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Ken Paxton Unseats Incumbent John Cornyn in the Texas Senatorial GOP Runoff as Paxton Projects to Win the Race; U.S. Accuses Iran of Breaching Ceasefire; Air New Zealand to Introduce Bunk Beds in Select Long-Haul Economy Flights. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired May 27, 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]

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

President Trump completes his month of GOP revenge with a Ken Paxton win over longtime senator John Cornyn in the state of Texas. We'll discuss what this means for Paxton's Democratic opponent coming midterms.

And the President's set to huddle with his cabinet in just a matter of hours as a critical stage begins in the efforts to negotiate an end to the war with Iran.

And Bunk Beds on a passenger plane. We'll tell you which airline is offering this comfy snooze option on some of their long-haul flights.

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

SANDOVAL: I'm so glad you could join us.

We do want to begin this hour with the power of an endorsement from U.S. President Donald Trump, this time in Texas, where CNN is now projecting State Attorney General Ken Paxton will be defeating incumbent John Cornyn in the Republican Senate runoff.

No candidate got that necessary 50 percent of the vote back in the March primary, and it took President Trump more than two months to endorse Paxton. He will now be facing Democratic State Representative James Talarico in the November midterm election.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEN PAXTON (R), TEXAS SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: Tonight is not the end of a campaign. Tonight is the beginning of the fight to preserve every value we hold dear. The future of Texas and the future of America is on the line, and I intend to do everything I can to expand our movement. I've won three statewide elections because I know how critical it is

for our party to come together, and that's what we must do now. Without a shadow of a doubt, I will be the Democrats' number one target in November.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: As for his opponent, Talarico, he is wasting no time not only with his fundraising, but also going after Paxton, calling him the most corrupt politician in America. Talarico posting this attack ad on X shortly after that race was called Tuesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES TALARICO (D), TEXAS SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: Three years ago, Ken Paxton was impeached by his own party for using his public office to enrich himself and his donors at the expense of the people. That kind of corruption is the rot at the core of this broken system.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: And our experts are standing by to discuss more on that in a moment, but first, we do want to get more on the runoff from CNN's Arlette Saenz at Paxton headquarters in Plano, Texas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton celebrated his resounding defeat of four-term Senator John Cornyn, a win that could have major implications for how competitive this Texas Senate race will be come November.

Now, Paxton thanked President Donald Trump for his last-minute endorsement in this race, which really helped push Paxton across the finish line. The state attorney general told supporters here that the President's endorsement is the most powerful force within American politics. Take a listen.

PAXTON: When everyone in Washington told him to abandon me and abandon the people of Texas, he didn't listen. Instead, he gave his complete and total endorsement. President Trump is the leader of our party, and his endorsement is the most powerful force in politics.

SAENZ: Now, Paxton used part of his speech to go on the attack against his Democratic opponent, state legislator James Talarico. He tried to argue that Talarico is a radical Democrat who is not in line with Texas conservative values, and even gave nicknames to Talarico, like "Tallafrico" and "Tofu Talarico."

But Paxton also acknowledged that he expects to be Democrats' number one target heading into the general election matchup in November. Throughout this campaign, Senator John Cornyn and other Republicans warned that having Paxton at the top of the GOP ticket could be a liability for Republicans here in Texas, which is typically a very conservative state. For Talarico's part, he was very quick to release a video after

Paxton's victory warning that he is the most corrupt politician in American politics. So this is really setting up what could be an expensive and bruising general election matchup as Paxton is set to take on Talarico in November.

Arlette Saenz, CNN, Plano, Texas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:04:58]

SANDOVAL: All right, so what can we expect the next few months? Let's discuss all that and head over to Atlanta with Republican strategist Katie Frost, I'm also joined by Democratic strategist Meghan Hays, who joins me from Washington.

Welcome to you both, thanks so much for taking the time.

MEGHAN HAYS, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Thank you.

KATIE FROST, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Thank you for having us.

SANDOVAL: Meghan, let's start with you. What does James Talarico need to show if this Democrat hopes to win in a bright red state come November, you think?

HAYS: Yes, I think he's already showing what he's made of and what he's going to do. He's going into communities, he's talking about the economy, and that's where it really matters. None of these other issues matter and people in Texas are underwater with their electric bills and their gas prices and their grocery prices, and they just want relief.

