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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
Trump's Iran Agreement Text to be Released in "Couple of Days"; Key Primary Races, Runoffs in Four States and Washington, D.C.; Kamala Harris and Arnold Schwarzenegger in Vienna Summit; Reflecting Pool Renovation Plagued by Stubborn Algae; Hydrogen Peroxide Being Used to Treat Reflecting Pool Algae; Feds Foil Alleged Plot to Attack White House UFC Fight; Jordan Makes World Cup Debut Against Austria; Uganda's Ghetto Kids to Join Shakira for Halftime Show. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired June 17, 2026 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Victor Blackwell, live in Atlanta.
And THE STORY IS President Trump's agreement with Iran aimed at ending the war and opening the Strait of Hormuz. Ahead, what we know about the deal and when we'll get more details.
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Elex Michaelson live in Vienna, Austria.
And THE STORY IS an exclusive joint conversation between me, Kamala Harris and Arnold Schwarzenegger. We'll talk about terminating pollution, the Newsom investigation, and that potential Iran deal.
And, Victor, we begin there with news in France.
BLACKWELL: We certainly do. In the -- 6:00 a.m. there in Evian, France, and world leaders are preparing for the final day of the G7 Summit. President Donald Trump is scheduled to join a working session on economic growth. Then he'll meet with Egypt's president and India's prime minister.
President Trump will then travel to the Palace of Versailles for a dinner hosted by French President Macron. Now on Tuesday, G7 leaders declared unwavering support for Ukraine and agreed to increase the delivery of air defense assistance. They also committed to strengthening sanctions on Russia.
On the issue of Iran, leaders said that they support the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran. President Trump promised to release the text in a couple of days.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have our deal done with Iran and it should be successful. It goes to a second stage, which I think will be actually easier. UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Why not release it before Friday?
TRUMP: Well, because I -- I'd like to get a formal setting for us before we do that. But I have no problem with that. It's a good document. Actually, I'll not only release it, I'll probably have a press conference and read it to you word by word.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: Well, at least one leader claims that he's already seen the agreement. Here's Canada's prime minister speaking with CNN's Kaitlan Collins.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Did you actually see the agreement itself?
MARK CARNEY, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: I've seen the agreement, yes.
COLLINS: Oh, so the president showed it to you?
CARNEY: Well, I've seen the agreement. We have our sources just like you.
COLLINS: OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: Well, the secrecy around the text of the Iran agreement is causing tension on Capitol Hill. The Senate failed to advance a resolution to limit President Trump's war powers in Iran to push -- the push was to bring the bill to the Senate floor. It failed 47 to 48. Several senators from both parties said that the Congress would have to weigh in and vote on any final deal with Iran if one materializes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN THUNE (R-SD): I certainly have not yet, although we are requesting that, and I assume we will at some point hear from the administration with greater specificity about what's in that memorandum. We're all hearing in generalities what's being reported.
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): First, I'm calling on Trump to hold a Gang of Eight meeting on what is in this so-called deal. That, of course, is classified. Second, I'm calling on Trump to brief the whole Congress. All senators deserve answers. And third, I'm calling on Trump to immediately tell the American people on whatever is in his so-called deal. He needs to stop keeping America in the dark.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: Now let's bring in Elex Michaelson live from Vienna.
MICHAELSON: Yes, Victor. We are standing in front of the Hofburg here in Vienna, which was once home to the emperors of Austria. This week it is home to the largest climate conference in all of Europe. It's hosted by Arnold Schwarzenegger. It's called the Austrian World Summit. And this week, his guest here was former vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris. You see the two of them coming in together, being greeted by the press, especially of Europe here as well.
Also in attendance, also speaking interestingly, was Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, who was Kamala Harris's running mate in 2024. The two of them had not seen each other in a while, but were able to embrace each other here.
I brought up this idea of the Iran war, how it's impacted the climate, and how Kamala Harris would have dealt with that situation if she was president. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: To be clear, if you were president, you'd never start this war.
KAMALA HARRIS, FORMER UNITED STATES VICE PRESIDENT: Absolutely not. Absolutely not. Let's be clear about this. Whatever is being negotiated, this president is going to declare victory and will end up where we were after the JCPOA and call that a victory. This is a war the American people did not want. This is a war of choice.
