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Supreme Court Pauses Deportations Under Alien Enemies Act; Democratic Senator Meets With Abrego Garcia In El Salvador; Salvadorian President Posts Mocking Pictures Of Meeting; Trump Administration Revokes Hundreds Of Student Visas; Iran's Foreign Minister Hopeful Iran, U.S. Can Reach Agreement; Trump Says Ukraine- Russia Talks Coming To A Head; Mortgage Rates Climb To Highest Level In Two Months As Trump Tariffs Continue To Rock Markets; Chinese Robots Race Humans In The 1st Humanoid Half-Marathon; Indoor Gym Welcomes Kids Of All Abilities. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired April 19, 2025 - 07:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[07:00:30]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks for staying. Welcome to CNN THIS MORNING. It's Saturday, April 19th. I'm Victor Blackwell.

Several new developments overnight while you were sleeping. The Supreme Court issued a ruling stopping the Trump administration from deporting a group of immigrants in Texas. That ruling came with a strict director from the court.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What this is about is adhering to the Constitution, to the right of due process, and that's why we say bring Kilmar home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Senator Chris Van Hollen says Kilmar Abrego Garcia is traumatized after being wrongfully deported to El Salvador. Despite the Trump administration acknowledging his removal was a mistake, it's vowing Garcia will never set foot in the U. S. again.

U.S. and Iranian delegations are in Rome for a second round of high level talks on Iran's nuclear program. But this time, both sides are coming to the table with a threat from President Trump looming in the background.

Also, a first of its kind race, a half marathon pitting humans against robots. Who do you think won?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And we have active severe thunderstorm warnings already as storms roll through multiple states. We'll detail the timeline for the rest of the day coming up.

BLACKWELL: We're starting with the breaking news. The Supreme Court threw another wrench into the Trump administration's efforts to deport migrants under the Alien Enemies Act. That ruling came in around 1:00 this morning. The court is temporarily freezing any action in any case involving a

group of Venezuelan immigrants in Texas who say that the Trump administration was working swiftly to deport them.

Two conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, they dissented. CNN's Chief Supreme Court Analyst Joan Biskupic is with us. Joan, tell us more about this middle of the night ruling.

JOAN BISKUPIC, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sure, good to be with you. You know, so much is happening in the immigrant deportation space right now and at a rapid speed. This is a case that involves a group of Venezuelan migrants who are in Texas, and their lawyer believed they were about to be swiftly deported out of the country the way the administration had done last month, so quickly for a group.

They went to a district court judge. He said he didn't have jurisdiction at this point. They were appealing to an intermediate court, but they feared that if some courts did not act quickly, these men would have been forced to leave the country.

In fact, their appeal to the Supreme Court said the government's actions to date, including its lightning-fast timeline, do not give members of this class of potential deportees a chance to contest their removal. Now, these men are scheduled to be removed under an 18th century law known as the Alien Enemies Act.

And you probably remember, Victor, that about a week ago, the Supreme Court said that the Trump administration could use that act, but it had to give anyone who was subject to it notice and a chance to contest their removal. And we got to the point late last night, early this morning, around one o'clock, when these men obviously hadn't had a chance to contest their removal.

Apparently, some of the notices to them were written only in English and they hadn't been informed that they even had a right to contest their designation under the Alien Enemies Act. So, what the Supreme Court did was just pause the action, say nobody do anything right now. And the Intermediate Appellate Court is scheduled to first hear this.

And what the justices said is as soon as the Fifth Circuit, which is based in Louisiana, covering the Texas area, acts, then the Trump administration lawyers should come to the Supreme Court, explain why these men should be deported but in the meantime no one should be, no one should be put on a plane and flown out of the country in this group of Venezuelan nationals.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented but in the middle of night, Victor, they didn't issue any statement but the court did say a statement from Justice Alito would be coming at some point.

