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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
Exclusive: Lebanese President Rebukes Hezbollah And Iran; WSJ: Trump Wants Pulte To Fire Intel Community Employees; U.S. Official: Iran Launches Drones Towards Strait Of Hormuz; Stocks Sell Off On Fears Of Rising Interest Rates; Trump Defers To New Fed Chair On Interest Rate Decision; Missing Nepali Guide Found Alive On Everest; Putin Rejects Offer To Meet Zelenskyy; WHO Announces $518M Plan To Fight Ebola With Africa CDC; NASA Astronauts Seek Shelter Amid ISS Leaks. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired June 05, 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]
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR, "THE BRIEF": Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington, and
you're watching "The Brief."
Just ahead this hour, Lebanon's president tells CNN that Iran is using his country as a bargaining chip in deadlocked talks with Washington. Stocks
sell off after a hot jobs report raises expectations the Federal Reserve might raise interest rates. And astronauts aboard the ISS seek shelter
during repairs for two air leaves.
We begin with an ongoing conflict in the Middle East. CNN bringing you two exclusive interviews, beginning with the president of Lebanon. Joseph Aoun
gave a searing rebuke to Iran as its proxy, Hezbollah, rejects Lebanon's ceasefire with Israel. Aoun accused Iran of exploiting his country as a
bargaining chip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSEPH AOUN, LEBANESE PRESIDENT: IRGC, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, that they don't agree with this, they don't approve this agreement,
what happened. It's not your country, it's our country. It's our obligation. It's not your job to interfere into our country.
I reject the statement totally because our people being killed, our people being, our houses being destroyed. They are using Lebanon as a bargaining
chip in their negotiation with the United States. It's unacceptable.
And here also, Hezbollah must understand that. Hezbollah must understand that no other way but to sit and talk. No other way to solve this problem
and to save what's left except through negotiation and diplomacy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: In Iran, the country's leaders say that peace negotiations with the U.S. are, quote, "deadlocked." CNN's Fred Pleitgen gained rare access
into the Iranian supreme leader's inner circle, a reminder that CNN operates in Iran only with the government's permission. However, we
maintain full editorial control of our reports.
Fred Pleitgen joins us now from Tehran. I wonder, as you speak to members of the Iranian leadership, do they make clear what their red lines are in
these negotiations, what they're seeking?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jim, they certainly make clear what some of them are. First of all, the Iranians are
saying, look, these are still the early stages of negotiations.
Of course, one of the things, Jim, that we've been talking about over the past couple of weeks is that the U.S. and Iran are first and foremost
trying to come to a memorandum of understanding, which is really the bare minimum, to then move on to further talks to try and reach a broader peace
agreement. And one of the things that General Mohsen Rezaei, who is the main military adviser to Iran's supreme leader, told me is that the
unfreezing of Iranians' asset of Iran's assets by the United States was key for the Iranians to move forward. And he did use the word stalled. He did
use the word deadlock. And he said, look, this is Iran's money. It's not the U.S.'s money.
And if these assets are unfrozen, he said it would be a trust-building measure by the Trump administration for things then to possibly move
forward. Mohsen Rezaei also poured cold water on the idea, the notion of a possible meeting between U.S. President Trump and Iran's supreme leader,
saying that that is not going to happen. Here's what he told me.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PLEITGEN: You are the military advisor of the supreme leader. How is the supreme leader doing? Is he fully in control of everything? And President
Trump said that he would be honored to meet the supreme leader.
MOHSEN REZAEI, SENIOR MILITARY ADVISER TO IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER (through translator): This will not happen. Right now, we are in the first stage of
negotiations. And Mr. Trump has brought the negotiations to a standstill. This will not happen.
PLEITGEN: Are the negotiations right now blocked or do you think that a memorandum of understanding can be reached quickly?
REZAEI (through translator): In my opinion, the negotiations are at a deadlock and Trump must break this deadlock.
PLEITGEN: They are waiting for an answer from Iran.
REZAEI (through translator): Iran has openly stated that our assets have been frozen and you must release them. The Americans are not telling the
truth in this regard.
PLEITGEN: So, the frozen assets are the big problem right now?
[18:05:00]
REZAEI (through translator): This is a sign of trust building. If Trump takes the negotiations seriously, $24 billion is not much to America. If he
wants to reach an agreement with Iran, this $24 billion is a test of trust that Iran wants to have with Trump. This is a test that America must pass
and the path will be opened. This is our own money, not America's money.
PLEITGEN: Wouldn't a war be catastrophic for Iran as well, though, if it was a big bombing campaign?
