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Louisiana GOP Senate Primary Shows Trump Maintain Hold on Base; Bill Cassidy Loses Bid for Third Term; "National Day of Action" Rallies Amid GOP Redistricting; Streeting to Challenge Starmer in PM Race; Good Samaritans Tackle Man Who Plowed Car into Crowd in Italy; Iran's Hold on Hormuz; War's Toll on Ukrainian Children; USS Gerald R. Ford Returns. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired May 17, 2026 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Lynda Kinkade.

Just ahead, President Trump's so-called political revenge tour claims yet another target. Ahead, the fallout from a closely watched Senate primary and what it reveals about Trump's grip on the Republican Party. A major rally in Alabama over voting rights is putting the national redistricting fight back in the spotlight. What the growing battle over electoral maps could mean for the midterm elections. Plus, the latest from Italy after a driver plows a car into a crowd of pedestrians. Hear how onlookers stepped in to help end the carnage.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Lynda Kinkade.

KINKADE: If you're wondering whether rising fuel and food costs have diminished President Trump's power within his base, Louisiana's Republicans have answered with a resounding no. Senator Bill Cassidy lost his bid for a third term Saturday, coming in behind two other Republican primary candidates in a vote widely seen as a test of Trump's hold on the GOP. Cassidy was mostly loyal to the Republican agenda, but he's been a target of Trump's anger ever since he voted for the president's impeachment after the January 6th insurrection. The Trump-endorsed candidate, Representative Julia Letlow, got the most votes but didn't win outright. She will now face Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming in a runoff.

Mr. Trump mentioned that the impeachment vote in a social media post after the results were in. In his concession remarks, Cassidy made a veiled critique of the president's continuing focus on him without mentioning Trump by name.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BILL CASSIDY (R-LA): Our country is not about one individual. It is about the welfare of all Americans, and it is about our Constitution. And if someone doesn't understand that and attempts to control others through using the levers of power, they're about serving themselves. They're not about serving us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Letlow told supporters she's ready for the runoff on June 27th and expressed her gratitude to Mr. Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JULIA LETLOW (R-LA): U.S. We have one more race coming up. And I will promise you this, I will crisscross all across this state yet again fighting for families. I want our country to be safe. I am so grateful to President Trump and all he has done to make our communities safe for our kiddos, and I will continue fighting for a secure border that he did on day one when President Biden said it was not possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, President Trump is calling for a primary challenge against someone who has long been one of his most vocal supporters. Colorado Republican Lauren Boebert has been campaigning for the Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie. Problem is, he is the Republican who infuriated Mr. Trump probably more than anyone else.

In a Truth Social post Saturday night, Trump asks, is anyone interested in running against weak-minded Lauren Boebert in Colorado's 4th Congressional District? He acknowledges his past support for her but calls her dumb for supporting Massie. She says she's not offended and is still MAGA. Massie has been an outspoken critic of Trump, especially over the Epstein files and the war with Iran. Coming up next hour, you'll hear from Kentucky voters who will have the final say on Tuesday.

Well, this all comes as the Supreme Court's recent decision to strike down part of the Voting Rights Act still is reverberating around the U.S. Saturday saw nationwide rallies called All Roads Lead to the South. Now, they come amid a wave of redistricting efforts ahead of crucial midterm elections later this year. Rafael Romo was in Montgomery, Alabama and filed this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The rally started at 1:30 p.m. Central Time and it lasted several hours 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.

[04:05:00]

