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Trump Envoys Head To Switzerland For Potential Iran Talks; 5 Killed As Israeli Strikes Hit Southern Lebanon Despite Ceasefire Agreement; Pulte Seeks Major Cuts In First Day As Intel Chief; Team USA Advances To Knockout Round With Defeat Of Australia; Trump Says Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Was Vandalized, Defends Response To Algae Bloom. Witkoff, Kushner Head to Switzerland for Iran Talks; Italian Prime Minister Meloni Slams Trump Over "Fabricated" Photo Claim; New Yorkers Push to Ban New York City Horse-Drawn Carriages After Teen's Death. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired June 20, 2026 - 06:00   ET

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

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[06:00:29]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to CNN This Morning. Here's what's new. President Trump's top envoy is headed to Switzerland as the U.S. and Iran try to now start the negotiations to iron out an agreement to end the war. What's at stake as both sides look for a way forward?

Also, algae everywhere. Paint peeling from the recently repainted Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. That's just days after a multimillion dollar renovation was completed. And now President Trump says vandals are responsible. We'll bring you the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: USA all. The way, red, white and blue. You know I'm saying.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm starting to believe, I think we're pretty dominant. I think we're dangerous.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Believe the Americans have clinched the top spot in their World Cup group after a hard fought win over Australia. What the victory says about this team's chances as the tournament heads to the knockout rounds.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And numerous flash flood warnings ongoing this morning along the Gulf Coast. We'll take a look at where those storms are headed later on today in the upcoming forecast.

BLACKWELL: Welcome to your weekend. It's Saturday, June 20th. Thank you for joining me. I'm Victor Blackwell. We're starting this morning with the conflict in Iran. A U.S. official says that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is now headed to Switzerland for the next possible round of talks with Iran. And President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner is also expected to join him. The White House says that Vice President JD Vance is on standby.

In the meantime, Lebanese state media reports that at least five people were killed in Israeli strikes. That's despite the renewed ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. At least 25 ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday after Iran and the U.S. entered into a 14-point memo of understanding, that 25 ship passage is a small fraction of what was passing through before the start of the war.

So that's the highest number though that has crossed since April on a single day. That's according to Access Marine.

Let's go straight now to CNN's international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson. So some movement in the strait. We'll see if there's some movement on these talks. What do you know?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, Steve Witkoff on his way to Switzerland. I think the question here at the moment is with who will he meet? We're not aware at this time of any of the Iranian delegation on their way to Switzerland. Indeed, they were very clear yesterday saying that they weren't going to come as long as there wasn't a ceasefire in Lebanon.

Then late yesterday we got the announcement between Hezbollah and Israel, both saying if either, if -- if each other side restrains from fighting, then the other side will. But what you have today, you have more deaths in inside of Lebanon, you have more Israeli strikes. So it does sort of cloud the issue there for the central issue for why Iran says that it won't come to Switzerland to put that to one side.

So who would be the expected a main interlocutor from the Iranian side to meet with Steve Witkoff? Well, you would expect it to be the foreign minister Abbas Araghchi is sort of the number two in the Iranian negotiating team. So then where is he today and what is he, the Iranian foreign minister, doing?

Well, he's in Tehran and is meeting with Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. He is there as a mediator. He's gone there to Tehran with the express effort and push to try to convince the Iranians that the memorandum of understanding, that point number one on it says that there should be an overall ceasefire and that ceasefire includes Lebanon, would be to try to convince them that there is enough U.S. pressure on Israel to cease and desist in the strikes and therefore for Iran to come to the table.

What kind of resistance is he facing in Iran? The Pakistani mediator trying to convince the foreign minister and others there that it's worth coming to Switzerland to get into the, talks where the pushback is coming from the hard line side, the hard line there, the IRGC, their mouthpiece, if you will, their media outlets are saying, look, if there is no ceasefire in Lebanon, which is core principle, you know, both presidents have signed this in the memorandum of understanding. It's not open for debate. That's what it is.

But they're also saying as part of that memorandum of understanding signed in is that they won't relinquish that blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which we're seeing happen in a small way.

[06:05:05]

The hardliners in Iran are saying, well, if you don't get a ceasefire in Lebanon, then we should just go back to blocking the Strait of Hormuz. Now, the diplomatic line is probably going to be somewhere in the middle. Of course, the Pakistani mediators and the Qataris have been involved in mediation as well, will be hoping that they can do enough, that there are enough signals coming from Washington that can bring the Iranian delegation here to Switzerland to meet with Steve Witkoff, who is not widely liked.

