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CNN This Morning
Iran targets Military Bases As U.S. Launches Wave Of Strikes; Trump Threatens Canada With Tariffs Over Wildfire Smoke; Forecast Improving For Areas Hit Hard By Heavy Rain, Floods In Texas; U.S. Forest Service Employees Are Freed After 15-Hour Hostage Ordeal; White House Teleprompter Operator Placed On Leave Amid Prediction Market Insider Trading Investigation; Trump Tests China Relations With Election Meddling Claims. Iran Warns U.S. of "Full Scale Offensive" if Barrage Continues; Hundred-Plus Homes Destroyed By Fire in Norway; Canada Wildfire Smoke Causes Air Quality Concerns Across U.S. Aired 6- 7a ET
Aired July 18, 2026 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[06:00:29]
DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to CNN This Morning. It is Saturday, July 18th. I'm Danny Freeman in for Victor Blackwell.
Breaking overnight, the U.S. launched fresh strikes on parts of Iran, targeting bridges and tunnels. This morning, U.S. allies in the region say they're fending off new missile attacks from Iran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The smell is just not good, right though burnt and it's just hard to breathe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FREEMAN: Plus, thick smoke has blanketed cities across the Midwest and Northeast for days now. Let's take a look at Philadelphia right there. An air quality alert in effect there. But finally, there may be some relief on the way.
And there are new developments linked to that cyclospiriasis outbreak.
What we're learning about the source of the outbreak and what's being done to try and stop it.
Plus, President Trump's teleprompter operator is under investigation. The $90,000 payday that landed him in trouble with federal regulators. That and much more coming up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News. FREEMAN: But first, breaking overnight, U.S. allies in the Middle East
say they're being attacked after the U.S. launched a fresh wave of attacks on Iran back on Friday.
Now, Iranian state media released this video showing the launching of drones toward Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia all reported strikes or alerts, too. On Friday, Iranian state media reported the U.S. struck Iran for the seventh straight night.
U.S. Central Command, who released this video, says its strikes targeted surveillance sites and weapons storage facilities. But President Donald Trump is threatening to strike Iran's bridges and power plants next if Iran does not start negotiating. Joining me now from Jerusalem, CNN's Nic Robertson. Nic, tell us, what more did we learn overnight?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, look, Iran is going up the escalation ladder. Why can we say that they attack Saudi Arabia? They haven't attacked Saudi Arabia over the past week or so. And not only attacking sites that they've tried to target there before, apparently trying to get missiles into Prince Sultan Air Base.
That's just outside of Riyadh. That's where U.S. for forces have had military capability on the ground. They've had air defense systems, refueling aircraft on the ground there before. So it appears Iran trying to target that.
And Yambu, which is the port on the Red Sea, the west side of Saudi Arabia, absolutely vital for their oil exports and a big red line for Saudi Arabia in the past. And Iran targeting that really ups the ante here. Targeting in Kuwait as well. It appears a desalination and power plant there. That also is a sort of escalation.
We saw them do that yesterday, Iran, for their side, saying that the U.S. hit a desalination facility affecting about 20 villages in the south of Iran close to the Strait of Hormuz. These desalination plants, they don't sound like too much because most of us think about getting that tap water from reservoirs, rivers, all those sorts of things on the Gulf. They're essential because people, whether it's in Iran or in some of the Gulf states that rely on places working to get their water to drink, don't have it. It means it's very hard to live there. So that's an escalation.
We're also seeing the U.S. targeting tunnels and roads, road bridges linking Bandar Abbas. That's that key port facility directly on the Strait of Hormuz, trying to sort of cut it off, if you will, from the north of -- from the northern part of Iran. Militarily, that may be because it's going to stop munitions and other supplies getting into Bandar Abbas.
Nevertheless, it's going to put much pressure on the local authorities in Iran there because the tunnel cuts through a mountain. There are no shortcuts around that. So this is -- this will have an impact for the population there in the south. But there's no doubt where we stand today. This is a conflict that is escalating and no immediate off ramp. FREEMAN: All right, Nic Robertson, thank you for that latest reporting. Really do appreciate it. Switching gears now, more than 100 million Americans, including those here in New York, are under air quality alerts today as the thick smoke from wildfires in Canada blanket the Midwest and East Coast.