BLACKWELL: All right. Joan Biskupic, with the reporting for us. Thank you so much. Meanwhile, litigation continues in the case of the wrongfully deported man from Maryland, El Salvador national, Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Senator Chris van Hollen returned from El Salvador, Friday, after meeting with Abrego Garcia in a public place. You see the pictures here. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[07:05:12]

SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-MD): And the courts have said from the Supreme Court to the Fourth Circuit to the district court, what this is about is adhering to the Constitution, to the right of due process, and that's why we say bring Kilmar home, so he can be afforded his rights under the Constitution. That's what this is about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: The White House is responding to increased public pressure to release a Abrego Garcia. They posted on social media that he is never returning to the U.S. CNN's David Culver has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A photo-op that is sparking political spin from all sides. Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen sitting next to Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland resident whose deportation has become a flashpoint in President Trump's mass deportation efforts and his clashes with the courts.

VAN HOLLEN: This case is not just about one man. It's about protecting the constitutional rights of everybody who resides in the United States of America.

CULVER: Van Hollen met with Abrego Garcia late Thursday in a San Salvador hotel.

VAN HOLLEN: I called Jennifer to tell her that I had met with Kilmar. And I told her what he said to me, which was, first and foremost, that he missed her, and his family.

CULVER: Abrego Garcia's wife described the news of her husband's condition as a prayer answered, adding that she's relieved to know her husband is alive.

Deported last month, despite a 2019 U.S. immigration court order prohibiting his return to El Salvador, Abrego Garcia was put on a plane and sent straight to El Salvador's notorious terrorism confinement center, CECOT.

The administration first called Abrego Garcia's deportation a mistake in court, but now stand by it. In the Oval Office, Monday, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele sat next to President Donald Trump, both leaders defending Abrego Garcia's deportation and imprisonment, with President Trump deferring to others to explain.

PAM BONDI, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: That's up to El Salvador. If they want to return him. That's not up to us.

NAYIB BUKELE, PRESIDENT OF EL SALVADOR: We're not very fond of releasing terrorists into our country. CULVER: On Wednesday, Senator Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador, meeting with the country's vice president. And on Thursday, he tried to access CECOT without permission. We visited CECOT just days before Van Hollen attempted his visit. Officials took us into Sector 4, where suspected MS-13 and 18th Street gang members are kept, some convicted, others still awaiting trial.

But we were not allowed in other sectors where the newest deportees, including Abrego Garcia, are believed to be held. Perhaps most surprising is that the first mention of Van Hollen's meeting with Abrego Garcia came from President Bukele. He posted several photos with a seemingly sarcastic caption: "Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the death camps and torture, now sipping margaritas with Senator Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador." He then added that Abrego Garcia gets the honor of staying in El Salvador's custody.

VAN HOLLEN: As we were talking, one of the government people came over and deposited two other glasses on the table with ice. And I don't know if it was salt or sugar around the top, but they look like margaritas. Let me just be very clear, neither of us touched the drinks that were in front of us.

CULVER: The photos Bukele selected intentional, according to a source close with the Salvadoran president, one of them clearly showing Abrego Garcia's arm tattoos, the source saying that that is intended to hint at gang affiliations, which have been publicly alleged, but not legally proven.

Conservative allies say the meeting is proof that Democrats are siding with a suspected MS-13 gang member. But neither the U.S. nor El Salvador has filed formal charges against Abrego-Garcia, and his attorneys maintain he has no gang ties. And yet, he remains in Salvadoran custody.

Victor, one thing that stands out to me from that press conference of Senator Van Hollen's is that he says Abrego-Garcia is no longer in CECOT, the Terrorism Confinement Center, and instead he was moved to another prison. Now, what's interesting to me about that is, Salvadoran officials have told me repeatedly, if you are considered to be a gang member, then you must be sent to CECOT.

So, the fact that he was relocated to another facility suggests that it's a bit contradictory to then label him a gang member, or as President Bukele has said, a terrorist if he's not being held in a facility that is meant for those individuals. Victor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: David Culver reporting for us. Thank you David. The Trump administration has revoked hundreds of student visas across the country is not clear if all those students are ordered to leave immediately or if they can continue their education. A lot of universities say they don't know why this has happened. And in most cases, schools only discovered the revocations by checking the system. So, now dozens of students are suing to stop those revocations and get reinstated.