And you're in a state where the President's approval rating is underwater and also the governor's approval rating is in the 40s. So you have a really strong ticket in Talarico and Gina Hinojosa is running for governor.

So this is going to be a chance for Democrats to turn Texas blue. It'll just be interesting to see how much money is spent here. The one benefit Democrats have is James Talarico can raise money on his own, where Paxton cannot.

And so the Republicans are going to have to spend a lot of money to keep Texas in the Republican column.

SANDOVAL: Katie, Meghan laying out a list of some of those real kitchen table issues that the Texans really want to hear about over the next several months. So just from your point of view, how do you expect the Paxton campaign to portray their opponent, James Talarico, to voters, especially those who may consider a modern Democrat?

That's if he presents himself as such, you know, they want to hear more about just that some of the name calling that you just heard about a little while ago as well. They want to hear about those issues. So how do they go about that, you think?

FROST: We point out the fact that James Talarico may try to portray himself as a moderate, but he's actually a radical Democrat and he is far-left. He's completely out of step with Texans and their values.

This is a man who goes around saying that God is non-binary, that Jesus is a radical feminist. He said that science teaches us that there are not two biological genders and that there are actually six. This is someone who's completely out of step with where Texans are.

He talks about how the American flag is a complicated symbol for so many. That is not what you're going to hear from your typical Texas voter.

And when you realize that the border was a key issue in the 2024 election, when President Trump saw his story gains among Hispanic voters because of the impact of southern border was having on Texas voters, and then Talarico goes out there and he says that if you do not welcome people seeking asylum at the southern border, you cannot call yourself a Christian. That is not going to sit well with Texas voters.

So when we get to these issues and we talk about who James Talarico actually is, because he was flying under the radar for a long period of time, the more high profile candidate in the Democratic primary was Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, but the Democratic Party bosses decided to kneecap her and anoint James Talarico as the nominee. They thought he was more, quote, "electable." But I don't think that's going to be the case come November.

SANDOVAL: So of course, there is the other option, especially for voters here, of Ken Paxton. As you know, Katie, he does bring some baggage to this race. Do you think that that's likely to present Talarico with campaign ad opportunities? I mean, did President Trump essentially make it easier on Talarico by wanting this seasoned Senator John Cornyn out of the picture, you think?

FROST: I mean, look, I can make an ad out of anything. So if you're creative enough and you have a good campaign team around you, you can create an ad out of just about anything. But what I will say about Ken Paxton, he is someone who has won three statewide elections and all of his alleged baggage, it's already out there.

Everybody knows everything. And they've continued to reelect this man, whereas James Talarico has not had to face statewide scrutiny. He has not had to be on the national level and defend all of his radical past statements.

So I feel very confident that when voters get a chance to look at these two people and not just look at what their own decisions are that have impacted their lives, but the decisions that these two men will make and the policies that they will advocate for and how it impacts the lives of Texas families, voters are going to go with Ken Paxton every time.

SANDOVAL: Meghan, back to you. How can James Talarico aim for perhaps smarter Republicans that may be put off by Ken Paxton? Obviously, it is going to be far from easy in a state like Texas.

HAYS: I think he continues to talk about the actual issues that matter to people in Texas, and that's the economy. It always comes back to the economy.

And Katie's right, he had some controversial statements that he's going to have to explain, and he should have to explain those statements. But what really matters, the only issue that she mentioned was immigration, and those are things that she's going to have to explain.

But I think that when you actually talk to voters in Texas who are very concerned about how much they're paying for gas and how much they are paying for groceries and their utility bills, they are going to look for something different. They're not going to look for a morally bankrupt person who is literally impeached by his own party to be their representative in Congress.

I think people are tired of the corrupt nature of politics, and I think James Talarico gives them a fresh face. But I also think here we cannot underestimate the people who are running down-ballot in this election to help James Talarico also get votes from independents and moderate Republicans.

[03:10:08]

Gina Hinojosa is running as a mom on it, a lot of MAHA moms are for her. And those will bring people out to vote, and they will vote for James Talarico over Ken Paxton.

SANDOVAL: Yes, he's certainly a fresh face. He is perhaps not a very known name for many, Meghan. So how does he sort of breakthrough that and try to establish his brand, do you think?

HAYS: I think he's already breaking through. I mean, he beat Jasmine Crockett, as Katie mentioned, she was a very formidable candidate.

