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Russia Pounds Ukraine Ahead of Final Day of Prisoner Swap; Trump Touts Ending DEI Programs During West Point Speech; Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill" Heads to U.S. Senate; 100 Plus National Security Council Staffers Put on Leave; CNN Visit Visits George Floyd Memorial Site in Minneapolis; Al-Sharaa Meets with U.S. Envoy Tom Barrack in Istanbul; Iran "Disappointed" With Progress of Negotiations So Far; Study: World's Ice Sheets on Track for Runaway Melting. Aired 5-6 am ET

Aired May 25, 2025 - 05:00   ET

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


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[05:00:32]

BRIAN ABEL, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching here in the United States and around the world. I'm Brian Abel in Atlanta. Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM: Ukraine endures another night of deadly Russian strikes ahead of the last phase of a major prisoner swap. We'll have the latest in a live report.

U.S. President Donald Trump faces another legislative battle after getting his big, beautiful bill passed in the House. We'll look at the legislation's chances in the Senate and the key sticking points. And severe weather is a threat for some of the tens of millions of people expected to travel this Memorial Day weekend.

Swarms of Russian missiles and drones went after targets across Ukraine overnight, just as the country was preparing for the final day of its prisoner swap with Moscow. Officials say at least 11 people are dead, 43 injured after the attacks on the Kyiv region and other locations.

In the south, emergency crews searched buildings that took heavy damage after a drone attack in the city of Mykolaiv. Ukraine's Air Force says Russia launched close to 300 drones and 70 missiles, with most being shot down before reaching their targets. That's happening as Russia and Ukraine get ready to exchange more prisoners of war as part of their largest swap since the conflict began.

Hundreds have already been released since Friday. A Ukrainian activist told us earlier what they may have gone through during their captivity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OLEKSANDRA ROMANTSOVA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES: After they will have rehabilitation, that medicine -- medical rehabilitation, and after their psychological support, after this, we can speak with them. And we do that with previous group, which was much more -- much more less, but when we speak with them, first of all, it's physical torturing. You need to understand that Russia Army have a tradition through Chechnya Wars. They never care about war crimes. When we speak about, for example, bandit to torturing of people, sometimes they say, because of your soldier, you will be tortured because they want -- they try and to crush you, they want -- they want to have information and all the people who release from there, they speak about torture.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: And Paula Hancocks joins us from Abu Dhabi with the latest. Paula?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brian, I'll start off with the overnight aerial assaults on Ukraine. We heard air raid sirens across the capital, Kyiv, and also across much of Ukraine for hours in the early hours. And we also heard that residents in Kyiv were recommended to just stay in the shelters in the early hours of Sunday morning because the assault was so intense.

We hear from the Air Force that these almost 70 missiles, almost 300 drones, they were cruise missiles, ballistic missiles fired from ships and planes by Russia. And they certainly had an impact on the ground. Thirteen regions across the country were impacted.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian leader, says that at this point rescuers are still operating in more than 30 towns and villages trying to help people that have been impacted, saying that it was deliberate attacks on ordinary citizens and ordinary cities.

Now, he is once again calling for sanctions against Russia, saying that this is the only way to end the war at this point. We also spoke to one parliament member on Saturday after that overnight onslaught who said that it felt like Armageddon.

So, an intense assault we have seen over the past 48 hours, at least one military analyst saying to CNN they believe that this is Russia's response to drones that Ukraine targeted Moscow with earlier last week.

Now, it does come at the time when we are seeing really the largest prisoner exchange that we have seen since this war began in February 2022. So far, more than 600 have been released on both sides, and we're expecting it to hit 2,000. So, 1,000 Russian prisoners being released, 1,000 Ukrainian prisoners.

[05:05:04]

And we certainly saw some very emotional scenes both Friday and Saturday as those draped in Ukrainian flags were reunited with their loved ones. Let's listen to President Zelenskyy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The task is to bring home absolutely everyone who is currently held in Russia. And this is a joint task for our intelligence services, for our diplomats, for our entire state. Clearly, it's not an easy task, but it must be accomplished. I'm grateful to everyone around the world who is helping us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: Now, on Friday, when the U.S. President Donald Trump announced that these prisoner exchanges were happening on social media (technical difficulty) something big with question marks, but those on the ground do not believe that there will be positive impacts beyond this exchange itself, especially seeing the aerial assaults. Brian.

