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CNN This Morning
Four Remaining Villagers Emerge From Laos Cave On Their Own; Judge Orders Trump's Name Removed From Kennedy Center And Website; Protesters Clash With New Jersey State Police Outside ICE Facility; Iranian Official: Deal With Us Has Not Been Finalized; Judge Agrees To Reopen Trump's IRS Case For Further Scrutiny. Aired 7-8a ET
Aired May 30, 2026 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN THIS MORNING. Here's what you need to know today.
The best outcome for this story. Four villagers trapped in an underground mine in Laos are free. We'll show you how -- the moment they emerged, we'll show you how it happened. And you'll hear from the rescuers.
President Trump was dealt a double dose of some bad news on Friday. A judge temporarily blocked him from moving ahead with his so-called anti-weaponization fund. And then a second judge ordered him to respond to claims he committed fraud. We'll break down both those decisions.
Breaking overnight, protesters again clashed with police outside an ICE detention facility in New Jersey. These are happening after days of mounting tensions there.
Blue Origin's latest flight test was over before it started. The rocket exploded on the launch pad. And now, there is a warning from officials for the people who live nearby.
We're wrapping up May. It's the 30. Saturday morning. Welcome to it. Thanks for joining me. I'm Victor Blackwell. We're starting with the breaking news.
Those four remaining villagers who were trapped inside a flooded cave in Laos are now out and safe. Rescue crews started entering the cave to help those remaining villagers out. But before they reached them, the survivors managed to walk and crawl their way out on their own. Here's a look at the incredible moment as the men reached the surface.
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BLACKWELL: Can you imagine? I mean, waiting there day after day for your father, your brother to come out, and they just walk out? Five men have been trapped inside that cave for more than ten days. One was rescued yesterday. Two other people are still missing. CNN's Will Ripley spoke with the diving experts last hour about this really miraculous moment.
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WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Everything about what happened up there, I've got goosebumps.
JOSH RICHARDS, AUSTRALIAN RESCUE DIVER: The short version is they changed over the pumps this morning. So, some of the pumps that were running were moved into a better position so they could work more efficiently. We've been kind of been pushing for that for a few days.
It finally happened. Everyone moved out of the cave while it pumped to try and reduce the water. And literally, as I'm gearing up because I was going to be heading in to take food and medicine and all those sort of things, four miners popped out.
So, they had obviously -- the water level had dropped far enough, and they'd made their way out on their own. So, we didn't end up having to go in.
RIPLEY: Were you -- was there any possibility you guys were expecting this was going to happen? I mean, we were talking about how difficult and dangerous this was going to be, even with your assistance to get them out.
RICHARDS: I guess -- I guess there was like we were talking about it that if we -- if the pump starts to work and water level goes down, these guys will rush out without like any hesitation. And that actually happened.
RIPLEY: Yes.
RICHARDS: But it was the best outcome because the pumping was always the plan A. It's the safest way where nobody's going to get into a risk. So, we're happy that we didn't have to go anymore.
RILEY: And the pumps were -- you were -- you were not sure that they were going to work. Right? It's been -- you guys have been trying to pump for days. You had -- they carved this road. You got the generators up there. But the water levels were still staying too high, right?
RICHARDS: Yes, yes.
RIPLEY: And even as recently --
RICHARDS: -- as safety concerns about having pumps at the same time in a -- in a -- in a water and people running electrocution and too tight and all that. But it just happened. Like, I think it wasn't that planned.
ROBIN CUESTA, FRENCH RESCUE DIVER: You always worry too much.
RIPLEY: He worries too much.
RICHARD: It's my job.
RIPLEY: So, Rob, what do you think? I mean --
CUESTA: Yes. I think that was the best option, as we talked this morning.
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RIPLEY: Yes. And, Robin, you said yesterday it was a miracle that they got out with assistance.
CUESTA: Yes.
RIPLEY: And you just were -- I could see in your eyes you weren't sure what was going to happen today.