[06:05:00]
President Trump is blasting Canada, meanwhile, for willful negligence in its forest management, calling the pollution an unhealthy invasion. Trump went on to threaten Canada with more tariffs due to the wildfire smoke.
Now Canada is currently battling a wildfire emergency with more than 800 active wildfires across the country. 163 active fires are in Ontario alone. And Ontario Premier Doug Ford fired back at the U.S. politicians complaining about smoke on Friday.
Wildfire smoke is forcing widespread cancellations of summer concerts, theme parks and sporting events. Milwaukee, Chicago and Detroit had some of the worst air quality in the country on Friday. Chicago's mayor, in fact, said that it was their worst air quality in the city's history.
But relief may be on the way. A storm system expected later today will help clear some of that smoky air in the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast out of the way. By Sunday's World Cup final, air quality will improve as the remaining smoke stays high up rather than near the ground.
Meteorologist Melissa Nord will have more on where conditions are expected to improve later on in the show.
To this now disastrous flash flooding in southern Texas has left at least two people dead and prompted hundreds of rescues. Texas Mayor Greg Abbott said state crews have rescued more than 270 people as a Friday afternoon. About a year's worth of rain has fallen in parts of southern Texas this week, but the forecast is improving for some of the hardest hit areas. These right here, these are some of the same communities that faced those devastating floods that killed at least 130 people a year ago. CNN's Ed Lavandera is in Kerrville, Texas with more.
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ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Some 24 hours ago, where we are standing here over the Guadalupe river, this area was completely flooded from that far bank that you see there in the distance all the way to this side to the far southern bank of the river as well. These flood waters rose quickly. They rose dramatically. Some residents have told us. In some places they came up as fast as within 30 minutes.
And it also reached levels that we didn't even see last year during those devastating floodings on this same river where nearly 140 people were killed by those flood waters. In some areas, the flood state, the flood levels of this rainstorm reached higher levels than last summer. But the good news is that many people have been telling us is that they thought the sirens, the warnings, the alerts about the weather situation and the flooding risk went out much better than last summer.
And then also add to that residents have been telling us that they also took it much more seriously. They endured and they lived through the tragedy and the horror of last year, they took it much more seriously. So campgrounds, for example, along the river where so many people lost their lives last summer were cleared out in time before these floodwaters could recavage (ph) and become much more deadly. But with all of that, we are told so far at least two people have lost their lives.
And this was very widespread. It wasn't just here along the Guadalupe River, but about an hour north of where we are in the town of Fredericksburg. That area is well affected south of where we are. Uvalde is a town that was also hard hit. Many people lost their homes in these flood waters as well. So that cleanup effort continues today.
The good news is that the rainstorms seem to have moved a little bit further north and that's giving this area a chance for these creeks and tributaries and rivers to recede and that we have seen that dramatically here. Ed Lavandera, CNN, Kerrville, Texas.
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FREEMAN: Ed, thank you so much for that reporting. All right. Coming up in just a moment, from fight night to flight plans, the White House South Lawn is changing fast with the construction of a helipad. Why President Trump says Marine One now needs an upgrade.
Plus, he had a front row seat to the president's speeches. Well, now his prompter operator is accused of making a profit from it. We're going to dig more into the allegations facing this once trusted Trump aide.
And two federal workers found themselves zip tied and held at gunpoint in a remote California forest. We're going to tell you how they made it out alive. Next.
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FREEMAN: In headlines this morning, investigators are still trying to figure out why two federal workers were taken hostage in a California forest. Authorities say the U.S. Forest Service workers were doing fieldwork Thursday when a father and son allegedly abducted them. They were held at gunpoint for hours at a campsite in the Shasta Trinity National Forest. Both workers were released unharmed about 15 hours later, though, after a standoff with law enforcement. The two suspects are facing federal kidnapping charges.
