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Xi & Putin Look to Expand Ties on Trade, Tech and Military; Officers Who Defended U.S. Capitol Sue to Halt $1.8 Billion Fund; Itamar Ben-Gvir Shown Mocking Detained Activists who Tried to Bring Aid to Gaza; Scientists Find 1,100+ Unusual Species Deep in the Ocean; Meta Cuts 10 Percent of Workforce in Shift Toward A.I.; SpaceX Files for IPO; Heavy Storms Bring Flash Flooding to New York and Atlanta; Rafael Nadal Opens Up About Struggles With Anxiety, Stress; Aston Villa Triumph Over Freiburg 3-0 in Final. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired May 21, 2026 - 02:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:34]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM, the global effort to contain the deadly Ebola virus. Cases are rising, and a vaccine could take months. I'll speak to a spokesperson from the World Health Organization.

The U.S. indicts former Cuban President Raul Castro. We will have reaction from the Cuban government and from exiles in Miami.

Plus, the extraordinary find deep underwater, scientists discover more than 1,000 new marine species in a landmark ocean census.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Good to have you with us. And we begin with the international efforts to fight a deadly Ebola outbreak in Central Africa. The World Health Organization says the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda is spreading fast. The DRC says at least 148 deaths are thought to be linked to the outbreak, with hundreds of suspected cases.

The WHO says it poses a high risk at a local and regional level, but so far global risks remain low. Many countries are taking steps to help stop the spread of the virus, including limiting travel from the affected region, implementing travel screenings, and sending medical supplies and resources. The head of the World Health Organization says he is deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the outbreak.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: We expect those numbers to keep increasing, given the amount of time the virus was circulating before the outbreak was detected.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The U.S. is coordinating a shipment of an experimental treatment for potential use in high-risk Americans exposed to the virus.

Meanwhile, the E.U. is sending around 100 tons of medical supplies to the DRC to help stop the outbreak. A doctor on the front line says help can't come soon enough.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ISAAC MUGENI, MEDICAL DIRECTOR, RWAMPARA GENERAL HOSPITAL: (through translator): Although we keep receiving cases, we don't have enough space to admit and hospitalize them. We have set up a tent right here already, and perhaps we will need another one to try to isolate patients in the immediate future. There aren't enough medications, protector equipment, or even staff.

We will also need support to try and increase the number of staff who can actually take care of these patients.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN's Larry Madowo is in neighboring Kenya with the latest on the international push to stop this Ebola outbreak.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right now, there is massive international efforts to help the Democratic Republic of Congo bring an Ebola outbreak under control, and cut the chain of transmission. The European Union sending 100 tons of medical aid, the U.S. saying it is sending a disaster assistance response team, and the Africa CDC giving a million dollars, so that more personnel can go there.

Even Russia pitching in, the international community has surged medical personnel, supplies, equipment, lab testing kits, PPE, everything they need to make sure that Ebola does not get out of control and spread to the rest of the world.

At the same time, officials are investigating when and where this outbreak began. The work in theory: the death of an individual on April 20th. Two days later, they were moved, and then on May 5th there was a funeral that is believed to have been a super spreader event. They picked up on social media about the reports of deaths of several people linked to that funeral and they began testing immediately and it was confirmed that that is likely where this could have begun. More investigation is still going on, but here's the World Health Organization.

ANAIS LEGAND, TECHNICAL OFFICER, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: Given the scale, we are thinking that it has started probably a couple of months ago, but investigations are ongoing, and our priority is really to cut the transmission chain by implementing contact tracing, isolating and caring for all suspect and confirmed cases.

MADOWO: Most of the suspected Ebola cases, and the deaths are concentrated in Ituri. This is a remote northeastern part of the DRC that borders Uganda and South Sudan, but as more surveillance and contact tracing happens, we will know if it has spread for the couple of months that the World Health Organization suspects latest numbers from the Congolese Health Ministry say the deaths are up to 148, these again are suspected cases, the number of confirmed cases are much lower, but they're surging the equipment so that they can do more testing and know exactly how many of the cases that tracking the people who have come into contact with suspected cases are actually positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.

