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CNN Headlines: Trump: We're Having "Very Positive Discussions" With Iran; Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani Hospitalized In Critical But Stable Condition; Supreme Court Asked To Restore Access To Abortion Pill Through Mail. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired May 04, 2026 - 05:30   ET

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

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[05:32:15]

BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: It is half past the hour. Let's hit the refresh button on our top stories.

President Trump says that the U.S. will start guiding so-called neutral vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. Project Freedom, as it's called, is not an escort mission a source tells CNN. CENTCOM says that it will provide military support, something that Iran says it will not allow.

Plus, a United Airlines flight -- it clipped a light pole and a bakery truck as it landed at Newark Airport and the truck's dashcam -- it caught the scary moments that unfolded. The driver was able to safely pull over. He had cuts to his arm from the glass but did not have any serious injuries, thank goodness. New Jersey State Police say that the tire from the plane's landing gear and the underside of the plane hit a pole as well as that truck. The light pole fell and hit a Jeep. United is investigating what happened.

And President Trump is urging states to redraw congressional maps ahead of the midterms. This is following last week's Supreme Court ruling that affects the Voting Rights Act. The decision makes it harder for voters of color to challenge redistricting. Tennessee and Alabama are having special sessions this week, and Louisiana is delaying a House primary until new maps are drawn.

Let's go back internationally back to the war with Iran and the president's shifting position on the latest peace proposal from Tehran.

CNN senior White House reporter Betsy Klein has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, there appears to be a major shift, at least in messaging, for these peace talks between the U.S. and Iran. After somewhat of a stalemate, the back-and-forth exchange of peace proposals appears to be picking back up but all of this is very fluid so let me take you through the last few days. It was back on Friday President Trump told reporters at the White

House that he was not happy with the latest proposal from Iran, and he said that the U.S. may be better off without even making a deal. Then on Saturday he said he had received a new proposal from Iran and would be reviewing it but casting a lot of doubt.

And just to give you a sense of where his headspace was, he said in a post to social media that he couldn't imagine that it would be acceptable in that Iran, in his words, "had not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to humanity." Now it's unclear what price the president is looking for Iran to pay.

But then on Sunday, according to Iran's foreign minister, the U.S. submitted a revised proposal that Iran is reviewing. President Trump striking a much more optimistic tone in a very lengthy post to social media. He wrote, "I am fully aware that my representatives are having very positive discussions with the country of Iran and that these discussions could lead to something very positive for all."

[05:35:10]

Now, President Trump spent hours on Sunday at his golf club here in Doral, including with his special envoy Steve Witkoff who has been one of the lead negotiators in these talks with Iran. Witkoff telling our colleague Peter Morris, "We are in conversation with Iran."

Now another major development as President Trump announced on Sunday evening that the U.S. will begin guiding ships through the Strait of Hormuz. That is that critical oil thoroughfare. He says that this is a humanitarian gesture. He is calling this Project Freedom and says that it will begin on Monday. Now the president says the U.S. will be helping guide these ships safely out of these waterways so that they can get on with their business.

Now we've asked the White House for more details on how this will work but for months now CNN has estimated that roughly 20,000 sailors, most of whom are from countries that are not involved with this conflict, have been stranded in this strait.

And this announcement comes as we are seeing major economic impacts from the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Gas prices up about 34 cents per gallon just in the past week and about 50 percent higher than they were when this conflict began. The president weighing all of that as he begins his week back in Washington.

Betsy Klein, CNN, traveling with the president in Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SMITH: All right. Thanks so much, Betsy.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is in the hospital and in critical but stable condition. The news came Sunday in a statement from his spokesperson but no word on why the 81-year-old was hospitalized. Giuliani told viewers Friday on his social media show "America's Mayor Live" that his voice a little under the weather. Well, the makers of an abortion pill asking the Supreme Court to step in and pause a lower court's ruling that keeps people from getting the drug through the mail.

CNN's Camila DeChalus walks us through the case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAMILA DECHALUS, CNN REPORTER: This is really turning into a quickly a big legal battle over abortion access. You have the manufacturer of the abortion pill Mifepristone just filing an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court and they're asking the justices to step in and pause a lower court ruling that for now blocks anyone from receiving the abortion pill through mail.

