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Colombia's Presidential Race Heads to a Runoff; California, Iowa Begins Primary Voting; New Drug Gives Hope to Pancreatic Cancer Patients; United States Begins Atlantic Hurricane Season in the Shadows of Looming Super El Nino. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired June 01, 2026 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Hey everybody, thank you so much for starting your week with us. I'm Polo Sandoval, live in New York, and this is "CNN Newsroom."
The U.S. and Iran exchanging military strikes as Washington awaits Tehran's response to its latest demands on a peace deal. A surprise result from the right, Colombia's Presidential election heading to a runoff as a pro-Trump candidate takes the lead in the first round of voting. And a new drug that's offering hope for those who are battling one of the deadliest types of cancer.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from New York, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Polo Sandoval.
SANDOVAL: We do want to begin in the Middle East, where U.S. Central Command says that it conducted what it describes as self-defense strikes on Iranian targets this weekend, Iran meanwhile saying that it struck a U.S. air base that was allegedly used to launch an attack.
And all of this is coming as U.S. officials say that President Donald Trump requested changes to the proposed peace deal. Now, we don't know any specifics about it, but one foreign official does tell CNN that the changes aren't substantive and are mostly about assurances for the U.S.
Let's go live to CNN's Paula Hancocks, joining me from Abu Dhabi. Paula, here we are. This back and forth seems to be extending into another week. Where do negotiations -- actually, you know what, I'll tell you what, it doesn't seem that we do have Paula with us right now. We'll work to get her back on with us, or at least on the phone, to bring us the very latest on the situation in the Middle East and, of course, what happens to these crucial negotiations between the U.S. and Iran.
The Israeli military has captured a historic castle in southern Lebanon as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders troops to push further into Lebanese territory. Now the capture of Belfort Castle happened after days of intense fighting in the area. Israeli Defense Forces are saying in a statement that it is now
working to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure there. Clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces have intensified despite a U.S.-mediated ceasefire between the Lebanese and Israeli governments.
In Gaza, health officials say that an Israeli strike on a cafe killed at least two people and injured dozens others on Sunday. Eyewitnesses say people were celebrating public holidays when the missile hit the area. An October ceasefire brokered by President Trump has failed to halt Israeli attacks in Gaza.
Health officials in the enclave say that about 900 Palestinians have been killed since that fragile truce came into effect. Now, there are some preliminary results that are showing that Colombia's presidency is headed for a highly polarized runoff election that could redefine relations with the United States.
And that's after a pro-Trump political outsider surprisingly won one of the votes, but not a majority. Actually, I should say most of the votes, but not a majority. Stefano Pozzebon has the very latest from Bogota.
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STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: He might have been unknown to many here in Colombia just 12 months ago, but the far-right populist Abelardo de la Espriella is now poised to be this country's next President as he's leading the vote heading to a runoff that is set for June 21st.
De la Espriella has won more than 10 million votes in the first round of the Presidential election on Sunday, and he's surpassing the government candidate, Ivan Cepeda, by more than 500,000 votes. It is a surprise result because Cepeda had been leading in the opinion polls in pretty much most of the campaign, and especially most of the year so far.
But it seems that de la Espriella was managed to boost his support in the last few days, in the last few weeks, especially by coalescing around himself the voters of other right-wing candidates, including, for example, the third-placed candidate, Paloma Valencia, who arrived a distant third.
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It's clearly a very polarized scenario between a populist far-right that has seeked the support of figures such as Nayib Bukele from El Salvador or Donald Trump in the United States and Ivan Cepeda, who has got the support of the President, Gustavo Petro, who is barred from the election.
De la Espriella celebrated his victory with characteristic vitriolic language that we have become so accustomed in the last few years by these far-right populists that have been leading in the polls both in the Americas and in Europe. This is how he described the contest that Colombia is heading to in three weeks' time. ABELARDO DE LA ESPRIELLA, COLOMBIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (through translator): The time of empathy is over. This is the final battle for Colombia and freedom, a battle we need to fight united to achieve the miracle Colombia deserves. It's a battle we are not going to lose because we are a pack that will defeat Gustavo Petro and Ivan Cepeda once and for all.