This day of action called All Roads Lead to the South started in historic Selma at 9:00 a.m. local time with a prayer service at Tabernacle Baptist Church followed by a silent march across the iconic 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 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.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ): When we organize and mobilize, we accomplish victories not just for black people or for Democrats but for our democracy. Democracy is not a spectator sport. Too many people are lavishing in the democracy they inherited for our ancestors and forget that from fields in Gettysburg to the Boston Massacre to even the Edmund Pettus Bridge every generation people had to fight to secure our democracy and make it more open and more accepting and more democratic. Our generation, this is our test, this is our moment. What are we going to do?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: On April 29 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 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 9-0 map and Louisiana is expected to soon eliminate one or both of its majority black districts. Alabama has petitioned to lift a court order that requires it to keep a second majority minority district.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Montgomery, Alabama.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, the redistricting effort began before the Supreme Court's decision but the effort to rework House maps gained momentum in the wake of that ruling. Dave Wasserman is the senior editor and elections analyst with the Cook Political Report and he spoke with CNN earlier about where Republicans and Democrats currently stand.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVE WASSERMAN, SENIOR EDITOR AND ELECTIONS ANALYST, COOK POLITICAL REPORT: The House majority is increasingly in this era coming down to a patchwork of states that are playing by different rules. And the Virginia Supreme Court, which is regarded as pretty middle of the road, struck down Democrats' gerrymander on procedural grounds that they hadn't followed the rules in putting in place a referendum for voters.

But the Florida Supreme Court is unlikely to enforce the state's constitutional ban on gerrymandering in large part because six of the seven justices on it were appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis. Democrats started out this cycle needing to reclaim three seats on a net basis to win the House majority, which isn't much. And the historical pattern would suggest that Democrats are the heavy favorites.

But when we add in the plot twists from the past several weeks, including the southern states that have wasted no time after the Calais decision in eliminating black majority seats, the Virginia Supreme Court decision, and the Florida gerrymander, now Republicans are on pace to net six or seven seats from redistricting alone, which means that instead of needing three seats, Democrats need to flip ten Republican seats to get there, which is a bit harder.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, Britain is in the middle of some political upheaval of its own. The country's former health minister says he would challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer in any new election, where Streeting resigned from Mr. Starmer's cabinet Thursday. He says he's lost confidence in the Labor prime minister and that it would be quite dishonorable and unprincipled to remain in his government. Mr. Starmer is facing outright revolt from many labor lawmakers after voters rejected the party in local elections in England, Scotland, and Wales.

One party did make gains in England, the far-right Reform U.K. party. Tens of thousands of far-right protesters marched in London Sunday, organized by an anti-Muslim extremist who has led calls for mass deportations of migrants.

CNN's Anna Cooban joins us now from London with more. Good to have you with us, Anna. So, Keir Starmer certainly appearing in the fight for his political life, with many labor figures now discussing the possibility of his replacement. Where's Streeting now confirming he's going to contest it? So, what happens next?

ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS REPORTER: Well, Lynda, a few things have to happen in order for us to see a new prime minister. You've got Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester. He is widely seen as the favorite to potentially succeed Keir Starmer.

But it's not a slam dunk. He has to win a special election in the north of England in the next few weeks. He also needs to beat a candidate from the hard-right party, Reform, to then become a member of parliament, to then formally challenge Keir Starmer.

[04:10:00]

Where's Streeting as well, he says that he'll get into the race if there is one. He needs the support, as will Andy Burnham, of at least 81 Labour Party lawmakers.

I do want to emphasize that both Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham, they are very pro-European Union. And Wes Streeting actually yesterday saying that he would want to rejoin the European Union. So, we're coming up to next month, 10 years since the Brexit, which is difficult to believe. And it seems that those old divisions are rearing up again in quite a significant way, Lynda.

KINKADE: Wow. I can't believe it's 10 years since that Brexit vote. That is incredible. I know. So, I want to ask you also about the far- right protesters we saw. Some of them wearing the MEGA, Make England Great Again, hats on the streets of London. How big was the turnout? And does this signal a deeper political, cultural divide emerging in Britain?

COOBAN: To your second question, yes, I do think that. I think that Labour's sort of political issues this week has really injected some fresh energy into the hard right. In terms of turnout, there was tens of thousands of people, which is a lot. But it's less than the 150,000 people that turned out in September for a very similar rally.

This is a rally that's named Unite the Kingdom. It is a sort of broad church of people, in the sense that it's not aligned to a political party. But I do want to hand over to one protester who sort of encapsulates a lot of the feeling of protesters in that march.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want England to be England. And also. I want the boats to stop. And I just want our politicians, whoever it may be, the ones we've got now, or the ones that we get in, I want them to think of us, the British, whether they're black, white, yellow or red.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOBAN: So, Lynda, really, a real common thread of sentiment is anti- immigration. And this is what a lot of hard right parties, Reform, Restore Britain, are also championing. So, it's all to play for in British politics yet again.

