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Source: Potential Iran Deal Will Unfold in Two Phases; Iran Not Accepted Any Nuclear-Related Measures; Damage in Tyre, Lebanon After Israeli Strikes Overnight; Man Shot and Killed After Firing Near White House; Russian Attacks on Kyiv Follow Deadly Ukrainian Strike; Chemical Threat in California; Communities in D.R. Congo Protest Handling of Ebola Crisis; Protests Intensify Over Cost-of-Living Crisis in Bolivia. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired May 24, 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]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

Inching closer to a deal, we'll look at what's included in the potential new agreement between Iran and the U.S. Plus, the White House on lockdown. We have the latest details on a deadly shooting outside the presidential residence. And Ukraine under intense fire. We'll go to the region for an update on the impact of Russia's latest barrage.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: The United States and Iran may be on the verge of ending their months-long war. We're now getting new details about a potential peace deal that both sides may be close to signing. A regional source familiar with the negotiations tells CNN this deal is expected to unfold in two phases.

In the first phase, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz to its pre- war status with shipping security in the region ensured. Now, that's a claim that Iranian state media is refuting. The source says Iran would be allowed to sell fuel and oil freely. Iran would also provide assurances that it won't pursue nuclear weapons.

Now, the second phase would involve a 30 to 60-day ceasefire extension and focus on detailed negotiations over the nuclear issue.

CNN producer Sebastian Shukla joins us now from Berlin. So, Sebastian, still plenty of unknowns here, but take us through the reporting on this potential deal.

SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN PRODUCER: Yes, good morning, Kim. The unknowns are starting to be the devil in the detail here as regards to this agreement. Both sides seem to have a different interpretation or slightly different interpretation of what has been agreed. But I think what's important to say at this juncture is that the framework is there. And as the president, U.S. president, said last night, that the agreement is largely there.

What we have heard from U.S. officials recently is from the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, who is in New Delhi. I want you to take a listen to what he had to say about this latest iteration of the agreement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We've made some progress over the last 48 hours working with our partners in the Gulf region on an outline that could ultimately, if it succeeds, leave us not just with a completely open straits, and I mean open straits without tolls, and with addressing some of the key things that underpin what has been Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions in the past. So, we think we've made some progress on the outline of something that, if it works, could give us that outcome.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHUKLA: The issues at the moment, Kim, seem to be tend to coalescing around the Strait of Hormuz. The Americans seem to be briefing out that the strait will be opened completely to its pre-war levels and that there would also be the removal of this blockade that was implemented by Washington on Iranian ports.

The Iranians, for their part, are now saying that that's not quite the case, it wouldn't return quite to pre-war levels, and that there are discussions that still need to be had vis-a-vis the Iranian nuclear program. Iran's saying that it still has the ability and the right to be able to enrich uranium. But as this regional source has been saying, that those discussions about the nuclear program and the future of Iranians' nuclear program still need to be discussed in what would be a sort of extension of the 30-day ceasefire as those discussions continue.

So, what we have here, Kim, is a positive step in one sense, that the two sides appear to be talking, but still feels a slightly moving goalpost as the framework and the agreements and the crossing, the T's and dotting the I's really becomes clearer.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. As you say, the devil is in the details. Sebastian Shukla in Berlin, thank you so much. All right. Joining me now from Cairo is H.A. Hellyer, a senior associate fellow with the Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies. Good to see you again. So, we heard President Trump says a deal has been largely negotiated. How close are we, do you think, given that Iran is already pushing back on some of his key claims?

[04:05:00]

H.A. HELLYER, ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE FOR DEFENSE AND SECURITY STUDIES AND SENIOR ASSOCIATE FELLOW, RUSI: Thank you very much, Kim. Always a pleasure to be on your program. So, I think that we are close. Both sides say that a framework could land today. We have seen last minute collapses happen before. I think that this time we are closer than we've ever been in regards to this particular war. You've had very strong statements, again, from both sides. You've also had the involvement of others in the region. But this is also why there needs to be a little bit of caution here.

