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What We Know with Max Foster

Iran Warns Of Retaliation After U.S. Airstrikes; Top U.S. Diplomat: Iran Deal Down To Disputes Over Wording; Netanyahu: Israel Deepening Military Operations In Lebanon; Russia Threatens Wave Of New Strikes On Kyiv; Four Killed After Train Hits School Bus In Belgium. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired May 26, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:29]

MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: New attacks on Iran and on Lebanon.

This is WHAT WE KNOW.

We begin with those fresh rounds of U.S. strikes on Iran, are adding to the mixture of confusion and uncertainty swirling around the conflict between

the two nations. Now, Iran's Revolutionary Guard is now threatening to retaliate after those strikes, which U.S. Central Command says were carried

out in self-defense.

As for diplomatic efforts, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says a deal with Iran is being held up by disputes over the wording of the proposals.

High ranking members of the Iranian delegation are now back in Tehran following talks in Qatar.

Our Nic Robertson joins us now.

What are you hearing from the mediators, Nic?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, it does seem to be a secretary of state. Marco Rubio says that it's just a couple of words

or a sentence, that this could take another couple of days. And I think the very fact that president Trump is having a cabinet meeting at Camp David

tomorrow, that does seem to indicate that he has perhaps bringing everyone around to try to find out, have they got the right words? Can this be the

sort of deal that he wants? The Pakistani mediators over the weekend really felt with Iran that they'd got the language that was suitable for Iran and

for the U.S. to get into this memorandum of understanding.

But none of the sources that I'm talking to are indicating at the moment that this is breaking down over these words, that this is a sort of, you

know, some small tweaks. And lets not forget, this is really the beginning of a much longer and much tougher diplomatic process, but its been very,

very clear that president Trump wants to be able to frame this as a success, to sort of help bring his base on better on board with what is

happening, the outcome that he hopes to achieve here. But the real hard talks have yet to come over the nuclear issue. President Trump has

indicated that hell sort of backtrack a little on wanting to have that highly enriched uranium, says that it could be dealt with inside of Iran

with perhaps some kind of inspection or another country involved.

So that's an indication, I think, of the diplomatic progress that's still happening. And you mentioned there the Iranian delegation, the foreign

minister, the speaker of parliament, both key negotiators, of course, along with the head of the state bank of Iran, all there in Qatar. And that

really was about another part of the memorandum of understanding. Iran wants to get some of its assets unfrozen, and they're technically frozen

inside of Qatar.

So, again, all of this sort of points in the direction that there is still progress to this final point of everyone saying, yes, this MOU, memorandum

of understanding, is in a good place. But at the caveat here, we still don't know when it's going to be signed, and we don't know where it's going

to be signed, Max.

FOSTER: We've also got this major escalation from Israel in Lebanon, haven't we? Israeli soldiers beginning ground operations beyond its so-

called yellow line in southern Lebanon. That's according to an Israeli military official and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that Israel

is preparing to take control of certain areas.

Let's hear from him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We are deepening our operation in Lebanon. The IDF is operating with large forces

on the ground and is taking control of strategic areas. We are fortifying the security zone in order to protect the communities of northern Israel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Is this a big shift, Nic?

ROBERTSON: Look, it's a dynamic that's in play. That's a key part of the bigger U.S., Iran, Israel peace deal. Iran says there absolutely must be a

cease fire in Lebanon. It wants to protect its proxy, Hezbollah, as a point of leverage. It appears over the past few days that Hezbollah is backing

away from a deal that they were never part of, the deal between the Lebanese government and the Israeli government about what Israel was going

to do about a ceasefire against Hezbollah.

With Hezbollah backing away from that, it appears that Prime Minister Netanyahu is now going more aggressively after Hezbollah. If Iran is

manipulating its proxy, Hezbollah, which of course, it has a massive track record of doing a vested interest in doing in Israel, is responding to

this? Could this escalation be a sort of a sink, if you will, this process, this memorandum of understanding?

Yes, it's possible, but yes, we've seen spikes like this before, but it will be -- you know, if both sides interpret each other correctly.

[15:05:07]

If Israel interprets what Iran is doing and if Iran properly interprets what Israel is doing, that they're fighting, continuing to fight this proxy

battle. Can they step away from this? Can they step away and get to that more permanent ceasefire?