KINKADE: Yes, certainly is. We will stay across it. Anna Cooban for us in in London, thank you. I want to turn now to Italy, where leaders there are praising good Samaritans who tackled a man after he rammed a car into a group of pedestrians. He then came out wielding a knife before four brave civilians made sure he couldn't run or hurt anyone else.

Well, for more, I want to bring in Barbie Latza Nadeau, who joins us from Rome. Barbie, police say eight people have been injured, four seriously. What's the latest on the condition of the victims? And what did the good Samaritans who intervened, I mean, did they prevent further harm here?

BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: Yes, you know, this really is a story about these heroes, these local heroes who went up against this guy who was wielding a knife. But first, those injured, we've got two people this morning we're hearing are very severely injured. One is a woman who was pinned up against the building that he hit with the car. Her legs were severed. They had to undergo a double amputation. Another person is very, very seriously injured. And we're expecting the president of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, to visit today, as Well, as Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister, to thank these good Samaritans.

Now, there were four people who basically approached the car, forced it open, and were able to pull the driver out of the car. Let's listen to what one of those good Samaritans had to say. But let me warn you, some of the images are very disturbing. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LUCA SIGNORELLI, CONFRONTED THE DRIVER (through translator): I forced it open. I opened the door, the car door. The suspect left the car, and while I was trying to help the woman whose legs had been amputated, he ran away. So, I chased him. A fight broke out. I was stabbed twice, once in the heart and once in the head. I managed to dodge one of the two, and during the other one, I grabbed his wrist and blocked him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I threw myself into Tigota (ph). In fact, he swerved, crashed into the shop windows at Dolari's (ph), smashing them, and severed the legs of a woman who was standing there. He crushed her right against the shop window.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NADEAU: And, Lynda, you know, it's just a harrowing experience for all of those people, obviously. And this is a beautiful, full spring afternoon. People are out for their passeggiata, which is the classic Italian walk in the late afternoon with the full families, little kids with their grandparents. You know, all that peace just ruptured by this horrific, terrible, terrifying incident, Lynda.

KINKADE: Yes. Very thankful to those brave, good Samaritans who really did step in. Barbie Latza Nadeau, thanks so much.

Well, still ahead, Iran claims it's negotiating a deal with European countries for paid passage through the Strait of Hormuz. We're going to go live to Abu Dhabi for the latest developments. Plus, the toll from the war in Ukraine on some of the country's youngest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:15:00]

KINKADE: Iran's state media claims that European countries are engaged in talks with the Iranian Navy regarding passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Reports come after a senior Iranian official announced that only vessels in countries cooperating with Tehran would benefit from what he described as a new mechanism to manage traffic through the strategic waterway. He also warned that necessary fees will be collected under the new system.

Well, Israel launched new strikes in southern Lebanon after the two sides agreed to a 45-day ceasefire extension. Residents in the City of Tyre could be seen sifting through the rubble after an IDF strike destroyed part of a residential building. Eyewitnesses say occupants were forced to flee with little more than the clothes on their back. The extension of the ceasefire was announced just days before it was set to expire. Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel is allowed to conduct defensive operations.

Well, for more, Leila Gharagozlou joins us from Abu Dhabi, And Leila, Iran's foreign minister says his country doesn't trust the United States despite the ongoing diplomatic efforts, but insists they are willing to give it a chance.

[04:20:00]

And we are hearing these Iranian officials signaling that they will allow commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. What exactly is Iran saying publicly on that?

LEILA GHARAGOZLOU, CNN PRODUCER: So, we've heard a couple of things from the Iranians publicly. Firstly, was this report from Iranian state media about the E.U. and Iran potentially talking about a deal to give the E.U. access to the Strait of Hormuz. Now, the E.U. and European nations haven't commented on this. So, we still haven't gotten it confirmed from their end.