In particular, the Israelis are very keen not to have this deal. And reporting that we saw indicates that Netanyahu was very, very much against having a deal, that the Israelis wanted to go back to war, but they've seemingly been outmaneuvered, simply because the White House doesn't want to continue this anymore. And the Gulf, more generally, also wants a deal. Even those who are very concerned about the Iranians in the Gulf, who have very good concern to be concerned about the Iranians in the Gulf, they also want a deal. They don't see that given where the U.S. is at and where Iran is at, that it would be beneficial in any shape or form to continue along this route. So, I think that we're in a much better place than we've been previously.

But as your report said, there are some very serious sticking points. And I think that the critical one --

BRUNHUBER: Yes, let me ask you about that, because you say we've been closer than we've ever been. But as you were about to go on, I'm sure we're talking about some of those key issues, those red lines that basically haven't moved much. And we hear that there's going to be that window between 30 and 60 days to talk about those harder nuclear negotiations. I mean, is that really enough time to make any progress on something that has, to this point, been the biggest sticking point from the start?

HELLYER: So, there are two major sticking points that I think are really on the table right now, one of which is an actual sticking point in the sense that right now it's got to be included in the deal. And that's Hormuz, how Hormuz gets open. The Americans are saying that it will become completely open, it will revert back to pre-war levels. The Iranians, at least in the press, are saying that that's not the case, that it would be some sort of administrative arrangement that the Iranians and the Omanis would do.

And there's been back and forth misinformation, disinformation on this point over the last few weeks. So, we really need to see where they land on that. I think it would be very difficult for the Gulf more generally to have lobbied for a deal without having had Hormuz really, really clearly opened.

On the nuclear file, I think what they've agreed to do is kick it down the road. And I don't think that there's any chance that they're really going to come to a real resolution on that in the short-term. I think what the White House is looking to do is shelve it without saying that it's been shelved, defer it to later on in the negotiation period, and then try to move around it and maybe divert attention elsewhere.

They haven't been very clear on this point. It's very clear that the Iranians are not interested in adhering to what the Americans regard as red lines on this. But the Iranians have stood their ground in this regard, and I think that the Americans have decided that they want to shift a little bit. I do think that there will be more discussions on the nuclear file, but it won't be the nuclear file. I think it's actually wrapped up sooner rather than later. I think it'll take a lot more time.

BRUNHUBER: So, kicking the can down the road, as you say, given that the nuclear issue was what the war was all about, it leads to my next question. I guess we don't have all the details about the deal, but based on what you're hearing so far, which side do you think will be happier with what we're seeing, Tehran or Washington?

HELLYER: So, from Tehran's perspective, they're in a victorious position, OK, because the bar of victory for them has been set in a particular way. They simply needed to survive, and they did. And there was talk of regime change. There was no regime change. There was no regime collapse. There was no state collapse. The Iranians are still standing and, on the contrary, have new leverage that they did not have before the war, which is over the Strait of Hormuz, to the point where they're even claiming maritime control over maritime domain of not just Iranian waters, but Omani and Emirati ones as well. So, in that regard, they're going to see themselves as having come out victorious.

[04:10:00]

Now, of course, their economy is in, you know, tatters. Their military capacity has been significantly undermined and destroyed. But that's not the bar that they set. The bar that they set is that we need to survive.

On the American side, they set a whole bunch of different goals from the outset. As you know, they changed multiple times. But they did talk about regime change. They didn't get regime change. And, of course, they're going to continue to do that. They talked about settling the nuclear fire. Well, they haven't done that. OK? And now, more attention has gone on to the Strait of Hormuz from the American point of view, which wasn't even an issue before this war began.

So, I don't think that from the Americans' own definition of what success looks like, it's going to be very difficult to portray it as successful. Having said that, I'm sure that both sides are going to claim victory at the end of this. That's part of the game. I don't think that there's any suggestion otherwise. And, frankly, the region and the world is going to take a sigh of relief just to see some sort of progress on this. I don't think this is going to be a deal. I think this is going to be an arrangement to get to a deal.