She just entered the race late, she did not have the money, but James Talarico is already going into communities, he's from the Valley, he's out there every day in these communities, and I think that he's breaking through in Texas.

And I also think that when Donald Trump endorsed Ken Paxton, he already brought a lot of attention to this race. So people who are tired of Trump's failed economic policies, being in a war that we don't want to be in and impacting our gas prices, that already just raised his profile more for people looking for an alternative.

SANDOVAL: Katie, I wonder if we can close with you. Democrats not winning the state there since 1994. I mean, the prospects, you think, of a Democrat rising on a ballot come November?

FROST: I see a repeat of the Beto O'Rourke playbook, relatively unknown, tries to mount a challenge for the U.S. Senate, gets some fawning coverage in some nice magazine articles, and ends up fading into obscurity. The only way you can think that a Democrat is going to win in Texas is if you count poll numbers the way James Talarico counts genders, and you think there are six instead of two.

SANDOVAL: Yes, the reality is, it is definitely not 2018. Texans are talking about the economy, as Meghan just mentioned. It is heavy on their mind right now, so they're anxious to hear from both campaigns to see how they can make the lives of Texans better, speaking as a Texan.

Meghan Hays, Katie Frost, thank you both so much for your time. I really appreciate it. Thanks for the conversation.

HAYS: Thank you.

FROST: Thank you.

SANDOVAL: All right, let's head to Iran now, which is now accusing the U.S. of violating their ceasefire.

As the two sides try to work towards ending the war, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps now threatening to retaliate after the U.S. launched what it called self-defense strikes on Iranian missile sites and boats around the Strait of Hormuz. Iran is claiming that the U.S. also breached its airspace, and that its forces actually struck down a drone and opened fire on an F-35 jet and another drone.

Now as for the negotiations, the Iranian government claiming that the U.S. has been unreliable in these ongoing talks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FATEMEH MOHAJERANI, IRANIAN GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON (through translator): It is not the first time we are witnessing these contradictions from the United States. In fact, one of the problems in our negotiations is the inconsistencies and contradictions in their behavior. This is not a new issue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Well President Trump now set to hold a cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday with the war now at a crucial juncture. A source is telling CNN that all cabinet members are expected to be in attendance today.

I want to head over to CNN's Mike Valerio, live from Beijing, as he follows potential developments not just in Washington, but also in the Middle East. Mike, what can you tell us about Iranians and their ongoing efforts to essentially de-escalate the situation right now?

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we can tell you, Polo, that the theme of our reporting, be it from Tehran to Beijing to D.C., seems to be that the ceasefire, incredibly fragile, obviously, as we've been able to see over the past couple of days. But there are signs of optimism that it's holding and that, saying cautiously here, it could perhaps continue to hold. We look no further than China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, who told reporters at the United Nations that this is no overnight task to get this deal done. But he's told reporters at the U.N. every step forward in negotiations brings a glimmer of hope for peace. So these talks, even though we had the U.S. airstrikes a day and a half ago, two days ago, the talks have not ended.

The ceasefire continues. I think it's also notable to see that sentiment that's reflected in a call between the leader of Qatar, Tahmin bin Hamad Al-Thani, and the leader of Iran -- the President of Iran, I should say, Masoud Pezeshkian, those sentiments of optimism also remaining.

So the emir of Qatar saying that the need for all parties to exercise the highest levels of responsibility and wisdom to spare the region from the repercussions of escalation, that is paramount, a.k.a. do not take the region back to February 28th and the earlier part of March. I think it was interesting to see what Iran responded in the readout of that phone call with Pezeshkian saying that Iran is prepared to reach a dignified framework for ending the war and current tensions in the region.

So again, variations on the theme of the ceasefire holding and talks continuing, not stopping.

[03:14:54]

Also in terms of talks, we saw three top negotiators from Iran, the parliament speaker, foreign minister, and head of the central bank, leave Qatar, leave Doha, and the main topic of their conversations was essentially what is going to happen with $24 billion of frozen Iranian assets.

The thinking is, according to this memorandum of understanding, would be that as the Strait of Hormuz gradually reopens, those funds would gradually thaw and perhaps be returned to Iran. But that has caught a lot of flak from congressional Republicans in Washington, D.C. who are saying, you know, paraphrasing Polo for our conversation, that very much resembles the Obama deal that was signed, ratified in Geneva during, again, when President Trump was a private citizen and criticized it massively on then Twitter.

