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CNN This Morning

Mixed Messaging Over Possible Peace Talks In Pakistan; Pope Weighs In On DOJ Death Penalty Announcement; Justice Dept. Drops Criminal Probe Into Fed Chair Jerome Powell; Iran's Foreign Minister To Visit Russia On Overseas Tour; FBI Opens Probe After 10 Scientists Die Or Disappear In Recent Years; Chevron CEO: Air Travel Prices Likely To Get Worse In Coming Weeks. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired April 25, 2026 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN THIS MORNING. Here's what you need to know this weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL (voice-over): A U.S. delegation will head to Pakistan. The Iranian delegation is already there. The big question is, will they talk to each other?

KAROLINE LEAVITT, PRESS SECRETARY, WHITE HOUSE: The president is, as I've said many, many times to all of you, always willing to give diplomacy a chance.

BLACKWELL (voice-over): The mixed messaging coming from both sides over whether peace talks will happen this weekend or early next week.

Also, it's shaping up to be a wet and stormy weekend. The tornado threat is increasing by the day. Derek Van Dam is here with a look at the areas we're watching.

What is old is new again. The Justice Department says it's bringing back firing squads for federal executions. New this morning. Pope Leo is weighing in.

And what happened to several scientists tied to sensitive nuclear research? Some have been killed, others are missing. And now, the FBI is asking some questions of its own.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL (on camera): Yes, that's the right date. April 25, Saturday morning. Welcome to your weekend. I'm Victor Blackwell. Thank you for joining me.

Later today, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump's son-in- law, Jared Kushner, are expected to head to Pakistan for talks with Iran. But it's not certain yet if those talks will actually happen. Here's what we know.

President Trump told Reuters over the phone that Iran is making some sort of offer to the U.S. Not clear what that offer may be. Tehran is denying that there are any plans for direct negotiations. However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is in Pakistan right now, met with the country's leaders. Semiofficial state media says that he's there to "Discuss Iran's considerations about ending the war with the Pakistani side.

Now, the uncertainty around these talks is not unusual. You'll remember the same thing happened earlier this month during the first round of talks, which ended without an agreement. We have team coverage.

CNN's Nic Robertson is in Islamabad. Steve Contorno is in West Palm Beach. Let's start with Nic. Uncertainty around these talks. But as you and I were discussing two Saturdays ago, this is simply, I guess, how it starts before they potentially get to the same table.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes. If -- it feels like Groundhog Day. Looks like it. There's a sense of that to it. Absolutely. In fact, it's sort of as you stand here, remembering back to when this began, seems like a long time ago.

But I think what has changed in the past 24 hours is that, you know, behind the scenes, diplomacy may have been playing out. But really, it looked like it was stagnating. And that turned around and changed when Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, landed around midnight and had talks here until about 4:00 in the morning.

He met with the field marshal, the most powerful man in the country, the interior minister. And the foreign minister, as you -- as you were saying, laying out Iran's position. It's not clear. Did he come in with a list of demands that he wants the United States to meet, or their own -- their own series of redlines or solutions to some of the things that are bedeviling, trying to get towards a peace deal? That's not clear.

The fact that there was this high-level diplomacy, as soon as he got off the plane at midnight until 4:00 in the morning, gives you an understanding of the sense of urgency and the possibility of trying to allow the Pakistani mediators to try to give an outcome of that meeting over to the United States. There, President Trump, to his team, before they all went to bed Friday night. Where we are now, fast forward to this moment, the Iranian foreign minister meeting with Pakistan's prime minister.

[07:05:09]

Now, what happens next is the key bit, right? So, before he got here, Iran's foreign minister said that he was going to go on for meetings in Muscat, in Oman, the capital there, and then he was going to go on to Moscow. There's nothing to indicate that that plan has changed. The message we are getting here is Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner not arriving today. Precisely when they arrive isn't clear.

Is the Iranian foreign minister going to leave and come back? Is that how we get to the next phase of face to face talks? Not clear.

BLACKWELL: Nic Robertson, waiting there to see what will happen over the next few days in Islamabad, thanks so much. CNN's Senior Reporter Steve Contorno is up next for us in West Palm Beach, where the president is nearby right now. What is President Trump's role in these possible negotiations?