Now let me tell you why it's so significant, especially on the timing of this. You now have this appeal that's coming just a day -- a few days after the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated a nationwide ban that essentially made it so that anybody that wants to receive the abortion pill -- they have to pick it up in person.

Now critics of this ruling -- they're really arguing that this is now going to create more additional hurdles for patients while others are in support of this ruling are arguing that it's more about reestablishing tighter safety controls.

But I thought it was interesting to note that in the appeal the attorney for the manufacturer -- they wrote, "What should a patient do if she cannot obtain an in-person appointment immediately?" It encapsulates their big argument here and that is this lower court ruling presents now additional challenges for patients that need to immediately receive the abortion pill but are not able to go in person or get an appointment.

And so at this point in time we're seeing that all eyes are now focused on the Supreme Court on whether they're going to act in this moment, take up this case, and temporarily put a pause on the lower court ruling as a legal broader fight now continues around abortion rights.

Camila DeChalus, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SMITH: Thanks, Camila.

A man that's under psychiatric evaluation after a frightening incident aboard a United flight landing in Newark. Authorities say the 48-year- old allegedly attacked a flight attendant and tried to reach the cockpit forcing the pilot to declare an emergency.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNITED AIRLINES PILOT: United 1837, we are declaring an emergency. It seems like someone just attacked one of our flight attendants.

GROUND CONTROL: Do you have a nature of emergency?

UNITED AIRLINES PILOT: A gentleman just attacked one of the flight attendants and tried to open the floor main cabin door.

GROUND CONTROL: Oh my God.

UNITED AIRLINES PILOT: Trying to gain access to the flight deck.

GROUND CONTROL: All right. We're calling.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: The plane landed safely with 170 passengers on board. The FAA is now investigating.

Overnight at least 10 people are injured after a shooting at a lake party near Oklahoma City. They went to several hospitals and are in various conditions. Investigators did not say how old the victims are but that it involved a large group of young people. No arrests at last check.

Well, the calendar may say May the fourth but the temperatures where you live may tell a different story.

Meteorologist Chris Warren joins us live now. Chris, I mean, heavy jackets in May? What's up with this?

CHRIS WARREN, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yeah, sometimes in the morning but not in the afternoon.

[05:40:00]

So we've got some big temperature changes that are on the way and at times it could be a bit of a bumpy ride with some storms, but that cold front that moves through -- it's going to help draw in some of that colder air from the north.

But this morning heading out the door some 40s and 50s in the south and even some 30s and 40s across parts of the northeast. But afternoon highs back in the yellow and orange, so warming back up into the 70s in many locations.

Then here comes that colder air. This is mid-week now into Thursday. And then by the weekend -- by the end of the week into the weekend that warm air tries to build back in. We can see these temperatures going from above average over the next couple of days there throughout parts of the southeast. But this is where in the northeast, you're really going to feel and notice those changes.

From Chicago, 78 -- these are daytime highs today -- to 53 degrees for a high on Wednesday. And Chicago staying below average. Kansas City, you are going to see that bump back up above average by this weekend back to around 80 degrees. And in the northeast, in Philly, it's the end of the week -- mid to the end of the week with that big cooldown, Brad.

SMITH: All right. I'm going to be checking in with you on when I should be fully rotating my closest over again.

WARREN: Sure thing.

SMITH: Appreciate it.

We've got to talk about this. Britney Spears, who faces DUI charges, will be arraignment later today in California. She's not required to be in court since it's a misdemeanor charge. Prosecutors say that the 44-year-old will be give a chance to plead guilty to reckless driving involving alcohol or drugs. Now in return she's likely to get probation and some fines and be required to take a DUI class. Spears recently sought treatment at a substance abuse facility.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

Clip from 20th Century Studios "The Devil Wears Prada 2."

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SMITH: In our Buzz Express this morning "The Devil Wears Prada 2" is proving the runway is back. The sequel earned a stunning $223 million worldwide at the box office this weekend, according to Deadline. Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, and Emily Blunt have all returned to their roles two decades later.