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This is a president who has proven himself to be entirely self- indulgent. And we will see what happens in the coming hours and days in terms of the negotiation and really, it's a concept of an agreement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Kamala Harris there with very strong words. It was interesting to see her and Walz together. It was almost like a "Twilight Zone" of a different potential America if things had gone a different way. But of course it didn't. Donald Trump remains in the driver's seat.
As we look here, this is really an amazing building behind us. You see the statue here. This is called the Hofburg and it is just spectacular city of Vienna. It's been incredible just to be able to spend some time here.
And coming up throughout the rest of the show, we're going to hear Kamala Harris's thoughts on this apparent investigation into Gavin Newsom and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom. We're going to hear from Arnold Schwarzenegger on this concept of terminating pollution and his thoughts on what the Trump administration is doing now when it comes to coal and potential oil drilling.
All that still to come but in the meantime, Victor, we want to get to some more news. BLACKWELL: That conversation, looking forward to it. Elex, thank you.
For more on the war in Iran, I'm joined now by Benjamin Radd, political scientist and senior fellow at the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations.
Benjamin, good to see you.
BENJAMIN RADD, SENIOR FELLOW, UCLA BURKLE CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: Thank you.
BLACKWELL: All right, let's start here. You told the TSI team that if this were a game, you would say that Iran won, the U.S. lost and Israel got ejected. All right, I've set the table. Serve the meal. Why?
RADD: Yes, well, I mean, if we look at what little has come out, and Bloomberg apparently has published the 14 points of the deal. Iran is obtaining all these benefits, these concessions, including $300 billion in infrastructure investment, reconstruction investment. It's getting a removal of the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. And all sanctions lifted without having to commit to anything in particular that we could see.
Nothing specifically that has to be done on their part, other than to agree to enter into discussions about future cooperation issues relating to its uranium enrichment program and transit through the strait. Meanwhile, what does the United States get? It's difficult to see again what the fair trade off here is for the U.S.. So that's why I say the U.S. really lost in terms of the stakes.
As far as Israel is concerned, it is a party to this war, but it is not anywhere in the MOU. In fact, the closest thing we get is a reference to Lebanon and the -- and a call for the fighting there to end. But that's pretty much in the hands of Hezbollah firing rockets at Israel, compelling Israel to respond. And Israel nor Hezbollah are in this deal. So Israel's hands are tied according to this deal, unless we see the Israeli government decide to act independently, which the prime minister said he will do if he has to.
But regardless, it's remarkable to see the U.S.'s sort of sole ally in this conflict be completely sidelined and, you know, ejected really from the game itself.
BLACKWELL: Well, even more than that, Benjamin, sources tell CNN that the Israelis asked to see the agreement, just even to read the plain text of it, and the U.S. rejected that request. I mean, if the Israelis are required to abide by the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon in their defense of themselves against Hezbollah, and they started this war together, I mean, what do you take away from just the rejection of the U.S. even allowing the Israelis to see what the agreement is with Iran?
RADD: Yes, I think the concern is that the language will reflect what we've seen leaked so far, that it has terms that are very unfavorable to Israel, that ties its hands with regards to its northern border. And the administration is concern is that will the Israelis do something within the next 72 hours to compromise the deal? In other words, continue or maintain its offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon or some other action that would then cause Iran to pull out or call for a change in the terms. And that would really undermine the whole thing. By keeping Israel from seeing it and seeing the exact details, the hope is that the Israelis will be essentially marginalized until the ink is dry and it's too late.
BLACKWELL: Well, I'll add this to that conversation as well. Iran said today that if Israel does not, quote, "put an end to its aggression in southern Lebanon, it should expect a harsh response." The Israelis have not seen it, but there are words on paper, the Pakistanis and the Iranians say that the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon is in the deal. The U.S. officials, senior U.S. official tells the -- tell CNN that it is not in the deal.
I mean, how did they get to day 60 of this agreement with that type of ambiguity on day one?
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RADD: They don't, unless the concern from the administration is that to exclude Lebanon or to have included Lebanon in the deal would so undermine what's happening between Israel and Hezbollah that it would effectively enable and empower Hezbollah to continue its operations.