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, that's a fair question, Victor, because he has mostly been overseeing these negotiations from the White House and from Mar-a-Lago. And the White House has insisted all along that he has been incredibly involved from the beginning, or in those early discussions that involved Kushner and Witkoff, as well as Vice President JD Vance, through what's been happening in the last 48 hours.

But he has also, at times, injected some of the uncertainty into these negotiations that we have seen playing out in recent weeks. And that has certainly been one of his roles. And whether that's an intended role, you know, is debatable.

Certainly, there is always going to be some disconnect between what two sides are saying in a negotiation. But we also have heard, and we've reported, that there are people in the White House who have said that the president has at times created challenges to coming to an agreement because he has been negotiating through the media and also posting a lot on Truth Social about what's -- about these negotiations. And making, at times, blanket statements about agreements being nearly reached.

Last week, he talked about at an event that the Iranians had agreed to almost everything. And obviously, they disagreed with his assessment to that. And now, they're disagreeing about whether or not Jared Kushner and Witkoff are coming to Pakistan because the Iranians were ready to make an offer.

But -- so, those -- that kind of disconnect has been sort of a constant throughout. But the White House says that President Trump is prepared to find an agreement. Take a listen to what Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEAVITT: We've certainly seen some progress from the Iranian side in the last couple of days. Again, the president has made the decision to send Steve and Jarrett to hear the Iranians out. The Iranians want to talk. They want to talk in person. And so, the president is, as I've said many, many times to all of you, always willing to give diplomacy a chance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CONTORNO: Not one person -- not with Witkoff and Kushner this time is Vice President JD Vance, though Leavitt went on to say that he is on standby and waiting to join them if it's necessary. Victor.

BLACKWELL: Steve Contorno nearby the president there, thank you so much.

Right now, severe weather is again targeting the central U.S. Look at this video out of Oklahoma, shows just how destructive these storms have been. Officials say a tornado damaged some homes yesterday in Kiowa, about two hours from Oklahoma City. No one was hurt. That's the good news.

CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam is tracking what's next. We're talking about the same area?

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, absolutely. Oklahoma. Southeastern Oklahoma. But really, the southern plains into Ark-La- Tex. These are the areas were targeting today for the potential of severe storms.

And what's the reason behind this? This collision of air masses, the push and pull between winter and spring, cold and warm air coming together. So, this is going to continue our multi-day severe weather setup that started late last week and continues into this weekend and early parts of next week as well.

So, here's our concerns. Oklahoma City southward to Dallas and Fort Worth, right? Large hail, damaging winds, strong tornadoes. But I'm highlighting that level four or five.

You see that shading of red across southeast Oklahoma? That's where we have our greatest chance of tornadoes, some of which could be, according to Storm Prediction Center, strong. So, EF Two or greater.

We're talking winds in excess of 136 miles per hour. These areas here you see in the hatched region, you need to keep an eye to the sky, have multiple ways to receive weather warnings, and have your evacuation in place just in case you need to get to safety. Here's a look at the radar.

Right now, there are some stronger storms. No severe weather warned storms moving through southeastern Louisiana into southern Mississippi. heads up into New Orleans this morning. Quite a rainy morning for you.

But look at as we head into the afternoon hours. That's when we get these discrete individual supercell thunderstorms that could potentially drop a tornado. So, this is the area across southeastern Oklahoma we're most concerned about.

[07:10:09]

But it doesn't stop here. Tomorrow, we have a shifting weather pattern. So, a little further to the north, the Central Plains really from Kansas into Missouri.

But then I want to point your attention to what's happening on Sunday. This region here, inclusive of Chicago, has the potential for a major severe weather outbreak. So, it continues into next week.

BLACKWELL: We know you'll be watching it. Derek, thank you very much. VAN DAM: You got it.

BLACKWELL: Still to come. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is no longer under criminal investigation. How ending the probe could impact the world's most important Central Bank?

And the Department of Justice wants to bring back the firing squad. They hope the change will speed up executions.

Also, the government could soon pump a half billion dollars into Spirit Airlines. But that struggling airline is just one of a lot of problems facing the travel industry. We'll talk about how it could all impact you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:15:40]

BLACKWELL: Police have arrested the roommate of a University of South Florida doctoral student who was found dead on Friday. Another doctoral student is missing. 26-year-old former University of South Florida student is now facing two counts of murder in the first-degree with a weapon. The two Bangladeshi doctoral students, Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, were reported missing last week. Now, Limon's body was found on Friday under the Howard Franklin bridge. Detectives are searching in several locations for Bristy, who's still missing.