CUESTA: I was really worried this morning that we had to extract them by diving, because I don't think they would have made it alive. But the pumping was definitely the best solution. And it worked out. And we're lucky because now it started to rain and the cave is going to feel more so.
RIPLEY: And so, what this rain means, and what your presence down here means, is that you have decided for the moment to call off the search for the two who are -- who are still missing. Is that correct?
RICHARDS: Well, they are -- they are now planning the search for them as we speak, but it's not diving anymore. So, we are done. And that's it.
RIPLEY: Is there any update on their conditions that you can share yet?
RICHARDS: No. None. The -- now, the cave can be dried out. So, they can search the last part if they consider it safe.
RIPLEY: OK. And because you believe they would have been in a chamber that was even more dangerous to access than the one where you found them.
RICHARDS: To be honest, but I -- like, personally, what I believe is that they weren't even in that cave. But that's just hypothetical because we asked from the guys in the chamber and they never saw those two. So, we hope that they actually got away. And then they are somewhere else.
RIPLEY: Now, that would be the best possible outcome, wouldn't it, if it's -- if it's not them.
AUDITA HARSONO, INDONESIAN RESCUE DIVER: Yes. Because like we ask the miners when they go out, and then they kind of what another two.
RIPLEY: They didn't know. HARSONO: Only five, you know. Like, so it's kind of different area. So, maybe it's like different group. So -- but the one there is like only five, and then they all go out.
RIPLEY: So, what did they say to you when you saw them for the first time?
RICHARDS: Oh, on the --
RIPLEY: Inside the cave, when you saw the villagers. Were you in -- were you inside the cave or were you -- was it actually outside? You --
CUESTA: They are outside.
RIPLEY: So, you saw them walking out from the mouth of the cave? That was the first time.
HARSONO: Yes.
CUESTA: Yes.
RIPLEY: What did they say -- what did they say?
CUESTA: Well, we're just -- they just crushed out, you know.
HARSONO: They just cried.
CUESTA: They're like, the adrenaline. And they run for their life. And once they arrive to the camp, they just like --
HARSONO: Yes.
RIPLEY: And we saw them down here because they carried them down the mountain.
CUESTA: Yes.
RIPLEY: And they --
CUESTA: They just survive, yes.
RIPLEY: They look -- well, they looked in pretty rough shape.
HARSONO: Yes.
RIPLEY: I mean, they just -- I mean, you can tell that this has been a tremendously exhausting ordeal. And they've got to be -- have got to have all sorts of sickness going on after being down there for so long.
CUESTA: Yes. But I think it's a very strong also. So --
RICHARDS: Yes, very strong.
CUESTA: I mean, they kept their conscience, and they could still like talk. And they could still like have a laugh. and --
RIPLEY: They were laughing.
CUESTA: Yes, they were laughing. Yes. And say like, oh, thank you. Bye-bye. So, I think that's a strong guy.
RICHARDS: The fact that they actually crawled --
CUESTA :Yes.
RICHARDS: -- everybody crawled out by themselves. That talks a lot about it. It's not -- it's quite physical.
CUESTA: Yes.
RIPLEY: They showed people how it's done here in central Lao, didn't they?
HARSONO: Yes. But -- I mean, like the one -- the one that take it out from the -- on the dive, I think they crawl like 30 minutes out.
RICHARDS: 31.
HARSONO: 31 minutes.
RICHARDS: It took 55 from us.
HARSONO: Yes, we do 55. And then he already like nine days inside. He can crawl 31 minutes out. Very fast.
RIPLEY: So, they clearly had a will to live. And they may be --
HARSONO: Yes.
RIPLEY: They didn't know that there was a storm brewing up here, but something must have told them they've got to go for it.
HARSONO: I think -- I think when they see the water level down, they kind of like --
CUESTA: Let's go.
RICHARDS: Now or never.
HARSONO: OK, now or never. Let's go.
RIPLEY: But you know, they would not have been able to do this, guys, had you not found them, had you not brought them the headlamps, and the other supplies that they needed. I mean --
RICHARDS: Sometimes they have.