ABEL: All right, Paula Hancocks with the latest from Abu Dhabi. Paula, thank you.

U.S. President Donald Trump didn't shy away from controversial topics while speaking to U.S. Military Academy graduates on Saturday. He delivered the commencement address at West Point and at times turned it into a campaign-style speech. The president touted his plan for a Golden Dome missile defense system that he announced earlier this week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), U.S. PRESIDENT: We're building the Golden Dome missile defense shield to protect our homeland and to protect West Point from attack. And it will be completed before I leave office.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: During his speech, Mr. Trump called the graduates winners and congratulated them on joining, quote, "The greatest and most powerful army the world has ever known. He slammed military readiness under his predecessor, Joe Biden, and claimed he had rebuilt America's armed forces. The president praised his administration's efforts to ban diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the military.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We've liberated our troops from divisive and demeaning political trainings. There will be no more critical race theory or transgender for everybody forced onto our brave men and women in uniform. The job of the U.S. armed forces is not to host drag shows, to transform foreign cultures, but to spread democracy to everybody around the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: After the holiday weekend, the battle over Trump's big, beautiful budget bill shifts to the Senate. And once again, we can expect to see divisions within the GOP emerge. A reminder that it passed the House by a margin of one, all Democrats voting against it, along with two Republicans. That follows intense infighting between MAGA loyalists getting behind Trump's push to increase spending for defense, immigration enforcement and homeland security, and fiscal hawks that wanted to see deep cuts in order to pay for all of it.

Two of the most contentious issues, once again, as the Senate comes up with its own version of the bill, reducing federal spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, the official name for food stamps, and how deep cuts to Medicaid will go.

Natasha Lindstedt is a professor of government at the University of Essex. She's in Colchester, England, joining us now. Natasha, let's talk a bit more about what is in this bill, as it stands today at least. We do have a graphic here for our viewers.

One trillion in cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, with a 2026 deadline for work requirements for Medicaid. $150 billion for defense programs like President Trump's new Golden Dome Missile Protection System project. The bill would also raise the debt ceiling by trillions and includes immigration enforcement measures.

So, there's a lot in there. The White House was looking for no tax on tips as well, but does it have what Senate Republicans are looking for? How much can we expect this bill to change now that it's in their hands?

NATASHA LINDSTEDT, PROFESSOR OF GOVERNMENT, UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX: So, this bill in its current form will not pass in the Senate, and there have been senators, a handful of senators that have spoken out to affirm this, that there'll need to be changes. As you mentioned, there are fiscal conservatives that don't like how much the bill is adding to the debt. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this is going to be over $2 trillion, but some other experts think it could be up to $4 trillion, as the 2017 tax cuts had added trillions to the national debt, which already stands at $36 trillion.

So, they're not happy with the fact that there's just not enough cuts to that taking place. And then you also have other conservative Republicans that are concerned about their own constituents, that are worried that cuts to Medicaid are going to not be helpful to their re- election bids. And you have 22 Senate Republicans that are up for re- election in 2026, compared to only 13 Democrats. So, there's more pressure on Republicans.

[05:10:09]

And, you know, we've talked about Medicaid and how important Medicaid is to Americans that are from low incomes. It supports 70 million Americans. And again, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that at least 7 million Americans are going to lose their coverage. There'll be more pressure on the states. And so this isn't going to be good for re-election. And then another point is that there are some Republicans that are even concerned about phasing out the incentives of the Inflation Reduction Act, the clean energy incentives. And they're worried that there are going to be a lot of money, a lot of investment that is just going to basically be erased that will affect Republican states. So, there are a lot of concerns from both sides within the Republican Party. ABEL: You mentioned the conversation about Medicaid. There's been a lot of it. Some of that coming from the fact that many Republicans said it would be protected. That conversation may be overshadowing potential Medicare cuts. In response to Democrat Rep. Brendan Boyle, the Congressional Budget Office writes that when legislation significantly adds to the national debt, sequestration is triggered.