Louisiana authorities have charged a 17-year-old with murder and are still searching for another suspect in a shooting. This was at a mall in Baton Rouge that killed a teenage girl. The 17-year-old is accused of shooting in a crowded food court. He was arrested Friday after turning himself in. Police believe the shooting stemmed from an argument and that it may have been gang-related. Five people were hurt, and a 17-year-old high school student from Lafayette was killed in that crossfire.

One of former Congressman Eric Swalwell's accusers tells CNN that she is now cooperating as a witness in the Manhattan District Attorney's investigation. The woman is a former staffer for Swalwell who came forward with her claims that the congressman raped her in a New York hotel in 2024. She talked about it on CNN just a couple of weeks ago. She is anonymous out of fear of retaliation.

Swalwell has called the allegations false. He vowed to defend himself. He dropped out of the California governor's race and resigned from his seat in Congress after her claims were made public.

Pope Leo is weighing in in just hours after Department of Justice announced that it would bring back the option of a firing squad for federal death row inmates.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE LEO XIV, HEAD OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: In this regard, we affirm that the dignity of the person is not lost, even after various serious crimes are committed. Furthermore, effective systems of detention can be and have been developed that protect citizens while at the same time do not completely deprive those who are guilty of the possibility of redemption.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: The department says it is trying to streamline the process for death penalty cases. There are three inmates on death row. Robert Bowers, who carried out a mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in 2023, Dylann Roof, who shot and killed nine people at a South Carolina church in 2017, and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the Boston Marathon bomber.

The DOJ also announced it would adopt lethal injection protocol from President Trump's first term. Many of the death penalties measures these -- the term -- excuse me, that term were reversed during the Biden administration.

So, this extraordinary legal standoff between the Trump administration and Fed Chair Jerome Powell has ended. The U.S. Attorney, Jeanine Pirro -- she announced Friday that she's closing the investigation into Jerome Powell that scrutinized the cost of -- cost overruns at the Central Bank's ongoing renovation project. Now, this clears more than just Powell's name. It also clears a path for Kevin Warsh as President Trump's pick to replace Powell to be confirmed. CNN's Evan Perez has more.

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Victor. The Justice Department's investigation of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is over, yielding to the political and legal reality that it wasn't really going anywhere. Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, says that she's ending the investigation that began earlier this year, and instead will rely on an inspector general's investigation that's been ongoing since last year.

President Trump has said that this is really about hundreds of millions of dollars in cost overruns on a multibillion-dollar renovation of the Federal Reserve headquarters, and whether Powell misled Congress about that renovation. Powell and some Congressional Republicans say it's more about pressure by the president to force Powell to lower interest rates. Senator Thom Tillis has blocked the nomination of Kevin Warsh, Powell's successor, as a result of all of this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): I'm going to talk about what's preventing me from being in a position to vote for you. There were a variety of reasons why this building went over budget. And as a matter of fact, if we put everybody in prison in federal government that had had a budget go over, we'd have to reserve an area roughly the size of Texas for a penal colony, because of the way government projects work. Let's get rid of this investigation so I can support your confirmation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[07:20:22] PEREZ: What's clear is that this has not been a normal investigation. The FBI hasn't been involved, which isn't how criminal investigations usually work. Instead, political appointees in Pirro's office have been conducting the investigation, and they showed up recently at the Federal Reserve headquarters, and they were denied entry.

A federal judge threw out subpoenas issued by Pirro's office, citing prosecutors' own statements that they didn't actually have evidence of a crime. And Pirro had vowed to appeal that ruling, but never actually did. So, now we anticipate that the end of this investigation means that Warsh's nomination could move ahead before Powell's term ends next month. Victor.

BLACKWELL: All right. Evan, thank you very much.

Still ahead, at least ten scientists tied to sensitive research have either died or disappeared. And now, there's a new federal investigation into all of it. U.S. officials are preparing for talks that Iran says it has not agreed to. Those stories and more after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:25:50]

BLACKWELL: U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will go to Pakistan today. They plan to engage in direct talks to end the war with Iran. But Iran says no meeting is planned with the U.S.

Iran's foreign minister is in Islamabad today talking with Pakistani officials. Yesterday, President Trump told Reuters that Iran will be making an offer to the U.S.. But he did not have details.

Joining me now to discuss is Behnam Ben Taleblu. He's a senior director of the Iran program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Good morning to you.