[02:05:39]

But the DRC at pains to tell the world that they have experience maintaining these kinds of situations. They've had 17 Ebola outbreaks and brought all of them under control, and they will do the same here as well.

Larry Madowo, CNN, Nairobi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Let's go live now to Geneva, Switzerland, to a spokesperson for the World Health Organization, Tarik Jasarevic, appreciate you joining us.

TARIK JASAREVIC, SPOKESPERSON, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: Good morning.

CHURCH: So, this rare Ebola strain is spreading fast, with nearly 600 suspected cases in the DRC and two confirmed cases in Uganda, and your organization is calling this a public health emergency of international concern, so how bad could this get, do you think?

JASAREVIC: Well, it could get bad because of several factors. This is very remote area in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. There is a already humanitarian crisis in that area. It's densely populated, it's a mining area. There are security concerns. There is a high movement of population, and the outbreak has started weeks, if not months ago. And there was a delay in detecting the first case, because it was one of the strains that we had not seen in previous outbreaks, Bundibugyo type of Ebola virus.

So, as we have heard from Dr. Tedros, we may expect more cases. It is really a race against time now to identify transmission chains, take care of people who are infected, and make sure that we know who have been in contact with them, so we can monitor them, and in that way, really basic public health measures to cut those transmission chains,

CHURCH: And I do want to talk to you about that delay in just a moment, but first, of course, this particular Ebola strain currently has no vaccine or treatment, so there is a major effort underway to contain and control the outbreak in the DRC in Uganda. How difficult is it to do that, or what's the process? JASAREVIC: Well, on one hand, we will be working on therapeutics and vaccines, but it will take time. There's a need for clinical trials. It will take much longer to get there. What we need to do immediately is again really work with the community, and this is really the key. The outside help is important, but we need the trust of the community and work with the community, so everyone who may have been exposed is being monitored, that people who are infected can get proper medical care, because early supportive care is vital, really.

So, we need to have teams that will do contact tracing. We need treatment centers. We need labs in place to be able to test people. Again, it is a difficult area, hard to reach area, and that partly explains why it took weeks to identify this outbreak.

CHURCH: Right, as you mentioned, your organization, the WHO, says that the outbreak likely started a couple of months ago, and one former USAID employee tells CNN that delay in detection of this Ebola strain would have been avoided if the U.S. aid was still in the DRC, but the U.S. State Department denies the Ebola outbreak is linked to the Trump administration's dismantling of USAID. What is your response to that?

JASAREVIC: First of all, Bundibugyo virus has the same symptoms as other Ebola viruses, and when these people initial cases have been tested for Ebola Zaire, they tested negative, so we needed to send samples to Kinshasa, so we can get results for Bundibugyo.

So, that also explains it's hard to reach area, there are many other diseases that are circulating in the area now, when it comes to funding, orally reduce in a funding in health area in DRC, and the other countries have had impact on the communities, but again, it's too early now to speak how much of that really impacted this response?

Really, what we need to do now is a focus on the response itself, try to find people care for people and try to end this outbreak as soon as possible. We believe that the DRC has experience and can really national health authorities can put in place with our support everything that is needed.

[02:10:15]

CHURCH: And of course, we mentioned that no treatment is available for this particular strain, but experts from your organization, as you have said, they say that there are two possible vaccines under consideration. Can you tell us more about the timeline for a possible vaccine that you touched on there.

JASAREVIC: We immediately activated our research and development blueprint activities. We had a meeting yesterday. There is a one vaccine that that is being developed that is promising, but there are currently no doses even to start trials, so it will take several months before we are able to put in place protocols that are needed for clinical trials, so that can take down the same thing for the treatment. There are two possible treatments, but again we need to start -- we need to start with clinical trials that will take time.

