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Iran Says It Responded to U.S. Criticisms of 14-Point Peace Plan; Rare High-End Tornado Threat Issued for Central U.S.; Judge Says, Mangione Prosecutors Can Use Alleged Murder Weapon, Notebook. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired May 18, 2026 - 10:00   ET

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

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[10:00:00]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, peak severe weather threat. The system that spawned tornadoes leaving a trail of destruction in Nebraska now is moving east, and we are tracking it all for you in the CNN Weather Center.

Plus, Ebola emergency, the global scramble to contain the new outbreak in Africa.

And first here in The Situation Room, the head of Volvo one-on-one and the one thing he says is the future for cars.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And happening now, President Trump's latest threats against Iran, as new polling shows that two-thirds of Americans disapprove of his handling of the war.

Plus, midair scare, the investigation now underway after two U.S. Navy fighter jets collide at an air show.

And questions about blurring the lines between church and state, why a prayer event on the National Mall is facing scrutiny.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer with Pamela Brown, and you're in The Situation Room.

Happening now, tensions are dramatically ratcheting up between the U.S. and Iran as the very fragile ceasefire holds, at least for now. Today, Tehran says it has responded to Washington's criticisms of its latest plan, but a major sticking point remains. Iran is demanding an end to the war before negotiating its nuclear program.

This morning, Iran's Foreign Ministry said, and I'm quoting now, at this stage, we have not discussed details concerning nuclear matters. For now, the entire focus is on bringing the war to an end, end quote.

President Trump, meanwhile, is lashing out at the stalled peace efforts and issuing new threats. He said this, and I'm quoting him, for Iran, the clock is ticking, and they better get moving fast, or they won't be anything left. There won't be anything left of them. Time is of the essence, end quote. Let's go live right now to CNN Senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak. Kevin, what's the latest you're learning over there?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. And it's clear, I think when you talk to officials here, Wolf, that the president is nearing a decision point on the future in the war in Iran. You know, this latest response from the Iranians, it's evidence that the diplomacy continues to grind forward. But the president is growing impatient. That's according to officials at the pace of these talks. He's frustrated that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, and he still has questions about who exactly is in charge in Tehran that will sign off on any deal.

That's part of why the president is continuing to discuss with his advisers potentially restarting the military campaign inside Iran. He met over the weekend at his golf course in Virginia with senior national security officials. We understand that that group will convene again early this week to discuss potentially resuming the war there. And this message that the president sent, you know, saying that the clock is ticking, that the Iranians better get moving, I think, is just the latest example of the president's impatience to try and get a deal here.

Now, the president, I think, is eager for this war to be resolved. Obviously, you've seen gas prices rising as a result of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and the war is becoming more and more unpopular. In a poll from The New York Times today, when they asked whether Americans supported the president's decision to go to war with Iran, 30 percent said it was the right decision, but a whopping 64 percent said it was a wrong decision.

When it comes to the president's approval ratings on the war in Iran, similarly negative numbers, 31 percent said that they approve, 65 percent said they disapprove, I think leading to more evidence of why the president may be eager to get this conflict over with.

There are differing views inside the administration. You have one subset who want an aggressive restart of the military campaign there to try and get Iran to the negotiating table. You also have those who are encouraging diplomacy. And I think all of it leading up to quite a critical decision that is now in front of the president.

[10:05:04]

Wolf?

BLITZER: Lots of tension. All right, Kevin Liptak, thank you very much. Pamela?

BROWN: And, Wolf, happening now, an investigation is underway after two Navy fighter jets collided during an air show in Idaho. Look at this. This is the moment it all happened yesterday at Mountain Home Air Force Base. Officials say all four crew members fortunately ejected safely using a parachute, and they're doing just fine this morning. But let's bring in CNN Aviation Correspondent Pete Muntean here in The Situation Room. It's incredible that they're all okay after this, but how does something like this even happen?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: That will be the work of investigators now, although this is a Navy investigation, and those proceedings typically aren't done in public. So we may not know the outcome of this investigation. The best possible news here, though, four parachutes, meaning four successful ejections.

