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U.S. Hits Iranian Coastal Sites after Shooting Down Drones; Lebanon's President Reprimands Iran; Lawmakers Concerned at Pulte's Lack of Experience; Albanians Protest Trump-Linked Resort; U.S. Economy; Pope Leo Begins Spain Tour; Massive Waves Surprise in Hawaii. Aired 5-6a ET
Aired June 06, 2026 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Lynda Kinkade.
Just ahead, new warning shots fired in the Strait of Hormuz as Iran's top military adviser tells CNN that Trump is the only one who can make a deal. We're live in the region.
Plus, president Trump indicates that he wants from his replacement at the Director of National Intelligence. Details on that and why some lawmakers are raising concerns about Bill Pulte's qualifications.
Plus, protesters flood the streets of Albania, opposing a new development project. How plans connected to the Trump family are causing a national uproar.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Lynda Kinkade.
KINKADE: A fresh wave of strikes across the Gulf is testing the fragile ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran. The U.S. military says it struck surveillance radar sites on Iran's coast and shot down four attack drones aimed toward the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. forces also intercepted a wave of ballistic missiles fired toward Kuwait and Bahrain, which triggered air raid sirens. Iran claims it was targeting enemy bases in the region.
Nearly 100 days since the war began, president Trump is insisting that he's moving very fast. Iran says peace negotiations with the U.S. are at a deadlock. CNN's Oren Liebermann joins us now from Jerusalem.
Good to have you with us, Oren. So Iran fired missiles toward what it called enemy bases across the Gulf.
What's the latest? OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF AND CORRESPONDENT: Lynda, we have seen a lot of fire and interceptions on this Saturday morning, all of which puts into question not only the U.S.-Iran ceasefire but also the diplomatic efforts around that ceasefire to try to get to a broader peace agreement.
We'll get to that in just a second here. But all of this starts on Saturday morning, when Iran's semiofficial news says they launched what they called warning shots at what may have been U.S. Navy vessels operating near the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. Central Command, which governs military operations in the Middle East and in the Gulf, said they intercepted four one-way attack drones. The U.S. then carried out strikes on Iranian surveillance radars that they say will help secure the safety of maritime traffic in the Gulf area.
Iran then fired seven ballistic missiles, according to Central Command, toward Kuwait and Bahrain. Kuwait earlier this week had already come under Iranian attack in a strike that hit the Kuwaiti airport, killing one person and wounding more than 60 others in Kuwait and Bahrain.
There were warnings and sirens that were activated. Kuwait also said they were responding to the attack. U.S. Central Command says six of those ballistic missiles were intercepted, while one did not reach its target.
All of this puts into question the U.S.-Iran ceasefire and if we're watching it fall apart in real time here, as both the U.S. and Iran are taking part in attacks and kinetic activity.
That being said, president Donald Trump had said negotiations were moving very fast, even though nothing appears to be moving very fast here and certainly not the diplomatic track or the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader told my colleague, Fred Pleitgen, that negotiations were deadlocked. Iran doesn't appear to be in any rush to try to get to an agreement, no matter that Trump keeps saying that they want an agreement.
Iran is taking their time and negotiating as if they are in a position of strength, because that's where they see themselves. And that is why you see this long process that has been dragging out, instead of the quick resolution to these negotiations and to this fragile ceasefire that we're seeing on a day-to-day basis here, Lynda.
KINKADE: Yes. Fragile indeed. Oren Liebermann for us in Jerusalem. Our thanks to you.
Well, in that interview that Oren was just mentioning, CNN's Fred Pleitgen sat down with the senior military adviser to Iran's supreme leader. We should note CNN operates in Iran only with the permission of the government but maintains full editorial control of its reports.
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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You are the military adviser of the supreme leader. How is the supreme leader doing?
Is he fully in control of everything?
And President Trump said that he would be honored to meet the supreme leader.
MOHSEN REZAEE, SENIOR MILITARY ADVISER TO IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER (through translator): This will not happen. Right now, we are in the first stage of negotiations and Mr. Trump has brought the negotiations to a standstill.
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This will not happen.
PLEITGEN: Are the negotiations right now blocked or do you think that a memorandum of understanding can be reached quickly?