RIPLEY: They have.
HARSONO: They had already.
RIPLEY: They had them. OK.
HARSONO: Yes.
RIPLEY: So, did -- but they -- did they were -- they wearing anything else?
RICHARDS: A lot of lights and a lot of supplies and all that.
CUESTA: Yes.
RICHARDS: Who knows? They are strong. And like I said, in the way they mine here, they stack supplies and they plan -- they were planning to go there for a few days. So, they might have some extra food as well.
HARSONO: So, not in and out. Not in and out. So, they go -- they go, and then they stay a couple of days inside with food. The supplies, headlamp, and everything. They pack some gold, then they go out.
RIPLEY: And now, you mention -- because they went in the cave mining for gold, I think you mentioned some of them were still -- they were still actually looking for gold during their downtime in the cave. Right? Because they didn't have anything else to do.
CUESTA: They got to do what they got to do.
RIPLEY: So, they found some gold, and they have it in their pockets to carry out.
CUESTA: Yes. I haven't asked, but I think they -- at least, they went there for something.
RIPLEY: And maybe they -- maybe they brought it out. They get they -- get a souvenir from this ordeal.
CUESTA: Yes, I think.
HARSONO: But I think it's -- what this today happened is because of the Thai and Lao rescue team.
CUESTA: Yes.
RICHARDS: Yes.
HARSONO: They found another exit for the water. So, they pump to that things. So, then the water go down very fast as well.
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BLACKWELL: Will Ripley, fantastic reporting. I mean, I've been watching this video all morning of the hugging and crying and really just the relief. And I'm sure for some people, disbelief that these men climbed out on their own and came out, as you heard, laughing. A fantastic end to this really scary story. Work's not done. Searching for two people missing. But wow. Wow.
All right, politics now. And this rough week for President Trump in the courts on several fronts. First, a federal judge ordered the president to respond to the allegations that he committed fraud against the court in the settlement of his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS.
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District Judge Kathleen Williams is questioning whether the deal improperly benefits the president and his allies. And she then reopened the case after 35 federal judges called on her to examine whether this out-of-court settlement is a product of collusion and fraud.
And a federal judge in Virginia has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from moving forward with its $1.8 billion anti- weaponization fund. That judge's order forbids the administration from the transferring of money to the fund, the consideration of any claims submitted to the fund, and the disbursing of any funds. A hearing is scheduled for June 12.
Plans to close and renovate the Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts also on hold after another setback in court for the president. A judge has given the president two weeks to remove his name from the building. CNN's Senior White House Reporter Betsy Klein has the latest on this one.
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BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER AND WRITER, WHITE HOUSE: A major blow to President Donald Trump's plans to transform the John F. Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts as a federal judge ruled against both a name change and a planned closure. President Trump was elected chairman of the board of trustees at the Kennedy Center early in his second term. And since then, he has overseen sweeping, programmatic, and leadership changes at this arts institution.
That has led to slumping ticket sales as well as major artists pulling out of planned appearances, which some saw as driving this desire to temporarily close. On the president's watch, his hand-picked board of trustees voted to rename it The Trump Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts. And then earlier this year, they also approved plans to close for two years for a renovation.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper says that any Trump signage and Trump references on the website must be removed within two weeks. He says that this is because the center's status as a living memorial to John F. Kennedy cannot be changed without approval from Congress. And then, separately, Cooper says that they must halt this planned closure until there is a more fulsome review.
Now, the Kennedy Center says that they plan to appeal. But President Trump, indicating he might not want to be involved anymore. He says in this post to social media, "I cannot be involved with a situation where danger to the public is allowed to flourish in plain and open sight. Unless I am free to do what I do better than anyone else, bring this institution back physically, financially, and artistically. I have no interest in continuing what could only be a hopeless journey into Never Never Land."
Now, the president goes on to say that he plans to transfer control of the Kennedy Center's operations and maintenance to Congress. But it's really unclear if he's able to do that. Since its founding, the Kennedy Center has had oversight from the executive branch on its board of trustees, while Congress has been responsible for appropriations funding for its operations and maintenance.
