Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
U.S. Military Says It Shot Down Multiple Iranian Drones; Kennedy Center Wants More Time to Remove Trump's Name; FIFA World Cup; Voters Decide if Switzerland Should Limit Its Population; Albanian Protesters Want Luxury Development Stopped; SpaceX IPO Largest in History; Lincoln Center's Development Redefines Arts Neighborhood; David Hockney, Celebrated Pop Artist, Dies at 88. Aired 5-6a ET
Aired June 13, 2026 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hello and a very warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and all around the world. I'm Salma Abdelaziz in London. Let's get into the headlines.
A potential plan for a peace deal. We have a live report for you from the Middle East about the latest negotiations between the U.S. and Iran.
And Donald Trump's name is being removed from a building in D.C. honoring a predecessor. Why it's happening out of public view.
Plus, the World Cup kicks off in America. We have the latest results and a look at the matches tomorrow.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from London, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Salma Abdelaziz.
ABDELAZIZ: The U.S. military says it shot down multiple Iranian attack drones near the Strait of Hormuz. This was not long after the White House had expressed confidence in a looming agreement that could be signed by the end of the weekend. It would set off more than 60 days of negotiations.
But both sides are giving conflicting details about what would actually be included in that framework agreement. A senior Trump administration official said that Iran would fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. would end its blockade on Iranian ports.
The official said the agreement would also lead to the dismantling of Iran's nuclear program and the destruction of its nuclear material. But Iran's foreign minister says all of that still needs to be worked out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ABBAS ARAGHCHI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): Now the topic of the nuclear issue has been postponed to five agreements. So there are different reasons for this and now we cannot discuss that. The demands were not acceptable, so there are issues, on which we could agree.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABDELAZIZ: Iran says the agreement would also include sanctions relief and a plan to resolve the conflict in Lebanon and all other fronts. For more on all of this, we're joined by CNN's Leila Gharagozlou. She joins us now from Abu Dhabi.
Good morning, Leila. Great to have you with us again. Now what president Trump had said time and time again that he wants to see from this conflict is total surrender. But Iran is saying this is a victory for them.
Who's winning here and who's getting what they want?
LEILA GHARAGOZLOU, CNN PRODUCER: Yes. So in terms of who's winning, the Iranians say that they are essentially the victors of this. They've come out of this conflict and this war looking a lot stronger than anyone thought that they would.
That's largely due to the fact that they were able to blockade the Strait of Hormuz in a way that no one ever suspected that they'd be able to do. So they entered all these negotiations with what they say is a winning hand and the upper hand.
President Trump obviously disputes that. Now what we're hearing in terms of this memorandum of understanding -- and MOU is also slightly different things from either side. We're hearing a few things from sources around the White House.
But we're also hearing from Iranian state media, who just yesterday put out what they say are the 14 points of this MOU. In those they said that there would be a permanent and immediate cessation of war on all fronts, including Lebanon, which, as you know, has been a really critical issue and Iran has said has been their red line.
And this has been a point of contention just this week between Israel and Iran. They also said that they would have a lifting of the naval blockade, a reopening of the strait, the lifting of sanctions on the sale of oil and petrochemicals. This is a really big one.
They also say that they will want all of their frozen funds sent back to them and unfrozen. Another key tension point now where the U.S. says that they have come to an agreement around the nuclear accord, around the nuclear program and dismantling that, Iran says that still has to be talked about.
So we're getting some conflicting reports. What is quite interesting is that president Trump posted on Truth Social yesterday, saying that the report from Iranian media is fake news. And just about 10 minutes after that, the Iranian foreign minister,
Abbas Araghchi, posted on X, also saying that these media speculations have got to stop.
And echoing what president Trump said his post was then reposted on X by the @realDonaldTrump account and also echoed by vice president JD Vance. So putting that all together, we're seeing a much clearer picture of a potential deal and framework.
[05:05:00]
Now when it comes to when this will be signed, there are also some discrepancies around that. So we're hearing from some sources that it could be as early as Sunday in Geneva or it could be signed remotely again on Sunday. Some Iranian sources are saying Sunday could be a little bit too early.
