Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Event/Special
CNN Headlines: Scorching Heat Sets In Across U.S. Ahead Of The July 4th Holiday; Searches For Survivors Continue As The Death Toll Rises in Venezuela; Sources: Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce's Wedding Festivities Set To Begin Today. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired July 02, 2026 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL)
[05:30:45]
BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: It is half past the hour. Let's hit the refresh button on our top stories.
Indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran are yielding positive progress. That's according to a Qatari official. Mediators from Qatar and Pakistan are holding separate meetings with both sides -- Wednesday, they held those meetings. The official said that both delegations agreed to continue with discussions on the memorandum of understanding that the U.S. and Iran signed a couple of weeks ago.
And a new twist in the case of Nancy Guthrie, the missing mom of "TODAY" show host Savannah Guthrie. The FBI confirming that some of the ransom notes are fakes. Investigators saying that they were extortion attempts -- and still, others may be authentic and are being looked into. Guthrie vanished back in February.
And searing heat settling in as millions get ready to celebrate America's 250th birthday. Nearly half of all Americans, about 150 million people, under heat alerts this week. Some places are setting up cooling centers to help people cope.
CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar has more for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLISON CHINCHAR, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Roughly one out of every two Americans is under some type of heat alert over the next few days as those temperatures are expected to soar across the eastern half of the country.
Look at some of these temperatures. Note this is not the heat index; this is the actual air temperature. Washington, D.C., Thursday, all the way through Saturday -- that temperature is expected to be in the triple digits. And while we do dip back a little bit Sunday, 97 is still well above their average for this time of year. Same thing for Raleigh, Atlanta, Nashville, all looking at those temperatures roughly 10 to 20 degrees above where they normally would be. And it's not just the afternoon high temperatures that are a concern
but also the morning low temperatures. In many of these areas they are only going to drop down to the 80s at the absolute coolest. That does not allow the body enough time to recuperate from the heat before the temperatures start to go back up again in the afternoon, especially across places like New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia -- all looking at least a couple of days to have those overnight low temperatures into the low 80s.
Again, when you look forward over the next few days you've got a lot of these areas in that purple color showing the extreme heat risk, meaning they have an increased risk for things such as heat exhaustion as well as heat stroke.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: All right. Thank you, Allison.
Well, the massive heat wave expected in the nation's capital won't deter President Trump. He says he's planning to give a really long speech despite the expected triple-digit heat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: On July Fourth, it's going to be approximately 107 degrees out and I'm going to go and I'm going to make a really long speech just to show that I can do anything. It's going to be 107.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: The air conditioning stopped working in several booths at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall yesterday. Maryland's booth posted a sign saying it was temporarily closed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my God.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Wow, just not a good scene anytime of year but right before the Fourth of July those same dry, windy conditions that are fueling dozens of devastating wildfires in Colorado and Utah also pose a danger to would-be fireworks users. That is leading to some bans throughout that region, and even sanctioned shows are getting called off.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KRIS COOPER, FIRE MARSHAL: All fireworks are illegal within the city of Colorado Springs. Let me be clear on that -- all fireworks. If you have to light it, if it flies, if it explodes, sparklers fountains -- it doesn't matter. They're illegal in Colorado Springs.
(END VIDEO CLIP) SMITH: Colorado Springs isn't alone either. Nearby Canon City also canceled its show. And Utah has imposed sweeping restrictions ahead of America's 250th birthday.
Rescue crews in Venezuela -- they're still racing to save a 44-year- old security guard who has been trapped beneath a collapsed shopping mall parking garage for more than a week. International teams have made contact with him and are providing food, water, and air as they work through unstable rubble.
[05:35:05]
The effort comes as the death toll from the twin earthquakes climbs to nearly 2,300.
Sherrell Hubbard has the latest on the effort.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHERRELL HUBBARD, CNN REPORTER (voiceover): A U.S. search and rescue crew used heavy equipment to work through what they referred to as pancake structures Wednesday. They are hoping to make live rescues despite the passage of one week since the twin earthquakes hit and despite tens of thousands of people being feared dead.
JOHN MORRISON, SPOKESPERSON, FAIRFAX COUNTY, VIRGINIA URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE: What we're doing with now is working with heavy equipment operators that are locally here with some of our heavy rigors to delayer parts of the structure to remove some of the top layers so that we can get into those void spaces quicker.
HUBBARD (voiceover): A Virginia-based search and rescue team seemingly fairing better than locals on the ground who are scouring collapsed buildings by hand or with small tools. Some of the Venezuelan government's heavy-duty equipment stands idly by because it has no fuel to run on. The Fairfax County Urban Search and Rescue team described their efforts with the machinery as both methodical and deliberate. But John Morrison, with the group, acknowledged the time crunch on the ground.
