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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
CNN International: U.S. and Iran Signal Progress in Negotiations to End War; Trump Links Abraham Accords to Potential Iran Deal; Trump Urges Multiple Countries to Sign Abraham Accords; Russia Warns Foreign Citizens to Leave Kyiv; Russia Fires Nuclear-Capable Hypersonic Missile at Kyiv; AAA: Memorial Day Fuel Prices Highest Since 2022; Tech Startup Teaching A.I. to Fly Airplanes; Sheinbaum Says Iranian Football Team Can Stay in Mexico. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired May 25, 2026 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Lynda Kinkade in Atlanta. Jim is off today.
Good to have you with us. You are watching "The Brief."
Just ahead this hour, U.S. officials say a deal with Iran is being held up over the language on their nuclear program. As talks to end the war and
reopen the Strait of Hormuz hang in the balance. Russia says it will launch a series of systematic strikes against Ukraine and is warning foreign
citizens to leave Kyiv. Mexican president says the Iranian football team can stay in her country for the World Cup.
We begin with the peace negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. American officials say the two sides are working to resolve disputes over the
specific language that surrounds Tehran's nuclear program and sanctions relief.
President Trump honored U.S. service members at an event commemorating Memorial Day today, including the 13 lost during the Iran War, and spoke
about Iran's nuclear program.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: In Operation Epic Fury, we lost 13 wonderful souls, wonderful special people. These incredible men and women gave their
lives to ensure that the world's number one state sponsor of terror will never have a nuclear weapon. Oh, and they won't. They will never have a
nuclear weapon. I'm sure you know that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, Donald Trump has suggested that Middle East nations join the Abraham Accords if a deal is reached, writing that after all the work
done by the U.S. to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all these countries, at a minimum, simultaneously
sign onto the Abraham Accords. These accords are a series of deals normalizing relations between Israel and some of its Arab neighbors,
brokered during the president's first term.
But critics say they don't do enough to address Palestinian statehood. And this just into his President Trump posting on social media moments ago that
Iran's -- the enriched uranium will either be immediately turned over to the U.S. to be brought home and destroyed, or preferably in conjunction and
coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, destroyed in place or at another acceptable location with the Atomic Energy Commission or its
equivalent being witness to this process.
Well, CNN Political Analyst Ron Brownstein joins us now. Ron, great to have you with us on this Memorial Day. So, what does President Trump need from
these negotiations? Is the White House looking for a durable nuclear agreement here or simply a deal presented as a major foreign policy win?
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST AND BLOOMBERG OPINION COLUMNIST: Well, you know, that really is a core question. I think Iran is
behaving as if they believe that the administration needs almost any deal. And the kind of criticism you are hearing from the, you know, outlines that
we have received over the last few days from sources that very rarely raise a voice against -- there is a lot of concern on that among Republicans,
even Lindsey Graham, you know, who has been as loyal to Trump as there has been since he's taken office.
So, you know, the question of who has the leverage in this negotiation has one that has really been an open one. Trump's tweets and social media posts
are always that the U.S. has executed this unmitigated victory and, you know, put Iran to its knees. But Iran continues to behave as if they simply
do not believe that is the situation.
KINKADE: Yes, I want to ask you about that, Ron, because you've argued that Iran's leadership can absorb more economic and political pain than a
democratic government can. And Iran certainly believes that time is on its side.
[18:05:00]
In fact, you know, we're hearing reports that it's saying that it's better off now than it was at the start of this war in terms of its leverage. So,
why now would it agree to any major concessions when it comes to its nuclear program?
BROWNSTEIN: And we're going to see, you know, how substantive those really are. Iran is facing pain. But as I have said and others have said,
obviously a dictatorship that is not responsive to the needs of the people, that is willing to kill its own people, is going to be less moved by
expressions of public discontent than a democracy.
I mean, President Trump over this war has been -- you know, he made almost no effort to sell it to the public at the outset. And as a result,
Americans have been dubious of it from the beginning, with basically no cushion for him once gas prices went up. And now, as gas prices have gone
up, his approval rating in direct hydraulic fashion has fallen to a level that is historically very ominous for the president's party in midterm
elections. So, there's no question that he needs a deal, you know.
But Iran may feel that this is a moment where it has established a new form of deterrence through its control over the Strait, unless you believe that
it was really going to launch a preemptive strike on Tel Aviv with a nuclear weapon. The goal of the nuclear weapon was deterrence. They may
have found another means of deterrence from future attacks by the U.S. and Israel through their ability to affect the global economy by squeezing the
Strait.