So, Iran says no talks directly planned with Kushner and Witkoff. What do you think is the potential for talks? And I remember having this very conversation about will they or won't they, the -- two weeks ago, when the two were headed over with the vice president.

BEHNAM BEN TALEBLU, SENIOR DIRECTOR IRAN PROGRAM, FOUNDATION FOR DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACIES: Great to be with you again, Victor. Indeed. It is a Deja vu when it comes to nuclear diplomacy and even postwar diplomacy with the Islamic Republic. The question is, what will those talks contain?

Were they downgraded from not having the parliament speaker, Mr. Ghalibaf, on the Iranian side and the vice president, Mr. Vance, on the American side, for political reasons? Because we're not looking for some kind of an actual new nuclear agreement, but we're looking for some kind of deconfliction and de-escalation agreement merely to open the Strait of Hormuz. Or is it because, again, that same level of mistrust that has always existed between the U.S. and Iran has manifested itself? You know, its unclear right now if the Iranians will meet directly with the Americans, or will they go back to their old habits of passing notes to an intermediary and having the intermediary, both, you know, moderate mediator could even translate between America and Iran. So, more questions than answers. And really, both sides are still flexing. Flexing that they have alternatives to a negotiation, which is either a resumption of a military conflict or a return or an escalation to the economic war that is still underway in the region.

BLACKWELL: And so, let's talk about the parties in Iran with which the U.S. is communicating. It's been -- I mean, this is the start of week nine of this conflict. So, it's been nine weeks since the killing of the previous supreme leader. And President Trump has had two different answers this week on if the U.S. is talking to the right person. First, I want you to listen to what he said in the Oval on Thursday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They're delaying it because they -- we don't know who to deal with. They are in -- you know, they know who the leader is in this country. We don't know who the leader is in Iran.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: OK. So, that was Thursday. Then on Friday, he told Reuters, "I don't want to say -- after he was asked who the U.S. is talking with, but we're dealing with the people that are in charge now." So, in 24 hours, the president didn't know, and now he does know. Who can enforce a deal? Is it the generals? Is it the foreign minister?

TALEBLU: You know, it's funny, in 47 years of an Islamic Republic, the institutions that matter now -- the institutions that quite literally matter today are neither the "Islamic ones," nor are they the "Republican ones." They are the military and the security ones. And that's not necessarily just a product of this most recent conflict, but that has been expedited by the most recent conflict.

So, both things the president said can be true, depending on how you look at it. These are all facts. But we're not looking at this issue through glasses or binoculars. We're looking at this issue through a kaleidoscope, where the same set of facts can change based on a different strategic context.

And this is a fast-moving context right now. Because yes, it's been quite a while. I think you said the exact number of weeks, nine plus, since the killing of Iran's former Supreme Leader Khamenei Sr. But Khamenei Jr., the new supreme leader, has yet to be seen.

[07:29:58]

And there is indeed a deep state, a national security rump state at the helm in that country, which is looking to escalate not just against its own politicians and large swaths of the population but really against the world. They have a bunker mentality right now, and they are looking to debate and push back and make sure that the world has a hard time figuring out how best to get one over them.

BLACKWELL: Yes. I'd like you to weigh-in on the itinerary of the foreign minister. He is going to Muscat, but then onto Moscow.

And the significance of meeting with the Russians before any potential talks with the Americans.

TALEBLU: The significance of meeting with them before, during or after. I mean less we forget, early in this conflict, it was reported that the Russians were providing the government of the Islamic Republic with intelligence and targeting data.

There has been more information about a potential deal for MANPADS, those shoulder-fire missiles that could be delivered to the Islamic Republic, not during the war now, but between 2027 and 2029.

There is also been reports, of course, of, you know, drone deliveries, you know, Russia returning. Updated and upgraded versions of those Shahed or Iran drones that the Islamic Republic had helped Putin build for his war years ago against Ukraine.

So, ultimately here, America's great power competitors, Russia, but also China, was also giving Iran targeting data are looking to strengthen the Islamic Republic to tie America down in the region. So, it's critical that we see the connecting of the dots, and the foreign minister's trip exemplifies the connecting of those dots.

BLACKWELL: Behnam Ben Taleblu, always appreciate the insight. Thank you.