Now, I've also spoken to numerous sources who had expressed grave concerns about the consequences of a closure. They had warned that performers would find alternative venues and not return. They said that staff with expertise would leave and not come back, and that both audiences and donors could dry up. We'll be watching all of this very closely over the next few weeks. Betsy Klein, CNN in Washington.
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BLACKWELL: All right, Betsy, thank you.
State officials in New Jersey -- they're stepping in now after a week of clashes between ICE agents and protesters. Ahead, the plan to ease tensions outside the controversial Delaney Hall Detention Facility. Plus, there's an urgent warning now for people who live near the site of that violent rocket explosion.
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BLACKWELL: The NTSB is expected to hold a press conference today as investigators dig into a deadly bus crash on I-95 in Virginia. Five people were killed, including two children. More than three dozen others were hurt, including the bus driver.
Now, investigators say the crash happened when a bus slammed into several cars yesterday. The five people who were killed were not on that bus. The bus was traveling from New York to North Carolina, when state police say the driver failed to slow down for traffic in a work zone.
A former Des Moines, Iowa, school superintendent is headed to prison and likely out of the country. Ian Roberts was sentenced to two years after he admitted that he falsely claimed to be a U.S. Citizen and illegally had firearms. Prosecutors say he spent years working without legal authorization, even used a fake Social Security card to get the job. His attorneys now expect he'll be deported to Guyana after serving that sentence.
U.S. troops could score free tickets to a UFC fight in the White House, but only if they meet strict weight requirements. New guidance says that service members must pass body composition and physical tests to qualify, including a specific waist-to-height ratio. Officials say the rules align with new military fitness standards on focused -- that are focused on readiness. One defense official says the message to troops hoping to "Attend no fatties." New video captured the scene outside of a New Jersey ICE facility. State troopers moved in, and protesters hurled objects at passing vehicles. Look at this.
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BLACKWELL: Officials say the clashes broke out as police tried to clear a path for staff leaving the site. A protest tied to concerns about conditions inside the facility have been going on for several days now. CNN's Jenn Sullivan has more for you.
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JENN SULLIVAN, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Immigration and customs enforcement agents forming a protective wall outside of Delaney Hall, an immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey. This following days of violent protests.
GOV. MIKIE SHERRILL (D-NJ): We all need to do everything we can to cool things down now.
SULLIVAN (voice-over): New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill says shell work with state law enforcement to set up a special zone outside the facility, where people can continue to peacefully protest.
LT. COL. DAVID SIEROTOWICZ, STATE POLICE: Our focus is to allow for peaceful assembly.
SULLIVAN (voice-over): For about a week, protesters have gathered outside amid allegations that those inside are being severely mistreated. One woman who says her husband is being held at Delaney Hall says he frantically called her asking for help.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He says they're spraying a pepper spray at us, and we can't breathe.
SULLIVAN: The Department of Homeland Security says detainees are well- treated. And that they are provided three meals a day, medical care, and receive full due process. Protesters, though, strongly disagree.
Last Friday, hundreds of detainees reportedly began hunger strike to protest what they call dirty conditions, a lack of sufficient food, and overcrowding, according to their lawyers. DHS has repeatedly denied those claims. Yet Governor Sherrill says she, too, has heard reports of inhumane conditions but has been denied full access inside the detention center.
SHERRILL: For days, ICE has refused most of our requests, raising serious questions about what it's trying to hide from public view.
SULLIVAN (voice-over): Many Democratic lawmakers are calling for the Newark detention center to close down. I'm Jenn Sullivan, reporting. (END VIDEOTAPE)
BLACKWELL: At the top of the next hour, I'll speak to the wife of one of the men being held at that detention center who was on a hunger strike. She's been leading protests outside the facility for days. It was her husband, Martin Soto's case, that kicked off those demonstrations. We'll hear from her and their attorneys. That's coming up at the top of the hour, on first of all.