And to this Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has been charged with misdemeanor hit and run. Authorities say 86 year old Paul Pelosi hit a parked car in Napa County earlier this month, then drove away. Officials say he did not have alcohol in his system at the time of the incident. Pelosi is scheduled to appear in Court on August 14th.
And the road into Colorado's Black Canyon of the Gunnison national park remains closed after powerful mudslides stranded visitors for hours.
[06:15:04]
Park officials say thunderstorms triggered at least three major mudslides on Thursday, sending boulders and mud across the road. At least 21 visitors were trapped and had to be rescued. Everyone, though, was safely evacuated and no injuries were reported.
To this now, the White House has put President Trump's longtime teleprompter operator on leave without pay. Sources say Gabriel Perez is under investigation for possible insider trading. He allegedly made about $90,000 on the prediction market site Kalshi. Perez has spent years working closely with the president, often seeing speeches and public remarks before they're delivered.
Well, now investigators are looking at whether that access gave him an advantage. CNN's Tom Foreman has more.
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DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Where is Gabe? Is he here?
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Where is Gabe right now? In hot water. Gabriel Perez has been a favorite Trump staffer. Teleprompter operator close at hand for many major speeches. Neck deep and dead center for many final word changes.
TRUMP: The teleprompter just went out.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Trump complained when it seems Peres was not around.
TRUMP: I can only say that whoever's operating this teleprompter is in big trouble.
FOREMAN (voice-over): But now officials are looking into whether Perez used inside information to wager online in the Kalshi prediction market, betting on what Trump might say when Perez already knew what was coming.
So Trump once glowing words.
TRUMP: Gabe is excellent.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Have dimmed considerably.
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: He believes it's deeply unfortunate and frankly a disgrace.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Prediction markets allow people to put money down on almost everything from the outcome of a war to election results to how many acres will burn in a wildfire. Critics call it a toxic form of gambling which might spur people to meddle in the real world, starting fires, for example. Numerous states are looking to regulate prediction markets. Some lawmakers want more.
REP. MIKE QUIGLEY (D-IL): At the local, state and national level. This has to be outlawed.
FOREMAN (voice-over): But the President and his team are embracing it. Donald Trump Jr. is an advisor to an investor in the multibillion dollar business. And team Trump seems fully in line with the argument that this is not gambling at all.
These are just like other financial investments. Such as corn futures, which only the federal government should control. It is a major industry and we must protect it, the president has posted.
Still, last spring, the Justice Department accused a U.S. soldier of exploiting classified information on the capture of the Venezuelan president to make $400,000 on the prediction markets. He's pled not guilty. At the time, the president did express reservations.
TRUMP: Well, you know, the whole world unfortunately has become somewhat of a casino. I was never much in favor of it. I don't like it conceptually, but it is what it is.
FOREMAN: Although these issues with the teleprompter operator were allegedly happening right under the president's nose, it was Kalshi that flagged this to federal investigators. And we should note that CNN has a partnership with Kalshi to use its data covering great big news stories. And CNN employees are not allowed to place any trades on these sites. Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
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FREEMAN: Coming up in just a moment, an election accusation is turning into a diplomatic balancing act. Can President Trump accuse China of election interference and still roll out the red carpet to President Xi Jinping for a state visit? Stay with us and find out.
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[06:23:08]
FREEMAN: President Trump is still relitigating the 2020 election and this latest round is straining relations with China. The president says he is ordering an investigation after accusing Beijing of interfering in the election that he lost to Joe Biden. He did not offer though evidence or explain how China might have caused him to lose. Take a listen.
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TRUMP: The People's Republic of China carried out what is believed to be the largest compromise of election data in history, resulting in China's illicit acquisition of 220 million U.S. voter files. (END VIDEO CLIP)
FREEMAN: CNN's Kevin Liptak has the latest from Washington.
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KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Good morning, Danny. A White House official says that planning is continuing apace for Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit here to the White House in September. That's despite the claim that President Trump made during his primetime speech this week that China is, quote, carrying out the largest compromise of election data in history. Nor does it appear from my reporting that the president is considering any other repercussions for China.