REZAEE (through translator): In my opinion, the negotiations are at a deadlock and Trump must break this deadlock.
PLEITGEN: They are waiting for an answer from Iran.
REZAEE (through translator): Iran has openly stated that our assets have been frozen and you must release them. The Americans are not telling the truth in this regard.
PLEITGEN: So the frozen assets are the big problem right now?
REZAEE (through translator): This is a sign of trust building. If Trump takes the negotiation seriously, $24 billion is not much to America.
If he wants to reach an agreement with Iran, this $24 billion is a test of trust that Iran wants to have with Trump. This is a test that America must pass and the path will be opened. This is our own money, not America's money.
PLEITGEN: Wouldn't a war be catastrophic for Iran as well though if it was a big bombing campaign?
REZAEE (through translator): If the war continues and the naval blockade is not lifted, we will drag the war to the Indian Ocean, the Bab al- Mandab Strait, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean.
And we will give another dimension to the war by attacking these other American bases that we have been attacking so far. America will definitely suffer much more losses. America's losses will be very heavy.
PLEITGEN: Final question. What's your message to Donald Trump? REZAEE (through translator): Mr. Trump must make decisions independently of Israel. He must give what is the rights of the Iranian people and stop the blockade, release our frozen assets and this can be a new horizon for the future of Iran and America.
Therefore, Trump must put aside his personal interests and think about the interests of the American people. If Trump has the courage, many issues will be resolved in the future.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: I want to welcome Dr. Ali Fathollah-Nejad, the founder director of the Center for Middle East and Global Order. He joins us live from Berlin. Good to have you with us.
ALI FATOLLAH-NEJAD, FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR MIDDLE EAST AND GLOBAL ORDER: Thank you.
KINKADE: I want to get your reaction first to that interview from our Frederik Pleitgen, where senior Iranian official is saying that Trump must break the deadlock.
Is the ball in his court and what's the chance he'll release all Iranians' frozen assets?
FATOLLAH-NEJAD: Well, what's Mohsen Rezaee has said is basically a reflection of the preference of the Iranian regime, of the Islamic Republic. So to get access to those over $20 billion of Iranian frozen assets -- and it's very clear where this money is going to -- which is to reinforce the pillars of the regime.
That is both the repressive apparatus but also the military industrial complex.
KINKADE: CNN's reporting inside Iran shows a country still under strain but functioning with strong state control.
How should we interpret that gap between the internal pressure and this external projection of strength?
FATOLLAH-NEJAD: Well, it's very clear that -- so the Iranian leadership is facing a lot of economic pressures from below. There is a lot of economic hardship. There is a lot of concern that, if the war ends, the structural problems of the country are going to reemerge.
And there are no policy answers that the leadership of the Islamic Republic can offer. So there's a lot of concern that the economic hardship of the Iranian people is going to lead to some kind of renewed street protests.
KINKADE: So do you think that's what a weakening of Iran would look like in real terms?
FATOLLAH-NEJAD: Well, it depends on what we are talking here, because we have two basic entities in Iran, which is on one side; the regime and the other side is the population. And the population is obviously not part of the negotiations.
Whatever is negotiated is something that is a reflection of the preferences and the interests of the Iranian regime; that is, to get access to those frozen assets that are not, you know, going to trickle down meaningfully to the Iranian population to alleviate their economic hardship.
But also the demand of that the ceasefire will have to entail all fronts. That is also the stop of Israel's attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon. And we didn't even start talking about the nuclear issue or the ballistic missile issue.
So whatever there is, what we, what, whatever we talk about, we don't talk really about the interests of the Iranian population that is under heavy economic and political pressure.
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And that is really also fearing the wrath of a regime that is still highly repressive.
KINKADE: So do you think any short-term deal is essentially going to kick the nuclear issue down the road for discussions at a later date?
FATOLLAH-NEJAD: Well, this is what is probably the case, although we don't know what kind of concessions the regime going to offer on the nuclear front.
But I think there is some, you know, maneuvering space there. For instance, when it comes to the establishment of a moratorium of enrichment, for instance.
But then, again, currently we find ourselves in a situation where the Iranian regime thinks it has the upper hand. It shows some kind of intransigence. It looks to establish a kind of deterrence against, you know, U.S. attacks, as we've seen this past week.