[07:10:15]

Late last night, a judge issued a temporary restraining order in the case of more than 100 international students whose visas were revoked by the federal government. Charles Cook is a lawyer representing more than 100 international students, he joins me now. Charles, good to have you. First, let me start here with your reaction to Judge Calvert's restraining order, valid until May 2nd, so you have two weeks now. What's your reaction?

CHARLES COOK, LAWYER: We're very excited by it, and we're so very pleased by it. It was a tough call for the judge, I think. I think she was kind of surprised that the government had basically violated its own rules as they apply to foreign students, and I think her decision is quite strong. So, we're excited to move forward with the next phase which will be this following Thursday for the preliminary injunction hearing.

BLACKWELL: So, we have covered the cases of Mahmoud Khalil and Rameza Ozturk. These are students who in some ways have been involved with pro-Palestinian efforts, protested Israel's handling of the war with Hamas and the effect on Gaza. Is that, do your clients have that in common? Is there any commonality that your clients share?

COOK: Well, when we initially found out about the first students, but this is the first thing we thought, but it turns out that none of our students are -- inactive in any way on social media. And that these terminations actually had to do with prior contact, either with law enforcement or with immigration itself that had been previously resolved. So, once we realized it wasn't about social media, we knew right away that ICE had stepped over the line.

BLACKWELL: And so, do they have any felony convictions? More than just interaction with ICE, I'm trying to find what is the common denominator of your clients other than being international students?

COOK: The common denominator is at some point they had their fingerprints taken, whether it was because of a speeding ticket or because they were arrested on shoplifting, which later dismissed, or whether they'd actually had a problem with immigration at the border or inside the United States, then left and came back.

The common denominator is none of our clients have a conviction. None of them are deportable from the United States, and none of them violated their student status.

BLACKWELL: And how are they learning about these revocations? Are they learning from the universities?

COOK: Yes, this was kind of interesting. They weren't notified by ICE. Neither was the school notified by ICE. It turns out an advisor at one of the schools that deals with foreign students was checking the database for something and saw some of her students had been terminated. So, she called a friend, and she checked. And pretty soon, all these

advisors had realized, oh my goodness, something happened. They then notified the students who were, of apocalyptic. How did this possibly happen? What did I do wrong?

BLACKWELL: How is this impacting international students? So, we're coming up on the end of the semester. Some may want to move off campus. Some might have had plans to go home to visit family and return in the fall. What's the impact?

COOK: Many of our students are approaching graduation actually. We had a fellow who has actually pushed up his Ph.D. dissertation and defense because of this lawsuit. I will tell you what happened. Our clients are terrified. They see what's going on.

I mean, they're not immune to news. They see folks being put in jail by ICE that were students previously. Virtually, all of them thought ICE was going to appear at their house and pick them up the next day.

Some had not left their house in two weeks until last night when the TRO was issued. So, this couldn't come at a worse time for students as they're preparing for final or graduating. Now, many of them, even though they're back in status, they're not going to go home and run the risk of not being able to come back in.

BLACKWELL: Yes. Well, we, of course, will be watching that next hearing, as you say, on Thursday to follow this case. Charles Cook, thanks so much for your time.

COOK: Thanks for having me.

BLACKWELL: All right. This morning, at least 45 million people are under severe weather threat. Some storms expected to spin up tornadoes, trigger major flooding across a 900-mile stretch from the Great Lakes to western Texas.

CNN's Allison Chinchar is tracking those storms, and it is the speed at which this storm will move or will not move, actually, is the threat.

CHINCHAR: Yes. It's the latter, yes. It's going to be very very slow to make any forward progress, and the concern there is that some of these same cities are going to get hit not just today, but also tomorrow -- and that's the last thing you want for a holiday weekend, to have any plans, outdoor plans rather, that are kind of interrupted by that.

