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What We Know with Max Foster
Countries Across Middle East Condemn New Iranian Attacks; U.S., Iran Exchange Biggest Strikes In Weeks Amid Ceasefire; Trump: Iran's Supreme Leader & I "Getting Along Quite Well"; Ukraine Strikes Major Oil Terminal In St. Petersburg; W.H.O. Significantly Downgrades Suspected Case Count In DRC. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired June 03, 2026 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:32]
MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: Iran attacks Kuwait's main airport in fresh strikes.
This is WHAT WE KNOW.
Countries across the Middle East are condemning Iran's new attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain. Kuwait says one person was killed and dozens more
injured in attacks on vital infrastructure, including the international airport.
Tehran says it carried out self-defense strikes after the U.S. hit an oil tanker heading for Iran. It says it targeted sites that allow the U.S. to
attack civilian shipping. The back and forth strikes were some of the heaviest attacks since the ceasefire began.
Let's go straight to Jeremy Diamond -- Jeremy.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Max, what we have seen in the last 24 hours has been a significant uptick in regional tensions.
But that being said, it seems like all sides are intent on avoiding the kind of significant escalation that would lead to a return to all-out war
between the United States and Iran. This all began yesterday when the United States appears to have struck an oil tanker that was headed towards
an Iranian port on that strategic Kharg Island, and after the United States also carried out what it described as self-defense strikes on another
island in Iran, striking Iranian military facilities. Iran then struck U.S. bases in Kuwait and Bahrain overnight in what appears to have been some of
the most significant strikes that we have seen from Iran since the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran went into effect nearly two months ago.
And it wasn't just military bases that were targeted here. Kuwait's international airport was struck. And you can see in some of the video from
the scene, part of that airport that was engulfed in flames and other images showing incoming ballistic missiles and outgoing interceptors with
the kinds of images that we really haven't seen since that ceasefire went into effect. One person was killed, at least 63 others were injured,
according to Kuwait's health ministry.
What is happening, though, still in the background, it would seem are ongoing efforts to try and strike what was over a week ago termed as a
potentially imminent deal between the United States and Iran. What's a lot less clear right now is how far along these two sides actually are to
potentially reaching that preliminary agreement. It has been multiple days now since the United States sent back its revisions to that memorandum of
understanding the two countries following changes that President Trump wanted to see in that document.
The president says that talks are continuing. He said that in an interview earlier today. But again, the status of those negotiations remains unclear,
as does how quickly these two sides might actually be able to reach an agreement, and indeed, whether or not they actually will.
FOSTER: Jeremy, appreciate it. Thank you.
Well, despite the renewed violence, U.S. President Trump says he and Iran's supreme leader seem to be getting on quite well. Mojtaba Khamenei hasn't
been seen in public since the start of the war. He reportedly was seriously injured in the first round of U.S. strikes against Iran that killed his
father, the previous ayatollah.
Kevin Liptak is standing by.
I mean, it was an extraordinary statement, wasn't it, Kevin? And it does suggest that speaking directly.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: I don't think the president necessarily was suggesting that, but he is affirming that the ayatollah is
directly involved in some of these back and forth indirect conversations about this memorandum of understanding, which had been something of an open
question even among senior American officials who wondered whether in his state, believed to be injured after that strike at the very beginning of
the war, whether Khamenei was actually calling the shots inside Iran.
Essentially, the president in this interview saying that he was, even though he is, quote, "missing a lot of different parts," so affirming, I
guess, the intelligence that suggests he had been wounded, but that he is giving approval to the various drafts that have been going back and forth
between the two sides and suggesting extraordinarily that he thinks that he will meet Mojtaba Khomeini at some point, which would be, quote, really an
extraordinary moment.
There's no indication that the Iranians have any interest in doing that.
[15:05:00]
And obviously, President Trump is someone who says publicly that he's willing to meet virtually anyone and in fact has met virtually everyone
who's willing to sit down with him, including Kim Jong-un. So whether this actually unfolds I think remains to be seen.
