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U.S.-Israel War with Iran; White House Correspondents' Dinner; Russia's War on Ukraine; Indian Prime Minister Faces Challenges amid Youth-Led Protests; San Francisco Zoo Welcomes New Flamingo Chicks; New Tariffs on U.S. Trading Partners; Dems Race to Bolster New Candidate in Must-Win Race; Seaplane Crash in Washington State Tourist Area; Paramount Takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery Delayed; President Obama Surprises WNBA Players in Chicago. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired July 25, 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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BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Hello. Wherever you are in the world, you are now in the CNN NEWSROOM with me, Ben Hunte in Atlanta. And it is so good to have you with me.

Coming up on the show, a possible pause in the U.S. strikes on Iran after 13 straight nights of attacks.

President Donald Trump takes center stage at a rescheduled White House Correspondents' Dinner. How his remarks are landing.

And calling for change. Protesters in India still want the education minister to resign as outrage grows over leaked papers and student deaths.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Ben Hunte.

HUNTE: Welcome.

We begin with what appears to be a pause in U.S. attacks against Iran. The U.S. military did not announce it was launching strikes on Friday after pummeling Iran for 13 straight nights.

This all comes after president Trump met with top advisors and cabinet officials to discuss a potential escalation of the war. That is according to a source. The president says the U.S. is still actively negotiating with Iran after their ceasefire agreement crumbled earlier this month.

But he also suggested U.S. forces could press on with their campaign and even expand it.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has unleashed strikes on what it described as Houthi targets in Yemen. The Saudi military says it was a proportionate response after another Saudi ship was attacked by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis in the Red Sea. Let's bring in CNN's Leila Gharagozlou live from London.

It's good to see you. We may finally be seeing a shift around talks.

But what's the latest?

LEILA GHARAGOZLOU, CNN PRODUCER: Yes, so there's actually quite a lot of conflicting messaging that we've been hearing over the last nearly two weeks and especially overnight.

You know, president Trump has gone back and forth saying we're open to talks. We are talking. We want to strike. We want to strike harder. So it's very difficult to read the tea leaves in this situation because the president is a bit unpredictable.

When it comes to this now, just last night, he said that the Iranians were actually talking. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: And, by the way, they are talking to us right now. They would love to make a deal. I don't think they're ready to. I don't think it's time yet. But I'm willing to listen.

But they cannot have a nuclear weapon. We don't want to see Washington, D.C., or any of our cities or Israel or, frankly, the Middle East destroyed with a nuclear weapon because I know the power of nuclear weapons.

I see it. I get to see it. We're not going to let that happen. So this is all about we will not let them have a nuclear weapon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GHARAGOZLOU: So the real issue here is that the Iranians have not said that they are talking. They've actually been quite clear that they're not. They're open to negotiations but they're not in the midst of talking.

And part of that really comes down to the fact that they're not really seeing a element of trust with the American delegation and president Trump when it comes to any negotiations. They don't believe that they can actually get a deal that leads them to that moment of peace. Right.

And they don't want a no war, no peace, limbo situation once again. That's basically what we saw in that leadup to the MOU. And then as you know, the MOU was incredibly vague, very difficult to implement.

The Iranians don't want that again. Any sort of deal they say they want to have it be something that achieves lasting peace.

Now the other element that I think is interesting to look at when it comes to president Trump's comments is that he continuously shifts the goals of this war. And this is another thing that the Iranians take issue with.

And a number of analysts that I've spoken to over the course of the last few months have said time and time again that that's going to be what makes it very difficult to get some deal or find an offramp, because the goals of the war, from the U.S. perspective, keep shifting.

Whether it's Iran's nuclear program or the Strait of Hormuz and makes it a very difficult situation to negotiate around.

HUNTE: And at the same time as that, how significant is Saudi Arabia's decision to strike the Houthis?

GHARAGOZLOU: Yes, so this is quite significant. We've seen a truce in place between the Houthis in Yemen and Saudi Arabia since about 2022. And that was quite a big deal, really drawing down a decade, a years- long conflict.