A deal is reportedly on the table to move to the next phase with Iran to open the Strait, to negotiate over the nuclear program. But President Trump walked out of a situation room meeting without announcing a decision. We have details on what's being negotiated. Allison?
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And we're keeping an eye on yet again, more rain across the southeast. We have numerous flash flood warnings ongoing. We'll take a look at where this rain is expected to go over the next couple of days.
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BLACKWELL: This morning, we are waiting on a response to Iran from President Trump after a two-hour situation room meeting. In a statement, a White House official said that any deal must meet Trump's red line, including Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. The president had previously laid out conditions for a possible framework for a deal. In the meantime, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says American forces are ready if they're ordered to resume fighting.
With me now to discuss. Aaron David Miller. He's a former State Department Middle East negotiator. Aaron, good morning to you. I want to start with what we heard from Secretary Hegseth just minutes ago. Here's what he said about the future of a deal and where talks stand now.
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PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: So, Iran knows very, very clearly what our expectations are. And that's on the negotiating team to deliver. They're coming in our direction.
The talks have been productive. I think they know where it needs to go. And I'm quite confident with this -- with our president who makes nothing but great deals that ultimately it will be something he's proud to defend that ensures that Iran, which everyone knows should not have a nuclear weapon, never does.
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BLACKWELL: And so, what do you hear there? And what also do you glean from this meeting ending with no indication of whether the president is going to accept what's on the table? AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER MIDDLE EAST NEGOTIATOR, STATE DEPARTMENT: Yes. Thanks, Victor. And thanks for having me. Look, Iran negotiations usually have two speeds, slow and slower. And I know everyone is waiting for an announcement, but we may well have more time in order to actually produce one.
And part of it is because of the fundamental lack of trust between the current regime and the administration. The Iranian conception of the U.S., clearly, the president walked out of the joint comprehensive plan of action in 2018. On at least two occasions in June of last year and in February, the administration claimed it wanted to negotiate but had already made a decision to use military force. So, you have that problem.
Then, you have the text. And no one has seen it, Victor. And -- which is extraordinary operational security, given the fact that you would think it might have leaked. The text is important. It's not a conclusive, it's -- deal. It's the key, actually, to beginning negotiations.
I'm reminded of what Sam Goldwyn, the great Hollywood mogul, said that an oral agreement isn't worth the paper it's written on. So, it may well be that there are formulations still in play. But I think the core issue is the president wants satisfaction in Iranian concessions on two core issues. Opening the Straits without conditions. And number two, turning over -- either diluting or handing to a third party or to the United States -- the highly enriched uranium.
And those are the two cards, Victor, that Iran does not want to play right now. So -- I mean, I wouldn't expect we're on the cusp of a breakthrough. I still believe there's going to be an agreement on this one-pager. But we're really in for tough and turbulent times ahead.
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BLACKWELL: So, let's talk about those two elements. The nuclear material and the strait. And first, the material, because the Trump administration's strategy has shifted over these 13 weeks of this four-to-six-week war.
First, it was shock and awe immediately. Kill the Ayatollah on day one, overwhelm them militarily, expect that they will capitulate quickly. When that didn't work, it shifted to time. Continue the blockade, and at some point, they will not be able to endure, and they will capitulate. It has not happened.
Do you see that even the 30 to 60 days of talks that this agreement would offer would make any more likely this regime would end its nuclear development program, hand over the material it has?
MILLER: Yes, it's a great point. Look, I think what the period from February 28th to April 7, when this "cease fire" occurred -- demonstrated is neither Iran nor the administration wants to go back to that, but we should make no mistake.
For Donald Trump, for the American public, as important as the nuclear issue might be, it does not represent an existential issue.
For the guys running this regime, this brutal authoritarian repressive regime, the guys who control the money, the information, the oil, and the nuclear program, for them, it's existential. These are not marginal requirements that they will easily give up on, because literally, these are the issues: control of the straits, the highly enriched uranium, relations with the proxies, the ballistic missiles, all of this stuff is critically important to survive -- to the survival of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
So, no. I don't think more pain, frankly, is going to fundamentally move the Iranian regime off of that. I think, there is a difference, Victor, between concessions and capitulation, and it is in that, in that zone that I think it's still possible to reach an agreement that will get us to -- I would argue, months of negotiation on these two core issues.