Now, let's remember, President Trump outlined three key goals at the start of this conflict. One of them was for Iran to cease its support for proxy groups in the region. That's Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis. This language in the MOU contains nothing, absolutely nothing that indicates that any step is being taken in that direction. So if that is a stated goal and this agreement is meant to bring the conflict to an end to benefit the U.S., it's hard to see how that is favorable.
Now, you then have that condition in there where Hezbollah can effectively operate. You tell Israel that it doesn't have the sovereign right to defend itself against Hezbollah's attacks on the north. It's hard to see how any of this looks good, which I think is why we're seeing the administration either being reluctant to disclose fully what's in it, giving conflicting remarks, and I think why there's going to be confusion until we see the terms released to the general public on Friday.
BLACKWELL: You started this in your notes to our team that the U.S. lost. I wonder what you take away from the packaging and the PR from the administration on this. And I contrast this with 2018 when President Trump signed that statement with Kim Jong-un over the denuclearization there of North Korea. There was ceremony, there was pomp and circumstance. There were more flags in Rockefeller Center.
And in this case, President Trump is not even going to the formal signing of the agreement. He's sending the vice president. And there is -- there's none of that.
RADD: Yes. And in large part, number one, because we're not seeing a meeting between the heads of state. So there's that element. There's no universe right now where the president of the United States will meet with the Iranian supreme leader. We're not there. I don't think we'll be there anytime soon. Secondly, this is not an agreement. This is not a deal. It's really just a memorandum.
It's effectively two sides saying, all right, we see eye to eye on what needs to be done for this to come to an end, but we're not ready to bring this to an end formally. That's what the 60-day negotiation period is going to be for. So there really -- it'd be premature to celebrate anything like what we saw with North Korea. And that's a huge concern there. And secondly, from the perspective of the United States, what has it gained?
I mean, a deal that is good for the us would actually move the American position forward. We are now going backward. What do I mean by that? We're going back to where we were, February 27th, the day before the war began, where the United States was concerned about Iran's nuclear program, about its missiles, about its support for proxies. None of that is being addressed in this deal.
It's being kicked down the road for later. So that is why it's really difficult to see if there's anything to celebrate, let alone advancing anything forward towards a comprehensive peace, similar to what we saw in the 2015 deal, which was also imperfect.
BLACKWELL: Benjamin Radd, thanks so much.
We're also following key primaries and runoff elections across America. Several states are deciding who will face off in the November midterms. Here in Georgia, CNN projects House Republican Mike Collins will challenge Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff for his Senate seat. Collins had the backing of President Trump, and he'll defeat former college football coach Derek Dooley.
In the governor's race, CNN projects the billionaire Rick Jackson will win the Republican nomination to run against Democratic nominee and former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Jackson will defeat Lieutenant Governor Bert Jones, who had the backing of both President Trump and the current Georgia governor, Brian Kemp.
With me now is Maya Prabhu. She is the editorial director at PeachPol. She's also a former politics reporter for the "Atlanta Journal Constitution."
Maya, thank you for coming in. So this is a split result for President Trump as it relates to the endorsements. Collins will run against Ossoff in the Senate. It's a state, Georgia, that does not always align perfectly with the president and just taking his endorsement to the ballot.
MAYA PRABHU, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, PEACHPOL: Yes, exactly. Four years ago, President Trump called on someone to challenge Brian Kemp in the primary. He -- it ended up being David Perdue. And voters decided resoundingly that they were going to stick with Kemp. And so sometimes people -- the Republican voters in Georgia are standing behind him and sometimes they're not. It's kind of difficult to figure out what -- where they're going to land.
BLACKWELL: Yes. Representative Collins described himself as 100 percent pro-life, period, no exceptions. And there were some who were concerned that that would not play well across the state of Georgia, plays really well for Georgia 10th, the district he represents in the House.
[00:15:07]
How does that align with the Georgia electorate?
PRABHU: The Georgia electorate wants there to be some instances where women are allowed to get abortions, but the Georgia electorate does not seem to be moved by the issue of abortion. Four years ago, Stacey Abrams campaigned as Democrat nominee for governor, pushing -- and it was right after the overturn of Roe v. Wade, pushing like the need for Democratic leadership. She lost to Brian Kemp.
And then we saw the same thing with Kamala Harris two years ago. And, you know, it's just not as important as it is to people as an -- like on an individual level.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
PRABHU: I don't think that it's enough to move them to vote.