It is striking I think comparing how the president is describing his virtual relationship with the ayatollah with his actual relationship that
he's describing with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, who we know earlier this week the president really kind of tore into in an
expletive-laden telephone call, the president confirming that, yes, it was an expletive-laden phone call in the interview with "The New York Post",
saying that he had described Netanyahu on the phone as effing crazy. He says he's a little bit perturbed with Netanyahu because he keeps going
Lebanon to go after Hezbollah in a way that President Trump believes could be undermining these peace efforts with the Iranians.
We also heard from Netanyahu today describing his relationship with President Trump, saying that any sort of disputes just come down to, quote,
"tactical disagreements".
But still, just hearing from both of them, I think it's evident that the U.S. and Israel are in fact diverging in some of their objectives for this
conflict. Netanyahu very much of the belief that all of the outcomes that they wanted for this war have not yet been accomplished, whether it's
taking out the missiles and drones, taking out the proxies.
President Trump, I think, far less willing to acknowledge that those objectives have not been met and very reluctant, I think, to go back in and
begin combat operations in the way that Netanyahu appears to be pressing him to do.
FOSTER: But Kevin, if we step back from this, it's an extraordinary situation, isn't it, almost praising the Iranian leader, criticizing the
Israeli leader. Just put that into context for U.S. diplomacy as we know it.
LIPTAK: Right. And I think it also reflects the political box that the president has found himself in. You know, we're now 13 weeks into a war
that he said will last six weeks. It's very evident that Netanyahu is pressuring the president to restart the conflict because he doesn't believe
that all of the objectives that they set out at the beginning have been met.
That's not even to mention the nuclear program, which so far remains intact. Absent this memorandum of understanding, the Iranians have not made
any concessions that we know of to curtail their nuclear ambitions.
So I think when the president says that he's getting on well with the Iranian supreme leader, I think it reflects his desire to try and get this
conflict over with, which at this point very much at odds with how Netanyahu is approaching all of this.
There will be, I think, another important moment today here in Washington when Congress is gearing up to vote on this War Powers resolution moment.
Remember, they tried to put this off. Republicans on the Hill tried to put this off for as long as they could because it became clearer and clearer
that they did not have the votes to defeat it. And it seems as if that is still the case.
And so that will be, I think, another important moment that just underscores the political that the president finds himself in as this war
just continues and continues.
FOSTER: Kevin Liptak at the White House, thank you.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is promising more large-scale attacks deep inside Russia after a barrage of drones and missiles targeting
large cities. Hundreds of Ukrainian drones rained down on a critical oil terminal in St. Petersburg on Wednesday. It is the latest chapter in Kyiv's
effort to ramp up attacks on key Russian energy sites. Ukraine's military also claims to have struck a Russian warship it says was packed with guided
missile weapons. Moscow in turn says it destroyed hundreds of drones.
Zelenskyy issued this warning today to the Kremlin.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): They must know that if they use drones and missiles against us, we will do the same.
And it is only a matter of time before we can increase the scale of our responses.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Let's join retired U.S. Army Major General Mark MacCarley with his thoughts on this now.
Thank you so much for joining us, Major General.
Do you feel the tide is turning in this conflict? Because we keep hearing about Ukrainian triumphs when before we were just hearing about Ukrainian
defeats.
MAJ. GEN. MARK MACCARLEY (RET.), U.S. ARMY: Well, I think the best measurement is a measurement that is taken on the ground because at the end
of the day, war is fought ground up. What you've described in the last couple of minutes, of course, is what we call the standoff war, where both
parties, Russia and Ukraine, shoot their arsenal, send that barrage of missiles, ballistic missiles and drones across borders.
[15:10:06]
But when we assess what has taken place, the Russians send that barrage of missiles ballistic missiles and drones uh across borders but when we assess
what has taken place the Russians have been unable to move that line of contact for any significant distance for the last six months and that is
significant that registers as a great success on the part of the Ukrainian ground forces. That's why I think it's legitimate to say that the
Ukrainians are performing much, much better in 2026 than they did last year.