The hard part comes later. Enrichment on the nuclear fire comes later. The stockpiles come later. And probably the sanctions, the permanent sanctions, come in later. But it's not a return to war, and it's essentially taking -- going back to war off the table.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. We could see something announced today, but as you said, we have seen late collapses before. H.A. Hellyer, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

HELLYER: Thank you. BRUNHUBER: Overnight strikes in southern Lebanon forced residents in the city of Tyre to evacuate their homes after the sun rose. People surveyed the damage and sifted through the rubble. Israel says it targeted and destroyed Hezbollah infrastructure. Both Israel and Hezbollah accuse each other of violating a ceasefire agreement announced on April 16th. It's a residential area, densely populated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It's a residential area, densely populated. People return during the ceasefire, a ceasefire that's unfortunately fragile. They return thinking they were safe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Also, in Tyre, funerals were held Saturday for two medics killed in Israeli strikes. They were among six medical personnel killed in a pair of strikes that took place in southern Lebanon on Thursday and Friday.

Authorities in Washington, D.C., are working to determine why a man approached a checkpoint near the White House a few hours ago and opened fire. Secret service agents shot and killed the men. ABC News Correspondent Selina Wang was filming a social media video when she heard a volley of gunshots. Have a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SELINA WANG, CORRESPONDENT, ABC NEWS: For the two sides to remain far apart --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get down. Down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Sources tell CNN the deceased suspect is 21-year-old Nasir Best. Court records indicate he'd had previous encounters with the Secret Service as well as mental health concerns. President Trump was at the White House but wasn't affected by the incident. In a social media post early Sunday, he thanked law enforcement for their prompt response.

Richard Kolko is a retired FBI supervisory special agent and he's in Reston, Virginia. Thanks so much for being on with us again. So, apparently the Secret Service knew this guy. He was on their radar. He had mental health concerns. So, how does someone like that still end up at a White House checkpoint with a gun?

RICHARD KOLKO, SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT, FBI (RET.): Good morning, Kim. Thanks for having me. Great question. You have to assume that they knew who he was, as we've heard from previous arrests, previous encounters with the Secret Service. And it's likely that they've got a whole book full of photos of people they've got to be on the lookout for approaching the checkpoints or being in the area of the White House, maybe on their phones, on an iPad. They get it during the shift change briefs, you know, who's latest that they need to be on the lookout for.

So, he is familiar to them, especially had that stay away order from the court. But approaching that checkpoint. Very interesting. At the end of the day, at least the security of the White House was not breached. So, from that, that's fortunate. But a difficult night, of course.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, absolutely. Now, we don't know the motive, of course, but based on everything we kind of do know right now, do you think this was somebody who actually wanted to harm the president?

KOLKO: No. While there have been recent attacks against the president going back to Pennsylvania, where he was shot at and actually hit, this is a very low chance attack. He was not going to get to the White House. He was not going to get to the president. This is a man who likely had those mental health issues and simply charged the gate without a without a real plan. He had a bag over his shoulder, took a gun out of the bag and just started shooting. So, he was killed. So, they won't find out or have the opportunity to talk to him. We're going to go back and see if he'd had any writings, see if he had any posts on social media.

[04:15:00]

Of course, you know, with the mental health issues, how did he get the gun is going to be a significant issue. Did somebody have an idea that he was going to do this? And could somebody pick up the phone?

KOLKO: It's a high standard was also hit in the exchange -- whether that was from the suspect or one of the agents. I mean, how's the Secret Service typically --

KOLKO: Well, there'll be a crime scene breakdown. We saw the crime scene folks there in the area immediately after the event. They probably took the weapons that were fired. That's standard in a police shooting to be analyzed. They've got the gun from the suspect. It'll go to a lab. They'll know pretty quickly who it was.

Initial reports was best. It only fired three rounds. But as we heard from that video showed and reports as it had been developed over the last few hours, it sounds like he shot a lot more shots in three. So, that all be broken down. They'll have that information. But, you know, was he radicalized or just a man with mental health issues who didn't know what else to do?

BRUNHUBER: Yes. We still don't have those answers. In the meantime, the geography of the incident. I mean, this happened at a checkpoint on Pennsylvania Avenue. I mean, how far is that sort of where you think the perimeter should be, or should we think of extending it even further?