POZZEBON: And de la Espriella was speaking behind the armored glass because security and crime have been a top concern for voters here in Colombia. Last year, for example, a leading Presidential candidate, Miguel Uribe Turbay, was killed after receiving an attack by an assassin here in Bogota. De la Espriella was speaking from a boat fronting the port in the coastal city of Barranquilla.
Ivan Cepeda instead told his supporters that he still does not believe that the vote that he received were the actual total. He has cast doubts on the election results as proclaimed by the electoral authority late on Sunday night.
But he also urged any Colombians that he says supports life to front up and to join his campaign against a far-right candidate that is promising to withdraw most of the policies that the President, the left-wing President Gustavo Petro, who was the first left-wing President in the history of this country, has proclaimed and has pushed from the government in the last four years.
It's a clearly polarized scenario, it's not a novelty. We have seen it happening in so many other countries in the last few years. And Colombia is heading to the election with both candidates totaling more than 40 percent of the votes and with a very small margin of undecided. The election -- the final round of the election, the second round is set for June 21st. For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.
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SANDOVAL: Now let's get to elections in the United States. Half a dozen states across the country. They are now set to hold primary elections on Tuesday, and some of those could change the political landscape ahead of the midterm elections this fall.
And as we get closer to those races, California and Iowa, they're getting a lot of attention. Let's start in California. Voters there, they're going to be deciding who will be on the November ballot to replace Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. It is a crowded field with more than 60 candidates running for governor there. California, they have a jungle primary. So what does that mean?
So the top two finishers, regardless of the party, will go on to the general election. Some Democrats have been worried that the crowded field could actually split the vote on the left, consequently putting two Republican candidates on the November ballot.
Right now, the very latest polling showing a very close race at the very top with Democrat Xavier Becerra, Republican Steve Hilton, and Democrat Tom Steyer leading that primary field. Let's go to Iowa. President Donald Trump has endorsed Congressman
Randy Feenstra for governor. And this is days before voting ends in the primary election on Tuesday. He's one of the five Republicans who are seeking the party's nomination. He says that he is, quote, "honored and humbled to receive Trump's backing."
The President describing Feenstra as MAGA all the way in this post, declaring his endorsement on Friday. The winner of Tuesday's election will be facing the Democratic state auditor Bob Sand in the fall election for governor.
Let's get you back to our top story now and this back and forth between the U.S. and Iran. We go now live to CNN's Paula Hancocks.
Paula, it's really all about this memorandum of understanding, pretty much serving as the foundation for future talks. Do we know if there's been any progress in finally nailing down some of the language between these two countries?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Polo, what we have seen over recent hours is another round of exchanging fire between the U.S. and Iran as we are waiting to hear any confirmation on that memorandum of understanding. The latest we have is that Central Command has said that they have carried out measured and deliberate strikes, they call it, on Saturday and Sunday.
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They say that the U.S. military was targeting Iranian radar and command and control sites as regards to their drones. They say that was in retaliation for a Predator drone having been shot down, which they say was over international waters.
Now, what we're hearing from the Iranian side, they say that they have struck a U.S. air base in the region after it targeted a telecoms tower on one of the Iranian islands. Now, they don't name the country that they have targeted. We have seen from state media, IRIB, that they have released what they claim was the launches of these strikes.
But we have heard from Kuwait early this Monday morning saying that they have been engaging hostile drones and missiles in the early hours of the morning. So, this is not the first time that we have seen this exchange of fire between the two sides as they are still negotiating since the ceasefire took place on April 8th. Potentially, it won't be the last time that we see it either.
But what we are seeing on the diplomatic front is that President Trump has sent back some suggestions for this memorandum of understanding. We understand from officials that he wants some additions or some clarifications and strengthening them when it comes to the language in this memorandum, when it comes to the nuclear program and also the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Now, it's not clear exactly what changes he wants, but this is what we are hearing from officials. We've heard from one foreign official that's familiar with this matter. They are not substantive changes, but really seeking more assurances from Iran.
Now, when it comes to Tehran itself, we have heard from the parliament speaker, for example, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf. He has said that Iran won't agree to any deal until they have concrete concessions. Let's listen to what he said on Sunday.