REZAEI (through translator): If the war continues and the naval blockade is not lifted, we will drag the war to the Indian Ocean, the Bab-el-Mandeb
Strait, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. And we will give another dimension to the war by attacking these other American bases that we have
been attacking so far. America will definitely suffer much more losses. America's losses will be very heavy.
PLEITGEN: Final question, what's your message to Donald Trump?
REZAEI (through translator): Mr. Trump must make decisions independently of Israel. He must give what is the rights of the Iranian people and stop the
blockade, release our frozen assets. And this can be a new horizon for the future of Iran and America. Therefore, Trump must put aside his personal
interests and think about the interests of the American people. If Trump has the courage, many issues will be resolved in the future.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PLEITGEN: And, Jim, one of the other things that we talked about is also, of course, the Strait of Hormuz, which, of course, we've also been talking
about a lot here in this program over the past couple of weeks. The Iranians saying that these are Iranian territorial waters and Omani
territorial waters. And the Iranians are saying they are going to retain control over the Strait of Hormuz.
At the same time, the Iranians seem to be backing away from the idea of a toll, of charging tolls, for moving through the Strait of Hormuz, instead
saying there could be administrative and environmental fees, but also saying that they consider this to be their territorial waters. They're not
going to allow the U.S. to ascertain control over the Strait of Hormuz. Jim.
SCIUTTO: Those are some pretty intractable issues, to say the least. Fred Pleitgen in Tehran, thank you.
Well, back here in the U.S., President Trump says that he wants his pick for acting Director of National Intelligence, Bill Pulte, to fire a large
number of intelligence employees. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, the president said, quote, "I'd like to see it smaller. I think
there are a lot of people in there that shouldn't be there," end quote.
Pulte is currently the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, has no experience in national security or intelligence. Sources tell CNN he didn't
even have the lowest level of security clearance before the president chose him to replace Tulsi Gabbard as DNI.
Kristen Holmes is live at the White House. Kristen, first about Iran, because you listen to the Iranian government there, and they're making
quite hard demands. They're saying they want $24 billion and threats at the same time, saying they're going to drag the war to the Indian Ocean, the
Red Sea, and the Mediterranean, other U.S. bases there. Does the White House have any sense that they're losing the upper hand in these
negotiations? I mean, is the president prepared to punch back, right, at threats like this?
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, just moments ago, we actually saw President Trump sit down for an interview with NBC, in
which he said the only reason they haven't come to a deal is because the Iranians are strong people, they're proud people, and ultimately, they'll
have to come to a deal.
But at the exact same time, we are learning that Iran has now fired multiple drones towards the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. has intercepted at
least three of them. That information all coming at the same time, it certainly doesn't seem as though the negotiations are moving in the right
direction in terms of trying to get to a deal.
And we haven't heard from the White House on this latest attack, what exactly is going on with the Strait of Hormuz, but we do know that one of
the things that Iran has had in terms of a sticking point was this continued idea that Iran had ownership over the Strait of Hormuz.
They took out the idea of using tolls, but did discuss this concept of some kind of fee for the passageway through the Strait of Hormuz. Now, President
Trump set back this memo about a week ago exactly, with tighter language around the Strait of Hormuz, asking for more restrictions on this language,
making sure it was tougher, because this is obviously such a huge sticking point here.
Everybody wants the Strait of Hormuz opened up again, but what will the terms of that reopening look like? You're hearing a lot of pushback from
the Iranians, and now, again, more strikes, or at least more drone attacks coming on the Strait of Hormuz.
[18:10:00]
It's just very unclear here what is happening in terms of actual diplomacy and negotiation because now it's been a full week of trading strikes, of
trading strong language and no movement since last Friday in terms of the actual negotiations.
SCIUTTO: No question. And now, Iranians saying they might expand those strikes. Kristen Holmes at the White House, a lot to pay attention to
there.
Still ahead, just an ugly day on Wall Street with the Nasdaq plunging 4 percent. Why stronger U.S. economic numbers help trigger today's market
sell-off. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: In today's Business Breakout, and across-the-board sell-off on Wall Street, the NASDAQ tumbled more than 4 percent. It's worst session in
a year. The S&P fell more than 2.5 percent, snapping a nine-week winning streak. Chip stocks sold off for a second straight day. Micron, Intel and
AMD falling more than 10 percent.
One trigger for today's sell-off, a stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs report, which is now fueling fears of inflation. The U.S. added 172,000
jobs last month. Job growth for March and April were also revised higher. Bond investors now believe the Fed may have to raise interest rates sooner
than expected. The yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury rose to more than four and a half percent, as you see there.