FOSTER: Which is interesting because so much has been said about the development of drones in Ukraine and how effective they've been in
developing that technology. But what you're saying is we should be looking at how successful they've been on the ground as well?
MACCARLEY: Absolutely, the ground will dictate the ultimate victor or however this matter is ultimately negotiated. But drones are a weapon
system. The ground forces, Ukrainian ground forces and the Russian counterparts use drone systems. Drones are the tool or the weapon of
choice. Close to the front line, you've got Ukrainian forces and the manner in which they engage the Russians is to launch multiple drones that have
the capability. This has been developed over the last couple of years to identify specifically a Russian grouping of personnel or Russian tanks and
other weapons systems on the ground.
The drones have been the ones developed by Ukraine have performed significantly and have contributed to a stabilization, if not an
improvement of the situation on the ground.
FOSTER: Still the Russian military is far bigger than Ukraine's. Is there an opportunity -- do they have any sort of slack do you think to be able to
really launch a major push which they in theory could be capable of?
MACCARLEY: Oh my gosh, that's perhaps the most important question if we were in the -- in the Ukrainian uh office of the chief of its armed forces,
that would be the same question put forward. Russia has significant resources, much more resources than Ukraine. But this war is fought, as we
said, on the ground. It's also fought, and what we wanted to address today is this aerial barrage coming from west to east, that's Ukrainian, and from
east to west from Russia.
And the purpose of those barrages, of course, is to destroy infrastructure, destroy manufacturing facilities, those factories and military congregation
and military resources to degrade somebody, Ukrainians' ability to fight.
But when you get down to reality, the significant expression of what takes place with these aerial barrages is the fear and trepidation that those on
the receiving end of those drones and ballistic missiles, how they are going to counter it, will an attack by Russia, as the Russians had
demonstrated the last couple of days in which they've sent swarms, as you've addressed, of Shahed drones and ballistic missiles, how has that
influenced the Ukrainian population, especially in Kyiv, which has been the focus of all that?
Will the Kyvians, will those in Ukraine continue to be resilient? The Russian objective is to degrade that resilience and put political pressure
on Zelenskyy to come to terms with Russian demands. And the counterpart of that is that with the increasing sophistication and the manufacturing of
greater numbers of Ukrainian drones and ballistic missiles, that same sort of psychological pressure is now being applied in Russia.
And if you look at some of the open source materials, you're beginning to see some significant portions of the Russian population, discreetly, of
course, they can't stand up and condemn Putin, but they certainly are expressing concern about the fact that the war has taken so long that
Russia has sustained significant casualties and that the Russian people want to be done with this war.
So that's part of this psychological combat, which is exemplified by this cross pattern of drone attacks, east, west, west, east.
FOSTER: Thank you so much, Major General Mark MacCarley. I really appreciate that.
Signs of progress, meanwhile, in the fight against Ebola as the World Health Organization downsizes its suspected case count. The WHO today
confirmed 344 cases of the deadly virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including 60 deaths. But the number of suspected cases are now down
significantly from more than 1,000 last week to 116.
Another hopeful sign, a hospital worker who survived the virus returned to his job this week. He's one of the first to resume duties after recovering.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARAKA BULAMBULA, EBOLA SURVIVOR (through translator): The disease is real. It is not a joke, and it is not what people on social media are
saying. Some claim health workers are only looking for money. But that is not true. The disease exists.
I was one of the patients in isolation. Thank God. Today I have recovered, and I am back home with my family.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: CNN has gained access to a rural hospital fighting to contain the virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
As Clarissa Ward now reports, the community there is now coming together after violent protests during the initial virus response.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We're at a hospital in the rural community of Rwampara. This area has been one of
the hardest hits by the Ebola outbreak.
WARD: So, at the moment, the hospital has 17 suspected Ebola patients, they're rapidly running out of capacity, but if you look over here, you can
see a huge amount of activity as people from the community and the NGO ALIMA are furiously working to erect these Ebola treatment centers.
The doctor from ALIMA told us they're hoping that these facilities will be completed in the next two to three days. And that really is going to be a
game changer for this rural hospital, because it will give them the capacity to receive another 34 Ebola patients, and it's really interesting.