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MOHAMMAD-BAGHER GHALIBAF, IRANIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER (through translator): The soldiers on the diplomatic front have absolutely no trust in the enemy's words and promises. Our only criteria is to achieve tangible results before we fulfill our commitments in return. Until we are certain that the rights of the Iranian people have been secured, we will not approve any agreement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANCOCKS: Now, Tehran has been quite clear that what they want to see is some of billions of dollars in frozen accounts released as part of this deal. We also know and have heard from the U.S. President Donald Trump that he does not want to see significant amounts of cash being handed over to Tehran, something that he has bitterly criticized former U.S. President Barack Obama for doing during the previous Iran deal. Polo?
SANDOVAL: CNN's Paula Hancocks with that live update as this war enters now a new month. Thank you, Paula. Florida's infamous migrant detention center, Alligator Alcatraz, may be closing, leaving the future of the detainees there unclear. Ahead here on "CNN Newsroom," we hear from one woman who successfully fought to free her father from that facility.
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SANDOVAL: Protests continued on Sunday past the nightly curfew near an ICE facility in Newark, New Jersey. Authorities there say that some demonstrators were arrested. Police and protesters have been clashing for days now outside the Delaney Hall detention facility. Tensions escalated about a week ago, when hundreds of detainees went on a hunger strike to protest spoiled food and poor conditions, they claim.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says he visited the facility on Sunday morning. He says, "At Delaney Hall we learned of unsanitary living conditions, lack of adequate medical care, and unhealthy food." Now the Department of Homeland Security disputes those claims.
A woman fought for months to free her father from the controversial ICE detention facility known as Alligator Alcatraz. But his release comes as the facility is expected to shut down over the summer, with the fate of the remaining detainees still unclear. CNN's Carolina Peguero reports.
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ARIANNE BETANCOURT, DAUGHTER OF JUSTO BETANCOURT: I can't even say that I'm happy and not cry.
CAROLINA PEGUERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A relentless legal battle.
A. BETANCOURT: Papi's home and we got him some cafecito.
PEGUERO (voice-over): And a daughter doing everything in her power to get her father released from Florida's migrant detention center known as Alligator Alcatraz.
A. BETANCOURT: I've worked so hard over the last six months for this. And everyone told me that it was impossible to give up.
That I wasn't going to get it done. And my dad is sitting right next to me.
PEGUERO (voice-over): Her father, a Cuban national, Justo Betancourt, is one of thousands of migrants who have been held at what was billed with much fanfare as a temporary facility.
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Amazing job. They've all done a great job. Proud of them.
PEGUERO (voice-over): Under conditions Justo says are inhumane, with shared cells with barely any space and little to no access to food and medicine.
JUSTO BETANCOURT, RELEASED FROM ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ (translated): From the moment you arrive, you're an animal that's assigned a number.
A. BETANCOURT: My dad's health was not the best before he went into Alligator Alcatraz. But my dad, the condition that they released him in, I learned today that my dad had a mini stroke while he was detained.
PEGUERO (voice-over): Wearing an ankle monitor, Justo recalls being moved through several immigration centers. At one point, U.S. authorities sent him to Mexico.
But officials there refused to take him due to his poor health. He was then sent back to the Florida center. Ariane recalls the day he was detained.
A. BENTANCOURT: He showed up to his routine immigration check-in. I was sitting in the car and we were waiting and hours were going by. We couldn't see him anymore, he wasn't outside.
And a woman showed up, screaming that her husband had called her on his Apple watch and told her that they detained him and the other 15 guys that were in line with him.
[03:20:06] PEGUERO (voice-over): ICE tells CNN Justo entered the U.S. illegally and has past criminal history for possession and selling illicit substances, though he says he served time for those charges. For now, he's back with his family.
J. BENTANCOURT (translated): God bless you.
PEGUERO (voice-over): Justo was released after his attorney filed several petitions for habeas corpus.
MIRIAM HASKELL, LAWYER, COMMUNITY JUSTICE PROJECT: We argued that the government still did not have a plan for his deportation and the government responded to say that Mr. Betancourt would be sent to Mexico but ignored the fact that his removal had been attempted to Mexico in the past and had been denied. And so that, combined with the length of his deportation, demonstrated that the government really doesn't have a plan and didn't have a plan for his deportation.