This has to be said by the Iranian delegation or JD Vance, the Vice President, if and when he comes as well. It's in flux today. I think that is where we're at.

BLACKWELL: Yes, Nic Robertson reporting there. We'll see what continues to happen there in Lebanon. Thanks for the reporting.

The U.S. intelligence community this morning a bit on edge as President Trump's new acting director officially takes over. Zach Cohen has more on why Bill Pulte's first day on the job is already raising concerns on both sides of the aisle and both chambers on Capitol Hill about his ability to lead the agency.

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ZACH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Even before President Donald Trump's controversial pick to lead the U.S. intelligence community, Bill Pulte showed up for work on his first day on the job. He'd already asked for a list of all of the employees in his new office so that he could assess whether or not he wanted to fire them.

Now, this is consistent with what we understand to be Pulte's chief mandate as acting DNI, however long he remains in the role, and that is to carry out sweeping cuts within the Office of Director of National Intelligence and potentially across the intelligence community writ large.

Now, Pulte's other mandate has been to investigate President Donald Trump's grievances around the 2020 election and potentially the upcoming election as well. We're told Pulte showed up for work one day before even President Trump said that he was supposed to start, a sign that he plans to aggressively pursue this mandate, and one that is has intelligence officials on edge even during these first few days of his tenure.

Now, we're told that Pulte's first interactions with intelligence officials have also demonstrated his lack of national security experience, which is really at the core of the criticism of Pulte's appointment by both Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill. We're told that Pulte has repeatedly asked about what level of

security clearance he has and whether it was top secret or something lower, obviously CNN reported previously that Pulte did not have a security clearance prior to being tapped for the job, which is usually considered a prerequisite for anyone chosen to lead the U.S. intelligence community, even just temporarily.

Now, Pulte also, we're told, has really fixated on the logistics and scheduling around his new job, even inquiring whether or not he had access to a government plane, really underscoring that in addition to Donald Trump's priorities, Pulte is also focused on his own personal priorities as well, rather than the challenges facing the U.S. intelligence community.

Now, this core concern again behind Pulte's intention to carry out mass firings in the intelligence community is the fact that many of these intelligence professionals are already involved in ongoing projects working to assess threats for things like the World Cup and the ongoing conflict in Iran.

We've heard from U.S. officials who have warned Pulte that he needs to be deliberate in any firings that he makes, which is, again, something Pulte has not demonstrated that he has a full understanding of as it relates to the intelligence community.

But still, President Donald Trump has consistently backed Pulte, saying that he is a smart individual and someone that he wants in that role until a permanent DNI is confirmed by the Senate. But again, Donald Trump even complicating those matters, just this week, withdrawing his own appointee for the permanent job, Jay Clayton, over a conflict with Congress on a controversial surveillance bill.

So it remains to be seen how long Pulte will stay in this job in an acting capacity. But intelligence officials within NDI across the other 17 agencies that he will oversee are voicing concerns privately about what is to come down the pike. Zachary Cohen, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Zach Cohen, thank you very much. Some scuffles, a slew of yellow cards could not stop Team USA. They just won Group D with a shutout win against Australia, two nil, and that was without their star player. One of those goals put Team USA in the history book. CNN's Andy Scholes breaks down the action and then talked with some very excited Team USA fans.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Team USA is now on to the knockout rounds of this World Cup after another incredible performance here in Seattle. This was a very physical game against Australia, but Team USA dominated possession. And for the first time since the World cup moved to having three group stage matches, the U.S. has won their first two.

[06:10:03] And the big question coming into this match was going to be how would the team fare without star Christian Pulisic? He was ruled out with that injured calf, but no Pulisic, no problem for Team USA Falerin Balogun was just awesome. Once again, he didn't score, but he did create the chance in the 11th minute that resulted in an own goal.

The U.S. the first team ever get own goals to start their first two matches at a World Cup. Then Alex Freeman, the son of former Packers wide receiver Antonio Freeman, he had an awesome header for a goal. It was originally called offsides, but then VAR said it was in fact a goal which had the whole stadium just erupt and going nuts.