So we'll be seeing whether or not that survives when Trump and his cabinet meet on Wednesday.

Speaking of Hormuz, 25 ships have made their way through the Strait over the past 24 hours with the permission of Iran's Navy, so we're waiting to see whether or not that number stays or increases. And then I think we're going to end our live shot talking about the internet, which parts of it have been restored to people across Iran, but we're getting a lot of reporting saying that, quote, don't get too excited, the internet isn't fully open, it's just no longer completely shut down, coming from a man from Tehran, and then a woman telling us that this is more of the filter net rather than the completely reopened internet, Polo.

SANDOVAL: Yes, some important context there, CNN's Mike Valerio in Beijing with that live report. Thanks, Mike.

A Chinese dissident has escaped to South Korea for a chance to finally be reunited with his family. Coming up here on "CNN Newsroom," the very latest on his 30-hour journey to freedom aboard an inflatable boat.

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[03:20:00]

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SANDOVAL: Ukraine's ambassador to the U.N. is denouncing Russia's, quote, new, appalling level of aggression against Ukrainian civilians. This comes after Russia's massive bombardment of Kyiv this past weekend, one of the largest in the four-year war now. At least four people were killed in those strikes and dozens were wounded.

Moscow is saying that it was the beginning of new systemic strikes against Ukraine's capital. As part of its threat, Russia has warned foreign envoys to leave Kyiv altogether. Ukraine's European allies are also warning about the risks that they're likely facing.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says that it's necessary to beef up Eastern European security now. Here's Latvia's President.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EDGARS RINKEVICS, LATVIAN PRESIDENT: Russia is becoming more desperate, and to some extent, Russia is also becoming more dangerous. We need to take that into account. I think that it is very important that we are prepared for further disinformation campaigns or further provocations, maybe also acts of sabotage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Now to South Korea where a Chinese dissident has arrived after a daring 30-hour escape. This was the activist's fourth attempt to flee China and reunite with his family, who have been granted asylum in Canada.

For more on his story, let's go now to CNN's Ivan Watson, joining me from Hong Kong.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this dissident is named Dong Guangping, and he has certainly made many previous attempts to escape China, has served prison time multiple times, and now what we've learned is that the South Korean Coast Guard says that on Monday night, fishermen reported the appearance of an unidentified boat with a Chinese national in his late 60s on board.

We've confirmed with his lawyer that it is in fact Dong Guangping, this former Chinese police officer who's been in and out of trouble with the Chinese authorities over his activism for years, decades in fact. And we spoke to a family friend and a fellow Chinese dissident in exile who says she spoke with Dong by phone. Take a listen to what she told me earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHENG XUE, CHINESE-CANADIAN ACTIVIST: He spent more than 30 hours to cross the sea, and he said, oh, I was almost passed out when I got here. He said, thanks God, because he said also the engine of his rubber boat was broken at that time, and so it was very dangerous for him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Now, a little bit more background about Dong Guangping, again, he was a former police officer from Henan province. He was fired initially because he co-signed a letter commemorating the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown that killed so many protesters there, and then he got in and out of trouble for his activism in the years after that, serving time in prison.

In 2015, he tried to flee to Thailand with his wife and daughter. They were awaiting asylum when suddenly Thai authorities detained him and shipped him back to China, where he was subsequently seen in a video on camera being interrogated. I interviewed his wife at the time, who accused the Chinese authorities of kidnapping him.

In the years since then, his wife and daughter got asylum in Canada. He tried to flee to Vietnam, was returned to China. He tried to swim to Taiwan, didn't make it, was rescued onto a fishing boat.

Now he's finally made it. We've reached out to the Chinese embassy in Seoul for comment, haven't heard back. South Korean authorities, they say they're going to arrest him for illegally crossing borders, and the activists want him to be freed and not sent back to China.

Back to you, Polo.

SANDOVAL: And Ivan, just as a testament of the swift moving nature of this story, during your report, China's foreign ministry declining to comment on this case when asked about that, but just an absolutely remarkable story that you share with us.

[03:25:08]

Ivan Watson, as always, I really appreciate your reporting. Thank you.