Well, President Trump has shown in the past is willing to put that level of pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu to do that before. There's no indication

that he wouldn't do it again. But of course, Israel is a big critic at the moment of the type of ceasefire, a memorandum of understanding. He seems to

be heading into in the long term with Iran. There's a lot that can go wrong with this, Max, in many different ways, but it hasn't gone off the rails

yet.

FOSTER: Okay, Nic. Appreciate it. Thank you so much for joining us from London.

Well, amid the tense negotiations with Iran, Donald Trump is gathering his top advisers, White House officials say the president is calling all

members of his cabinet to have a meeting on Wednesday at Camp David. It would be the first cabinet meeting in two months, and comes as the White

House is trying to decide whether to end the conflict with Iran or launch a new round of attacks.

Let's bring in CNN's Alayna Treene at the White House.

It feels like there is momentum here, Alayna.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It does. Look, this is a fascinating that we're actually going to see this cabinet meeting be held

tomorrow at Camp David, I should note. It has been used relatively sparingly, Max, by President Donald Trump just once. So far this term, in

his second term in office, and very rare to see him have all of his cabinet members make the trip there for a meeting. So we'll have to see how this

goes. I know you mentioned this, but his last cabinet meeting was on March 26th, roughly two months ago. And typically it's held here at the White

House.

You know, he goes around the table asking each of his members for an update. This one is likely to be heavily dominated, of course, by what is

happening in the war with Iran.

Now, you heard a lot of this from Nic. But I will say from the conversations I've been having with Trump administration officials, they

are very optimistic. Now, of course, we have heard this kind of optimism from them repeatedly throughout the course of several weeks, really, that

we've been in this ceasefire. But this time, they argue it is different. They are closing in on what they argue is going to be this memorandum of

understanding.

They're working toward this framework that would later be fleshed out into a bigger, more fulsome type of deal. But of course, we have to see really

where this heads. I think there are still many sticking points. We know that the biggest one really being what happens with the highly enriched

uranium that Iran still has in its possession.

I should note, we did see a little bit of movement on that front from the president when he posted on social media over the weekend, essentially

saying that he's open -- he's open now to alternative ways to solving that. Previously, he said the only thing that the United States would accept

would be for them, the Trump administration, to have the military go in, get that enriched uranium, take it back and then destroy it. He's now

saying perhaps it could be destroyed in Iran with Iran's participation or potentially brought to another country, a third country, where it would

later be destroyed.

We'll have to see how this works out. And of course, it does seem to still be very much a fragile truce that we have between Washington and Tehran

following those strikes yesterday around the Strait of Hormuz. But again, a lot of optimism. We are hearing from administration officials, both

privately and publicly, Rubio saying, you know, they're really just working through some of the final wording and language here.

So we'll see. But I think tomorrow will be a big moment for this, of course. And again, I think pretty fascinating. We're going to see it take

place at Camp David, Max.

FOSTER: Yeah, absolutely. Alayna, back with you then.

The U.S. and E.U. diplomatic missions in Kyiv say they are staying put. This follows a warning from Moscow that diplomatic staff and foreign

nationals in the Ukrainian capital need to get out as soon as possible, Russian media reports. Moscow has told the U.S. systematic strikes will be

used against military facilities in Kyiv after a massive weekend bombardment on the Kyiv region that used a hypersonic ballistic missile.

Using that missile may be in retaliation for Ukraine's incredibly effective use of drones. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh has been getting a closer look at

Ukraine's deep strike drone unit.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): President Trump once said Ukraine had no cards. But now they've built themselves a new deck.

We're now with perhaps Russia's most keenly sought target in the war, a deep strike Ukrainian drone unit, launching this night a wave of 200 attack

drones into Russia.

WALSH: The issue here is the scale. Potentially 20 drones being launched just from here. And three or four other locations around here also involved

in tonight's attack.

[15:10:02]

The sheer number overwhelming it seems much of Russia's air defenses and causing persistent embarrassment to the Kremlin.

WALSH (voice-over): Working fast in silence, knowing an error with the fuel or explosives or launch could kill them all.

WALSH: They are a key target for the Russian Shahed drones flying overhead, constantly interrupting their work, which is going to go on all

night.

WALSH (voice-over): Close to here, Russian strikes have just hit Ukrainian civilians.

And in Russian Stavropol, these Ukrainian drones hit. The mayor telling Russians there to stay indoors.

In another field, another technological leap is at work. Jet boosters used to get drones to their 120 mile-an-hour speed in just seconds. At their

base, one screen is a glimpse of a world order turned on its head.