So, if we have to work on that track, but what we can do now, and what is really important, is to work with the community and try to find and identify all cases.

CHURCH: Yes, of course, that is the priority. Tarik Jasarevic, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it.

JASAREVIC: Thank you.

CHURCH: Iran is now dismissing any talk of ultimatums or deadlines for a peace deal with the U.S., calling the claims ridiculous. That's from the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, Esmaeil Baghaei. He says Tehran is continuing to exchange messages with the US operating under, "Suspicion and good faith." It comes after President Trump delayed a new round of attacks against Iran this week, despite his warning that the clock is ticking to make a deal.

Well, during what's being described as a tense phone call, the U.S. President and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared differing views on how to proceed with the Iran war. CNN's Kristen Holmes reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump today answering questions on the state of a potential deal with Iran, saying that these delays and negotiations weren't annoying or bothersome to him, if they could eventually save lives. And we have reported that President Trump and the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, spoke on the phone in roughly an hour long conversation on Tuesday. Here's what President Trump said about that:

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He'll do whatever I want him to do, he's a very good man, he'll do whatever I want him to do, and he said -- he's a great guy. To me, he's a great guy.

HOLMES: President Trump also praised his counterpart, saying that he wasn't treated fairly. He also talked about his own popularity in Israel, joking that he himself could be elected prime minister.

Kristen Holmes, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Still to come, the Trump administration has indicted former Cuban President Raul Castro. We will take a look at how Cuban exiles in Miami are reacting to the announcement.

Plus, hundreds of new species have been discovered deep beneath the ocean surface. Later this hour, we will speak with the lead scientists about these remarkable discoveries. Back with that and more in just a moment.

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[02:17:57]

CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. The Trump administration has indicted former Cuban President Raul Castro for his alleged role in a fatal attack on two planes in 1996. The 94-year-old was Defense Minister at the time, the downing of the civilian aircraft killed four people, including three Americans. At a ceremony honoring the victims, Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TODD BLANCHE, DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: This isn't a show indictment. This is an indictment because we expect that there was a warrant issued for his arrest, so we expect that he will show up here by his own will or by another way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Amid the heightened tensions between the U.S. and Cuba. The U.S. military says an aircraft carrier strike group has arrived in the Caribbean, but President Donald Trump says there will be no escalation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Should we expect any escalation here, or should they expect anything?

TRUMP: No, no, you won't. There won't be escalation. I don't think there needs to be.

Look, the place is falling apart. It's a mess, and they've sort of lost control, they've really lost control of Cuba.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The Cuban government is condemning the charges, with Cuba's current president writing on X that the U.S. indictment, "Only reveals the arrogance and frustration that the representatives of the empire feel toward the Cuban leadership."

And CNN is covering all the angles of this story. We have Carolina Peguero in Miami with reaction from Cuban exiles and Patrick Oppmann in Havana with more on what Cubans are saying. Patrick.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN HAVANA BUREAU CHIEF: Cuban officials are blasting an indictment announced on Wednesday in Miami, that for the first time charges Raul Castro with a downing of two civilian aircraft off Cuba's coast more than 30 years ago. This is the Brothers to the Rescue shoot down, and it has trailed Castro for years as various U.S. administrations have considered indicting him, but only now has the Trump administration, as part of its pressure campaign on Cuba, to decide to take the extraordinary step of charging the former Cuban president.

[02:20:19]

While Raul Castro is officially retired. He remains the most powerful man on this island. He's handpicked many, if not all, of the top leadership here, both military and political.

And so, when Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel says that Castro is not going anywhere, much less a courtroom in Miami, that carries a lot of weight with it. It is essentially the Cuban government's way of saying that if the U.S. were to try to seize Raul Castro, like we saw take place against Venezuela's leader Nicolas Maduro, who himself was under U.S. indictment, then clearly the Cuban government, the Cuban military would put up a fight.