We already have on going showers and thunderstorms as we speak. You can see the huge line right through her. It extends from Texas all the way up into Ohio, and those same states, it'll still be there tomorrow because again it's not moving very fast. It looks like it's making forward progress because the individual cells themselves are moving, but the whole like itself is just going to kind of keep going over and over again.

[07:15:17] We had a severe thunderstorm watch in effect for portions of Texas that has now been since dropped, but there's still some strong thunderstorms along that line. Farther to the north, you've had some very strong thunderstorms as well, even a couple severe thunderstorm warnings in and around the Saint Louis area and portions of Southern Missouri.

This is where the main focus is going to be for today, yes, not only the green area but also the yellow area, all of these cities have the potential for some damaging winds up around 50-60 even as much as 70 miles per hour. You're also looking at some hail that could be quarters, maybe as large as golf balls.

And then, yes, the potential for a tornado or two, especially on the southern area where you're seeing a lot of this yellow color here. It's not only this morning. More of those storms will fire up later this afternoon and into the evening as you get the heating of the day. And then, we're right back to it all over again tomorrow.

BLACKWELL: And we will do that all again tomorrow. All right, Allison, thank you.

A second round of high stakes nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran are happening right now. This time they're talking in Rome. We're live with what we know about the discussions that straight ahead.

Plus the on again, off again tariffs and President Trump's attack on the Fed chair are leading to a lot of economic anxiety. We talked to a personal finance expert about the best ways to protect your sanity and your money.

And a race between man and machine. The big winner of the first ever humanoid half marathon, later.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:21:25]

BLACKWELL: We're following some major foreign policy developments that have been happening over the last 24 hours. Talks between the U.S. and Iran, those started last hour. Even though they're happening in Rome, Oman is mediating the talks just as they did last weekend.

These talks are happening just a couple of days after President Trump reiterated that Iran will not be allowed to have nuclear weapons. He also suggested he's not looking at imminent military strikes against nuclear facilities, but the threat is still there. CNN's Ben Wedeman joins us from Rome now. What do we learn about these talks?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we understand from a statement from a spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry that the talks have began about an hour and a half ago at the Omani embassy here in Rome. Now, they're not direct talks. You have the Omani foreign minister is basically shuttling between two rooms in the Omani embassy, passing messages back and forth. Now, the U.S. delegation is led by special White House envoy Steve

Witkoff, and the Iranian delegation is led by the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who before the meeting did seem to express some cautious optimism about these talks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABBAS ARAGHCHI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translation): We have seen a certain level of seriousness in the first round of talks, and if they are ready to discuss the nuclear issue, and only the the nuclear issue in a serious set of discussions without involving other matters, then we can progress further towards a constructive dialogue. So, as I say, if demands are not made that are impossible to act upon, then it could be feasible to reach an agreement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WEDEMAN: Now, when he talks about impossible demands, what he's referring to is that the United States, the Trump administration, is sending out somewhat mixed signals. There are some, like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who are saying they want the complete elimination of Iran's nuclear program, whether that be civilian or military, whereas we know that Steve Whitkoff, who's in these negotiations, these indirect negotiations, has suggested that what the United States is looking for is some sort of verification process whereby the United States and other countries have some sort of ability to monitor what Iran is doing within its nuclear program.

Now, under U.N. agreements that Iran has signed, Iran does have the right to a civilian nuclear program, and the Iranians are pretty insistent that they will continue to have such a program. But on the other hand, you have countries like Israel, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who have made it clear they want the complete elimination of Iran's nuclear programs.

And we did see in The New York Times earlier this week that Israel has been pushing the Trump administration to allow it, with American assistance, to attack at some point, perhaps as early as May, Iran's nuclear facilities. President Trump, according to that New York Times article, was adamant that they should be allowed, the United States should be allowed to pursue a diplomatic process.