MORRISON: It's been an overwhelmingly positive feeling when we make a rescue. There's -- everybody sort of, you know, high fives and celebrates for just a few minutes and then it's back to work right after that.
HUBBARD (voiceover): From Tuesday to Wednesday the death toll rose by approximately 350 people, up to nearly 2,300 dead. The United Nations said Monday that authorities are procuring 10,000 body bags in anticipation of finding more people dead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know that we have still been finding people alive in these buildings, so I'm not ready to give up yet.
HUBBARD (voiceover): I'm Sherrell Hubbard reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE) SMITH: Thank you, Sherrell.
Well, President Trump is shrugging off questions about the fortune that he's made while in office. This comes after financial disclosures revealed that he made more than $2 billion last year alone when he returned to the presidency. More than a billion of that total came from his cryptocurrency ventures. Other lesser sources of income reportedly included legal settlements, branding deals, and his golf properties.
Yesterday he brushed off concern that he is profiting off the presidency.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: Mr. President, your financial disclosures show that you had a very lucrative year last year. What message does this send to average Americans, especially those who may be struggling now financially?
TRUMP: Well, I can -- you know, I don't get involved in my personal -- we have funds that run my money.
REPORTER: To critics who say you're profiting off the presidency, Mr. --
TRUMP: Well, you know why I'm profiting, because the stock market is going up. Everybody's profiting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Now, after sales of those crypto products and meme coins that netted Trump billions, the value of those products plummeted.
We told you about the couple that climbed the Empire State Building but now we want to show you the point of view of the officers who had to go get them. They climbed to the very top of the more than 1,400- foot building and the New York Police Department shared the bodycam video of the officers who were forced to climb up to handcuff the suspects.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POLICE OFFICER 1: How you doing? Well, you can't be up here.
ANGELA NIKOLAU, CLIMBED EMPIRE STATE BUILDING: (INAUDIBLE).
POLICE OFFICER 1: What?
NIKOLAU: (INAUDIBLE).
POLICE OFFICER 1: All right. All right.
NIKOLAU: Yeah, I'm OK. Yeah.
POLICE OFFICER 1: Give me this. You guys going to be cooperative? Oh, (INAUDIBLE), you on? All right, bring her to the other side.
POLICE OFFICER 2: It's open over there.
POLICE OFFICER 1: Just bring her over there so he can come down --
POLICE OFFICER 2: Just so you --
POLICE OFFICER 1: -- before he goes back up.
What language do you guys speak?
NIKOLAU: Russian.
IVAN KUZNETSOV, CLIMBED EMPIRE STATE BUILDING: Russian.
POLICE OFFICER 1: All right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: And it gave air traffic control a bit of a lapse since the pair was so high up. This is a snippet of the conversation that they had with the helicopter pilot.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Yeah, what's all the hoopla going on over there?
HELICOPTER PILOT: Two geniuses climbed to the top of the Empire State Building at the top of the spire. It's a male and female dressed in black. They had some flag they were waving when they were up at the top. And he just proposed to her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: A thick New York accent there.
Police say that they are facing several charges, including criminal mischief.
But this wasn't their first time. The pair post about climbing buildings on their social media and they have a post promoting a Netflix documentary that describes the couple as "daredevil influencers who risk their romance, freedom, and lives to climb a mega skyscraper."
It's time for Buzz Express, the stories that have people talking.
First up, you know it had to be T. Swift's big wedding and sources are now revealing new details about it and the massive celebration.
[05:40:02]
Here's CNN's Brynn Gingras with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): The Easter eggs keep dropping all across New York City.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel so excited.
GINGRAS (voiceover): Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are expected to tie the knot in Madison Square Garden with a rehearsal planned for Thursday, a source tells CNN. It's being held in the theater section of MSG. Roughly 100 people are expected to attend.
And then Friday, the main event. A source tells CNN the wedding is expected to take place on the arena floor at 5:30 with a party lasting into the morning hours.
Preparations for the two-day event underway as workers -- this one spotted wearing a Swift carpenter's t-shirt -- working through the night to transform the iconic venue into what reportedly will be a garden wonderland.
Tarps have been put up at MSG's loading dock. Trucks are being parked in precarious ways. A tent is expected to be erected soon. And sources tell CNN 500 vehicles are expected to drop off wedding guests inside the world's most famous arena all out of the view of the public eye.
