMES TALARICO (D), TEXAS SENATE CANDIDATE: Do you have breakfast tacos?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Potato and cheese.

TALARICO: That's right. I come here a lot so --

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I can tell!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REID: So, it is a big deal. He made this appearance with former President Barack Obama, and yet all anyone can talk about is his taco order.

[18:20:10]

Some have even joked it was a play for moderates. What's your reaction to this snacking snafu?

ROCHA: My reaction is I was born and raised in East Texas, and it is the same order that I have when I am ordering breakfast tacos. It is bean and cheese and its bean and cheese with egg, and that's the same thing that most people in Texas.

Now look, for all of you Yankees out there that want to start telling a bunch of folks from Texas what is right and what is wrong to be ordering, you need to go back to wherever you were.

I saw folks in New York freaking City trying to tell us how to start ordering tacos. I am kind of glad that this has caught fire, because it is bringing some attention and the ludicrous folks trying to tell folks in the South how and what they should be eating.

REID: Scott, would you like to weigh in there?

JENNINGS: Absolutely. Well, Talarico has had a bunch of food problems in this campaign. You know, the previous position he had on food was, is that we are going to make everybody vegan so we can solve the climate crisis.

So in some weird way, this might be a step in the right direction, but I never heard of anybody -- and if he manages to pull this off somehow in November selling six genders and no meat in that taco order in Texas, it will be my hats off to Chuck. He has got the hat, and I take mine off of Chuck if he is going to sell that to the people of Texas this November.

REID: Scott Jennings --

ROCHA: We do love some eggs down here, I am not coming to Kentucky and telling Scott about bourbon. Y'all stay out of tacos in Texas.

REID: Well, at least you're clear about that.

Scott, Chuck, thank you both so much.

JENNINGS: Thanks, Paula.

REID: And still ahead, we are keeping track of the hantavirus. Next, a doctor will join us to talk about the cruise-related cases, where things stand today, and why Americans should not panic.

Stay with us. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:26:05]

REID: The CDC issuing new updated guidance for people exposed to the Andes hantavirus, saying those at high risk can quarantine at home as long as they stay away from others, wear a mask and do not travel.

Right now, 10 confirmed cases worldwide are linked to that deadly outbreak on that cruise ship. At least 41 people in the U.S. are being monitored, but it is important to note, there are currently no cruise related cases in the country. The W.H.O. also says there is currently no evidence the virus has mutated to become more severe or transmissible.

I want to bring in Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, Vice Provost of the Global Initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania. He was also a member of President Biden's COVID-19 Advisory Board and served as a White House Health Policy adviser to former President Obama.

All right, I want to start out with the fact that people are scared. So can you explain to people how the strain linked to the cruise ship outbreak differs from what is being monitored in the U.S. right now?

DR. EZEKIEL EMANUEL, VICE PROVOST OF THE GLOBAL INITIATIVES, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA: Well, in the U.S., we've had in 1993, we had a hantavirus outbreak in four corners -- Arizona, Utah and New Mexico -- but that's a different strain than the Andes strain, which is what is on that ship, and the Andes strain is -- we don't know much about it. I mean, that's one of the things we have one real big outbreak in Argentina that's been reported.

So there is a lot of unknowns. How exactly its spread, how much casual contact you need. We do know from the Argentina experience that casual contact can appear to transmit it.

On the other hand, on the ship, only 11 of 150 people got the virus and that in Argentina, none of the health care workers got the virus. So it seems like it is not easily transmitted, which is the good thing.

I think a lot of people are worried just because of COVID PTSD. And you know, being cautious because there is a lot we don't know. REID: Yes, absolutely. So what do you make of these new CDC guidelines? Do they go far enough?

EMANUEL: I think they are right. You know, if this is spread by aerosol, which is the big worry that it would be spread the same way that COVID would be spread, wearing a good N95 mask is the right approach.

The one big worry here is that, the incubation period for hantavirus looks like it could be a lot longer than COVID, and we don't know whether if an asymptomatic person can transmit it and those are two big unknowns.

REID: Now, the WHO says there is currently no evidence the hantavirus mutated to be more severe or transmissible. What do you make of that?

EMANUEL: Well, I think that it is an important factor. We know from our experience with COVID and with many other viruses, including flu, that one of the big problems is you get a big surge and then the virus goes down in terms of the number of people infected because the immune system can control it.