When we asked, the White House wouldn't say whether the president was thinking about, for example, new sanctions on Beijing or indictments on Chinese officials that the president said had illicitly acquired 220 million U.S. voter files. And I think it just underscores that the president is not interested at this moment in upending his relationship with Xi. You've seen him gushing over Xi for the last several months.
And in fact, just on Friday, the president was speaking at a World cup reception in New York and mused that the next time the U.S. hosts the World Cup, it could do it in conjunction with China. You know, know the documents that the Trump administration released this week by all accounts showed no evidence that China had committed election fraud, that it was trying to change votes.
[06:25:07]
But when you really dig into the data, it does reinforce the fact that China has been voracious in collecting information on Americans, including through hacks and including on Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign. President Trump didn't mention any of that in his speech. Instead, his focus on punishment and on repercussions were on the election officials.
The American election officials that he claimed had withheld all of this information from him during his first turn in office. He tasked four separate federal agencies with investigating them, firing them, and potentially filing criminal charges. Danny?
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FREEMAN: Kevin Liptak, thank you very much for that reporting. And also President Trump's Homeland Security chief, Markwayne Mullin is taking the president's election fraud claims a step further. He's threatening to state election officials if they don't participate in DHS voter rule reviews. Take a look.
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MARKWAYNE MULLIN, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: If the election officials, once we gave them the information they need to secure their elections and they chose not to, then those individuals can also be held accountable by fines, by penalties, and even, depending on how far it goes, prison time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FREEMAN: To discuss more, Franco Ordonez joins us now. He's the White House correspondent for NPR. Thank you so much for getting up early to chat with us about a very busy Newsweek. Let's start with that election note, though.
How far, from your perspective, is President Trump willing to go with these voter fraud claims?
FRANCO ORDONEZ, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, NPR: I mean, I think he's willing to go very far. I mean, he's been talking about this for years. I mean, ever since before he was president, this has been something that he's been discussing. And obviously the president thinks this is something that he works for him politically.
I don't think he would be doing this if he didn't think it would win for him politically. Obviously, most Republicans or many Republicans would rather him be talking about kitchen table issues and the economy, gas prices. But I do think, Danny, politically, Democrats actually have to be a little bit careful here because I don't think they want to get be dragged into some battle political debate about election security that would kind of take them away from talking about the economy and talking about affordability, which are issues that Democrats want to be talking about, instead of something that historically Republicans have done pretty good on, even if some of those Republicans would rather them, you know, dealing with moderate voters, speaking to moderate voters. But Trump, as we know, never really kind of tailors his message to moderates.
FREEMAN: Yes. No, and I think that's a good point, that if Democrats end up talking about election fraud. They're playing on the president's turf. I want to talk more about this, though, because the Trump administration claimed it found 270,000 noncitizens registered to vote in federal elections.
Let's take a listen, though, to the response from Georgia Secretary of State candidate Gabriel Sterling on this.
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GABRIEL STERLING, FORMER COO, GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE: What I heard was the things they didn't say. They said they're these people on the rolls and they may very well be some of those noncitizens on the rolls. What they didn't say was that they voted. The Chinese may have had a plan to do something, but they didn't execute it.
This is stuff we already knew from 2021 and 2022 in the, in the look back to the 2020 elections.
(END VIDEO CLIP) FREEMAN: So, Franco, what do you think is the end game for the administration here, at least when it comes to the midterms? Are we going to hear more about voter fraud as we approach November?
ORDONEZ: I mean, I think we will. I mean, I don't think the president would be using. One of the most, most biggest stages that he has is if, you know, a primetime address from the White House. You know, when most Americans, you know, this is a type of address that's usually saved for like, going to war, explaining war. But president obviously didn't talk about restarting war with Iran. Instead, he used this moment to talk about it.
Regarding the China stuff, though, Danny, I would like to point out that two things can be true at the same time. Yes, there are vulnerabilities in the election system that China and other adversaries have been kind of looking at. That doesn't mean, though, that any votes have been changed. And administration investigators have always said that no vote was changed and no outcome has been changed either.