Australia did have some chances in the second half of this one, but U.S. was able to put up a clean sheet and win 2 nil. And the team is now riding high as they have advanced to those knockout stages.

FALERIN BALOGUN, STRIKER, USMNT: I'm confident, you know, you know, two games in the World cup, you know, the fans are helping us to be confident as well. Not just me, but the whole team. And, yes, you know, I'm delighted and I'm looking forward to each game, you know, just playing in front of the fans.

ALEX FREEMAN, DEFENDER, USMNT: We should be very proud of how we played and to be able to get our first clean sheet, you know, in a while, especially our first one in the World Cup. I think it just means so much us. And I think we're passionate about, you know, keeping these sheets in that situation. So I think for us, we'll be happy.

SCHOLES: The atmosphere here in Seattle was just electric. The U.S. men are now a perfect 7 and 0 playing in this stadium. And it was just a party in the streets as everyone was leaving. And I spoke to a lot of those fans who are daring to dream after another impressive performance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was unbelievable. They look -- they're looking so good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man, they came out great today. They hit it. And Australia didn't know what had it coming.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm starting to believe. I think we're pretty dominant. I think we're dangerous.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they have a really good chance of winning this whole thing.

SCHOLES: The whole thing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The whole thing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Quarterfinals for sure. Then we'll see.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got to say, all the way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All the way. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All the way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: USA all the way. Red, white and blue. You know what I'm saying? No matter what. Let's go.

SCHOLES: Yes, all those fans just so excited. And coach Mauricio Pochettino, he actually credited those fans with helping the U.S. secure a victory here in Seattle. And the next chance for those fans to root on Team USA is going to be when they close out group play against Turkey Thursday in Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Thank you, Andy. Coming up later, we're going to dig more into this win and other World Cup news with USA TODAY soccer editor Seth Vertelney.

Next, the D.C. Reflecting Pool drama takes a new turn. President Trump claims it was vandalized, but there are a lot of people criticizing the project overall saying it's just a waste.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So what do you think?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's embarrassing. Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In a word.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Money well spent.

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[06:17:31]

BLACKWELL: This morning, a family in Mississippi is demanding answers after a one year old boy was shot and killed by police. They were responding to a shoplifting call. This happened Sunday outside a Walmart in Senatobia, Mississippi. Videos obtained by CNN show the moments after the shooting, including officers chasing a car seconds after shots were fired.

Investigators say officers tried to stop that vehicle and that the driver moved toward them. But the child's mother says that's not what happened. Vellesiya Wylie says her son Kohen was in the car when the shooting happened and that the driver was not heading toward police. Another video shows officers running back to their vehicles as the car they shot drove away.

The officer who fired has not been identified, is now on administrative leave. Coming up at 8:00 a.m. on First of All, we'll hear from the Wiley family attorney.

President Trump unveiled a luxury aircraft set to serve as temporary Air Force One. That jet was donated by Qatar. It's valued at almost $400 million. The plane will now go through test flights before entering service. The president says the design reflects his personal taste, from the color scheme to the interior finish. But this move is causing some questions about accepting a foreign gift and the cost of modifying it for presidential use.

A parade of tall ships arrived in Hampton, Virginia, yesterday as part of America's 250th celebration. Historic vessels and naval ships sailed through the Chesapeake Bay and into Norfolk. Organizers say the event was designed to showcase maritime history.

New this morning, President Trump says vandalism is the reason his nearly $15 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is falling short. The president made those claims without evidence in a Truth Social post after blue material at the pool's bottom started to peel off. And that comes as workers scramble to stop the spread of algae in the water. Here's CNN's Tom Foreman.

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TOME FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For a couple of protesters and a chorus of the curious, the reflecting pool, glistening green, is DC's hottest new tourist distraction.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a total waste of tax dollars.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It looks pretty gross.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, it's terrible.

FOREMAN (voice-over): The most recent issue, portions of what appear to be that brand new blue liner coming apart.

[06:20:05]

FOREMAN: This is what we're talking about, and I'll try not to disturb anything, but just show you pieces like this flapping up from the bottom where some tourists are even coming along and tearing them away as souvenirs.

FOREMAN (voice-over): It was supposed to be memorable in a different way when the White House fast tracked the renovation through a no bid contract for $14 million, the seven times the cost originally pitched, President Trump insisted it would be better than anything any previous president had tried, leaving the pool clean, pristine, and with a fresh new paint job just right for the nation's 250th birthday.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: It'll be blue water, dark blue. We call it American Flag Blue because that's the name of the color that we chose, American Flag Blue. Can't do better than that.

