Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

President Trump Issues Stern Warning to Iran; U.S. CDC Deploys Resources to Contain Ebola Outbreak; American Christians Gather for Rededicate 250; Englishman Aaron Rai Made History at the 2026 PGA Championship. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired May 18, 2026 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Hey everybody, thank you so much for starting your week with us. I'm Polo Sandoval, live in New York, and this is "CNN Newsroom."

President Trump sends a new warning to Iran as fears of renewed airstrikes begin to mount.

And the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is deploying resources to help with the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

And Aaron Rai, becoming the first English golfer to win the PGA Championship in more than a century. And he did it in a dramatic fashion.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from New York, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Polo Sandoval.

SANDOVAL: And we do want to begin with U.S. President Donald Trump, as he's issuing a new warning to Iran, considering resuming military strikes there. And he posted on his Truth Social account that if Iran does not act quickly on a peace deal, he, quote, "that there won't be anything left of them," he wrote.

In the meantime, an Israeli officer is now telling CNN that President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Sunday. And that the call comes just one day after Trump met with his national security team to discuss the path forward on the war. And top Iranian officials hosted the Pakistani interior minister and underscored what they describe as the U.S.'s destabilizing presence in the region.

CNN's Oren Liebermann joining me live from Jerusalem with the very latest. Oren, so tell us about the president's threat to Iran and perhaps what Iran is saying in response.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, President Donald Trump has made quite clear on social media and in his multiple posts that he's running out of patience. The question is, when does he decide to act on that? And that is the key decision that Trump now has to make.

He posted multiple times over the weekend that Iran had better get to the negotiating table here effectively and get to a ceasefire agreement that would formally and officially end the war between the U.S. and Israel and Iran. But so far, at least, it doesn't seem like the Iranian regime is willing to compromise or is showing any willingness to soften its hardline positions on what it demands out of negotiations.

And that, perhaps, why you're seeing Trump make these threats here as he tries to force forward negotiations here. Trump met with his national security team and some of his senior advisors from the administration on Saturday to try to figure out a path forward.

Now, the Pentagon has already prepared multiple options when it comes to military strikes against Iran should the president choose that direction. And that includes strikes on energy and infrastructure.

The problem with that is that Iran will retaliate with energy and infrastructure strikes across the Gulf. And that will cause an even bigger global energy problem than we're already seeing right now. And that makes Trump's decision here a very challenging one to make.

He also spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday. I think Netanyahu's position is quite clear, Israel always believed the talks would fail and Israel is ready to resume attacking Iran. But it needs Trump's decision for that to happen.

Meanwhile, Pakistan, who has acted as the mediator between the U.S. and Iran, has tried to open up a window for diplomacy. Pakistan's interior minister was in Iran over the weekend meeting with the Iranian president as well as the chief negotiator, the Speaker of Parliament, Mohammad Ghalibaf.

But it doesn't look like anything came out of that. And you still have a major gap, Polo, between the U.S. and Iran when it comes to negotiating positions.

SANDOVAL: It really does. Oren Liebermann, thank you so much for the report from Jerusalem. And, of course, we'll bring you more on the Middle East tensions in the next hour.

As for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, now mobilizing resources in Central Africa in response to the deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. It also says that efforts are being made to relocate a small number of Americans directly affected by the outbreak who reportedly may have been exposed to the virus.

Health officials are saying that at least 80 people have died among more than 200 suspected cases. There are currently no approved vaccines or treatments for this rare strain of the virus. And that's really what seems to be driving the outbreak, as CNN's Anna Cooban reports.

[03:04:59] (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS REPORTER (voice-over): Eritrea province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A remote region filled with mining communities bordering South Sudan and Uganda. And the epicenter of a new Ebola outbreak.

The World Health Organization declares the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. And warned of its potential to spread.

There are already cases of Ebola in Bunia, Eritrea's capital and its surrounding areas. And that's put the residents on edge.

JEAN MARC ASIMWE, BUNIA RESIDENT (through translator): Every day people are dying. And this has been happening for about a week. In a single day we bury two, three or even more people.

