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CNN Headlines: Officials Worldwide Race To Complete Contact Tracing For Deadly Outbreak; UAE: Defending Against Iranian Missile And Drone Attacks; Trump: Ceasefire Still In Effect Despite Exchange Of Fire. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired May 08, 2026 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:27]
BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: Countries around the world are racing to trace the hantavirus linked to that deadly outbreak on board a cruise ship. You'll hear from a doctor who's on board right now.
And a desperate search is underway for hikers who went missing after a deadly volcano eruption. We've got that story.
Plus.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was trapped from, like, 6:00 to, like, 12:00 a.m.
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SMITH: A mother who was trapped for hours after tornadoes hit Mississippi.
And the severe weather is not over yet. We have your forecast.
Plus, two words sure to grab anyone's attention, "free gas". And you know, everybody lined up. We'll get to that free gas in a hot second.
Welcome in, everyone. I'm Brad Smith. It is May 8th, Friday. This is CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
Let's get right to it.
Public health leaders, they are accusing the U.S. government and CDC of not doing enough to communicate with Americans about the deadly hantavirus outbreak. President Trump says that his administration expects to release a full report on the response, and that he hopes the outbreak is under control.
The World Health Organization says five confirmed infections have been identified among people linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship, as authorities race to trace and contain the outbreak. Dozens of people have already traveled back to their home countries, including a handful of Americans, and were told that they are being monitored in the states that you see here highlighted in red. Now, so far, there are no reports of them showing any symptoms. And an
infectious disease expert sat down with CNN and explained the similarities that she's seeing to the COVID 19 outbreak.
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DR. RAVINA KULLAR, INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT & EPIDEMIOLOGIST: Hantavirus versus COVID 19, let's think about, first of all, mortality. Mortality rate is a lot higher with hantavirus.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: A lot higher.
KULLAR: Versus COVID. COVID about 1 percent, maybe a little less than 5 percent. Hantavirus, 40 percent.
Now, COVID patients can acquire COVID and be asymptomatic, and they can still be contagious. Hantavirus, it requires someone to be symptomatic and to be in very close proximity to other individuals for extended period of time. That's not what we saw with COVID. So that's something to really keep in mind.
And, and hantavirus has been around for 30 years. COVID was a new SARS-CoV-2 is a completely new virus.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: The cruise ship at the center of the investigation, where many passengers and crew are still on board, is now heading to the Canary Islands. The Spanish government insists that they will have no contact with locals before being transferred back to their home countries.
An American doctor was on board when people, including the ships doctor, got sick. We're hearing from him in the next half hour.
We're following some breaking news. A rescue mission is on right now for 20 missing hikers after a volcano erupted.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my God. Volcano eruption guy today, Friday, eight. We are lucky. We already climbed down. Be careful guys.
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SMITH: This was this morning in Indonesia. The man who was recording says that he was guiding two tourists when he felt the tremors. And then rocks started sliding down. He told them, were going to have to run down. At least three people have died. According to an official there. We will keep you updated on this.
Republican Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has signed a new, highly controversial congressional map into law. Chaos broke out after GOP lawmakers approved the measure, which eliminates the state's only Democratic house seat.
(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS) SMITH: This was the scene as the bitterly fought redistricting battle sparked protests at the Tennessee state capitol yesterday. The push to redraw the map came after last week's Supreme Court hearing, and ruling that weakens part of the historic Voting Rights Act. That decision triggered a frantic race across the south for Republicans to carve up minority districts held by Democrats.
Now to the latest developments in the war with Iran. A new wave of drone and missile attacks against the United Arab Emirates, a U.S. ally, just hours after the U.S. and Iran traded fresh fire around the Strait of Hormuz.
[05:05:03]
CNN's Paula Hancocks is live in Abu Dhabi with the latest.
Paula, what do you know right now there in the UAE that's playing out?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, Brad, this was several hours ago that we saw from the Ministry of Defense that there was another warning that there was incoming missiles and drones from Iran. We haven't heard what was being targeted or whether there has been any damage. But this is the end of a week where we have seen increasing attacks against the UAE from Iran. We've seen that a partial closure of the airspace and planes only being allowed to travel along a certain route. Those restrictions staying in place until May 11th.
Now, when it comes to what we saw overnight as well, we saw exchanges of fire between the U.S. and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. Central Command saying that three of its navy guided missile destroyers were targeted by missiles and drones. And so, in response, they fired upon Iranian military targets, launching sites, for example, for missiles and drones also, command and control locations. Iran said the reason that they had fired on the U.S. military is because they believed the U.S. was violating the ceasefire by seizing an Iranian flagged vessel just earlier in the week, or at least disabling it.