Now we're seeing that flare up again. And it really means that we might see another front to this war off the back of the U.S.-Iran.

[03:05:03]

Which once again leads to these concerns of an expansion and escalation throughout the broader region.

So we're going to have to watch what happens between Saudi and Yemen very, very closely. If we see things really kick off there again, it's going to have this massive impact on the region and these trade routes, like the Bab-el-Mandeb and the Red Sea.

HUNTE: OK. Leila, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

President Trump lobbed insults and attacked familiar foes during lengthy remarks at a White House Correspondents' Dinner on Friday night. It was rescheduled after a shooting incident in April and had tighter security, along with a much smaller guest list.

The president delivered a speech that ran for an hour and four minutes and was straight out of the Trump playbook. There were some offensive comments along with jokes but those mostly fell flat. Mr. Trump also took aim at perceived enemies, including multiple journalists who were in the audience

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: But Karoline may have one of the hardest jobs in the White House. She has to deal with all of you, all of the time and you can be very difficult. You can be very, very difficult people. But I'm probably being a little bit oversensitive. Sometimes, I really do think that some of you don't like me.

(LAUGHTER)

In fact, I read a report, I get 93 percent negative publicity. Ninety- three. I said, how the hell did I win the election by so much? Think of it. I don't think that's true. I can't believe it's 93. In the 80s, maybe but not 93.

(LAUGHTER)

But this place is really the largest group of Trump derangement syndrome people ever put together at one time, I suspect.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Earlier, CNN spoke with Jeff Mason, Bloomberg's White House correspondent and a former president of the White House Correspondents' Association. He described what it was like being in that room

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JEFF MASON, FORMER PRESIDENT, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' ASSOCIATION: It was different because president Trump attended and he did not attend any of the dinners during his first term, including the one that I presided over in 2017.

So it was just that alone was different because this is a president who has been -- used such vitriolic language about the press during his first term and now during his second term, certainly during both of his campaigns and, as part of that brand, has boycotted the dinner.

So he came tonight. he stayed on brand. He used a lot of insults in his -- as you referenced in his, in his very long speech. He mixed that with a few things that were not insulting but he certainly stayed on brand for that.

And otherwise, what was it like being in the room?

I mean, it was, you know, it was -- the whole history of this dinner, being the second version of the one that was supposed to have happened and partially happened in April, certainly hung over the night. And he referenced that in a positive way.

And so did the others who spoke, including the current president or the outgoing president, Weijia Chang. So that was, that part was uplifting, I would say. But certainly a lot of the other things that the president talked about were quite negative with regard to the press.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Well, he also talked about the tone of the president's remarks and the vibe between the president and the press.

MASON: I think that what was probably unusual about tonight is that the room was not a room full of supporters. And so some of the energy that he probably got back from those of us who were sitting in the ballroom was not what he's accustomed to when people laugh at his jokes or accept the insults. Or accept some of the things that he says that I guess are more

acceptable in a rally or in a room with people who are Trump supporters. This was a room largely of journalists. He certainly got smatterings of applause because he had some of his members of his administration who were guests of news organizations in the room.

But it was certainly a different vibe for him. And I think he picked up on that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Ukraine's president is lambasting a weapons exhibition held near Kyiv. Russian missiles struck the area during the event on Friday, killing at least 10 people and wounding more than 100 others. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later said the exhibit is drawing scrutiny from investigators.

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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Today, I spoke with prosecutor general Ruslan Kravchenko and received reports from law enforcement. Criminal investigations have been opened to what happened.

Of course, the strike was caused by Russian missiles, by Russian terror and nothing else. But we have already said 1,000 times.

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That in these wartime conditions, with an enemy like this, you definitely cannot hold any weapons exhibitions with large crowds of people, especially near residential buildings.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: A White House official says the Ukrainian leader will be headed to Washington for a meeting with president Donald Trump on Tuesday.

More than 200,000 people are fleeing massive wildfires in Spain and France. About half of those evacuations are along the Atlantic coast in southwestern France. Authorities say the wildfires there are burning so intensely they're generating their own weather system.