There are still some key elements that need to be finalized. Once that MOU is signed, we're looking at another 60 days of talks around what Iran's foreign minister, as you say, says is the nuclear issue and further sanctions relief.
Now as you know and as anyone who's been watching this conflict knows, just a couple of hours can make all the difference between getting an agreement or seeing some escalation. So we're really going to have to watch closely what comes out over the next couple of days.
ABDELAZIZ: Leila Gharagozlou, it's such an important reminder there that even a couple of hours, even in a few minutes' time, everything can change in this conflict. Thank you so much for that breakdown.
A top leader of one of Latin America's most notorious criminal gangs has been killed. President Donald Trump says Nino Guerrero, who led the gang known as Tren de Aragua, was eliminated in a U.S. airstrike.
Now the group originated in Venezuelan prisons but by now it operates on both sides of the Atlantic and it is believed to be involved in a long list of crimes. Rafael Romo has more for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN HOST AND U.S. CORRESPONDENT: For several years, the criminal group known as Tren de Aragua has terrorized South American countries, including Venezuela, its country of origin, as well as Bolivia, Colombia, Chile and Peru, according to law enforcement officials in the region and the United States.
In the last few years, this transnational gang moved into the United States, CNN initially reported in June of 2024, based on interviews with an FBI official and a former Venezuelan police officer.
Law enforcement officials accused alleged members of the gang of multiple crimes, including creating an alleged multi-state human trafficking ring, forcing immigrant women into prostitution.
There was also the mysterious killing of a former police officer in south Florida in attacks by alleged Tren de Aragua members against police officers in New York. In any case, the death of Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as El Nino Guerrero, is indeed a significant blow to the criminal organization.
The U.S. Justice Department said in December of 2024, when it indicted him, and that Guerrero has been the mastermind of Tren de Aragua's evolution from a Venezuelan prison gang into a transnational terrorist organization.
That committed countless acts of violence, extortion and drug trafficking all over North America, South America and Europe.
In making the announcement about the execution on Truth Social, president Donald Trump said the strike was coordinated closely with, he said, our friends in Venezuela, with whom we are working very well.
His post included a video showing a green roofed building disappearing under a cloud of billowing smoke, caused by a massive explosion. In a later post on X, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strike was conducted earlier this week in collaboration with Venezuelan security forces.
Only days into his new administration in February 2025, president Trump designated Tren de Aragua as a terrorist organization -- Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ABDELAZIZ: In Washington, crews have begun removing president Trump's name from the Kennedy Center. A federal appeals court upheld a judge's order requiring the center to remove Trump's name by midnight on Friday.
But the Kennedy Center missed that deadline. Justice Department attorneys say the work is ongoing but thunderstorms in the area had caused delays. Now a short time ago, you can see the images there, workers used a tarp to cover the scaffolding, essentially blocking the view of their progress, while a crowd chanted "shame."
DOJ attorneys say crews expect to complete the removal in the coming hours. CNN Sunlen Serfaty explains how we got here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's really nothing like it in the country.
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For more than a year, the Kennedy Center has been stretched in a political tug- of-war.
TRUMP: We ended the woke political programming and we're restoring the Kennedy Center as the premier venue for Performing Arts anywhere in the country.
SERFATY (voice-over): As the remaking of the typically nonpartisan arts institution became a personal conquest for President Trump, attempting to reshape the national landmark to his personal liking.
TRUMP: Some of the shows were terrible. They're a disgrace that they were even put on.
SERFATY (voice-over): Last year, the president took the extraordinary step of gutting the Board of Trustees, replacing them instead with his allies. He ousted the chairman and installed himself in that role.
TRUMP: In a few short months since I became chairman of the board, the Kennedy Center, we have completely reversed the decline of this cherished national institution.
[05:10:04]
SERFATY (voice-over): The board then voted to rename the building to the Trump-Kennedy Center and the president's name was added.
TRUMP: They voted on it and there's a lot of board members and they voted unanimously, so I was very honored.
SERFATY (voice-over): The Kennedy Center got its name months after JFK's assassination and was designated by Congress as the sole living memorial to the fallen president. Adding Trump's name to it sparked a high profile lawsuit.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He did not get approval from the Congress to do that and (INAUDIBLE) it's stated in the statute that he had to bring it before Congress.