When it comes to the political scene, though, we're still hearing the U.S. President Donald Trump downplaying these escalations in hostilities, saying he is still hopeful for a deal. We were expecting to have an Iranian response to the U.S. proposal on the table yesterday. That didn't come. Potentially, it could come today.
We're hearing from President Trump saying that he has said Iran has agreed not to have a nuclear weapon and also agreed to give up their stockpile of highly enriched uranium that we haven't heard directly from Tehran at this point -- Brad.
SMITH: All right. A fast-moving situation. Paula Hancocks in Abu Dhabi, thank you so much for joining us. Stay safe.
Another blow to a Trump tariff. This time a 10 percent across the board tariff deemed illegal by a panel of federal judges in a split ruling, the president is unfazed
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Nothing surprises me with the courts. Nothing surprises me. So, we always do it a different way. We get one ruling and we do it a different way.
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SMITH: The ruling means a halt to collecting tariffs from the plaintiffs only. Other importers still have to pay up, and the administration is expected to appeal.
Well, later today in Utah, a judge will decide whether news outlets can continue to broadcast proceedings in the Tyler Robinson case. Now he is the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk last year as the conservative activist addressed college students. Robinson's attorneys argue that cameras in the courtroom could make it harder to find an unbiased jury and jeopardize his right to a fair trial. Robinson is expected to attend today's hearing via video.
It's time now for Weather Express.
We have new video of a mobile home park in southern Mississippi completely destroyed after a tornado ripped through it on Wednesday night. There were multiple reported injuries, but thankfully no one was killed.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you okay? Come here. It's okay, it's okay, it's okay.
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SMITH: And just incredible. Rescue video there from a storm chaser. He found a kitten under the debris that destroyed the trailer park that we just showed you. He says there's a lot of interest from people to adopt the kitten if its owners aren't located. But it won't be coming home with him because he's allergic to cats. Still a great effort there.
Let's go to meteorologist Chris Warren.
Chris, what are we going to see today here?
CHRIS WARREN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, there's going to be some more storms for some areas, but looking all the way through the weekend, there's going to be a lot of changes, but somewhat subtle changes depends on where you are. So, starting off the weekend here on Friday with some storms, possibly some of the stronger storms, were going to go cool to warm this weekend in the Northeast. Warm to cool throughout parts of the Upper Midwest.
Here's a look at the storms. First, a few storms outside of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. If there's going to be some of the stronger storms, this is the more likely area centered here in Oklahoma does include the chance for a few tornadoes, and then the showers will be working through the Ohio Valley. Also in the south going to be wet at times, but not everywhere. So, you kind of look closely to see who's going to get what.
Today, temperatures are going to warm into the 70s, upper 60s and 70s throughout the south 60s, and even some 50s in the Northeast. But you see how things change. So cool to warm here. New York and Boston and then Chicago and Minneapolis, relatively warm to a little bit cooler.
So, it's going to be quite a mixed, Brad, this weekend. Going through a lot of the eastern half of the U.S.
WARREN: Okay. All right. A lot to keep track on and still not sure if I'm going to be rotating over my wardrobe just yet.
[05:10:04]
Chris, thanks so much.
Well, bracket season is about to get a whole lot busier because March Madness is getting bigger. The NCAA announced both the men's and women's basketball tournaments will expand from 68 to 76 teams starting next season. There will be a new March Madness opening round that's going to have 12 extra games before the traditional 64-team bracket begins.
The NCAA says that the move could bring schools more than $131 million in added revenue, plus a major boost in TV money over the next six years. Here's to hoping that your school and mine doesn't get snubbed still.
Lots more to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
This man sentenced to 2,000-plus years. The crime that he pleaded guilty to ahead.
Plus, Facebook, Instagram, Meta's social media giant apps on trial. What's the state of New Mexico is saying that the tech giant is guilty of?
And later, a runway mishap. How this plane crash landed upside down on the tarmac.
Stay with us. You're watching CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
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[05:15:42]
SMITH: A man who pleaded guilty in a deadly fire bomb attack in Colorado has been sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole. Plus, more than 2,000 years in prison, the maximum sentence, according to our Denver affiliate.
Mohamed Sabry Soliman pleaded guilty to murder and other state charges in last year's attacks. He was accused of throwing Molotov cocktails during a demonstration for the release of Israeli hostages. One person was killed. Through an interpreter, he apologized to the victims, but some people
walked out of court after that, Soliman still faces federal hate crime charges, and prosecutors in that case have not said whether they will seek the death penalty.