French president Emmanuel Macron is requesting firefighting help from other European countries.

And Spain has declared its first ever national emergency because of the blazes threatening to converge outside Madrid. Both Spain and France have endured brutal heat waves in recent months and scientists say climate change is creating conditions that make wildfires much more likely. CNN's Melissa Bell has more for us from Paris.

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MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As wildfires grip this tourism hotspot in Southwestern France, locals in a nearby port watch as an ominous red sky marks the terror taking place across the bay.

French authorities ordered the total evacuation of The Hamptons-like Cap Ferret Peninsula on Friday. The wildfire that had devastated thousands of hectares already doubled overnight according to local authorities.

There's only one road linking the Cap Ferret to the outside world. Some 40,000 people use that to evacuate with a few hundred taking boats to the Port of Arcachon on the other side of the bay.

Not far away, another wildfire is also raging in the Landes region around the town of Biscarrosse where 23,000 people were evacuated.

CORINNE PAILLAUBE, RESIDENT (through translator): This local resident says, it's worrying and it's worrying because the whole neighborhood where I live has been evacuated. So we're in doubt, wondering, are we OK?

Has everything burned?

BELL (voice-over): Another woman from the nearby Landes region said fear had begun to spread overnight on Thursday.

AMBRE DUBOS, NEARBY RESIDENT (through translator): We're all starting to panic a little now, to be honest, she says. We spent the whole day not really knowing what was going on. And now that night has fallen and it's really red, we can feel that it's right next to us.

French President Emmanuel Macron called the situation very tense, particularly in Gironde, adding that France had requested the activation of the European Union's civil protection mechanism. France is battling 32 wildfires of varying sizes according to the interior minister, including this large one in the southern region.

SOPHIE GIANETTO, RESIDENT (translated): It really is a disaster. When you arrive here, it feels apocalyptic. It's as, if we're no longer in this world but in another one, she says.

BELL (voice-over): Spain is also facing the consequences of successive heat waves and parched conditions with residents in some towns near Madrid also forced to evacuate because of wildfires. They've become a regular feature of European summers.

But this year, the continent's forest fire information system says that it has seen far more land burnt than the annual average for the same period normally. This, after record breaking climate change driven heat waves turned the landscape into a tinderbox -- Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

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HUNTE: About 100 firefighters rushed to a farm in England when a large fire caused an explosion, all fed by fertilizer. Smoke billowed high above the area in Essex on Friday. People nearby reported hearing and feeling one of the units explode.

Firefighters fought to stop the flames from spreading to nearby homes and brought the fire under control. Officials say there was no wider risk to the public.

OK, youth-led protests erupt across India prompted by exam leaks. After the break, we'll examine what the protesters are demanding. See you in a moment.

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HUNTE (voice-over): Protests were held across India on Friday, led by opposition parties and student groups. The demonstrators want India's education minister to step down over exam paper leaks. They are also demanding education reforms. CNN's Rhea Mogul has the latest for us.

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RHEA MOGUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's been a really remarkable week in India, just watching how much these protests have grown. It started as something that was really quite contained to New Delhi but it has since spread to cities all across the country.

And even some Indian celebrities have joined in to voice their support for these protesters that are demanding reforms to India's education system.

Now the latest that we have is, just yesterday, protesters met with representatives of the Indian government, where they once again expressed their demands. Key among them being the resignation of India's education minister.

Now that meeting ended without a resolution but we were told that there's more talks scheduled for later today.

The protesters have said that they're not going to back down and they're going to keep demonstrating until their demands are met. So really, the ball is now in the government's court to see what happens next. And we'll be watching that very closely.

HUNTE: Oh, yes. And at the same time, this is being described as the biggest political crisis of Modi's third term.

What are officials around the prime minister saying about all of this?

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MOGUL: Well, Modi himself, over the last couple of days, released two video statements in which he mentioned paper leaks and he said that his administration was going to make sure that these don't happen again.