But then you get a mutation and it is no longer recognized by the immune system. So, you get another big surge in, you know, infections and complications and unfortunately, in deaths. And I think that's what that announcement is really about. It is not mutated, so it is more infectious or more deadly.

REID: Now, more than a dozen American passengers are being monitored, of course, at the National Quarantine Center in Nebraska, what are you watching for with that group?

EMANUEL: How many of them convert? That's going to be the key question and you know, fortunately at the moment, none have, which I think is reassuring.

[18:30:19]

REID: Now, look, while health officials say the risks to this outbreak remain low, as you said, it's giving people some flashbacks to COVID- 19. People has -- have, as you described, some PTSD. You served on President Biden's COVID-19 advisory board. Do you think the government is prepared to handle another pandemic if that were to happen?

EMANUEL: I think we're not as well prepared. For one thing, we don't have a permanent leader of the CDC. We've hollowed out that agency to a great extent, not so much in the emerging and zoonotic infection section, but in lots of other sections related to pandemic preparedness. And the White House is not staffed for pandemic preparedness. And a lot of the buildup that we had during COVID, whether it's, you know, getting domestic production of N95 masks and other things have waned, and we never really followed through with a lot of the important recommendations that were made by a group that I assembled, as well as the government, things like upgrading our HVAC systems to be able to handle or create cleaner air in schools and public places. So, I'm worried that a lot of the same problems we face during COVID could be repeated here.

REID: All right, well, that's going to be deeply concerning to a lot of people. So,, if you're sitting at home wondering, what, if anything, can I do, what would you tell people?

EMANUEL: Well, I tell people that you, you know, should go about -- in -- in this case, especially, go about your everyday activities because we don't have an outbreak. The people who were on that ship are quarantined and their contacts are being observed.

I do think the main issue, you know, if you wanted to be extra careful, get N95 masks was probably the main thing that, especially if this turns out to be spread through respiratory tract people, you know, the aerosols in the air. That's the main thing I think that is -- could be a good precaution here if you're excessively worried.

REID: Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, thank you. And you can catch his new book, "Eat Your Ice Cream," the simple rules for a long and healthy life. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:37:22]

REID: Ten minutes, that's how long it took emergency staff to respond to an inmate that collapsed at a remote ICE detention center in Southern California, even as his cellmates called for help, according to a witness. Fifty-two-year-old Jose Ramos came to the U.S. nearly 30 years ago. He left the ICE facility where he was being held on a stretcher covered by a blanket. Ramos is one of nearly 50 detainees who have died in ICE custody since President Trump took office. And a CNN review of autopsy reports, court records and interviews found that many of the deaths likely could have been prevented. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez has more on this exclusive reporting.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONIA TOVAR, HUSBAND DIED IN ICE DETENTION (through interpreter): Very hard. That is why I tell my tree, I tell it my husband won't be eating its avocados anymore.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Antonia Tovar's husband, Jose Ramos, died in March, only about a month after being detained by immigration officials. He's now one of nearly 50 ICE detainees who have died since President Donald Trump's return to office.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOVAR (through interpreter): They used to call him "big hands" at work because he was muscular, right?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALVAREZ (voice over): Ramos came to the U.S. nearly 30 years ago. Last year, he was charged with theft and possession of a controlled substance and was placed in a diversion program, which meant that if completed, those charges would have been dismissed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALVAREZ (on camera): We know from ICE that Jose was arrested on February 23rd. His wife said they were making a stop here at the Superior Courthouse in Torrance so he could deliver some paperwork.

TOVAR (through interpreter): There's his truck.

ALVAREZ: Okay.

TOVAR (through interpreter): That one.

ALVAREZ (through interpreter): This one?

TOVAR (through interpreter): Uh-huh.

ALVAREZ: Okay. So, that's their car.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALVAREZ (voice over): Antonio told us she briefly stepped away, and when she looked back, she saw this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stand back, ma'am. Give us a moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALVAREZ (voice over): Antonio worried about Ramos' medical conditions, diabetes, and high blood pressure. He was sent to the Adelanto ICE processing center about two hours from where they lived. According to ICE records, Ramos went through a medical intake and was prescribed medications.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GLORIA RAMOS, FATHER DIED IN ICE DETENTION: I don't think it really hit me until I walked into the room and I saw him.

ALVAREZ (on camera): What was that feeling like?