Of course, raising interest rates is the exact opposite of what President Trump demanded from the Fed when Jerome Powell was in charge. Now, that his
man, Kevin Warsh, is at the helm, Trump is backing off his threat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Well, I'm going to let Kevin make that decision. I'd like to see lower interest rates, but the numbers are good.
We should be allowed to grow, not to stymie the growth. And you know, we had a Fed chair that didn't understand that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: There was another red flag in today's jobs report. Annual hourly earnings slowed to 3.4 percent. That means Americans are still struggling
to keep up with inflation, which is higher. It stands at 3.8 percent.
Joining me now is Martha Gimbel. She's executive director of the Budget Lab at Yale University. Good to have you. Thanks so much for joining.
MARTHA GIMBEL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE BUDGET LAB, YALE UNIVERSITY: Thank you for having me.
SCIUTTO: So, first into the jobs report, is there is great concern for months that just job growth certainly wasn't negative, but it was sluggish.
[18:15:00]
And now, you have not just a higher-than-expected figure today, but revisions upwards the last two months. Does that point to you? Does that
indicate to you a pretty healthy job market?
GIMBEL: I mean, this jobs report was much stronger than many of us anticipated, and you've seen a real acceleration in the number of jobs
added in recent months. So, it kind of suggests that, at least for now, the labor market is in an extremely healthy place. It's doing solid numbers.
Unemployment rate's not moving, and that's kind of what you want to see.
SCIUTTO: No question. Trouble, of course, is that, at least in terms of wages, right, they're not just not outstripping inflation. They're falling
behind inflation. So, do you see persistent concerns in the overall numbers about affordability?
GIMBEL: I mean, I think the real question in all of the affordability conversations right now, and in what's going to happen with wages over the
next few months, is really about energy prices. You know, from a nominal perspective, nominal wage growth is OK. It's just that inflation has re-
accelerated, and if energy prices keep going up or even don't go down, we're going to have some problems.
SCIUTTO: I want to ask, if I can, particularly about young Americans, because when the labor market slows down, they're typically among the first
impacted. Internship postings tracked by job site, indeed, last year were down compared to the year prior, and you hear a lot of this anecdotally,
right? And you hear a lot of this, frankly, in the booze college classes have been given commencement speakers when they talk about A.I. and so on.
I mean, when you look at the numbers for new entries to the job market, young people coming out of college, et cetera, do you see lasting problems?
GIMBEL: I mean, it's sort of weird, right? Like, I graduated in 2009, and the unemployment rate was really high, and we all really struggled, but we
knew why. We knew what was going on. Now, you have a low unemployment rate. You have people like me talking about a solid labor market, but new grads
are still really struggling.
And so, I understand why there's a lot of frustration there. Part of it is we just don't have very much hiring. This is a low-fire, low-hire labor
market. That's great if you have a job, but if you don't, if you just graduated from college, if you just graduated from high school and you're
looking for your first job, you know, it's going to be harder out there for you.
SCIUTTO: Yes. I mean, in these numbers, breaking them down, health care, again, was a big driver of some of this job growth, and that makes sense,
particularly when you have an aging population, right? Do you see other sectors that are doing well or not so well in terms of job growth?
GIMBEL: You know, we've seen a reacceleration in the goods sector and manufacturing and construction. I'm really keeping an eye on that moving
forward because that is a sector that does get impacted by tariffs, so it will be useful to see what's going on there. Construction also, obviously,
impacted by immigration and interest rates. It's had a kind of triple whammy there.
It was also interesting to me to see leisure and hospitality and, you know, state, local government popping up. I, you know, there's some speculation
that that's about hiring ahead of the World Cup. We will have to see. It'll be interesting to see if that strength persists in the months to come.
SCIUTTO: No question, because there have been some questions, right, about how many people are coming for the World Cup, right? Plus, the tickets
happen to be a little expensive. I know because I've been looking. Martha Gimbel, thanks so much for joining.
GIMBEL: Thank you for having me.
SCIUTTO: Checking some of today's other business headlines. Friday's market sell-off also spread to the cryptocurrency sector. Bitcoin fell below
$60,000 at one point. It has lost more than 15 percent just in the past week and has shed more than 50 percent since hitting record highs in
October. Adding to the selling pressure, one of Bitcoin's biggest investors sold some of its holdings for the first time in four years.
A startling new warning from the A.I. giant Anthropic. The company's co- founder says that A.I. models are improving so quickly now that they may be able to develop on their own without you and me, without human help. He
says the industry needs a, quote, "break pedal" or companies might lose control of their creations. Sounds like a sci-fi thriller. He also adds the
firm should slow down A.I. development to study the potential harm. We'll see.