It is seeing that it can, it is hoping that it can push through its core demands, you know, vis-a-vis an administration in Washington that, you know, the Iranian regime believes is more eager to strike a deal than it is.
So -- but then again, there is also an economic downhill here because the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports is also costing the Iranian regime a lot of money. So we do now have a six-year low of Iranian oil exports.
So in the midterm, the economic, you know, situation going to be an Achilles heel, both geopolitically in terms of Iranian foreign policy and diplomacy vis-a-vis Washington but also internally vis-a-vis the demands of the Iranian population.
KINKADE: My colleague, Christiane Amanpour, interviewed the president of Lebanon, who rebuked Tehran's actions and support of Hezbollah.
But Iran is effectively saying there is no separate Lebanon war, Gaza war or Iran-U.S. negotiation. It's all one system.
Does that approach make conflict resolution harder because it removes the ability to isolate problems?
Or does it actually give Iran more leverage by linking all of these together?
FATOLLAH-NEJAD: Well, I think it is going to be more complicated as a consequence, because the -- all fronts demand from the Islamic Republic is key to be able to sell, you know, any kind of deal or arrangement with Washington to its hard line base internally.
So we've seen that there have been a lot of, you know, Hezbollah has been weakened, you know, by Israel post October 7th. And so there was also a lot of tensions when, you know, within the heartland social base of the Islamic Republic when it comes to the issue of protecting Hezbollah.
So the Hezbollah issue is going to be somehow key in order to sell this agreement to the constituency or to the regime constituency in Iran.
But then again, if the Iranians manage to get hold of the billions of dollars, this may be even more important to push them toward accepting a kind of a MOU, even if there is no full ceasefire on the Israel- Lebanon front.
KINKADE: All right. Ali Fathollah-Nejad, we appreciate your analysis today. Thanks so much for joining us.
FATOLLAH-NEJAD: Thank you.
KINKADE: We are getting word of new Ukrainian strikes in St. Petersburg, just as Russia is wrapping up a major economic forum there.
Russian officials say the city came under a large scale attack in recent hours. Air defenses have shot down more than 140 drones and debris has fallen in several places. Officials say the operations are still underway.
This is the final day of the city's economic forum, which is a showcase event for president Vladimir Putin.
And speaking at that forum, he rejected the idea of direct talks with his Ukrainian counterpart, saying there's no reason to meet because the two countries should let experts come up with solutions first before they sign any agreement.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy had proposed a face-to-face meeting to negotiate the end of the war.
President Trump says he's interviewing five candidates for the permanent position of Director of National Intelligence. And while Bill Pulte serves in the role temporarily -- he is currently the director of federal housing and finance -- he's been an influential part of Trump's retribution campaign against perceived political foes.
And Democrats and Republicans have questioned his appointment this week because he has no experience in national security. And he didn't even have a security clearance before being appointed to the top intel job, an issue lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are concerned about.
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REP. BRIAN FITZPATRICK (R-PA): The guy's got no national security experience. I've had zero interaction with him and that's a concern.
SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R-TX): I see no evidence of any qualifications for that job.
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SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): I don't know of any national security experience he has.
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KINKADE: And even though Trump says Pulte is only serving temporarily, the president suggested that he could shrink the agency and fire employees.
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TRUMP: He'll do a very good job. He'll watch it closely but Bill Pulte is very good. He's very talented.
QUESTION: And you want to cut a number of people working there.
TRUMP: I wouldn't mind. I've heard that's way too high for way too long. I wouldn't mind if he cut. I wouldn't mind that.
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KINKADE: CNN senior national security reporter Zachary Cohen reports.
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ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: President Trump making clear that his new acting Director of National Intelligence, Bill Pulte, is serving in that role, at least in part, to carry out a large number of firings within the office that he will at least temporarily oversee and potentially across the U.S. intelligence community.
Now president Trump telling "The Wall Street Journal," quote, "I'd like to see it smaller," referring to the office of Director of National Intelligence.
"I think there are a lot of people in there that shouldn't be there."
Now. Interestingly, Trump also saying that he believes Pulte's acting title may actually prove to be a benefit.