COOBAN (voice-over): The current outbreak already has more recorded deaths than a previous outbreak in the DRC last year. And it's caused by the rare Bundibugyo variant of the virus, which has no approved treatments or vaccines. Health authorities are ramping up screening measures and contact tracing.

And so far there are no plans to close borders. This is the 17th outbreak of Ebola in the DRC. And some residents say they want quick action to contain it.

ADELINE AWEKONIMUNGU, BUNIA RESIDENT (through translator): My hope is that the government takes this new Ebola outbreak seriously. And takes responsibility for the hospitals, so the outbreak can be brought under control.

COOBAN (voice-over): And though most of the outbreak appears to be centered in the DRC, there are confirmed cases in neighboring Uganda. WHO says the infected people had recently traveled from the DRC.

At a hospital in Kampala where one of the patients died. Temperatures are being checked and hand sanitizer distributed. But some people in Kampala say they know how deadly this virus can be. And worry it's already here.

UNKNOWN: It's not a simple disease.

It's a deadly disease as well. So I should say, me as a Ugandan, I'm really frightened. I'm worried, I'm scared.

COOBAN (voice-over): Although both the DRC and Uganda have battled several outbreaks of Ebola over the years. This is only the third time the Bundibugyo variant has been detected.

And even if a vaccine or therapeutics can be fast-tracked for this strain, they'll likely be manufactured outside of Africa. As such shots have historically been slow to make it there. Which means containment is key to getting this outbreak under control. Anna Cooban, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: And here to help us unpack all this is Dr. Jean Kaseya. He's Director General of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Kaseya, thank you so much for joining us.

DR. JEAN KASEYA, DIRECTOR GENERAL, AFRICA CDC: Thank you so much for having me.

SANDOVAL: Of course, doctor, I'm curious, I'm wondering if you can update our viewers around the world on what the U.S., or at least from your perspective. The U.S. CDC now says that efforts are currently underway to relocate a small number of Americans affected by the outbreak in Africa. Is there any light from your end that you might be able to shed? Perhaps, if they were exposed to this?

KASEYA: Let me first say that today Africa and African leaders are so proud of the Africa CDC. Because on the 15th of May, once I got clear information from DRC and from Uganda, Africa CDC was the first one to declare this outbreak.

And from there, from day zero, we started to support countries. And I called for a meeting with all partners on the 16th of May.

The U.S. CDC represented by the Global Health Security was attending this meeting and all other partners. Today, Africa is increasing the response to this outbreak. But we cannot accept to not have vaccine and medicine available.

While the sense to make it is ready. And we need to have this approach to support Africa to have medicines and vaccines. Because we can do that.

SANDOVAL: With all that in mind, Dr. Kaseya. What are the biggest concerns that you have right now when it comes to containing this outbreak?

KASEYA: The biggest concern first, as I said, we cannot contain an outbreak without the tools like vaccines and medicines. But the second one, we are now working to increase the communication aspect.

Communication vis-a-vis our communities. Because we know that funerals are also main drivers of the spread of this outbreak.

We are also supporting our health workers by providing the protection measures to health workers. But overall, we are increasing the coordination aspect. Knowing that we are in a time of resources that are constrained.

And we need to have a strong coordination mechanism. This is why I decided to stop my engagement in Geneva. I'm going back today to Africa to coordinate with ministers this response.

[03:10:02] SANDOVAL: That's important. At this point, if health officials can't combat this with a vaccine, they can at least do so with information as you point out. What can you tell us about this particular strain of Ebola, and what makes it so difficult to detect?

KASEYA: You know, Budibugyo is the third outbreak that we are experiencing in Africa. We know very well the Zaire strain. But Budibugyo started in 2007-2008 in Budibugyo district in Uganda.

And we had the second one in Issyro in the northern part of DRC. This is the third one. But what we are seeing with the current outbreak, it's more violent than others, it's more deadly than the two other outbreaks that we had.

And now we are conducting studies to understand why this outbreak, currently this virus, is killing more than others. Is there any factor that can explain that?