KINKADE: And, Ron, we've spoken about the mixed messaging from the White House, from the Trump administration on the Iran War many times. Are you
seeing any change in the strategy or at least the tone, the rhetoric from Donald Trump when you look at his latest posts on Truth Social?
BLACKWELL: Look, I think the cognitive dissonance is there, you know, from the outset, where essentially Trump has portrayed this as an unalloyed
victory for the U.S. And indeed, we have, you know, achieved significant damage on Iranian military assets and military capabilities.
But we are far from achieving the strategic goals that he set out at the beginning, whether it's constraining the nuclear program, eliminating the
ballistic missile program, or reducing Iran's willingness to fund and support its regional allies.
Exactly what the final agreement looks like, you know, obviously we can't say today, but there is going to be a significant debate when all of this
is done about whether the final agreement is better for the U.S. and better for global security than the original Obama agreement that Trump tore up in
his first term. I mean, he is going to be, you know, he complained about Obama giving pallets of cash to Iran. It looks like they're going to
receive far more money in this agreement and with it the ability to both finance their military rebuilding, but also to finance their regional
proxy.
So, there's going to be a big debate if and when this comes to a better off or worse off in terms of regional and global stability.
KINKADE: Yes, exactly. Ron, it's the details that we're going to be looking at closely when it comes to what this deal actually entails. Could
Trump end up facing more criticism from both the hawks and the anti-war voters as this goes on?
BLACKWELL: Absolutely. Look, I mean, you know, as of a few weeks ago in the New York Times/Siena poll, only 21 percent of Americans said the war's
benefits justified the costs. And in our CNN polling, 75 percent of Americans said the war has had a negative impact on their finances. If you
get to, you know, an end point here, some kind of, you know, even a stasis in which it is really unclear what the benefits are, but these oil prices
linger. I think there's going to be a tremendous amount of backlash.
You know, it's hard to see exactly what is the outcome here that would kind of erase the concerns that the public has felt that this war did not
justify the, you know, the sacrifices not only the military made, but that they made in their weekly budgets. Maybe there is some sort of, you know,
he can pull a rabbit out of the hat with some complete capitulation by Iran on its nuclear program. But that seems pretty unlikely.
And as I said, what was the point of the nuclear program? It was to be a deterrent against future attacks. They may feel they have found a new
deterrent that wasn't there before this war began with their ability to squeeze the Strait of Hormuz and with it the global economy.
KINKADE: Ron, no doubt we'll be talking about this much more over the coming weeks. Good to have you with us as always. Thanks so much.
BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.
KINKADE: Well, Trita Parsi is the executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. He's also the author of the book,
"Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran and the Triumph of Diplomacy." Trita joins us now live. Good to have you with us.
[18:10:00]
TRITA PARSI, EXECUTIVE VP. QUINCY INSTITUTE AND AUTHOR, "LOSING AN ENEMY": Thank you.
KINKADE: So, you wrote that we may be on the verge of a genuine breakthrough here. Based on your reporting, your sources in Tehran, how
close are both sides to a real deal as opposed to an understanding, an agreement to buy more time?
PARSI: Well, I don't think the understanding would just buy more time. It would actually create a new situation that would give more space and
breathing room for diplomacy. And they looked very close. There are some things going on in Tehran right now that appears to have delayed it. It can
still happen.
But ultimately, I think it's important to understand both sides really need a deal. The United States and Trump himself cannot continue with the
current situation. Even short of war, the pressure this is putting on the global economy, which in turn is putting pressure on gas prices in the U.S.
and creating political problems for the Republicans in the midterms, is just too much.
And on the other hand, the Iranians, they do believe that they have the stronger hand right now. They believe that the war has ended up in their
favor. But nevertheless, they do need sanctions relief. Just being able to survive this war or even scoring a strategic defeat of the United States is
not sufficient. They need to translate this into a new, uncontested order in the region in which they do get economic benefits from agreeing to some
compromise. That can only happen at the negotiating table. So, both sides really do need this deal.
And time is running out. If they're playing too hard to get either side for too long, this opportunity may be lost and they will both face a much worse
situation.
KINKADE: Trita, for many weeks now, we've reported on the Trump administration coming out saying we're very close to a deal and that Iran
saying, you know, talks are happening or talks are not happening, despite what the White House is saying. Do you believe that this time is different?
PARSI: Yes, this time was definitely different. There have been clear instances in which Trump is playing up the likelihood of a deal because he
wanted to manipulate the markets and push down oil prices. And the Iranians were doing the opposite. They were lowering expectations because they did
not want to see him get that type of a pressure reprieve.