What is the ultimate disposition of the straits? And number two, what happens to the highly enriched uranium, and Iran's determination to continue to enrich?
BLACKWELL: Yes. And on the strait, I mean, this, this deal, as we understand it, would open the straight, but -- and this was something that was considered that Iran would use if this war was launched, and ultimately was back in February.
But now having executed closing the strait, knowing the impact of that influence, how does that change the relationship with the rest of the world that Iran knows they have that lever to push whenever they would like to?
MILLER: Man, I think you broke the code on this one, Victor. I think that's exactly the point. There were two potentially transformative issues since February 28th. One was the killing of Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader, who essentially, more than any other person, was responsible for the policies of this regime since 1989, when he assumed power.
Iran is going to change as a consequence of Ali Khamenei's death, and the second is the fact that the Iranians have weaponized geography.
Someone should have made clear to the secretary of defense and the president, or shown them a map that, in effect, Iran had a card to play, and weaponizing geography was that card, and I think they don't want to give that up, and even if they agree, and even if the straits do open unconditionally, Victor, they know any -- at any point going forward now, largely because of the insurance companies, a couple drones can shut it down.
BLACKWELL: Aaron David Miller, we are waiting for a response from the White House to what happens next in this new phase, potentially a deal to move to the next phase of this conflict with Iran.
Thank you so much. Always good to have you.
Emergency officials in Florida have warned the public to watch out for debris after that Blue Origin rocket explosion. The rocket exploded on launch pad. Look at this.
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BLACKWELL: It's Cape Canaveral in Florida during what's known as the hot fire test. The company says that no one was hurt, called the incident an anomaly. But by all appearances the fireball is a huge setback for the Jeff Bezos founded company and its lunar mission.
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The company says its debris could wash ashore in the coming days or even weeks.
The Coast Guard issued an advisory urging boaters to avoid the area altogether. The U.S. Space Force says an investigation is now happening.
Much needed rain is bringing some drought relief for folks in the Southeast this weekend.
CNN's Allison Chinchar is tracking what's in the forecast.
Now, we try to stay away from cliches and news, but when it rains, it pours. Is appropriate for this one.
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It feel like this is what the phrase was made for.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
CHINCHAR: It was probably a situation just like this, because yes, it, the rain helps the drought. Unfortunately, when you get so much rain in a short period of time, a lot of that just runs right off, and that's also how you end up getting flooding on the roadways and things like that.
Now, here is a look at the forecast for today. Yet again, a lot of the same areas once again getting rain and thunderstorms, and for some of these, we are talking more than a week straight.
Look at this, New Orleans has had 11 consecutive days with rain and more rain in the forecast today.
Chattanooga, Birmingham, looking at 10 straight days of rain, that was up until today. Today would be the 11th day for them to get rain straight.
And again, it's not just that they have had a little bit of rain here and there, you are talking record rainfall, like Mobile, Alabama, picking up 17.27 inches of rain so far in the month of May, that is more than they have had from January all the way through April combined.
Same thing for Gulfport and Panama City, picking up more rain so far this month than the first four months of the year.
We are going to add more rain to it. You've got rain across the southeast right now, and even some strong thunderstorms across areas of the Midwest and the central plains. You can see from Omaha stretching down to Kansas City, got quite a bit of lightning with some of those storms.
But the more widespread impact is certainly going to be the southeast, maybe not necessarily right this moment, but certainly as we get into the afternoon, when more of those showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop, but you also have several of those flash flood warnings ongoing, even as of this morning.
BLACKWELL: All right. We'll watch it. Allison, thank you.
Still ahead, a federal judge has ordered the president to answer the claims that his administration committed fraud when setting up this so-called anti-weaponization fund.
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BLACKWELL: The president is facing two legal setbacks related to his newly created billion-dollar -- $1.8 billion to be more specific, fund for allies.