RAMOS: When I walked into the room, his back was towards us and we walked in and I walked towards him and he was just sitting down, looking down.

[15:40:02]

ALVAREZ: We're driving to the Adelanto Detention Facility. This is where Jose was held for several weeks, and it's one of many facilities across the United States where ICE holds detainees. As you can see in this case, it is in a pretty remote area of California about an hour and a half of more outside of Los Angeles.

Now, Adelanto had stopped accepting new detainees because of a federal judge during the coronavirus pandemic, but that was lifted in January of 2025. And since then, the population ballooned from around three people to nearly 2000.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALVAREZ (voice over): A CNN investigation found that deadly outcomes in more than a dozen cases could, at times, be linked to substandard treatment at facilities where populations are rapidly growing. At Adelanto, four people in detention have died since 2025. A spokesperson for GEO Group, the private company that operates Adelanto, did not answer questions about Ramos' death, but told CNN that the company provides detainees with, quote, "around the clock access to medical care" and is, quote, "independently accredited by industry groups."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AUTOMATED VOICE: This call is subject to recording and monitoring, press one to accept the call.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALVAREZ (voice over): We spoke to one of Ramos' cellmates, Marco Martinez, who called for help when Ramos collapsed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO MARTINEZ, ICE DETAINEE: The guard didn't do anything at all. Like, he just kind of stood there and watched him, like, shake, and it got to a point where his eyes, like, rolled into the back of his head, and he still didn't do anything. The medical showed up, but they didn't show up until, like another 10 minutes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALVAREZ (voice over): According to a public ICE detainee death report, a registered nurse arrived one minute after a guard first noticed Ramos in medical distress and began providing aid. Emergency medical care services arrived 10 minutes later and began administering care. Ramos was transferred to a nearby hospital and was pronounced dead three minutes after he arrived.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROB BONTA, CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL: Lack of adequate health care staffing has -- has been a theme across the facilities including in Adelanto.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALVAREZ (voice over): The California Attorney General has the unique authority as of 2017 to inspect detention facilities in the state. The AG's office exclusively shared those findings with CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BONTA: I think a big part of the really difficult set of results and data that we're seeing, including the deaths, is the surge in number of detainees and the complete inability and unpreparedness of the facilities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALVAREZ (voice over): Ramos' family still has been notified of the cause of death. The uncertainty over what happened is a living nightmare.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOVAR (through interpreter): My god.

We want justice. Let justice be served, because my husband did not deserve to die.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALVAREZ (on camera): A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security disputed there had been a spike in deaths, saying in a statement, quote, "consistent with data over the last decade as of April 30th, death rates in custody under the Trump administration are 0.009 percent of the detained population." As bed space has rapidly expanded, we have maintained higher a standard of care than most prisons that hold U.S. citizens, including providing access to proper medical care. Paula.

REID: Priscilla Alvarez, thank you.

And coming up, one of the country's busiest commuter railroads is on strike as workers demand better living wages. We'll take you to New York, where thousands of people are now left without critical transportation getting in and out of Long Island.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:48:24]

REID: In New York, hundreds of thousands of people on Long Island are scrambling to figure out how they're going to get to work this week. CNN's Gloria Pazmino has more on a strike.

Gloria, what are you hearing?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Paula, it's going to be a messy commute on Monday morning if the strike is not resolved by then. About 3,000 workers walked off the job on Saturday at midnight after talks between the five unions representing the workers and the MTA, which controls the Long Island rail road, fell apart. They were unable to reach a deal.

Now, the workers are asking for a pay increase. They say that's what's needed in order to keep up with the high cost of living. We talked to some of them today. They told us that living in this area, one of the most expensive areas in the country, is really difficult, and they are asking for those wage increases in order to be able to keep up. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our argument and our fight is not with the commuters, because the commuters are our friends, our family, our neighbors. It's unfortunate we had to come to this position. I don't want to be here anymore than, you know, anybody else wants to be here, but this is the only way to get the MTA to listen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All we really want is to be respected for the work that we do. You know, we're here nights, weekends, holidays. We miss family events. I almost missed the birth of my daughter. It's -- we just want to be treated fairly and well compensated for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: Now, the workers are specifically asking for a 9.5 percent retroactive pay increase and a 5 percent increase for the current year, but the MTA says that increase will likely result in fare hikes.