So, it would translate to automatic reductions in Medicare spending of 4%, roughly $45 billion for 2026. That 4%, it would continue from there, which would translate to $490 billion in Medicare cuts in 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. That's quite significant, to say the least. How do you believe an outlook like that would impact both the political landscape and its constituencies?

LINDSTEDT: So, while Medicaid is definitely important in -- you know, for both Republicans and Democrats in terms of the fact that they can't really do well in their re-election bids if there are cuts to Medicaid, but cuts to Medicare are -- just would be catastrophic because you have elderly people who will be affected, and this is a voting bloc that is very reliable.

And that was one of the things that actually Trump campaigned on, that he wasn't going to be making any cuts not just to Medicaid, but also to Medicare. So, it would be politically suicidal for them to get into cuts to Medicare, where the, you know, constituents will definitely come out to vote, and they will punish those who they deem responsible for not ensuring that -- that Medicare remains in place and well- funded.

ABEL: So, all but assured that the Senate will be changing this bill, then it would have to go back to the House. What happens from that point?

LINDSTEDT: I mean, another good question, because it barely got by in the House. This was not a bill that received overwhelming support. The Democrats, as you mentioned, didn't support it at all. And though there are a lot of MAGA loyalists that are going to support whatever Trump wants him to do, no matter how they feel about it, because they're concerned that if they don't support him, they'll be punished in their re-election bids because he'll go after them on social media.

There are also Republicans in the House that are in the swing districts or Democrat-leaning districts that can't really afford to -- to support this type of bill, particularly due to the cuts that we already mentioned to Medicaid, to the Inflation Reduction Act, and so forth.

And then again, same story. There are also Republicans that are fiscally conservative that don't like how much money it is adding to the debt. So, it's going to actually reveal more friction and divisions within the Republican Party as they try to push this bill forward, because there's too many elements of it that are just very controversial and that aren't going to be really helpful on the campaign trail come 2026.

ABEL: And we saw how much work went into by the President of the United States getting this bill to the Senate. We'll see what happens when it comes back, how much work there will be again.

Natasha Lindstedt in Colchester, England, thank you.

LINDSTEDT: Thanks for having me.

ABEL: Sources tell CNN that the White House put more than 100 National Security Council officials on administrative leave Friday. It's reportedly part of a restructuring. CNN's Julia Benbrook has details.

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JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Donald Trump and his Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also his acting National Security Advisor, have ordered a major overhaul of the National Security Council. We've learned that more than 100 NSC staffers have been placed on administrative leave, and among those placed on leave are career officials as well as political hires during the Trump administration.

Now, the NSC plays a critical role in the coordination of the president's foreign policy agenda and is staffed by foreign policy experts from various parts of the U.S. government. They have had a diminished role under Trump, though, and that will likely be reduced even more following these overhauls.

[05:15:14]

Now, according to an administration official, those who are being dismissed received an email on the Friday before the long holiday weekend, around 4 p.m., telling them that they had about 30 minutes to remove their things and leave, and if they were off campus at the time, that they could write in and schedule a time to pick up their belongings as well as drop off devices.

Now, the headline, the subject line of that email said, your return to home agency, indicating that most of those affected were detailed to the NSC from various other departments and agencies.

Traveling with the president in New Jersey, Julia Benbrook, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: It's Memorial Day weekend in the U.S., a chance for Americans to remember those who died in the military serving their country. The holiday is also a chance to connect with family and friends, but as Jenn Sullivan reports, travel troubles and weather woes are putting a damper on the holiday.

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JENN SULLIVAN, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Millions of people are expected to travel this Memorial Day weekend, and many of them are facing the threat of severe weather.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some of the heavier rainfall here, anywhere from four to six inches of rain locally, so that's a half a foot of precipitation expected.

SULLIVAN: Strong storms and flash flooding could impact parts of the central plains and Mississippi Valley. The greatest threats are in Oklahoma and Arkansas, as well as Missouri and Kansas. Areas of those two states were decimated by tornadoes last weekend.