BLACKWELL: Historically, the economy, inflation, are the top of the list. Who knows what it will be when we get to November. But that has been what we've seen in the past.
The president's choice in the race for governor rejected by Georgia Republicans. Lieutenant Governor Bert Jones lost to billionaire Rick Jackson, and Bert Jones had the endorsement of both the president and the current governor in Georgia. What happened in that race?
PRABHU: I think it -- I think that Kemp endorsement was definitely a too little too late. And I -- you know, it's unfortunate for him because he was also backing Derek Dooley. So now he's zero for two in this runoff. I think that I was at Bert Jones campaign event, election night watch party earlier this evening. And what the people in the room were saying is, I guess that democracy can be bought. And their argument is that Rick Jackson spent $200 million on this election. And it's just difficult to compete with that.
BLACKWELL: Is this the outcome that the Keisha Lance Bottoms' team was hoping for? Because now you've got an opponent who has seemingly endless funds to run in a general.
PRABHU: I think that they thought it was going to be. They think it will be a challenge regardless. Obviously, having someone with unlimited money, seemingly unlimited money is not a great thing, but Keisha Lance Bottoms has the backing of national Democrats and even did in the primary. So I think that I don't know if she'll be able to match him dollar for dollar, but I think they might be able to give him a run for his money.
BLACKWELL: OK. Maya --
PRABHU: No pun intended.
BLACKWELL: Yes, run for his money. There you go. Well done. All right, Maya Prabhu, thanks so much for being with us.
MICHAELSON: I'm Elex Michaelson, live in Vienna.
Up next, more of my exclusive conversation with former Vice President Kamala Harris and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. What Schwarzenegger has to say about the Trump climate plan, and what Harris has to say about this investigation into the Newsoms.
All that when the special edition of THE STORY IS from Vienna comes right back
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:22:44]
BLACKWELL: Back now to Elex Michaelson in Vienna for more of his interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
MICHAELSON: Yes, Victor, welcome to a rainy Vienna. It's just starting to rain here in the morning. And of course, climate, a big part of the conversation here. It's the biggest climate conference in all of Europe. Arnold Schwarzenegger hosting it for the 10th year in a row. And this is of course the first year where there's been a war with Iran to discuss. So that's something we talked about with him and sort of how that's impacting the discussion about pollution around the world. Plus, we talked to Harris about news coming from back home in California. Here's some of that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: On what we've seen on the climate aspect in terms of this war, Governor, the Trump administration has used that and said we're going to invoke the Defense Production Act because of -- there has not been enough oil coming out of the Strait of Hormuz and have started to increase oil production in places like California because of it and are now looking seriously at oil drilling in California because of it.
Your response to that, and sort of the argument that some on the conservative side said that shows that this is the importance to invest in coal and old-school energy.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, FOUNDER, AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT: Well, first of all, let me just say that the current administration is pushing very hard for coal energy. So clearly, they live in the past because the people are way ahead of them. This last month, for the first time, renewable energy from solar has surpassed the energy from coal.
That's why I said here earlier, it doesn't matter who is in the White House, we are going to move forward. We are unstoppable. But I have to say that, you know, California is making some major mistakes in policy wise because they make fuel very expensive. So our fuel is around $2 per gallon more than the average in the United States. And the reason is because the Californian legislators somehow feel like they don't want to have a refinery in California. So the refineries now go to Texas.
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MICHAELSON: The last time that we talked on camera was February 2024. And I watched that interview again. And you predicted at the time, you said that if President Trump is reelected, he will use the Department of Justice to go after his political opponents.
HARRIS: Yes.
MICHAELSON: Governor Newsom in California says that's happening to him now. And his wife. For people that may not know, the governor says that there is -- that the Trump administration, the DOJ, is investigating him, especially his wife. Governor Walz, your running mate, says that that's a BS investigation. We don't know that much about it yet, but what do you think? Do you think that's a BS investigation?
HARRIS: I predicted just about everything that has happened with this administration.
MICHAELSON: And you say I told you so?
HARRIS: Including, including -- I don't say I told you so. That's kind of obnoxious. I don't say that. But the reality is many of us predicted and it didn't require much creative thought because he told us most of what we knew would happen, including that he would go after his political enemies using the Department of Justice. I am -- so I am not surprised that he may be using the Department of Justice to go after a political enemy in the current governor of California.