He says, quote, "You're less shackled. It gives you more power, you know, for somewhat limited period of time."
Indeed, president Trump has made clear, going back to yesterday, that Pulte will only be in the role of acting DNI temporarily. But that has not quelled the bipartisan criticism over Pulte's apparent lack of national security experience.
And CNN reporting today that Pulte does not even have a security clearance, which is really a basic prerequisite for the job. He's about to step into one that was created in the aftermath of 9/11 to ensure that the 18 U.S. intelligence agencies are all working toward a common goal and all working together and communicating.
But Pulte, again, president Trump saying that he is backing Pulte in this job and that he has a very clear mandate for what he wants to see from his acting DNI, however long he's in the position.
Now at the same time, president Trump saying that he is in the process of interviewing permanent replacements for his current Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, who is expected to depart the role at the end of the month.
Trump saying on Air Force One that they have five candidates and they're going through the interview process specifically. And it's unclear exactly who those individuals are or what their credentials might be as far as being able to step in after Pulte's temporary term ends.
But still, serious concerns from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle that Pulte is being brought in, in an acting capacity, to effectively gut the U.S. intelligence community -- Zachary Cohen, CNN, Washington.
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KINKADE: The Trump administration has put in writing that its anti weaponization fund is dead. Acting attorney general Todd Blanche said earlier this week that the Department of Justice was abandoning the controversial program.
On Friday, the DOJ told two federal judges the $1.8 billion fund has been killed. The fund was meant to compensate people who claim they were victimized by the government but critics call it a slush fund for Trump allies and could have been used to pay off Capitol Hill rioters who assaulted police officers.
These court filings come after senators tried and failed multiple times to pass legislation to kill it.
Massive protests continue in Albania against plans to build a luxury resort linked to the Trump family. Just ahead, why protesters are so angry.
Plus, Lebanon's president lashes out at Iran in an exclusive interview with CNN. You'll hear what Tehran had to say in response.
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KINKADE: Well, anger is growing in Albania over a $1 billion luxury resort project. Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Albania's capital Friday to oppose the project linked to president Trump, Trump's daughter, Ivanka, and her husband, Jared Kushner.
Environmentalists say it will endanger the pristine beaches and the flamingos that nest there. More now from CNN's Isa Soares.
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ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Defiance and outrage in Albania's capital. For several consecutive days now, demonstrators marching through the streets of Tirana protesting a large luxury real estate project backed by the U.S. president's daughter and son-in-law, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.
Demonstrations have been dubbed the Flamingo Revolution because the site suggested for the luxury developments includes the Island of Sazan and some of the coastline near the Sewanee Wetlands and the Narta Lagoon, part of a protected area, home to seals, turtles and thousands of flamingos.
The first protest started in spring when bulldozers were first spotted clearing land in this untouched corner of the Mediterranean but only gained momentum when private security were filmed clashing with protesters near the actual site early in the week.
A day later, the issue was amplified when Ivanka Trump shared in a podcast interview how she and Kushner stumbled upon the location during the visit in 2021.
IVANKA TRUMP, TRUMP'S DAUGHTER: We were on a friend's boat and we stopped for a swim. Effectively, that's how we found it. We swim to the islands. We went on a hike, barefoot all the way up to the top and we were just captivated.
SOARES: Trump's romantic tale of causality and spontaneity, not mentioning an important detail.
JARED KUSHNER, TRUMP'S SON-IN-LAW AND SPECIAL ENVOY: Prime Minister Rama came to the boat.
SOARES: Edi Rama, head of the country's government, impressing Kushner with his vision for Albania. In 2022, a year after that first visit, Kushner decided to go back. KUSHNER: So we went there. We looked for opportunities and we were able to find some incredible opportunities. SOARES: A firm linked to Kushner and his partners obtained strategic investor status in 2024, a provision which under Albanian law allows their project to be fast tracked by the government and regulators and given certain tax exemptions.
Another law introduced in 2024 makes things even easier. By spelling out the luxury tourism developments can simply bypass legislation safeguarding environmentally protected areas.
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Two controversial rules Albania has agreed to repeal as part of its accession to the European Union. With protesters accusing Prime Minister Edi Rama of selling the country to the highest bidder, the head of the Albanian executive telling me there isn't even a project yet.