Dozens of Ukrainian drones roaming inside Russia -- code, coordinates, targets, A.I.-powered, pulsing on the screen faster than your eyes can

read.

Russia, often seen as the third largest military power, preyed upon by a series of laptops.

VECTOR, DEEP STRIKE COMMANDER, UKRAINIAN DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE: It's our biggest advantage and why it's so hard for Russia to destroy this program,

because we split up. We don't have any common centers. And we use dozens of places. Also, the software gives us a chance to work with thousands of

UAVs.

WALSH (voice-over): The drone can take a huge payload, over 1,200 miles. There are decoys and a jet powered drone, they say, seems to appear like a

rocket on Russian radar.

VECTOR: Those are decoys. We sent hundreds of them. Some are empty, some with a payload. The payload is small but it's enough to destroy defense

systems.

WALSH (voice-over): It is dizzying, the speed of evolution, adaptation, ingenuity. Ukraine two years ago, begging for old American missiles to hit

just inside Russia's borders. But now, it builds itself and launches so many drones, often as deep as Russian Siberia. Even Kremlin loyalists are

questioning Putin's end game.

Now the West wants to learn from what Ukraine had to do to survive when it didn't get the help it needed. Each leap advantage lasts just months before

the other side catches up.

Ukraine is ahead for now but only because it's learned it'll likely be on its own when it's not.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Eastern Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Now in the U.S., protesters remain outside an immigration detention center in New Jersey, a day after clashing with federal agents.

This chaotic scene erupted on Monday after reports of a hunger strike by detainees protesting what lawyers describe as brutal living conditions. New

Jersey's Democratic governor says she was disturbed by reports of poor conditions at the facility, but says she has not been allowed in to the

building herself.

Gloria Pazmino tracking this for us from New York.

I mean, what do we know about what's inside and why isn't she be allowed in?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Max. And, you know, we should point out that this is a facility that has had a bit of a history, at least

in the past year, as we have seen an increase in deportation arrests and deportations by the Trump administration. Some of what we are hearing

regarding conditions inside Delaney Hall, which is located in Newark, New Jersey, is that detainees are being served spoiled food. They are lacking

medical care. They're being kept in rooms that are extremely cold. We should mention that there are both men and women who are being held in

custody there, and we have heard from attorneys who have reported that some of the women are pregnant and cannot access proper medical care.

Now, tensions have gone up and down in the last year. In fact, it was at this same location that about a year ago, a member of Congress, Monica

McIver, was actually arrested while she was trying to access the facility. And now, we're seeing a similar thing play out over this past weekend,

local lawmakers trying to access the facility in order to inspect conditions and conduct oversight and being denied entry.

And that's led to confrontations between law enforcement officers that are guarding the facility and demonstrators who have gathered there for the

past three days, as well as local lawmakers.

I want you to hear from both Congressman Andy Kim as well as Congressman Menendez who represent the area and have been trying to gain access.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT MENENDEZ JR., U.S. HOUSE DEMOCRAT FOR NEW JERSEY: They want to make it as hard as possible. They won't let the government in. It's because they

don't want us to tell the stories of what's happening inside, because when we tell the stories, everyone in New Jersey and people across the country

realize this is not who we are as a country, but a reflection of who we are in this moment under the Trump administration.

SEN. ANDY KIM (D-NJ): These are not the people that Donald Trump kept saying that they are trying to lock up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: Congressman Kim, who we just saw there at the end of that video, was actually caught in some of the pepper spray that was deployed against

protesters yesterday, and as you heard, the governor, Mikie Sherrill, was denied entrance into Delaney Hall yesterday.

And, Max, just in the last few minutes, I'm hearing back from the mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, who is asking the state attorney general for the state

of New Jersey to step in and conduct an investigation into the private operator that runs this detention facitlity.

Several lawmakers have called for the shutting down of this facility, but the Department of Homeland Security has denied that conditions are as

described. In fact, part of their statement to us earlier today says, quote, "Our law enforcement followed their training and used minimum amount

of force necessary to protect themselves, the public and federal property." They are responding to these demonstrations that have been taking place in

the past few days.

So, I think the question now is whether or not these confrontations between law enforcement and demonstrators will continue to escalate, and whether or

not lawmakers will be able to do oversight by entering the facility. And perhaps if there will be an investigation launched by New Jersey lawmakers

-- Max.