And still ahead, we'll be going to the White House and also get you the very latest on President Trump's upcoming cabinet meeting and what it could mean for the peace talks with Iraq. Don't go anywhere.

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SANDOVAL: Hey everybody, thank you so much for staying with us. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York, and these are today's top stories.

CNN projecting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will be winning the Republican runoff for U.S. Senate in that state and also face Democrat James Talarico in the midterms. Paxton, who got the late endorsement from President Trump, will be replacing incumbent Senator John Cornyn on the ballot come November.

And President Trump says that his latest physical exam went perfectly, he said. He spent more than three hours at Walter Reed Medical Center being checked out by military doctors on Tuesday. This is Trump's third physical since January of last year and comes just a few weeks before his 80th birthday.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claiming 25 vessels, including oil tankers, managed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz within a 24-hour span. The Iranian Navy said the ships transited the strategic waterway with coordination and security provided by its forces. CNN could not independently verify that shipping traffic number.

President Trump expected to convene his cabinet at the White House in just a few hours. In this meeting, it comes at a critical moment for the U.S. war with Iran amid talks for a potential peace deal. CNN's Alayna Treene in Washington with more.

[03:30:01]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Donald Trump will convene his cabinet for a meeting on Wednesday, although it's no longer going to be held at Camp David. The President announcing on Tuesday that it will actually be at the White House now because of possible bad weather. But look, still top of mind, of course, is going to be the state of the negotiations on trying to end the war with Iran.

In recent days, we've really heard a lot of optimism, both privately and publicly, from top Trump officials, even after we saw both countries, Washington and Tehran, exchange fire on Monday, something that Iran argued was a violation of the ceasefire. But behind closed doors, officials are arguing that they are making a lot of progress toward what they're calling a memorandum of understanding or some sort of framework that they are hoping to strike with Iran by the end of the week in order to end the war.

So expect a lot of attention to be paid to that at the meeting on Wednesday.

Alayna Treene, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: An urgent operation is underway in Laos right now, where rescuers are working to reach seven people who've now been trapped underground in a cave for a week. Our Will Ripley, following those developments closely from Taipei.

Will, this absolutely incredible story, rescuers trying desperately to get to them. Are we hearing from any of them right now? WILL RIPLEY, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We have been hearing

from rescuers who've been sending us these videos, Polo, and I want to just start playing you what's been coming in.

Amazingly, they've been able to set up internet actually inside the cave. So we're able to get some of these images just almost in real time. And you can see the conditions inside this cave, which are incredibly harrowing.

I can't underscore enough that these rescuers are very brave, about 100 of them from Laos, of course, also Thailand now involved. There are Thai and Finnish cave diving specialists on scene. And in some areas of this cave, you're talking about a width of 23 inches.

So barely shoulder width, enough for one person at a time to squeeze through diving down sometimes very steep cavernous tunnels that are submerged in pitch black water. So if they didn't have their headlamps or if the battery died, they were literally we'll see nothing. But they're moving closer and closer.

There's about a thousand foot feet of submerged underground tunnels. And they say they're now within 65 to 100 feet as of the last update from this area where they believe there's an elevated air pocket and they think that air is able to flow into the cave in this area. And they believe the air quality is still good.

Now, obviously, this is changing minute by minute because the water levels are fluctuating as well. It's rainy season in this area and storms are expected pretty much every day. They usually come in the afternoon around this time.

Sometimes the rain is incredibly heavy and that can cause very quick flash flooding inside the tunnel. So they're having to obviously monitor the weather conditions as they are down there. But at the moment, the rescuers have told us that they're in good spirits.

Now, this area, Xaisomboun province in central Laos, interestingly, near Long Tieng, which was a secret CIA hub during the Vietnam War. This is an area that's known for very steep mountainous jungle terrain. It's also known for gold.

And that's what those seven villagers were actually searching for, Polo, when they went into the cave and then flash floods sealed the exit about a week ago. There was one man in the group who managed to escape. He alerted the authorities that the other seven were down there.

The rescuers basically believe that unless somebody has very extensive knowledge of this cave network, they're not going to be able to get out there.

And also they've been shouting into the cave, seeing if they're getting if they can hear any signs of life, any voices of people responding. They haven't heard a response that we've heard of yet.

That could be, though, because, again, a lot of these caves are flooded. And so the sound isn't moving through as quickly. But interestingly, these rescuers say they're optimistic, Polo.