EDI RAMA, ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER: There is not such a thing like a Trump family island. There is not such a thing like the family of the American president taking over, protected areas.
SOARES: Rama is saying environmental studies to measure the impact of building on this landscape are ongoing.
While the company behind the project says its focus remains on responsible stewardship, environmental enhancement, job creation and creating long-term value for local communities, echoing what Kushner and Trump have also said about the project themselves.
KUSHNER: If we, don't respect the environment, the development we're going to create there won't be as special.
TRUMP: Because the land is so beautiful that really the architecture has to be fully integrated into it.
SOARES: It's unclear whether the bulldozers currently operating near the Narta Lagoon are connected to the Kushner linked luxury development. But protesters and environmentalists believe the government, despite their many denials is hiding something.
MELITJAN NEZAJ, ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGIST: As we speak now, there are no permissions publicly available. The government is saying that we have a permission to the investors to develop the area but we don't have anything else. Like, everything else is like darkness for us and for the public.
SOARES: And so until sunlight is shed, they say these flamingos are going nowhere -- Isa Soares, CNN.
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KINKADE: The family of an American student missing in Japan says police have finished searching the dense forest he was spotted walking toward more than a week ago. His parents are now leading their own search for the 20-year old. Japanese civilians have also joined in to help. Police gave the family
of James Weston Higginbotham permission to make a public plea for experienced hikers to help. There are still no signs of the 20-year old after more than a week of looking in the steep, wooded terrain near Kyoto.
Higginbotham was in Japan with his family to celebrate his brother's high school graduation.
The U.S. labor market rebound has been extended. Just ahead, why the latest jobs report may be proving some reassurance about the economy.
Plus, workers are busy counting ballots after California's primary election. Now the U.S. attorney's office in L.A. says it wants to keep an eye on things. We'll have the details next.
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KINKADE (voice-over): Welcome back to our viewers joining us here in the United States and Canada. I'm Lynda Kinkade in Atlanta. Let's check some of today's top stories.
President Trump says he is interviewing five candidates for the permanent position of Director of National Intelligence, while Bill Pulte serves in the role temporarily. Democrats and Republicans questioned his appointment this week because of his lack of national security credentials.
The U.S. and Iran are trading new attacks with peace efforts at a standstill. The U.S. military says it struck coastal sites in Iran and intercepted a new round of Iranian missiles and drones. Tehran claims it was targeting enemy bases in the region.
Several Lebanese soldiers are dead after new Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon today. Lebanon's news agency says the victims included a general who was killed when a military vehicle was hit.
Israel has also issued new evacuation orders for some areas in southern Lebanon, blaming what it called Hezbollah's violations of a ceasefire.
Iran is pushing back against accusations that it's using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in its talks with the U.S.
Lebanese prime minister Joseph Aoun slammed Tehran in an exclusive interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour. He also lambasted Iran's Revolutionary Guard, which demands Israel pullout from Lebanon as part of a potential truce deal with the U.S.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOSEPH AOUN, LEBANESE PRESIDENT: IRGC, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, that they don't agree with -- they don't approve this agreement, what happened.
It's not your country, it's our country. It's our obligation. It's not your job to interfere into our country.
I reject the statement totally, because our people being killed, our people being, our houses being destroyed. They are using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in their negotiation with the United States. It's unacceptable. And here also, Hezbollah must understand that. Hezbollah must understand that no other way but to sit and talk.
No other way to solve this problem and to save what's left, except through negotiation and diplomacy.
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KINKADE: In response, Iran's foreign minister said Mr. Aoun should save Lebanon from the real foe in an apparent reference to Israel. You can see the full exclusive interview with Lebanese prime minister on Monday's edition of "AMANPOUR."
President Trump has returned to the campaign trail ahead of the midterm elections. On Friday, he visited Wisconsin, one of the biggest midterm battleground states in the country.
His trip was branded as fighting for American farmers. Many have been hurt by the administration's trade policies and the war with Iran. But Trump touched on several topics, including the California election. He claimed Democrats were cheating because the vote count was taking so long.