SERFATY (voice-over): Artists and productions like Hamilton, the Washington National Opera and Bela Fleck began dropping out of scheduled engagements. Audiences hit the exits too, many pulling out in rejection of the president's takeover.
BELA FLECK, MUSICIAN: It was about this whole political back and forth and the circus and I just couldn't get into it.
SERFATY (voice-over): The center started hemorrhaging money amid lagging ticket sales. And in March, in another extraordinary step, Trump announced the center would close its doors in July for two years, he said, for renovations.
TRUMP: We're rebuilding it. It's in very, very bad condition. It's been somewhat of a disaster, to be honest with you. It's been let go to hell.
SERFATY (voice-over): A decision that was seen by many within the institution as a way to save face. Last month, a federal judge blocked the center from closing its doors and said the board violated the law when it added the president's name.
Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name and only Congress can change it. The judge said Trump signaling. Then he is stepping back, saying he is handing over responsibility of the center to Congress and that he had no interest in continuing unless he was free to do what he wanted. Earlier this month, staff was ordered to remove President Trump's name from the building by today.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ABDELAZIZ: I want to show you live pictures from the White House, where the UFC fight on the South Lawn will go ahead as planned after a federal judge rejected a last-minute bid to block the event.
The judge ruled Friday that the two people who filed the lawsuit did not have legal standing to challenge it. He also said canceling the event would cause significant financial harm, since the UFC has already spent more than $60 million on it.
Meanwhile, the UFC kicked off festivities on Friday with a news conference introducing the fighters. You can see them there on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Multiple fights are scheduled for Sunday, which is president Trump's 80th birthday
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): It has been 32 years since the U.S. last hosted the World Cup. American fans were out in force in California, bringing that energy to Team USA's opening game against Paraguay on Friday.
And the home squad did not disappoint, dominating the South American underdogs from the start, beating them four goals to one. Earlier in Toronto, co-host country Canada battled Bosnia-Herzegovina to a 1-1 draw.
And in the coming hours there will be six more countries facing off in Saturdays games in cities across the U.S. Our Coy Wire was at Los Angeles stadium for Team USA's big win.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COY WIRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The atmosphere was electric, like a Super Bowl crowd that found the turbo button. It was a sellout, 70,000 plus, bringing the volume from the jump.
And the celebrity spotting almost as entertaining as the match. Katy Perry sang before the match. You had Beckham, Tom Cruise, Halle Berry, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and then Christian Pulisic took center stage.
Captain America forced an own goal early, then threaded a ridiculous nutmeg assist to Folarin Balogun. And as for Balogun, the man came in, firing a laser off the left foot a brace before halftime to make it 3- 0.
In a statement for the U.S. Now Paraguay scored once, tried to make it ugly. The Americans made it look beautiful, scoring again through Gio Reyna. Four goals most ever by Americans in a World Cup game. Flo Balogun says this is something he's visualized.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) FOLARIN BALOGUN, U.S. FORWARD: I visualized, you know, my debut, you know, in the World Cup scoring. But yes, you know, the reality did surpass that with scoring two goals. And, you know, the second goal was a fantastic goal as well. So you know, as I said, a very dreamy, dreamy night.
CHRISTIAN PULISIC, U.S. FORWARD: To be in America, having this crowd around us, seeing the red, white and blue, all the -- all our red and white striped shirts in the crowd. It's awesome. I mean, here in the USA, chants it's really pushing us forward. So we just hope it continues like that. And I'm sure it will. We're just thankful for it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: The U.S. played with swagger already. More goals in this World Cup than all four of their games in the last one combined.
[05:15:02]
Mauricio Pochettino's squad looked like a team that's not just playing in a World Cup, they are planning to make some noise in it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ABDELAZIZ: For more expert insight into these games, I want to bring in sports journalist Henry Winter.
Thank you so much for joining us this morning. Thank you for being with us.
HENRY WINTER, SPORTS JOURNALIST: Hi.
ABDELAZIZ: Now I know you're British and I'm just going to be honest here. I'm an American. I know America is not a footballing nation. They don't even call it football. It's soccer. I understand you've attended nine other World Cups before this, so be honest with me.