They think there's a good chance that these people could still be alive. Obviously, they could be drinking the water that is down in the cave. So that's the one benefit when you have fresh water flooding down there.

They say there are four possible shafts that they've identified. This elevated air pocket, they hope the air quality is good enough to sustain life. Thailand, of course, had another miraculous cave rescue back in 2018 when that soccer team was pulled out of the cave alive.

So everybody, of course, watching this with bated breath, hoping for a repeat of that outcome, Polo.

SANDOVAL: Yes, they were there for weeks until they finally got to them. Hopefully that's serving as an inspiration. But those pictures, Will, too, you see these rescuers coming out covered in mud, it just speaks to those conditions that they're experiencing underground.

Will Ripley, keep us posted. Thank you.

Well, if you've ever wished for a good night's sleep while flying an economy, one airline may be about to make those dreams come true. Stay with us.

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[03:35:00]

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SANDOVAL: Hey, welcome back, I'm Polo in New York, and here are your business headlines.

Investors have their eye on the oil markets as renewed U.S. airstrikes on Iran threaten to disrupt current negotiations. Brent Crude and WTI backed away from $100 a barrel over the weekend, but both are still hovering above $90 as the world waits to see if Iran will retaliate.

And Ferrari's first fully electric vehicle is now facing a wave of mixed reviews following its high-stakes debut. This four-door vehicle is now priced at a staggering $640,000. Ferrari shares, they dipped as many critics call the company's shift towards E.V.s a major departure from the brand's core identity.

And the viral K-pop band BTS is now teaming up with Oreo for a limited edition release. The new purple BTS cookie will feature a hotdog- inspired sweet cream filling, South Korea's brown sugar-stuffed pancake is a beloved childhood meal for all seven members. The new Oreos are going to be sold in more than 80 countries starting in June.

And Air New Zealand is now looking to revolutionize sleep comfort on long-haul economy flights. The airline plans to introduce bunk beds on some of its routes, as CNN's Lilit Marcus reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) LILIT MARCUS, CNN DIGITAL TRAVEL PRODUCER (voice-over): Lying flat? In economy? On long-haul flights? This airline is hoping to make that a reality with bunk beds.

I recently checked out Sky Nest, a beds-on-board concept rolled out by Air New Zealand for flights between Auckland and New York City.

MARCUS: Oh, this is cozy.

MARCUS (voice-over): Think of it as a compromise. Less expensive than business-class lie-flat seats, but more relaxing than regular economy seats.

Six people can be in this nest at a time. Still, it's not cheap. A session of four hours comes at a cost of $495, plus amenities like an eye mask and earplugs.

Air New Zealand's CEO has said that the company wants to quote, "lead in sleep." That's a necessity for the airline.

New Zealand's location means that a majority of their flights are long-hauls, so they have to really work hard to make passengers comfortable when they're spending so long in the sky.

Before this, the airline rolled out the Sky Couch, where three economy seats were combined into a bed. That idea was licensed by United, so you might start seeing it in the U.S.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[03:40:01]

SANDOVAL: NASA is announcing new details about its upcoming plans to build a permanent base on the moon.

Phase 1 will see robotic missions scout and prepare for surface operations. And that includes the Moonfall mission, which will be sending four drones to fly short hops to survey potential landing sites for Artemis astronauts. NASA is aiming for a 2028 launch site, so add it to the calendar.

Phase 2, as expected, come 2029, when NASA will begin building a semi- permanent infrastructure aboard on the lunar surface. Phase 3, then aiming for sustained presence with routine crew rotations and also a continuous surface activity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JARED ISAACMAN, NASA ADMINISTRATOR: The moon base is as beautiful as it is hostile. In sunlight, the surface can heat to over 250 degrees, in darkness, it can drop well below minus 200, in the permanently shaded craters, areas of great interest that have been untouched by sunlight for millions, even billions of years, temperatures can fall well below minus 400 degrees. There is no atmosphere to moderate these extremes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: And finally, a drone show gone wrong in Sydney. I want to show you the moment that dozens of drones started to fall from the sky over Sydney's harbor during the Vivid Sydney Festival, you can see them. They were basically raining down on the harbor.

The festival has actually blamed unforeseen technical difficulties for this and has now canceled other planned drone shows.