The latest from Mountain Home Air Force Base is that all four crew members are in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries, especially good news because of the extreme forces typically associated with ejecting from a fighter jet.

This video shows the two Navy jets in formation when the wingman appears to descend into the lead aircraft. The two planes then pitch up together. The crew of two in each jet ejected nearly simultaneously. Aircraft wreckage came down about two miles from the base according to base officials, started a small fire, which was put out quickly. Nobody on the ground injured.

These airplanes are Boeing E/A-18G Growlers. That is a two-seat electronic warfare version of the FA-18 Super Hornet. The Navy says these airplanes were from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington State. They're known as the Navy's Growler Demo Team.

It appears from a post on Instagram that this was their first show of the air show season this year. The Navy now says this incident is under investigation, although this is typically done, again, behind closed doors, the results not always made public, like the civilian proceedings of an NTSB investigation.

Of course, some online already wondering whether this demonstration team will fly again. Air show flying brings very unique risks. Low to the ground, high speed, very little margin for error. The pilots are typically the best of the best, and formation flying adds even more risk. Investigators will want to know whether the wingman lost sight of the lead aircraft.

These airplanes are designed to give pilots excellent visibility in the battlefield environment, but like any aircraft, they still have blind spots, not unlike the blind spots in your car. By the way, Mountain Home Air Force Base was the site of another Air Force successful ejection and crash by the United States Air Force Thunderbirds back in 2003. Thankfully, that pilot was also okay, ejecting from the number six aircraft in that formation team.

BROWN: Quite a history there. All right, Pete Muntean, thanks so much. Wolf?

BLITZER: And there's more news happening now. The cruise ship at the center of the deadly hantavirus outbreak is in the Netherlands, where the ship will undergo full biomedical cleaning. Dutch officials say the 25 crew members and two medical workers still on board will disembark in staggered groups before heading into quarantine. But there is an urgent race right now to contain a now fast-moving outbreak in Central Africa, Ebola. So far, the crisis is centered in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring Uganda. Authorities are tracking more than 300 suspected cases. More than 100 people have already died. And now the CDC says a small number of Americans may have been exposed. What's especially alarming, there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment for the strain behind this outbreak.

Let's go live right now to CNN Medical Correspondent Meg Tirrell. Meg, I understand the World Health Organization has declared this outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Just how serious is this?

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf. Well, it's gotten quite large before it was really brought to the world's attention. And so this is one of the larger outbreaks we've seen, but not nearly approaching the largest Ebola outbreaks we've seen in history. As you noted, more than 300 suspected cases right now. We just heard updates this morning from Africa's CDC that there are more than 105 suspected deaths associated with this outbreak, 10 confirmed cases.

This is, as you noted, centered in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in the northeastern part of that country, Ituri Province. There are also two cases that have been detected in Uganda, including one death there in travelers who came from DRC across the border.

Now, as you noted, this has been declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization, and that is a pretty big deal. That means essentially that this is considered an extraordinary situation where there is possibility for international implications, and possibly requiring international coordination.

Previous declarations like this include the H1N1 2009 flu pandemic, the previous outbreak of Ebola in 2014 to 2016, which was the largest on record, and some additional Ebola outbreaks, the Zika virus, and of course the COVID-19 pandemic. That's not an exhaustive list, but it shows you essentially what this declaration is intended to show.

[10:10:04]

Wolf?

BLITZER: What's the CDC, Meg, saying about the risk to Americans right now and its own response for that matter?

TIRRELL: The CDC says the risk to the U.S. right now remains low. However, we are seeing some travel notices going into effect, including from the State Department, which has a stronger recommendation right now against travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo for Americans than the CDC does. It's a level four recommendation essentially saying, do not travel to DRC right now.

Now, the CDC also says that it has offices in country in DRC and in Uganda where they are trying to help on the ground. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right. Meg Tirrell reporting for us, thank you very, very much. Pamela?

BROWN: All right, Wolf. Still ahead, severe weather alert, millions of Americans under threat. We are tracking new potential for tornadoes in the Midwest.