There have been moments in previous negotiations when the Iranians were negotiating with the Biden administration or with the Obama administration
in which the situation was the opposite. The Iranians were playing up progress for their own reasons because it would help them push up their
currency.
But this time around, it was different. Things are moving very dramatically in a direction towards at least some sort of an understanding and then a
later deal. You had major regional involvement in getting us to this point. Trump had that call with all of those different regional leaders. So, it
was different.
I think there was an expectation that by at least yesterday, there would have been a final agreement on this memorandum. It seems to be taking
longer than it, than the U.S. side at least had anticipated. But this is very different from the previous times in which Trump really was just
saying things to manipulate the markets rather than actually reflecting reality on the ground.
KINKADE: And, Trita, you've mentioned, you've pointed out that, you know, when it comes to messaging, we are seeing an unusually restrained and
deliberate messaging from the U.S. president. Why does his tone matter quite specifically at this point in time of negotiations?
PARSI: Tone always matters. And particularly with Trump, who, in my view, unfortunately is choosing to conduct so much of the diplomacy publicly
instead of doing it behind the scenes, where it usually can be smoother and more effective. It means that it's even more important, the tone that he
uses in public.
Now, we have noticed, and that's one of the other big differences in the tweet that he issued a couple of days ago in which he announced that some
sort of a change was about to happen. A very different tone. There was no insults, no attempt to emulate the other side. He was using the term
Islamic Republic, signaling an acceptance of the theocratic system there. He did that.
So, today, again, just a couple of minutes ago with another tweet that he issued, all of that signals a far greater degree of seriousness, but also
an understanding of how sensitive this specific phase of the negotiations are.
KINKADE: And just quickly, if you can, Trita, Trump has suggested that the Abraham Accords should in some way be part of the finalized Iran deal. How
does that complicate this?
PARSI: Oh, it kills the entire process. There is no way that you're going to get other countries in the region to sign on to that type of an
agreement, mindful of what the Israelis have been doing in Gaza and continue to do in Gaza, West Bank and Lebanon. They will simply not be
acceptable by most populations in the region. So, tying it to that, if that was a serious effort on his end, that is a very, very problematic approach
to take if he's simply trying to most populations in the region.
[18:15:00]
If he's simply trying to say, hey, this can pave the way towards a larger regional peace and he also wants to remind particular audiences in
Washington who will be criticizing him for having been too insensitive to Israeli interest in this deal that he's trying to strike. He is essentially
signaling, remember all of the things that Trump -- that I have done for Israel in the previous years, including the Abraham Accord and many other
things.
So, I frankly think that this has a lot to do with him trying to boost up his own pro-Israeli credentials, mindful of the fact that the most poignant
criticism against this pending deal will come from the pro-Israeli side.
KINKADE: Trita Parsi, great to get your analysis. Appreciate you joining us. Thank you.
PARSI: Thank you.
KINKADE: Well, Russia has unleashed a deadly hypersonic ballistic missile on the Kyiv region in what's being called one of the biggest assaults of
the war so far. It's now threatening more strikes on Kyiv and urging foreign nationals to leave the capital as soon as possible.
The Oreshnik missile is nuclear capable and very difficult to intercept. It's only the third time this type of weapon has been used, and it's seen
as a retaliatory strike after attacks on Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine. The strike was condemned by France and Germany. Berlin said it was a
reckless escalation.
Here's what Ukraine's ambassador told my colleague Jim Sciuto.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OLGA STEFANISHYNA, UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: It was not only one of the most brutal attacks to Ukrainian cities, this also has been attacked
with the unprecedented amount of ballistics used. This is done exactly because Russians are calmed for the shortages in ammunition we would face
because of the operation in Iran, and they know very well some of the elements of the air defense which are unsubstitutable with any other means
than that. And I think we should really have it in mind and take it into account.
So, basically, these are not only the attacks on the Ukrainian cities, but this is also the clear element where Russians benefit from the war in Iran.
You know, they understand that they are able to distract the capabilities of the global coalition, you know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: For more, I'm joined from Kyiv by Oleksiy Sorokin. He is the co- founder and deputy chief editor at the Kyiv Independent newspaper. We appreciate your time today.
OLEKSIY SOROKIN, CO-FOUNDER AND DEPUTY CHIEF EDITOR, THE KYIV INDEPENDENT: Thank you for having me.
KINKADE: I want to get some reaction from the capital right now on the use, this escalation by Putin of this nuclear-capable hypersonic missile
against Ukraine, even though it was carrying a traditional conventional warhead. What's been the reaction there?