We also know that we are in a region where there is insecurity. We have density of population and we have population moving from an area to another one.

From Ituri to Uganda, from Ituri to South Sudan, now from Ituri to Goma. We know that there is now a confirmed case in Goma. This is what is making this outbreak more concerned for us.

SANDOVAL: Dr. Kaseya, I have less than a minute with you. I'm curious if you could just close on what your message is to health care officials really around the world, especially with the summer bringing now increased travel.

Of course, many people expected to travel for the FIFA World Cup. What should the international health community be focusing right now, especially when it comes to potentially even expediting efforts to screen for this?

KASEYA: We need to increase the screening capacity. As I was talking to the Minister of Uganda yesterday, he was telling me, DG, what we need is to increase our capacity for diagnostics. We have the ability to do that in Africa and with Africa CDC and other partners.

We are not recommending other measures because we need to open borders, we need people to fly. But what we need is to make sure that we are screening each person. We are isolating those who are at risk.

And we are taking all public health measures that can protect all of us. I think for now, we are on top of things. We are leading the response.

And if we have appropriate support from our member states, mostly in terms of funding, but also from our partners, we can rapidly stop this outbreak.

SANDOVAL: Yes, so many people looking to Africa CDC for ways to resolve this. Dr. Jean Kaseya, thank you so much for your time, as always. KASEYA: Thank you.

SANDOVAL: We are also learning that Russia has launched a fresh wave of strikes on Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Air Force now says that more than 500 drones and 22 missiles that they targeted the country overnight, most of those were intercepted, according to the Russians. And this comes one day after Ukraine launched a massive drone attack on Russia, killing at least four people. Russia's Defense Ministry says that it intercepted 556 Ukrainian drones overnight on Sunday, with Moscow's mayor saying that air defenses shot down more than 120 of them.

Ukraine says that its forces had targeted facilities in the Moscow region, including an oil refinery, as well as two oil pumping facilities.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Today, the activity indicators show that our proactive operations per day are higher than those of the Russians. And this is a very serious result.

We will increase all forms of supply for our army. Drones, ground robots, shells, all resources to maintain proper protection and our active front-line operations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: And all of this is coming just days ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to China, which the Kremlin says will kick off on Tuesday. Putin will be holding talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during the two-day trip, discussing bilateral issues, and the Russian President is expected to discuss U.S. President Donald Trump's recent visit to China.

Severe weather is threatening large parts of the United States. Over a dozen tornado reports and more than 100 hail and wind reports have been recorded on Sunday in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. See those clouds there?

There were two tornado watches in place, covering more than 4 million people. Already several homes and buildings were destroyed after a tornado tore through parts of Nebraska on Sunday. You can see many homes reduced to piles of debris.

[03:15:07]

Vulnerable thunderstorms, they are in the forecast across much of the Plains states and parts of the Midwest through Tuesday.

And this same system, it's also bringing some very dry and windy conditions to some other areas and a significant risk of wildfire stretching from Arizona all the way to southwest Kansas.

And the southwest ship, I should say the cruise ship that was hit by a deadly Hantavirus outbreak will soon be docking in the Netherlands. After the break here on "CNN Newsroom," what those last remaining crew members on board can expect as they finally have a chance to disembark.

Also a complex underwater recovery mission underway at this hour in the Maldives. The very latest on the search for the four Italians who died in a cave diving accident.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANDOVAL: The cruise ship at the center of the deadly Hantavirus outbreak, it's expected to arrive soon in the Netherlands after weeks at sea. Dutch officials say the quarantine facilities are currently being prepared for the 25 remaining crew members and two medical staff who are still on board.

[03:20:02]

Now once the ship arrives, it will undergo a full biomedical cleaning as well as a full disinfection. Meanwhile, global health authorities continue to monitor and contract trace those who have already disembarked. And that includes a newly announced presumed positive test for one of the four Canadian passengers.

Let's go now to CNN senior international correspondent Melissa Bell who joins me from Paris. Melissa, your reporting took you all the way to the Canary Islands where we saw many passengers disembark. Looking ahead now, will this next stage look very similar to that?