BLITZER: And an Australian climber survives a massive avalanche on Mount Everest. The heart-stopping video just ahead.

Stay with us. You're in The Situation Room.

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[10:15:00]

BLITZER: Happening now, the Storm Prediction Center issuing a very rare level four of five risk for severe thunderstorms in parts of Kansas and Nebraska this morning after severe weather slammed parts of the Midwest on Sunday. This incredible video, take a look, shot by a driver on the highway, shows a massive tornado in Palmer, Nebraska. Several homes and buildings were destroyed after a tornado tore through the area.

BROWN: So, let's go live now to CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam in the CNN Weather Center. Derek, officials are issuing this rare high- end tornado threat for the Central U.S. What are the highest risk areas?

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. So, today, we're peaking this multi-day severe weather threat with our greatest potential of intense to strong tornadoes. This is what happened yesterday in Nebraska. There were reports of homes that were completely wiped off of their slab. You can see the damage.

The setup here is classic. The central parts of the U.S., the collision of two different air masses, here we go again. We've got a level four of five, but I'm going to highlight this area across portions of Kansas into Nebraska. Strong tornadoes, large hail, size of a softball falling from the sky, and damaging winds.

And you can see how this evolves throughout the course of the day today. Some of these discrete super cells that will form after we get the daytime heating from the sun, they erupt through the evening hours and into the dark hours tonight after sunset, and they march eastward.

Here's our greatest risk of EF-3 tornadoes or greater, this hatched area, so heads up, Wichita to Topeka. But we can't forget about the severe weather and tornado threat further to the north and east, including Des Moines, Chicago, and Grand Rapids.

And on top of that, we have the potential for fire spread. That extremely critical fire weather will be hindered by a cold front that will sweep eastward and change the direction of the wind dramatically overnight, putting new forward flanks on these fires. So, very dangerous for the firefighters battling blazes on the ground. Pamela?

BROWN: All right, and I want to also talk about this brand-new CNN weather app that people can go to to follow what's happening. Give us a preview.

VAN DAM: Yes. I'm incredibly excited and honored to be able to show this. We've been working behind the scenes for the past year on this app, and it is beautifully simple to use, and it's going to complement our T.V. coverage just wonderfully. Look at this app right here on the screen behind me, and you can just see the visually stunning detail. That will be matched with really creative storytelling like only CNN can.

And what's really going to set this app apart from other weather apps is our team of experts. The meteorologists here are going to guide you through severe weather outbreaks when it matters most. So, that means expert coverage when it matters by a team of meteorologists.

This is incredible, too, as we scroll down on this, what's called in the Event Hub. You see that confidence monitor there? That actually gives you an idea of how we are feeling about today's severe weather outbreak, which you can see is actually high confidence in what we believe will actually take place.

Now, there's a lot of detail here. And if you want to go past the forecast, you have that option, too. Look at these beautiful pictures. The visualization's going to be matched with incredible storytelling. And, of course, if you want to get detailed about the individual day's forecast, you have all the weather parameters that you need to plan your day. We can break down the hourly forecast minute-by-minute with every single weather parameter that you require. And that is what's critical about this, because we need this information to be able to plan our afternoon.

And you can even take it one step further. Comprehensive radar across the country, that is going to allow you to plan your day without having too many surprises as severe weather continues to roll on across the country.

Pam, Wolf, this is like having a meteorologist in your pocket. We're really thrilled to be showing this to you. It's available for download right now in the Apple App Store.

BLITZER: And they can do that just by going online and checking it out. That's really, really important, especially if you like to follow weather, as I do.

BROWN: As you do, exactly.

BLITZER: All right. Derek Van Dam, thank you very, very much.

VAN DAM: You got it. And coming up here in The Situation Room, breaking news in the Luigi Mangione case, what the judge just ruled about key evidence, up next.

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[10:20:00]

BROWN: Breaking news, a judge has ruled that prosecutors in the Luigi Mangione murder case can use the alleged murder weapon and a notebook that they recovered during his arrest as evidence in his trial.