FOSTER: Okay, Gloria, appreciate it, from New York.

Now, shock and sorrow tonight in Belgium, four people, including two children, killed after a school minibus was hit by a train in a town not

far from Brussels. This is the wreckage of the minibus being taken from the scene. Police say the bus appeared to plow through a barrier at a level

crossing. A passenger on the train described the impact.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WOUT VAN CAENEGHEM, TRAIN PASSENGER (through translator): It is, at first, some people were slightly in a panic, not heavily. For a moment, there was

some uncertainty until the train conductor told us what had happened. You obviously did feel the impact

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Let's bring in CNN's Nada Bashir.

Thankfully, no one on the train injured because of this, Nada, but a huge question marks as to why the bus crossed the level crossing. I think the

red light was on, wasn't it?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. We've been hearing from train and railway officials have been speaking to local media who have confirmed that

the barrier was down, preventing oncoming traffic from going onto the tracks and that a red light signal had been switched on as a warning for

incoming traffic as well. So the real question for investigators at this stage is why the minibus driver took the decision whether it was an

accident or intentional to cross through that barrier, despite the warning signs.

And of course, this has had tragic and deadly consequences, four people killed, among them two children aged 12 and 15 years old, a 27-year-old

attendant, and, of course, the 49-year-old minibus driver.

So that is the key focus for investigators now. We have been hearing from police officials just over the last few hours who have confirmed that as

part of their investigations, they have confirmed that the driver was not under the influence of any drugs or alcohol that the driver had no prior

convictions or previous convictions.

Take a listen to a small segment from their statement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AN BERGER, SPOKESPERSON, BELGIAN FEDERAL POLICE: At eight past eight, bus -- a school bus passed here. It was driving along the rail road. The driver

wanted to cross the railroad, which was closed at that time, eight past eight. A train came from Bruges and drove into the bus.

REPORTER: Do we know if it was a human mistake? Or. Or maybe a decision by the driver?

BERGER: At this moment, it's too early to say anything. So the only thing we know is it was 8:00, eight past eight. And that the real -- the railway

was closed

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASHIR: So, too early, according to police officials, to make a final judgment on the cause of this deadly collision. We have been hearing from

railway officials again, speaking to local media, saying that the train conductor, the train driver rather actually pulled on the brakes ahead of

time in order to stop and prevent a collision. But unfortunately, this wasn't done in time.

But as you mentioned, Max, no deaths reported or casualties reported on board the train. Of course, four killed on board that minibus as a result

of the collision, as we understand it, according to officials, five others injured and receiving care in hospital.

[15:20:00]

FOSTER: Okay. Nada, thank you.

After an 88-day blackout, Iran's internet has been partially restored. Still to come, we'll look at how much can actually be accessed, though.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: A partial internet access has been restored in Iran. This comes after an 88-day nationwide blackout, which was imposed by Iranian

authorities.

Now, one Iranian, speaking anonymously to CNN, said he still needed to use the VPN to get connected. Others say the access isn't as robust as the

government implies. According to the Internet monitoring service NetBlocks, the 88-day blackout is the longest nationwide Internet shutdown ever.

So what we want to know is how damaging has the internet blackout been to the Iranian people?

Joining me now is Alp Toker, the founder of NetBlocks.

Thanks for joining us, Alp.

First of all, what change are you seeing online?

ALP TOKER, FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR, NETBLOCKS: Well after 88 days, we've seen the first signs of some connectivity returning to the country at large.

This means that people are able to connect to the global Internet rather than just the Internet that existed in the country during that period. So

people are able to get messages outside, really, for the first time. Despite that, there is still heavy filtering in place.

Now, Iran does have filtering at the best of times, but this means that people still have to use VPNs to get access to online services.

Additionally, there's another change. WhatsApp, the messaging app, is now restricted. Previously, people could use that, and it's very popular for

Iranians to contact the outside world, their friends, family in diaspora.

So there are additional restrictions right now, but yet there are improvements happening.

FOSTER: It's not clear whether this is it, you know, as accessible as its going to be or whether it will open up more if they do plan to open up

more. Would this make sense as a first step, do you think, or do you get the feeling that this is, you know, as far as it's going to go?

[15:25:05]

TOKER: Well, I think Iran is being judged right now. There are obviously different camps, people who want different outcomes from the war. And in a

way, it's also in the balance as to which part of the Iranian authority is able to make decisions. Now, this decision to reconnect Internet was put

forward by the presidency, and there was some pushback by other parts of the government.

