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CNN Headlines: 18 Passengers Under Monitoring At U.S. Medical Sites; Sources: Trump Considering Resuming Combat Operations In Iran; Accused Press Dinner Gunman Pleads Not Guilty To Attempting To Assassinate President Trump. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired May 12, 2026 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:30:00]
BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: It is half past the hour. Let's hit the refresh button on our top stories.
All remaining passengers are safely off the cruise ship at the center of the deadly hantavirus outbreak. The ship and its crew seen here heading back to the Netherlands for disinfecting. Eighteen of the passengers are back on U.S. soil for monitoring.
President Trump is set to leave for China this afternoon for a high- stakes visit now happening under the shadow of the war with Iran. The trip was originally focused on trade but the conflict and resulting energy crunch hitting China have pushed Iran higher up on that agenda.
And today is primary day in Nebraska and West Virginia with a closely watched race unfolding in Nebraska's so called blue dot. Democrats are battling to replace retiring Republican Congressman Don Bacon in a district Kamala Harris carried in 2024, making it one of the party's top pick-up opportunities this fall.
We return now back to our top story as health officials are closely monitoring the passengers who arrived back in the U.S. on this plane after being stuck on a cruise ship where a deadly hantavirus strain broke out.
Now, two have been flown to Atlanta for observation at Emory University, including at least one person with symptoms. The rest are quarantined in Nebraska in specialized rooms like this one. All are asymptomatic and one person who did test positive is in a biocontainment unit.
This man, Jake Rosmarin, has not tested positive. He's been sharing the trials of this journey on Instagram, including this update saying that he's feeling well and the flight back to the U.S. was smooth.
CNN's Dianne Gallagher has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Fifteen of the passengers on the cruise ship that was hit by hantavirus are here in this building. They are staying at the National Quarantine Unit here at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and they're going to be assessed to determine if they have any symptoms, if they have maybe been in contact with someone who has tested positive, and sort of go through and individualized monitoring for each person to determine their risk and see how they're doing.
Now, the medical staff here described the unit as hotel rooms with negative pressure and an elite ventilation system.
DR. KELLY CAWCUTT, SENIOR MEDICAL DIRECTOR FOR INFECTION PREVENTION, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER: With the National Quarantine Unit and a biocontainment unit, our teams are evaluating these patients in these more specialized hotel room-like areas for the quarantine unit to really make sure that we understand their risk of exposure, how high-risk that might be, and the likelihood that they could potentially develop infection.
GALLAGHER: There is one person who did test positive for hantavirus though they are asymptomatic, and that person is staying at the biocontainment unit. Now, that person will continue to be tested and monitored -- but again, at this time they are asymptomatic.
Now, there are two passengers who went to Emory University to the biocontainment unit there in Atlanta, and the reason why is because one of those passengers is showing symptoms. And there was a contingency plan in place because there are only three biocontainment units here at this facility. And they decided the best thing to do is divide and conquer and just in case, send that person and another passenger to Atlanta so they could have room here in Nebraska in case other passengers tested positive.
Now, it is a 42-day monitoring period. The passengers, if they don't show symptoms and don't test positive, could potentially be escorted back home where they would continue checking in daily for monitoring throughout that period or they can stay here where they'll have a full medical team to address their needs.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: And there are a lot of questions about how this virus spreads. CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta says that there are case studies that suggest the phrase "close contact" could actually mean different things.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Close contact, sort of strictly defined by the World Health Organization, basically says for 15 minutes within about two meters. If you have that sort of contact that would be considered a close contact.
But I want to show you something because a lot of people point to a study that was done back in 2018, which was a super-spreader event. You had a guy who walked into a birthday party. Again, this is back in 2018. He was there at the birthday party for about 90 minutes. Basically, he's in the middle of the room there and he spreads this to
five people. Four of the people are within four feet of him but there's another guy that's basically across the room. He's more than 2 1/2 meters away. And they only sort of passed each other once when one is going to the restroom and one is coming from the restroom. And that person got it as well. So that would not have met the strict sort of definition of a -- of a close contact.