FREEMAN: Now, a very good and important reminder. Let's turn, though, because you mentioned it, let's turn now to the war with Iran. The U.S. has begun launching attacks for seven straight nights now. And President Trump threatening to target bridges, other infrastructure in Iran.
Meanwhile, Iran attacking U.S. allies in the region. We seem very, very far away from that ceasefire, I guess. Does it seem like, Franco, the administration has a plan for next steps?
[06:30:00]
ORDONEZ: Yes, I talked to a lot of -- a lot of experts on Iran about this. I talked to Republican strategists about this, the political implication. I will say that it doesn't seem very good going forward in either regard.
I mean, most of the Iranian experts that I've talked to say that they expect this to kind of continue in kind of this sporadic fire strikes happening back-and-forth for some time now, maybe even like six months. That could have big implications, obviously.
Look, I think the President is hopeful that this latest -- you know, latest strikes can kind of break the dam, can reopen the Strait of Hormuz. And I will say, we're talking politically here. If he does that, maybe the politics could be better or the implications could be better.
And considering how they're really not that great right now, but if this continues to go the -- going, if it continues to go the way that it's going, it's really going to be bad for Trump because so much of this is based on gas prices.
I think that politically, a lot of what determines is going to determine for Republicans on Iran is going to be gas prices, because everything revolves on that. You know, retail, Amazon, grocery store, everything that --
FREEMAN: Right --
ORDONEZ: Goes to a store, you need to buy, it has to be transported by truck. So, as gas prices go up, that is going to be the core issue for going forward politically.
FREEMAN: Yes, certainly as we head towards the Midterms. All right, Franco Ordonez, thank you so much for getting up early and for sharing your perspective. We really do appreciate it. All right, developing now, a huge fire is destroying neighborhoods in Norway.
Take a look at this video. It shows flames taking over more than 100 homes just 30 miles outside of Oslo. Police evacuated hundreds of people Friday as responders tried to contain the fires which are being fueled by strong winds.
They do not know though yet where or how that fire started, but there are no reports of deaths or missing people so far. Let's hope it stays that way. Closer to home, smoke from wildfires in Canada causing poor air quality for millions across the Midwest and Northeast.
Let's take a live look right here in East Rutherford, New Jersey, of course -- oh, man, site of the final World Cup match tomorrow. You can see right there, shrouded in smoke that looks absolutely brutal. An air quality alert is in effect there.
Air quality reached hazardous levels in some areas, forcing beach closures and canceled events. But the situation is expected. We hope to start clearing up this weekend with a little assist from the weather itself. CNN meteorologist Melissa Nord is here. Hey, Melissa, tell us, what are you tracking?
MELISSA NORD, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We are tracking, Danny, a front that's going to bring in a chance of thunderstorms, and that will help to clear out some of the smoke for some areas today.
However, I do think other areas will see some of that snow returning as we head towards the afternoon. Look at the plume. Yesterday, though, you could see it on satellite imagery currently, right now, the worst air quality we're seeing across the country, stretching close to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
You can also see that code red air quality at the moment from New York, Philly down the 95 Corridor into D.C., we saw the peak so far this morning in Pittsburgh, about 221 for that air quality level. So, do not be outside doing a lot of time outdoors if you're in these air quality alerts, they stretch on the map still today.
Again, you can see for the Midwest and the Northeast. That smoke across kind of D.C. area up through Baltimore might start to clear later today. But look at this. Another plume coming into the Midwest that's going to send the smoke back into places like Detroit.
That might be catching a break this morning. And it's all from an incoming cold front. And this same cold front could bring severe weather to parts of the northeast today. You can see those storms blowing up later this afternoon through the early overnight.
Currently, a level three risk of severe weather in place all the way along the 95 Corridor from D.C. up through into Delaware, up to New York as well. This could be a big damaging wind event. Also, the chance that we could see isolated tornadoes and a few flash-flooding instances as well. Danny?