How does the atmosphere compare here?
WINTER: Well, I'm in Kansas City at the moment because England are training here. And I went to watch Messi train because Argentina were based here as well. And I mean, it's interesting going into some of the local bars, which journalists do in the instance of research.
And look, a lot of people are clearly watching the NBA finals. I mean, it's been amazing. You saw the Knicks come back the other night. You've got the Stanley Cup, you've got the baseball. There are other games going on as well. And people totally understand that.
But FIFA, the governing body of world football, clearly wants to almost push this great sport, the world sport, which is soccer, as you call it, football, as we call it, over here. It's huge in Mexico.
You saw the scenes the other night. It's huge in Canada. You saw the scenes there. So -- but America's the biggest country in the world, the most powerful commercial and sporting country in the world. And soccer wants to invade.
But look, it's never going to replace gridiron or baseball. Or it might overtake ice hockey possibly. But I think it would, at the most it can aim for is probably third on the list of American priorities.
But look, it's such an important sport. And with debates about concussion and issues like that, parents being concerned, I think that soccer will definitely resonate in many parts of the country.
ABDELAZIZ: So a soccer football invasion, the hope that it's going to grab hearts and minds of America. But I hear the weather is hot, hot, hot.
So how are the fans dealing with this?
How are the players dealing with this?
I know you're following, of course, the England team.
How are they coping with the heat?
WINTER: Not particularly well. The English players and the English on the whole, we're not used to extreme heat. We quite like our rain. You know what it's like in England. You're born with a passport and an umbrella. so there is that issue.
But look, we've got an amazing collection of athletes. But it was interesting watching on the television, the -- your men's team, the USMNT, the ferocity with which they played to the pressing.
We've always thought of the, you know, the American soccer players as being very athletic. But there was a technical dimension as well. And I think the English players in their hotel will be watching that, just to see that.
So look, the English will be OK with the heat. The Scots might struggle a little bit. But England are fortunate because their first game is in Dallas and it's in an air conditioned stadium which is of benefit. There may be issues further down the line if they have to go up to altitude.
But the emphasis will be very much on a technical level of actually making sure you don't give away the ball and you don't have to run around chasing it and getting it back. So it's a physical test, it's a tactical test and it's a technical test.
ABDELAZIZ: And speaking of the Scots dealing with the heat, let's talk about some of the upcoming matches.
Which ones are you excited about?
I know Scotland is playing Haiti and for both those countries it's been a very long time since they've been a part of the tournament. Give us a preview here.
What should we really watch closely? WINTER: Well, first look at the Scottish fans. I mean they're magnificent as they say. No Scotland, no party. I'd be amazed if every brewery and every bar in Boston hasn't been drunk dry by the Scottish fans who are just fantastic.
I mean, I'm, what, 1,000-odd miles away and I can probably hear the bagpipes if I open the window. They are magnificent, you know. And we think of all the issues in the world and then sport brings people together, whatever sport it is.
And the Scotland fans absolutely do that. And they're not simply going along and having a party. They're going to local hospices and helping out. There's a real charitable element to the England fans over here and to the Scottish traveling fans up in Boston.
As you say, Haiti, they haven't been there for a long time, either. I mean, Scotland was -- their last World Cup was France '98. It's been a long time. I mean, I covered some of that tournament when they were there.
And the majority of the Scottish fans simply haven't seen their team on this great stage before. So it's absolutely huge for them and they have to win this game because the next two games against Morocco and Brazil are huge tests. But I'll tell you what, if you're wanting big noises, Scotland absolutely will be up front.
ABDELAZIZ: Henry Winter there, following the World Cup for us, please stay cool. Thank you for joining us.
Protests in Albania are focused on a planned luxury coastal development. Still ahead.
[05:20:00]
How the family of the U.S. president is linked to this controversy.
Plus a Ukrainian opera honors the country's missing children and strikes a chord with those survivors.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ABDELAZIZ: Another night of demonstrations in Albania. You can see the images there. Protesters took to the streets of Tirana on Friday, calling for the government to resign. They want officials to scrap a proposed luxury resort linked to U.S. president Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, and her husband, Jared Kushner.