And this is why I do believe this upon many other examples of what is essentially -- you're going to ask me questions about the current president, I'm going to be candid -- what is essentially the most callous, corrupt and incompetent presidential administration America has ever experienced. And for that reason, I have no question or doubt that we will win the midterms.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Very strong words there from Kamala Harris.
Coming up in our next hour, more of our conversation where she's likely going to make news on the topic of A.I. data centers, something that's being talked about at this climate conference a lot.
Now we're here in Austria, and it's 6:00 in the morning, but a lot of people are already up. Why? Well, Austria is playing in the World Cup right now. So while I'm here, we're going to take you to a watch party live coming up a little bit later on in this hour, Victor. We're doing it all here from Europe.
Back to you.
BLACKWELL: I mean, while you're there, you might as well find a pub and find a --
MICHAELSON: Might as well, right?
BLACKWELL: You might as well find a watch party.
Elex Michaelson, we're learning a lot and we're going to see you a little later at that watch party. Thanks so much.
All right. The Trump administration is dealing really with the same issue as past presidents. Algae. It's been a persistent problem inside the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. President Trump spent more than 14 million taxpayer dollars to renovate the pool. But the algae is still there. Now the government is trying a new tactic to clear the water.
Here's CNN's Sunlen Serfaty.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Trump's freshly renovated reflecting pool.
TRUMP: It will look far more beautiful.
SERFATY (voice-over): Has been hit with a problem that has dogged administrations for decades.
TRUMP: It's called American flag blue.
SERFATY (voice-over): The problem? Algae. In just one week, this blue pool has grown into an increasingly murky shade of green. The very color in muck the president has repeatedly railed against.
TRUMP: The water is disgusting looking. It's not representative of the country.
SERFATY (voice-over): The administration is now dispatching crews to vacuum up the clumps of algae and dumping gallons upon gallons of hydrogen peroxide in the pool to try to fix the hue. But algae experts say that's an uphill battle.
BARRETT BROOKS, ALGAE RESEARCHER, THE SMITHSONIAN: We're in Washington, D.C., in the summertime. This is a shallow pool with stagnant water, abundant sunlight that creates a situation where opportunistic algae can really take advantage of the situation.
SERFATY (voice-over): The renovations, which started in April and finished last week, cost more than $14 million, a far cry from the $1.8 million first expected, and included at least one no-bid contract. There were a series of functional fixes, including repairing leaks and installing a filtration system for the first time to help clean the water.
And we're going to scoop up a water sample to see if we can get this tested.
(Voice-over): CNN independently took the sample of water and consulted with the pool store that regularly tests water to help read the results. It showed phosphate levels far higher than what is recommended to keep algae at bay based on estimates for a pool that holds 6.5 million gallons of water.
BROOKS: If there's already some phosphate fertilizer in the water, that's really opportunistic, especially for the blue green algae that can fix nitrogen. So they are having a field day out here probably.
SERFATY (voice-over): The Department of Interior says they believe some of the initial problem was residual algae that had accumulated in pipes, and insists the filtration system called the ozone nano bubbler is working.
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"Due to deploying the advanced nanobubbler technology, the algae is dead and being vacuumed up as we speak," a Department of Interior spokesperson told CNN. "The nanobubbler technology has successfully destroyed the algae bloom that has plagued every pool reopening."
The hydrogen peroxide, they say, is being used as a milder treatment for the algae.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It looks exactly the same to me.
SERFATY (voice-over): At the reflecting pool today, mixed reactions to the latest look.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know a lot of money went into this, but I can clearly see algae growing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I look at it, it's getting cleaner. Yes, in there, because obviously, I wouldn't see if it was -- if it was still, you know, in not good shape, you wouldn't see a good reflection.
SERFATY: And the Department of Interior tells us that they believe that the hydrogen peroxide is safe for animals and the environment. And they say it's much less harsh than chlorine that, say, would be in typical swimming pools.
Experts we talked to today said that the hydrogen peroxide, the intention, really, is to go in and oxify the water, break up the cells of algae.
Now, this has certainly been a persistent problem for decades for many administrations. Back in 2012, after the Obama administration renovated this pool, very soon after, they saw algae return.