KOLKO: Well, there's a physical perimeter. There's an intelligence perimeter. And you've got the White House perimeter itself. Very difficult to breach protected at the highest level. But those perimeters, that perimeter goes out several times. Those of us who have been around the White House, you've seen the Secret Service cars, not just next to the White House, but blocks away. They use license plate readers. They have people they're supposed to look for. There are many perimeters that go extend farther and farther out.

And then that perimeter intelligence is based on what Secret Service learns. The threats against the president. Anytime there's a threat, it's likely that a Secret Service agent or officer knocks on that door and says, hey, what's up? And that doesn't mean just Washington, D.C. That could be any part of the country. So, the perimeters exist. Security worked.

Washington is a walking town. It's a tourist town. You can't make a hard perimeter farther away than it really is without greatly affecting just how people move around Washington, D.C. So, I don't think they're going to change that. They're just going to review their procedures, make sure that people are up to date on people they've got to be on the lookout for.

BRUNHUBER: Richard Kolko, thanks so much for lending us your expertise. Really appreciate it.

KOLKO: Thank you, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Coming up, the latest on a terrifying night in Kyiv with residents spending hours sheltering from a heavy Russian barrage. And a state of emergency has been declared in Southern California because of an overheating chemical tank in an aerospace facility. And we'll look at the potentially catastrophic impact it could have on the surrounding community. Those stories and more coming up. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:20:00]

BRUNHUBER: Rescue officials say at least 23 people have been killed and their bodies recovered in Pakistan's Balochistan province after a bomb exploded near a passenger train. More than 70 passengers have been injured and are being treated in hospital. Local officials say the train derailed and they expect the death toll to rise. Rescue teams are working to pull victims from the wreckage. Police say preliminary reports suggest the explosion may have come from a suicide attack. The Baloch Liberation Army militant group, which the U.S. has declared a terrorist organization, is claiming responsibility.

Ukrainian emergency crews are assessing the damage from one of Russia's largest ever aerial assaults on Kyiv. Explosions rang out into the early morning hours. Ukraine's air force says Russia fired 600 drones and 90 missiles overnight. The vast majority were shot down, but debris struck residential buildings and other structures across the capital overnight. Officials say at least two people have died and dozens were wounded.

All this comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of firing drones on a college dorm in the occupied Luhansk region, calling it a, quote, "terrorist act." Ukraine denies those claims, saying they only targeted military infrastructure. Russian state media says 18 people were killed.

All right. Joining me now is Oleksiy Sorokin, the deputy chief editor of the Kyiv Independent. Thanks so much for being here with us. So, you're there in Kyiv. I mean, walk us through what last night was like for people there.

OLEKSIY SOROKIN, DEPUTY CHIEF EDITOR, THE KYIV INDEPENDENT: Well, even during this full-scale war, last night was pretty insane. It was really intense. It started at 1 a.m. with some drones and the attack continued throughout the night for five, six hours. We heard all types of missiles. We heard all types of drones.

Staying in my apartment, the windows were shattering. It was really intense. The videos from shelters and from metro stations, underground stations, we saw that more people came to the shelters. We know that after the most recent attack that killed 24 people in Kyiv, more people are taking shelter now. And you saw metro stations packed with kids, parents taking them to safety. And yes, it was pretty horrible.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. I mean, the U.S. and President Zelenskyy as well warned that this large-scale attack would happen. I mean, how scared were people going into this attack, let alone when it was taking place?

SOROKIN: Well, unfortunately, people are used to Russian attacks, right? They happen quite regularly. The recent ones are more deadly, so people are now more cautious to take shelter because for a time when especially Kyiv wasn't targeted that often, you can see that people were hesitant to leave their apartments. Now, I think more people are, again, taking shelter. And we understand that this is going to continue. Nothing's going to change. So, unfortunately, that's the reality that people have to live with.

BRUNHUBER: Now, Ukraine has been ramping up these longer-range strikes inside Russia, but I guess nights like tonight are part of the price that Kyiv pays for that. So, how do Ukrainians their way that trade-off?

[04:25:00]

SOROKIN: Well, the attacks on Ukraine and the full-scale war against Ukraine began before, right? So, if we look back at 2022, 2023, Kyiv was attacked. Russian troops were near Kyiv. Residential buildings in the City of Dnipro, for example, was hidden, completely destroyed. It's still the largest attack on record.