But this comes off the back of this post from Ebrahim Azizi, who is the head of the National Security Commission for the Iranian Parliament. So, he holds quite a lot of sway. And he wrote on X just yesterday that Iran has prepared a professional mechanism to manage traffic in the Strait of Hormuz along a designated route. He also said that they would put necessary fees.

Now, this is important because it's giving us insight into Iran really doubling down on this desire to charge a toll or a fee for access to the Strait of Hormuz, as Well, as their sovereignty over the Strait. Now, this has been a key issue, as I'm sure you remember, between the Iranians and the Americans. The Iranians want their control of the Strait officially acknowledged. And the U.S. still has not budged on that particular line.

Now, we also heard from Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, who also posted on X, saying that the world order is changing. And Iran, through its resistance over the last 70 days, has really cemented that change in the world order. And we're going to see a new world order focused on the global south. And all of this really gives us insight into the Iranian thinking.

Throughout this process, particularly with the talks, the Iranians have said that they are coming from a place of power. And that is really view -- that's really what we're seeing through these messages, both from Araghchi, Ghalibaf, and Azizi, that they view the balance of power in their favor when it comes to this conflict.

Now, we're going to have to see how that actually plays out between the Iranians and the Americans, if we're going to see any sort of further diplomatic negotiations.

KINKADE: Yes. They certainly seem to have quite a lot of leverage. Leila Gharagozlou, thanks so much in Abu Dhabi.

Well, Russia's state news agency is reporting a huge wave of Ukrainian drone attacks overnight. It says at least three people were killed near Moscow in what's described as the largest attack on the capital in more than a year. Twelve others were injured, including workers at an oil refinery. Russia's military says it shot down more than 500 Ukrainian drones. And that's happening on the heels of Russia's largest two-day barrage on Ukraine since the war began. The strikes partially collapsed this residential building in Kyiv last week, killing at least 16 people, among them two young girls aged 12 and 15.

Well, to talk more about the war's impact on children, we're joined from Dnipro, Ukraine, by Yulia Dmytrova. Now, she is the director of Ukrainian Charity Foundation Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. Thanks so much for joining us.

YULIA DMYTROVA, DIRECTOR, TAPS UKRAINE, DNIPRO, UKRAINE: Thank you.

KINKADE: So, this past week, Ukraine has endured a huge wave of Russian strikes. The youngest killed was just 12 years old, a girl. We often hear reports about the numbers, but I want to hear about those directly impacted. What more are you learning about that particular attack and the children who lost their lives?

DMYTROVA: It's really horrible that our children just died of missiles and drone attacks. And here we, (INAUDIBLE) UAE and Ukraine, just tried to connect all together with families to find new ways how to live with lost and afterlives. And our childhood is just stolen by a neighbor, by Russia. And it's that our children now live all the time in a bunk shelter. They study there. They have a really deeply stress. And we try to develop for them to -- here -- life.

KINKADE: And, Yulia, we know that according to UNICEF and the United Nations, more than 3,200 children have been killed or injured since this full-scale invasion began. And more than a third of Ukraine's remain displaced from their homes. Given your role helping survivors, what kind of trauma are you seeing among widows and children and families who've lost loved ones?

I think we've lost our guest, Yulia Dmytrova. Look, we appreciate that perspective. Obviously, the connections are pretty difficult right now in Dnipro. But we will try and bring you more information on that.

[04:25:00]

Still to come this hour, a U.S. aircraft carrier has returned home after nearly a year at sea for a record deployment that included the war with Iran and the Maduro capture. We'll have more on the emotional homecoming when we come back.

And more pain at the pump for Americans as the war in Iran continues. But it's not without costs to President Trump's approval ratings. We'll have the latest poll numbers next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Welcome back to CNN Newsroom. I'm Lynda Kinkade coming to you live from Atlanta.