MELISSA BELL, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think so. At this point, you're going to have 25 crew members and a couple of medical personnel that are still on board disembark when they arrive in the Netherlands. But at this point, what we've seen over the course of the last months is really authorities put in place all of these precautionary measures.

You mentioned Tenerife. It was there that the majority of the passengers were taking off and on to 20 different countries in order to carry on with their quarantine. I think it's important to know what we do know now about this particular virus, this particular strain of the Hantavirus, is how long the incubation period is.

You mentioned one of the Canadian passengers who was taken off in Tenerife, disembarked in Tenerife from that ship, only just now over the course of the weekend having been found positive. So those that arrive in the Netherlands today and disembark, these 25 people, some of them are not Dutch nationals but will not be able to travel on to their countries. What the Netherlands have said is that they will be quarantining there.

So what happens is they get off the ship in a sort of staggered process, just like what we saw in Tenerife, where they'll be taken off little by little in small groups. There they'll get screened and tested, and if they are negative, they will then be sent on home or to special facilities if they're not Dutch nationals, where they'll begin that 42-day quarantine period in order to see whether they develop any other symptoms and prove positive later.

So I think at this stage there's enough knowledge about this virus that these things can be carried out safely, but it is a very long incubation period and it's going to require them to stay at home. They're only allowed on small walks when they leave the house and have to stay within a meter and a half of anyone else. So it's pretty restrictive, these people have been through so much over the course of the last few weeks and it's not over in terms of them not being able to get to their life as it was.

So far, Polo, what we know from the World Health Organization is that there are 11 cases now associated with this particular ship, the M.V. Hondius. Nine of them have been confirmed positive.

SANDOVAL: CNN's Melissa Bell, thank you for the live report from Paris.

Well, search crews in the Maldives, they have spearheaded the complex search effort for the four missing Italian divers, and they have already paid a heavy price. A Coast Guard sergeant has already died as part of that effort. We'll be speaking to a government spokesperson about the mission's next steps.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:25:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANDOVAL: Hey, everybody, welcome back. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York and these are today's top stories.

President Trump is issuing a new warning to Iran as he decides whether to resume military operations there. The president posted on social media that Tehran, quote, better get moving fast or there won't be anything left of them, he wrote. A source telling CNN that the President is expected to meet again with his national security team to discuss the war in the coming days.

And with hundreds of suspected cases now under investigation, Central Africa's deadly Ebola outbreak is spurring international partners to send aid. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that it will be assisting in contact tracing, lab testing, and surveillance efforts. The agency is also working to relocate a small group of Americans who were reportedly affected by the outbreak.

Russia has launched new strikes on Ukraine overnight, one day after a massive drone attack targeting Moscow. Russia's defense ministry says that it intercepted 556 Ukrainian drones overnight Sunday, and the result was at least four people killed there. Ukraine says that its forces targeted facilities in the Moscow region, including an oil refinery.

Well, some of the world's top divers have just started a new and very dangerous recovery mission in the Maldives. They are joining the ongoing search for four Italian nationals who died in a scuba accident just last week. The body of the group's dive instructor was found soon after the deadly dive.

Well, now the highly expert Finnish team has already started their complex search in the caves that the Italians were exploring. CNN's Barbie Latza-Nadeau with the very latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBIE LATZA-NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: The divers who are part of the Divers Alert Network are experienced in deep cave diving. On Friday, a 43-year-old rescue diver from the Maldives also perished while searching the underwater caves. The body of Gianluca Benedetti, the instructor who led the fatal dive, was recovered at the mouth of the cave after the group failed to reemerge from their excursion to the caves on Thursday.

The other victims include Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor of ecology from the University of Geneva, and her daughter, Georgia Somakol, who was a student in biomedical engineering at the institution; Federico Gualtieri, a marine biologist and researcher, Muriel Odenino also perished in the tragedy.

An investigation is now underway to determine why the experienced divers had surpassed the 30-meter depth limit down to the caves, some 15 meters below the water's surface, according to an Italian prosecutor who has opened an investigation into the incident. The 20 Italians who were on the Duke of York boat but who were not part of the cave dive were flown back to Rome on an Italian military flight on Sunday, according to Italy's foreign ministry.