The proposed location is near a protected wetland that is home to flamingos, seals and sea turtle nesting sites.
Polls will start opening Saturday night for a landmark referendum in Switzerland. Voters will decide whether the country will limit the size of its population to 10 million. It is a proposal that has been pushed by a major far-right wing party and it argues that Switzerland is facing, quote, "a population explosion" which is draining its resources.
[05:25:01]
But the country's government voted against the measure. It is also opposed by the business community. If the initiative passes on Sunday, Switzerland will have to start limiting immigration when its population reaches 9.5 million. It currently stands at 9.1 million.
Ukraine and Moldova are set to kick off their accession talks with the European Union on Monday. That is because 27 current members agreed on Friday to go ahead with those negotiations. Ukraine and Moldova have been calling for a pathway to join the E.U. for many years now, especially since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
But Ukraine's accession was vetoed by former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban. He lost an election in April and his successor has lifted that veto.
More than four years after hundreds of Ukrainian children were taken from their homeland, many are still waiting to be rescued from Russian hands. A lucky few were saved by their parents from deep within Russia.
Those efforts are now the subject of a new opera that premiered in Kyiv this month, before some of those same mothers and children. CNN's chief international anchor, Christiane Amanpour, has this beautiful story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (from captions): How will I ever reach you?
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): It's been one of the most heart-wrenching and despicable crimes of the war. Ukraine says around 20,000 of its children
have been stolen away and illegally taken into Russia amid the chaos.
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Ukrainian children must be brought home.
AMANPOUR (voice-over): The Kremlin says it evacuated Ukrainian children for their own safety. Russian President Vladimir Putin himself has been
sacked with an international arrest warrant over the children's alleged abduction.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Nobody was going to separate those kids from their families. AMANPOUR (voice-over): But four years after he invaded Ukraine, many of these children are still far from home. Some, the lucky few, have been
rescued by their parents from deep inside Russia. And it's that courage and love that are the stars of a new opera co-commissioned by New York's
Metropolitan Opera House.
Courage comes easily when you've got one foot in the grave, one character sings.
ANZHELINA SHVACHKA, NATIONAL OPERA OF UKRAINE (through translator): When I was preparing for this part, I could not hold my tears. Every single bit of
it is so heartbreaking. It brings up the feelings that every mother, every Ukrainian has.
AMANPOUR (voice-over): The work was given a preview in Kyiv this month before the Ukrainian First Lady and some of the very mothers and children
who inspired it. Even with her son Maxim safely back in Ukraine now, the pain of their six-month separation still haunts Yulia.
YULIA, MOTHER OF RESCUED CHILD (through translator): I feel I am guilty for what happened.
AMANPOUR (voice-over): This performance was a moment to step back from the war.
YULIA: We really liked it. We applauded and could have continued until the morning.
AMANPOUR (voice-over): Although the trenches and the skies across Ukraine are still ablaze with missile and drone fire, art is beginning to take
stock of what the war has cost.
OLENA ZELENSKA, FIRST LADY OF UKRAINE (through translator): News will go away, our diplomats' and activists' voices will disappear and art is here
forever. If we think about Picasso's "Guernica" and "Schindler's List" and "20 Days in Mariupol," we need such works.
YULIA (through translator): I had goose bumps non-stop. I had goose bumps. You really get a feeling of what happened. We lived through this again.
AMANPOUR (voice-over): As the pain and desperate desire to start living again in Ukraine takes center stage, one truth shines through. There is no love like a mother's love for her child -- Christiane Amanpour, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ABDELAZIZ: It was a historic day on Wall Street. Elon Musk's SpaceX debuted on the Nasdaq. We will break down the record breaking numbers right after the break.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:30:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ABDELAZIZ: Hello and welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Salma Abdelaziz in London. Let's check some of today's top stories.
Sources tell CNN the U.S. and Iran could sign a potential agreement as soon as tomorrow in Geneva. The White House is optimistic and Iran says an agreement has never been closer. But there are still conflicting details about that framework coming out of Washington and Tehran.
A top leader of the infamous Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, has been killed in a U.S. airstrike. That's according to president Donald Trump, who posted a video of the attack just a few hours ago. The leader, known as Nino Guerrero, had a $5 million U.S. bounty on his head for information leading to his capture.