President Trump says his administration might take financial stakes in A.I. firms. He confirmed that he has talked about ways for them to work with the
government to ensure the public benefits from their growth. Trump plans to host the top A.I. companies next week at the White House to speak about a
possible partnership, he calls it.
Now, to an extraordinary story of survival on Mount Everest. A Nepali Sherpa guide who was believed to have died on the world's tallest mountain
was actually found alive.
[18:20:00]
The 52-year-old crawled back to base camp almost a week after he went missing without food or bottled oxygen. Derek Van Dam has the incredible
story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): Missing for almost a week on Mount Everest, Nepali climbing guide Hillary Dawa Sherpa beat the odds,
surviving six days without food or bottled oxygen on a mountain known not only for its brutal conditions, but the number of lives it's claimed.
But Hillary Dawa miraculously isn't one of them. Frostbitten and exhausted, he was found alive by a cleaning crew on Thursday, crawling near the Khumbu
Icefall just above Everest Base Camp. He was airlifted to a Kathmandu hospital where he is stable and recovering. His family, thinking he was
dead, had already begun funeral rites for him.
MENDO LHAMU SHERPA, HILLARY DAWA SHERPA'S DAUGHTER (through translator): At first, when we received the information, we weren't sure if it was him or
not. Later they sent the photos and it was confirmed that it was indeed him and we felt happy.
VAN DAM (voice-over): Hillary Dawa's group was one of the last to descend the mountain just as climbing season came to a close. Other climbers say
they last saw him on May 29th just above Camp 3, located at around 23,000 feet, an area near the infamous death zone where oxygen levels are so low
it's difficult to sustain human life for any extended period. Search helicopters were deployed this week but couldn't locate the missing Sherpa.
His family says they should have begun searching when he was first reported missing.
KARMA GELJE, HILLARY DAWA SHERPA'S NEPHEW (through translator): If he had been a foreign climber, the rescue would definitely have been organized
much faster and prompt.
VAN DAM (voice-over): The family has filed a complaint with Nepal's Department of Tourism in a police case against Hillary Dawa's employer, the
Himalayan Traverse Company, which has so far not commented. Not much is known about how he survived for so long alone on Everest's notoriously
inhospitable slopes. That survival story for now is between him and the mountain.
CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Coming up next, President Vladimir Putin of Russia says, quote, no point. The Russian leader rebuking an offer from his Ukrainian counterpart
to meet face to face to end the war.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:25:00]
SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Jim Sciutto. And here are the international headlines we're watching today.
A top military adviser to Iran's supreme leader says peace talks with the U.S. are deadlocked. He tells CNN they could make progress if the U.S.
agrees to release $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets. In an exclusive interview with CNN, he said, quote, "the ball is in Trump's court."
The U.S. economy added 172,000 jobs in May. That is about 70,000 more than expected. The robust showing unnerved investors, as it makes an interest
rate hike more likely later this year. Stocks on Wall Street fell sharply.
A U.S. federal judge struck down a number of Trump policies targeting asylum seekers and immigrants. Last year, the administration left millions
in legal limbo after suspending their asylum applications. In his ruling, the judge accused the government of targeting individuals solely based on
their country of birth.
Vladimir Putin has responded to an invitation from the Ukrainian president for face-to-face talks to end the war. At an economic forum, sometimes
called Putin's Davos in St. Petersburg, the Russian president said there is no point to meeting now. He called Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his letter rude.
This comes as Ukrainian media report that Kyiv's drone warfare branch targeted and struck five ships in and around Russian-occupied parts of
Ukraine. Those vessels reportedly carried stolen Ukrainian grain, military cargo and fuel.
Joining me now, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Steven Pifer. He's now affiliated with the Center for International Security and Cooperation at
Stanford. Ambassador, good to have you back.
STEVEN PIFER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: Good to be here, Jim.
SCIUTTO: So, in his letter, it was Interesting reading some of the language there. I mean, Zelenskyy offers to meet face-to-face. Let's talk. Let's
figure out a way to end the war. But he also said that Putin will have to fight harder for his own existence because Russians are growing
increasingly tired of the war. I wonder, was that a threat to some degree, pointing out to the Russian leader, hey, that he might have problems at
home?
PIFER: Maybe it's more like a statement of reality. I think that letter, while it was addressed to Putin, it was published as an open letter. And I
think Zelenskyy was trying to do three things. One was to make the point to Putin, but also to the world, that the situation for Russia is getting more
difficult, both on the battlefield and also for the Russian economy.