Now, of course, there was an agreement between the United States, the five permanent members of the U.N. the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, and Germany and Iran back in 2015, whereby there was verification and monitoring of Iran's nuclear program.

And President Trump certainly was opposed to that agreement, even though his senior military adviser said the agreement was working. But it appears that President Trump does understand now there is a need for such an agreement with Iran, even though he canceled that agreement back in 2018.

We'll see if these talks now in Rome will somehow lead to the revival of some form of agreement between Iran and the rest of the world on its nuclear program. Victor. VLK: All right. We'll wait for at least a characterization, if not a readout from the meetings today. Ben Wedeman for us in Rome. Thanks so much.

President Trump, be weighed in on some of the negotiations his administration is working on. And it's not clear that he's on the same page as his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. After meeting with European and Ukrainian officials in Paris, Rubio told reporters, a time and patience, they're running out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[07:26:17]

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The president has spent 87 days at the highest level of his government, repeatedly taking efforts to bring this war to an end. We are now reaching a point where we need to decide and determine whether this is even possible or not. If this is not possible, we're going to need to move on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: So, when he was asked about those comments President Trump seemed more willing to wait for an outcome, a peaceful outcome.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: If for some reason one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we're just going to say you're foolish, you're fools, you're horrible people and we're going to just take a pass, but hopefully we won't have to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: With us now, CNN's Nada Bashir. Nada, so these Russia Ukraine talks, they're happening just as CNN has learned that the Trump administration is now ready to recognize Russian control of Crimea, tell us more about that.

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, then Victor President Trump came into office touting his ability to secure an immediate peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Clearly, that is not the case. And we've been hearing from officials and from sources within the Trump administration, and familiar with this framework that has been put on the table for a peace deal by the Trump administration.

That frustration is growing within the administration and certainly that pressure that we're hearing from President Trump and his officials is mounting on both Russia and Ukraine to come to some sort of agreement based off this framework that has been put forward by the Trump administration.

Now, we heard those warning remarks from the Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the Trump administration is prepared to step away from any sort of mediation efforts that have been on going. Clearly, progress hasn't moved as quickly as the Trump administration would have liked to see.

There are still questions, though, as to whether that means the Trump administration steps away from a mediating role or whether perhaps that means stepping away from providing military support on the front lines for Ukraine.

But as we heard there from President Trump, slightly different tone from the U.S. president. He later told reporters in the Oval Office that what he wants to see at this stage is an enthusiasm to end the war from both sides and that the officials within his administration are working with their European counterparts and others to secure that deal. And we also had a more positive outlook from the vice president as well. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, U.S. PRESIDENT: The negotiations, I won't prejudge them, but we do feel optimistic that we can hopefully bring this war, this very brutal war to a close.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASHIR: Now, what we know in terms of the framework that is on the table at this stage is that the peace proposal would secure a ceasefire on the front lines, but crucially it would also mark a clear concession and a victory potentially for President Putin in that the U.S. has said that it would be prepared to recognize Russian control of occupied Crimea. That would be a significant win for Russian President Vladimir Putin following the illegal annexation of this Ukrainian territory back in 2014.

That is something that Ukrainian officials have been adamant they do not want to see. Some officials describing this as a non-starter. But that is the stage that we are on with regards to the current peace proposal on the table. Officials and sources familiar with those ongoing discussions have said that there are still gaps in the negotiations, that they are working to narrow. And we are expecting U.S. officials to continue those discussions with European counterparts over the coming days.

But again, that warning progress needs to be made over the coming days, certainly ramping up pressure on both sides. No clear timeline offered by either Trump or Marco Rubio with regards to how quickly they want to see this progress. We heard from President Trump saying that he believes he will see some movement from both sides soon. Victor.

BLACKWELL: Nada Bashir reporting for us. Thank you.

Still to come, President Trump has picked the fight with Fed Chair, Jerome Powell, over interest rates.