But he fell short of addressing directly what the protesters' demands are. But the fact that he did release these statements is quite interesting, because Modi is a leader that doesn't typically respond to public criticism.

And during his 12 years in power, his government has weathered a lot of civil society protests. So the fact that he did respond could tell us a few things.

First, that perhaps his government just underestimated how big these protests would get. And number two is that perhaps there are some anxieties within his government and they don't want this to turn into something much bigger and broader.

And he doesn't want this to boil over, because at the end of the day, India's youth, their young population is one of the largest in the world. And they're such an important voting bloc for prime minister Modi and his government. So he really wants to ensure that he doesn't lose their support and keep them on his side.

HUNTE: Police in Costa Rica have captured a wanted fugitive known as Diablo. Alejandro Arias is the nations most wanted criminal suspect. He's also wanted on drug trafficking charges by the United States.

U.S. Drug enforcement officials say Arias is the leader of a violent transnational criminal organization. The DEA offered a $500,000 reward for information leading to his capture. His arrest came after a nearly hour-long armed standoff between his associates and police.

All right, it's official. Jurgen Klopp will be taking over Germany's men's national soccer team after a disappointing World Cup campaign. Now he faces the task of reviving one of soccer's most decorated programs. CNN "WORLD SPORT"'s Patrick Snell reports.

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PATRICK SNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was widely expected and now we have confirmation. The former Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, is the new German national team head coach. He signed a four-year deal. It'll take him right through the 2030 World Cup.

Now his appointment coming after an early exit for Germany from the recently finished tournament here in North America. Germany, just to remind you, eliminated in the round of 32 against Paraguay.

Julian Nagelsmann, he resigned his post as head coach after that penalty shootout defeat to the South Americans. Klopp won two Bundesliga titles with Dortmund before leading the Reds to Champions League glory back in 2019, then a first league title in 30 years after that.

He left Liverpool in 2024, though, citing fatigue and was most recently working as Red Bulls head of global soccer. His first official game in charge will be away against the Netherlands on September the 24th in the UEFA Nations League. And on Friday, Klopp also beginning his reign as Germany's new head coach with a warning.

JURGEN KLOPP, FORMER BORUSSIA DORTMUND AND LIVERPOOL MANAGER (through translator): It's a huge honor. I'm paid very well for it. That's all clear.

But the day you no longer want this, just say so and I'm off. No severance pay. If you say tomorrow, he's rubbish, I'm out. I mean, one isn't enough. There need to be a few more. If the DFB says we're not carrying on like this, I'm out. If you guys misbehave and don't leave my family in peace, I'm out, just to make that clear.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNELL: Germany have greatly underachieved at recent major tournaments at both the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups.

They exited at the group stage, though they did fare a little better at the Euros, where they got to the last eight in 2024, though not the usual high standards you've come to expect over the years from the four-time world champions.

Just a reminder of that key game, Klopp's opener, the first official match in charge against big, big rivals the Netherlands, September the 24th, is the date for your diary. That's in the UEFA Nations League. And with that, it's right back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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HUNTE (voice-over): A Starship V3 rocket from SpaceX launched successfully on Saturday from Texas. All 33 engines lit up perfectly on the pad. There was a contrast to the last test in May, which had a series of engine outages.

The test flight ended an hour later when the rocket made a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean. It was described as soft but still faster than expected. Starship also deployed 20 Starlink test satellites and made contact with each of them. SpaceX called it all a dream scenario.

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HUNTE: The San Francisco Zoo is celebrating some excellent news.

[03:25:00]

Welcoming its first Chilean flamingo chicks in nearly a decade. Four chicks hatched earlier this month and that is a sign that the zoo's flamingos are doing very well in their new habitat.

Keepers are crediting changes that they made, including adding new nesting materials and some netting over their enclosure. And that's all to reduce visitations from other wild birds.

All right, for our international viewers, "INNOVATE" is next. And for viewers in North America, there's so much more CNN NEWSROOM with me right after this. See you in a moment.