And co-host USA defeated underdog Paraguay in their opening match in Los Angeles at the World Cup, final score 4-1. Team USA gets three points in their group for the victory in Toronto. Co-host Canada battled Bosnia and Herzegovina to a 1-1 draw, earning a point apiece in their group.
Tens of thousands of soccer fans are planning to attend World Cup games at 11 venues in the United States, federal and law and local law enforcement agencies are working together to keep attendees safe. Our senior correspondent, Josh Campbell has more on the security preparations at the L.A. stadium.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: World Cup 2026 now underway here at Los Angeles stadium. The fans are arriving, of course, along with the festivities, a massive law enforcement presence.
You can see over here they have members of the horse mounted patrol unit. That's the local sheriff's department, one of many agencies that are on site. I'll walk over here with you.
You can see across the street, this is the nerve center for this massive law enforcement response. There are hundreds of law enforcement officers and vehicles, SWAT teams, bomb technicians. We've seen FBI agents, DEA agents, ATF agents, you name it. The law enforcement agency is here. Now I talked to a law enforcement
source who provided us with a threat assessment for this very venue. They say that right now there is no known or credible threat. But I'll read you part of what the bulletin says.
They say that, "We remain concerned about the potential for an increase in terrorist activity.
[05:35:02]
"Reportable targeted violence, mass casualty incidents, transnational crime, unauthorized unmanned aerial systems, cyber attacks, foreign intelligence operations" -- you can see it just runs the gamut as far as possible threats that they are guarding against.
Now you can see beyond the fence line there. The reason why that is opaque is because, along with the heavy security posture, there is a lot of sophisticated equipment, sensitive equipment back there, I'm told, particularly as it relates to countering drones.
Law enforcement sources tell me that U.S. law enforcement agencies are concerned that there could be bad actors in this country that may be inspired by the recent use of drones in hostile areas, such as Iran, also as well as Ukraine.
Trying to guard against actually have the capability to defeat drones, to take them over and then try to identify where the user might actually be. Now we've been talking with law enforcement officials. They say that, despite this mass presence, again, no current credible threats.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PATRICK GRANDY, FBI ASSISTANT DIRECTOR IN CHARGE: Some of our biggest concerns are drones. We're working very closely with our local, state and federal partners on counter operations.
We've been trying very hard to get the message out to the public that you shouldn't be flying your drones in areas where there's a temporary flight restriction.
MAYOR JAMES BUTTS, INGLEWOOD: So the additional enhancement is we have more explosive detection canines involved. And we also have a federal presence. While if we always have a good public safety matrix, it's probably increased by 33 percent for this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMPBELL: Now again, we're talking about the largest sporting event ever to take place in the U.S. We're talking 11 different venues, nearly 80 matches that will be well underway. The same type of security posture we see here in Los Angeles, also happening from coast to coast -- back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE) ABDELAZIZ: Elon Musk has become the world's first trillionaire after his space technology company, SpaceX, made its debut on Wall Street's Nasdaq market.
Now the company's IPO exceeded expectations, finishing the day at over $160 a share. That's more than 19 percent higher than its opening price of $135. SpaceX is now valued at over $2 trillion. That makes it the sixth most valuable publicly traded U.S. company.
As for Musk, well, his personal net worth is now estimated to be around $1.26 trillion. Here is how Elon Musk reacted to the news of his company's blockbuster debut.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELON MUSK, SPACEX CEO: Let me tell you, if people had told me this was going to happen, I was like, man, you must be smoking some really good crack because I think this company's going to fail.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABDELAZIZ: The Justice Department is giving the green light to the merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery. That is the parent company of CNN. The move is poised to reshape Hollywood.
But the DOJ says it does not believe the deal will harm competition or hurt consumers. The transaction still faces a potential lawsuit from a coalition of U.S. states and also needs to be reviewed by the E.U. and the U.K.
Paramount is hoping to take control of Warner Bros. Discovery by the end of September.
Thousands are expected to join the British royal family in celebrating King Charles' official birthday. What we can expect from this year's Trooping the Colour ceremony when we return.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:40:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ABDELAZIZ: CNN is getting a special inside look at New York's premier performing arts venue. The Lincoln Center is a complex that got its start in the 1950s.