First, the judge blocked the White House from creating that anti- weaponization fund. That's the $1.8 billion set aside to pay people who they say were wrongly targeted by the government in the past.
Now, remember, the fund only exists because of a settlement with the IRS, where Trump sued the agency over leaked tax returns, and now, the judge overseeing that case has ordered the president to respond to allegations the two sides colluded to create it.
Here to discuss, former U.S. Attorney Michael Moore.
Good to have you back on the show. Let's start here with the allegation. There are 35 former federal judges who argued that the $10 billion lawsuit, first, just violated what they call the requirement that parties are truly adverse.
Explain here what they are claiming that led to the potential collusion and fraud.
MICHAEL MOORE, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes. Well, I'm glad to be with you, and back on today. You are finally seeing some of the courts, and especially former federal judges, now coming out saying that this case really was a mockery of the system, and essentially, it's unheard of for a president to essentially be the litigant and sue himself, or sue an agency that he is over. And then, direct that, that agency pay him.
So, basically, he sues himself and settles with himself, so that he can pay himself. He is doing that in a way that the court in Florida is saying, look, I feel like there's been other discussions here. This was not a real settlement in controversy, or a case in controversy. This, the settlement may be a fraud upon the court. The judge was already interested in getting to the sort of the merits of, could this even be an actual case, and was it permissible for the president to do this.
And so, the party settled very quickly before the judge could really put her hands on it. And now, these former judges have come in saying, you know, you've got to do something, and she has the authority under the federal rules to come in now and make an inquiry about whether or not there was some fraud perpetrated on the court by way of this of the settlement, and she'll determine whether or not there was actually collusion or some agreement, an under the table deal, if you will, to funnel this money into this slush fund.
BLACKWELL: Yes, Michael, you point out that there was a quick settlement here. Is there any explanation or justification from your perspective of why the federal government would not even respond to the claim from the president in this $10 billion IRS lawsuit.
MOORE: Yes, my guess is that no, no real lawyer is going to put their names on that pleading, frankly, because they could likely be sanctioned by the court. But you know, you'd have to be living in another world to not recognize that Trump is controlling the DOJ. And DOJ is doing Trump's bidding, and so, essentially when he sues himself, and then it's up to DOJ, the formerly neutral body, to make a decision about the case, not surprising to see that they then jump in on this settlement.
[07:45:10]
Not only to fund this ridiculous, this outlandish, slush fund of almost $2 billion, but also to essentially give him and his family and business, everything else immunity from past tax issues. So, it clearly looks like, and I think, the judge is seeing that now, that she is saying, look, you all were not candid with me about -- may not have been candid, you know, about what's going on. I'm going to dig into it, and find out, was this something that you were doing just to try to get the court to quickly divert, you know, attention elsewhere, so that you could do this -- do this strange deal.
BLACKWELL: And so, then, what? I mean, I acknowledge that this may be far down the road here. But if the court determines that the executive colluded with the executive branch to defraud the judicial branch. What then is the consequence, considering the Supreme Court ruling that gives protections to the president?
MOORE: Well, the Supreme Court ruling was really limited in some ways as it related to official capacity. And so, now, this is a case where Donald Trump and his sons and other are involved in this lawsuit, these businesses. And so, the question is, you know, can the judge impose sanctions, which she can, if she finds, in fact, that there was a violation of the federal rules, and that's rule 11 of the federal rules, and it allows the judge who thinks that, you know, there is been some fraud perpetrated on the court to actually impose penalties or otherwise. So, she can do that, and I expect that it will be a pretty serious inquiry, and the last thing that most Republicans want right now is to have to explain justifications for the -- for the creation of this fund and this this this deal, which, frankly looks like a boondoggle, and something that shouldn't withstand any scrutiny.
BLACKWELL: Michael Moore, good to have you on a Saturday. Thank you, sir.
Still ahead, Novak Djokovic's quest for a record 25th Grand Slam title is over at the French Open. We've got the highlights from Roland- Garros after the break.