Two, he was reiterating that Ukraine is not prepared to accept Russia's terms, which really amount to capitulation. But then three, he said, I'm
prepared to meet with you, Vladimir. Let's find a place to sit down and let's talk this out. And of course, it looks like Putin has rejected that
offer.
SCIUTTO: Yes. Exposed his lack of interest, which, let's be frank, has been clear in many ways as Putin has tried to expand, not shrink the war. I want
to ask you about the role of the U.S. here, because you wrote recently in The Hill that the U.S. and specifically President Trump backing off
involvement in these negotiations is actually a good thing. Quoting you now, you said, "President Trump's mediation effort has failed." That should
not come as a surprise. "The administration has mishandled the negotiations and Trump refuses to back his diplomacy with pressure on the Kremlin." Tell
us why it's better to have the U.S. out.
PIFER: Yes. Well, as I said, I think that the Trump administration has mishandled this effort to mediate a solution to the Russia-Ukraine war from
the very beginning. So, go back to February of 2025 at the start. And the first thing Mr. Trump says is, well, Ukraine can't get all of its territory
back and they can't join NATO. So, at the start, he's adopting pro-Russian positions.
And then you have his chief mediator, Steve Witkoff. Mr. Witkoff has been to Moscow eight times in the last 15 months. He hasn't ever gone to
Ukraine. How do you mediate a solution to a war if your mediator is prepared to talk to only one side?
And then I think the last point is, over the past couple of months, it's been clear. Zelenskyy, the Ukrainians are prepared to make some concessions
to achieve peace, including, I believe, very painful concessions about de facto loss of territory.
[18:30:00]
There's been no sign of any comparable willingness on the Russian side to move towards a solution, yet Mr. Trump doesn't use the leverage he has to
press Moscow to negotiate more seriously. He can tighten oil sanctions, but what has he done, he eases them.
SCIUTTO: And he -- both sides the war. I mean, just yesterday he said that, you know, both Zelenskyy and Putin are great people, even Putin, of course,
who launched this bloody invasion. You know, a lasting question, I believe I've asked you this question in previous interviews, was as the U.S. has
retreated, not just from negotiations, but from its military support, economic support for Ukraine, could Ukraine and could Europe fill that gap?
Do we not have that answer now? Because Ukraine has made enormous advances on the battlefield through its own technological innovation. And Europe has
stepped up and filled in a lot of that, of that funding gap and aid gap. I mean, has Ukraine oddly found itself in a stronger position without the
U.S.?
PIFER: Well, I was in Ukraine at the end of April. And what struck me was just how confident the Ukrainians are in their position, far more confident
than when I visited Ukraine in 2024, 2025. Part of it is because they're now building over 50 percent of their weapons are built in Ukraine,
including all of these drones, which have been very effective both on the battlefield, but also in terms of targeting oil refineries and other
military targets deep in Russia.
You've got Europe, which I think recognizes that if Russia wins in Ukraine, Russia becomes a much greater threat to Europe. And the Europeans are
stepping up. They've now approved a 90 billion euro, that's about $115 billion loan to support Ukraine. And they're filling in for a lot of the
money that the Trump administration is no longer providing.
SCIUTTO: Yes.
PIFER: I think the one thing that the Ukrainians still need from the U.S. are Patriot missile interceptors, because what I heard in Kyiv was they're
very good at destroying and intercepting the bulk of Russian drones and also most Russian cruise missiles. But the Iskander ballistic missile is
still very tough. And the Patriot's about the only solution for that. So, that's the one thing that they're looking for from the United States. But
they're now much less dependent on America than they were, say, two years ago.
SCIUTTO: Yes. And the U.S. is not just -- I mean, it's actually delaying some of those promised deliveries of those interceptors. Before we go,
yesterday, the House, as you know, voted to pass a bill that would provide Ukraine with additional aid and also issue new sanctions on Russia. It's
still got a way to go, even though you saw a number of Republicans here defy Trump on this, you know.
So, you say you get it through the Senate and Trump doesn't veto this, does it matter at this point or is it too late, that kind of support from the
U.S.?
PIFER: Well, you know, a billion dollars in U.S. assistance, additional sanctions on Russia and an $8 billion loan, that would be helpful to the
Ukrainians. I mean, they would see that as a positive step. But I think more importantly, it would be a signal to Moscow that, in fact, the United
States is prepared to back Ukraine more seriously.
But my guess is that if there are enough Republicans in the Senate who have the courage to vote for this so that it's approved by both houses, I would
be astonished if Mr. Trump, in fact, did not veto it. Unfortunately, I don't think the president understands that what happens in Ukraine in that
war, in fact, affects vital American security interests.