TARYN DICKMAN, LOST HOME TO TORNADO: We've had to move out of our house. It's going to be under construction for a long time.

SULLIVAN: Taryn Dickman's family is just one of many who lost everything last weekend when an EF-3 tornado battered the northwest Kansas town of Grinnell. Another area in the line of this weekend's storms, Laurel County, Kentucky. The town of London, entire neighborhoods wiped out last weekend, and now that same area could get pummeled with rain.

SHERIFF JOHN ROOT, LAUREL COUNTY, KENTUCKY: Just keep London, Laurel County in your prayers, because right now I'm telling you there's people that really need it.

SULLIVAN: Meanwhile, the northeast and parts of the mid-Atlantic are dealing with a rare May nor'easter that's bringing cooler temperatures and heavy rain. All of this coming as AAA estimates a record 45 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more this holiday weekend.

AIXA DIAZ, AAA SPOKESPERSON: You want to leave as little of a chance as possible, because there are so many things you can't control when you're on the road. Other drivers, construction, the weather.

I'm Jenn Sullivan reporting.

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ABEL: Authorities in Texas are on the lookout for vandals who targeted three mosques in Austin. Coming up, how the criminals used symbols of one religion to attack the houses of worship.

Plus, we are marking a grim anniversary in the U.S. We'll take you to George Floyd Square five years after the death that sparked nationwide protest. Stay with us.

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ABEL: Muslim community leaders in Texas are asking police for more security after three mosques were vandalized in the state capital of Austin. Newly released surveillance footage captures the vandalism at one of the mosques. You see it here, the video showing a man wearing a face-covering spray painting on various areas of the House of Worship.

All three mosques were marked in different places with a Jewish Star of David. Austin police say it is investigating and are patrolling around the mosque. The Council on American Islamic Relations called it a hate-motivated incident. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHAIMAA ZAYAN, CAIR OPERATIONS MANAGER: I've seen an increase in Islamophobia, anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian sentiments since October 2023. It's a shame. It's a shame to target worship places.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: Sunday marks five years since the murder of George Floyd. The black Minnesota man was killed when a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly 10 minutes. His death sparking a wave of protests and federal efforts to reform policing. But on Wednesday, the Trump administration said it was ending oversight of city police reforms. CNN spoke to people in George Floyd Square in Minneapolis Saturday. One man told us much remains to be done.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUISE BOWIE, MINNEAPOLIS RESIDENT: Today is a great celebration and uplifting George Floyd, but day to day it seems like nobody really cares. This is five years later and we haven't got any new programs, we haven't got any new resources and funding for the people that are out here on a day-to-day basis seems like a struggle, specifically for the black men that own property and businesses right here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: CNN senior U.S. Correspondent Sara Sidner has this report.

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SARA SIDNER, CNN SENIOR U.S. CORRESPONDENT: Five years after the murder of George Floyd, George Floyd Square looks a lot the same and there are some differences. One thing to note is that people come here and volunteer from the neighborhood to make sure this is pristine, kept so that people can come and pray here and remember what happened here and also demand the changes that they want for the police department in this community. If you look here, this is exactly where his body was lying when then-officer Derek Chauvin had his knee on his neck and George Floyd was begging for his life, begging for his breath.

Back then, this store here was called Cup Foods. Now, they've changed the name to Unity Foods. But there is some contention in the neighborhood. The contention being there are some folks in this neighborhood who really would like to see this street closed off for good because it is currently closed off now and has been for five years.

But some of the people living in this neighborhood and some of the businesses operating in this neighborhood who have given back to this neighborhood say they need it to open up. They want the memorial to stay here. They are okay with this, but they are having trouble surviving without any traffic flow here. And they're trying to work all this out. But on this day, people are coming from all over the country to

remember what happened and to hope that change happens, even as they are concerned with what they are seeing from the Trump administration as it rolls back federal oversight on police departments.

[05:25:00]

Sara Sidner, CNN, Minneapolis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: Months after ousting a brutal dictator, Syria is looking to rebuild. We'll speak live with an expert about the changing relationship between the U.S. and Syria.

Plus, some pessimism after limited progress in nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran. Those stories and more when we come back.