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HUNTE (voice-over): Welcome back. I'm Ben Hunte. Let's take a look at today's top stories.

Most of president Trump's jokes either fell flat or offended members of his audience during his speech at the rescheduled White House Correspondents' Dinner on Friday. The president took aim at his perceived enemies, including some journalists in the room. The event had been postponed in April after a shooting incident.

After nearly two weeks of daily U.S. air strikes against Iran, the bombing appears to have paused but president Trump is weighing whether to ramp up attacks on Iran or keep pushing for diplomacy. He said on Friday that Iran is getting more serious in ongoing talks.

Protests were held across India on Friday organized by opposition parties and the youth-led Cockroach party. The demonstrators are demanding the education minister resign after exams were leaked. The organizers are also pushing for education reforms.

HUNTE: The rescheduled press dinner we just mentioned was a much smaller and a more muted affair. Security was tighter and the guest list was smaller. The president shook hands with reporters who won for stories about his administration and he appeared to doze off while some of the awards were being presented.

But the 1:04 speech that he delivered was straight out of the Trump playbook. He talked about his ballroom, declared his intention to run for president again and joked about events that took place at the dinner in April.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: From the earliest moments after the attack on our dinner last April, I knew we had to reschedule this event as soon as possible. We had to do it very quickly and we met very quickly and we figured something out.

But the attempted mass murder at the Washington Hilton, that's what it could have been, was an assault on our democracy itself. Very serious situation. Many of you were there with me and some showed extreme bravery, like Pete Hegseth, Stephen Miller Tom Homan.

Really, they were standing on tables and most of you were under the tables. OK. But they did. They showed. I saw every one of them that was standing up in those tables.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: President Trump has slapped new tariffs on dozens of America's trading partners, including Mexico. But Mexican officials say the new tariffs will not have as big an impact on its economy as some have feared. CNN's Valeria Leon explains.

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VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Mexico, the United States' largest trading partner, is subject to a 10 percent tariff on goods that do not qualify for preferential treatment under the USMCA. The measure is part of a new round of tariffs on 60 trading partners announced by the U.S. trade representative.

But for Mexico, the government says the effective tariff rate will remain essentially unchanged because the new duty replaces another 10 percent tariff that's expiring. The announcement came just hours after U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer met with Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, here in Mexico City.

The meeting took place as both countries concluded their third round of bilateral negotiations over the future of the USMCA. President Sheinbaum posted on X pictures of the meeting at the national palace in Mexico City.

According to U.S. officials, the new tariffs follow a months-long investigation into whether Mexico and dozens of other trading partners have not done enough to prevent goods made with forced labor from entering their markets.

Mexico's economy secretary, Marcelo Ebrard, says the government knew about the measure in advance. He also stressed that around 85 percent of Mexican exports will remain tariff free because they comply with the USMCA's rules of origin.

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MARCELO EBRARD, MEXICO'S ECONOMY MINISTER: It is essentially the same as what we had before. Only the legal basis for the 10 percent tariff has changed. That tariff already applied to goods that did not comply with the USMCA's rules of origin requirements.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEON: But this latest tariff measure comes at a very particularly sensitive moment for Mexico, because negotiations over the future of the USMCA are already underway. This week's bilateral round ended without a final agreement after three days of negotiations.

[03:35:05]

So although Mexico says the new tariff will not immediately change what most of its exporters pay, the timing adds another layer of uncertainty to the negotiations -- Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico City. (END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: A ceremonial opening was held on Friday for the long-awaited Gordie Howe toll bridge linking Detroit, Michigan, to Windsor, Ontario.

The event was on the Canadian side with no one from the U.S. invited after Donald Trump's repeated tariff measures against the northern neighbor.

The bridge opens to traffic on Monday and it is seen as a crucial link for the hundreds of billions of dollars in annual trade between the two countries. Canada paid the $6.4 billion cost of that span. Its opening was delayed after Trump insisted on renegotiating a deal.

He claimed the U.S. now gets 50 percent of its profits but Canadian officials say the revised agreement shares revenue for the first 15 years.