SCIUTTO: Steven Pifer, always good to have you on. Thank you.
PIFER: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: The World Health Organization has announced a joint $518 million plan with the Africa CDC to fight Ebola. The WHO says the program will run
for six months. It's calling for more international donors as well as political commitments to contain an outbreak of the deadly virus. The
Democratic Republic of Congo has been hit the hardest. Clarissa Ward went to a remote mining town believed to be the epicenter of this outbreak.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We are heading to Mongbwalu, a remote gold mining town deep in the lush forests of
eastern Congo and the epicenter of this Ebola crisis.
WARD: From up here, you really get a sense of the challenges in fighting this outbreak, the vastness of the terrain and the total lack of good
roads.
WARD (voice-over): The World Food Program now operates a daily helicopter to deliver supplies to the beleaguered community. On this day, they're
bringing a much-needed mobile testing lab. Days without results here have cost lives.
[18:35:00]
WARD: You can see they've sent security for us. That's because yesterday villagers were throwing rocks at a convoy of aid workers.
WARD (voice-over): We drive quickly through the town. Suspicion of aid organizations runs deep here with conspiracy theories swirling as the death
toll mounts.
We jump out of the car to talk to local journalist Gar Mumbesa.
WARD: So, he's saying that there's a feeling among the community as well that aid workers who are coming here are actually coming here to profit
from this crisis, not to help.
WARD (voice-over): He spends his days trying to educate the community about the outbreak.
WARD: So, he's saying that the reason he's frightened of this hospital is because everybody who goes in there sick, they don't leave, they come out
dead.
WARD (voice-over): Inside the hospital, a small team is holding the line. Logistics coordinator Nafel Dridi is preparing to disinfect another body.
NAOUFEL DRIDI, LOGISTICS COORDINATOR, DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS (through translator): It's like you're in the front lines where the bullets are
flying. But with Ebola, you can't see it.
WARD (voice-over): That invisible enemy is everywhere here. Workers carry the first body to the morgue. A grim procession disinfecting the path as
they go. A second follows closely behind.
A woman can be heard wailing from inside. My child, she cries. I remember my child.
WARD: So, he's explaining to me that the two bodies that we just saw being brought in, one of them was an 11-year-old child and the other one was an
eight-month-old baby. And you can hear, we've been hearing the wails of the family. It's just -- it's unimaginable.
WARD (voice-over): The bodies keep coming, six in total this day, each one a family destroyed. The mayor of Mongbwalu is overwhelmed. His town has
never seen anything like this.
WARD: Can we talk about when this all started? When did you first understand that there was something terribly wrong going on here?
SESEREKI MANDRO ISRAEL, MAYOR OF MONGBWALU, DRC (through translator): The date was February 22nd when a body arrived from Bunia in a coffin.
WARD: The 22nd of February.
WARD (voice-over): That's more than 11 weeks before the outbreak was declared.
ISRAEL (through translator): Two or three weeks later, people started to die here. The death in two weeks, there were 48 dead here in Mongbwalu.
WARD (through translator): 48?
ISRAEL (through translator): Yes.
WARD (voice-over): The virus continued to spread, silently, invisibly, through this town and beyond. Healthcare workers are now playing catch-up
to contain the outbreak, and the people of Mongbwalu are still paying the price.
Clarissa Ward, CNN, Mongbwalu, Democratic Republic of Congo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: A view inside the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak. Please stay with us. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:40:00]
SCIUTTO: A real estate project with ties to President Trump's family is now fueling a revolution in Albania. It's being called the Flamingo Revolution.
Protesters fear a luxury resort plan by Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner will damage an environmentally sensitive part of the Adriatic coast. CNN's
Isa Soares examines the mounting anger.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Defiance and outrage in Albania's capital. For several consecutive days now demonstrators
marching through the streets of TIrana protesting a large luxury real estate project backed by the U.S. president's daughter and son-in-law,
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.
Demonstrations have been dubbed the Flamingo Revolution because the site suggested for the luxury developments includes the island of Sazan and some
of the coastline near the Zvernec Wetlands and the Narta Lagoon, part of a protected area, home to seals, turtles and thousands of flamingos.
The first protests started in spring when bulldozers were first spotted clearing land in this untouched corner of the Mediterranean. But only
gained momentum when private security were filmed clashing with protesters near the actual site early in the week.
A day later the issue was amplified when Ivanka Trump shared in a podcast interview how she and Kushner stumbled upon the location during the visit
in 2021.