GINGRAS: What are you so excited about for Taylor?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to see what it's going to look like on the inside. Like, I never pictured a wedding being at MSG ever because there's no natural lighting and stuff. So I'm very curious of what it's going to look like and how they're going to decorate. I'm sure it's very over the top. (INAUDIBLE) unlimited, so --
STEVIE NICKS, SINGER-SONGWRITER: Hi. How are you?
GINGRAS (voiceover): Stevie Nicks expected to perform, according to published reports, in front of roughly 8,000 guests. Among them we know will be San Francisco 49ers star and Kelce friend George Kittle.
GEORGE KITTLE, TIGHT END, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: Yeah, we'll be there.
CLAIRE KITTLE, GEORGE KITTLE'S WIFE: We'll be there -- yes.
G. KITTLE: I'll be there. I'm wearing a blue suit so that's all I got.
C. KITTLE: He is, yeah.
G. KITTLE: I'm half expecting there to be a jumbo jet on a runway and they put us on a plane somewhere.
GINGRAS (voiceover): The New York Times reports it will be a black-tie affair and no phones or cameras are allowed inside.
It appears Taylor may already be in town. Her private plane arrived at a nearby airport Wednesday.
The future Mrs. Kelce's big day is happening in the midst of New York City's summer madness -- the World Cup, the Knicks recent championship win, a heat wave, and oh, celebrations for America turning 250. Security is expected to ramp up in Midtown.
JESSICA TISCH, NYPD POLICE COMMISSIONER: The NYPD will, of course, have a detail in place but I am not going to go into more specifics on that.
GINGRAS (voiceover): As for the Swifties, no doubt they will continue looking for clues. Many of them already gathering outside MSG.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If I was having the biggest wedding of the century, I would do the same. I'd want to pack as many of my close, cool, famous friends in as possible. Why not have everybody in the most famous arena? Hello?
GINGRAS: And if you're wondering why someone who can literally get married anywhere in the world chose Madison Square Garden as the likely venue -- well, it is infamously secure. There are no windows in this building. As I mentioned, there are underground tunnels and garages where we're learning guests will be going in and out of, so they're undetected by the paparazzi. And we are also learning now that the police may shut down the streets around Madison Square Garden for the next two days while these events are happening.
Brynn Gingras, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: Well, next up on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, a BB gun, teens, and a social media prank gone horribly wrong. What police are saying about the incident that landed at least one person in jail.
And why Pope Leo is excommunicating a group of rebel Catholic priests. We'll explain what's going on straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL)
[05:48:00]
SMITH: A developing story this morning. Explosions have been rocking Kyiv after Russia launched an overnight attack in Ukraine. Ukraine says the Kremlin fired a barrage of drones and ballistic missiles killing more than a dozen people and injuring at least 86 others.
Many people took shelter in underground metro stations. The mayor of Kyiv says a nine-story building was destroyed leaving people trapped beneath the rubble.
Ukraine's Air Force said that Russia launched nearly 500 drones and more than 70 missiles towards the country. The strikes come after Ukraine carried out a series of drone attacks deep inside Russia in recent weeks.
Let's stay international and see what else is making headlines around the globe. This morning the Vatican announced that priests and members of a breakaway Catholic group have been excommunicated. The breakaway group of traditionalist Catholics ordained four bishops without the pope's approval. Thousands attended the ordinations in Switzerland on Wednesday performed by the Society of Saint Pius X. Earlier this week Pope Leo warned that the ordinations would be "sin of extreme gravity."
And in Canada a newly-released report indicates that an 11-year-old boy died from rabies in 2024 after he woke up with a bat on his face. The incident was made public in the Canadian Medical Association Journal and according to the report, the family did not seek immediate medical attention for the child since they did not see any bite marks. The publication goes on to say that the child experienced numbness three weeks later and then his condition quickly deteriorated. The rabies diagnosis was later confirmed at the hospital and two weeks later the boy died.
[05:50:00]
In South Africa more than 900 people have been arrested during anti- migrant protests after groups set a Tuesday deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country. According to authorities, most of the 120 demonstrations yesterday were peaceful but as you can see from the smoke and flames in Johannesburg, about a dozen protests -- they turned violent, prompting a police response. Looting was also reported in some areas.
A volcano in the Philippines put on quite a show blasting ash and steam nearly as high as three Empire State Buildings.
CNN's Chris Warren has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS WARREN, AMS METEOROLOGIST (voiceover): Dark ash and steam burst from a Taal volcano Tuesday in the Philippines. Three explosive pulses shot skyward from Taal's main crater, which sits inside a lake of the same name on Luzon Island about 1,000 feet above sea level. The crater itself contains a lake and a small mass of land called Vulcan Point, so Vulcan Point is sometimes described as an island within a lake within an island within a lake within an island.