Well, Meta is on trial in New Mexico. Prosecutors are looking to impose sweeping changes to the company's social media apps and algorithms in an effort to protect children. This trial is phase two in a wave of legal pressure surrounding online platforms.
Here with more, we've got CNN's Leigh Waldman.
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RAUL TORREZ, NEW MEXICO ATTORNEY GENERAL: To a certain extent, phase two could be even more consequential in our fight to hold this tech giant accountable.
LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After a jury found in march that Meta violated New Mexico law by failing to warn users about the dangers of its platforms and protect children from sexual predators, State Attorney General Raul Torrez is now asking a judge to decide if Meta's platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp pose a public nuisance.
TORREZ: That's a case that involves damage to the entire community, which New Mexico is saying is in the billions of dollars.
WALDMAN (voice-over): $3.7 billion, to be exact, according to documents filed by Meta.
Law Professor Adam Zimmerman says this definition of public nuisance has been used before in cases that impact public health, such as tobacco, opioids and even climate change. But he believes this case is unique.
ADAM ZIMMERMAN, PROFESSOR, USC SCHOOL OF LAW: We're talking about the modern electronic superhighway and how that's regulated.
WALDMAN (voice-over): New Mexico's A.G. is asking for a sweeping list of changes he says are related to alleged psychological harm, including limits on addictive design features, algorithm recommendation changes and improvements to age verification.
TORREZ: Real age verification is what allows the platform to curate a different type of experience for young people and make sure they're safer online.
WALDMAN: The bench trial is expected to last three weeks.
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SMITH: Leigh Waldman, thank you.
The Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool has a fresh coat of paint, and President Trump made an impromptu visit to check it out. You can see the president's motorcade actually driving across the bottom of the empty pool. It's now coated in a color that he calls American flag blue. The $2 million project hides the pool's natural gray stone color.
Well, still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, parents who owe back child support could soon lose something that will make it much harder to travel. We'll explain.
And NASA posted thousands of pics taken by the Artemis II cruise mission to the moon. Some of those stunning scenes coming your way in a second.
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[05:23:22]
SMITH: The Trump administration has added the left-wing network antifa to a list of major terror groups. It's part of a new counterterrorism plan. The list puts the group alongside cartels and Islamist terror groups. Short for anti-fascism, antifa is decentralized with no parent network. Last year, FBI leaders were unable to answer basic questions about antifa size or location during a congressional hearing.
Well, starting today, parents who are way behind on their child support could lose their passports. The State Department will begin revoking U.S. passports for parents who owe $100,000 or more in unpaid child support. The plan is to then later expand to cover those who owe more than $2,500.
Anyone affected will have to make the required payments and apply for a new passport.
Well, 11 people have been charged with being part of an international drug ring. The U.S. attorney in D.C. said it stretched from coast to coast and all the way over to South Korea. The suspects are accused of trafficking meth and GBL. It's a key ingredient in a date rape drug.
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JEANINE PIRRO, U.S. ATTORNEY: We have seized 5,000 pounds of GBL. Each liter of GBL produces up to 1,000 dosages, and each dosage is a size of the cap on a water bottle.
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SMITH: Jeanine Pirro says that the drug operation lasted 14 months. The suspect's identities were not released.
[05:25:01]
Let's go around the globe to see what's making headlines.
We begin in Cuba. That's where two companies and a business executive have been slapped with economic sanctions in response to President Trump's recent executive order regarding the island nation. The White House claims Cuba aligned itself with hostile countries, and President Trump has floated the idea of taking the country.
Today marks one year since Pope Leo's historic election, where he became the first American to lead the worldwide Catholic Church. The anniversary comes just a day after the pontiff hosted Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The two exchanged gifts after briefly discussing global hotspots.
The meeting comes as President Trump has repeatedly and very publicly criticized the pope for his position on Iran. The secretary of state gave Pope Leo a small crystal football with the State Department seal. The pontiff gave Rubio a pen made from olive wood, which he noted is a plant of peace.
Straight ahead on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, the latest on a deadly volcano eruption and where the search stands for several hikers.
The cruise ship as well that we've been tracking, tainted by the deadly hantavirus, is making its way to the Canary Islands. We will hear from a doctor who describes what he's seen on board the vessel.
Plus, there's this.
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SMITH: Despite protests, Republican lawmakers in Tennessee passed legislation to do away with their only majority black voting district. Some say it will dilute the representation and voice of many.
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