The FBI is now leading an investigation into the deaths or mysterious disappearances in recent years of at least 10 people, all of whom were connected to some sensitive nuclear or aerospace research in the U.S. Here is CNN's Natasha Chen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Whether coincidence or conspiracy.

REP. JAMES COMER (R-KY): There is a high possibility that something sinister is taking place here.

CHEN (voice over): The deaths and disappearances of about a dozen people who are either scientists or worked with scientists with access to sensitive national security information has gone from a fringe talker to a federal investigation.

CHEN: What do you think your dad would say if he knew that there was an investigation like this?

JULIA HICKS, DAUGHTER OF MICHAEL HICKS: I just know he is rolling in his grave, knowing that his name is going around being involved in something like this.

CHEN (voice over): Julia Hicks's father, 59-year-old, Michael David Hicks, was named in a letter from the Republican-led House Oversight Committee, calling for the FBI, NASA, Department of Energy, and Department of Defense to investigate possible connections among cases, including his. Because he worked at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory on projects working to deflect near-Earth asteroids, and his obituary didn't state a cause of death.

Julia Hicks was the one who found her father when he died.

HICKS: He had underlying medical conditions for years and years and years. And when he passed away, I knew why. There was no need for an autopsy for me.

CHEN (voice over): But the House Oversight Committee chair, Republican James Comer, thinks there is more to the story.

COMER: It's very unlikely that this is a coincidence. So, Congress is very concerned about this. Our committee is making this one of our priorities now, because we view this as a national security threat.

CHEN (voice over): President Trump called the matter pretty serious stuff.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I hope it's random, but some of them were very important people. And we are going to look at it --

CHEN (voice over): The case is sparking speculation date back to 2022, when Amy Eskridge died at age 34. She had founded The Institute for Exotic Science.

AMY ESKRIDGE, FOUNDER, THE INSTITUTE FOR EXOTIC SCIENCE: You can't be calling these people to be like, can I disclose UFOs tomorrow? You have to be like in talks with these people.

CHEN (voice over): But her family told CNN in a statement, people should realize that scientists die also and not make too much of this.

Conspiracy theories also swirl around 39-year-old Matthew James Sullivan, a U.S. Air Force Intelligence Officer who died in 2024.

Republican Congressman Eric Burleson wrote about Sullivan in a letter saying Sullivan was about to testify in a whistleblower case about UFOs.

Circumstances around some of the scientists being lumped into this mysterious group are actually well documented.

ANDREW MCCABE, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Specifically, the MIT professor who was killed, as we know, by the same person who shot of the classroom at Brown University, there was another researcher who was a scientist, who was a researcher for a big pharma company. That also doesn't really fit the potential pattern that --

CHEN (voice over): But former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe says it's worth exploring the cases with no known connection and cannot be explained at the moment, like the disappearance of Melissa Casias and Anthony Chavez, who worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

[07:35:01]

Chavez's best friend told CNN, it's about time for a federal investigation.

As for some speculation that these deaths or disappearances could be linked to work with UFOs --

MCCABE: That's really not very helpful to investigators. They want to kind of not prejudge anything and really just look at the raw facts.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: All right. Natasha Chen, reporting for us there. Thank you, Natasha.

Still ahead, getting away this summer could be more of a headache. How airlines are leaning on you to pay for the rising price of jet fuel?

And if you are heading out, remember, always remember, you can stream my show from anywhere in the country from the CNN app. You can also go to cnn.com/watch.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:40:23]

BLACKWELL: The Trump administration is getting closer to a bailout for one of the country's first budget airlines. Spirit has been struggling since the pandemic, but President Trump says that he is willing to bail them out for the right price.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I think we just buy it. We be getting it virtually debt free. They have some good aircraft, they have good assets, and when the price of oil goes down, we'll sell it for a profit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: All right. The source tells CNN, that bailout could total about a half billion dollars.

Wall Street Journal aviation reporter Alison Sider joins me now.

Allison, good to have you on the show.

Here is the question. Obviously, a half billion dollars helps with the money issues, maybe the short-term jet fuel increase in price. But does it fix what is wrong with Spirit? Does it fix the misalignment with the market at the moment? Does it fix some of the structural issues with the airline?