So, Ukraine sees these long-range attacks on military and energy infrastructures in Russia as a response. It's the only way Ukraine can balance out the war, right? Because obviously, Russia is continuing to advance on the battlefield, and the only capability that Ukraine right now has and is actively using is trying to bring the price of this war back to the Russians, back to the Russian economy. And I think Ukrainians are actually really proud that Ukraine has this capacity to strike back and to make Russians feel what they're doing.

BRUNHUBER: So, stepping back from last night specifically, I mean, how would you describe the overall mood in Kyiv right now about where this war is heading?

SOROKIN: I think everybody understands that there is no peace in sight, right? There's no -- the war's not going to end anytime soon. So, unfortunately, what I got from speaking to people here, from speaking to my friends, to colleagues, that after this brutal winter that we had, war just became mundane, right? War just became something that you're used to. You know that there's going to be a mass attack. So, you either go to the corridor, away from the windows or to a shelter.

In the morning, you still go to work. You see that nobody slept, everybody's grumpy, but that's kind of the reality. So, unfortunately, everybody is used to the war, which is really, really bad, I think.

BRUNHUBER: Listen, appreciate your time. And we wish you that you stay safe as well as Oleksiy Sorokin. Thank you so much.

SOROKIN: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Well, the world is racing to contain the deadly Ebola outbreak in Central Africa. Still ahead, the latest on public backlash against regional authorities over the worsening crisis.

Plus, it's the deadliest mining disaster China has suffered in over a decade. We're going to have search and rescue crews are navigating the dangerous tunnels as they look for survivors. Those stories and more coming up. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:30:00]

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

Emergency crews in Southern California are racing to prevent a potentially catastrophic explosion after a tank holding thousands of gallons of a toxic, highly toxic chemical and highly flammable chemical began overheating at an aerospace facility in Orange County. California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Saturday as crews continue their efforts to cool and stabilize the tank. CNN's Veronica Miracle reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is a race against time according to officials who say there are two potentially very bad outcomes that could happen here. The first being that thousands of gallons of a toxic chemical could leak out and spill into the area.

The second being a catastrophic explosion. Of course, officials are trying to make sure that neither of those things happen. Fire crews have been working to spray water on the tanks to try and cool them down, but we heard from officials that apparently that hasn't been working. They say that the chemical has been increasing in temperature about a degree an hour.

So, at Friday morning, it was about 77 degrees. And by Saturday morning, it was about 90 degrees. Officials did talk about what could potentially happen if there was the worst-case scenario, explosion to happen. Take a listen to what they had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK FREEMAN, CHIEF, ORANGE COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY: So, if this tank fails and we have an explosion, these represent our blast zone. The innermost circle represents areas where we can expect severe structural damage and significant harm. Beyond that, you'll see an orange oblong. That represents areas that are immediately dangerous to life and health where it would cause injury if anybody inhales or is impacted by the product in question.

And then the yellow is our non-hazardous zone, which is our odor threshold. This product has a very low odor threshold and can be smelt very easily. So, that's why that representation is very large. But again, it is non-hazardous at that level.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MIRACLE: MMA, the chemical in question, is a chemical used to manufacture plastics. And officials say smelling it doesn't necessarily mean that it's going to be bad for your health. However, residents in the area have apparently been reporting, have been reporting some issues like dizziness and other respiratory issues. It could potentially be hazardous to your health.

About 15 percent of people in the evacuation zone actually have not left the area. They're refusing to leave. But officials say if you are outside of the evacuation red zone, then that there are no concerns to your health and that you don't even need to be wearing a mask. So, that is the good news.

Now, what officials are hoping will happen is that they will be able to cool the chemical enough that it will harden from the outside in and they will be able to neutralize this issue. But there is no guarantee that that's going to happen. Of course, officials monitoring this every step of the way and communicating every step of the way. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Nine story building under construction in the Philippines collapsed early on Sunday. Rescue operations are underway as emergency workers search for survivors. Philippine officials say 24 people have been rescued from the site in Angeles City, but local media reports say 30 to 40 people are missing. No word yet on what caused the collapse.