So that means that it's really an opportunity to get connectivity there. But, you know, you look and this is a global record, no country of this

size has been offline for 88 days. It's really a turning point. And there is an opportunity there to get people more connected. But at the moment,

people are just hoping to be back where they were in January.

FOSTER: Just explain how it works because a lot of people are quite confused how you can close down the Internet in a country when it's a

global system.

TOKER: So Iran is quite interesting because it initially had quite an interconnected, diverse network system. But over time, authorities have

clamped down on that. So they've pushed all the traffic, all the data, essentially through a few centralized filtering gateways. This means that

it's far more centralized and controlled. So really, they have an effective kill switch where they can switch off the entire Internet or just filter

individual sites using methods like DPI, SNI filtering. It's quite high tech, and a lot of money has been invested in ways to control peoples

ability to speak online.

FOSTER: Is this the only country that has it?

TOKER: Well, if you look globally, countries like China, for example, PRC, are also. North Korea have developed their own independent alternative

internets. So the difference there is that they developed that capability really from the start. They never had a free and open internet to begin

with.

But Iran is the first nation we know of that has developed this kind of parallel filtering infrastructure and really gone from an open or semi-open

digital society to a closed one.

FOSTER: So are they able to see the messages that Iranians are now sending out, or is it just a case of restricting the apps that theyre using?

TOKER: Well, there is also an enhanced surveillance. The same methods that can be used to switch off connections can also be used to see what people

are connecting to. Now, as long as there's encryption in place, if somebody's visiting an https site or if theyre using an encrypted messaging

app like signal or WhatsApp, authorities can't access that content. But by blocking access to those international platforms, authorities have been

trying to push people on to local alternatives.

Now, once people are using local Iranian messaging apps, their content is entirely monitored and is really -- is really available for any kind of

crackdown that authorities use on individuals. It's all recorded and tracked.

FOSTER: And they're looking for keywords, presumably. I mean, what's your advice to people outside Iran contacting people inside Iran? And not

getting those people inside in Iran trouble?

TOKER: Right. So we're at a watershed moment now, and it's a moment for reflection. Some people won't be coming back online. Those who've lost

their lives during the crackdown in January or through the war in the following months.

But people will be asking questions, you know, how was it? What happened? Do you have photos? And also, how are you getting back online?

I think the key thing is to let people on the ground decide how much they want to share, not pushing people into over-sharing, because ultimately

they know what their comfort level is when they're, when they're telling their experience.

FOSTER: Okay, Alp. Appreciate it. Thank you for your background on that.

Still to come, a decision day in Texas as Republicans pick their senate nominee, how their choice could give a big boost to Democrats when we come

back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:32:22]

FOSTER: Donald Trump may be making it harder for Republicans to hold on to control of the U.S. Senate. Republicans in Texas are voting for their

Senate nominee. Today, Mr. Trump shocked the political establishment when he endorsed Ken Paxton, the controversial conservative, over the incumbent

Senator John Cornyn. If Paxton gets the nomination, it could give Democrats a shot at a Senate seat that would otherwise be safely Republican.

If you want to know how important this race is, our congressional correspondent, Manu Raju, has ventured away from Capitol Hill today to

Texas to cover it. He's standing still. So that's the difference.

Just explain how this works for Democrats, Manu. It sounds confusing.

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Look, Democrats believe that they may have a shot in winning Texas, something they have not

done statewide here in decades because of the divide within the GOP. John Cornyn, the longtime incumbent Republican senator, someone who has been in

public office himself for decades, has been in a battle for months with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, someone who comes more from the MAGA

wing of the Republican Party.

First, there was a three person runoff that occurred in March. The top two vote getters ultimately advanced to today's runoff, and that's between

Paxton and Cornyn. Whoever gets the majority of the vote or who actually has the most amount of votes will become the nominee.

But the reason why Republicans are so concerned is because Paxton has a laundry list of controversies. He was impeached by the state house. He was

later acquitted by the state senate. He has other controversies that he has weathered in the past, including personal matters as well.

All of which is what Cornyn and his supporters have been pointing out time and time again, saying that they don't believe he can win a general

election against a Democrat, James Talarico, because of all those problems. And I caught up with some Cornyn voters today here at the polls in Austin,

Texas, and I asked them whether they could vote for Paxton if he ultimately becomes the nominee.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: Who would you vote for?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cornyn.