The USS Gerald R. Ford is finally home after a record-setting deployment. America's largest and newest aircraft carrier participated in the capture of Venezuela's former president and the Iran War. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth joined families in welcoming the sailors home Saturday. CNN's Brian Todd reports on the long-awaited homecoming at the base in Virginia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the end of an exhausting deployment. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the aircraft carrier, pulled into Norfolk here a short time ago after the longest deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group since the Vietnam War, 11 months out at sea. During that time, they had some issues on board. There was a fire that tore through the laundry area on board the ship that required 30 hours for crew members to put it out and keep it from reigniting. Then they flew sorties just two days after that. But also, they had plumbing issues on board. The toilets didn't work and they had to be fixed. So, a lot of that had to go in for repairs at port.

[04:30:00]

But, you know, family members told us about just kind of the nature of this deployment and the pure length of it. Two different times this deployment was extended. So, we talked to family members about what it was like to go through that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: What was the toughest part of this deployment?

JALYSSA DELAROSA, WIFE OF PETTY OFFICER 3RD CLASS OMAR MORA: One, him being gone for 11 months and him getting extended over and over and over. And then the pregnancy, doing it all by myself, because, you know, obviously he had to go. And the labor and delivery by myself, that was very emotional for me, having to deliver him.

PETTY OFFICER DAKOTA KLINEDINST, SAILOR, USS GERALD R. FORD: I think anybody that's been on a deployment on a ship, it feels the same. It's like, ah, you know, that's a bummer, but we got to do what we got to do, you know, like just we'll be home eventually. We got to come home eventually.

TODD: Can you tell us, Sarah, what the toughest part of the deployment was for you?

SARAH KLINEDINST, WIFE OF PETTY OFFICER DAKOTA KLINEDINST: Just my husband missing everything, missing his first steps, missing his first birthday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: So, family members telling us they missed important events that their spouses on board here missed important events like first steps, birthdays, but also actual births. One Navy official told us they believe that about 57 babies were born among the families of those deployed during this 11-month deployment.

Brian Todd, CNN, Norfolk Naval Base, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, as Americans continue to grapple with rising gas prices, President Trump is paying a price. According to the AAA, the national average cost of a gallon is now $4.51. That's $0.50 more than a month ago and about $1.53 higher than before the start of the Iran War. And that's taking a toll on the president's poll numbers. CNN's Harry Enten reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Only a week's time we will be finally hitting the unofficial start of summer Memorial Day weekend. And of course, a lot of folks are going to be out on the roads and they're going to be facing a lot of pain at the pumps as gas prices have been up like a rocket since the start of the Iran War. And you know what? President Trump is paying the price politically.

You can see it here with the disapproval ratings on gas prices of every single president this century. Guess who now owns the top spot? Well, it's Donald John Trump. Look at that, 79 percent, 79 percent of Americans now disapprove of the president of the United States on gas prices. That is the highest, the highest of any president this century, higher than Joe Biden back in 2022. Look at that, 72 percent disapproved of Joe Biden on gas prices back in 2022, despite the fact that gas prices back then were actually higher than they are now.

But fewer Americans were disapproving of Joe Biden. This 79 percent beats Barack Obama's 73 percent back in 2011. And now, Trump has eclipsed a record you don't want to break. The previous high for disapproval on gas prices this century for a president, the 76 percent for George W. Bush back in 2006.

Now, this is problem enough for the president of the United States. But when you dig deeper into the numbers, you see exactly what is cooking. Why? Why Trump's disapproval rating on gas prices is at a record high. And you can see it here. Break it down by party.

Look at this. You get the rare trifecta, the rare trifecta across the board when it comes to disapproval on gas prices, all a majority. Not so surprisingly, 97 percent of Democrats, oftentimes Democrats, don't like what President Trump is doing. You get 85 percent of independents. I only found one instance when I went back through the polling archive of as many independents disapproving of a president on gas That was George W. Bush.

But here you go. Look at this on your screen right here. 52 percent of Republicans, a majority of Republicans, disapprove of the president of the United States on gas prices. This, of course, is a Republican base that has stuck through thick and thin with Donald Trump, but not on gas prices, not on gas prices. Even here you get the majority of Republicans who are disapproving of the president of the United States.