FREEMAN: Well, first time that you're actually hoping for rain during the Summer just to get that smoke out of there. Melissa, thanks so much, appreciate you. All right, coming up next, we have a warning for your next late night Taco Bell run.
Shredded lettuce sold at some of its restaurants are linked to that cyclosporiasis outbreak. We're going to tell you what you need to know coming up after a quick break.
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[06:35:00]
FREEMAN: Developing now. The CDC and FDA say shredded lettuce is to blame for an outbreak of cyclosporiasis in five states. Specifically, lettuce found at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.
But they're still trying to figure out what's causing cases to spike in other states. Right now, there are 7,000 cases either confirmed or under investigation. Joining me now is former CDC official, Dr. Daniel Jernigan.
Doctor, thank you so much for joining us on the topic that is really -- everyone talking this week. Now that part of the outbreak has been tied to this lettuce. Can you walk us through the process of potentially tracking down the original source?
DANIEL JERNIGAN, PHYSICIAN & FORMER CDC OFFICIAL: Yes, the CDC and the FDA work closely together to try and figure out where the Cyclospora is coming from, just like they do with other food-borne infections.
[06:40:00]
So, the CDC talked to the folks, they asked them what they've eaten, they get information that directs them toward things like Taco Bell, FDA then takes over and says, hey, where is this produce coming from?
What's happening in the field likely happening in Mexico, where there is water probably that's been used to irrigate or to try and clean the vegetables down in Mexico that may have been contaminated with this Cyclospora parasite.
So, the best thing is to find out the source and make sure that everything that's coming from that region gets pulled.
FREEMAN: It's just remarkable, again, that, that chain can start, you know, a country away and still end up in your meal when you go to a fast-food restaurant. Let's though, talk about some of the other states that are seeing a spike in cases.
Doctor, from your perspective, how hard will it be to track down where those cases are coming from?
JERNIGAN: So, it's going to come down to talking to folks and finding out what it is that they ate. And that's a part of routine food-borne investigations that state and local health departments do along with CDC.
So, finding out what the aid is going to be really important, but also getting tested too. So, you need to get a special test for cyclosporin, and a lot of times doctors aren't even thinking about it. So, if somebody has diarrheal disease, especially this explosive diarrheal disease, and they go to see their doctor, they need to say, hey, could you please check for Cyclospora?
And that's probably what's happening. We're seeing a lot more of that. People thinking about it, testing more, we're going to find more cases. But generally, we may have upwards of 3,000 cases per year.
And a lot of those are actually never figured out what the source is here. With such a large number of cases happening at one time, the signal definitely says there's probably a point-source here. And so far, that shredded lettuce from Taylor Farms is the one that is implicated for those cases in the Midwest.
FREEMAN: Doctor, is this one of those issues where really it is as simple as just getting those potentially infected bags off of shelves or out of these stores, or I mean, is there a risk that we could be seeing cases like this pop-up weeks and months down the road just because again, it seems pretty endemic?
JERNIGAN: Yes, it's an indication that the regulations and the processes that are used to keep your food safe are working most of the time. And so, we want to make sure that those agencies that are supporting that kind of work to keep your food safe are supported.
And food safety funding is one of those things that has kind of been flat from congressional funding so far. So, seeing that food safety funding increases, I think is going to help the programs that keep the food safe.
But there's always a risk. And so, there are things that you can do, like washing your hands, washing the produce under running water, making sure that you're checking to see on the CDC website if there are any requests for getting rid of any of these kinds of foods, keeping abreast of the information, and then doing what you can do regularly to prevent food-borne illness, as you see on the CDC website. Those are the best things you can do.
FREEMAN: Last thing, doctor, I got 15 seconds here. If someone thinks they do have cyclosporiasis, what is the first thing they should do?
JERNIGAN: Yes, it's the disease export, is due to a parasite. It's worse in the very young and the older and in those that are immunosuppressed. If you are having explosive diarrhea, talk to your doctor, ask them to test for Cyclospora, especially if you have eaten at Taco Bell or have eaten any of that shredded lettuce.