And tonight is the Met Gala with all of its fashion and famous faces on the red carpet. The theme this year, "Costume Art." Co-chairs include former Vogue editor Anna Wintour, Beyonce, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams. It is always the first Monday in May and it raises money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. Last year it brought in $31 million.

But one of the big stories this year, the main sponsors, Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez Bezos. They are honorary chairs. But some groups are urging people to boycott the Met Gala because of his involvement and its displays of excessive wealth. Posters like this one went up in New York last month ("Boycott the Bezos Met Gala").

We're going to watch for some of those looks and we'll see what the response continues to be like.

We've got more coming up here on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, including this.

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AXEL ARCHAGA RIOS, HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR TAKEN INTO ICE CUSTODY: The next thing I knew I was being deported to Honduras.

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SMITH: A Georgia teen living in the U.S. since the age of four finds himself in a country that he knows pretty much nothing about. This after a routine traffic stop. His story is straight ahead.

And check this out. A crocodile being airlifted out of a riverbank in South Africa. Authorities think he may have attacked someone beforehand. Oh my goodness, what a visual. We've got that coming your way.

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[05:48:05]

SMITH: A teenager who lived in the Atlanta area was recently deported to Honduras even though he says he never knew that there was a pending deportation order against him.

Our Rafael Romo spoke exclusively with the young man and here is his report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RIOS: Everything just flips upside-down in less than a month and then the next thing I knew I was being deported to Honduras.

(Speaking foreign language).

TEXT: How do you open this?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR, CNN WORLDWIDE: Axel Archaga Rios is getting reacquainted with a world he hadn't seen in nearly 15 years.

RIOS: They told me that Trump did not want me in the states no more and that I'm being -- I'm being deported to Honduras.

ROMO: The 18-year-old was deported from the United States last week to Honduras, a country he barely remembered because he left his birthplace with his mother when the was only four years old. The teenager says a police officer in Dunwoody, Georgia, where he lived with his family and went to high school, arrested him in late March.

RIOS: He said I ran a traffic stop sign and then he pulled me over at the school and arrested me.

ROMO: Archaga Rios says it was not until he was booked in Dekalb County Jail that he was informed there was a final order of removal pending against him and he was being sent back to Honduras only a month after his arrest.

In a statement to CNN, the Department of Homeland Security said that "Archaga Rios illegally entered the U.S. on June 25, 2014, near the Rio Grande Valle in Texas, and was released into the country by the Obama administration. An immigration judge issued him a final order of removal on September 1, 2015."

ALEXANDROS CORNEJO, IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY: No notice was provided to her son.

ROMO: Immigration attorney Alexandros Cornejo tried to stop the deportation by asking Immigration and Customs Enforcement to consider an asylum petition filed by the teenager's mother that was denied for reasons that had nothing to do with her son.

[05:50:00]

CORNEJO: Axel's mom is a victim of domestic violence. She was forced to leave the state and move to Georgia. All the documentation that she received from the immigration judge in Florida, she never received.

ROMO: As he tries to adjust to life in Honduras, living with his grandmother, Archaga Rios says he lost almost 30 pounds in detention and had to see a doctor to be treated for what appears to be a skin infection. But all of that pales, he says, when compared to the pain of being torn apart from his family and the only life he ever knew.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SMITH: Let's take a look at some of the other stories that are also making headlines across the globe.

In southern Colombia at least three people are dead, and 35 others are hurt after a monster truck plowed into a crowd over the weekend. According to investigators the driver lost control when the brakes failed. Authorities say the vehicle veered off the track and crashed. The driver is in stable condition.

And check out this video. It's from South Africa. A crocodile -- yes, you are seeing that correctly here. A crocodile coming into frame was euthanized and then airlifted along a riverbank on Saturday. It's all part of a search and rescue operation to find what is believed to be the remains of a missing person in the area. Wow, a first there.

Still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, big tech is getting big contracts with the federal government but one major AI company is being left out -- blacklisted. Details on that coming up.

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[05:56:05]

SMITH: In today's Money Express we are watching oil prices this morning after President Trump's plan to guide boats of the Strait of Hormuz.

Maribel Aber joins us with that and the rest of your top Money Express headlines. Hey, Maribel.

MARIBEL ABER, CNN CORRESPONDENT, MONEY MATTERS: Hey, Brad.