Barbie Latza-Nadeau, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: All right, let's get a live update now from authorities involved. We go now to Mohamed Hussain Shareef, he's the Maldives' chief government spokesperson. Thank you so much for joining us.

MOHAMED HUSSAIN SHAREEF, CHIEF MALDIVES GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON: Thank you for having me, Polo.

SANDOVAL: I'm curious if you could just bring us up to speed right now on what the latest information is, especially now that there's this team of highly experienced international divers that are there assisting in efforts.

SHAREEF: Thank you, Polo. As you know, it's a sad week for us in the Maldives.

[03:29:56]

Obviously, when we heard that the five Italian divers had gone missing, it literally blanketed the country in grief, and then we lost one of our own, one of our finest, one of our bravest in the search.

As you rightly pointed out, we now have the assistance deputed to us by the Italian government, but they are a group of Finnish divers with a lot of experience, particularly in cave diving and deep diving, who have joined the operation and are actively participating in the search.

Now, today they are diving, but they're only doing some orientation dives. They're not going to be entering the cave. So the Finnish divers, supported by our local divers from our Coast Guard and the police, are on the scene, and they're actually also being joined by a group of local surveillance companies, surveying companies who are using their ROVs to also help with the search.

SANDOVAL: What is the objective at this point in terms of timing for when this Finnish diving team is expected to make actual entrance into the cave?

As you point out right now, they're basically just getting a lay of the land, so to speak. When is it expected that they will actually move in to see if they can locate the missing?

SHAREEF: Well, they arrived early yesterday morning, had a lot of good meetings with the local team, and they agreed on a strategy which they shared with us yesterday afternoon. And of course, as you would appreciate, they can't dive until they're fully acclimatized, especially after flying for many hours.

So they are ready to dive today, but it's just an orientation dive, so they will not be going very deep, so not into the decompression zone. But we're hoping that based on the research that they're doing today and the information, the photographs, the videos that they're going to take today, they will be in a position, hopefully, to start more serious searches, possibly into the cave either tomorrow or very, very soon.

SANDOVAL: Mohamed, in recent hours, the CEO of Divers Alert Network joined my colleague and described what is basically a closed-circuit breathing apparatus that these additional personnel, these additional divers, will actually be able to use to hopefully perhaps extend the amount of time that they can focus on their mission. What additional capabilities or expertise is this team bringing that will hopefully allow them to bring closure to these families?

SHAREEF: Absolutely.

Firstly, a lot of experience. The team has a lot of experience, particularly in cave diving, deep diving. As you'd appreciate, being Finnish divers, they have a lot of experience.

And going through their resume, we know that they've done similar missions, actually very, very tough missions, in a number of countries. That's first. And they actually brought a lot of specific gear with them, technical gear.

And they've also, as I said, been joined by two local companies who are doing a lot of surveying work. So there is now ROV support as well. So in addition to the diving, they're getting a very detailed layout of the cave, hopefully the cave complex. But that, I'm told, a short while ago has been suspended for now because the weather, Polo, still is not favorable. There's a lot of current. So that is going to obviously be a major factor going forward.

SANDOVAL: Right. We've heard about those dangerous conditions that unfortunately have claimed one more life, as you pointed out at the top.

Finally, obviously understanding that the focus remains on recovering these individuals, bringing their families closure. Then I assume there is also the possibility of a very difficult conversation. What would lead to authorities to determine that the mission is simply too dangerous to continue risking the lives of living divers for retrieving the dead?

SHAREEF: That's right. We're trying our best, of course, it's not just a search operation, it's a recovery operation now because we understand and we appreciate the need for closure for the families, and we're talking about Italy.

By the way, tourism in the Maldives was actually pioneered by an Italian. That's the sort of special relationship we have with Italy. It's one of our biggest markets in tourism.

And of course, for now we are confident that we can, using the expertise, the experience, and also the technology available to continue the search. But, of course, it's going to be revealed based on progress in the coming days. But for now, we are trying our level best to find the four missing divers.