SOROKIN: To be fair, nobody cares about Oreshnik and Kyiv anymore because, obviously, before we saw it in use -- this is the third time it was used.
Before the first time, a lot of people were hesitant to think anything about it. They thought that it may be this new supermassive, super-powerful
Russian missile. It was used three times. It was used in different cities.
There were not many damages reported in those cities. No military facilities were wiped out because of this attack. So, I would say that if
Russia is using this missile to scare people in Ukraine, it's not worth it.
KINKADE: And so, what then is your reaction to the fact that Putin is threatening more systematic strikes on Ukraine, on Kyiv, warning foreign
nationals to leave?
SOROKIN: Well, Russia right now is trying to put Ukraine in its place. Ukraine was really successful in striking deep into Russia with drone
strikes. There are multiple Russian oil refineries that were hit last week, the week before, the last couple of months. So, Russia is trying to gain
momentum here. It's trying to show the West, especially Europeans and the Americans, that Russia still is able to inflict as much damage as it wants.
And that's probably the goal here, right?
And the worst part about the attack on Kyiv that happened recently, it's not Oreshnik, but it's the quantity of the missiles and drones that Russia
has and the lack of the missiles for air defense systems that Ukraine has, right? Because the U.S. right now is busy with Iran. Ukraine doesn't
produce air defense systems. So, it's relying on the U.S., first and foremost.
[18:20:00]
And Russia thinks that it can overpower Ukraine air defense systems and inflict as much damage as possible.
KINKADE: So, you're suggesting essentially that Russia's use of these increasingly advanced systems is a reflection of their frustration that
they haven't been able to break Ukraine yet?
SOROKIN: I think so, yes. I think Putin understands that the war is not going according to plan. They're not making huge gains on the battlefield.
Russians are now questioning why they're having this war when drones are hitting their cities. So, Putin needs something to show. And I think his
ability to taunt, to say something like Western officials should evacuate Kyiv or there's going to be a mass missile strike allows him to continue
showing the domestic public, first and foremost, that Russia is still in control.
KINKADE: Is there concern in Ukraine that the global attention on the Iran crisis is meant -- that the focus is drifted away from this war?
SOROKIN: I think yes. There's definitely a problem that the U.S. is currently busy with Iran. And we know that under the Trump administration
Ukraine was getting a harsh treatment from that administration. Ukraine president had some wild encounters with the American president.
So, obviously, Ukraine was reinventing its foreign position trying to lure Americans back into the peace talks. It's not happening. The peace talks
are dead right now. And Ukraine is on the receiving end here, because as I mentioned prior, the biggest problem is that a lot of the weapons that
Ukraine is forced to use during those attacks are foreign made and if the U.S. will give up on Ukraine completely, if Europeans are not going to be
able to gather the support that is needed, then Ukraine is going to be unfortunately losing this war.
KINKADE: And then, of course, that concerns all of NATO, right?
SOROKIN: Yes. And we see right now that the Russians found a pretty successful tactic of spoofing Ukrainian drones into the Baltic countries,
and that, again, brings the attention to NATO's own defenses, right?
KINKADE: Yes.
SOROKIN: NATO has a problem in downing missiles and drones on its territory. And if Ukraine falls, then those drones that Russia is hitting
Ukraine with are going to fly into the Baltics.
KINKADE: Oleksiy Sorokin, you are a resilient nation and people. We appreciate your time today. Thanks so much and all the best.
SOROKIN: Thank you.
KINKADE: Well, in tomorrow's show you can hear more of Jim Sciutto's interview with Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., Olha Stefanishyna.
Well, still ahead A.I. in the sky. How safe would you feel with artificial intelligence at the control of your next flight? We're going to take you
aboard what could be the plane of the future?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:25:00]
KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. In today's Business Breakout, global stocks rose Monday amid signs of progress to end the Iran War.
Japan's Nikkei average crossed the 65,000 mark for the first time ever. European stocks also rallied and U.S. markets were closed for Memorial Day.
Oil prices meantime fell sharply on the hopes for an Iran War settlement. Brent Crude is trading below $100 a barrel for the first time in over a
month.
It will take a prolonged slide in oil to bring down the price of gas. The average price here in the U.S. is now $4.50 a gallon. Making this the most
expensive Memorial Day for drivers in four years. But that's not stopping Americans from traveling this holiday. AAA estimates that a record-breaking
45 million people are on the move. More pain at the pump is ahead though. AAA warns the gas prices will remain elevated as the summer travel season
gets underway.