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[07:51:37]
BLACKWELL: Top stories now.
The four remaining villagers who were trapped inside a flooded cave in Laos are out and safe. Five men had been trapped inside that cave for more than 10 days. One was rescued yesterday; two others are still missing.
The White House has released President Trump's latest physical exam results. The memo from the president's physician says that he is in "excellent health", but it adds recommendations for weight loss and more exercise.
Report also addresses the much-discussed bruising on the president's hands. They attribute those to frequent hand shaking and aspirin use.
The Hurricanes punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup final for the win over the Canadians. Andy Scholes is here with more.
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes. You know, Victor, a team from Canada has not won the Stanley Cup since the Canadians did it back in 1993. But that drought it lives on, because Montreal was Canada's last hope at winning it this year.
Carolina fans, though, they were super pumped last night, they were trying to get back to the final for the first time since 2006, which is the only time they have ever won, and it was really a party all night.
The Hurricanes scoring three times in the first period. They would go on to win this one six to one to take the series in five. And the Hurricanes have been just dominant in this postseason. They are now 12 and one.
Carolina now faces Las Vegas in the final game, once going to be Tuesday in Raleigh.
All right, Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, is out at the French Open after an epic match against Brazilian youngster Joao Fonseca. The match lasted nearly five hours. And Fonseca, he is less than half of Djokovic's age. He is only 19, Djokovic is 39.
Djokovic won the first two sets, but then, Fonseca battled back, forced a fifth set, and in that fifth set, Fonseca with just some masterful shots. He then closed out Djokovic with his incredibly powerful serve.
Fonseca is the first teenager ever to beat Djokovic at a grand slam. The joker had been 289 and one when winning the first two sets at a grand slam.
But after the match, you know, when asked if this was his last French Open, Djokovic said, I don't know. Now, Djokovic -- no Djokovic, center or Alcaraz, I mean, this is has made this is the widest Open a men's side has been in a grand slam in a long time.
All right. And tonight, we are in for a treat game, seven between the Spurs and Thunder in Oklahoma City. Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio won game six in convincing fashion to force a winner take all game tonight.
Can the reigning champs keep their repeat dreams alive? Will Shai Gilgeous-Alexander knows all about the pressures of a Game Seven.
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SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER: Anything happen in a game seven, like this winner go home, it being in your building is nice, but like it doesn't really mean anything, like, you have to go out there and be the better basketball team, or else your season is done, and that's what it comes down to.
Now, it's going to be nice having our fans behind us and cheering us, but we got to go out there and be better, and if we're not better, our season will be over.
VICTOR WEMBANYAMA, SAN ANTONIO SPURS CENTER: It raises kind of all the little mistakes that we do that are human nature, whether it's in the regular season or previous games, we just got to fight that all the time, and when your back's against the wall, feels like it's the best opportunity to do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Yes, it's about tonight at 8:00 Eastern in OKC. Victor, hoping for a good one. And man, what if Wemby makes NBA finals this year against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden? I mean, that would be a great team.
BLACKWELL: First of all, I love a Game Seven.
SCHOLES: Yes.
BLACKWELL: Let's focus on this one, and then, we'll get there. Andy Scholes, thanks so much.
SCHOLES: All right. [07:55:00]
BLACKWELL: Hey, "FIRST OF ALL" is coming up at the top of the hour. New protests overnight outside the ICE facility in New Jersey, where attorneys and families say loved ones have been on a hunger strike. We'll hear from the wife of one detainee who was part of that strike. She now says he is facing retaliation.
Plus, the fight over black representation in Congress gets messier. I'll be joined by the vice chair of the Florida Democratic Party, who is speaking out against Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz and her decision to run in a district that he says should be held by a congressperson of color.
And musical acts we have not heard from in a minute are back in the national conversation, as this concert series for America's 250th is falling apart. What artists like Young MC and The Commodores and Milli Vanilli are saying?
Those stories and conversations you won't see anywhere else. They are coming up after a short break on "FIRST OF ALL".
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