RAJU: And why did you vote for Cornyn?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because Trump did not endorse him.

RAJU: Yeah, that was a big factor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It makes me sick that the Republican Party is completely controlled by one man. Trump.

RAJU: If Paxton wins the nomination, could you vote for him in the general election?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hell, no. No way.

RAJU: What about in the general election? Paxton gets the nomination. Could you vote for him in November?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. I mean, I think I could -- I mean, obviously, I got to see who the other candidate is, but I pretty much know who that's

going to be. So probably.

RAJU: Yeah. Paxton versus Talarico, you prefer Paxton?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think I would probably vote for Paxton.

RAJU: Now Republican leaders have been pleading with President Trump, urging him to get behind Senator Cornyn, because they were fearful that

Paxton -- maybe he could win in November, but it would cost their party potentially hundreds of millions of dollars to push him over the finish

line in this very expensive state.

And Cornyn and his allies themselves up until now have spent roughly $90 million so far in this race, which just goes to show you why there's so

much concern among the Senate GOP that they may have squandered all this money. Ultimately, Cornyn lose because of Donald Trump's decision at a late

hour last week to get behind Ken Paxton, someone Trump says has been more loyal to him than John Cornyn, even though Cornyn boasts of a voting record

of nearly 100 percent of the time with President Trump. But Trump going his own way, costing causing a lot of concern among the Senate GOP.

But it could be decisive, which is why Ken Paxton is viewed as a favorite to win this race, to take away John Cornyn seat and win that Republican

nomination tonight -- Max.

FOSTER: Yeah. Okay. It's going to be fascinating to watch. Manu, thank you.

Donald Trump got a physical exam meanwhile today, and he says everything is -- everything checked out perfectly. U.S. president traveled to Walter Reed

Hospital for the checkup despite Mr. Trump's assurances. The checkup comes amid rising questions about his physical and mental health. He turns 80 in

a few weeks. He has been seen falling asleep at events, and reporters have noticed swollen ankles and bruised hands.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump's health secretary has also had a pretty interesting time recently.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: So what are they?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Robert Kennedy, Jr. sharing this video of him handling what he says are black racer snakes with his bare hands. You can hear his wife, the

actress Cheryl Hines, in the background telling him to put them down. No word on what the snakes were doing there or what happened to them

afterwards. According to the Museum of Natural History, racers aren't dangerous or aggressive, but they will bite if they need to defend

themselves.

Final moments of trade on Wall Street and stocks are off their record highs. U.S. stocks have returned from the long Memorial Day weekend, and

the Dow is around a third of a percent lower.

This is our Business Breakout.

The chairman of BP has been fired after the company said it had serious concerns about his conduct. Albert Manifold had been in the job for less

than a year. The board voted unanimously to remove him after learning of what it called unacceptable conduct. Ian Tyler will serve as interim chair,

whilst BP looks for a full time replacement.

The CEO of Dropbox is stepping down and becoming executive chairman instead. Drew Houston, who co-founded the digital storage company back in

2007, will be replaced by its general manager, Ashraf Alkarmi. Now Dropbox shares fell, though around 2 percent on that news.

BTS fans have some new merch to hunt down. The K-pop superstars are launching their own limited edition flavored Oreos. The cookies, which will

go on sale next week, will be available in more than 80 countries. They'll be filled with a sweet cream that tastes like Hotteok pancakes, apparently,

a famous South Korean dessert.

Meanwhile, car lovers are finally getting a taste of Ferraris much anticipated fully electric car. Take a look. The luxury sports car maker

has unveiled the Luce, which is Italian for light. Or is it Luca? I'm not sure.

The price tag $640,000. This comes as competitors including Porsche and Lamborghini, scale back their E.V. ambitions, and after Jaguar launched a

rebrand as an electric only company in 2024, a move that hasn't exactly gone smoothly for them.

What we don't know tonight is, is there really a market for an all electric Ferrari or a supercar at all?

Joining me now is Rebecca Lindland. She's the managing director for automotive at Allison Worldwide.

Thank you so much for joining us. I mean, first of all, lets just get your personal take before we ask about the industry. Did you like it?

REBECCA LINDLAND, MANAGING DIRECTOR, AUTOMOTIVE AT ALLISON WORLDWIDE: Well, thanks for having me on, Max.