PEGUERO (voice-over): And as the center is set to close, the big question is, what happens to the hundreds of detainees that activists say are still being held in the Florida center?
UNKNOWN: Very likely that most, if not all, are going to end up at other detention centers, unfortunately.
PEGUERO (voice-over): Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' office did not directly respond to the questions about the fate of the detainees after the detention camp closes. Instead, it referred us to comments the governor made earlier this month, defending the facility.
GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): Being able to fill that void, where at the time the federal government did not have the resources to do it, no question that saved lives, no question it's increased public safety, and no question it's the right thing to do.
PEGUERO (voice-over): For now, Ariane and her dad are making up for lost time. Your dad is the biggest thing I can tell you, and I'm proud of you.
J. BENTANCOURT (translated): As your dad, the biggest thing that I can tell you is that I'm proud of you. I've always been proud of you since the day you were born.
A. BENTANCOURT: I love you, Papi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: And on Sunday, what appears to be a congratulatory message from Justo Betancourt's family was posted on the President's Truth Social account, reading, "Welcome home to Justo Betancourt, whose daughter, Ariane, fought very hard to free her father from alligator Alcatraz. Enjoy your freedom together."
Now, we're sharing this because the post is fairly unusual, as it comes after the Trump administration recently deported thousands of Cuban migrants to Mexico, part of its sweeping immigration agenda. An experimental drug giving new hope to patients with pancreatic
cancer. Just ahead, I speak with the lead researcher and professor of medicine involved in the development of a pill that's really considered a groundbreaking development.
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SANDOVAL: Hey everybody. Welcome back, I'm Polo Sandoval, in New York. And these are today's top stories.
U.S. Central Command saying that it carried out self-defense strikes in Iran over the weekend and Iran says that it attacked a U.S. air base without specifying which one. And all this comes as U.S. officials say that President Trump has asked for new changes to this peace proposal. However, it's not clear exactly what those changes are.
A Russian drone attack triggering a fire that engulfed a logistics terminal in Dnipro, Ukraine. In a post on Telegram, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that emergency crews were working at the Novopost terminal following the strike, which set a warehouse on fire. There are no immediate reports of casualties.
And protests continued on Sunday past a nightly curfew near an ICE facility in Newark, New Jersey, over alleged inhumane conditions for detainees. Authorities say that several protesters were arrested after refusing to leave. That curfew will continue every night from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. until further notice, according to local officials.
Rescuers in Laos have discovered a 100-meter vertical shaft that's dropping down to a deeper part of that cave where five men were rescued last week. Crews have been trying to locate two more men believed to be in a different part of that cave system. And they hope that the vertical shaft will be a shortcut to finding those men.
You may recall four of those other men. They walked out of that cave unaided on Saturday after being trapped there for more than a week.
The head of the World Health Organization says that there is hope for patients suffering from a deadly outbreak of Ebola in Africa. He's set to meet with leaders in the Democratic Republic of Congo today. The WHO is reporting four nurses were discharged from a hospital in the DRC after recovering from the illness.
The group is pushing for greater access to medical care in the affected countries, which together have reported more than 270 confirmed cases of Ebola. At least 43 people have died in this outbreak so far. A major breakthrough in pancreatic cancer treatment now.
A new study showing an experimental drug is helping patients with the deadly disease live longer. The pill is called Daraxonrasib, also referred to as DARA. It also helps block a mutated protein that accelerates tumor growth in more than 90 percent of pancreatic cancer cases.
In a clinical trial, researchers randomly assigned the pill or chemotherapy to 500 participants whose cancer was unresponsive. They found that those who took this pill doubled their survival rate.
So what does this mean long term? We're joined now by co-author on that study, Dr. Andrew Hendafar. He's also the medical director of pancreatic cancer at the Samuel Oshing Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Hendafar, thank you so much for joining us.
DR. ANDREW HENDAFAR, PROF. OF MEDICINE, DIRECTOR OF GASTROINTESTINAL ONCOLOGY AND CANCER CLINICAL TRIALS OFFICE, AND MEDICAL DIRECTOR, PANCREATIC CANCER, SAMUEL OSCHIN COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER: Thanks for having me.