FOREMAN (voice-over): But the algae came on so fast and furious, just as it had for years and just as outside experts said it likely would, that official claims the water is now crystal clear seem laughably false.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All I see is green. So yes.

FOREMAN: No blue.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No blue. There's nothing, just bright green.

FOREMAN (voice-over): The company that installed the new liner says it had nothing to do with the water. But amid claims that the liner may be failing in places added, there's several things that we've got to address when we come back for maintenance and anything like that will be addressed if it's a problem.

For now, pumps are working around the clock to push oxygen into the water in hopes of preventing even more algae growth. And dozens of workers are vacuuming up the green goo dawn to dust.

FOREMAN: But algae comes in microscopic spores that can be even in water that looks clear, that means even as workers clear out this old algae bloom, another one could be coming right behind them. Victor.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Tom, thank you. Next, the Gulf coast is bracing for more rain this weekend. Remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur left that region saturated. Allison is breaking down the risks. Next.

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[06:26:39]

BLACKWELL: A U.S. official says that special envoy Steve Witkoff is headed to Switzerland for a potential new round of talks with Iran. President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner expected to join Witkoff in Switzerland. The White House says Vice President JD Vance is ready to fly for talks at, quote, the first available opportunity.

Well, meanwhile, according to Lebanese state media, at least five people were killed in Israeli strikes. The IDF says that Hezbollah fired more than 50 projectiles at the Israeli military. Israel and Hezbollah are under a renewed ceasefire.

Joining us now to discuss is Miad Maleki. Miad, thanks for being with me. When is a ceasefire not a ceasefire? I mean, they just renewed this between Israel and Hezbollah on Friday and the strikes have continued. Is this sustainable considering how central it is to getting to this next round of talks?

MIAD MALEKI, SENIOR FELLOW, FOUNDATION FOR DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACIES: Thanks for having me on. I mean, that's -- that's a good point. It's -- it doesn't sound like really a ceasefire, at least on the Lebanese border or Israeli, Lebanon front. I think it could be the case, and we've seen this historically, that the regime would actually push these proxies to create situations that Iran can benefit from and get some leverage for better concessions or more concessions from the west, from the U.S. and Israelis.

So at this point, it could be the case that Hezbollah is actually escalating on behalf of Iran. And it's also the fact that Israel at the same time is kind of feeling vulnerable, you know, with a memorandum of understanding between Iran and U.S., including Lebanon as a part of that agreement, you know, putting Israel in a susceptible position right now. If Hezbollah escalates, then Israel might feel pressure to not respond.

So I think Israel is trying to also keep that momentum and continue to put pressure on Hezbollah.

BLACKWELL: Yes. And the Prime Minister Netanyahu has said that Israel will obviously a sovereign state, defend itself as it sees fit. But this ceasefire in Lebanon is a prerequisite to getting to the next phase of talks. And that brings us to Kushner and to Witkoff, heading over to Switzerland. The question is, with whom will they meet?

The Iranian foreign minister, as our Nic Robinson report is reports, is still in Tehran. The Pakistani mediator is there. And so is there a concern that these next level of talks will not happen until there's a sustained ceasefire in Lebanon? I mean, it doesn't seem like the 60 days of talks can start until that is resolved.

MALEKI: Right. And, you know, I just saw an unconfirmed report that Iranians are saying they're actually not sending anyone to start a negotiations. And it's not just about Lebanon. I think there are other aspects of the memorandum of understanding that include some sanctions relief and Iran's access to frozen funds, its frozen funds, that Iranians want to make sure that are met by the U.S. side before they can start these talks.

And Victor, I don't think they're in a rush to start negotiating. They probably need to drag their feet.

[06:30:00]

They're going to go back to the old playbook of the Islamic Republic to drag their feet by some time. They have a lot of things to address domestically, economically.

I think they're in a good position right now, there's no war right now. They eliminated the possibility of more conflicts. They got access, and they're getting access to some frozen funds. There are no new sanctions as a part of this agreement from the U.S. side.

So, I don't -- I don't think they're in a rush --

VICTOR BLACKWELL, ANCHOR, CNN THIS MORNING WEEKEND: Yes --

MALEKI: To get to some kind of an agreement. I don't really think the U.S. side is going to be in a rush to get some kind of agreement.

