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CNN Headlines: Trump-Endorsed Candidate Defeats Incumbent Senator In Texas Runoff; At Least 1 Dead And 9 Missing After Chemical Tank Rupture At Washington Plant; Iran Warns Of Retaliation, Says U.S. Violated Ceasefire; Flooding Concerns Persist As Storms Roll On Across South, Mid-Atlantic. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired May 27, 2026 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:18]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEN PAXTON (R), TEXAS U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE: The future of Texas and the future of America is on the line. And I intend to do everything I can to expand our movement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRAD SMITH, CNN HOST: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton defeats incumbent John Cornyn in the Republican U.S. Senate runoff.
And at least one person is dead and several hurt after an implosion at a paper and packaging facility in Washington state. We are following those latest developments.
Plus -- a deadly home explosion caught on camera. What police say may have led to this fire.
And --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHERYL HINES, ACTRESS: Okay, okay.
ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR., HHS SECRETARY: Are they fighting?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
HINES: Honey, honey, let him go. Oh my God.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: I'll take things you won't catch me doing for 500. That is Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., playing with snakes with his bare hands.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Brad Smith and this is CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. Glad that you're with us. Lets get this started. The power of a Trump endorsement demonstrated
again last night, this time in Texas. This is where controversial Attorney General Ken Paxton has defeated incumbent Senator John Cornyn, CNN projecting, in a GOP primary runoff election.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAXTON: I want to thank every single Texans, and I want to let them know that I want to earn your support. Tonight is not the end of a campaign. Tonight is the beginning of the fight to preserve every value we hold dear. The future of Texas and the future of America is on the line, and I intend to do everything I can to expand our movement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: After toppling Republican incumbents in Indiana, Kentucky and Louisiana, President Donald Trump got his revenge in Texas, taking out Senator Cornyn, who has represented Texas in that role for four terms.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R-TX): I've said throughout this race that I trust the voters of Texas, and they've made their decision, and I must respect it
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Cornyn's defeat sets the stage for the November midterms. A match-up between Paxton and Democrat James Talarico. Republicans say that they to make the race about Talarico and hound him on culture war issues, calling him an extreme radical.
Talarico has his own words about his Senate opponent.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES TALARICO (D), TEXAS U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE: The most corrupt politician in America just became the Republican nominee for the United States Senate. For 50 years, megadonors and their puppet politicians like Ken Paxton have stolen from us. But that ends this year.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Some observers say the Paxton-Talarico match-up could become the most expensive Senate race ever. James Talarico plans to kick off the general election cycle with a campaign rally later today in Houston.
At least one person has died, and several are still missing after a large chemical vat ruptured yesterday at a paper and packaging facility in Washington state. Officials say that the vat contained a mixture known as white liquor, which is used in the papermaking process and contains hazardous materials. Recovery operations have been delayed because some areas of the site are inaccessible due to ongoing safety concerns.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT GOLDSTEIN, CHIEF, COWLITZ 2 FIRE AND RESCUE: The tank remains unstable, creating a dangerous situation for our personnel, which has created our additional planning. Crews are actively assessing the structural integrity of that tank and working on plans to stabilize that tank before additional recovery operations can safely proceed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Rescue efforts are expected to resume this morning, and the tank may still contain roughly 90,000 gallons of white liquor. But officials say that there is no immediate threat to the public.
We have an update on the overheating chemical tank at the aerospace facility in southern California. All evacuation orders have been lifted. Fire officials say that there's no longer a threat of a catastrophic explosion from that tank.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TJ MCGOVERN, INTERIM CHIEF, ORANGE COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY: So on any big emerging incidents, there's a point you're looking for. It's called kind of when we turn the corner. And after yesterday, we did turn the corner on this event, and the key was to eliminating the threat of that levee, which we did. So right now, where were at, we still do have a fire potential and also a spill potential. So throughout the night, once again, the crews are really working on to mitigate those two scenarios.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[05:05:01]
SMITH: At its peak, 50,000 people were told to leave their homes.