SANDOVAL: Just to share with our viewers around the world some numbers instead of our conversation.
In the U.S. alone, more than 52,000 people are likely to die from pancreatic cancer this year alone. And that's according to numbers from the American Cancer Society. The overall survival rate is averaged 13 percent.
We know in some cases even lower. So that makes it now one of the deadliest forms of cancers. Doctor, how soon do you expect this drug to be offered to patients now that we know that the FDA is currently essentially expediting this review?
HENDAFAR: Yes, we're so hopeful, especially with this expedited review, that it could get to the clinic in as soon as two to three months. Hoping, fingers crossed.
SANDOVAL: Tell us just a general view of what this drug is. What makes it so revolutionary? How it's administered, how it works, some of the side effects. But then also, how it may have a substantial advantage over chemotherapy treatments.
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HENDAFAR: Yes, you know, the KRS gene, which you were just talking about, that's mutated in almost all pancreas cancer patients, was considered undruggable. And despite all these advances you would hear about in other tumor types, our poor pancreatic cancer patients were kind of left behind. And this has led to the poor outcomes in this disease.
What's so ingenious about this medication is that it acts like a Trojan horse, binding a protein that naturally goes to KRS. So it kind of jumps on as a passenger to another protein and therefore is able to bind the mutated KRS.
It works very well, as the results demonstrated that came out earlier today. Patients are doing much better. And the kicker, the best part about it, is that it's a pill.
And for the last 20 years or so, we've been giving patients IV chemotherapy. So this is just a huge and welcome breakthrough for our patients.
SANDOVAL: Doctor, some of the side effects with this experimental drug, especially if you compare it to existing therapies, what are they?
HENDAFAR: Yes, so you don't get any of the bone marrow toxicity, low counts.
You don't have nausea or vomiting. But you do have a kind of a unique skin rash, which is manageable. We're learning how to manage it as time goes on.
As the trial developed over time, we got better at it. So you will, if you do take this medicine, you will need to take prophylactic medications and other creams and lotions in order to help control this rash.
SANDOVAL: And, Doctor, in treating some of these patients, I'm curious if you could just offer some insight into sort of those personal interactions. What did you find the most promising in your patients who were taking Dara?
HENDAFAR: You know, the nicest thing about the medicine is that the patients would literally feel better soon after starting. And that was the greatest feeling you could have as a doctor taking care of pancreas cancer patients.
SANDOVAL: And just to remind our viewers, what makes pancreatic cancer so difficult to tackle? We know what makes it so deadly because of how silent it essentially is until those symptoms take over.
But what has made it such a challenge for you and your colleagues to try to improve treatment for patients who are fighting this battle?
HENDAFAR: You hit the nail on the head. It's silent. And by the time we catch it, I tell my patients, and they're always shocked to hear this, that they've had it for like five to ten years.
Because you don't feel it growing. You don't know it's there until it's a very mature tumor. And add to that, that KRS, until now, was really undruggable for our pancreas cancer patients.
So this really brings kind of a new era. And not only do we have a new medicine, but this whole field of KRS will now open up. We'll have more scientists involved, more research, more clinical trials.
It's already happening. It's just an amazing time.
SANDOVAL: And just finally, I have a last couple of seconds with you. Doctor, do you see this potentially benefiting patients who are fighting battles against different kinds of cancers eventually? HENDAFAR: Oh, absolutely. I think this technology is widely
applicable. And new treatments for the KRAS mutations across cancer types, including pancreatic, cancer, or lung, are soon going to be found in the clinic.
SANDOVAL: Well, it's certainly our hope that this leads to meaningful treatments for those who are fighting these battles and achievements such as this. I know that it's certainly done in the memory of those who have lost similar battles in the past.
Dr. Hendafar, thank you so much. And thank you and your colleagues as well for this break there. Thank you for your time.
HENDAFAR: Thank you, Polo.
SANDOVAL: Instead of calm, scammers are using A.I. to terrify victims into thinking that their loved ones are in danger. We'll hear one woman's story and we'll also tell you how you can protect yourself.
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SANDOVAL: Welcome back, let's get to your business headlines.