Tuesday's plumes rose about 4,000 feet into the air. The eruption lasted about 4 1/2 minutes in the volcano, which is also a U.N. heritage site. The volcano remains at alert level one.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: Fascinating. Thank you, Chris.
And still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, expensive bones here. This dinosaur fossil expected to fetch some $30 million. Where you can see it, coming up.
And take a look at this new Barbie. Can you guess which superstar singer this is? One hint -- she's a wrecking ball.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL)
[05:56:00]
SMITH: In today's Money Express, as a powerful heat wave bares down on much of the eastern U.S. this week, the nation's largest electric grid is warning that power demand could hit record highs.
Let's go to Maribel Aber for more details. Maribel, what's going on here?
MARIBEL ABER, CNN CORRESPONDENT, MONEY MATTERS: Brad, it's getting hot in here. The Energy Department is helping a major power grid operator keep the lights on during this heat wave. It's temporarily suspending some environmental restrictions that limit power from fossil fuel plants. PJM is not a utility itself, but it coordinates power transmission in 13 states from North Carolina to Delaware. The company expects electricity demand to peak as customers crank up air conditioners to battle the heat.
You know, it turns out mom was right. The sell-by date on food doesn't mean food is no longer safe to eat. California is clearing up the confusion by banning sell-by dates on food labels. Those dates were meant for retailers telling stores when to pull products from shelves. Instead, food sold in California will carry labels that better indicate when it's no longer safe for consumers to use.
A new Barbie is coming in like a wrecking ball. Mattel has released a new doll inspired by popstar Miley Cyrus. It's modeled after her look from the "Golden Burning Sun" video featuring faux leather, sunglasses, and black pumps. The signature edition doll is available online through Mattel, Amazon, Target, and Walmart.
Brad, now this Barbie is definitely no Hannah Montana. She's full on grown up rock and roll Miley.
SMITH: Yeah. Not everybody just has that straight ascension into getting their own Barbie. It truly is the climb, Maribel.
ABER: Yeah.
SMITH: Thank you.
ABER: Yes.
SMITH: Let's get a check in on other stories making news across the country.
We start in Alabama. That's where investigators believe a man accused of killing his girlfriend died of a heart attack while trying to dump her body. Authorities say 44-year-old Daniel Robbins strangled 47- year-old Jessica Folds before driving to the woods in Lanett. Last month, deputies found both bodies beside a pickup truck with its headlights still on. Investigators say a drag path suggests Robbins was moving the woman's body when he died. According to his ex-wife, Robbins had a preexisting heart condition.
And in Florida, a prank involving an Orbeez toy gun quicky went wrong. A group of teens shot at a man's car and then they ended up being held at gunpoint.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POLICE OFFICER: Why are we pointing guns at kids?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because they were --
POLICE OFFICER: Where's the other kid? Well, we got notice that is was a BB gun. Where's you -- where's your firearm?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On my side.
POLICE OFFICER: All right. Turn around, turn around. I'm taking it for now for safety.
Why were you guys shooting an Orbeez gun at cars?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, not all cars cause we thought it was our friend.
POLICE OFFICER: Because you thought it was your friend?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cause you know -- you know the senior game when you have, like, a water gun and you shoot -- and you shoot your friend with a water gun and they're out of the game so they can't play no more?
POLICE OFFICER: No, I haven't seen it. So you thought they were your friend?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, cause our friend has the exact same Toyota.
POLICE OFFICER: Sarge.
POLICE OFFICER: And those are the beads?
POLICE OFFICER: This is what they were shooting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: The man and one of the teenagers ended up getting arrested. Police are warning the public to not follow this social media trend and that pranks involving toy guns can lead to dangerous reactions and criminal charges.
Let's take you to Milwaukee. That's where a massive mural of NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo was vandalized. He was traded from the Bucks to the Miami Heat last month. The tagging on the mural was blurred but you can still see the message "I will miss you" at the bottom. The mural has already been fully repaired by the original artist. And in New York, this 40-foot T. Rex skeleton named "Gus" is expected to go for more than $30 million at auction. He's around 70 million years old and one of the largest, most complete T. Rex fossils ever discovered. So if you have some money to burn, Gus is going to be up for sale at Sotheby's on July 14.
[06:00:00]
And check out this drone video showing the American flag mowed onto a lawn at Utah State University. Landscaping crews were seen mapping out the design and then mowing. The project -- get this -- it took about 20 people and 150 hours to finish. If I ever took that long on any mowing job, I'd be out of my landscaping business in high school.
That does it for us here on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. I'm Brad Smith. "CNN THIS MORNING WITH AUDIE CORNISH" starts right now.