BLACKWELL: So, let me ask you, you pointed out that there is this a commitment to no new sanctions, and you called that commitment the most dangerous and most audacious. Explain why?

MALEKI: Well, here's the thing. The way that sanctions work is that you enforce, and that is how you keep the pressure on as a leverage. When you don't enforce sanctions, when you commit to a new -- no new sanctions, then that's how the market operates. They get some kind of a comfort that there are no sanctions coming,

that sanctions are not being enforced, and Iran leveraged that to increase its sanctions evasion and go around sanctions and get more oil to China, get more revenue generated, get more of those funds out and to use for these imports.

That's just how sanctions work. In this case, you know, President Obama -- I'm sorry, President Biden also didn't enforce any sanctions when they were talking to the Iranian regime, but didn't put that in writing and signed it.

They didn't make that commitment. President Trump put it on a paper and signed it that no new sanctions. That has significant material, benefits to the Iranian regime at this point. Really takes that leverage of sanctions away, putting that next to the oil waiver commitments that are also being included in this Memorandum of Understanding.

BLACKWELL: Yes, Miad Maleki; a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Thanks so much. Italy's Prime Minister is fuming, and the country's top diplomat has canceled a trip to the U.S. after they say President Trump made up claims about a photo with his Italian counterpart. CNN's Jennifer Hansler explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER & WRITER (on camera): An extraordinary diplomatic spat has erupted between the United States and Italy, with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni accusing President Donald Trump of making up claims about her.

Now, this kicked off with comments made by Trump to an Italian TV station in which he said that Meloni had, quote, "begged him" for a photo during the G7 meeting in France earlier this week. Trump said he agreed to take that photo because he felt sorry for Meloni.

Meloni fired back in a video posted to social media, saying she needed to immediately address the claims, calling them a complete fabrication, and saying she was shocked by what he said. This is what else she had to say in response to Trump's claims.

GIORGIA MELONI, PRIME MINISTER, ITALY (through translator): Donald Trump's statements are completely made up. I am frankly astonished. I don't know why the President of the United States behaves like this towards his allies. There is one thing he should remember. Neither I nor Italy ever beg.

HANSLER: It is also having real diplomatic consequences. The Italian Foreign Minister canceled a planned visit to the United States, where he was going to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The two were scheduled to meet on the sidelines of a U.S.-Italy business forum in Miami.

That entire forum where they were meant to foster business ties between the two countries has now been canceled. Jennifer Hansler, CNN, Washington. (END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Storms have been pounding several parts of the country all week, from the Midwest down to the Gulf Coast. Let's take you to Indiana. One home was destroyed by strong winds there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOBBY HENSLEY, AURORA RESIDENT: I heard that loud sound like a locomotive coming through the house. So, I came to the staircase, and I looked up and everything started falling down the staircase that very moment. And I looked up, and all I saw was the sky. And I started just --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just -- you just sear my ear.

HENSLEY: I started hollering for her --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was hollering for you long before you started hollering for me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Video out of Texas shows streets flooded and a -- oh, Waymo, one of those driverless cars stuck in the rising water. In Louisiana, a funnel cloud was spotted yesterday forming over a Walmart near the New Orleans area.

Now in Mississippi, flooding in homes there as well. The person who shot this video says there's about a foot of water inside, and that two vehicles have already been lost. This is not over. CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar is with me now. So, this is what's left of Arthur, or is this something else?

[06:35:00]

ALLISON CHINCHAR, METEOROLOGIST: This is really more of the front. Now, again, I will say that the remnants of Arthur left a tremendous amount of rain in these areas. So, the ground was already saturated before you even start getting these additional fronts that are going to come through over the next couple of days.

So, we're really just adding more moisture onto an area that really does not need it. Here's a look at the radar right now. Every single one of these boxes you see on the map is some form of a flash flood warning, meaning these areas have already had a tremendous amount of rain, and it's continuing to rain on top of them.

Again, you can see across portions of Louisiana and even into Texas. And yes, when we look at just the amount of rain that has fallen just since Monday, this is it. It's not even a full week, just since Monday. Again, you can see this pink area through here, portions, and then even down into Texas, you've got a couple of pink dots there indicating well over 10 inches of rain.