[03:35:02]

SANDOVAL: And we know that the investigation is still ongoing into the deadly chain of events that led to this tragedy.

For now, though, Mohamed Hussain Shareef, our thoughts are certainly with all the personnel out there underwater at this moment trying to get a lay of the land before they move in, and certainly with the families of the victims as well. Thank you for your time and thank you for the update.

SHAREEF: Thank you very much. Thank you for having me.

SANDOVAL: Still to come here on "CNN Newsroom," with barely any time to spare, the crew aboard two Navy fighter jets managed to eject after their planes collided over Idaho. We'll tell you what led up to this crash.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANDOVAL: Hey, everyone, I'm Polo Sandoval in New York, and these are your business headlines.

The Trump administration says that China has agreed to purchase at least $17 billion of American agricultural products per year through 2028. The White House says that this is just one of the deals that Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed to during the U.S. president's trip to Beijing last week, but they have not offered specifics on other deals.

Pope Leo calling for A.I. to be used in a way that, quote, respects the truth of humankind. He made the appeal during his weekly address on Sunday. In recent weeks, the pontiff has been speaking up about topics that are important to him, like technology and ending global conflicts.

Global oil prices are higher following the latest wave of drone attacks in the Gulf. With Brent crude the international benchmark, it is up more than $110 a barrel, while WTI U.S. crude is above $100 a barrel.

And two shipping giants are suspending services to and from Cuba amid the ongoing blockade by the U.S. Together, they handle as much as 60 percent of Cuba's shipping traffic. The French company CMA CGM and Germany's Hapag Lloyd cited President Trump's executive order issued on May 1.

[03:40:06]

The measure broadened sanctions on companies and individuals providing any assistance to Cuba. As the U.S. blockade against Cuba continues, the island's energy crisis seems to be worsening as the population struggles with ongoing blackouts.

Crowd violence broke out during the launch of Swatch's new collaboration with Luxury Watchmaker in Italy. The video actually shows some shoppers that were brawling just outside of a Swatch store in Milan on Saturday. Look at those massive crowds.

And in the video, it appeared that law enforcement pepper sprayed some of the members of the crowd. The customers were outside waiting for the release of the new Royal Pop collection.

The watch collection is a rare collaboration between the two brands. Its release has been seeing some long lines and heightened security just outside of its stores around the world.

Southwest Airlines says that robots are no longer allowed to fly, a bot named Stewie taking his first and now we know his last trip on the U.S. airline. Earlier this month, before he flew to Las Vegas, Stewie gave some high fives to travelers and even showed off some dance moves. This new policy later went into effect that bans human-like or animal-like robots from being transported in the cabins of these aircraft or as checked baggage, regardless of the size or their purpose.

Pretty cute though. For our international viewers, "World Sport" is next, and for those of you watching in North America, I'll join you again in a few moments with more of your headlines here on "CNN Newsroom."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) SANDOVAL: Crowds gathered on Sunday on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for a day of prayer. This event was actually backed by the White House. The celebration, dubbed Rededicate 250, a national jubilee of prayer, praise and thanksgiving, is raising some constitutional concerns and questions about the separation of church and state.

CNN's Gabe Cohen was there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GABE COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Trump delivered a video message late this afternoon, a reading from the Bible, and the very next speaker was a pastor who said he'd been to a lot of religious gatherings like this before, but this one felt different because it had been called for by the President of the United States. That got a big round of applause from this crowd, but it also speaks to a lot of the concerns that we have heard from those who believe that what this event is doing is pushing Christian nationalism in this country.

What was billed as more broadly an event about getting Americans and the nation as a whole to rededicate themselves to one nation under God, to restoring faith and values, that the vast majority of the speakers and the music and the imagery has been about Christian values and about the Christian roots of this nation.

And this has been firmly backed, this event, by this administration. Not just the President, but we've heard messages today from Secretaries Pete Hegseth and Marco Rubio, as well as Tulsi Gabbard and House Speaker Mike Johnson, who was on that stage a little while ago.