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ABEL: Welcome back to CNN Newsroom. I'm Brian Abel in Atlanta.

Let's check some of today's top stories. Ukraine is reeling from a second massive wave of Russian strikes in as many days. Officials say drones and missiles went after targets across Ukraine overnight, leaving at least 12 people dead and with dozens more injured. It comes as the Russian Ministry of Defense says the two countries have each exchanged another 303 prisoners of war. That would conclude the 1,000 for 1,000 prisoners swap that Kyiv and Moscow negotiated in Istanbul last week.

U.S. President Donald Trump delivering the commencement speech at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York on Saturday. He said by banning diversity initiatives and transgender people from serving in the military, he was helping to, quote, "liberate the troops."

Vandals hit three mosques in Austin, Texas. Video of one attack showing a man wearing a face covering spray-painting the house of worship. The mosques were marked with the Jewish Star of David in different places. The Council on American Islamic Relations called it a, quote, "hate-motivated incident."

The leader of Syria's new government met with U.S. representatives in Istanbul Saturday. Syrian Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa spoke with Thomas Barrack, the U.S. Special Envoy for Syria and Ambassador to Turkey.

[05:30:08]

The meeting comes as the U.S. begins lifting some sanctions, specifically financial penalties, so Syria can rebuild after Bashar al-Assad was toppled last December. President Donald Trump signaled the shift in U.S.-Syria relations earlier this month, promising that sanctions would be rolled back after meeting in Saudi Arabia with Mr. al-Sharaa. The Syrian leader also met Saturday with Turkish President Recep

Tayyip Erdogan. The men talked for some 90 minutes about regional tensions and ways to boost cooperation.

Jasmine El-Gamal is a Middle East -- an analyst rather, and former Middle East Advisor for the Pentagon, and she's joined us now from Oslo, Norway.

Jasmine, thank you for being with us. This seems to be an opening for a pretty significant shift here in the U.S. relationship with Syria. Give us the backdrop of these sanctions being lifted. We know it's not all at once, but is this a trust but verify that Syria's new president is someone America can partner and do business with, or is the U.S. not even at that trust part of that equation yet?

JASMINE EL-GAMAL, MIDDLE EAST ANALYST: Well, first of all, good morning and thank you so much for having me. And I think you're asking some really good questions here because there are several different issues when it comes to lifting these sanctions. And the question that you asked about whether the U.S. is operating on a trust and verify basis, actually, the answer is a little complicated because when we're talking about the U.S., we're not -- we're talking about different actors inside the U.S. government who may have different opinions on Ahmed al-Sharaa and how much to really trust him and give him the benefit of the doubt.

It seems that for now, President Trump, who is the one who was most willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, and President Trump has been very influenced in this regard by Saudi Arabia and Turkey, that the rest of the administration has for now fallen in line. Now, we are hearing reports that the State Department is still, you know, kind of pushing for more conditional -- a more conditional way forward based on steps that the Syrian government has to take in order to lift more layers of sanctions. But for now, it seems that Donald Trump has made up his mind that this is a thing that he wants to do. He wants to give the Syrian government a chance.

As I said, he was very influenced in this regard by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and the Turkish leader, Erdogan, as you mentioned. This announcement of the release of sanctions or the lifting of sanctions on Syria was probably one of the most significant announcements to come out of Donald Trump's recent trip to the Middle East.

And so people are watching it very closely. But it seems that for now, things are moving. The easiest things that could be done have been done already, which is basically issuing a general license, a waiver, if you will, that will allow people to start going into Syria, investing in Syria, working with the Syrian government, putting in humanitarian aid into Syria.

These things are fairly easy to do because they just require a presidential waiver or a waiver from the Secretary of State. There are other types of sanctions that will be harder to unravel, that will take congressional approval and be more complicated. But for now, it seems that the message from Donald Trump is clear. We're giving this president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, the benefit of the doubt, and we're giving the Syrian people another chance. That's how he puts it.