Already we have seen the Cuban military carrying out more maneuvers. We've seen Cuban officials tell the population here that they should prepare for any kind of military strikes or potentially a U.S. invasion. That is something that people take seriously here. This is an island that for decades has lived under the fear of a U.S. invasion, one that is becoming more and more probable as tensions get higher and higher here.

Cubans that I have spoken to, even those who don't support the government say they are very concerned, though, that there is an off ramp to this crisis, that any kind of military strikes that destabilize the government, cause it to collapse, eventually could lead to some kind of humanitarian disaster.

Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAROLINA PEGUERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carolina Peguero Now, after the news of Raul Castro officially being indicted by the Department of Justice here in the United States, we're in one of the most iconic places in Miami. I'm talking about the Versailles restaurant here in Little Havana, where a lot of Cuban exiles residents are here in a way celebrating, they are uniting, and they are here declaring victory of some way, some sort after this announcement.

Now, they hope that after this action, there's also going to be a free Cuba, where the United States takes action for the crisis that's going on.

Now, a lot of the Cubans here feel some sort of relief after this indictment. We know that it's related to the destruction and the killing of Americans that belonged to the humanitarian group, Brothers to the Rescue, that used to just fly across the Florida street and help a lot of Cubans in the international waters escaping from the communism of the government of Raul Castro and Fidel Castro.

I'm here with a lot of the Cubans, including Catalina, that she's been here for several hours. Tell me how you feel and what this means to you.

CATALINA VAZQUEZ, MIAMI RESIDENT: OK, first of all, we don't celebrate the victory, we're enjoying the moment, because it's one of the steps of the freedom of Cuba. The only thing that we want the older people Cuban wants is freedom for all the island, that the kids have medicine, the people can get food in the stores, they can -- they can get their own properties to sell, to work, to everything we celebrate.

We don't celebrate this victory because we think it's a lot of the -- a lot of things that need to come more, and we're going to celebrate when Cuba was really, really, really in freedom.

PEGUERO: Thank you so much. And it's like a sense of relief for a lot of them, but they say not until that action happens, it could be where they a lot feel that it should be a military action, an invasion, or actually bringing Raul Castro here to the United States to be in a federal court. We will see what that will look like, and if that happens, but in the meantime, we are reporting from Little Havana, Carolina Peguero, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: It is the first known legal challenge to a fund that critics say is meant to compensate Donald Trump's allies.

Just ahead, why police, who defended the U.S. Capitol on January 6, are determined to prevent any payouts.

Plus, an Israeli far-right minister is drawing international outrage after mocking activists detained by his country.

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[02:29:07]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Russian President Vladimir Putin is calling talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping successful and productive. Those comments coming as he wrapped up his state visit to China. Putin and Xi sat down Wednesday to discuss a number of issues and signed several agreements with the Russian president saying, the countries have built a system of mutual trade shielded from, "External influence and negative trends in global markets."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Our goal is the well-being and prosperity of the Russian and Chinese peoples. These unshakeable foundations have enabled our relations to successfully withstand repeated tests of strength and resilience.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: While Xi praised China's strong ties with Russia, he also warned the world is far from peaceful.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

XI JINPING, CHINESE LEADER (through translator): The world today is very unsafe. Unilateralism and hegemonism are causing serious harm, and the world is at risk of sliding back toward the law of the jungle.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:30:00]

CHURCH: Putin's visit to China came just days after Xi hosted U.S. President, Donald Trump. CNN's Mike Valerio is in Beijing with a closer look at the Russian president's trip.

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly, the goal and what both Beijing and Moscow wanted to project here is certainly a different alternative leadership, a counterweight to American and Western-oriented leadership, that nations from the global south or members of the global community writ large could look at as potentially, certainly from the point of view of China and Russia, a more stable partner compared to the United States or Western leadership, especially if any nation is looking to partner with the United States and sees perhaps disarray with American alliances or how the White House is treating certain partner nations.