An expert telling me today the ultimate success of this project will be determined over the next months and weeks and years, potentially, not necessarily in the immediate aftermath after this pool was refilled.
Sunlen Serfaty, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Still to come, federal officials say they stopped an alleged plot to target the White House UFC event in order to start a revolution. Details are next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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BLACKWELL: Welcome back. I'm Victor Blackwell. Let's take a look at today's top stories.
Leaders of the world's biggest economies will begin their final day of the G-7 summit in France. President Trump will join a working session on economic growth, and then he'll meet with Egypt's president and India's prime minister.
He's also expected to attend a dinner at the Palace of Versailles and then head back to the U.S.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered a cruise passenger exposed to hantavirus to stay in federal isolation. Angela Perryman wants to complete her quarantine at home in Florida, but the state has not agreed to federal monitoring requirements.
Now, most of the other passengers have been allowed to finish their isolation at home. Perryman must stay in quarantine until June 21st.
A tropical storm warning has now been issued for parts of the Louisiana coast. The system is forecast to become Tropical Storm Arthur once it moves into the Northwest Gulf over the next few hours.
The Gulf states are expected to be inundated with rain for days. At least two people have already been killed by flood waters in Texas this week.
Federal agents say that they have foiled a plot to launch a violent attack on the UFC event on the White House lawn.
One of the suspects is 19 years old. He and several others are charged with conspiracy to -- conspiracy to murder and commit an offense against the United States.
CNN's Brian Todd has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An energetic, crowded UFC event at the White House, with President Trump in attendance. Members of Congress and VIPs, all potential targets of an alleged planned attack using drones and snipers.
And according to the Secret Service, there are still suspects on the loose. According to a federal law enforcement official, and criminal
complaints obtained by CNN, a group of alleged online extremists planned and coordinated an attack at Sunday night's UFC fight on the White House lawn in order to, quote, "jumpstart a revolution in the United States." But they were thwarted.
MATTHEW QUINN, U.S. SECRET SERVICE DEPUTY DIRECTOR: It was a serious threat. It was an active plot, and it's ongoing.
TODD (voice-over): According to a criminal complaint, the plan was to, quote, "stage a demonstration on the North side of the White House," then detonate drones over the arena, forcing the attending crowd to evacuate where the group would act as snipers to conduct shootings of the members of the crowd and HVTs, high-value targets, including, quote, "both wealthy people and politicians."
Retired FBI agent Richard Kolko says it's not likely the alleged attackers could have enacted their plot in full. But they could still have inflicted some significant damage.
RICHARD KOLKO, RETIRED FBI SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT: If they had brought firearms, brought explosives, come to the area, found out where the perimeter was, and gone forward and carried out some sort of attack, people could have died, people could have been hurt, and it could have been very, very serious.
According to court documents, the online group were ex-military, Christian-based and anti-government, with anti-Israel and anti-Jewish views.
The Justice Department has charged five people across California, Missouri, Nebraska, and Ohio in the alleged plot.
The investigation began when the mother of a 19-year-old in custody, Tycen Proper, alerted authorities that she was concerned about her son, who she says was communicating with radical people online and amassing an arsenal of weapons.
KOLKO: This mom did exactly the right thing. She knew something was up with her son, something was wrong. And she picked up the phone, made the call, and probably saved lives.
TODD: The charges include conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States.
[00:40:03]
As for the one defendant, Tycen Proper, the criminal complaint does not say that he purchased any drones, but it says he did purchase multiple firearms and ammunition.
Tycen Proper has not yet entered a plea. CNN has tried to reach a public defender listed for him.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLACKWELL: We'll press pause on politics and pivot to the World Cup. Right now, Austria is up one-nil against Jordan. After the break, we go back to Elex. He's now at that watch party in Vienna.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:45:18]
BLACKWELL: It was a star-studded day on the pitch. Countries are working their way through the World Cup opening group stages.
At the New Jersey-New York Stadium, France won against Senegal on Tuesday. Two goals from French superstar Kylian Mbappe boosted his team to a comfortable 3-to-1 victory.
Norway cruised past Iraq in a 4-to-1 beatdown at the Boston Stadium. And Norway's star striker, Erling Haaland, scored two goals in the first half of his first World Cup game. How about that?