IVANKA TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S DAUGHTER: We were on a friend's boat and we stopped for a swim. Effectively that's how we found it. We swam
to the islands, we went on a hike barefoot all the way up to the top and we were just captivated.
SOARES (voice-over): Trump's romantic tale of causality and spontaneity not mentioning an important detail.
JARED KUSHNER, U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S SON-IN-LAW AND SPECIAL ENVOY: Prime Minister Rama came to the boat.
SOARES (voice-over): Edi Rama, head of the country's government, impressing Kushner with his vision for Albania. In 2022, a year after that first
visit, Kushner decided to go back.
KUSHNER: So, we went there, we looked for opportunities and we were able to find some incredible, incredible opportunities.
SOARES (voice-over): A firm link to Kushner and his partners obtained strategic investor status in 2024. A provision which under Albanian law
allows their project to be fast-tracked by the government and regulators and given certain tax exemptions. Another law introduced in 2024 makes
things even easier. By spelling out the luxury tourism developments can simply bypass legislation safeguarding environmentally protected areas. Two
controversial rules Albania has agreed to repeal as part of its accession to the European Union.
With protesters accusing Prime Minister Edi Rama of selling the country to the highest bidder, the head of the Albanian executive telling me there
isn't even a project yet.
EDI RAMA, ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER: There is not such a thing like a Trump family Ireland. There is not such a thing like the family of the American
president taking over protected areas.
SOARES (voice-over): Rama saying environmental studies to measure the impact of building on this landscape are ongoing. While the company behind
the project says its focus remains on responsible stewardship, environmental enhancement, job creation and creating long-term value for
local communities. Echoing what Kushner and Trump have also said about the project themselves.
[18:45:00]
KUSHNER: If we don't respect the environment the development, we're going to create there won't be as special.
I. TRUMP: Because the land is so beautiful that really the architecture has to be fully integrated into it.
SOARES (voice-over): It's unclear whether the bulldozers currently operating in the Narta Lagoon are connected to the Kushner linked luxury
development. But protesters and environmentalists believe the government despite their many denials is hiding something.
MEILTJAN NEZAJ, ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGIST: As we speak now there are no permissions publicly available. The government is saying that we have
permission to the investors to develop the area but we don't have anything else. Like everything else is like darkness for us and for the public.
SOARES (voice-over): And so, until some light is shed they say these flamingos are going nowhere.
Isa Soares, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Just ahead, several crew temporarily evacuate the International Space Station. We're going to tell you why and what it might mean about the
future of the ISS.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: NASA astronauts at the International Space Station had a temporary take -- temporarily take shelter in a docked spacecraft as their crewmates
tried to fix air leaks. Cracks and leaks are a big issue on the Russian section of the ISS and they're getting worse.
As cosmonauts were set to do some repairs, NASA told crew members to board a SpaceX Dragon spaceship out of an abundance of caution. They later
cancelled that order after the Russian space agency postponed those repairs pending more information.
Joining me now retired NASA astronaut and former ISS commander Chris Cassidy. Good to have you. Thanks so much for joining.
CHRIS CASSIDY, FORMER ISS COMMANDER AND NASA ASTRONAUT (RET.): Yes. Jim, good evening. Great to be with you.
SCIUTTO: So, you've actually experienced this firsthand. You were on the ISS when a similar leak was detected back in 2020. I mean, as a layman down
here on Earth when I hear of an air leak in space it sounds serious particularly if it's been repetitive. What does this all mean for the ISS?
CASSIDY: Yes. It's really interesting, Jim. The space station is getting old. That itself is not a big deal. Things are maintainable and fixable and
repairable and in this very same location and I don't know if it's the exact same spot but in the same compartment our crew was the initial crew
to experience this leak. It's called the Pay ARKAD (ph), the Russian segment, in 2020.
So, here we are six years later and it's kind of a pesky situation. It just won't go away. It's been repaired, been maintained but it's in a tough spot
to get to a repair. Initially we found it on a flat side of the metal. Not a hole penetration, not through a weld but really metal fatigue is what the
concern was, and that's still the case.
[18:50:00]
So, I think the abundance of caution that is going on is we're really not sure, it's not a quantifiable, it has this much time left, it's sort of a
judge the risk in your own way kind of situation. That's where I think you're seeing some kind of discrepancy between how Moscow and how Houston
compares the risk to each other.
SCIUTTO: Yes, that's a problem. I mean, can a thing like this snowball, if that's the right word, can a small leak become a bigger leak?
CASSIDY: Oh, absolutely, and there's three things that are big deal situations on board a spacecraft, a fire, toxic atmosphere, or rapid
depressurization. So, this is one of the big three, and we take it very, very seriously.