Even a few spots of that white color talking 20 inches of rain. So, yet again, these areas do not need more rain, but they are likely going to get some of it. We also have another system that's going to bring the potential for severe storms across the central U.S.

The main threats here are going to be the damaging winds, some very large hail. You could be talking tennis ball, baseball size and yes, even some isolated tornadoes into the mix. So, here's a look again, two separate systems. You've got the rain along the Gulf Coast.

You also have the severe potential here in across the central U.S. and Midwest. And now, both of those areas are going to remain concerns even into Sunday.

BLACKWELL: All right, Allison, thank you. Next, team USA on a roll at the World Cup. The big win over Australia propelled them into the knockout rounds, and the fans are loving it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, it was amazing game, winning 2-0. That's exactly what I like to see out of our team!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, winners!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The best! The best in the world!!! USA all day, baby!!!

(CHEERS)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:40:00]

BLACKWELL: Team USA clinched a really important shutout win over Australia, 2-0, a second time in history. The U.S. has won two World Cup games in the group stage. They won their World Cup group, and now they'll play Turkey, Thursday in Los Angeles.

Scrappy match, lots of action, lots of yellow cards. Soccer editor with "USA Today", Seth Vertelney with me now. Seth, good to talk to you again. So, team USA playing Turkey. How do they stack up?

SETH VERTELNEY, SOCCER EDITOR, USA TODAY: Yes, it's going to be an interesting match because this game, at least, in the standings, won't mean anything. The U.S. has already clinched their group, and Turkey has already been eliminated.

Which is a big surprise. I think going into this tournament, we kind of spotlighted this game as potentially between the two best teams in the group. We thought maybe they would be playing for first place in the group.

And instead, Turkey has really fallen flat. They lost their first two games, and of course, the U.S. has won their first two games. And so, it's going to be an interesting atmosphere for a game that we all thought was going to mean a lot. And actually, isn't going to really mean a whole lot.

BLACKWELL: Yes, it's going to be a great celebration, but not really consequential. Christian Pulisic set out this match against Australia, likely going to sit out against Turkey, considering that they're already advancing to the next phase. What do we know about his readiness for the next phase of this tournament considering that calf injury?

VERTELNEY: Yes, he was completely ruled out before the game against Australia yesterday, which was kind of a surprise. I thought even if he wasn't quite ready to play, that he would be kind of stashed on the bench.

And Mauricio Pochettino; the head coach wouldn't want to say anything to give Australia any kind of an advantage in terms of their game plan. But it will be interesting to see how Pochettino approaches this Turkey game when it comes to Pulisic.

He said before the Australia game that if Pulisic missed out against Australia, he would be good to go against Turkey. Now of course, the Turkey game doesn't mean anything on the field, but you would think if Pulisic is healthy, he would want to get some minutes because if he doesn't play in that game, that will make it three weeks between the game against Paraguay to open the World Cup, and then the round of 32- game that the U.S. is going to play in the bay area.

BLACKWELL: You mentioned Pochettino at the helm, he's faced some skepticism. Is the perception of him changing, considering these two- shutout wins for the U.S.?

VERTELNEY: Yes, look, Pochettino, it's sort of an interesting situation with him because he was brought in only two years ago, and it was kind of a pass-fail for grading his tenure. And it's all about the World Cup. Other coaches are in charge typically for a little bit longer.

[06:45:00]

They might have a little bit more of a remit for Pochettino. It's just the World Cup. And as you mentioned, there have been some rocky moments in his tenure so far, but everything has been geared towards this tournament, and obviously, it's so far so good.

This is a team that as you previously mentioned, hasn't won back-to- back World Cup games since 1930. So, they have looked really good in their first two games. But of course, there will be bigger tests ahead. The U.S. has managed to kind of get the country behind them with these two performances.

But in order to really accomplish what they want at this tournament, they're going to have to win a knockout game, and probably too, if they go out and they lose their first knockout game, I think the tournament is still going to be viewed as a failure.

BLACKWELL: All right, we will certainly be watching. Seth Vertelney, always good to have you. Thanks so much. Tomorrow, a plan to carve a canal to Lake Erie puts New York State on the map. Here's a preview of the CNN original series, "THE LAND".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The mayor of New York City is De Witt Clinton. And De Witt Clinton is one of those New Yorkers who sees the future.