If you take a look at the way these treatment centers are being built, they are incorporating a lot of the lessons that have been learned from previous
Ebola outbreaks.
So, I want to show you what each room here looks like. You've got the tap outside, of course, make sure that people are washing their hands the whole
time.
Each room has its own bed. Each patient has, crucially, of course, as well, their own toilet.
But the really interesting part is right here. This paper will come off, and its transparent glass, which allows the doctors to get up close and see
the patients without endangering themselves.
This is what it looks like from the doctor's perspective. This is the entrance they come into. They can see through, see the patients. It's
pretty incredible.
It's interesting, because despite the fact that this community has been ravaged by this virus. The mood here among these people, who are all local,
who are taking pride in the fact that they are participating in building and contributing and protecting their community. They have been singing,
they have been laughing, they have been joking around, and honestly, against the backdrop of so much misery, it's been really wonderful to see.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Clarissa Ward there in the DRC.
Now, coming up, President Trump's controversial choice for top spy getting pushback from Democrats and Republicans alike. Now his former vice
president is weighing in.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:21:39]
FOSTER: The day after polls close, some key primary races in the U.S. are still undecided. That's because votes are still being counted in
California. But here's what we know so far. Three candidates are still alive in the race for governor, Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer,
Republican Steve Hilton. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass will try to keep her post, facing off against either former reality TV star Spencer Pratt or
City Councilmember Nithya Rahman in November.
And in Iowa's race for governor, a Trump-backed candidate, Congressman Randy Feenstra, is out. He lost the Republican primary to Zach Lahn, a
farmer who has never held elected office.
Trump supporters are amongst those scratching their heads over his pick to be the nation's spy chief meanwhile. The president tapped federal housing
official Bill Pulte to be the acting director of National Intelligence. Pulte's background is in real estate and private equity. He has no Intel
experience.
Trump's former vice president, Mike Pence, was asked about the appointment earlier on CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE PENCE, FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: I don't know him.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Do you think the director of national intelligence should have intelligence experience and national security
experience?
PENCE: Well, I was in Washington, D.C. on September 11th. I was there when the Congress stood up, the Director of National Intelligence and that
department. And it was all designed to make sure that our intelligence agencies were all talking to one another because 9/11 happened in part
because the people at the FBI New things that people at the CIA didn't know and we missed the terrorist plot. And when we stood that up, if memory
serves, we actually said in the law that it requires a director of national intelligence with intelligence and security experience.
And I expect there will be issues around Bill Pulte's nomination. He can serve as the acting DNI for some time, but I would hope that when a
permanent DNI is appointed by the administration, it'll be a man or woman who brings -- who brings an extensive background in national security.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Manu Raju is on Capitol Hill.
I mean, it feels like he's stating the obvious, but then this appointment has been made.
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, and look, there are bipartisan concerns over Bill Pulte's appointment as the acting
director of national intelligence on Capitol Hill.
And remember, because Trump named him as an acting director, it does not mean that he needs to get confirmation by the United States Senate. If he
was named as the permanent director to be the director of national intelligence, then it would come for the Senate. And it almost seems
certain that he would not have the votes in the Republican-led Senate to get confirmed because enough Republican senators have raised major alarms
over Pulte's lack of national security experience over his own actions to go after President Trump's opponents over issues such as alleged mortgage
fraud and the like, and concerns about what he could do with access to the vast apparatus of the nation's intelligence community.
[15:25:02]
And that was clear to a number of Republican and Democratic senators who either had major concerns or were not willing to say they back him as the
acting DNI.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): I think he's the worst form of sycophant and advisor to the president that is going to hurt the president's legacy.
RAJU: Any issues of Bill Pulte as acting DNI?
SEN. TODD YOUNG (R-IN): Don't know much about his background. I'm waiting on the administration to explain to us credentials.
RAJU: On Bill Pulte, are you planning on trying to scuttle FISA over Pulte's nomination or appointment?
SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA): Section 702 is the most important tool we have to protect our country. But I wonder, does the president want to kill Section
702? I've yet to talk to a Republican that doesn't think this is an outrageous choice. Is anybody going to tell the emperor in the White House
that he has no clothes on this one?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: And that last comment from Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, referring to a key surveillance
authority under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that is set to expire within a matter of days.
There, Warner, who negotiated this deal to extend that authority, says that he may withhold his support for passing that legislation that must be
extended just in a matter of days here because they're trying to use that as leverage to force Trump to pull Pulte's appointment back, to drop the
Pulte appointment altogether. It's unclear if they're going to succeed in that regard or if the Democrats ultimately will vote for that expiring
authority to be extended.
But it just goes to show you the extent of the concerns that President Trump's pick has made on Capitol Hill and how it could affect a key piece
of legislation here as well -- Max.
FOSTER: Yeah, Manu, appreciate it. Thank you.
Now, Tennessee Republican Andy Ogle says a member of his staff has been reprimanded for posting a homophobic message on the congressman's X
account. The now deleted post read, "Homosexuality has no place in America. Happy Nuclear Family Month."
Ogles called it a hurtful distraction from his America First focus. The post sparked backlash from his own party.
Still to come, our team is on the ground in Iran as a delicate ceasefire hangs in the balance. We'll have the view from inside the country for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:30:50]
FOSTER: Back to our top story, anger and condemnation after fresh strikes across the Middle East. It's unclear whether the indirect negotiations
between the U.S. and Iran are making progress, even as President Trump says he remains optimistic that he'll have a deal fairly quickly. Kuwait says
one person was killed and dozens injured in Iranian drone and missile strikes overnight. Its interior ministry published video showing extensive
damage to Kuwait's international airport. And for the first time in about three months, Bahrain came under attack.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has doubled down on his claim that the war with Iran is over and the U.S. has won. Rubio was pressed on his
assessment that Operation Epic Fury has ended in a tense exchange on Capitol Hill earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. SARA JACOBS (D-CA): If the war is over, I have a simple question. Who won?
MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: First of all, Epic Fury is over, which is what you would consider the war. That operation--
JACOBS: So you agree it's a war, then?
RUBIO: No, those are hostilities. They called it a war.
JACOBS: OK.
RUBIO: I'm just responding to the senator's question.
JACOBS: Mr. Secretary, you can -- you can change the name of the operation. It doesn't change the fact that the strait is still closed and
my service members and all of our service members are still in harm's way. The war is not over.
But I'm agreeing with you. Okay, fine. We're taking you at your word. The war is over. Who won?
RUBIO: First of all, you're not taking me at my word. It's a fact. We're no longer conducting sustained strikes inside of Iran to degrade their
military because Epic Fury is over. The second point is, on the question of who won, we defined victory as destroying their defense industrial base,
significantly reducing the number of missile launchers that they possess, significantly reducing their stockpile of drones, and we achieved all of
those in addition to destroying what they had left of an air force wiping out their entire conventional navy. Those are all gone.
So I consider that victory, and we did too. And that was the purpose of Epic Fury.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: So what we want to know is, can the war in Iran be declared over?
Joining me now is CNN military analyst and retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton.
I mean, it used to be a simple question, Cedric.
CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: It really used to be a simple question, Max. And unfortunately, with all the semantic games that are
being played in Washington and in other places, there are certain things that kind of defy explanation if we in fact say that the war is over,
because we had that attack on the airport in Kuwait that you just showed. We have missile attacks and drone attacks going to other parts of the
Persian Gulf region. You have the blockades still in place.
So whether or not we use the term Epic Fury to describe the overall operation, that's actually immaterial, because when the history books are
going to be written, those history books are going to talk about the conflict as it existed from the first part of that conflict, the actual
initial attacks, all the way to the actual end state. And that end state, in my view, has definitely not been achieved at this point in time.
FOSTER: What did you make of what President Trump said about the Ayatollah that they seem to be getting on?