Shares in Samsung Electronics and other South Korean tech firms rallied on Monday. Investors are now hoping to see tie-ups between Samsung and NVIDIA on A.I. and robotics. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang is expected to visit South Korea later this week.
Global oil prices are rising in early trading today. U.S. crude and Brent futures both rose more than 2 percent after Israel ordered troops to move further into Lebanon, and with no progress on an Iran peace deal as the war enters its fourth month.
And the new psychological thriller "Backrooms" took the number one spot at the U.S. box office over the weekend. 20-year-old director Cain Parsons developed that project, it took years on his YouTube channel. It cost about $10 million to make, but it raked in $120 million around the world in one weekend.
Now a warning from a California mom who received a call saying that her daughter had been kidnapped and even sent thousands of dollars to try to save her. She believed that the call was genuine because she heard her daughter's voice on the line. She has since learned that the whole thing was an A.I. scam.
Here's CNN's tech reporter Clare Duffy.
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CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH REPORTER: This is a parent's worst nightmare. This mom, Deborah Del Mastro, received a call out of the blue from a random number. She picked up and first she heard a man's voice saying, I have someone you'll want to talk to.
And then she heard what sounded like her adult daughter in distress. Take a listen to how she described that moment.
DEBORAH DEL MASTRO, TARGETED BY A.I. SCAMMERS: This male voice said, who is this? And I said, well, who is this? And he said, someone that you need to talk to. It was my daughter's voice having an absolute panic attack, trying to breathe, scared, telling me that, you know, I'm I love you, mom.
I'm so sorry. I'm so scared. And then they just cut it off.
DUFFY: The scammers then demanded that she send thousands of dollars to several different accounts, which she did. And only then did she try calling her daughter, who answered immediately because she was at work like normal. And Deborah realized that she had been scammed.
But she is not alone. This is an increasingly common type of scam known as A.I. voice cloning, where scammers will take even just a few seconds of someone's voice recorded in a social media post or via an earlier scam call where somebody's voice was recorded. They can use widely available A.I. tools to create a really convincing replica of someone's voice and then make this call to a loved one that sounds like their family member is on the other end of the line having been kidnapped or in jail.
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The scammers will often urgently demand thousands of dollars for that person's release. And experts say that you can no longer reliably tell whether a voice on the other end of a call is A.I.-generated based on voice fluctuations or weird pauses. This technology has just gotten too good.
But there are some other things you can do to avoid falling victim to this type of scam. The most important thing, experts say, is to just take a breath and slow down if you receive a call like this, however scary it may be.
Hackers will often play up a sense of urgency. They might tell you that you can't tell anybody about what's going on, trying to prey on the fear in this moment.
You can also try to contact your loved one who sounds like they're on the other end of the line through some other means while you stay on that call. So you could send them a text message or if you have another device in the home, try to call them, try to call somebody who would know where they are to determine whether they are in fact just at work as normal as was Deborah's daughter.
Families can also have conversations prior to something like this happening to establish a code word. This is something that only a small number of people in the family should know. It should not be written down or online anywhere, but it could be used to establish whether the person on the other end of the line is who they say they are in the event of a scam like this. It's so important for people to be aware that this is happening. Americans lost $893 million to A.I. related scams last year. That includes these A.I. voice scams and also things like romance and phishing scams.
So these are very much on the rise. Important to have conversations with your family members before something like this happens. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: Thank you, Clare. And thank you for joining us. "World Sport" is next for international viewers, if you're watching in the U.S., I'll be right back.
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SANDOVAL: And this just into CNN. Israel's Prime Minister says that he has now instructed his defense minister and the IDF to strike what he calls terrorist targets in southern suburbs of Beirut, where it's 10:45 Monday morning.
Clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, they have intensified despite a U.S. mediated ceasefire between the Lebanese and Israeli governments. So we'll keep you posted on that.
A North Carolina police officer has been fired after security camera footage was released showing him repeatedly punching a woman while trying to arrest her. Now, the video that you're about to see, it is disturbing and hard to watch.
It is unclear exactly what happened in the moments before this footage was shot. But police say that the woman had been charged with breaking and entering, resisting a public officer and assault on a government official or employee. The officer you see here wrestles her to the ground and then punches her repeatedly until the second officer then steps in.