ALISON SIDER, AVIATION REPORTER, WALL STREET JOURNAL: You know, I think that's the big question that a lot of people in the industry are asking right now. The Spirit struggles go back a long way before jet fuel prices rain up in the last couple of months. You know, that's been sort of the immediate problem, that's made it difficult for them to come out of bankruptcy. But this is Spirit's second bankruptcy. They haven't made money since before the -- before the pandemic. They have really -- it has really struggled to find its footing in the last couple of years and to sort of hit on the right business model.

You know, I know Spirit believes that it has a path forward, but yes, I do think a lot of people in the industry are wondering if it can really survive.

BLACKWELL: Yes. And the president here, he sounds like he's moving in the direction of this half billion dollars, and potentially, as he says, just buy it. But if they don't get the money and Spirit is forced to liquidate, what does the elimination of that budget airline mean for the rest of the flying public, for the rest of the industry heading into the rest of the year?

SIDER: Well, I mean, for consumers, it means one less choice. You know, people like to give Spirit a hard time. It's often the butt of jokes on late night T.V., but it is an airline that, in the past, has been, you know, kind of a real check on bigger airlines that helps pull fares down.

You know, but spirit has been a lot smaller in the last couple of months and years and it, you know, it's sort of a question whether it's still really performing that role. You know, Spirit were to disappear, a lot of the other airlines that compete with it that are also struggling, you know, might be -- might benefit, but that also means they might be able to raise prices more for consumers.

BLACKWELL: And let's talk about the airline industry more broadly. And I want to play for you what the CEO Chevron told CBS News. This is part of an upcoming interview that's going to air in a couple of days or over the couple of days on some of the changes coming. Let's watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE WIRTH, CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CHEVRON CORPORATION: I think the upward pressure that they are seeing on prices and the tightness in the market is likely to lead to further route optimization, and so, flights may not be as abundant as they otherwise would have been. I think planes will probably be more full than they would have been.

We are seeing jet fuel tighten very quickly in Europe, in Asia, and we are seeing airlines announced adjustments in their flight schedules. We are seeing it flow through into fares. I think that's one of the first places it will be felt most broadly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: And that was Mike Wirth, again, Chevron CEO.

He wouldn't go into the details of severity, but what does your reporting tell you about how bad it could get in the U.S., and how soon, as we see what's happening in Asia and in Europe?

SIDER: I mean, in terms of airfare, we are already seeing it. You know, airfare is up something like 20 percent. Airline executives say they would like to see it go higher, and think it will go higher so that they can recover the fuel price increase that they are, you know, currently grappling with.

So, I mean, in terms of fares, I think flights are getting more expensive, and people should sort of expect them to stay more expensive, at least as long -- excuse me, at least as long as fuel prices stay at this level. And we are seeing airlines cut back on routes that are not -- just are not profitable at this fuel price level.

So, you know, I think we can't expect there to be fewer flights, at least sort of on the margins, especially, you know, days like Tuesdays and Wednesdays, or a route that might have multiple frequencies. You might see, you will see airlines start to pull that down.

BLACKWELL: Fewer flights, going to cost us more money.

[07:45:00]

All right, Alison Sider. We didn't exactly end on a bright note, but it is what's coming. So, I appreciate your time this morning.

Still ahead, the Lakers are looking to make it a clean sweep in their best of four series against the Rockets. We have your NBA playoff highlights coming up in "SPORTS".

And this weekend, journey across France with Eva Longoria as she discovers the rich history and influence of monks in Burgundy, and so many other places in France.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EVA LONGORIA, HOST, EVA LONGORIA SEARCHING FOR FRANCE: So, why are we doing this today if Shabbats tomorrow?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can't cook in Shabbats. It is time for family, for study to Torah, for go to the synagogue.

LONGORIA: Now, we are going to fill it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can --

LONGORIA: Put it in the oven?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put it in the oven.

LONGORIA (voice over): And finally, one of the most important elements of the Shabbat meal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We make challah bread, Jewish bread every week.

LONGORIA: Oh, wow. That's tough. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put your fingers like this, and just -- and roll. Yes. Very good. Very good. Perfect. Perfect.

LONGORIA: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like this. Yes. Yes. Yes.

LONGORIA: Oh, my God. I can't believe I can do that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the best challah bread.

LONGORIA: Yes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: (INAUDIBLE) tell that a French word popped up in prompter that I had not seen before. I didn't know how to pronounce. That's what happened before that piece.

Two new episodes of the CNN original series, "EVA LONGORIA SEARCHING FOR FRANCE" airs Sunday at nine on CNN.