For our international viewers, "World Sport" is next. For those of you watching in the U.S., I'll join you again in a moment.

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[03:45:00]

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SANDOVAL; A growing list of people who say that they were past targets of President Trump's retribution now telling CNN that they may see compensation from the Justice Department's controversial anti- weaponization fund. Some Trump critics have already sent in letters outlining their claims.

CNN's Marshall Cohen fills us in from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN SR. REPORTER: When the Justice Department announced this $1.8 billion compensation fund last week, they invoked some of President Trump's longstanding grievances, like the Russia probe, the classified documents investigation, and the raid at Mar-a- Lago.

But some critics of the President have said that they are flipping the script. They think that they are actually the true victims of retribution and weaponization and President Trump and the Trump administration are the perpetrators. And that's why some very prominent Trump critics have said in the past several days in interviews with CNN that they are strongly considering applying for compensation to this fund.

They want to prove a point, they want to stand up and protest and draw attention to what they think have been brazen abuses of power by the President and his allies at the Justice Department. That being said, there are some others involved in these discussions that are concerned that applying for funds might legitimize this whole enterprise, which they don't even think should exist in the first place.

So who am I talking about? Well, there's a bunch of folks.

James Comey, the former FBI director who was fired by President Trump at the height of the Russia probe in 2017. There's also Michael Cohen, the Trump fixer turned foe, as well as several January 6th prosecutors who were fired from the DOJ last year after Trump took office. There have also been some discussions among the Democratic lawmakers

that posted that somewhat controversial video a few months ago where they reminded members of the U.S. Armed Forces that they should not follow unlawful orders if they were to receive any. Those lawmakers were investigated by the DOJ, but no charges were brought.

And there's also Andy McCabe, the former FBI deputy director, who's now a CNN contributor and was involved in the Russia probe before he was fired by the Justice Department in 2018.

I spoke with his attorney who slammed this entire compensation fund, telling me, quote, "The idea of this slush fund," his words, "is crazy, ridiculous and illegal." He went on to say "There was weaponization in the first Trump administration and they've taken it to a whole new level in the second."

Now, the DOJ did not respond to our questions, but top DOJ officials have said repeatedly that this is a nonpartisan fund. Anyone can apply and that all submissions will be reviewed on a case by case basis by a five member commission.

Marshall Cohen, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Now to a massive wedge tornado that was caught on video, a severe supercell thunderstorm line actually moved through a sparsely populated region in northern Mexico on Tuesday. Storm chasers used the term wedge tornado to describe an extremely wide tornado that looks more like a giant upside down triangle. Amazingly, no major damage or injuries were reported here.

And a brutal heat wave has been smashing dozens of temperature records across Western Europe. Some of those highs at times reaching 10 to 15 degrees Celsius above what's normal. Now the U.K. could get some relief in the coming hours, but there is still no cool down yet for parts of France and Spain.

CNN's Pau Mosquera with more from Madrid.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAU MOSQUERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Madrid is one of the many European cities that since the beginning of this week has been affected by an episode of extraordinarily high temperatures. This Tuesday, thermometers soar until getting to 31 degrees Celsius, which is around 88 degrees Fahrenheit. This kind of temperature would be typical for a month of July, but not May.

And we're still three weeks and a half away from the summer really starting. And these high temperatures are going to last at least until the end of this week, according to the Spanish Weather Agency. And that is why many people have chosen over the day to come to places like this one, the park of Retiro, seeking shelter in the shade of the trees.

[03:50:08[

Now to step into the streets, it is also necessary to come prepared as the 30 degrees Celsius is going to be common for the rest of the week. In our case, in this top back, we took what we believe it is really necessary.

The basics, let it say, for example, some cool water, also some sunblock very necessary for the central hours of the day and also to prevent any skin damage. And most importantly, a cap, in this case, a corporate cap to prevent any exposure from the sun.

So according again to this Spanish Weather Agency, the Mercury will reach over the next few days, the 35 degrees Celsius, which is around 95 degrees Fahrenheit. And this situation during the night is going to come with a tropical weather, meaning that the mercury won't drop from the 20 degrees Celsius.

So for those that are expecting from some relief of this heat, they are going to have to wait at least another few days.

Pau Mosquera, CNN, Madrid.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, it has now killed at least 220 people. And that's according to figures from the World Health Organization. Health workers, they have voiced concerns over equipment shortages and attacks on treatment facilities.