ABEL: Al-Sharaa, it should be remembered, Jasmine, was once on the U.S. global terrorist list for heading al-Qaida's Syrian affiliate. But it appears, as you're mentioning, that President Trump is setting al-Sharaa's history aside for the potential to influence Syria's rebuild. How do you see the U.S.'s involvement possibly playing out down the road? What specific benefits could the U.S. gain from this? And then conversely, what would Syria be looking to from the U.S.?

EL-GAMAL: Yeah, great questions. I think in terms of what Syria stands to benefit from this, obviously it's huge. I mean, these sanctions that were initially levied against the Assad regime for over 40, some 40 plus years, they really hit the Syrian people very hard. As is the case with sanctions regimes, they normally affect the population more than they affect the people in power, who always find a way to go around them.

So, the Syrian people have been really celebrating this announcement, looking forward to -- to reengaging with the global economy, to opening businesses, to being able to start a new chapter. And so, I think Syria, you know, you see this, and when you talk to people in Syria, there's this real -- you know, there's this real air of optimism and excitement and gratitude for -- for the lifting of these sanctions.

[05:35:06]

For the U.S., of course, there are two things mainly. One is stability in the region. So, really trying to help put Syria on a path towards a more stable future. And if you'll remember back in 2012, when Syria first started descending, into war and conflict, the ripple effects affected the entire region and not just the region, but Europe as well.

If you'll remember the refugee crisis that impacted Europe so significantly. So, Syria really is the center of the Middle East in so many ways, in the sense that if you get it right and if Syria is stable and you get rid of foreign influence and terrorism and extremism and all those things that have beset it for so many years, then that ripple effect positively impacts the rest of the region. And that's something that Donald Trump very much wants, is to stabilize the Middle East and open it up, help open it up for investment and have it be a partner, not just a problem to constantly have to be solved.

ABEL: Jasmine, you laid out pretty well the reactions to this changing dynamic from the Syrians. But what about from Syria's borders? We just saw Turkey play host to al-Sharaa. Have the reactions from regional neighbors played out as you would expect so far?

EL-GAMAL: I think largely, yes. You know, as I mentioned, Saudi Arabia and Turkey were hugely influential in getting Trump to lift these sanctions. They're both very invested in the idea of a stable and secure Syria.

Remember also that Turkey hosts a lot of Syrian refugees and -- and that has caused tensions throughout the years, given how much Turkey has been struggling economically. And so, I think Erdogan partly wants to open up a pathway for some of these refugees to go back home in safety. He also wants to, you know, from a more geopolitical angle, exert and expand some of influence, some of Turkey's influence in the region. And he can do that through Syria, through his relationship with Ahmed al-Sharaa.

So, you can expect Turkey to start increasing its relationship institutionally and diplomatically with the new Syrian government, trying to help the Syrian government address some of the challenges laying ahead, and in doing so, increase Turkey's influence in the region.

Saudi Arabia, likewise -- Saudi Arabia has always had one thing in focus, in mind, which is stability in the region, because Saudi Arabia's vision 2030, which is a vision for opening up the Saudi economy for investment and diversifying away from oil, depends on a stable and secure Middle East, because no one would want to invest in a region and in a country that's beset with conflict.

So, I think similarly, the Qataris and the UAE and Egypt, they've all opened up to this idea that, you know what, let's try to make the most out of this. Let's give Ahmed al-Sharaa the benefit of the doubt. Yes, we will be watching him closely.

The U.S. has put some issues to him that they want him to focus on, like removing -- you know, expelling terrorists and foreign fighters from Syria, taking over the ISIS camps in the Northeast and really getting a handle on that. And eventually -- eventually, although I don't see this happening, you know, anytime soon, eventually normalizing relations with Israel and potentially even joining the Abraham Accords. So, there's a lot that's going to potentially happen.

Some will be quicker than others. But I think the consensus is both within the U.S. administration, largely Donald Trump running the show, and within the region, that Syria has an incredible opportunity to move forward now, and we should all get on board and try to help make that happen.

ABEL: All right. Jasmine El-Gamal from Oslo, Norway. Thank you for your expertise.

EL-GAMAL: Thanks so much for having me.