The message from Beijing and Moscow is absolutely to look perhaps towards them as a different option and a different way forward and why both leaders, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, were here were to mark the 25th anniversary of a friendship treaty, charting a different course between Russia and China. It was signed 25 years ago in 2001 where when if you'll remember, if you lived through it in the Cold War or if you're a student of history, you'll recall that relations between the Soviet Union and China were at a nadir, especially in the '60s. And by 2001, they both decided to go on a different pathway forward as more or less partners.

So what they're doing today, both Xi and Putin, or what they did during this visit, Putin has now left Beijing, was to show the world that they could change their trajectory. This is what they've done over the past 25 years and here's how they're going to help each other moving forward. So to that end, to looking, again, beyond American leadership and potentially how to have a counterbalance to it, we saw Chinese and Russian economic goals that were outlined in the joint statement put out as soon as this meeting was wrapping up, like continuing to expand settlements, talking about trade, and national currencies, be it the ruble or the yuan here in China, less dependence on the U.S. dollar, deepening banking cooperation between the two nations in order to build an economic system that's able to withstand western pressure and sanctions over the long term.

There's also Russia and Chinese pledged expanded cooperation in everything from artificial intelligence, oil, gas, nuclear energy, renewable capabilities and also agreeing to more deeper cooperation with military exercises.

Mike Valerio, CNN, Beijing.

CHURCH: Two police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, when Trump supporters violently rioted, are suing to stop the Trump administration's so-called Anti-Weaponization Fund. Critics call it a nearly $2 billion slush fund meant to benefit Trump allies who claim they were unfairly targeted by the previous administration.

But some of that money could end up going to January 6 rioters and election deniers. The officers' lawsuit calls the fund a misappropriation of taxpayer funds orchestrated by the president to reward his allies and the rioters who committed violence in his name, adding that most chillingly, the fund will signal to past and potential future perpetrators of violence that they need not fear prosecution. To the contrary, they should expect to be rewarded.

President Trump keeps trying to distance himself from the fund while simultaneously defending it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I wasn't involved in this settlement. People were destroyed. They went to jail. Their families were ruined. They committed suicide. You know, over the Biden administration and the Obama administration, both of them, you're talking about peanuts compared to the value.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Meanwhile, a growing number of lawmakers, including some Republicans, also object to the fund.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN CURTIS, (R-UT): I will tell you my first reaction was this doesn't pass the smell test.

SEN. THOM TILLIS, (R-NC): Sents the signal, hey, go breach the Capitol, destroy the building, assault police officers, you may even get compensated for it someday. That's absurd.

SEN. BRIAN FRITZPATRICK, (R-PA): We've got to unpack exactly what it is, what the source of the funding is in order to stop it and/or reverse it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The acting attorney general refuses to rule out possible payouts for those who assaulted police, but Todd Blanche told CNN their conduct will be taken into consideration. He spoke earlier with CNN's Paula Reid about who is paying for this fund.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: But wouldn't the average taxpayer respond and say, OK, but why is that now my problem? Why do my tax dollars now need to go to people who are upset about their involvement in investigations?

TODD BLANCHE, ACTING U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Well, if you're just upset, you're not getting a dime. On the other hand, I think if you said to the American taxpayer that there is a horrible wrong committed by your government. And now, you can apply and you can have your lawyer's fees back.

[02:35:00] You can be compensated for what you lost financially, what American would say, oh, my gosh, that's terrible? I mean, I don't I very much disagree with the idea that the American taxpayer is indignant about the fact that a victim of weaponization, OK, a victim who suffered, whether it was legal fees, loss a job, had their life turned upside down in a way that was not appropriate. If it was appropriate, there should be no compensation.

And that's why we have five commissioners who will take a look at it. But I do not think the American people have issues with that. To the contrary, I think they do want their tax dollars spent on things like that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: It's worth a reminder that Blanche used to be President Trump's personal lawyer, and he points out the fund is meant to be non-partisan.