Clint Henderson joins me now. He's the managing editor of the travel site The Points Guy. Good to have you with us.
CLINT HENDERSON, MANAGING EDITOR, "THE POINTS GUY": Thanks for having me.
KINKADE: Great to have you with us. So, why is there such a disconnect between what we're seeing in terms of the oil market and what travelers are
paying at the pump?
HENDERSON: Yes, it's really interesting. I think we're close to a breaking point for consumers. You know, so far, the traveling public, especially
here in America, has been willing to put up with almost anything when it came to prices because they want to travel so bad. In fact, we're seeing
record-breaking summer travel despite those higher prices.
We just did an analysis with a company called Points Path. We found summer airfares up anywhere between 20 and 30 percent, but Americans are still
traveling. But I think we're close to the breaking point. So, we just have a new pullout with YouGov. They say that if prices continue to go up, about
a third of Americans say they will reconsider their summer travel plans.
KINKADE: So, it looks like you're at the airport in Hawaii. I want to ask you about how prices are impacting flights in terms of the gas -- the price
of gas.
HENDERSON: Yes. So, we've seen fuel oil prices go up by 50 percent or more, and you're seeing airlines scale back the number of routes, the
frequencies they have, they've raised bag fees, and as I mentioned, they've raised prices. So, Frontier, even the low-cost carrier, has said it's
raised prices five times, and still consumer demand has kept up. So, I do think we're going to get close to a breaking point here.
You can expect for summer travel this year to pay anywhere between 20 and 30 percent more. There is a little bit of good news for American consumers,
though. If you book your tickets and the price drops between when you book and when you fly, you can get a trip credit for the price difference, so
long as you didn't book basic economy. So, there are some built-in protections, at least for Americans.
KINKADE: Well, that's good to know. I didn't realize that. So, even if a deal is close when it comes to ending the Iran War, you know, analysts
we're speaking to say that it's going to be a long time before those lower prices are passed on to consumers. So, how volatile can we expect this
summer of travel to be?
HENDERSON: I do expect that you'll see more route cuts this summer, especially in places like Asia and Europe. So, if you have flights booked
within Europe, for example, you should be paying close attention to those reservations. I don't think we're going to see a lot of a lot more route
cuts here in the U.S., but I do think the airlines are scaling back the number of seats they're flying, and especially ending unprofitable routes.
So, keep a close eye on that.
And then if prices keep going up -- I do not expect -- even if the Strait of Hormuz miraculously opens tomorrow, I do not expect those prices to come
down, for airfare especially, until the new year at the earliest. So, there's some long lag time in there as oil has to be refined, jet fuel is
especially refined product, and so it's going to take a little bit of time to get all that back up and running. And right now, the Strait is still
closed.
KINKADE: Of course, so many long-haul flights do travel through the Middle East. They were completely disrupted, upended at the start of this war.
What's the situation looking like there now?
[18:30:00]
HENDERSON: So, things have gotten a little bit better through the Middle East. A lot of those routes are operating. But again, you should be
checking your reservations carefully because a lot of those flights went away in the early part of this conflict and could easily go away again if
the conflict flares back up, especially in places like Qatar and Abu Dhabi and places like that. There's been a lot of pickup in European flights with
more people routing through Europe. So, that's been good in some cases for European carriers. So, keep an eye on that.
KINKADE: So, are you taking off from Hawaii or have you just arrived?
HENDERSON: I can hear it.
KINKADE: Is that your flight? Got to go? All right.
HENDERSON: Heading out. Yes.
KINKADE: Clint Henderson, good to have you for The Points Guy. Appreciate it.
HENDERSON: Good to have you.
KINKADE: Safe travels.
HENDERSON: Good to see you. Thank you.
KINKADE: Americans taking to the skies this Memorial Day can rest assured that a seasoned pilot will be at the controls, at least for now. But one
tech startup is teaching artificial intelligence to take a prominent place in the cockpit. Our Pete Muntean has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): I'm in the co- pilot seat of a Cessna.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One, two, three. Good.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): And I'm about to find out what happens when the pilot flying is not human but artificial intelligence.
Tim Burns is the chief technology officer at Merlin Labs, a Boston start-up developing a system that can be bolted into existing airplanes. Merlin says
its system can fly the plane, talk to air traffic control and even help make decisions about weather and routing.
TIM BURNS, MERLIN LABS CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER: We're trying to capture the judgment and abilities of a real aviator.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): Merlin says it has completed hundreds of test flights to see how the system performs in real-world conditions, though it
is likely years away from carrying passengers.