And at the Kansas City Stadium, Argentina silenced Algeria with a 3- nil shutout. Lionel Messi did not disappoint. He secured a three-goal hat trick, his first ever at the World Cup, and he tied the tournaments all-time scoring record.
And right now, Austria is facing off against Jordan, and Elex Michaelson happens to be in Vienna and has found his way to that watch party.
What are you seeing there?
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Victor, we came here to cover world affairs. But of course, the story that the world is most focused on right now is the World Cup.
This is a gathering spot that, between Austria and America, sort of a house that brings the two cultures together. And you see the tension right now.
Austria right now is up one-nothing. We hear some -- we hear some of that energy. We hear the folks cheering.
Michael Postl (ph) is here.
MICHAEL POSTL (ph), FORMER CONSUL GENERAL FOR AUSTRIA TO U.S.: Hi.
MICHAELSON: Talk to us. You -- you have been a consul general for -- for Austria based in America. You -- you've been an ambassador to multiple countries for Austria, as well.
POSTL (ph): Yes.
MICHAELSON: From a diplomatic perspective. Talk about how important this World Cup is in bringing countries together.
POSTL (ph): Of course. It's great that Austria is, again, in the World Cup, and there is a lot of emotion, energy. And that's something that we also need in diplomacy.
And therefore, it's cool that you are here, that Austria is playing in the U.S., in California, and I hope we will reach the final against the U.S.
MICHAELSON: OK. That would be -- that would be something, to bring everybody together. We've got -- we've got the big No. 1. We've got the hat going. How are you feeling about your team's chances?
POSTL (ph): Yes, we are hoping everything. And My God, this mood here in this country is so gorgeous. And we are so motivated, you know?
Let's see how -- how far we can get. But the mood tells us I think we can go very far.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
POSTL (ph): I think I'll stick to this. Yes. And thanks so much for everything.
MICHAELSON: And for you -- you're in charge of the tourism in the country between Austria and the United States. If you take a step over here and talk to us about -- about sort of the importance for this World Cup in terms of tourism.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, can you imagine the final between U.S. and Austria? We would have tourists all over the place.
Actually, we have 2.5 million overnights from U.S., and we have an office in U.S. market. So, we celebrate every day Austria. And you know, Austria is very popular among tourists from U.S.
MICHAELSON: Som everybody here, you guys got up at 3 in the morning to make this happen. It's 6 a.m. in the morning. It's full here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
MICHAELSON: Talk about the -- the energy, the excitement, the importance of this to -- to your culture here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I cannot even describe it, because it's so emotional that even if you are not a fan of -- of football and soccer and this World Cup, you are just overwhelmed.
MICHAELSON: Yes. And you're -- and you're about to go to America, go to Dallas to watch --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- Austria in their next match.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm going on Sunday. Exactly.
MICHAELSON: Yes. Well, have a great trip.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you. MICHAELSON: We're going to walk around here a little bit and show people what's going on here.
So, we've got the people watching. Let's -- wouldn't it be amazing if we had a goal while we were on? We're trying this via my cell phone. So, we're trying this out. Hopefully this all works.
We come over here, and they've got a bar set up that is both serving beer and serving coffee. So, you get your choice. Are most people choosing the coffee or the beer?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Coffee.
MICHAELSON: Most people are choosing coffee, which I guess tells you something about -- about their -- their culture here. That may not be the truth in America, as you know.
BLACKWELL: Oh yes.
MICHAELSON: If we were doing something like this.
BLACKWELL: And not just America --
MICHAELSON: So -- so Victor --
BLACKWELL: -- but plenty of countries around the world, if they're watching it this hour or any hour.
But you've been there for a couple of days, Elex.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
BLACKWELL: Are you feeling the energy around World Cup from those Austrian fans?
MICHAELSON: Of course. I mean, it's -- it's amazing to see the way that this World Cup really is bringing the country together.
And last night, just walking around, they -- they had people here at an event until 11. And then they had to come back at 3 to start setting up again.
Walking through the streets, because there's a lot of outdoor dining, a lot of TVs are on in some of these outdoor dinings [SIC], with people gathering of their respective countries to watch the World Cup. It is amazing how much it truly is a World Cup, Victor.
[00:50:03]
BLACKWELL: All right, Elex. Go and get yourself a cup of coffee at 6:49 a.m.