LEIGHTON: Yeah, very interesting language. I would think that the Ayatollah probably has a different view on that. I think that the Ayatollah
is looking at this as -- certainly a, in essence, a transaction of statecraft, an effort to end hostilities perhaps, but also to really make
Iran a strategic winner in this particular conflict. And I think with the way in which the Strait of Hormuz is being controlled by Iran right now,
it's pretty clear that from that point of view, the Iranians have at least achieved something that they didn't have before, and so they could consider
that a victory.
When it comes to the Ayatollah's view on Trump, I would suspect that it is a lot less benign that Trump is making it out to be, and I think that there
are some personal animosities that go back not just to the killing of the previous ayatollah, which was the father, of course, of the current
ayatollah, Mojtaba Khamenei, but also going all the way back to the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, the head of the IRGC, back in 2020.
[15:35:12]
So those are certainly factors that weigh on the Iranian mind, I think, when it comes to this. But the Iranians are going to be a bit pragmatic at
this point in time. And if they can get a break in the fighting, they will take advantage of that and they will use that to strengthen their forces
and to make those forces really be ready for what happens next, whatever that might be.
FOSTER: It shows a level of respect, though, doesn't it, talking about the Ayatollah in this way, particularly in the context that he's being fiercely
critical of the Israeli prime minister.
But do you feel this is all just a means to an end or do you -- you know, having studied politicians dealing with conflicts in the past, do you think
it's a strategy that could work for the military?
LEIGHTON: It could. And, you know, it's interesting because yes, I do think you are onto something there, Max, when it comes to the way Trump is
looking at this. He is definitely trying to make the negotiations between Iran and the United States work to -- as much of an advantage as possible
for the United States. And in order to do that, it does make sense to, in essence, say some nice things about the ayatollah. So that part does make
sense.
The problem that I think we're going to have is that as these things happen, President Trump is known for his transactional approach to these
kinds of relationships. And if there's something that the Iranians don't produce for whatever reason, that could then, in essence, draw out the
entire house of cards. And if that house of cards falls, then we could be back again at a stage where some type of hostilities could recommence.
And of course, the Iranians have a vote in this. They might say very quickly that they're not satisfied with certain things, they may launch
attacks of whatever kind, perhaps like the ones we saw against the Kuwait International Airport, perhaps cyber attacks, perhaps other efforts from an
asymmetric standpoint that they could launch against targets in the Gulf and even beyond that to affect not only European but also U.S. interests.
FOSTER: Colonel Cedric Leighton, as ever, excellent to have you on. Thank you.
Now, it is unclear where the negotiations between the U.S. and Iran are right now. Our team is in Iran to get the view from within the country,
though. CNN operates in Iran only with the permission of the government, but maintains full editorial control of its reports.
Here's Fred Pleitgen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We've just entered Iran, and we're currently driving towards Tehran. I would say that
the drive is probably going to take well north of 12 hours.
And we come here at a pretty decisive time as the United States and Iran are trying to inch closer to a memorandum of understanding that would at
first, end the hostilities between the United States and Iran. But also pave the way for negotiations for a broader peace agreement that could then
happen maybe a month, maybe two months down the line.
At the same time, the security situation, especially in the Persian Gulf area, between the U.S. and Iran remains fragile, and it remains volatile.
Just overnight, there have been attacks that went back and forth. The United States hitting some targets on some islands in the Persian Gulf. The
Iranians responding with ballistic missile strikes targeting American installations in places like Bahrain and Kuwait.
So, all of that, of course, makes for a very difficult situation, as the two sides say they are committed to try and reach some sort of agreement to
end this war.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Fred Pleitgen there in Iran.
Now in the final moments of trade on Wall Street, stocks are down. The Dow has fallen back below 51,000.
This is our Business Breakout.
The war with Iran could see global economic growth slow down to levels seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. That is according to the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development. The OECD says the outlook for the world economy has weakened significantly since the start of the war, with
the effects likely to be felt for some time.