[07:30:03]

We'll tell you how the feud could have a real world impact on your finances. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett says that President Trump and his team are looking into whether it's legally possible to fire Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

Now, Trump has lashed out at Powell unsuccessfully trying to pressure him to lower interest rates. But experts in the industry say that the Fed has to stay independent for the markets to function the right way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[07:35:07]

CHARLOTTE HOWARD, EXECUTIVE EDITOR AND NEW YORK BUREAU CHIEF, THE ECONOMIST: The president does not control, does not have authority over the Fed. The Fed is independent. This is a law of nature that investors depend on the way they depend on gravity.

And so, the idea that he would overturn that, in addition to everything else is so fundamentally destabilizing, would be so fundamentally destabilizing to how investors view the health, you know, reliability of the functioning of the American market.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: With me now to discuss what the implications of the financial market instability could be on your family's finances is Michelle Singletary, syndicated personal finance columnist of The Color of Money for The Washington Post. She is also the author of the book, "What to Do with Your Money When Crisis Hits".

Michelle, good morning to you.

MICHELLE SINGLETARY, PERSONAL FINANCE COLUMNIST, THE WASHINGTON POST: Good morning.

BLACKWELL: All right. So, there is a lot to talk about. Let's talk with -- start with the mortgage rates. Significant jump, a jump to the highest level a couple of months, up to 6.83 percent from 6.62 percent.

You know, there are some people who say, buy the House anyway, because it will appreciate over time, and the longer you're in the rental market, you're missing out on that. What do you say as we watch the fluctuation of mortgage rates?

SINGLETARY: I say, don't listen to people who don't know your budget, first of all.

I mean, people say, well, they say, don't listen to they. They don't -- they don't know what they are talking about. You should buy a house when all the things, all your ducks are in a row.

You know, you can handle the mortgage even at that little bit of higher rate, that you're going to have some breathing room to also save and that the -- a payment. This is how I qualified myself when I bought my homes and my two 20 some year-old daughters recently bought a home.

It should be about 30 percent of your net pay. If all that lines up, you should go ahead and buy the house.

BLACKWELL: OK, let's talk about tax refunds, because the tax deadline has passed, some people are getting that direct deposit. They wake up in the morning and they see they got a little -- a little cushion, a little padding. What should people be doing with it? Or what shouldn't they maybe be doing with it?

SINGLETARY: So, right now, I would be stockpiling cash, you know. If you -- if your budget always looks a little funky. You know, it's like, really tight. I would be holding on to that cash. Don't take that vacation, don't buy that big screen T.V. I know, Victor, is so handsome and you want to see him even bigger, but, you know, don't do it. You know.

You just need to hold on to that, because the markets and the job situation and the economy is just really not great right now, and all of us really should be concerned about the security of our jobs.

And so, I really am encouraging people to build up that emergency fund, also that life happens fund is a little bit different for like, when your car breaks down, just hold on to that cash right now for a lot of people in it.

But, if you've got some debt, you could split the difference. Put some in savings and try to get down that debt. So that, if you lose your job, you have less to worry about in terms of paying your expenses.

BLACKWELL: And for those people who have not yet filed, advice for them.

SINGLETARY: If you owe the government and you haven't filed, you absolutely should still file that return. And I know it sounds crazy, like, well, I don't have the money, why should I file?

There are two penalties when you owe the government. The failure to file and the failure to pay. That failure to file penalty is pretty high. So, you want to get that return in, and then, you want to contact the IRS and say, listen, I have lost my job, or I don't know how I'm going to pay this bill, and get on a payment plan so that you can start paying it, because interest is accumulating daily, is compounded with the IRS.

And please, please do not call any of those commercial companies that say, you know, I can get you pennies on a dollar, we have a team of experts. Your first call should be to the IRS. If you have a deep issue with the IRS, then you might call a tax professional, not those ads that you hear.

Go directly to the IRS and make sure that you talk to them about what you can afford to get on a payment plan.

(CROSSTALK)

BLACKWELL: Yes.

SINGLETARY: To take care of that debt, to reduce the penalties.

BLACKWELL: Well, the team of experts is always so convincing when you hear it on the radio ad, but I hear you saying, don't call them first.