And search and rescue efforts are going on in Northern China after a gas explosion at a coal mine killed at least 82 people. Emergency teams are looking for potential survivors nearly two days after China's worst mining disaster in more than a decade. They're entering the mine with the help of water pumps and kayaks because of flooding in parts of the mine after the explosion. Rescue efforts have been complicated by an inaccurate map of the tunnels provided by the mining company. State-run Beijing News says not all underground workers may have been wearing their required GPS trackers.

The Ebola outbreak in Central Africa is now the second largest ever. Health officials say there are now 91 confirmed cases alongside more than 860 suspected cases.

[04:35:00]

Three Red Cross volunteers are believed to be among the earliest fatalities after reportedly contracting the virus on a regional humanitarian mission in March. This comes amid growing public backlash in The Democratic Republic of Congo where a second Ebola treatment center was set ablaze on Saturday, 18 suspected Ebola patients are now unaccounted for after running away during the attack. Ben Hunte has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Under armed guard, an ambulance transfers an Ebola victim to a cemetery in the DRC to be buried. Family members grieve at a distance as health workers in full protective gear lower the casket into the ground.

The Red Cross says it's carrying out what it calls safe and dignified burials, but these aren't the goodbyes that many families want. And at times, they've turned volatile.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Arriving at the health care structure, we experienced a lot of difficulties, including resistance from young people and the community. So, we were forced to alert the authorities that they could come to our aid just for safety.

HUNTE (voice-over): Anger is growing in some communities. An Ebola treatment center was set on fire by angry residents on Saturday, just days after another Ebola facility was burned down after family members were not allowed to retrieve the body of a loved one. Health care officials say the virus can still be transmitted even after death, and funerals can be super spreader events. Ituri province, where most of the cases in the DRC are centered, has banned funeral wakes and gatherings of more than 50 people.

But with no vaccine for this strain, and the virus likely circulating for weeks before the outbreak was declared, Africa's CDC is warning of more misery to come. It says without urgent action, there could be anywhere from about 2,000 to 9,000 cases by day 100 of the outbreak. It also says funding can help to stop the spread.

DR. JEAN KASEYA, DIRECTOR, AFRICA CDC (through translator): We need $319 million to support the countries that are here and the at-risk countries in order to stop this epidemic. And we said that more than 75 percent of this money is for the DRC and Uganda.

HUNTE (voice-over): The U.N. Population Fund says women make up a large percentage of the cases, not only because of their work as nurses and midwives, but because of their role in the home.

LYDIA ZIGOMO, REGIONAL DIRECTOR, EAST AND SOUTHERN AFRICA, UNFPA: Women actually are representing more than 60 percent of the infections in this outbreak. And mainly that's because they're frontline responders at the home level. They're the ones nursing sick people. And they also are participating in traditional high-risk washing and burial practices.

HUNTE (voice-over): Africa's CDC says this Ebola outbreak is the second largest on record, which likely means many more burials, where safety and containment takes precedence over tradition and grief.

Ben Hunte, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: The cost-of-living crisis is sparking widespread protests in Bolivia. Coming up, we'll have the latest on the government's push to open humanitarian corridors along heavily blockaded roadways. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:40:00]

BRUNHUBER: The U.S. secretary of state says there could be some good news soon about progress toward an end to the U.S. war with Iran. He also says the ultimate goal is to keep Iran from possessing nuclear weapons. Right now, Marco Rubio is meeting with Indian officials in New Delhi. The U.S. war with Iran is taking a toll on India's energy supplies, and that's created some tension between the U.S. and India. Rubio is pushing U.S. energy as a solution. He also says the Strait of Hormuz needs to be reopened as soon as possible. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUBIO: This is an international waterway. They don't own it. It's an international waterway. And what they are doing now is basically they are threatening to destroy commercial vessels using an international waterway. That is illegal under any concept of international law that governs us, but it's also an -- if we allowed that to become normal, we would be normalizing an unacceptable status quo and setting a dangerous precedent that could be replicated here in this region and in multiple places around the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Tensions are still high in Bolivia following weeks of protests over a cost-of-living crisis and the president's political reform agenda. Heading into the weekend, officials tried to clear blockades along major roadways leading to the western cities of La Paz and El Alto.