And the next day on the CNN app.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:51:16]

BLACKWELL: A "BREAKING NEWS" out of Ukraine. Ukrainian officials say now at least seven people are dead after one of Russia's largest overnight attacks on Ukraine in recent months. That number is up from four earlier today.

Ukraine's Air Force says that Russia launched at least 619 drones and dozens of missiles that damaged homes, businesses, and the infrastructure.

U.S. Southern Command says a strike hit a suspected drug boat yesterday in the Eastern Pacific and killed at least two people. The strike is part of Operation Southern Spear, the Trump administration's effort to slow drug smuggling at sea.

And since the operation started last September, more than 180 people have been killed in strikes on suspected drug votes. Palestinians are voting in local elections this morning. It's the first time in two decades the vote includes part of Gaza. The elections are seen as a symbolic step meant to gage the political mood and reinforce ties between Gaza and the West Bank.

Hamas was not allowed to take part. The Palestinian Authority says the vote sends a message that democratic rule still matters, even after years of conflict.

LeBron and the Lakers are one win away from punching their ticket to the NBA next round of playoffs.

CNN's Carolyn Manno joins me now with a nail biter in Game Three. Tell us about it.

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Victor.

Well, if you went to bed early last night, which you probably did, you probably slept well, you missed a nightmare for the Rockets. The Lakers taking this commanding 3-0 lead in their first round series after a very chaotic overtime when Houston looked to be in really good shape. At the end of regulation of this game, they were up by six with 30 left to play. But then, the wheels completely fell off. Marcus Smart, getting the steel, drawing a foul, he'd make three free throws to cut the lead to three.

And then, LeBron James, who else, getting the steal, getting the ball back, pump fake, bearing the game time, triple with 13 seconds left, and Marcus Smart has really just proved to be such a valuable addition to this roster. In overtime, he drink --

29 points and 13 -- one year old. LeBron James. The Rockets will try to avoid the sweep on Sunday.

Despite being without Victor Wembanyama, who's currently sidelined in concussion protocol, this first stun in the Trailblazers last night.

Portland built a 15-point lead midway through the third quarter of this game, behind 29 points from 11, but Spurs rookie Dylan Harper took over this game. He had 27 points, 10 boards, helped to finish a 21 to five run to close the third quarter of this game.

And Stephon Castle had a career high, 33 points. San Antonio outscoring Portland, 61 to 43 in the second half of this game. That is a statement win for the team's young core, who has its superstar on the bench right now.

And after finishing a frustrating game too, the Celtics, took some momentum back in Philly last night, grinding out this 108-100 win over the 76 or to take a two one series lead.

Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown finishing with 25 points apiece. It was really their dominance down the stretch of this game that silenced the home crowd. The pair combined for 19 of Boston's 29 4th quarter points. And with just over two minutes left and the lead cut to a single point, Jayson Tatum, the hero of this game, hitting the shot of the night. He had a three to push the lead to four. He would add one more dagger from deep before it was over.

Tyrese Maxey, great again with 31 points, Paul George added 18, but Philly struggling to find offense late without their big man, Joel Embiid. So, the Celtics trying to take a three one series lead when these two meet again on Sunday.

And while the first round of the NBA playoff is heating up. Nelly Korda is fully on fire. A historic performance unfolding at the Chevron championship, with Korda turning in an incredible effort and looking for the first women's major of the year.

[07:55:08] It's becoming a one-woman show. Korda following up her opening round, 65 with another seven under 65 on Friday. She finished the day at 14 under par, setting a new 36-hole scoring record for the championship.

She has got a commanding six shot lead, Victor, heading into the weekend, she looks to be in great shape. Back to you.

BLACKWELL: All right. Carolyn Manno, thanks so much.

"FIRST OF ALL", is coming up at the top of the hour. What does the U.S. government owe Lebanese Americans whose homes are being destroyed by Israel? I'll ask a leader of the Arab American civil rights league about his own personal loss and his plans to sue the U.S. government.

Plus, I'll speak to the attorney of an expectant mother who says California's black infant health program denied her and her baby their help because she is not black.

And later, the Michael movie, have you seen it? It's out this weekend, and the Internet has thoughts. We'll dig into that.

Also, you'll meet the 2026 National Teacher of the Year. Why the subjects he teaches his high schoolers really stand out?

Those stories and conversations you won't see anywhere else coming up after a short break on "FIRST OF ALL".

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