Well, now to Israel, where the far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, is facing international condemnation after video showed him taunting a group of activists who were detained while trying to deliver aid to Gaza. CNN's Nada Bashir has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Free, free Palestine.

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This was the scene at the port of Ashdod, where hundreds of activists attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza by sea were detained.

ITAMAR BEN-GVIR, FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTER, ISRAEL (through translator): Welcome to Israel. We are the landlords here.

BASHIR: Israel's far-right national security minister was filmed touring the port and taunting activists, some seen kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs and faces to the ground while the Israeli national anthem plays in the background.

BEN-GVIR: They came with a lot of pride, like great heroes. Now look at them. See how they look now. Not heroes, terror supporters. I say to Prime Minister, Netanyahu, keep them with us for a much, much longer time. Keep them in the terrorists' prisons. This is how it should look.

BASHIR: More than 400 activists attempting to sail to Gaza as part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition were detained on Monday and Tuesday after their boats were intercepted and boarded by Israeli forces off the coast of Turkey, with shots fired by the IDF towards some of the roughly 60 boats in the Flotilla, though Israeli officials say IDF forces did not fire live ammunition.

Independent counsel from human rights organization, Adalah, are said to have met with some of the detained activists at the port before they were transferred to Israel's Ktzi'ot prison. International criticism to the video release was swift, including from Italy's Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, who described the incident as an unacceptable violation of the activists' human dignity.

Ireland's Prime Minister, Michael Martin, also said Israel was in breach of international law, adding that he intends to raise the issue at E.U. level. Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, defended the stopping of the Flotilla, but also sought to distance himself from Ben-Gvir, saying the actions of his National Security Minister were not in line with Israel's values and norms.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Still to come, hundreds of previously unknown species have been discovered deep in the ocean. We will learn more about them from the lead scientist, right after a short break. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:42:50]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, scientists have taken a remarkable step toward a better understanding of our oceans. Over the last year, scientists made 13 expeditions to some of the world's least explored oceans. The group included more than 1,000 researchers across 85 countries, who work with Ocean Census, a global effort to map marine life.

Ocean Census announced that deep in the water, scientists have discovered more than 1,100 previously unknown species over the last year. The group says this marks a 54 percent increase in annual identifications. Among the discoveries, a new species of worm living within a glass sponge, and a type of ghost shark, which is a distant relative of sharks and rays.

Scientists say as many as 90 percent of ocean species may still remain undiscovered. Incredible.

Well, Michelle Taylor is the Head of Science at Ocean Census, an organization led by Japan's Nippon Foundation and Nekton, a U.K. ocean exploration institute, and she joins us now from Colchester in England.

Thanks so much for being with us.

MICHELLE TAYLOR, HEAD OF SCIENCE, OCEAN CENSUS: My pleasure. Good morning. Not for me.

CHURCH: Yes. So now that more than 1,100 previously unknown ocean species have been found, you say that many of them are at risk of disappearing before they're even documented. What do you mean by that? And how critical is this race to understand and protect them?

TAYLOR: I think we all know that our oceans are under immense pressure, the largest probably being climate change. So and there are many areas of our ocean that are underexplored or not explored at all. So and specifically animals in those areas, there is a chance that they could go extinct before we even discover them.

CHURCH: So more than 1,100 newly discovered ocean species, that's a lot to find in just one year, isn't it? So what are some of the species that stand out to you? And what makes them so special?

TAYLOR: I mean, I'm a coral geek.

(LAUGH)

[02:45:00]

TAYLOR: So I love coral, but I will try and talk about other animals as well. I think the relationships between animals are always really interesting ones, and there's one specifically that really stood out. So there are these beautiful deep sea sponges called glass sponges, and they're actually made of silica. They're made of glass. They're glass needles. They're very spiky, which makes them, you know, very well protected.

And these polychaete worms live inside the sponges, so they're obviously offered protection. And the worms themselves, as they're going around their everyday lives, provide nutrients to the sponge. So there's a symbiotic relationship where both partners kind of win a little bit.