And this happened just outside someone else's home. The owner posted the video to social media, prompting public outrage and ultimately the first officers firing after an internal investigation was conducted.
A United Airlines flight bound for Spain had to turn around mid-air after a potential security threat. The plane departed from Newark Liberty International Airport Saturday evening. It arrived back on the tarmac just a couple of hours later after someone named their Bluetooth device a certain four-letter word.
Crew members had asked everyone repeatedly to turn off all Bluetooth devices, but two of them remained on. Well passengers had to evacuate the aircrafts and then be re-screened through security before boarding a replacement flight Sunday morning. Former Vice President Mike Pence adding his voice to those denouncing
President Trump's proposed anti-weaponization fund.
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MIKE PENCE, FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: It's deeply offensive to me that you could have a fund that could even possibly compensate people who assaulted police officers or vandalized the Capitol on January 6th. And I think that's broadly held by most Republicans and most Americans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: On Friday, a judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from moving ahead with plans to create a $1.8 billion fund. It was meant to compensate people who believe they were wronged by the government in the past. Critics are saying that it amounts to a slush fund to pay out President Trump's allies.
In the lead up to November's midterm elections, Democrats are becoming increasingly optimistic about regaining control of the Senate. They're now working to flip several congressional seats across the country. CNN's Jeff Zeleny takes us inside one of the hottest races of the year.
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JOSH TUREK (D), IOWA SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: This is how I won all my statehouse races, so I've got a lot of experience on stair climbing.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: There's nothing like face-to-face interaction.
TUREK: And especially, I mean, like you've got a guy in a wheelchair that crawls up the stairs to get your vote. It means a lot. I was born with a condition called spina bifida. I had 21 surgeries before I was 12. So also, in a very deeply personal way, I understand the importance of affordable and accessible health care. What are the issues you care the most about?
UNKNOWN: It's a long list of --
TUREK: Grievances?
UNKNOWN: --that aren't going to plan.
ZELENY: So most U.S. Senate candidates don't go door-to-door like this, knocking on every door, but in Turek's first race, he won it by only six votes. That's why he believes every single vote here counts.
TUREK: I'll give you a hug.
THERESA WEEKS, IOWAN VOTER: I love you so much. I was just watching your commercial today, saying what a wonderful person you are.
TUREK: It's feeling good. Iowans are ready for change. WEEKS: I get emotional. I really do.
You know? I mean, it's just, it's our life.
[03:50:05]
ZELENY: You remember when Iowa was not that uncommon for a Democrat to win. Obviously, Harkin Obama won it twice here, but President Trump won the last three times.
Has the state changed, do you think, or is this year going to kind of determine that?
WEEKS: I'm hopeful that there is this quiet sentiment of change that will erupt and that we will see that change come to fruition. I don't know. I'm on a tightrope, I'm on pins and needles as to what our future holds.
TUREK: Good morning.
UNKNOWN: Nice to see you.
TUREK: Good to see you.
This isn't like a gun show. This is legitimately my day.
My goal in my life was always just to try to represent my country in a Paralympic game and to win a gold medal. And I was able to represent in four Paralympic games and won back-to-back gold medals.
You know, not everyone can win the genetic lottery. Certainly, I didn't. But I played the hand I was dealt the best that I could.
ZELENY: It's cool to be a jock, but I mean, you know, do you want that person to be your son?
TUREK: That wasn't the hard part.
The harder part was there's a stigma associated with individuals with disabilities. That if there's, if you have a physical disability, I think that there's an automatic assumption that there is some level of intellectual disability as well.
Trump's first midterm, we win three of the four congressional races. There's much more energy now than even then. Then you've got open Senate race, open governor's race. I say I really do believe, not hyperbole, that Iowa is--
Oh, gracias.
ZELENY: So do you think this opportunity is presenting itself a bit more for Democrats because of the President's policies?
TUREK: Certainly, the President's policies that they've had on Iowans, yes. The Medicaid cuts have really hurt us, especially in an older state, a state with a growing cancer rate. The tariffs have absolutely decimated rural communities.