ABEL: Of course. And in Iran, a senior lawmaker telling CNN that the country is disappointed with the progress of nuclear talks with the U.S. and that they are considering a Plan B. CNN's Fred Pleitgen spoke to a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee in Tehran.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Iranian negotiators participating in the talks in Rome say that those talks were held in what they call a professional atmosphere. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, coming out afterwards and saying he believes that the U.S. side, at the very least, now has a better understanding of Iran's position.

Now, of course, one of the things that still is very difficult is uranium enrichment by the Iranians, and whether or not the two sides are going to be able to come to terms over that.

Here in Tehran, though, there does appear to be a lot of pessimism. I was able to speak to a senior Iranian lawmaker, and here is what he had to say.

[05:40:00]

EBRAHIM REZAEI, MEMBER OF IRANIAN PARLIAMENT (through translator): Especially given the recent statements by American officials regarding zero enrichment, I got disappointed and do not have much hope that the negotiations will lead to a deal. We are preparing for Plan B.

PLEITGEN: Do you think that there is room for a way forward?

REZAEI (through translator): If the Americans are merely seeking to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, a deal may be reached. But if they are seeking no enrichment, a deal will definitely not be possible.

We need 20% enrichment in order to provide radiological medicine for cancer patients. We had to produce it ourselves because no one provide it for us. That's why, for the sake of the people, we cannot forego 20% enrichment.

PLEITGEN: There are some countries in the region like for instance, Oman, also Saudi Arabia, who talk about possibly enriching uranium together for a consortium or something that Iran would maybe work with Saudis and with others, do you think that those could be a way forward out of this impasse?

REZAEI (through translator): We would welcome the formation of a consortium and have no problem with that. But we insist that enrichment has to take place on Iranian soil and that the material be kept on Iranian soil. This is a red line, and naturally we will not back away from it.

PLEITGEN (on camera): Now, as far as the U.S. side is concerned, there was also a statement by a source close to Steve Witkoff and the U.S. negotiating team saying that there was progress that was continuing to be achieved, but that there was also still work to be done and the two sides have agreed to meet again in the not-too-distant future.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: Still to come, a dire new warning about the world's melting ice sheets. We'll speak to an expert about what, if anything, can be done to prevent catastrophic sea level rise.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ABEL: The world's ice sheets are on course for runaway melting, potentially leading to a catastrophic rise in sea levels. That's according to a new study by a group of international scientists. They wanted to find out what level of global warming would allow for the survival of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.

[05:45:14]

The most worrying finding is that even if the world manages to hit a pledged target of 1.5 degrees of warming above pre-industrial levels, it likely won't be enough. Scientists found the current level, 1.2 degrees, could still trigger ice sheet retreat and dramatic sea level rise. The world is currently on track for up to 2.9 degrees of warming in the next 75 years.

Timothy Naish is the Chair of the Joint Scientific Committee of the World Climate Research Program. He's also a professor of earth sciences at the Victoria University of Wellington and joining us from Wellington, New Zealand. Thank you for being with us, Timothy.

What I just read there, it sounds awfully alarming that in 75 years we could be 1.7 degrees above a level that, according to this study, might trigger catastrophe. So, let's assume we don't change course for a second. Paint a picture for us of what that looks like and how the study's authors came to their conclusions.

TIMOTHY NAISH, CHAIR, JOINT SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE, WORLD CLIMATE RESEARCH PROGRAMME: Yeah, thanks, Brian, and I don't have too many good messages, I'm afraid, for your listeners. So, yes, we've all heard that we're we've now approached 1.5 degrees of global warming. And, you know, that's a concern.

And it's a concern because the scientific community have identified a number of tipping points in our climate system that become irreversible and very serious after that level of warming. So, one of those is the polar ice sheets, which you're talking about, the Greenland ice sheet and the West Antarctic ice sheet, which this latest study says, you know, even if we reduced all warming now, it might be too late for parts of that, those ice sheets, and therefore we may be unable to stop several meters of sea level rise.

So, what are we in for? Even if we achieve the Paris target and keep global warming well below 2 degrees and close to 1.5 degrees, we cannot avoid half a meter or one and a half feet of sea level rise. That's the best-case scenario. That's baked in. We really can't avoid that. That will affect one billion people living on the coastlines of our planet.