The early morning mobilization on Saturday aimed to establish a humanitarian corridor for essential supplies. Authorities ultimately failed to fully clear the roadblocks despite deploying anti-riot units, armored vehicles, and heavy machinery.

Now, just south of La Paz, protesters blocking a convoy of heavy trucks were met with tear gas. The latest clash has come as city residents report waiting several hours to buy gasoline and paying higher prices for limited quantities of food.

All right. Joining us live from London to discuss this is Christopher Sabatini, director of the Latin America program at Chatham House. Good to see you again. So, Bolivia's president has only been in office a few months. He won on a promise of change. So, how did things go so bad so fast?

CHRISTOPHER SABATINI, DIRECTOR, LATIN AMERICA PROGRAMME, CHATHAM HOUSE: The reason is Evo Morales, quite frankly, the former president who governed from 2006 to 2019. He did not win the elections. In fact, he only got about 8 percent. But there was about 20 percent of the ballots last year that were spoiled. The protests vote in favor of Evo Morales.

What's happened is that Rodrigo Paz coming in discovered that the central bank was broke. He needed to raise revenue. Also because of misspent investment from the oil wealth earlier in the 2000s. Basically, it never became fuel self-sufficient. So, now suddenly, they're confronting a country that can produce its own fuel. It's confronting fuel shortages. So, there's massive protests over attempts to roll back subsidies. As well as just basically, I've seen the fire there, Evo Morales literally fanning the flames for these street protests.

BRUNHUBER: Interesting. And as you know, I mean, Bolivia has a long history of protests bringing down presidents. Is this something that Paz can survive, do you think?

SABATINI: It will be tough. But first of all, we see that Rodrigo Paz is already beginning to suffer some defections from within his cabin. He had to reshuffle it. Even the other right-wing leader, more conservative leader who ran against him in the second round of the elections, Tuto Quiroga, is already beginning to express some opposition. Some of the government thinks, is beginning to say openly that they need to meet with the protesters and resolve this. He's definitely going to get out of this weaker.

What it will mean in terms of his long-term -- he's just only, what, six months into his term right now. What it will mean for his overall term, too early to tell, but it's clearly not an easy start.

[04:45:00]

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Now, the U.S. secretary of state is already weighed in. He's called the protesters criminals and drug traffickers. And Paz was one of the first Latin American leaders to restore ties with the Trump administration after years of tension. So, if Paz falls, I mean, what does that mean for the Trump administration's efforts to roll back the anti-American left?

SABATINI: It is difficult. And it's always going to be difficult, quite frankly, because these anti-American left likes to exercise their political power on the streets in many cases. And Rodrigo Paz was seen as a -- because you had two conservative presidential candidates who made it to the second round. Many people thought socialism was done and dusted, but obviously that isn't the case.

And this is -- you know, he's -- there are other Trump-allied center- right candidates or presidents that are also doing quite poorly right now as well. In Chile, the former -- the current president, Jose Antonio Kast, is experiencing protests himself because of reducing fuel subsidies and declining popularity. In Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, again, a Trump-aligned president, if you will, is also experiencing some difficulties and actually using excessive force. This is not going to be a clean, if you will, wave of Trump-like candidates that will survive well with popularity in combating these leftist groups.

BRUNHUBER: All right. So, when we're looking at this, again, through the American lens, there are other U.S. interests at stake here. There's minerals like lithium. And, of course, Bolivia is a major cocaine producer or coca producer, I guess. So, what's at stake here for the U.S.?

SABATINI: I think, first of all, it's claims to be able to sort of assert what unfortunately Donald Trump has called the Donroe Doctrine, the Trump Corollary to the Donroe Doctrine, which is U.S. predominance in trying to essentially prevent extra-hemisphere powers from gaining a toehold in the hemisphere. He thought he had, I think, a full front to do this, but this is not the case. It's showing itself to be much more weak.

But as you said, too, the lithium reserves, China had those locked in. And Rodrigo Paz was going to actually re-let those, re-procure those on an open market. If China gains access to those lithium, vast lithium reserves, it will be in a very strong position, especially relative to the United States. And as you mentioned, coca production. It's increased over the last 20 years under Evo Morales and his successor, Luis Arce. But it's -- this is a real problem, not only because of the cocaine itself, but also the transnational networks that are fueling the shipment, the growth, the production, as well as illegal mining, which is also a huge problem right now in Bolivia.