It is a departure from the Ferrari nomenclature, I'll say. I think it's pronounced Luce. I -- because it's Italian for light. Yes, but that was my

initial take was I loved the round tail lights, but not much else really spoke to me and said, Ferrari.

FOSTER: Well, does the idea of an E.V. even speak to customers

LINDLAND: You know, to me, this is less about it being an E.V. because an E.V. can be very emotional. It's more that, does it keep the Ferrari design

language? Does it -- does it elicit that emotion?

[15:40:01]

When you see a Ferrari, whether you hear it or not, even parked Ferraris draw people in.

And my concern with this vehicle, with the Luce is I don't know that it draws people in for the right reasons.

FOSTER: I mean, are they -- are they reaching out to a new market? Is this what this is about? I'm just questioning whether, you know, traditional

Ferrari drivers would go for one, because I'm assuming -- I mean, you tell me, I'm assuming they're petrolheads and they like the sound of the engine.

LINDLAND: So they do like the sound of the engine. But an E.V., like when I drove the Porsche Taycan. That thing is so much fun to drive. The torque

is unbelievable on it. I mean, it can give you an incredible rush.

You may not have the rumble of the exhaust note or the vibration, but it's a more micro experience is how I often describe an E.V. You can hear other

things, you can feel other things, but its still can be very emotional and a lot of fun to drive.

What I hesitate on the Luce in particular, is just that. Does this say Ferrari? You know, we saw similar reactions when the Lamborghini Urus came

out, which is not an E.V., but it was still very controversial and quite polarizing. But it still said Lambo. And what I look at when I -- when I

see this Ferrari is my concern is less about an E.V. and more about does this still say this is Ferrari? Does it keep that mystique and that

mythology, that Ferrari has in spades?

FOSTER: So we can definitely say it's a gamble. It's a risk, but they pay off sometimes, don't they?

LINDLAND: Well, they do. And again, like the Urus has become Lamborghini's best seller. We saw -- we saw this also in -- with the Porsche Cayenne

years ago. I still remember the very first time I saw the Porsche Cayenne in 2002 and thought, oh my. But it really promoted the brand and expanded

the brand.

And so, we see these design departures. There's still is -- the danger to me is has Ferrari gone so minimalistic that its almost anonymous and that's

what you really need to avoid. This feels very intentionally subdued and luxury customers want innovation, but they still expect a Ferrari to stop

traffic emotionally.

FOSTER: Well, it might, even if its for the hesitant reasons that you mentioned, Rebecca.

LINDLAND: Exactly.

FOSTER: We'll see, won't we? We're going to see. Let's see what the sales figures are.

LINDLAND: We certainly will.

FOSTER: Rebecca Lindland, really appreciate your time.

Still to come, high temperatures in Europe are shattering records, putting people at risk. And it's not even summer yet. Details just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:46:16]

FOSTER: Europe is sweltering. It's deadly and alarmingly early heat wave as well. The U.K. has hit record high temperatures two days in a row, and

most of Western Europe is enduring temperatures 10 to 15 Celsius above normal this week, as authorities across the region issue safety warnings.

People are doing whatever it takes to stay cool.

CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, this early season heat wave certainly has the fingerprints of climate change written all over it. Take,

for example, these dozens of red dots. These are the locations that set may monthly record temperatures, meaning that all of these individual locations

have never experienced this warmth, this type of warmth during the month of May. It's not even officially summer just yet.

Let's talk specifics, though. This is Kew Gardens, just outside of London. The past two days shattering its may monthly all time record high

temperature. That's significant. But when it first did so on Monday, it actually shattered it by roughly two degrees Celsius from the previous

record. That is significant, but so is the overnight lows. Not giving your body the opportunity to really cool itself down from the extreme daytime

heat for this time of the year.

That's saying something, because only about 5 percent of the households in the U.K. have access to air conditioning. Let's boil it down to its brass

tacks. The U.K. is built for a climate that no longer exists, and there are several other examples that showcase this heat. Take Paris, for example.

We're running 10 to 15 degrees above average, right through the early parts of the weekend. So what is causing this extreme early season heat wave?

Well, it's a dome of high pressure clearing out the skies overhead, but also trapping the heat at the surface as it tries to escape back into the

atmosphere. It's just not able to, and it's not going to move very fast, very quickly. In fact, we're going to continue that heat dome over the

western and central parts of Europe into the weekend. That's why we see lots of reds and oranges on this map.