And this morning, a scandal in Minnesota. The Minneapolis police chief hired to oversee reforms in the aftermath of George Floyd's killing, is resigning. Mayor Jacob Frey announced that Brian O'Hara chose to resign instead of face disciplinary action for interfering with an investigation into his conduct. O'Hara was being investigated over accusations that he was involved in intimate relationships with city employees. Those allegations were never substantiated, but the mayor says it was found that he had interfered with the probe by deleting a contact from his city-issued cell phone, and sharing details of the investigation after being told to keep it quiet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR JACOB FREY (D), MINNEAPOLIS, MN: The interference itself is a breach of trust. Because of that, I informed the chief that I would be disciplining him up to and including discharge, and he resigned. I have accepted his resignation. This is not about being intolerant of mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes, including me. But what I can't allow is a breach of trust. (END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: The city still has 17 open complaints against O'Hara and will continue investigating.
Assistant Chief Katie Blackwell will now serve as interim police chief there.
Let's go international as Iran is accusing the U.S. of violating their ceasefire as the two sides try to work towards ending the war. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is threatening to retaliate after the U.S. launched what it called self-defense strikes on Iranian missile sites and boats around the Strait of Hormuz. Iran claims that the U.S. entered its airspace and its forces struck down a drone and opened fire on an F-35 jet and another drone. In a statement, Iran's foreign ministry said the U.S. had violated the cease fire in the last two days with repeated naval harassment.
And today, President Trump is expected to convene his cabinet at the White House. The meeting comes at a high stakes moment for the U.S. war with Iran, as talks around a potential peace deal with Tehran have intensified.
CNN's Alayna Treene has more from the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Donald Trump will convene his cabinet for a meeting on Wednesday, although it's no longer going to be held at Camp David. The president announcing on Tuesday that it will actually be at the White House now because of possible bad weather.
But look, still top of mind, of course, is going to be the state of the negotiations on trying to end the war with Iran. In recent days, we've really heard a lot of optimism, both privately and publicly, from top Trump officials, even after we saw both countries, Washington and Tehran, exchange fire on Monday, something that Iran argued was a violation of the ceasefire.
But behind closed doors, official arguing that they are making a lot of progress toward what theyre calling a memorandum of understanding or some sort of framework that they are hoping to strike with Iran by the end of the week in order to end the war. So expect a lot of attention to be paid to that at the meeting on Wednesday.
Alayna Treene, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: An effort to redraw South Carolina's congressional map ahead of the midterms, has failed. Yesterday, state senators voted down a Republican backed proposal that was supported by President Trump. Some Republicans went across party lines to oppose the move, saying it was too late to change the district lines, with early voting already underway. The plan would have strengthened GOP advantages in all seven districts and made it harder for Representative Jim Clyburn to win reelection. Clyburn is the only Democratic congressman in the state.
President Trump says that he received a clean bill of health after his latest physical exam. He posted on Truth Social that everything checked out perfectly, and he thanked the staff at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. This is Trump's third physical since January of last year, when he became the oldest U.S. president ever inaugurated. And it comes just a few weeks before his 80th birthday. The White House physician is expected to release a report of the exam sometime this week.
Here's some amazing video that we wanted to show you this morning. Just take a look at that tornado tearing across the land. Thankfully, not a lot of people live there right now, but this is in Mexico. This is the twister being described as a wedge tornado, which means technically it's at least as wide as the ground that is, as it is tall. No major injuries or damages have been reported. Just remarkable video there.
Lots more to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, including this. The story behind this incredible video as a car plunges from that bridge into the flooding below. We've got the full story.
Plus -- a house exploded in the middle of a neighborhood.
[05:10:06]
Why police say that this was intentional.
And this high school senior just graduated. But what happened to him 13 years ago gained national attention as he became known as the boy in the bunker.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SMITH: A Florida judge is allowing the state's new congressional map to stay in place, at least for now. A lawsuit challenging the map will continue, but yesterday's ruling means that the new districts can be used for the upcoming midterms. Republicans could gain as many as four additional House seats while voting, and civil rights groups argue that it violates Florida's ban on partisan gerrymandering.
[05:15:08]
Meantime, a panel of federal judges is blocking Alabama's latest redistricting effort. It says a map from 2023 likely discriminates against black voters. The court is keeping in place a special master plan, but Alabama has used that more recently. The state could appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.