In the back of the plane, one of the company's engineers is monitoring what the A.I. is doing in real time.
MATT DIAMOND, MERLIN LABS PILOT: I don't know if I know exactly what I'm in for here.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): Alongside me is test pilot Matt Diamond, who on this flight won't be doing much piloting at all.
MUNTEAN: So, this is just a manual takeoff?
DIAMOND: This is going to be an automated takeoff.
MUNTEAN: Oh, this is automated.
DIAMOND: Yes.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): Meaning the A.I. system is flying the airplane from the very start.
MUNTEAN: Wow, nicely done.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): The next part of the demonstration, communicating with air traffic control. Merlin's system displays its language processing
on an iPad as it listens to a mock controller, repeats the instruction, and then flies the airplane to match it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Magic 01, turn left, heading 090, descend 2,000.
A.I. VOICE: Left 090 and down 2000 Magic 01.
DIAMOND: Code authorize.
A.I. VOICE: Authorized.
MUNTEAN: We're at about 1,500 feet now over Newport, Rhode Island and we just turned on to the final approach here at Quonset State Airport. Now,
this is going to be an automated landing and the system will fly the airplane all the way down to the pavement.
DIAMOND: It's a challenging problem for the automation, but once you crack the code, it's so much easier on the pilot.
MUNTEAN: You seem pretty confident over there.
DIAMOND: Oh, yes.
MUNTEAN: You seem pretty relaxed. Should I be this relaxed?
DIAMOND: Yes.
MUNTEAN: OK, all right.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): As a pilot and a bit of a control freak, this is not exactly easy for me. But the system lines up with the runway and flies a
gradual descent all the way to touchdown.
DIAMOND: Smooth, easy, right on center line.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): Even still, putting A.I. in control of an airplane raises big questions about safety and trust. Merlin CEO Matthew George.
MATTHEW GEORGE, MERLIN LABS CEO: What we're building is certainly very sci-fi, but we're doing it in a responsible incremental way.
MUNTEAN: Will this put pilots out of jobs?
GEORGE: It won't. This is sitting alongside pilots, not necessarily replacing pilots, and enabling those pilots to do more of what they do
best, which is operate aircraft safely.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): That could be appealing to airlines worldwide, which will need to hire more than 600,000 new pilots over the next 20 years,
according to Boeing.
Merlin has already secured a $100 million contract with the U.S. Air Force to eventually fly cargo planes without pilots on board at all. But
convincing passengers may be the hardest part.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As long as it's safe and more efficient and tested out in advance, I'm for it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know if I trust A.I. in the air. I doubt I'd trust it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I like the idea of humans having control. I don't like the idea of machines having control.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): Pete Muntean, CNN, Quonset, Rhode Island.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: It's the way of the future. Well, still to come, Iran is about to compete in the World Cup, but without staying overnight in the U.S. We're
going to tell you how that's going to work, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:35:00]
KINKADE: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Lynda Kinkade. Great to have your company. Here are the international headlines we're watching today.
The U.S. and Iran both say they've made some progress towards a potential peace deal. Iran's foreign minister says a degree of understanding has been
reached between the two countries, but stressed that a deal is not imminent. U.S. officials say there's still disagreement about the specific
language on Iran's nuclear program and economic sanctions relief.
Moscow is warning diplomats and other foreign nationals to leave Kyiv ahead of what it calls systematic strikes. The Ukrainian capital is still
recovering from one of the largest wave of airstrikes yet. Officials say four people were killed in the Kyiv region this weekend. Eighty-seven
others were wounded.
Italy says two suspected Ebola patients have tested negative for the disease. They both recently returned to Italy after several months of aid
work in Uganda. Italian officials are stressing that the risk of wider spread in Italy is low.
Mexico has agreed to host Iran's World Cup team in the football tournament when it kicks off next month. The plan is to have Iran stay in Tijuana,
close to the U.S.-Mexico border. Iran is still due to play all of its matches in U.S. cities, two in Los Angeles and one in Seattle, but will not
overnight stay in the U.S. Here's what the Mexican president had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, MEXICAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The Iranian team is going to play in the United States. I think they have three matches
in the first qualifying round. So, the Iranian team's three matches are in the United States. The United States does not want the Iranian team to stay
overnight, but they are going to play three matches there. So, they asked us, can they stay overnight in Mexico? And we said, yes, no problem. We
have no problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[18:40:00]
KINKADE: Valeria Leon is in Mexico City and joins us now. It's not the closest commute to get from Seattle to Tijuana for a flight on the same
day. Just talk to us about the logistics behind this move.
VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Lynda, it's going to be difficult because the Iranian team has to stay in Tijuana in the Mexican state of
Baja California, just a few miles from San Diego in California. And they have to fly to these three different destinations for their World Cup
matches.
And as we heard this, Mexico's president was very welcoming to the possibility of hosting Iran's national team for the World Cup, saying this
morning that her government had no reason to refuse the request after FIFA approached Mexico. And the decision adds another layer to a story that's
already moving beyond football.
Iran had initially planned to establish its World Cup base in Tucson, Arizona, but plans changed amid uncertainty surrounding the conflict in the
Middle East and growing security concerns. Now, according to the head of Iran's football federation, the team would instead move its base to Tijuana
right on the U.S.-Mexico border. Federation president says the move would help avoid visa complications and allow the squad to travel directly into
Mexico abroad Iran air flights.
Iran's participation had already faced uncertainty after the conflict involving Iran, the U.S., and Israel earlier this year. And the federation
also reportedly requested guarantees involving security, transportation, respect for symbols of the Islamic Republic, and visas for the full
delegation. Iranian media have also speculated that some members of the delegation could run into visa issues because of alleged links to the
Revolutionary Guard, which the United States considers a terrorist organization.
So, this team could end up sleeping and training in Mexico while all of its group stage matches would still take place in the United States, opening
against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, then Belgium six days later in the same city before facing Egypt in Seattle on June 26. So, before
kickoff, questions involving visas, security, and logistics are already becoming part of this World Cup conversation. Lynda.
KINKADE: All right. Valeria Leon, we will be covering this closely over the next few weeks. Good to have you with us. Thank you.
LEON: Yes.
KINKADE: Athletes who use performance-enhancing drugs got to compete against one another over the weekend in Las Vegas. A Greek swimmer was the
only athlete to break a world record during the controversial Enhanced Games. His time will not make the official record books, but he did earn a
one in a million-dollar prize. The Enhanced Games endorses athletes who use substances that are banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, and the
swimmers are also allowed to wear banned super suits.
Well, still to come, Pope Leo issues his first major document as leader of the Catholic Church, warning about the dangers of artificial intelligence,
saying it's already fueling wars.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:45:00]
KINKADE: Welcome back, I'm Lynda Kinkade. A warning now about warfare and artificial intelligence from Leo. His first papal encyclical says control
of A.I. must not be left in the hands of a few. It also says war can only be used for defense and that migrants and refugees must be protected. Our
Christopher Lamb reports from Rome.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A pope weighing in on the debate over artificial intelligence. Leo XIV wants the church's
voice heard on what he sees as a revolution. Taking the unprecedented step of personally presenting an encyclical letter on the issues. One of the
highest forms of papal teaching.
POPE LEO XIV: Artificial intelligence needs to be disarmed. The word is strong, I know. But deliberately chosen because this moment needs words
capable of attracting attention, awakening consciences and indicating paths forward for humanity.
LAMB (voice-over): Doing so alongside Chris Olah, a co-founder of Anthropic, the leading A.I. firm, which has been in a legal dispute with
the Trump administration.
CHRIS OLAH, CO-FOUNDER, ANTHROPIC: Some might believe that matters of A.I. are best handled by computer scientists like myself. They are mistaken. The
questions raised by A.I. are bigger than the A.I. research community. Not just in their implications, but also in their nature.
LAMB (voice-over): An ethical and human centered development of A.I. is a top priority for the American pope, who is known to be tech savvy. At the
heart of his plea, an insistence that technology cannot replace the, quote, "grandeur of humanity," nor take the place of God or personal conscience.
And that A.I. should not be controlled by a powerful few and warning about its use in war.
Leo wants to influence those responsible for the new tech. After a 10-year dialogue between the Vatican and Silicon Valley over A.I.
LAMB: The pope sees A.I. as raising more than just technical questions. He sees it as asking profound ones about what it means to be human. Now, in
the past, the Catholic Church has made mistakes entering into scientific debate. But Pope Leo believes that faith and science, while asking
different questions, shouldn't be in opposition, but help one another.
LAMB (voice-over): This encyclical likely to be a landmark text for Leo's papacy. A pope seeking to address a defining issue of the age.