And I just think that that's really wonderful. And there's tons of these unusual relationships that we're kind of beginning to understand. These polychaete worms also are bioluminescent. So I kind of like the idea that there's these glass castles across the deep sea, and these worms are twinkling at each other and communicating.

CHURCH: Yeah, I mean, those images are just extraordinary too. So how do you find some of these previously unknown species? Because some of them are very, very deep under the ocean, aren't they? And why has it taken this long to discover them? And of course, as we mentioned, so many haven't been discovered yet.

TAYLOR: I think we're at this wonderful point in human history where there are technologies available for us to start exploring every section of the deep sea. So the deepest parts of our ocean are 11 kilometers down, and the average is about 4.5 kilometers. So, you know, there's a huge deep sea area out there, but we now have technology like remotely operated vehicles or human operated vehicles, submersibles, that you can use to explore these areas and collect animals and start recording the creatures that are down there.

And we're lucky enough to partner with some amazing organizations through the Nippon Foundation. We have contacted and worked with JAMSTEC. We also work with the Schmidt Ocean Institute and use their platforms to undertake these extraordinary expeditions out at sea and do these explorations. And that is a source of some of the 1,121 new species that have been discovered this year.

CHURCH: And you know, as you're talking, we're looking at these truly mesmerizing images. So, how do you protect some of these newly discovered ocean species from climate change, as you mentioned, and human activities like pollution and the threat of future ocean mining? Because that's looming, isn't it?

TAYLOR: Yeah, and I think that that's the thing. You need the knowledge; you need the data. So we have chosen species we use as a foundational basic unit for how we separate life and how we estimate biodiversity. So that species unit is that very important first step.

And so, understanding what a species is contributes towards biodiversity assessments, environmental impact assessments, and science broadly. So it's very difficult to undertake science if you don't know the species that are involved.

So I think the Ocean Census and its partners and this amazing network of colleagues that we have that work on this, that's what we're doing, little by little, is gathering this information that then can be used to make those decisions about industry.

CHURCH: It's incredible work and we really appreciate you coming on and sharing some of this information with us and certainly, the images too. Michelle Taylor, thank you so much for talking with us. Appreciate it.

Well, Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has laid off 8,000 people, about 10 percent of its workforce, and 7,000 others have been reassigned to roles focused on artificial intelligence. Meta says Wednesday's job cuts will help offset the costs of its investments in A.I., which are expected to reach at least $115 billion in capital expenditures this year.

The college graduation season is usually a time for celebration, but some special ceremonies here in the U.S. are gaining online attention for students speaking out against the very mention of Artificial Intelligence.

CNN's Hadas Gold breaks down what's driving their criticism.

HADAS GOLD, CNN A.I. CORRESPONDENT: There has been a widespread backlash against A.I., everything from data centers to regulation of A.I. But we're really seeing this backlash bubble up recently at graduation ceremonies where graduates are booing as commencement speakers or any other time that A.I. is being mentioned at these ceremonies. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC SCHMIDT, FORMER CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER & CHAIRMAN, GOOGLE: Last December, Time Magazine selected its Person of the Year for 2025 and this time, it was the architects of Artificial Intelligence. Interesting.

(CROWD BOOING)

GLORIA CAULFIELD, VICE PRESIDENT OF STRATEGIC ALLIANCES, TAVISTOCK DEVELOPMENT COMPANY: The rise of Artificial Intelligence is the next industrial revolution.

(CROWD BOOING) [02:50:00]

CAULFIELD: What happened?

SCOTT BORCHETTA, MUSIC INDUSTRY EXECUTIVE: A.I. is rewriting production as we sit here.

(CROWD BOOING)

BORCHETTA: I know it, deal with it. Like I said, it's a tool.

(CROWD BOOING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLD: And these ceremonies are showing us what the polling reflects. The younger generations just do not feel great about A.I., because think about it. They're hearing every day about news stories about companies laying off thousands of workers and partly attributing that to the efficiencies that A.I. can bring to these industries.