No wonder, no wonder the president now owns, President Trump now owns the highest disapproval on gas prices of any president in the 21st century. (END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, despite Americans feeling the financial pinch, President Trump is expanding his plans to upgrade the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. He says the renovation should be completed by America's 250th anniversary on July 4th, but that it is a much larger job than originally considered. President Trump listed a variety of higher quality construction materials being used to increase the site's longevity.

According to the president, the renovation was expected to cost $1.8 million, but federal records show a no bid contract for the job will cost taxpayers more than $13 million. The renovation is also facing a legal battle after the Department of the Interior was accused of sidestepping congressional approval.

[04:35:00]

Well, President Trump's ballroom is also facing a new funding setback on Capitol Hill. According to Democratic lawmakers, the Senate parliamentarian has deemed the latest GOP budget bill out of order. It comes after Republicans sought to push through a nearly $220 million funding provision as part of a $1 billion security funding request. GOP leaders say they're working to refine the language around the funding, but the party appears split over the optics of the project's growing cost during a volatile election year.

The World Health Organization is calling the latest Ebola outbreak in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo a public health emergency of international concern. The WHO stopped short of declaring it a pandemic, but health officials say at least 80 people have died amid a surge of more than 200 suspected cases. There are no approved vaccines or treatments for the rare strain of the virus, raising concerns of potential cross-border transmission. The Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention said it will convene an urgent meeting to reinforce surveillance and response efforts.

Well, aid groups are warning that failed rains have put parts of Somalia at risk of famine. But global assistance levels have dropped in the last two years, and soaring fuel prices driven by the conflict in the Middle East have made delivering that help much more expensive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE (voice-over): Dry and desolate land stretches as far as the eye can see. This is Puntland, Somalia, where there has been little to no rain, causing millions of people to go hungry.

MAHAD FARAH MUSE, DISPLACED SOMALI (through translator): Even when a little rain fell before, it didn't last. That small amount is now gone, and if rain doesn't come soon, people may start dying, just like the livestock. People depended on the livestock, and now the livestock are gone. Everything's been lost.

KINKADE (voice-over): The United Nations says parts of Somalia are at risk of famine yet again if aid is not quickly scaled up in the country. The organization says almost a third of Somalia's population, some 6 million people, are struggling to find food, and children are especially vulnerable.

RICARDO PIRES, UNICEF SPOKESPERSON: Children are carrying an enormous share of this crisis. This year alone, around 1.9 million children under five are expected to suffer acute malnutrition across the country. Nearly half a million children are projected to suffer severe acute malnutrition, the deadliest form. These are children at imminent risk of death if they do not receive urgent treatment.

KINKADE (voice-over): Aid agencies are trying to stop another catastrophic famine in Somalia, like the one in 2011, where more than 250,000 people died. It neared the brink of famine again in 2022, but was prevented by early action and an influx of funding.

But mobilizing that kind of help this time could be difficult. There have been multiple failed rainy seasons and drastic cuts in humanitarian aid by the U.S. and U.K., as well as other donors. Food and fuel prices have also skyrocketed due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Somalia buys most of its fuel from the Middle East, and 70 percent of its food is imported. That's affecting aid operations.

Save the Children says the cost of private water trucks in one part of the country have quadrupled, and a 50-kilogram bag of flour has now increased by 30 percent. It's taking longer to reach critical areas.

MATTHEW HOLLINGWORTH, WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME: We had to wait an additional 40 days to get a shipment of food from other parts of Africa to Somalia so that we could distribute it. Those kinds of delays are exactly because of the global shipping, the global supply chain impact because of the war in the Middle East, the war in Iran.

KINKADE (voice-over): A race against time to help people in desperate circumstances when so much of the world's attention is turned elsewhere.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE (on camera): Expert cave divers from Finland are now in the Maldives to assist an ongoing undersea recovery mission. Search teams have been looking for the bodies of four Italian divers who went missing after a scuba accident. The body of one diver was recovered on Thursday.

The dangerous mission has already cost the life of a top military diver from the Maldives. Authorities believe Sergeant Mohamed Mahudhee died from complications in the decompression process. Officials say they think the bodies of the four remaining Italian divers are in a maze-like underwater cave. The deepest point of the cave is about 70 meters. That's about 230 feet below sea.