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DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: You're going to be waiting weeks to get these votes. It's corrupt. Somebody said it's incompetent. I said, no. Just the opposite. It's unbelievably competent if you happen to be a Democrat politician. Because with their policies, the only way they can get elected is to cheat.
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KINKADE: The U.S. has extended its labor market rebound. The economy added 172,000 jobs in May, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Those numbers shattered expectations, as economists had anticipated employers would add only about 105,000 jobs. CNN's Matt Egan breaks down the figures.
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MATT EGAN, CNN SR. BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: This was a big beat and it does suggest that, after a weak 2025, the job market is getting back on track.
So the 172,000 jobs added during the month of May, as you mentioned, that really blew away forecasts. And what was also encouraging was that March and April, they were both revised significantly higher. So now we have a situation where, for the first time in two years, the economy is adding more than 100,000 jobs for three consecutive months.
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And look, this is a big shift from last year, when there were a number of months where the U.S. economy outright lost jobs. This is April of 2025. This is roughly when the president rolled out his global tariffs.
And you can see how much pressure there was on the job market after that. But now things do appear to be going back in the right direction, which is encouraging.
So where are the jobs?
Well, health care continues to be a major source of demand for workers, adding another 35,000 jobs. But this was not just health care. This was wider spread growth in jobs than we've seen in recent history, the government adding 52,000 jobs. Most of that was local government, excluding education. That's a lot of jobs to be added in one sector.
So we're going to have to wait and see if that gets revised in coming months. But leisure and hospitality also adding 70,000 jobs. That was bars and restaurants and that could be an early sign that the World Cup is adding demand for workers. Construction adding jobs as well, thanks to warmer weather.
However, information and finance, both of those sectors lost jobs in May. And that's notable because we know that information and finance, they've been the early and fast adopters of artificial intelligence. So this could be a sign that there's less demand for workers because of AI.
Now we do have to talk about wages and inflation, because wages are still going up, 3.4 percent year over year in May. That's not a terrible number. The problem is that prices are going up much faster.
The Cleveland Fed is forecasting a 4.2 percent inflation rate for the month of May. So that means if you adjust your paycheck for inflation, your paycheck is actually getting smaller. So bottom line, yes, it is good news that the economy continues to add jobs.
But if people can't experience that, if they're feeling the fact that their paychecks are getting smaller, then they're not going to feel good about this economy, no matter how many jobs are added.
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KINKADE: Well, strong gains in the U.S. labor market are good news for the economy but it could also mean higher interest rates for longer periods, which is bad news for the stock markets.
The Dow, Nasdaq and S&P all closed the week in negative territory as Wall Street wrestled with weakness in AI stocks.
CNN's decision desk is projecting the Democrat Xavier Becerra will advance in the general election in the governor's race but it's not clear yet whether he'll face Republican Steve Hilton or fellow Democrat Tom Steyer in November since ballots are still being tallied.
With 23 million registered voters, California has a reputation for being slow to report election results, in part because a high percentage of people vote via mail. On Friday morning, the Justice Department sent one of its attorneys to monitor the count in Southern California. CNN's Evan Perez reports.
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EVAN PEREZ, CNN SR. JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: The Justice Department sent an attorney to observe ballot processing in Los Angeles on Friday. The move comes days after president Donald Trump said that the top federal prosecutor there was investigating the vote counting after Tuesday's primary elections.
The L.A. County elections office told CNN that it was notified that an assistant U.S. attorney was being dispatched to watch ballot counting activities.
Now it's not uncommon for election results in California to take sometimes weeks before they're finalized, in part because of the processing of mail-in ballots. Trump has claimed, without evidence, that the slow pace of the count from Tuesday's primary was a sign of Democratic, quote, "cheating."
Several key races in the state, including for governor and L.A. mayor, are still being counted. We haven't seen any public signs that the Justice Department has found any evidence of a crime.
Earlier Friday, first assistant U.S. attorney Bill Essayli, a Trump appointee who leads the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles, said that his office had, quote, "multiple" election fraud investigations underway in a social media post that also bashed California's election system.
County officials have defended their processes, writing on social media on Thursday that the dedicated staff is working to ensure that every vote is accurately processed and verified for counting.