The neighborhood was already home to theaters, dance halls and cinemas back then and, despite objections, the area was chosen for urban renewal, resulting in the cultural epicenter we know today. Richard Quest takes us behind the scenes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD QUEST, CNN HOST AND CNN BUSINESS EDITOR AT LARGE (voice-over): There was distant music skipping a beat.
It is the sound from the courtyard of Lincoln Center on a typical night. It is about as close to a cultural crossroads as you'll ever find in New York. There is no place quite like it.
Running Lincoln Center is a bit like conducting an orchestra. It is Mariko Silver's job to make sure everyone performs in perfect harmony.
MARIKO SILVER, CEO, LINCOLN CENTER: When you walk across the plaza and you walk by that fountain, you can't help but have a moment. It is pretty extraordinary. It lifts your heart. It lifts your spirits.
QUEST (voice-over): Nowhere in the world are there this many world famous cultural institutions housed in one place.
QUEST: You've got the Philharmonic over there, an opera over here, theater over yonder and a ballet in the corner. It is the size and scale of Lincoln Center that is truly awe-inspiring and the realization that because of location, cost and politics, you probably couldn't build Lincoln Center today.
QUEST (voice-over): The Lincoln Center was conceived by two formidable New Yorkers. The philanthropist, John D. Rockefeller III and the urban planner, Robert Moses.
SILVER: Sixteen acres in the middle of New York City, not devoted to commerce but devoted to culture because New York needs that anchor, it needs that room to breathe.
QUEST (voice-over): The plan faced criticism right from the outset.
SILVER: When Lincoln Center was created, a wonderful neighborhood called San Juan Hill was razed to build this incredible place.
Robert Moses' idea for getting it done included displacing an incredible neighborhood where Thelonious Monk lived, "Shuffle Along" was created. It was a neighborhood of artists, in fact.
QUEST: I would argue that history can look back but these projects always require somebody like that to just, at least get the thing going.
SILVER: Well, I think there is a -- if you will, an older way of thinking about vision, where it has to be driven by one man but I also think there is a new way of thinking about vision.
QUEST (voice-over): There are two prima donnas here, the New York Phil and The Met.
SILVER: This is the Metropolitan Opera.
QUEST: The Met.
SILVER: Yes. Welcome to the grandest stage in New York City.
QUEST: It is extraordinary. QUEST (voice-over): There is no secret The Met has fallen on hard times. Years of financial struggles have led to layoffs and salary cuts. Then struggle turned into crisis in April, when The Met announced a $200 million lifeline from the Saudi government was unexpectedly pulled.
QUEST: Is it going to be all right?
Because they've got some problems at the moment on funding.
Is it going to survive?
SILVER: It is going to survive because New York loves grand opera.
[05:45:00]
And the Metropolitan Opera does it better than anyone.
QUEST (voice-over): Relying on wealthy benefactors is a reality for the major institutions here. Just ask The Met's neighbor, the New York Philharmonic.
MATIAS TARNOPOLSKY, CEO, NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC: To run the New York Philharmonic takes $2 million a week of revenue, 52 weeks of the year, whether we are performing or not.
QUEST: Is it ever possible that ticket sales could cover the costs?
TARNOPOLSKY: Not in the current business model but not since the creation of music and culture, not since the Medicis, you know?
QUEST (voice-over): Financial pressures aside, these historic institutions are facing questions about their cultural relevance.
QUEST: You do face the criticism of how this place is for everyone. It is for the elites, some people say.
SILVER: Yes, so I think historically that has been true, right? When I was growing up, I would hear people say things like, well, I can't go to Lincoln Center, I don't know what to wear or I can't go to the opera because I don't have a floor-length dress.
But now people come in all kinds of ways. People love to dress up to come to "The Nutcracker" ballet and bring their kids. It is a moment. It is a special occasion and special occasions are not elitist. Everyone deserves a special occasion -- Richard Quest in Lincoln Center, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ABDELAZIZ: Now let me bring you back to London, where King Charles' official birthday is being celebrated today with the Trooping the Colour ceremony and parade. Our Nada Bashir is live outside of Buckingham Palace.