So, let's go live now to CNN's Kara Scannell. What more are you learning there from the court today, Kara?

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pamela, this hearing just wrapped. It was relatively brief. Mangione was in there shackled dressed in a suit, but his hands were shackled together.

This was a key ruling in this case, and it came after the suppression hearings occurred in December, the judge saying that the search of Mangione's backpack at the McDonald's was illegal, and so certain items there are out.

But the key evidence in this case, the alleged murder weapon and handwriting diaries of Mangione, are in. How the judge broke this down, he said that the search at the McDonald's did not get in -- it was not exigent circumstances.

[10:25:01]

There was no public safety risk involved. There was no concern that he could reach into the backpack since the officers had moved it far away from them.

And within that search, which is not allowed to come into trial, they found the magazine of the bullets. They also found the -- his cellphone, his passport, a wallet, and a computer chip. So, none of that evidence can come in. But all the material that was recovered when the backpack was searched back at the station, the judge said that was a legal search.

They conducted it pursuant to the Altoona Police Department's procedures handling an inventory search. So, that means that the gun, the handwriting, so where Mangione had written about his frustrations with the healthcare industry, that he wanted to target insurance, that he said he was going to look at the bean counters. You know, he's accused of gunning down the UnitedHealthcare CEO just outside of the hotel in Manhattan where they were holding their annual investor conference. That information, those pieces of evidence can come in.

The other big question here related to the statements that Mangione had made. His lawyers had said that they were done without his warnings of Miranda warning, the right to remain silent. The judge essentially found that there are really only two answers to questions that will not be allowed the jury to hear, and that was when Mangione was asked why he had lied about his identity and why he had a fake I.D. on him.

But all the other statements that Mangione made, the judge said, were spontaneous. They were not in response to law enforcement questions, and that included conversations he had with corrections officers once he was in custody, where he had asked about the trial, how it was being -- excuse me, how the shooting was being covered in the media, how it was being covered by social media versus mainstream media, and other statements he had made to those officials. So, those statements are allowed to go in for the trial. But the key headline here is that the alleged murder weapon and the handwriting of the diaries, those are in, those will go before the jury when this goes to trial in September. Pam?

BROWN: All right.

BLITZER: Kara, I want you to stand by. I want to bring in CNN Legal Analyst Joey Jackson.

Joey, so what's your assessment? How is all of this going to impact the case?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes. So, it's important to note, and good to be with you all, that, certainly, the suppression hearing is very valuable. We defense attorneys are constantly looking to throw out evidence. And to the extent that you can get that done successfully, it boosts your argument. But let's remember as we're looking at the evidence, even if the ruling would've gone the other way, there's a lot more.

It's important for everyone to understand that a suppression hearing doesn't mean that the case itself is suppressed. It means that evidence that's relevant and very important to the case is suppressed. And as Kara noted, that's not going to be the case with respect to suppressing, getting rid of, getting out of the jury's consideration valuable evidence, the red notebook, right, the gun itself and other information in that backpack.

So, my assessment is, certainly, it would've been a better path for the defense if the evidence were suppressed, but there's also a lot else. Like what? Like they have DNA evidence of the particular shooter, Mangione, at the scene on a wrapper and on a cereal bar, like they have surveillance video that tracked his movements with regard to him plotting and planning to do this, like they have the video, not only the video we're seeing there, but the actual video of the shooting.

And so there's a lot of other compelling evidence that's going to be introduced, but we now know, in addition to that other compelling evidence that I've just summarized, they also have, that is prosecutors, the ability to introduce this evidence, the weapon, the silencer, the red notebook, et cetera, the contents of that backpack, and I suspect it'll affect the case from a prosecution's perspective in a very favorable way. They just like to see that, and I think as a result of this ruling, they absolutely will.

BROWN: All right. Kara Scannell, Joey Jackson, thank you both. Wolf?

BLITZER: Important developments, indeed.

And just ahead, breaking news, President Trump is now dropping, yes, dropping his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS. What this means for a potential legal compensation fund in the works for administration allies.

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