And they're also hearing about how A.I. can replace entry-level work. And for a lot of these graduates, those are the exact type of jobs that they are looking for. When I think back to my first job in journalism, I imagine that A.I. can do a lot of the tasks that I was sent to do. But for a lot of these graduates, they're just trying to get their foot into the door, and they're worried about what jobs will be left for them.

Take a look at this poll from Quinnipiac from March, where they asked people whether they believe A.I. will cause a decrease in jobs. And you can see that the younger generations, Gen Z and millennials, overwhelmingly feel that A.I. will cause a decrease in jobs. In total, 70 percent of Americans overall, right now, feel that A.I. will cause a decrease in jobs.

This same poll, the same question asked just last year, there was a 14-point difference. 56 percent of Americans believe that A.I. would cause a decrease in jobs. So you can see how starkly people's opinions on A.I. and its effect on the job market are changing. But there is another message out there for young people.

And we heard that from Scott Borchetta, the music executive, when he told Middle Tennessee State University, this technology is coming whether you like it or not. He said, deal with it, do something about it, it's a tool, make it work for you.

Hadas Gold, CNN, New York.

CHURCH: SpaceX has filed paperwork for a public stock offering. It is a major shift for a company that has long kept much of its business out of public view. In its filings, the company said it wants to, quote, "build the systems and technologies necessary to make life multi-planetary and to understand the true nature of the universe."

But those ambitions require even more advanced technology and the money to produce it. Details of the IPO remain unknown. But CEO, Elon Musk, could eventually make trillions if the company hits specific milestones, including establishing a permanent human colony on Mars with at least one million inhabitants.

Forecasters say the heaviest rainfall has now moved out of New York City after thunderstorms triggered flash flooding. The storms dumped almost two inches of rain in less than one hour in some areas and caused flooding and downed trees in parts of Queens and Brooklyn. Social media posts and emergency scanner traffic indicated possible water rescues involving stranded drivers.

There were similar scenes here in Atlanta where heavy rain flooded a highway ramp. The storms are part of a larger system that brought flooding and tornadoes to the Midwest in recent days.

Sitting down with Spanish tennis legend, Rafael Nadal. Ahead, the 22- time Grand Slam champion speaks with CNN about the anxiety and stress he's faced and how he's dealt with it. We have that after the break.

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Tennis great, Rafael Nadal sat down with CNN for his first major interview ahead of the release of the Netflix documentary series, "RAFA." He opened up about his struggles, including with injuries and his own mental health. Here's part of that candid conversation with Christiane Amanpour.

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CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Tell me about the level of anxiety and stress having to go out, for instance, at one point with a bottle of water the whole time, you know, and how you work through that.

RAFAEL NADAL, 22-TIME TENNIS GRAND SLAM CHAMPION: Probably because I went through a lot of injuries, a lot of pressure, and arrived a moment that in some way you are not able to handle all of this, and even if in my mind I was able to handle all of this, right point that your mind fails, you know, and that's what happened.

So when, OK, I always thought that I need to fix things for myself in terms of mental strength, you know, but right from the moment, when I was -- my feeling was, OK, I cannot go out on a street without a bottle of water on my hand. So yeah, that's a big deal, so I need to find help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And you can see the full interview with Rafael Nadal on the next edition of "Amanpour," Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern, 6 p.m. in London, and "RAFA" premieres on Netflix on May 29th.

For the first time in more than four decades, Aston Villa are taking home a European trophy. The former English powerhouse, which has been threatened by relegation, triumphed in the Europa League, which is the second most prestigious European club competition.

Aston Villa's 3-0 victory over Freiburg landed them a guaranteed spot in next season's Champions League and this is also Villa's first silverware since 1996, when they won the English League Cup. Congratulations to them.

Thanks so much for your company this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. "CNN Newsroom" with Polo Sandoval is next, after a quick break. Stay with us.

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