The Trump administration is moving to put new tariffs on America's trading partners after the Supreme Court struck down the president's so-called
Liberation Day measures. The U.S. trade representative is using the 1974 Trade Act to propose blanket tariffs on countries it says are importing
from places where forced labor is being used. The USTR will hold hearings on the proposal next month.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is scheduled for meetings at the White House today. A source cell CNN Altman will also meet with several members of Congress. The
visit comes a day after President Trump signed an executive order asking A.I. companies to give the government early access to their A.I. models to
assess security risks.
[15:40:02]
Still to come, yet another longtime CBS correspondent is fired from "60 Minutes" after making scathing remarks about his new leadership at a staff
meeting.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:43:17]
FOSTER: A correspondent just got fired from one of America's most venerated TV news programs, and he's accusing the new owners of CBS of
trying to curry favor with the Trump administration. Scott Pelley was fired a day after sharply criticizing the new leadership at "60 Minutes". He says
management told him to inject falsehoods and political bias into stories. He also said the show lost its DNA when other senior staffers were fired
before him, adding good people were silenced for defending the truth. CBS says he was fired for cause.
The network's owner Paramount is seeking government approval to acquire Warner Brothers Discovery, which includes CNN. What we don't know though is
what is the future of "60 Minutes"?
Joining me now is David Folkenflik, media correspondent for NPR.
Thank you so much for joining us, David.
It was an extraordinary outburst, wasn't it, that we heard from this correspondent? But it was in a staff meeting. It wasn't meant for public
consumption. So what do you make of that part of it?
DAVID FOLKENFLIK, MEDIA CORRESPONDENT, NPR: Well, it's a semi-public event, let's put it that way. There were about 60 people present. Much of
the staff of "60 Minutes" was there.
So it was not as though this was a private exchange between Scott Pelley and his new boss, Nick Bilton, the newly appointed executive producer of
"60 Minutes". But you're right, it wasn't in a public forum.
It was also, however, quickly leaked out and Pelley received strong applause from many of those present after his remarks and after Nick Bilton
left the room.
So this was the confrontation done by Pelley with knowledge that it would escalate the sense of conflict and crisis present within that, you know,
supremely important program for CBS News, and, you know, in some ways the most prominent, prestigious and profitable one in broadcast television
news.
[15:45:17]
FOSTER: I mean, a lot of people outside the U.S. might not. realize how central it is to the culture or has been in the past. You know, just
explain what a big deal "60 Minutes" is, and even for people that don't watch it, it has influence, doesn't it, that sits on a Sunday night.
FOLKENFLIK: Yeah, it commands attention. I think you're right to try to set up the importance of it for your viewers. It follows for more than half
of its season. It follows NFL football games, which are in some ways the most highly watched television programs in the country year after year.
But it also has a rich tradition over 58 years of presenting the public with investigative reporting, hard-hitting interviews, enterprise stories,
in-depth conversations with people of interest in culture, in academia, in design, engineering, industry, the like.
And it tells stories through travel logs and visual storytelling as well. And so it's this kind of showcase for what television journalism can do and
still be interesting and still be entertaining and still be vital enough to draw nine, 10 more million viewers each Sunday evening, roughly at seven
o'clock in the evening.
So it is one of the most prominent ones, it tends to make stars and even celebrities out of many of its leading correspondents. They interview
presidents, they interview heads of state, they interview, you know, global phenomena level celebrities. These are people performing at the highest
level, or at least people charged with doing so.
And what the new editor-in-chief of CBS sought to do and her new handpicked executive producer sought to do was overhaul it, they said, for the digital
age. You know, keep it vital, vibrant, and indispensable, they say, but, you know, in a multi-platform world at a time when "60 Minutes" was
actually up in the ratings from the previous year in a time when they feel they've done a lot digitally, but also when a lot of the decisions being
made by the new news executives seem to kind of all lean in one direction. And that's sort of pulling in a little bit about hitting hard on President
Trump and his allies.
FOSTER: Okay. I really appreciate it. David, thank you so much for joining us from New York.