The word that I hear the most when I'm in rural communities with farmers is betrayal.
ZELENY: Yes. But at the same time, you all know, tribal politics is such that some people will vote Republican anyway.
TUREK: For sure. But we don't have to win this 100 to 0. But in a state like Iowa, where you've got 35, 37 percent of the voting bloc that are going to be independents, they're the kingmakers in the process.
ZELENY: And you know the Democratic brand is not so hot.
TUREK: Yes. Which is why I'm out there calling myself a common sense prairie populist. And I think that that's the way forward. Thank you for coming. Sir, thanks for coming. Josh, nice to meet you.
The amazing opportunity that people would have thought would have been blasphemous to talk about a year ago is to flip the U.S. Senate. We need four seats. But we know what those four seats are. We've got a roadmap. North Carolina, Maine, Ohio. Seat number 51. It's right here. It's Iowa. And this isn't pie in the sky.
ZELENY (voice-over): Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Des Moines.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season is officially underway. An average season, it produces about 14 named storms. But with the anticipated return of El Nino, this year's forecast, it looks a little different. Here's CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Today marks the official start of Atlantic hurricane season. And it's actually expected to be a slightly slower one, which is fantastic news. Now, the official forecast from NOAA calls for about a 35 percent chance of having a near normal season, but a more than 50 percent chance of having a below average season.
Now, what does that mean in terms of numbers?
Well, in a normal year, you would have 14 total named storms, seven of which would reach hurricane strength and three getting up to major hurricane strength, which is a category three, four or five storm.
But this season, those numbers are a little bit lower. The total named storm forecast is eight to 14, whereas we only can expect about three to six named hurricanes going into the upcoming season based off that forecast.
And one of the biggest factors really has been the expected El Nino event that is going to ramp up throughout hurricane season. Typically in an El Nino year, you get wind shear that kind of increases across this red area here, focusing mainly over areas of the Caribbean as well as the Atlantic.
And basically what happens there is it inhibits further development of those tropical systems. In addition to that, you also have fewer storms that move off of the coast of Africa.
Now, peak hurricane season typically runs from August 15th to October 15th. But that is the exact same time in which we really anticipate seeing El Nino ramp back up. In fact, we could end up getting to a strong El Nino event come September and October of this year.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: Italy's first big heat wave of the year, it has sent locals and tourists flocking to the beaches in recent days. As temperatures soared, Italy's health ministry activated its heat wave monitoring system.
It basically tracks conditions in 27 cities. It also provides forecasts up to three days in advance for people.
[03:55:08]
Multiple countries across Western Europe are currently grappling with record high temperatures.
And fans of comics and anime, they gathered in Hong Kong this past weekend. They celebrated the city's first ever Comic Con. Hard to believe it's the first time they've done this.
CNN senior international correspondent and self-proclaimed nerd Ivan Watson shows us around.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN WATSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, my goodness, it's Colonel Sanders with big muscles and fried chicken.
Just an example of the random stuff that I'm seeing at Hong Kong's first Comic Con. And the crowd here is in form and it's fun.
Where else do you get to see Rick with his portal? And I don't even know what that machine is.
And over here, you've got Groot wandering around, waving at people and statues of Spider-Man showing his hindquarters. This is a venue where people get to nerd out and celebrate nerd culture. And I love it.
I confess that I'm a bit of a kid in a candy store right now because I grew up reading Marvel Comics, superhero comics. And I wouldn't let anybody at middle school see my issues of Uncanny X-Men because I was a little bit ashamed of it.
But here, this kind of culture is being celebrated. It has gone fully mainstream. The whole point at these things is to be a fan, to dress up, to have people take photos of you and to take photos.
Hey, Freddie. How's it going, man?
FREDDIE KRUEGER, FICTIONAL CHARACTER: Wonderful.
WATSON: How's your first Comic Con in Hong Kong?
KRUEGER: Digging it.
WATSON: All right. And that is my report as I geek out at Hong Kong's first Comic-Con.
Ivan Watson, CNN, in Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: Thank you, Ivan Watson. Thank you, Freddie Krueger. And thank you for watching.
I'm Polo Sandoval, in New York. I'll join you again in just a moment with more of your headlines here on "CNN Newsroom."
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