However, if we keep warming and we keep putting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere unabated, the latest IPCC report, the Big Global Climate Report, says we can't rule out two meters of sea level rise by the end of the century. So, I guess in one way, we know what we can't avoid, half a meter, and we know what we don't want to happen. We don't want to let temperatures get much above 1.5 or 2 degrees, or we really are going to be in a very serious situation with sea level rise.

ABEL: Well, if something like that serious situation does happen, who is in danger here? Where are those individuals?

NAISH: Well, anyone who's essentially living within a few meters of present-day sea levels in trouble. And we know the numbers about a billion people.

ABEL: Across the board, globally.

NAISH: Across the board, globally, yes. So, many of those people are now in large coastal cities, particularly in the Asian region, Jakarta, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai, but even in the United States, you've got Boston, you've got New York, you've got large parts of Florida, incredibly vulnerable to that level of sea level rise.

ABEL: OK, so working off the assumption, again, that we are unable to curb our global warming, are there other industry and technological advancements or some sort of barriers that could be developed to protect us?

NAISH: There are, and in some cases, and particularly in wealthier developed countries and regions of the world, you know, there are defenses, hard engineering structures that can be put in place. For example, Singapore, the island of Singapore, very large city, is planning to build a wall around the entire island. New York, of course, Manhattan Island, has plans to defend.

But in some places, there is really nowhere to go. The communities are poor, they're at the limits of adaptation, and they'll be dislocated or in a best-case scenario, relocated in a planned and managed way.

[05:50:01]

ABEL: And a new wave of climate refugees will happen. Timothy Naish, appreciate your expertise.

NAISH: Thank you.

ABEL: We'll be right back.

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ABEL: Iranian Director Jafar Panahi has won the Palme D'Or, the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival for his film, "It Was Just an Accident."

Stunned. His triumph comes after years of personal and professional adversity. He's had many run-ins with his country's government, including imprisonments most recently from 2022 to 2023. For him, being at the festival this year to see his latest film comes as a vindication. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAFAR PANAHI, FILM DIRECTOR, PALME D'OR WINNER (through translator): Don't be afraid of challenges. Don't fear challenges. There is a solution for every problem. Each society faces its own issues, but you can find solutions and make your own film.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: "It Was Just an Accident" was filmed without official permission from Iran and focuses on a chance encounter following a car accident. The story involves ex-political prisoners who kidnap a man they believe to be their former interrogator.

[05:55:00]

Turning to sports now, in Game 3 of the NBA Western Conference Finals, the Minnesota Timberwolves setting a franchise record for the most points scored in a playoff game, crushing the Oklahoma City Thunder 143-101.

While the Thunder still controlled the best of seven series, two games to one, star shooting guard Anthony Edwards said the Timberwolves are ready to carry their momentum into Monday's Game 4 matchup.

And Sunday night, the Eastern Conference Finals resume with the New York Knicks on the road in Indiana. They are looking for their first win of the series as the Pacers now lead two games to zero.

And in the NHL, the Florida Panthers have a commanding lead in the Eastern Conference Finals, defending Stanley Cup champs, overwhelming the Carolina Hurricanes last night 6-2. The Panthers now lead the best of seven series, three games to none, leaving the Canes on the brink of elimination.

Cuba's Johen Lefont, a former water polo player, set a new world record on Saturday. While treading water in a hotel pool, he balanced a soccer ball on his head for just over 31 minutes. Impressive. Three international judges from FIFA and World Aquatics watched his performance. Now, he wants the Guinness World Records to recognize it.

Lefont's time would top Nigerian Tonye Solomon's 2024 record of 28 minutes and 34 seconds.

The Kenya Wildlife Service has started relocating 21 black rhinos to a new home. Officials say the rhino's previous sanctuary had become too crowded. The move is meant to help the critically endangered species survive long-term. More than 30% of rhino deaths in Kenya are attributed to territorial fights between the animals. Kenya has more than 1,000 black rhinos. Most of the country hopes to double that population within 12 years.

That does it for us. Thank you for joining us on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Brian Abel. For our audience in North America, CNN This Morning is next. For the rest of the world, it's The Journey Matters.

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