The WHO and 55 humanitarian partners are reportedly providing essential health services across the affected areas in Central Africa. But officials are also calling on the public to try to help limit the spread.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ROBERT UNERU, PRESIDENT, ITURI MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (through translator): The epidemic is here. And to avoid this epidemic, the first thing is to break the chain. Transmission must be broken.

As soon as we break the chain, we can manage the epidemic. But if people keep thinking this epidemic does not exist with everything that is happening, then it is hopeless.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: On Tuesday, a U.N. spokesperson announced that the WHO director general was headed to the DRC to assess the growing crisis firsthand.

Belgian police say that it's still too early to say whether a school bus driver intentionally drove through a closed railway barrier before being hit by a train on Tuesday morning. Four people died in the collision, including two children, with five others seriously injured.

Nada Bashir with the latest on the investigation now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we've been hearing from train and railway officials who've been speaking to local media who've confirmed that the barrier was down, preventing oncoming traffic from going onto the tracks, and that a red light signal had been switched on as a warning for incoming traffic as well.

So the real question for investigators at this stage is why the minibus driver took the decision, whether it was an accident or intentional, to cross through that barrier, despite the warning signs. And, of course, this has had tragic and deadly consequences. Four people killed, among them two children aged 12 and 15 years old, a 27- year-old attendant and, of course, the 49-year-old minibus driver.

So that is the key focus for investigators now. We have been hearing from police officials just over the last few hours who have confirmed that as part of their investigations, they have confirmed that the driver was not under the influence of any drugs or alcohol, that the driver had no prior convictions or previous convictions.

Take a listen to a small segment from their statement.

AN BERGER, BELGIAN FEDERAL POLICE SPOKESPERSON: At eight past 8:00, a school bus passed here. It was driving along the railroad. The driver wanted to cross the railroad, which was closed at that time.

At eight past 8:00, a train came from Bruges and drove into the bus.

REPORTER: Do we know if it was a human mistake or maybe a decision by the driver?

BERGER: At this moment, it's too early to say anything. So the only thing we know is it was 8:00, eight past 8:00, and that the railway was closed.

BASHIR: It's too early, according to police officials, to make a final judgment on the cause of this deadly collision. We have been hearing from railway officials, again, speaking to local media, saying that the train conductor, the train driver, rather, actually pulled on the brakes ahead of time in order to stop and prevent a collision, but, unfortunately, this wasn't done in time.

No deaths reported or casualties reported on board the train, of course, four killed on board that minibus as a result of the collision. As we understand it, according to officials, five others are injured and receiving care in hospitals.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Our thanks to Nada Bashir, for that report.

Medical experts in the U.S. recommend teenagers get eight to 10 hours of sleep every night.

[03:55:02]

But there's a new study by the Journal of the American Medical Association that now suggests that many teens are spending a big part of their night on their phones instead of sleeping. Researchers analyzed data about teenage phone use patterns specifically between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., and they found that more than half of U.S. teens are pretty much spending up to an hour or more scrolling instead of catching some Zs.

That essentially now means that many of them are spending most of their time on social media apps such as YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok. The study's lead author now telling us why that's so detrimental for young people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. JASON M. NAGATA, ASSOCIATE PROF. OF PEDIATRICS, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-SAN FRANCISCO: Sleep is so essential for adolescent brain development, learning, mental health, and emotion regulation. Teenage years are just really important for rapid brain development, body development. And sleep is really when a lot of that restoration happens.

So teens really need, as you mentioned, eight to 10 hours of sleep for healthy development. And sleep affects attention, memory, learning, and mental health.

So it's really important that even small improvements in sleep can make a big difference for teenagers. Even 10, 15 minutes of extra sleep can improve mental health and cognitive performance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: The U.S. men's national team, it has its roster ready to go ahead of the fast approaching FIFA World Cup; you see half of this year's team. It's made up of returning players from 2022. The 26- player squad unveiled in front of a cheering crowd near New York's iconic Brooklyn Bridge.

And during that event, the team said that support from fans, it is critical. The newly finalized roster must now be submitted to FIFA for final approval before their first game, which is actually scheduled for June 12th.

Thank you so much for joining us, I'm Polo Sandoval in New York. I'll join you again in a few moments with more of your headlines.

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