And much of the money that went to pay for all this came from taxpayer dollars as part of America 250, all of the celebrations that are happening across the country this year, which some argue blurs the line between that separation between church and state.

So I asked some of the people who came here today from all over the country if they shared those concerns. Here's a bit of what they told me.

KARL LANDGREN, ATTENDEE: Now, the so-called wall of separation between church and state is a myth, it's a misconception I should say. My understanding is that this event is partly paid for by private donations and some by taxpayer funds. So a debate could be had about that as to whether that's a legitimate expenditure.

VICKY KANAGA, ATTENDEE: He has put so much money in himself and I think things are tainted and not always painted correctly.

COHEN: So you have no issue with taxpayer dollars being used for this?

KANAGA: I'm not going to comment on that.

COHEN: This is not the first time this administration has been accused of allowing Christian nationalism to make its way into government policy and operations. Just look at the war in Iran and some of the messaging that we've heard in recent weeks, including from Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has talked about this battle between good and evil, only raising more concerns about the role of religion in this administration.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: All right, our thanks to Gabe Cohen for that.

An investigation underway after two U.S. Navy fighter jets collided during an airshow in Idaho on Sunday. Officials say that all four crew members from both jets were ejected, were able to parachute to safety before that large fireball erupted. Here's CNN's Rafael Romo with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The midair crash happened on the second day of the gunfighters airshow held near the Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, located about 50 miles southeast of Boise, the state capital.

A video of the crash obtained and geolocated by CNN shows the two jet fighters colliding. And after a few harrowing moments, the four crew members on board ejecting, followed by the two airplanes crashing on the ground away from the public. The Associated Press reports that a Naval Air spokeswoman said the four crew members are safe and being evaluated by medical personnel.

In a statement, the Mountain Home Air Force Base gunfighters said the following. An aircraft incident has occurred at Mountain Home Air Force Base during the Gunfighter Skies Airshow two miles northwest of the base. Emergency responders are on the scene.

An investigation is underway and more details will be released as they become available.

In a statement published last month, Mountain Home Air Force Base announced the Gunfighter Skies Airshow was scheduled to be held on Saturday and Sunday, May 16 and 17, calling it a free event open to the public featuring the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. Mountain Home Air Force Base announced on its Facebook page that it went on lockdown after the crash, and the Mountain Home police said the remainder of the airshow was canceled.

The base was the site of a Thunderbirds F-16 airshow crash in 2003, according to the U.S. Marine Corps.

[03:50:04]

Then in 2018, a hang glider pilot was killed during the same show, according to local station KTVB.

Rafael Romo, CNN Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE) SANDOVAL: And another positive outcome here as well. The footage that you're looking at, it was taken from the wing of this small plane as it made an emergency landing on a street in Arizona. The video made public recently, it shows a World War II era seaplane that was forced to land on a Phoenix street back in April.

Again, I hear no injuries to the three people on board. Early findings from an investigation reportedly suggest that the plane's exhaust tailpipe separated from the manifold leading to this hard, but fortunately good landing.

Well late night talk shows in the U.S., they're known for showcasing A-list stars, comedy and plenty of social commentary. But for CBS "Late Show" host Stephen Colbert, the commentary helped drive an end to his long run. This is his final week on the network, which says that ending the show was a financial decision, but Colbert's outspoken criticism of the Trump administration certainly played a role.

CNN's chief media analyst, Brian Stelter, has more on this end of an era.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Well, Stephen Colbert is going out with a smile this week, but he's also signing off with plenty of jokes at CBS' expense. CBS and parent company Paramount decided to cancel Colbert's show, "The Late Show," last summer, but it's been on the air ever since, giving Colbert a protracted period to say goodbye to his millions of fans.

And now the final week is here, and the promotional listings reveal a few clues about what to expect. Tuesday night's new episode features two A-list stars, Colbert's longtime friend and producing partner Jon Stewart, as well as the director, Steven Spielberg. Wednesday's episode will feature a performance by Bruce Springsteen.

And Thursday's actual series finale, well, it's going to be a surprise. No guests announced in advance, and there's really no reason for CBS to do so, because all eyes will be on that finale, no matter what Colbert does or who he invites.