One of the most closely watched and competitive U.S. Senate races is in Maine. Democrats are racing to name a new nominee after Graham Platner's dramatic exit following a disastrous campaign.

Troy Jackson is expected to formally secure the nomination at a Democratic convention later today. His campaign says more than three- quarters of the delegates are committed to supporting him. He will have just 101 days to campaign and to make his case to voters.

He will try to unseat Susan Collins. That is the 30-year incumbent and the longest serving Republican woman in Senate history. Jeff Zeleny has more from Maine.

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JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: So just looking around at some of these signs here, I'm struck by just obviously this sign of how quickly things have changed. I mean, he was running for governor. There's a Graham Platner sign. I mean things have changed dramatically here.

How do you think voters have processed all this?

SARAH BIGNEY MCCABE, MAINE AFL-CIO ORGANIZING DIRECTOR: I'd say whiplash. It's been a roller coaster.

ZELENY (voice-over): That roller coaster could determine control of the U.S. Senate as one of the most consequential races of the year is set to start over 100 days before the midterm elections.

This weekend, Maine Democrats are selecting a new candidate to try what others have been unable to do for three decades, defeat Republican Senator Susan Collins.

TROY JACKSON (D-ME), FORMER U.S. SENATOR: My name is Troy Jackson. I'm a fifth generation logger from Allagash, a card carrying union member and the former president of the Maine Senate. ZELENY (voice-over): One of the most picturesque summertime states in the country has endured one of the messiest Senate races in memory, with Troy Jackson set to replace Graham Platner, whose campaign imploded after months of controversy.

JACKSON: We're not from the left. We're not from the right. We're from the bottom and we are rising.

ZELENY (voice-over): Jackson is a logger from the North Woods of Maine who found his way into politics nearly a quarter century ago. He came up short in the June primary for governor but he quickly coalesced support as Democrats scrambled to find a new Senate candidate.

MCCABE: We're not just voting for Troy. We love Troy. We respect Troy. But this is a vote for all of us. This is a vote for the issues that we care about, for health care, for child care.

ZELENY (voice-over): His long record now faces fresh scrutiny, including a conservative to progressive evolution on same sex marriage and abortion rights. Crystale Lapham, a volunteer organizer for Platner, says she trusts Jackson and is all in for his campaign.

ZELENY: Do you like Troy Jackson?

CRYSTALE LAPHAM, DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZER: I think in many ways, Troy is kind of the original in the state of Maine, the original kind of political outsider fighting for a different type of government that works differently for Mainers.

ZELENY: But he's been an elected official for a couple of decades.

LAPHAM: Yes, at the state level, which is very different than at the federal level.

ZELENY (voice-over): There are still signs here of the Senate race that might have been amid questions about whether Democrats are united as they work to win over independent voters and turn the focus back to Collins.

DAN KLEBAN (D-ME), FORMER SENATE CANDIDATE: There is such an appetite to send her back home and put someone new down there that I think that's going to go a long way toward galvanizing folks.

ZELENY (voice-over): Dan Kleban is the co-founder of Maine Beer Company. He ran for Senate last year, dropped out and jumped back in after Platner's collapse. He said meddling from Democrats outside Maine hurt their goal.

KLEBAN: Everybody up here on the Democratic side wishes that this primary didn't play out the way that it did. And I hope we've learned our lesson so we don't do it again.

ZELENY: So has this made it easier for Susan Collins to win reelection?

KLEBAN: I mean, obviously, I don't think we did ourselves any favors.

ZELENY: Many Democrats are eager to get on with this and try and change the conversation into one about senator Susan Collins' record.

[03:40:02]

That should happen for the next 100 days after Democratic delegates gather here in Bangor on Saturday. But this race is going to also be one to define Troy Jackson, relatively unknown, at least outside of the state but well known here in Maine.

There's no doubt one of the most consequential Senate races in the country has had an unusual summer. What happens in the fall will determine the outcome in November -- Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Bangor, Maine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Prosecutors will present more evidence on Monday in the sentencing of a U.S. teen who shot and killed four people in his high school.