And one of the rules is, it's kind of an ironclad rule, is you never separate yourself from your emergency vehicle with a closed hatch. And so,
that's kind of the precautions that are going on right now, making sure that as the repairs are happening, no one crew member is being isolated
from their vehicle. Because as you know, probably, Jim, the vehicle that brings you up stays the whole time, and it's your emergency escape vehicle
during your trip, but also your normal way to get home at the end.
SCIUTTO: So, you mentioned a disagreement in risk assessment between the U.S. and Russia on this leak. As you know, NASA is committed to maintaining
the ISS till 2030. Russia has not pledged to continue operating its half of the station past 2028. I mean, are there growing divisions between Russia
and the U.S. and its other space partners that might cause bigger problems going forward?
CASSIDY: Well, I'm no longer at the agency. I couldn't give you a specific yes, this is what I observed. But I can tell you that just in general, it's
a situation where it's just not, you can't easily pinpoint your number on what the risk tolerance is. And both countries have a different way of
assessing it.
And so, what you're seeing is that kind of play out in a little bit of a geopolitical way, where you've got engineers in the Russian side saying, we
can fix it this way. And NASA guy's saying, you know, we're not really sure, they haven't shared all the analysis with us perhaps in this
situation.
And so, that disagreement doesn't really surprise me, but the degree to which, go to your emergency escape vehicle this morning, guys, that kind of
order is not one that comes every day. I'll tell you, Jim, that's a big deal.
SCIUTTO: Yes. No question. I mean, what does this mean going forward, right? Because the ISS, it's got a lifespan and it's getting close to the
end of that lifespan. Might that accelerate? And then what happens afterwards?
CASSIDY: Well, for example, the leak rate I read doubled in its size today or over the last 24 hours, from one pound to two pounds. That might seem
like a small number, but really, it's the rate at which something is leaking that's a concern, because that gives you a time. And that time
defines how much safety factor you have, how much time do you have to repair it.
And so, what does that mean going in the future? In my mind, that's sort of twice the level of intensity if you're looking at it from a safety
perspective on what do we do? Can we expect this to get to the end of the life of the station? And it's in a spot that you can't just replace that
module. It's a fixed location on the core element of the Russian section of the space station.
So, there's no way to just replace that module and get on about business next week. It's kind of going to be with us for the duration and we just
got to figure out, A, how to fix it or how to safely deal with it.
SCIUTTO: Sure. No question. Wow. OK. Well, let's hope they're working on it. Chris Cassidy, thanks so much.
CASSIDY: Yes, sir.
SCIUTTO: Well, Mexico is heading into the World Cup with a heck of a lot of momentum.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
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SCIUTTO: That's a great way to celebrate. The national team rallied from a goal down to beat Serbia five to one in its final warmup before the
tournament. Fans celebrated the victory as hopes grow for a strong run-on home soil. With less than a week to go to the World Cup where Valeria Leon
is in Mexico City speaking with local vendors, brushing up on their English ahead of the tournament's first match.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm just a few blocks away from the stadium in Mexico City and this market called Mercado Huipulco is one of
the changes transforming the area ahead of the tournament. As we walk through it, we find more than 15 food stands serving some of Mexico's most
traditional dishes.
She's preparing pancita, which is this Mexican traditional dish. I'm going to try this dish. OK.
[18:55:00]
Some of the vendors here have been taking English classes to welcome the thousands of visitors ahead of the tournament. Tere is one of them.
TERESA, RESTAURANT STAND OWNER: Come on, hello. Welcome to home.
LEON, RESTAURANT STAND OWNER: Hola, Luis. How are you?
LUIS: Fine, good afternoon.
LEON: So, you've been taking English lessons as well.
LUIS: Yes.
LEON: How's that going?
LUIS: We have vegetables. We have potato, onions, cucumber, peppers.
LEON: OK. So, we're heading to the classroom right now where they're going to have their English lesson this afternoon.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good afternoon, teacher. May we come in?
BENITO, ENGLISH TEACHER: Everybody, please. Repetition is the mother of learning.
LEON: How important is teaching all these students?
BENITO: It is very important to deliver a great service and to improve the quality of the attention to the public.
GUADALUPE, FOOD VENDOR: We prepare it. We got everything for all the people come.
LEON: So, this is how vendors say they are ready to welcome the world, serving up Mexican flavors to football fans.
Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico City.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Well, now I'm hungry. Thanks so much for joining. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. Hope you have a great weekend. You've been watching "The
Brief." Please do stay with CNN.
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