So U.S. oil prices are outpacing global crude this morning as U.S. actions in the Middle East keep prices elevated. West Texas intermediate barrels are trading near $103. Brent has edged slightly back down to about -- oh, it looks like $88 a barrel.

On Sunday, Iran confirmed that it's reviewing a U.S. response to its latest peace proposal.

The national average for a gallon of unleaded is up 35 cents since last week, now at $4.46. That's according to AAA. The Pentagon says it secured deals with seven major tech companies to use AI in classified operations. Anthropic was not included after pushing for stronger safety guardrails on the government's use of AI in warfare. The White House has since reopened discussions with the company as SpaceX, OpenAI, Google and Microsoft are among those that signed with the Pentagon. The Pentagon already has existing contracts or AI contracts with several companies, including Palantir.

And it's "Star Wars" day and may the fourth be with you. Bath & Body Works is using the unofficial but viral holiday to unveil new Mandalorian and Grogu merch. The collection includes various fragrances, bags, candle accessories, and more. It will roll out in waves with an Ice Planet candle, a Mythosaur tote, and a Grogu snacks tin available online today for rewards members. The items hit store shelves for everyone on May 11 just ahead of the Mandalorian and Grogu movie debut on May 22. So may the fourth be with you, Brad.

SMITH: (Laughing)

ABER: A little Grogu friend.

SMITH: Yes, indeed. It's taking me back here. I remember when I was Finn for Halloween one year. We'll talk about that off air.

ABER: (INAUDIBLE).

SMITH: Maribel Aber, thanks so much.

Let's get a check on some of the other stories that are making news across the country.

In Detroit, a firefighter is being hailed as a hero after pulling a woman from a burning SUV. Randy Wimbley, with our affiliate WXYZ, has the story.

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RANDY WIMBLEY, WXYZ REPORTER (voiceover): Stunning body worn camera footage shows Detroit firefighter Donald Faulkner risking his life to pull 52-year-old Latashia Collins from a burning SUV.

DONALD FAULKER, DETROIT FIREFIGHTER: I heard her screaming just to help, you know. You know, and I look at -- I'm from here. I look at all these citizens like family members. So I look at it like, you know, it was my own mom's in there.

WIMBLEY (voiceover): The January rescue happened on the city's west side and Faulkner has now been honored for his heroism.

WIMBLEY: It was right here on Davis and off of Petoskey. Collins was a passenger in that SUV which caught fire after it crashed involving a truck. Faulkner tried to open up her door to get her out, but it was locked.

That didn't stop you. FAULKNER: No, sir. I tried to pull the door and then I checked all of them. And after that I just found the best route, you know, to try to get her out with the least injuries as possible.

WIMBLEY (voiceover): Collins suffered multiple fractures, third-degree burns, and internal bleeding -- injuries that required several surgeries.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She really and truly has made a tremendous recovery given everything that she has gone through. You know, the amount of time that she's had to be in the intensive care unit because of the sequela of her injuries. She has worked so hard and she really, truly is a miracle.

WIMBLEY (voiceover): Faulkner and Fire Commissioner Chuck Simms recently visited Collin the hospital.

LATASHIA COLLINS, RESCUED FROM BURNING SUV: Thank you so much.

WIMBLEY (voiceover): Her road to recovery is far from over but her family is grateful she's alive. They credit surgeons and medical staff at DMC Detroit Receiving burn center and Faulkner for saving her life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you to the Detroit firefighters. I'm really thankful and grateful for them. And I feel like they deserve more recognition than what they get, honestly, because they really are -- the firefighters are really the real heroes.

WIMBLEY: Do you consider yourself a hero?

FAULKNER. No. I'm just doing my job. I'm just glad she's doing better. Keep praying for her. I hope she keeps healing up and, yeah, just love to her family.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[06:00:00]

SMITH: And we take you to Portland, Oregon now. That's where a driver died after authorities say that he crashed an SUV into an athletic club. Police say the car was filled with explosive devices when it smashed through the building and caught fire. We'll keep tabs on any developments there for you.

That does it for CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. I'm Brad Smith. "CNN THIS MORNING WITH AUDIE CORNISH" starts right now.