[18:50:02]

Governor Kathy Hochul has encouraged both the unions and the MTA to go back to the negotiating to try and strike a deal. Now, if this is not resolved by Monday again, the impact is going to be significant. The MTA has put contingency measures in place. They will have buses available to help bring commuters in from Long Island, but they are asking people to work from home if they're able to do so. This is the busiest rail line in the United States. It carries approximately 300,000 passengers every day. Paula?

REID: Gloria Pazmino, thank you. And smoke in the cabin forced the emergency landing of a jet in Kansas City. According to the FAA, the American Airlines jet took off from Reagan Washington National Airport in D.C. with 76 passengers, including a U.S. congressman. After the emergency landing, passengers were standing on the wing, then dropping down onto the tarmac.

Kansas congressman Tracey Mann was on board the flight and posted this photo. Now, no one was hurt, and the FAA is now investigating the incident.

Now, new details tonight about a live streamer accused of shooting outside a Tennessee courthouse. A judge set bond at more than $1 million for Dalton Eatherly, who is facing charges that include attempted murder.

Eatherly is known for posting racist content online under the name "Chud the Builder." Investigators say the shooting followed a confrontation outside the Montgomery County courthouse Wednesday. Here's CNN's Isabel Rosales with more.

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We just got a hold of an arrest warrant for Dalton Eatherly that reveals new details, including the name of the man that he got into an altercation with and is alleged to have shot, that he's facing this very serious charge of attempted murder. He -- that other man, has been identified with -- by Montgomery County officials as Joshua Fox.

We also got a narrative here within the affidavit. They gave a lot more details into what happened outside of that Montgomery County courthouse on Wednesday. Officers noted that they watched surveillance video, and in that video, they saw that this started out as a verbal fight, that Eatherly turned toward Fox and then reached for his firearm, and then a physical fight ensued.

Eatherly, according to this affidavit, then shot Fox multiple times. Fox was then airlifted over to Vanderbilt Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery. The officers also noted that video shows what appears to be rounds that ricocheted off of nearby walls there, where innocent bystanders were nearby. Of course, this is a courthouse, a busy traffic area.

Now, Eatherly live-streamed himself the interaction -- it's caught on audio -- the interaction that he had with first responders shortly after he's alleged to have shot Fox. Listen to what he said happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DALTON EATHERLY: I walked past him. He was sitting on the corner. I walked up to them because they're -- they're pointing at me. They're laughing and pointing at me, and I said, "What's up guys. How are you all doing?" I said, "You all like the -- you all like the new suit?" He said, "Walk away from me." And I walked away from him. He came back up to me. He -- he literally said, "I have PTSD." I feel like I'm in -- he said, "You start saying all that (expletive) to me, I'm going to hit you." He hit me. Started wailing on me. Even after I had to defend myself by shooting him, he's wailing on me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: Now, in that live stream, Eatherly says that he didn't start shooting until Fox started to beat up on him. But it's important to note that in the actual narrative of the affidavit, officers note that in the surveillance video that they witnessed, this never turned physical until Eatherly pulled out his gun. Of course, we've reached out to his attorney for comment. But again, this is a -- this is a livestreamer who's made a name out of himself out of essentially rage- baiting, of saying vile content, of going up to people, especially minorities and black people, calling them the N-word, calling them chimps.

So, there -- there's been a major backlash from the community about this individual for a long time before this happened.

REID: Isabel Rosales, thank you. And still to come, as Cuba faces its worst energy crisis in decades,

the U.S. government is flexing its muscle. How a surprise visit from the CIA Director is ramping up pressure on the communist country.

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REID: As the late show comes to an end and Stephen Colbert prepares to take the desk for the final time, a new CNN special takes a look at what this moment means for comedy and satire. Here's a preview.

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SOPHIA MCCLENNEN, AUTHOR, "COLBERT'S AMERICA: SATIRE AND DEMOCRACY": Early satire was often cartoons. They're what are today's memes. We have examples of the "Join, or Die" cartoon. Ben Franklin tried to make it very clear what would be the point of fighting for independence. Then, we have great examples from New York.

JORDAN CARLOS, COMEDIAN & WRITER: William Tweed basically ran New York City, Tammany Hall. And so, what Thomas Nast did was he made a series of cartoons. One image of -- of Tweed is like his a -- his head is a sack of money, and he's showing the bloat, of gluttony and corruption.

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