Christopher Lamb, CNN, Rome.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, still to come, one coffee chain is making ways with cheaper drinks. That's despite the rising price of coffee beans. CNN went behind
the counter to find out how.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:50:00]
KINKADE: Who wants a cup of coffee? Many of us are wondering why we're paying so much for our daily cup. But one chain is causing a stir with a
simple promise, $3 coffee. Matto is offering the flat rate for your coffee of choice in a city where a cup can easily set you back about $7. Our own
Richard Quest stepped behind the counter to see firsthand how the company plans to take on the industry's biggest brands. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR-AT-LARGE AND CNN ANCHOR, QUEST MEANS BUSINESS: Are you going to give me a job? Well, maybe not. Very nice. That
really is excellent. Cheers.
JENNIFER MAMAN, CO-FOUNDER, MATTO ESPRESSO: I was in Italy with some friends. And wherever we would go in Italy, we would have the most
incredible cappuccinos and lattes with a perfect foam. It didn't matter if we would go to the most expensive place or inexpensive place. You could get
an incredible cup of coffee.
And so, that was really the big moment where we said, why doesn't something like this exist in the United States?
QUEST: Right. Because the coffee you're talking about in Italy is a couple of euros. It was the price point that became important as well, wasn't it?
MAMAN: Right. The big part of the business is the $3 menu. So, when you say, I want to charge $3 for coffee, then you build an entire system around
that.
QUEST (voice-over): The Matto app is the key to that system. And it's the only way to get your hands on that coveted $3 coffee.
MAMAN: We decided to put together a menu that really targets the most popular items that people order every day. And we decided we want the top
quality. So, we partnered with a coffee roaster from Italy that's been roasting coffee for over a hundred years.
QUEST: Right. But you also have to be very attuned to what people -- the need. So, for instance, we've got an affordability crisis at the moment.
Are you going to be able to keep $3, bearing in mind every one of your costs are going up at the moment?
MAMAN: Our model was designed to be profitable at $3. So, we have small store footprints. So, that lends to lower operating costs. And our app has
been really revolutionary in terms of serving the customer and how they experience Matto.
QUEST (voice-over): All that talking has made me thirsty.
QUEST: Would one of you come here, please, and make me a nice hot cappuccino? Now, what have you discovered works and what have you
discovered doesn't?
MAMAN: It's really the simple things. Make a good quality cappuccino espresso, give it to them on time, give them friendly and quick service.
That's what they want. You don't need to sell a lot of things. You just have to make it right. And you have to give them what they want.
QUEST: So, you know that being a barista was my pandemic project.
MAMAN: No, I didn't know that.
QUEST: So, during the pandemic, I decided, right, everybody else was making banana loaf.
MAMAN: Yes.
QUEST: So, I went out and I bought myself the -- an -- a proper espresso machine and learned how to make espresso. And I realized that my first ones
were truly awful. And my latte art is awful. How's your latte art?
MAMAN: I have to confess, I am not good at that at all. I leave it to the baristas.
QUEST: Let's do a latte.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's do a latte. OK. So, first we need a shot of espresso. Take the tamper and press it. Just try to press it like straight.
Yes.
QUEST: Lock it in.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Take the cup.
QUEST: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Put a little bit of milk. Then swirl the cup a little bit with the milk. Yes. Now, hold the cup like this. And now, whisk it
again. You want to wiggle, right?
QUEST: I need to wiggle.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Try to do like this.
QUEST (voice-over): Let me just say, it took a couple of tries to get this right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's not good.
QUEST: Try it again?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Like really relax. Like only hand. Yes.
QUEST: Try again.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's do it again.
QUEST (voice-over): Eventually, I got it. Well, sort of.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, when you're going to pour the milk, try to make circles. Wiggle, wiggle. Yes, yes.
[18:55:00]
QUEST: Well, there is a sort of wiggle. That's the best wiggle I've ever done. I mean, it's sort of --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Flower. Heart.
QUEST: Finally, the name Matto.
MAMAN: It means crazy in Italian. People think we're crazy for charging $3 for coffee.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: $3 latte, that sounds amazing. I might ask Richard Quest to make me one next time I see him.
On today's Good Brief, take a look at this. Britain's annual cheese rolling contest at Cooper's Hill was quite a spectacle. Dozens of participants and
onlookers braved the U.K.'s hottest May Day on record for a wheel of Gloucester cheese. A German YouTuber named Tom Kopke won the men's downhill
race for the third year in a row, beating out the record holder winner, who has brought home the wheel 23 times. The women's downhill race was won by
Alix Heugas from France, from the Basque region, who rolled down the hill in a mouse onesie, despite the sweltering heat. Amazing.
Thanks so much for your company. I'm Lynda Kinkade. In Atlanta, you've been watching "The Brief." Do stay with CNN. Much more news coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:00:00]
END