And as we go forward into the future, we continue to release these greenhouse gases by burning fossil fuels, the heat-trapping gases. We are

going to see more frequent heat waves and more extreme temperatures within these heat waves as well.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Here we go.

Now in Laos, rescuers are trying to reach seven people trapped in a cave by flash flooding. Cave divers are navigating a 340-meter-long tunnel with

some points as narrow as 60cm.

Mike Valerio has more on the rescue effort.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rescue teams squeeze through narrow, flooded tunnels in rural Laos. Their goal, reaching seven people

trapped underground for almost a week.

We're told local villagers often visit the site to search for gold deposits. Videos recorded by rescue divers from Thailand show them

navigating a more than 1,000-foot-long tunnel. For most of the way, they have to crawl.

In some places, they have to submerge completely to find a way through.

One of the groups coordinating the rescue says that at its narrowest point, the tunnel measures just 23 inches.

Outside, other team members run cables through a gap between the rocks to guide rescuers to its lower reaches. Three divers from the crew were

involved in the dramatic 2018 cave rescue of 12 Thai boys and their football coach.

VALERIO: No word on this latest incident from Laos Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Southeast Asian nation is a one-party communist state that

often closely regulates the release of information.

Mike Valerio, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Still to come, who will be representing the United States at next month's FIFA World Cup? The squad is being named right now. We'll bring you

the latest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:52:39]

FOSTER: We now know who will be tasked with representing the United States at next month's World Cup on home soil. The final pieces of the puzzle are

being announced right now at an event in New York. They will be carrying the hopes of the nation when the FIFA World Cup kicks off in just a couple

of weeks away, Don Riddell, isn't it?

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: That's when its going to kick off in Mexico City, Max. Its going to be an enormous World Cup tournament across Mexico,

Canada, the U.S. -- 100, 104 games this time because they've expanded it to 48 teams. And a lot of those teams had already announced their squads. The

U.S., as you say, went today. It's just wrapped up actually sort of a glamorous event in Manhattan. You could see the iconic Brooklyn Bridge

behind the stage as they brought most of the players out onto the stage. A lot of the other countries who announced their squads earlier didn't have

the luxury of being able to do that because their players were still involved in -- in their -- with their club teams, in their leagues.

But most of these players now actually on U.S. soil. Chris Richards, I think being the only exception because he's still involved with Crystal

Palace, his premier league team in London, they're playing in a European final coming up. So, as I say, most of the 26-man squad were there. No real

surprises in the announcement, partly because "The Guardian" newspaper actually leaked the squad announcement at the weekend. And as we were

watching the players come out today, it turns out that their reporting was bang on accurate.

And most of the big names you would expect are Christian Pulisic is in the squad, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Chris Richards, as I said. There was

some concern about Richards because he's carrying a bit of an injury. But Coach Mauricio Pochettino is obviously confident that he is going to be fit

enough to play in this tournament, and huge expectation for the U.S. team.

Soccer, Max, as you know, has been growing significantly here in this country over the last few years. When they hosted the world cup tournament

the first time back in 1994, the game was really a bit of a curiosity, but it is now so hugely popular, which means there is so much pressure on these

players to deliver. We're going to find out soon how good they really are. They haven't played much competitive football lately because they haven't

had to qualify for this tournament. They are automatically in as hosts and their group stage I think will be competitive.

[15:55:03]

It's not exactly a group of death, but the teams theyre going to be up against Australia, Paraguay and Turkey, including the U.S., those are all

teams ranked in the 20s in FIFA's world rankings.

So, you know, closely matched. It's going to be an exciting tournament. And now with this squad reveal, its starting to feel very, very close.

FOSTER: And they do have the home advantage, don't they?

Don, thank you so much.

Another big sporting event soon to begin on American soil, crews at the White House are building the outdoor stage that will host the UFC Freedom

250 fight in June. About 5,000 people expected to attend the mixed martial arts event is scheduled for June the 14th, which is President Trump's 80th

birthday.

Finally, tonight, a drone show gone wrong in Sydney. This is the moment dozens of drones started to fall from the sky over Sydney's Darling Harbour

during the Vivid Sydney Festival. The festivals blamed unforeseen technical difficulties. I could have told them that for that and they canceled other

planned drone shows as well.

I'm Max Foster. That's WHAT WE KNOW. Do stay with CNN.

END

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