A sad end for the giant that captured the hearts and prompted thoughts of goodwill from people around the world. The stranded Humpback whale known as Timmy has been found dead off the coast of Denmark. Timmy had spent weeks lost in the Baltic Sea, sick and far from his natural habitat. [04:40:00]

He repeatedly stranded himself along the German coast, and as his health deteriorated, a complex last-ditch rescue operation was launched to save him. Timmy was successfully transported back into his native North Sea waters earlier this month, but sadly didn't survive.

Well, still to come, a change of pace. We have a surprise winner of Eurovision. We'll have the details next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Welcome back to CNN Newsroom. I'm Lynda Kinkade. And Bulgaria is celebrating its first ever victory at the Eurovision Song Contest. And this was the song that won it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: That is 27-year-old Dara stilling the hearts of fans with her pop song "Bangaranga." It crushed the jury's and the public's vote. The first time both have selected the same winner in nearly a decade. For seven decades, Eurovision has helped create some of the biggest international stars, including ABBA, Celine Dion and Olivia Newton-John.

But the hugely popular contest, which often features quirky acts, is facing its largest political boycott ever. Israel took second place, although its participation led five countries to boycott the event over Israel's war in Gaza.

Well, joining me now from Vienna is Joe Bennett. He is a forensic musicologist and professor at Berklee College of Music. Great to see you again, Joe.

JOE BENNETT, FORENSIC MUSICOLOGIST AND PROFESSOR, BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC: You too, Lynda. Good to speak.

KINKADE: So, Joe, you expected Finland to win. I was hoping it would be Australia. But it was Bulgaria securing the first ever Eurovision victory. What did it ultimately come down to? And did the results surprise you?

[04:45:00]

BENNETT: Well, obviously, it surprised me. I had tipped Finland to win in a very public way. And in fact, they came sixth. So, it just shows what so-called experts know.

But the winner, of course, "Bangaranga," a very well-deserved winner. I loved it when it came out. You know, I did score it very highly in my defense. But why was it successful? I think, in two words, great hooks. It was just super catchy. And of course, Dara performed it with such aplomb and enthusiasm and authenticity. I think that really shone through the final performance.

KINKADE: Yes, certainly did. Of course, Australia's Delta Goodrem, who grew up in my old neighborhood, topped the Eurovision 2026 audience poll with avoiders. How -- what does that tell you about how her performance landed with the audience?

BENNETT: Well, I think "Eclipse" was a very fine song. And it's extremely well-written. And of course, she's an established performer. We know that in Eurovision, that can sometimes be a risk, established performers trying to bring their name recognition.

In fact, one country bought in Boy George as a gimmick and didn't even make the semifinals, but make it through to the final. So, but in the case of the Delta Goodrem song, I just think she gave a very sincere performance. It was a shiny piece of Euro pop, very well produced, very well put together with excellent performance values.

But on the night, you just never know which way the voters are going to go and what's going to capture the public imagination.

KINKADE: Yes, exactly. The -- one that had probably the worst result was, of course, the U.K., finishing at the bottom of the scoreboard. Yet again, failed to receive any public vote points. Why does Britain continue to struggle at the Eurovision, despite the heavy investment?

BENNETT: Yes. I feel sad for my fellow countrymen as a Brit. But we don't have a great track record in the last quarter century or so in Eurovision. I think there are two reasons. One is the U.K. treats Eurovision sometimes as a little bit of irony and treats it as a little bit of a joke. And sometimes, not always, but sometimes puts in sort of jokey entries.

And two is they sometimes don't like to play the Eurovision game. You know, they like to try and innovate. And this is a good example of that. Sam Battle, otherwise known as Look Mum No Computer. It's a great song. It's really quirky. It's really interesting. But it's also very British. And it contains lots of lyric fragments of British slang that I don't know what Europeans could possibly have made of the very unusual use of language in that song.

KINKADE: Of course, despite all the controversy, Eurovision still managed to draw an audience of more than 100 million viewers worldwide. Does this year prove that the contest is becoming more influential than ever before?