And I think that's what, you know, a lot of people are reacting to when they look at how does this virus behave in the real world. Just walk by somebody who is sick, who clearly is transmitting the virus, and be able to get it that way. I think that's what a lot of people are paying attention to in terms of determining who should be quarantined or not.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[05:35:10]
SMITH: Thank you to CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
This morning the White House is weighing a critical decision that could break the fragile ceasefire with Iran. Sources tell CNN that President Trump is now giving serious thought to resuming major combat operations in the region. They say that the president has been voicing his frustration and impatience with how Tehran is handling the negotiations to end the war.
Here's what he said at the White House on Monday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I would call it the weakest right now after reading that piece of garbage they sent us. I didn't even finish reading it. I would say the ceasefire is on massive life support.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Meanwhile, Iran's top negotiator took to social media to warn against any aggression, saying in part, "We are prepared for every option. They will be surprised."
Well, today the Secret Service chief will brief the Senate GOP about why they need $1 billion in security funding for the ballroom renovation project. Now this comes roughly two weeks after an apparent assassination attempt on the president at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
Some GOP members are finding themselves in a difficult political position on the funding request after the president initially claimed the ballroom itself would be paid for by private donations. But the president maintains that the White House needs this facelift.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: This place was not properly taken care of. I was told by my wife you have to act presidential, so don't use foul language. I won't. Therefore, normally I would have said it was (bleep) but I don't want to say that.
The columns were falling down. The plaster was falling off. You made a speech and we said couldn't you fix up the paint job up there? You know, it looked -- and this place is tippy-top now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: And it's not just the White House ballroom now. The Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool is also going to cost more than the president first claimed. The administration is currently in the middle of repainting the basin of the pool and last night Trump telling guests it would cost about $3 million. But federal records show the no-bid contract for the project is actually $13 million.
The White House says that they had to hire additional workers and speed up shipment of materials to have it done in time for the country's 250th birthday celebrations.
Preservation advocates are suing the Trump administration over plans to paint the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool what he calls American flag blue instead of the gray from the original design. The Cultural Landscape Foundation argues that the project violates federal law and says that the Interior Department should step in. But representatives for the agency releasing a statement saying that the new blue color would "enhance the visitor experience."
It has been 100 days since Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her home in Pima County, Arizona. The sheriff says that he remains dedicated to finding out who did this. According to Sheriff Chris Nanos, his detectives and the agents at the FBI are still actively working to find out what happened to "TODAY" show anchor Savannah Guthrie's mom, and that the case is most certainly not cold.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF CHRIS NANOS, PIMA COUNTY, ARIZONA: There's way too much work to be -- that is ongoing with some of the physical evidence we have, and we're not going to give up on it just because it's been 100 days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Investigators say they've already received tens of thousands of tips about this case.
Well, cities across the country are cracking down on so-called "teen takeovers." These large public gatherings, mostly promoted on social media -- they often erupt into chaos and violence.
Here is CNN's Bryan Wood with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BRYAN WOOD, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER (voiceover): So called teen takeovers are happening across the U.S. In Tampa, Florida police say they arrested more than 20 people, ages 12 to 21, after crowds of teens gathered at a park. Similar gatherings or teen takeovers have popped up in places like New York City and Atlanta.
So what are they?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm 16.
WOOD (voiceover): The gatherings are organized online through viral social media posts and in some cases AI-generated flyers. Some of the events seem to escalate and get violent. Criminologists say the gatherings are similar to flash mobs seen years ago but social media has made them larger and faster to organize.
Police and city officials across the country say they are now preparing for more teen takeovers ahead of summer.
CHIEF RONALD APPLIN, ATLANTA POLICE DEPARTMENT: For the parents, you need to watch your kids.
WOOD (voiceover): D.C. officials approved a measure in early May allowing police to set curfew zones aimed at limiting large gatherings. And in New York, Bronx officials urged social media executives to "monitor and remove posts promoting teen takeovers."
[05:40:08]
Critics of the crackdown say officials risk criminalizing teenage behavior and large groups of young people getting together in public spaces.
More than 40 young people at a D.C. council hearing argued curfew unfairly target teens.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, there are some teens that go out with the intention to act out, and I'm not denying that, but it's not fair to punish every young person for the actions of a few people.
WOOD (voiceover): Heading into summer authorities will continue to monitor similar gatherings organized on social media.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: It's time for Buzz Express -- the stories that have people talking.
Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver all joined Stephen Colbert on his show last night as he gets closer to his final episode.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT": You're all fine hosts and leaders of shows in your own right. Is there anything that we have not touched on before we move on to this? I'm curious --
JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!": The outrage that your show is being thrown off the year.
COLBERT: Yeah, weird.
KIMMEL: I mean, that's -- I hope that in this -- you know, I -- really, I'm waiting for angry Stephen to come out. I want to see you go nuts just on the --
Let me tell you something. You guys have no idea --
AUDIENCE: Stephen! Stephen! Stephen! Stephen!
(CROSSTALK)
JOHN OLIVER, HOST, "LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER": Exactly what they shouted at Bruce Banner in the lab before things went south. Bruce, Bruce, Bruce. Uh-oh.
KIMMEL: When this guy takes off his glasses and shakes out his hair, it's the sexiest damn thing you've ever seen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Now reports say that Jimmy Kimmel's show will be rerun next Thursday when Colbert's last show airs. Kimmel did the same thing when David Letterman left the same gig back in 2015.
Dua Lipa is suing Samsung for $15 million and it's over this image on the boxes of one of their TVs. She claims she never agreed to let the company use this photo or her likeness. Her attorneys allege that Samsung has refused to stop using it. The company says it could not comment because of the lawsuit.
Well, next on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, a wild scene out of Michigan when two people caught on camera ram a car through a weed shop and then set it on fire. We've got those details ahead.
And this bear finds himself in a suburban California neighborhood climbing trees and roaming through yards. And someone even left food for the animal. We've got more on that ahead. First, it was the bear in the well yesterday and now it's this one. Bears gone wild. We've got that story.
(COMMERCIAL)
[05:42:13]
SMITH: The man accused of running past a security checkpoint with guns and knives in an attempt to kill President Donald Trump was arraigned in federal court on Monday. Cole Tomas Allen, who was shackled during his appearance, pleaded not guilty to all four charges.
His attorneys are trying to get the top Justice Department officials disqualified from the case. They say U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, and others could have a conflict of interest because they may have been possible targets.
CNN chief legal affairs correspondent Paula Reid explains how the judge responded to that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: The judge is clearly skeptical of this argument that top Justice Department officials like U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche -- that they have to be removed from this case because they were at the dinner and they argue they were victims of this alleged crime.
The judge points out that everything with Allen happened outside the ballroom when Blanche, Pirro, and other Justice Department officials were eating. They likely didn't see anything.
But the judge invited them to submit additional details on exactly what it is they're looking for, right? OK, you want the D.C. U.S. attorney's office to be moved -- removed from this case. Do you want the entire Justice Department to be removed? They're going to submit those additional details about their request.
But politically, the fact is that Pirro and Blanche are not going to want to step aside from this case without a massive fight. This is one of the most high-profile cases they are dealing with.
And we know both of them are up for promotions, right? Todd Blanche is acting as attorney general. According to my reporting he is likely going to be tapped to permanently take on that position. Jeanine Pirro -- she is someone who has been discussed as also possibly in line for a promotion soon at the Justice Department. So they're not going to want to step aside.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: Thanks to Paula Reid for that report.
Let's go around the globe to see what other stories are making headlines.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says the believes the war in Ukraine is coming to an end. He made the remark after Saturday's Victory Parade in Moscow, which marked the Soviet victory in World War II. The event was drastically scaled down this year.
Putin slammed Western support for Ukraine but didn't explain why the war could come to an end.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): They promised assistance and then began fueling a confrontation with Russia that continues to this day. I think that the matter is coming to an end, but it's a serious matter. (END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: As Russia celebrated its past, Ukraine sent a message about what and where it wants to be in the future. Now, a monument in Kyiv -- it was lit in the colors of the European Union flag on Saturday to mark Europe Day. Ukraine is holding talks that it hopes will lead to membership in the EU.
[05:50:10]
Now on the Weather Express. Stunning moments of color caught on camera and no, it's not a rainbow; it's something even rarer. Well, CNN meteorologist Chris Warren explains exactly what it is and if you may have seen it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS WARREN, AMS METEOROLOGIST (voiceover): Video out of Indonesia shows a massive cloud with a rainbow-like halo glowing at the top, and it doesn't even look real, but it is.
The science behind it is the same thing you've seen in a soap bubble or an oil slick. It's called iridescence. Inside that cloud are tiny water droplets or ice crystals. Sunlight hits them and splits into a spectrum of colors. Some colors turn vivid; others fade.