Well, former FBI Director James Comey's trial has been delayed, with a new date set for October 21st. Comey is charged with threatening President Trump following a social media post of seashells arranged to read "86 47", the number 86 sometimes references removing something, and Trump is the 47th American president. Comey denies those allegations, and he's expected to be arraigned in North Carolina in September. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. posted a video showing him wrangling two snakes on Dr. Oz's patio. But you remember, you might remember that this is his first brush with nature.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REPORTER: Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. shared a video of himself wrangling two snakes with his bare hands.
KENNEDY: What are they?
REPORTER: RFK, Jr. said the snakes, identified as black racers, were spotted on the patio of Dr. Mehmet Oz, who leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
HINES: Okay, okay.
KENNEDY: Are they fighting?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
HINES: Honey, honey, let him go. Oh my God.
REPORTER: Kennedy has posted videos of snake wrangling before.
KENNEDY: His anger in there. I don't want to touch them.
REPORTER: In one video, capturing a rattlesnake in a driveway and later releasing it, the former environmental lawyer has faced scrutiny over his encounters involving wild animals. In 2024, Kennedy admitted that he dumped a dead bear cub in New York's Central Park a decade prior, a story that sparked national headlines shortly before he dropped his independent bid for president.
KENNEDY: I said, let's go put the bear in Central Park and we'll make it look like he got hit by a bike.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: Clearly not his first run in there.
Still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, flooding and more flooding. Some areas could see severe storms in just a few hours. We'll take a look at where it's headed.
And K-pop superstars BTS have a new collab with Oreo. You got to wait to hear about this one.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:22:00]
SMITH: According to the World Health Organization, the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has now killed at least 220 people. Health workers have voiced concerns over equipment shortages and attacks on treatment facilities. The WHO and 55 humanitarian partners are reportedly providing essential health services across the affected areas in Central Africa, but officials are also calling on the public to help limit the spread.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ROBERT UNENU, PRESIDENT, ITURI MEDICAL ASSOCIATION: The epidemic is here and to avoid this epidemic, the first thing is to break the chain. Transmission must be broken. As soon as we break the chain, we can manage the epidemic. But if people keep thinking this epidemic does not exist with everything that is happening, then it is hopeless.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: On Tuesday, a United Nations spokesperson announced that the WHO director general was headed to the Democratic Republic of Congo to assess the growing crisis firsthand.
In today's weather express, more rain and thunderstorms are expected for the south today, as parts of which are already dealing with floods.
Here's CNN's Derek Van Dam with your forecast.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: For many of us across the Southeast, our weather pattern remains unchanged. A lot of heat and humidity to build those afternoon showers and thunderstorms once again today. This stalled out frontal boundary will act to serve as that boundary to fuel some stronger thunderstorms throughout the mid- Atlantic.
So heads up if you live in and around the D.C. area, perhaps Virginia Beach cold front to the north will actually cool our temperatures somewhat throughout northern New England and the western parts of the U.S., dominated by heat over the great basin, but slightly cooler temperatures right along the western coastline.
Focusing in on the eastern two thirds of the country, we've got a wash, rinse and repeat type weather pattern once again, daytime and afternoon thunderstorms popping up throughout the Southeast. They could produce another one to two inches locally. Higher amounts there, of course, is the risk still of localized flash flooding, with all the rain we've experienced lately and the additional rainfall that will fall from the skies here through the end of the workweek. Talking about temperatures, though, hot and sticky in Atlanta, 84; 80 degrees for Washington. Look at Boston at 86.
But I talked about that cold front. Well, watch how that kind of cools the temperatures here as we head into the early parts of the weekend. I think we'll see a marked temperature difference as we head into Thursday and Friday of this week. Similar conditions, but slightly warmer near New York City and then towards the nation's capital will top out near 80 degrees for the rest of the week.
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: All right. Thank you, Derek.
Straight ahead on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS and one of the most high profile primary races, Senator John Cornyn, saw a major defeat to Trump-backed challenger Ken Paxton in Texas. What Cornyn is now saying about the race and a move by the Supreme Court has a big effect on the NFL and racial discrimination allegations. All that coming your way.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SMITH: It's half past the hour. Let's hit the refresh button on our top stories. At least one person has died and several are missing after a large chemical vat ruptured at a paper and packaging facility in Washington state. Rescue teams are working to stabilize the tank before they continue their recovery efforts.
And Iran is accusing the United States of violating the fragile cease fire, threatening to retaliate after the U.S. launched strikes on Iranian ships around the Strait of Hormuz.