SINGLETARY: There is no team of experts. There is somebody in a call room. They don't know what they talking about. And you'll end up paying thousands of dollars that you can use for your tax.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

SINGLETARY: And I've actually intervened on a couple of cases where I've saved people thousands of dollars by just helping them get over their fear of contacting the IRS. I know right now, contacting the government seems like crazy, right?

(CROSSTALK)

BLACKWELL: Yes.

SINGLETARY: Really, there is still -- that is still the best place. Or go to irs.gov, right there in the page, it says, make a payment. It gives you all the options to get on a payment plan. I was working with someone. It took us about 15 minutes to help her get on a payment plan.

BLACKWELL: All right. Michelle Singletary, with all the information. Thank you so much.

SINGLETARY: You are so welcome.

[07:40:00]

BLACKWELL: All right. Heavy rain potential flooding are in the forecast for millions of Americans.

Still to come, where the greatest threat is right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: Tech companies in China put on a first of its kind race, human versus robots.

[07:45:02]

Sounds like a thriller. Sounds like a movie. It wasn't. This is real. More than 20 robots raced alongside thousands of runners across this 13-mile course. This has gone through Beijing. Teams from several companies, universities, they participated to showcase of China's advances on humanoid technology.

Now, let's talk about the race. Wasn't even close. First, robot made it across the finish line. About two hours and 40 minutes in -- double the time of the winner of the men's race.

But winning the race probably wasn't the whole point. Oh, they had, you know, I guess one of the kitty bots on one of those, like amusement park leashes, the running through.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm not sure what I would think if I was running next to something like that.

BLACKWELL: I -- you know, as long as they -- I think, it's good that they're slow still.

CHINCHAR: Yes, yes.

BLACKWELL: Right?

CHINCHAR: I want to be able to outrun them.

BLACKWELL: We have seen the movies. It's good that they are still slow. I'm fine with it.

CHINCHAR: Yes.

BLACKWELL: All right. So, there will be a lot of races across the country this weekend for holiday, some of them probably rained out.

CHINCHAR: Yes, yes. If you have a 5K or a 10K race planned in some parts of the country, you may want to double check and see if they are still going to have it. Or maybe, maybe that's your thing. Maybe, you like --

BLACKWELL: And some people like it.

CHINCHAR: Some people do. Yes, but that's the point. We are going to have some areas with some rain, and in some spots, a lot of rain.

So, let's take a look. All of these areas you see highlighted in here have the potential for not just rain, but flooding, because of how much rain is expected over the next 24 to 48 hours.

Here is a look at the forecast. We already have some ongoing showers and thunderstorms right now. That line is going to gradually, I emphasize very slowly and gradually, move eastward.

As it does. It takes the potential for some strong to severe thunderstorms with it too, but because it's hitting a lot of the same spots. See, even as we get to Sunday, a lot of these same spots, portions of Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, are still going to get more rain even yet again tomorrow.

This means all of that rain is going to start to accumulate, but it can't all get absorbed into the ground. So, you've got the problem with a lot of run-off, and sometimes where that water just sits tight.

So, unfortunately, for some of these areas, you're talking widespread, two to four inches, and some spots could see five, even six inches of rain in just the next 48 to 72 hours. And again, yes, that's going to cause some localized flooding.

We also have the potential for some severe thunderstorms, not just today, but also for Easter Sunday

BLACKWELL: Grew in all those lace socks and the kids all dressed up. All right. Allison, thank you.

Your favorite stars take you to their favorite places in the new CNN original series, "MY HAPPY PLACE".

Join Alan Cumming, Scottish Highlands, for the premiere episode. That's Sunday, April 27th 10:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, only on CNN. We'll be back.

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[07:51:50]

BLACKWELL: The Miami Heat, they lost a spark for a moment against the Atlanta Hawks, but they still pulled off a win. CNN's Carolyn Manno joins us now, and an historic win at that.

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a little bit of history here.