This is rare because everything has to line up perfectly. A thin cloud, uniform cloud particles, and you to be at exactly the right place to catch it. Miss any one of those and this disappears. It's the same physics you're used to seeing scaled up to the sky.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: All right, blinding me with science. Thanks so much there.
Still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, boneless wings, double-crunch shrimp, and riblets. Applebee's bringing back a popular menu feature just in time for the summer. We've got those details when we return.
(COMMERCIAL)
[05:55:50]
SMITH: Well, in today's Money Express gas prices aren't exactly easy like Sunday morning right now but there is a proposal that could lower the price at the pump in theory anyway.
Maribel Aber joins us with that and the rest of your top Money Express headlines. Maribel, what's on the table from the White House and what are the --
MARIBEL ABER, CNN CORRESPONDENT, MONEY MATTERS: OK.
SMITH: -- estimated savings?
ABER: Brad, this is what we know. President Trump is proposing a pause in the federal gas tax to help ease pain at the pump. The federal tax is about 18 cents a gallon on regular gas and 24 cents on diesel. AAA currently puts the national average for unleaded at $4.50 a gallon and diesel at $5.64.
Industry experts say savings may not fully reached consumers because, you know, retailers and supply chain costs can offset that cut. A Wharton Business School analysis estimates drivers filling a 15-gallon tank weekly from June through October could save about $35.00 total.
Texas is suing Netflix over accusations the streamer secretly collects users' personal data without consent, including from children. State Attorney General Bill Paxton claims Netflix tracked viewing habits, app usage, and online behavior. The lawsuit also alleges the platform's autoplay feature was designed to keep younger viewers engaged and sharing more information. Netflix says it complies with all privacy laws and plans to fight the lawsuit in court.
Applebee's is getting in on the protein trend by bringing back its "All You Can Eat" deal. Options include boneless wings, pork riblets, or double-crunch shrimp, plus endless fries all for $15.99. The chain is also pouring new cocktails to celebrate summer's arrival. The "Sunny Sipper" and "Belly Flopping" margaritas feature Don Julio tequila and beach-inspired flavors like pineapple and coconut. "All You Can Eat" meals -- those meals are available now for a limited time -- Brad.
SMITH: The "Belly Flopping" margarita. OK, one of us will have to try that and report back, I suppose.
Maribel Aber, thank you so much.
Let's get a check in on some of the other stories making news across the country.
We start in Michigan. This is one of those you've got to see it to believe it moments. Authorities in Monroe looking for the two people who smashed their car into a weed shop over the weekend and then tried to burn it all down.
Outside the store you see the vehicle ram straight into the building and then inside the shop cameras catch the two masked suspects splashing what looks like gasoline all over the counters, and that's when everything goes sideways. Take a look at what happened next. While trying to ignite the shop in flames, one of the suspects accidentally sets themselves on fire. Karma's quick. You can see the pair fleeing the store with one's shoes visibly ablaze.
Police say that they recovered potential evidence that was left behind and despite the damage the cannabis store remains open to customers.
Let's take you to Florida. That's where a save ending, thanks to a police canine named Boomer took place. Listen to the moment that Boomer locates a missing 96-year-old man.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, he's right here. Hey, I found him in the woods. You OK?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good boy! Good boy, Boomer. Good boy, Boomer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm thankful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: The man went missing near his home outside Tampa. Deputies bring in Boomer who picks up his scent and finds him just about 100 yards away from home. And authorities say that he is safe and in good condition. Boomer proving once again exactly why we call them man's best friend.
And take a look at the smoke pouring from an offshore natural gas rig near California. The U.S. Coast Guard says that the fire happened at Platform Habitat. The location is off the coast of Santa Barbara. Nearly 30 people were evacuated and at least two people suffered minor injuries. The platform has a natural gas well and no oil was being pumped at the time.
[06:00:00]
And let's take you to Southern California. That's where a black bear was spotted in Altadena over the weekend casually climbing trees in people's backyards. At one point someone left out raw chicken and water. Wildlife officials are saying that's exactly what not to do. Feeding bears can make them too comfortable around people, which could be dangerous.
That does it for CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. I'm Brad Smith. "CNN THIS MORNING WITH AUDIE CORNISH" starts right now.