All right. Elex Michaelson in Vienna.
MICHAELSON: Cheers.
BLACKWELL: Cheers. Thanks so much.
So, a Ugandan children's dance group. Have you heard of them? They're known as the Ghetto Kids; making their way to the world stage.
The group was founded in 2014 to help underprivileged children. And after their dance moves went viral, the videos going viral, global superstar Shakira invited them to perform with her at the World Cup finals halftime show.
CNN's Isa Soares has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHAKIRA, SINGER: So, I've already invited the Ghetto Kids from Uganda.
ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was the message of a lifetime: the moment a group of kids from Uganda found out they'd be performing at the FIFA World Cup final alongside the one and only Shakira.
SOARES: Can you tell us and tell our viewers around the world what that moment was like when you got the invite?
SSEGIRINYA MADWANAH, MEMBER OF GHETTO KIDS: It came in. She was like, guys, guys, come onstage. This was Shakira. We had everything. She was like, oh, I've confirmed that it will come and perform with me at the final. So, we were jumping around just know that words can't express or explain how happy we are. It was a dream come true. We danced.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was so happy. This is a big opportunity and I can't wait to perform with Shakira.
(MUSIC)
SOARES (voice-over): The group, known as the Ghetto Kids, caught Shakira's eye on social media.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shakira, Shakira!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shakira, Shakira!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shakira, Shakira!
SOARES (voice-over): Where the infectiously joyful dance videos have amassed millions of followers.
Made up of dozens of children in poverty from the age of 4 to 16, the initiative has given boys like Madwanah a purpose in life.
SSEGIRINYA: I would say that we are here because of dance. Everything we have achieved, we have achieved it because of dance. It is something that gave me some kind of light and inspiration.
So, I have to keep on pushing, keep dancing, keep spreading love and happiness. So, dancing is like our talent and our source of income, because it's really good education. SOARES (voice-over): The group's founder, Kavuma Dauda, knows this
moment will be the biggest performance of their young dance career so far.
KAVUMA DAUDA, FOUNDER, GHETTO KIDS: On our side, we are more than ready. The children are ready and we don't need more training because it is natural to get it from them.
SOARES (voice-over): And do you know whether -- is there a choreography, or are you going to go out and dance your hearts off?
DAUDA: I think it will be two ways. Our own way, because people would love to see that: that happiness, the joy. And then, we'll do some choreography from the Shakira team and choreography.
SOARES (voice-over): And I was lucky enough to get a small preview of all the hard work. And soon, the world will be dancing along with them.
Isa Soares, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLACKWELL: Their energy is infectious. The Ghetto Kids, they're from Uganda.
All right. G-7 leaders are gearing up to meet in the next few hours. Ahead, we'll take a look at what we can expect on the final day of the summit and what President Trump is saying about the agreement with Iran.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:58:16]
BLACKWELL: It's the post that made tennis fans, sports fans around the world so happy today.
Serena and Venus Williams will be back together at Wimbledon. The tournament starts June 29.
The All-England Club announced a doubles wild card invitation on Tuesday for the sisters. It will be the first time they've competed in doubles play since the 2022 U.S. Open.
Venus and Serena have won six doubles titles at Wimbledon. The first was 26 years ago, when they also came in as wild cards.
At age 44, Serena Williams recently returned to competition after nearly four years away from pro tennis. Venus has been competing sporadically. She turns 46 on Wednesday.
Thanks for watching. Stay with us. The next hour of THE STORY IS starts right now.
Hello and welcome to THE STORY IS. I'm Victor Blackwell, live from Atlanta, and we are following President Trump's final day at the G-7 summit, where a peace deal with Iran and the war in Ukraine are the top of the agenda.
MICHAELSON: THE STORY IS in Austria. I'm Elex Michaelson, live in Vienna, where we just completed a conversation with Kamala Harris and Arnold Schwarzenegger. We'll show you that.
Plus, take you to a World Cup Austrian watch party. But we begin, Victor, with news on Iran.
BLACKWELL: Indeed, we do. We start this hour in Evian, France, where world leaders are preparing for the final day of the G-7 summit.
President Trump is scheduled to join a working session on economic growth, and then he'll meet with Egypt's president and India's prime minister.
President Trump will later travel.