Colt Gray switched his plea to guilty on Friday, saying he brought an assault-style rifle to Apalachee High School in Georgia in 2024. He then went on a shooting spree, leaving nine more people wounded. Gray was 14 at the time.

He later told police he was paranoid and had voices in his head. In an interview with investigators that was played in the courtroom, Gray said he had second thoughts just before his rampage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLT GRAY, APALACHEE HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTER: I had a moment in the bathroom of like I probably shouldn't do this. The next thing I know I'm fucking shooting in a classroom, dude.

JUDGE NICHOLAS PRIMM, BARROW COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT: You shot in a classroom?

GRAY: Yes, sir.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: The four victims killed in the attack include two teachers and two students. The sister of one victim spoke directly to Gray on Friday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALANNA SCHERMERHORN, MASON'S SISTER: You will always be remembered as a coward, a psychopath, a freak because of what you decided to do.

But the victims, Cristina Irimie, Richard Aspinwall, Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn will be remembered because of the people they were. They will be remembered because of their kindness and positivity they added to the world. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: The judge will decide whether Gray will be sentenced to life with or without the possibility of parole.

Officials now say a substance found in a van of a man shot and killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Texas was not illegal drugs. The Harris County district attorney's office announced the test results on Friday.

An ICE agent shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during a traffic stop in Houston on July 7th. In a warrant filing, the FBI said it believed a white powder found in the vehicle was illegal drugs. The family's attorney suggested it was just salt, which Salgado Araujo used to make a homemade electrolyte mix.

All right. Paramount hit pause on its mega merger. Why they agreed to delay their takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. That's all coming up just after this break. See you in a moment.

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HUNTE: Welcome back.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating what caused a seaplane to make a remarkable emergency landing in Washington state. There's the video there.

The aircraft ended up beached against rocks on Thursday. The pilot and 10 passengers climbed out of the plane before it eventually was consumed by fire. The seaplane airlines officials say everyone was rescued and taken to a hospital. Three are still there.

It is not known why the seaplane went down in the water near the San Juan Islands of Washington state. That is about 45 minutes after takeoff that took place. It was about 15 miles from its destination when that happened.

The U.S. is experiencing record breaking cases of measles for the second year in a row. The disease was declared eliminated in the U.S. in the year 2000 but there have been more cases recorded in the past 18 months than the previous 25 years combined.

The map of measles cases among U.S. residents shows a majority of states have at least 10 to 49 cases now. Experts say when the vaccination rates remain below 95 percent, there is potential for measles outbreaks.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows more than 90 percent of cases are among people who are not vaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.

The number of measles cases increased by more than 2,000 from 2024 to 2025 and, with five months left in this year, more than 2,300 cases have already been reported.

We're seeing some live pictures there of Warner Bros. Discovery in Burbank, California, as a takeover by Paramount is put on hold, possibly until next year.

In a court filing on Friday, Paramount agreed to delay the mega merger with WBD. That is the parent company of CNN until an antitrust trial takes place or until next June, whichever comes first.

A lawsuit filed by 12 state attorneys general argued the merger would reduce competition and hurt consumers, too. Here's what the California attorney general had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROB BONTA, CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL: Let me just say, this is a significant setback for Paramount Warner Bros obviously. It's a major development in the case in the favor of the states.

[03:50:00]

And this is what we always sought, a block of the merger until a judge, the court could decide on the legality of our case. We're going to make a request for when we think trial should be. Paramount Warner Bros. will make a request when they think trial should be.

We are likely to make a request to have trial in 2027, which is very appropriate based on the expert discovery that needs to happen, the fact discovery that needs to happen before a trial can and should go forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: And some more now from CNN's Brian Stelter

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Hey there. Yes, this is a major setback for Paramount, the relatively small media company that's trying to get much bigger by buying Warner Bros. Discovery, including CNN.

On Friday afternoon, all the parties involved, Paramount as well as the two different legal teams that are suing to block the deal, all announced they reached an agreement that says Paramount will stall the merger.