There have been angry scenes on the streets and in parliament in the U.K. over the murder of an 18-year-old. Henry Nowak was stabbed to death last
year in disturbing police body cam images. We see an officer handcuffing Nowak, ignoring pleas that he could not breathe before he died. Novak's
killer, a British Sikh man, had falsely accused the student of a racist attack moments earlier. That man was sentenced on Monday to life in prison
for Nowak's murder.
Tuesday night saw protests turned violent in Southampton, where the murder took place. Those protests came after the leader of the right-wing Reform
Party called for pure cold rage in response to Nowak's death, saying it was an example of two-tier policing.
Today, in the House of Commons, Nigel Farage came under fire, accused of inflaming racial tensions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIGEL FARAGE, LEADER, REFORM UK: The anger that you saw spilling out in Southampton last night --
(HECKLING)
FARAGE: Which is in danger -- which is in danger of getting considerably worse.
(HECKLING)
FARAGE: If the public lose trust in being treated fairly by the police, can he take some action and this divisive practice of two-tier policing and
make sure that all British citizens are treated the same.
KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Mr. Speaker, I don't believe there's two-tier policing in this country. I'm really shocked that he pretends to
have respect for Henry's family and then acts in this way. They are a grieving family.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Blush, please. It's a very important question. I want to hear the Prime Minister. If you want to carry on, go outside,
please.
Prime Minister?
STARMER: The grieving family have asked us not to respond in the way that the leader of Reform has responded. They've asked us not to.
[15:50:00]
They have lost their son in the most appalling circumstances. They make a simple plea of us as human beings to please not exploit us that. That is
their plea to us.
We all need to reflect on those words of Henry's father. My response, and the response of others to be fair, has been focused on the lessons to be
learned so we can deliver justice.
His response has been to appeal for rage. Rage. That's his response to a father who's lost his son and asked for that not to happen.
Exploiting this tragedy to create grievance and division would be wrong in any circumstances but to do it when the family are expressly saying please
don't is unforgivable. It shows exactly who he is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Well, still to come, we are just hours away from tip-off with the New York Knicks taking on the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: Finally, tonight, it is one of the most highly anticipated NBA Finals match-ups in years, and it begins in just a few hours. New York is
buzzing with the Knicks in the finals for the first time in 25 years, but they're coming up against a young San Antonio Spurs team led by arguably
the greatest player on the planet right now.
CNN World Sport's Don Riddell takes a closer look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Basketball fans are going to be partying like it's 1999 in the NBA Finals because it is a rematch from 27 years ago.
The New York Knicks against the San Antonio Spurs and it's got all the makings of a classic.
Let's talk about the star power. The Knicks have got the awesome Jalen Brunson, whose dad, Rick, played in the `99 series. So he'll be trying to
avenge his father's defeat.
But it's going to be a pretty tall order for the Knicks, going up against the 7 foot 4 inch French megastar Victor Wembanyama, a generational talent
who seems to take his game to new heights with every passing game.
KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS, NEW YORK KNICKS CENTER: To be able to have this moment in Knicks history, where we're back here, where New York's been hungry to
be back in this finals, it means a lot.
VICTOR WEMBANYAMA, SAN ANTONIO SPURS CENTER/POWER FORWARD: Coming back down from this is a challenge and it's not done yet. We still need to
really come back down to earth and realize that we haven't done the hardest yet.
[15:55:05]
The job isn't done at all.
RIDDELL: So the Spurs are looking for their first championship since 2014. The Knicks haven't won one since 1973. Most of their long-suffering fans
have no memory of watching a championship team play at the Garden.
But here's why they're feeling confident. New York just absolutely destroyed their Eastern Conference opponents in the playoffs, winning 11
straight games and racking up the highest points differential of any 11- game stretch in NBA history.
But the Spurs are battle-hardened in a different way. They top the reigning champion Thunder in the Western Conference final, winning the crucial games
one and seven in Oklahoma City to pull it off. They're going to be really, really hard to beat.
So break out the popcorn, strap yourselves in. Hopefully we'll get all seven games in the series, and we'll be on the edge of our seats
throughout.
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: It's going to be fun.
Thank you to Don.
I'm Max Foster. That's WHAT WE KNOW. Do stay with CNN.
END
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