It's not over till it's over. At least, that's what they say, Victor. And the Heat, now, becoming the first 10 seed to make it to the postseason. Everything getting underway officially today. The playoffs are here. I can't believe it, but to play in games last night, to get you caught up on just to round out the field.

Beginning in the east, with the Hawks hosting the Heat and what proved to be a winner-go-home thriller in this game. Miami squandered an early lead. They led by as many as 17, but Hawks' All-Star Trae Young tied things up. The final seconds of regulation. And then, in overtime, it was Tyler Herro and Miami's bench that really came up big in this game.

Herro had 30 points on the night, including a pair of threes in overtime. The Heat get a 123-114, win, and the reward is that they will now have the pleasure of facing top seeded Cleveland in the first round.

Meantime, in the -- in the West the Mavs and the Grizzlies battling for the chance to face the Thunder.

Ja Morant playing through an ankle injury. This one never in doubt for Memphis. Dallas trailed by 25 in the first half. They just limped to the finish line in this game.

Anthony Davis had 40 points for Dallas. His most in the Mavs uniform, but it wasn't enough. And after making into the finals a year ago, the 120-106 loss brings what Klay Thompson described as a tumultuous year to an end for Dallas.

Between the trade of their superstar, Luka Doncic, to litany of injuries, the Mavs season is now officially over.

And as for what's on tap this weekend, the Bucks and the Pacers tipping things off later this afternoon. The Knicks hosted Detroit at Madison Square Garden. Later on, the Lakers have the nightcap out west tonight, and then, Sunday features four more games over on our sister channel, TNT, Memphis earning the right to face the Thunder at 1:00 p.m.

You've got the top seed in the East calves tipping off at 7:00. So, it should be a really exciting weekend ahead. Victor, back to you.

BLACKWELL: We go straight from March Madness down to the NBA Playoffs. Great time of year.

MANNO: Never stops.

BLACKWELL: Never stops. Carolyn Manno, thank you.

All right. "FIRST OF ALL," is coming up at the top of the hour. Lent ends tomorrow with Easter and so does a target fast led by Pastor Jamal Bryant.

Did Target meet any of those DEI demands? Pastor Bryant is back with us in studio.

Plus, millions of low-income kids could lose the opportunity to get an early education because the Trump administration is considering eliminating, zeroing out funding for Head Start. The program's director during President Trump's first term is here.

Also, raw sewage cooling outside homes and in areas where children play. The federal government was trying to do something about it. That was until it was labeled DEI.

The award-winning activist who first brought attention to conditions in Lowndes County, Alabama, is with us.

We have those conversations and stories you likely will not see anywhere else, all coming up on "FIRST OF ALL," after a break.

First though, when a North Carolina mother could not find a play place for her son with autism, she built her own. Here is today's "START SMALL, THINK BIG".

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[07:55:03]

CANDACE HAYES, OWNER, Q'S CORNER: My name is Candace Hayes. I'm the owner of Q's Corner.

Q's Corner is an indoor play facility that caters to individuals with disabilities. The whole goal is to promote inclusion.

I know what it's like to have child on the spectrum, and then three other kids who are not on the spectrum. I remember going to the trampoline parks with my son. They had a nice foam pit, and he loved that foam pit, but he would not wait in line.

Here come my kid running past, 20 kids jumping into the foam pit. And then, not only did he jump in, but he just wanted to stay in. And you can't do that. People are just not aware that all kids are not the same.

We see everything. We see kids with autism, cerebral palsy. We get individuals that are legally blind. We have equipment just for all type of disabilities. We get people coming from different states, different cities. They travel pretty far to come here because of what we were able to create.

What really helped me was putting myself in other parents' positions. So, I thought about, oh, my goodness, well, what if my son had autism and he was in a wheelchair? Where would I take him? Where would we celebrate his birthday?

So, our next steps, we want to franchise. Hopefully, there is accused corner coming to a city near you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: "START SMALL, THINK BIG", brought to you by ADP. Always designing for people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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