Will stop the merger process and agree not to complete the deal until a legal process plays out and a trial is held to hear the antitrust arguments that the states, the 12 state attorneys general in the U.S. that are suing, as well as the Writers Guild of America, have all brought against this media mega merger. The states and the writers say this deal would harm consumers and

stifle competition, hurting Hollywood as well as anybody who streams movies or watches TV shows. Paramount rejects those arguments.

But the company lost an early battle in court earlier this month when a judge in California put a temporary restraining order in place, delaying the deal for a few weeks. Paramount lawyers, I'm told, also believed they would lose the next stage of this case.

The preliminary injunction stage where a judge would review the evidence and potentially put the merger on hold for months. So the lawyers for Paramount, the lawyers for the writers, the lawyers for the states all got together and worked out this agreement.

It stipulates that Paramount will not complete the deal until a judge has ruled in this case or by June 1st, 2027, nearly a year from now. Right now, the Paramount-Warner merger agreement expires on June 4th of next year.

So basically, this deal will be on hold until a court in California rules. And at that point, if Paramount loses, it has a plan to appeal and already is talking about going all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary.

I spoke with a Paramount representative on Friday afternoon. The person reiterated the belief that Paramount has a strong case and wants its day in court or weeks in court in order to bring evidence to light in trial.

But the states say they are also looking forward to a trial. California attorney general Rob Bonta told CNN's Jake Tapper that the states will likely seek a trial date sometime in 2027. In other words, not anytime soon.

The states won't have lots of time for the discovery process, to seek out evidence, to interview witnesses, et cetera. Paramount is going to seek a much faster timeline, probably pushing for a trial date to start in November.

So we'll see how that works out. We'll see what a judge decides. But the practical effect is that this deal is now frozen in place. It means, for example, that this network, CNN, will not be owned by Paramount between now and the U.S. midterm elections.

That had been a concern among some CNN employees, given Paramount's cozy relationship with the Trump administration. So now this deal is on hold, probably at least through the new year. And no one knows for sure what will happen.

An analyst for Forrester Research told "The Wall Street Journal," quote, "The deal may still close or it may not. What we know is that the path to either outcome just got longer, messier and likely more expensive."

Longer, messier, more expensive, those are words no CEO likes to hear but those are the words now echoing at Paramount -- Brian Stelter, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: LeBron James is heading to the City of Brotherly Love, announcing on Friday that he'll be joining the Philadelphia 76ers. And Philly is already rolling out the red carpet.

Ahead of his record extending 24th season in the NBA, 41-year-old LeBron said he had been considering retirement but that he isn't ready to walk away from the game just yet, also saying he believes he can help bring Philadelphia and the 76ers a championship. And fans in Philadelphia are so ready to believe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HONG XIE, PHILADELPHIA FAN: I'm excited. Like I'm excited because this team is going to be a cheat code. It's going to be like a 2K27 video game.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Former president Barack Obama surprised a group of WNBA All- Star players during a visit to his recently opened presidential center in Chicago. He praised the league's rapid growth and its players for inspiring young girls on and off the court.

He also took time to encourage Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark and gave her some advice about navigating fame.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA (D), FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Oh, hey, Caitlin, how are you?

[03:55:00]

Really nice to meet you. You're great. You're fantastic. Thank you, thank you. Don't let all this nonsense get you down. I appreciate it. Yes.

You know, I always say one of the things that was luckiest for me was I didn't get famous until I was, like, 45. So I was an old man. I mean, you're my daughters' age and to have that much -- yes -- you know, burden and nonsense. So don't lose that joy.

The game's like the game. Yes. And you're a hooper. And you --

CAITLIN CLARK, IOWA GUARD: I try sometimes.

OBAMA: You know, you're always hooping and you're on a nice little run right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: All right. That's all I've got for you. Thanks for joining me and the team. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta. There's so much more CNN NEWSROOM right after this. And I'll be back with you at the same time tomorrow. See you then.