So, it really needs to gain a stronger sense of its economy and direction, but also consolidate control over vast areas of the country.

BRUNHUBER: Really appreciate your expertise on this. Christopher Sabatini, thanks so much.

SABATINI: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Well, thousands took to the streets in Serbia's capital, where a large anti-government protest turned violent on Saturday. Have a look.

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(END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: Video of riot police clashing with protesters in Belgrade's city center following repeated calls from Serbia's student- led movement for fresh elections and reform. It's the latest in a series of demonstrations against the president, which can be traced back to 2024, shortly after 16 people were killed by a collapsed awning at a railway station.

Well, the U.S. has seen a record number of wildfires this year. We'll explain what's behind the increase. That's coming up next. Stay with us.

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[04:50:00]

BRUNHUBER: The family of NASCAR driver Kyle Busch has announced that he died after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis. On Wednesday, Busch was transported to a hospital in North Carolina. Almost 24 hours later, Busch's family announced his sudden and tragic passing. The two-time NASCAR cup series champion was just 41 years old and he was scheduled to race this weekend. Busch's team has suspended the use of his number 8 and says they'll save it until his son is ready to begin racing.

Intense temperatures are scorching parts of northern and central India. That's triggering a growing water crisis across the region. Temperatures have spiked as high as 116 degrees Fahrenheit or about 47 degrees Celsius in some states. India's weather office has issued several heat wave warnings. Meteorologists say the above average temperatures are being fueled by the El Nino weather pattern, increasing the demand for water.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Without water, we can't live. Without water, there are problems everywhere. The problem increases with the summers. Tankers do not reach some areas, which causes more problems.

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BRUNHUBER: Well, have a look at Parisians and visitors alike are using the city's fountains and canals to keep cool as hot weather also hits the French capital. Temperatures in Paris rose on Saturday to almost 90 degrees Fahrenheit or 32 degrees Celsius. At least one- person disobeyed signs forbidding swimming in the Canal Saint-Martin and jumped in from a small bridge. The heat wave is expected to continue through the coming week.

Now, across the United States, wildfire activity has already reached historic levels this year. CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar breaks down the numbers and explains why wildfires have been particularly severe this year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ALISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Wildfire season is off to a historic start. You can see all across the maps, each one of these little red dots indicates where we already have a fire so far this year. The total number of fires across the U.S., nearly 30,000. That is the highest we've had in roughly two decades. Even when you compare it to what the 10-year average would be, that's closer to 20,000. It's not just the total number of fires either, but the total area that is burned. We are looking at more than 2 million acres so far. Typically, we would only have just a little more than 1 million acres burned.

What's fueling a lot of that is the drought that has been impacting so much of the country. In fact, one-fifth, roughly 20 percent of the country, has been dealing with level 3 out of 4, or the extreme category of drought.

[04:55:00]

Nearly many areas of the country, you're talking the southeast, the central U.S., and even out into the west. The concern has really been across portions of the southeastern portion of the country, where we don't usually see this much widespread drought already so early into the year.

The one bit of good news is, as we continue through the holiday weekend, rain is expected across much of the eastern half of the country. This should not only help with the ongoing fires, but also the drought conditions as well.

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BRUNHUBER: Pope Leo has spoken out against companies harming the environment in pursuit of what he calls dizzying profits. The pope was speaking during a visit to Acerra, about 100 miles south of Rome. It's an area known as a hot spot for the illegal dumping of toxic waste.

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POPE LEO XIV (through translator): Now, we all know that we must watch over the health of the creation, just as we watch over our front door. We must resist the temptation to power and enrichment, linked to practices that pollute the earth, water, air, and our coexistence.

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BRUNHUBER: All right. Turning now to the NBA playoffs. The New York Knicks appear to be running away with the Eastern Conference Finals. Their 121-108 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday is New York's 10th in a row this postseason, marking a new franchise record. The Knicks now hold a commanding three-game lead in the series, and are just one win away from their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999.

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

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