BENNETT: Well, it's certainly getting a lot of coverage, isn't it? And in this, its 70th year, there was very much an atmosphere of celebration, certainly in all the venues that I was in here in Vienna this week. So, yes, I think that's true to say. It's still going strong, the competition. Obviously, it weathers its geopolitical storms.

But I think it carries with it some very human values of, you know, inclusiveness, unity. Music making brings us all together. And as a musicologist, of course, I would say, I think that's a very beautiful thing. KINKADE: Yes, it certainly is. And, Joe, I've got a quirky sort of a question for you. If you had to sum up this year's contest in one song, not necessarily from this show, what would it be?

BENNETT: Oh, well, being British and being from the '80s, I would say "Making Your Mind Up," Bucks Fizz, 1981.

KINKADE: Great choice. Joe Bennett, good to have you with us. Thanks so much.

BENNETT: Thank you.

KINKADE: Well, thunderstorms and record high temperatures are in store for parts of the U.S. Coming up, the latest weather details, next.

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KINKADE: Well, if you have children, you're likely familiar with the viral and nonsensical 6-7 hand gesture trend. Well, Pope Leo playfully joined in with a group of kids visiting the Vatican. Take a look.

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CROWD: 6-7.

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KINKADE: The pontiff there, taking a moment out of his busy day to show off the pop culture fluency to the delight of those young kids.

At the 151st Preakness Stakes horse race, Napoleon Solo left it all on the track Saturday, rallying a major come from behind win. A surging sprint in the final straight saw the three-year-old overtake the leading favorite Taj Mahal. Barreling close behind in second place was Iron Honor, and in third was Chip Honcho. But none were able to catch Napoleon Solo down the stretch. Now, all eyes will shift to the Belmont Stakes in June, where the Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo is expected to return for the final leg of the horse racing Triple Crown.

Well, severe thunderstorms are hitting parts of central U.S. this weekend. It's expected to continue into the week before temperatures heat up again, potentially reaching record highs by Tuesday. CNN Meteorologist Melissa Nord has the latest.

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MELISSA NORD, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We saw some storms developing on Saturday, and we're going to see more throughout the day on Sunday, Monday, and even Tuesday of early in the work week as we see this area of low-pressure producing thunderstorms meeting up with that warmer, moist air coming off the Gulf.

[04:55:00]

You can see the outlook for Sunday includes Minneapolis, Omaha, even in towards Iowa, that we're going to expect some of those severe storms with damaging winds, large hail, and even a couple of tornadoes. Possible that tornado threat ramps up even higher on Monday, and those main areas of concern stretch all the way as far east as Chicago and central Michigan.

Here's the big picture set up for Sunday. The warm, moist air coming off the South. We've got the strong winds That's kind of the collision point of where those storms are firing off. Forecast radars we had through the day on Sunday. More showers and storms developing there throughout the central and high Plains. We'll see those moving east overnight and then Monday.

New rounds of storms and even into Monday evening, we've got another push of low pressure coming in, including producing some late season snowfall there to the front range of the Rockies. You can see storms Monday overnight moving towards Omaha, eastern Iowa and Minneapolis as well.

Now, in advance of this storm system, there is a lot of heat to come. In fact, some of these temperatures the next few days could be running 15 to 20 degrees above average. Every single dot on this map through Sunday, Monday and Tuesday represents a potential record high temperature that includes heat that's going to move east spreading into the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast as well.

Check out some of these high temperatures. The next few days we could see a streak of 90s for DC. Even Boston could hit the 90-degree mark by Tuesday.

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KINKADE: South Korea's annual Lotus Lantern Festival honored Buddha's upcoming birthday with a futuristic flair over the weekend for humanoid robots have become recently. Buddhist monks have that have recently become Buddhist monks joined to lead Saturday's celebratory parade through the streets of Seoul. One on look at ascribed to Buddhism as a very tolerant religion after seeing the way it's embracing the new technology.

Well, thanks so much for joining us. For this edition of CNN Newsroom, I'm Lynda Kinkade. I'll be back with much more news in just a moment.

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