KATE ASCHER, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: De Witt Clinton is one of the more fascinating kind of personalities in New York history. There is almost no political job that he didn't have. He ran for everything possible, and when he didn't win something, he went on to the next thing. And there are people like that who seek political office to be able to change the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He wants to accelerate the development of New York City by transforming the landscape into a great highway of commerce.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Watch two new episodes of the CNN original series, "THIS LAND", air tomorrow at 9:00 p.m. on CNN and the next day on the CNN app. A deadly carriage ride in Central Park sparks a major debate next. The growing push to end horse-drawn carriages in New York.

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[06:50:00]

BLACKWELL: Commercial ships are slowly moving through the Strait of Hormuz, but with mines still being cleared, experts warn the waterway is not free of danger yet. And just hours after a new ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took hold, violence has flared again in Lebanon.

Lebanese Civil Defense said that Israeli strikes have killed at least now 16 people. The strikes could strain the truce between the U.S. and Iran. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is expected to cast his ballot today ahead of Tuesday's primary elections.

The mayor has been campaigning for a slate of progressive candidates in key congressional races, hoping to turn his political momentum into votes. Also in New York, Mayor Mamdani and other city leaders are intensifying a push to ban horse carriages in Central Park after a tragic accident killed an 18-year-old tourist this week. Our Gloria Pazmino reports.

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GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was supposed to be a leisurely horse-drawn carriage ride in New York Central Park, but video shows it quickly turned deadly after the horse became spooked and took off with the Mahajan family inside.

Eighteen-year-old Romanch was killed after trying to help his mother who was thrown from the carriage. The Mahajan family traveled from India to celebrate Romanch high school graduation, and were enjoying a day in the city when the carriage driver stopped to photograph the family.

He stepped out of the carriage and the horse took off. The teen's father told the "New York Times", quote, "they clung desperately to each other inside the carriage as the horse sprinted." But when Romanch mother fell out of the carriage, he jumped after her to help, and his head hit the pavement.

The driver chased after it, but was unable to catch the out-of-control carriage, which didn't stop until it hit another coach and fell to its side. Eighteen-year-old Romanch later died at the hospital.

(On camera): Now, days after this shocking incident, Central Park horse carriages are temporarily off the job. On a regular day, you would have seen them lining up here, stopping at the water trough to drink before picking up their passengers. But now, the union representing the drivers says they're conducting an investigation.

(Voice-over): The carriage accident is the first human fatality in more than 100 years of the industry operating inside the park. A string of horse-related accidents, eight just in the past 13 months has reignited calls from animal welfare advocates, elected officials and the Central Park conservancy to finally ban them.

CHRISTOPHER MARTE, NEW YORK COUNCIL MEMBER, DISTRICT ONE: We had a death two days ago. A week ago, we had a horse that collapsed for ten minutes and died. And a month before that, we saw a driver be taken in a stretcher. This is long overdue. Are we going to wait for another death, or are we going to take action today?

PAZMINO: The carriage drivers argue their livelihood will be destroyed.

CHRISTINA HANSEN, SHOP STEWARD, TW LOCAL 100, CENTRAL PARK CARRIAGES: We just are devastated that this happened. People in our business have been doing this for decades. This is their small business -- these are their small businesses.

PAZMINO: The iconic carriages are a major tourist attraction for those who want to see some of the city's most famous landmarks.

JILL MICHAELS, NEW YORKER: It's historically been available for a long time, and I just think it's part of the ambiance.

[06:55:00]

PAZMINO: Efforts to ban and reform the industry have spanned three mayoral administrations, including legislation requiring mandatory vacation time for horses, temperature limits and keeping the carriage rides inside the park.

It was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip for the Mahajan family. The memory of their son, now memorialized on a Central Park bench.

(On camera): The rest of the Mahajan family sustained minor injuries. On Friday, the union announced that the horse work-stop would continue through the weekend while they provide worker trainings for their drivers.

And Mayor Zohran Mamdani opening the door to a ban for horses inside the park, saying he would work with the City Council and the union to protect workers. But ultimately, end the practice of horse-drawn carriages inside the park. Gloria Pazmino, CNN, New York.

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BLACKWELL: Gloria, thank you. There's much more ahead on the next hour of CNN THIS MORNING WEEKEND, including U.S. negotiators traveling to Switzerland with hopes of continuing talks with Iran. We'll take you live to Switzerland at the top of the hour.

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