Now, Colbert struck a really interesting tone in public about this cancellation, saying that two things can be true at the same time. He says it might be true, as CBS has said, that it was purely a financial decision to end this iconic late-night franchise.

CBS has said that the program was losing money, and the entire business, of course, the broadcasting business, is being upended. But he says it's also true that CBS and parent company Paramount had bent the knee to the Trump administration. President Trump had been a longtime critic of Colbert, calling for Colbert's cancellation.

And of course, Colbert has been a very outspoken critic of Trump, well, for a decade now.

So Colbert said in an interview with the "New York Times," both things can be true. This can be a complicated move by CBS.

He also said that he wants to go out on a positive note. He said, quote, "I've really liked working with CBS. They've been great partners, and I'd like to end it that way.

Eleven years is a long time to work here." He said, I feel so much better to be, quote, "grateful for than to be mad about."

So trying to end on a positive note. However, many outside analysts, T.V. critics, observers, they say CBS is diminishing itself by giving up on the late-night franchise.

Now here's veteran analyst Bill Carter, formerly a CNN contributor. Here's what he wrote in the "Times" this weekend. He said, "Having a late-night star on the air most weeknights has been a powerful statement, affirming that the broadcasters were still in the game, still offering original programming taped before a live audience that viewers showed up for year round."

He said "Successful hosts became their network's signature stars."

And getting out of the late-night business and partying with Colbert, he says, is a version of CBS diminishing itself and shrinking in the eyes of the public.

Now, CBS is going to put on a taped roundtable talk show called "Comics Unleashed" with Byron Allen in that late-night time slot after Colbert signs off. But it's a very different kind of show. No band, no couch, no interviews of celebrities.

It's a move away from the traditional late-night business. Of course, ABC still has Jimmy Kimmel, NBC still has Jimmy Fallon. But it's a big change for the broadcast world in the U.S. to have Colbert signing off this week.

Brian Stelter, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: And a reminder of the CNN Flash Doc, "Colbert - The Last Laugh." You can already stream it on the CNN app. So check it out.

Let's close with this.

Pro golfer Aaron Rai becoming the first Englishman to win the PGA Championship in over a century. Rai's eagle putt on the ninth hole and several more birdies down the stretch, ultimately allowing him the chance to secure that victory. "World Sport's" Patrick Snell catching up with the winner.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Well, many congratulations to Aaron Rai. You are a major golf champion. I wonder how that sounds to you.

And also the fact from Wolverhampton in England, in the Midlands over there, could you ever have dreamt this day possible?

[03:55:00]

AARON RAI, 2026 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER: It's an amazing journey to get to this point. There's so much that goes into it and so much sacrifice from so many different people, from parents, from family, from coaches, from friends.

Yes, it's still hard for me to get my head around it because I also think what's required to perform in a tournament like this, it's very different than having a larger view of things, a larger perspective on the journey to this point.

You have to stay extremely present, extremely focused on what's in front of you. But to try and reflect on it, it's absolutely incredible. Truly a dream come true.

SNELL: You are the first English golfer since 1919 to win this famous old tournament. That's 107 years ago. Put into context what it means to you, your family, and you just mentioned your parents there, the sacrifices as well that they made along the way.

RAI: Yes, definitely. From a very working class family, my mom and dad worked a hell of a lot just to be able to get me into the game, to pay for equipment. Had an amazing sponsor along the way as well, Shabbir Randhuri, who helped me with my education, helped me with paying for golf expenses.

So there's so many people, there's so much that goes into it. And yes, it's absolutely incredible.

I actually didn't realize no Englishman had won it in the modern era since 1919. I didn't realize that until yesterday it was mentioned in one of the interviews.

But yes, that's incredible as well. A lot of amazing English players over that time, and they've gone on to achieve so many things, but it's absolutely incredible for me to be here and to have won this week.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: I really appreciate you watching "CNN Newsroom," I'm Polo Sandoval in New York. I'll be right back with you in a few moments with more of your headlines.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)