The Los Angeles County district attorney's office told CNN that it had not received any complaints from the federal government regarding criminal misconduct related to the vote counting or fraud in the Los Angeles County primary election -- Evan Perez, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, still to come, we're following Pope Leo as he kicks off a six-day tour of Spain. We'll bring you the details of his high- profile visit and how he is confronting one of the church's biggest controversies.
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KINKADE: Hello, I'm Lynda Kinkade. You are looking at live pictures right now there in Madrid, Spain, where Pope Leo has arrived for a six-day tour. He'll spend four days in the capital city before stops in Barcelona and the Canary Islands.
Earlier the Vatican confirmed that the pope will meet with victims of clergy abuse during his trip. But he'll also begin by meeting with the Spanish royal family and holding an evening prayer vigil with the Catholic youth in Madrid.
And later in the week, he'll travel to Tenerife, where he'll meet with migrants and the organizations that support them. CNN correspondent Pau Mosquera joins me now from Madrid.
Good to have you there for us. So the pope has now arrived in Spain, greeted by the king and queen. Just take us through the key objectives of this visit.
PAU MOSQUERA, CNN SPAIN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the main objective for Pope Leo XIV during this apostolic journey is to strengthen the message of faith within the Spanish society, because things have changed a lot since the last papal visit, which took place 15 years ago in 2011, when Pope Benedict XVI visited Madrid for the World Youth Day.
By then, Spain's Center for Sociological Research estimated that around 73 percent of the Spaniards indicated themselves as Catholic. Nowadays, these numbers just went down to 53 percent. So this gap is where the Pope Leo XIV wants to focus in.
And right now, Lynda, I can tell you that we are expecting the pope to get to the Palacio Real, the Madrid royal palace that you can see here behind me.
And here's the place where the king will host the official welcome ceremony for the holy father, a ceremony that is expected to be attended by 250 guests, including people from the different branches of the government and other Spanish institutions. And from here, the pope will have quite a busy schedule ahead of him.
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Because during the next six days he will be traveling around three different Spanish regions. This is beginning here in Madrid.
Then on Tuesday, continuing to Barcelona and its surrounding area. And then by Thursday concluding in the Canary Islands. And during this period, the pope will intervene in at least 17 of the 21 acts that have been scheduled. And he will intervene and actively participate with speeches and
homilies. Now it is important that, in all his messages, the pope will exclusively and particularly refer to three specific groups.
This is the young, the poor and the migrants. And we are expecting to hear from him about these three groups in the first speech that he will deliver once this ceremony starts here at Madrid's royal palace. Lynda.
KINKADE: All right. Pau, we appreciate you. Thanks so much for joining us.
MOSQUERA: Thank you, Lynda.
KINKADE: Well, five astronauts aboard the International Space Station were ordered to take shelter Friday amid ongoing leaks within the lab. NASA's order came after its Russian counterpart decided to move forward with a more extensive repair to fix the leak.
The U.S. space agency was worried that the repair efforts could put the lab's structure at risk. The astronauts were sheltering aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, which would have allowed them to make an emergency escape.
The all clear was eventually given by NASA once the Russian space agency decided to delay repairs.
The Spanish national football team has found their home away from home for this year's World Cup. We're going to take you to the private school that will be their training base camp for the start of the tournament.
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KINKADE: Huge waves have people nearby screaming in Hawaii. Officials say the waves were up to six feet high. Witnesses say there might have been even higher. The big waves began Tuesday in the western coast of the big island of Hawaii.
Meteorologists say the strong waves were generated by a stormy weather system in south of New Zealand last week.
We are just days away from the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and Spain are looking to be crowned world champions for the first time in 16 years.
Their matches will be played right here in Atlanta, with the base just a couple of hours away in Tennessee. CNN "WORLD SPORT's" Patrick Snell recently took a trip there to see where the Spaniards will be spending their downtime. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK SNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Spain's superstar footballers are coming to town.
And we've traveled to Chattanooga, here in Tennessee, to take a look at their home away from home at the start of this year's World Cup.