Good morning, Nada, it is lovely to have you. It sounds like things may be starting to kick off over there.
Can you give me a sense of what's happening around you in the atmosphere?
Just give us a look.
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the royal military procession is now getting underway. In the next few moments, we are expecting to see senior members of the royal family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales.
And, of course, King Charles III and Queen Camilla taking part, being carried in a carriage along this royal procession to mark the king's official birthday. Now at this stage, we haven't seen the full kicking off of this royal military possession.
But as you can hear behind me, things are beginning to get underway. And just to give you a picture of what is taking place around us, there are thousands of people gathered along the mall and across central London, waiting to get a glimpse of the royal family and, of course, King Charles III.
They have been waiting here from around 8 am this morning, some even earlier, to get that prime position spot, to get a firsthand glimpse of the royal family.
And what we're expecting to see over the next few hours is this royal military procession taking place before the king and the queen sit to watch a royal military parade to mark the official celebration of the monarch's birthday.
Important to note, of course, that the king's birthday is actually in November. But traditionally in the U.K., the monarch's birthday is celebrated in June and it is a grand national celebration on the weekend.
We will then see senior members of the royal family returning to Buckingham Palace and standing out on the balcony behind me to watch the flying past.
And this will be, of course, a moment for many of those gathered in the crowds to again get a glimpse of the royal family and the king and queen themselves as they wave toward onlookers here outside Buckingham Palace.
And we are still waiting. You can see behind me. I'll just take a step off shot here. The parade getting underway. And we do see now, just behind me, I believe that is the Princess of Wales there, in a carriage along with her three children.
You can see they're waving at the crowds just passing by now. And you can hear the cheers, Salma. Many people in the crowds have been waiting for hours now to catch a glimpse of the royal family.
And, of course, we will be waiting to see King Charles III and Queen Camilla as they depart Buckingham Palace in the next few moments as well.
ABDELAZIZ: It's all happening behind you there, some beautiful pictures there. Of course we're still looking at those live images right now of King Charles and the carriage alongside the queen, of course, waving at the many people who I'm sure have been waiting for many, many hours just to catch that glimpse of the royal family.
We've seen, of course, Princess Kate. She's wearing a gorgeous blue gown, very beautifully dressed, alongside her children in that carriage. You can get a sense of the pomp and circumstance there.
Of course, as you mentioned, the king's birthday is in November but this is held in June in the hope of good weather. And it seems that good weather has manifested today. Thank you so much, Nada.
We'll be right back after the break.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:50:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ABDELAZIZ: Severe weather conditions are expected to continue in the midwestern U.S. this weekend, while dangerous storms are battering the eastern part of the country. In Indiana, a destructive and deadly outbreak of 17 reported tornadoes leveled homes and buildings.
Parts of neighboring Illinois were also affected by this. And in Virginia, a man was killed Friday after storms took down a massive tent at a large church event. Several other people were hurt in that incident.
(WEATHER REPORT)
ABDELAZIZ: Celebrated British artist David Hockney has died. His publicist told CNN he died peacefully at home on Thursday.
[05:55:00]
Just one month short of his 89th birthday. Hockney's vibrant paintings made him a key figure in the pop art movement. His works have soared in value in recent years. He came out as gay at a time when homosexuality was still outlawed in England.
Hockney famously turned down a knighthood. The artist told CNN in 2017 that he still painted up to seven hours a day because it made him feel like he was just 30 years old.
Sir David Beckham was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The honor comes on the same day of the U.S. part of the World Cup kickoff. Beckham is the first English soccer player to win league titles in four different countries. Instead of a traditional red carpet, a soccer green pitch marked the
occasion. Guests included Tom Cruise and Beckham's wife, Victoria. Beckham is now the president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF and he says he's proud of what the game has become in the United States.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID BECKHAM, FORMER PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLER: I've always been a dreamer but I could never have imagined that an honor like this would come to a working class English soccer player like me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABDELAZIZ: Thank you so much for joining us. I'm Salma Abdelaziz in London for our viewers in North America. "CNN THIS MORNING" is coming up next. For the rest of the world, it's "AFRICAN VOICES."