SNELL (voice-over): Spain's tournament opener against Cape Verde takes place on June the 15th, right in the heart of downtown Atlanta in Georgia. That's about a two-hour drive and well over 100 miles away from Baylor School, their training base camp in a neighboring state.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As soon as you put one foot on Baylor School, it's amazing because you have everything. The players are going to have everything to train, to recover, to have fun.
SAMANTHA GREEN, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AND SYSTEMS, BAYLOR SCHOOL: They are very complimentary of the space. You know, we've worked really well together to figure out what their needs are and what exactly we can offer them as a practice facility but also as a partner to help them be successful through the World Cup.
SNELL (voice-over): The Spaniards are embarking on their quest for a second world crown to add to their triumph in South Africa 16 years ago. Privacy and security are very much front and center for La Roja's star-studded squad, two key reasons this private school in Chattanooga was selected.
GREEN: We have a big city feel, small town as well. So we offer them an opportunity to remain focused and have a secured environment so they can kind of keep their eye on the prize.
TIM MORGAN, PRESIDENT, SPORTS AND EVENTS CORPORATION: This is the largest international sporting event in the world and we've been having communications with the federal government, the state government and our local government to make sure we're all in sync. We all are aligned. And we're, you know, marching to the same drum.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In Chattanooga, we are going to find the privacy and the training ground. And on the other hand, we are going to be in the hotel in the middle of the city, which is also good for the -- for the players to go for a walk or to meet the people there.
MORGAN: The energy that we've seen so far has been absolutely amazing. And they're not even here yet.
SNELL (voice-over): At Baylor, these teenage boys on the school's football team train amid a feeling of disbelief that Spain's La Roja are actually heading to their school.
SNELL: There really is so much excitement here at the school. After all, 2010 world champions Spain are coming to town. They're also the reigning European champions as well. And on their side they have a remarkable superstar by the name of Lamine Yamal, 18 years of age, pretty much the same age as the kids here. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm 16 years old myself and seeing Lamine Yamal,
that's like a generational talent. Seeing him win the Euros. Turning from 16 to 17 is a big motivation for me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's kind of humbling knowing that we're playing for a state championship and Lamine's playing for a World Cup.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's an unbelievable experience. No other high schooler gets to brag that they got the best player in the world right now playing at their campus.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm really trying to figure out how he has eligibility so we can keep him here for next year.
SNELL (voice-over): The school and its students aren't the only ones excited about Spain's arrival. The community as a whole is fully embracing the Spaniards' time in Chattanooga, well aware the European champions are hungry for more success.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We plan to offer a couple of different traditional paellas throughout the month of June and into July while the team's here. I want to have the most authentic paella or like when somebody visiting from Spain tries our chargrilled octopus that they're maybe transported back for a second.
SNELL: And what's going to happen if, I don't know, some superstar like Lamine Yamal walks in for dinner one night?
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What's going to -- what's going to happen?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The pressure's on and we are going to offer the best five-star experience possible.
Well, however Spain's group stage matches pan out, La Roja will be hoping their time here will be very much a recipe for success come later in the tournament.
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KINKADE: Some residents of Mexico are making their predictions known for some of the tournament matchups. Elephants, gorillas and even macaws weighed in on picking winners by choosing between team flags with the help of some treats.
It seems the gorillas lean toward Uruguay over Spain, while a puma picked South Korea over Czech Republic. Zoo officials say home team Mexico fared pretty well indeed
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DANAE VAZQUEZ, HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS, GUADALAJARA ZOO (through translator): Mexico is favored in two matches. Let me remember; Mexico versus South Africa, Mexico wins, according to Shaanxi (ph) and Kenya (ph), our elephants. Then in Mexico, against South Korea, there's a draw. It was close. The
capybaras were there, undecided, undecided. So it stayed undecided.
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KINKADE: A big night in San Antonio but an even bigger one in New York. It was down to the wire. The next winning game, two of the NBA championship series over the San Antonio Spurs. The Knicks led for most of the game but the San Antonio's furious comeback in the second half saw the Spurs tie it up in the fourth quarter.
Spurs star Wemby missed a last second shot that would have given them the win. The final score 105-104. The Knicks now lead the series two games to none. Game three is happening Monday at Madison Square Garden in New York.
And that does it for this edition of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Thanks so much for your company. Stay with us. "CNN THIS MORNING" is next.