You can get drugs for it. There's a drug called Bactrim or Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole, which you can use to treat this. So, it is a treatable illness. So, talk to your doctor, follow what's going on, on the CDC website, and do what you can to keep your food safe.
FREEMAN: Dr. Daniel Jernigan, thank you so much for breaking down again one of the hot topics of this week as troubling as it is, appreciate it.
JERNIGAN: Great, sure.
FREEMAN: All right, to this now. President Trump is building a new helipad on the South Lawn. His reason? Well, it will save the grass that's currently being scorched by heat from more powerful helicopter he's decided to use. CNN's Sunlen Serfaty explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: More or less --
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is President Trump's latest stylistic stamp on the White House.
TRUMP: We're building a helipad, a beautiful helipad.
SERFATY: Building a permanent helipad on the South Lawn for Marine One to land and take off.
TRUMP: And other Presidents wouldn't do that because they think it's not good to make a change to luxury. But you've got to do it.
SERFATY: As construction crews have started working, details have emerged, Trump ordering up a pad that will be 100 feet in diameter, made out of black granite and features the presidential seal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The President of the United States of America.
SERFATY: The work starting after June's UFC match that tore up the South Lawn, causing 700,000 in damage when the octagon, known as the Claw was built on the South Lawn. For years, Marine One has landed on temporary circular disks put out manually before the helicopter lands.
[06:45:00]
TRUMP: For 50 years, we've been landing helicopters on grass. The grass is wet, soggy, the helicopters sometimes miss their little mark.
SERFATY: The White House is arguing that this change is not just about style, but also necessity needed to protect the grass on the South Lawn from the exhaust fumes, from the more powerful upgraded Marine One. The high velocity heat from the new VH-92A Patriot helicopter that Trump has opted to use has burned the grass and torn up the sod of the historic lawn.
TRUMP: They landed the helicopter and half of the grass was sitting in front of the Oval Office front door.
(LAUGHTER)
TRUMP: The rest of it was scattered all over because of the power. It's tremendous.
SERFATY: The helipad will be paid for by Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin subsidy that builds the helicopters and bills this model as one capable of fulfilling a no fail mission, supporting the commander-in- chief around the world.
The President says it will cost between $5million and $6 million, just like other work Trump has ordered to the White House campus. This is also being done without Congress and without two federal commissions that typically would have a say.
A White House official telling CNN, they believe upgrades to the White House grounds, such as the helipad installation, do not require commission reviews.
And past presidents have used this more powerful version of Marine One in the past, but never to take off from the South Lawn. For instance, former President Joe Biden, he would opt to use the older version of Marine One, potentially saving the grass a bit.
A White House official tells me they expect that this construction will be completed by mid-September. But in the meantime, while the work continues, the President will need to take off from this area behind me, the ellipse, that though will necessitate him getting into the motorcade when he departs the White House and going just a quarter of a mile.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FREEMAN: Sunlen Serfaty, thanks so much for that reporting. OK, let's take a look at this. Why is America so interested in the royal family? From their clothes to their corgis, well, we go behind the new obsession, rather the long-time obsession in a new CNN flash doc. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LISA RESPERS FRANCE, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: Here, we have an American marrying into the British royal family when almost 250 years ago, we were fighting to get away from British royalty.
KRISTEN MEINZER, AUTHOR: We all learned in elementary school about 1776, and the signing of the declaration of independence.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The original 13 colonies decided they didn't want to be British subjects anymore. And so, that's what kicks off the revolutionary war.
KATE WILLIAMS, ROYAL HISTORIAN: America fighting back against Britain is David versus Goliath. And yet, America fights back, throws off the British empire. JULIE MONTAGU, COUNTESS OF SANDWICH: We become our own independent
country.
MEINZER: But for all of our insistence that we don't want kings and queens here, we can't look away from them.
WILLIAMS: With Meghan Markle, we have a biracial American woman marrying into the royal family.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR-AT-LARGE: A commoner! Really?! An American of race! And my word, an actress! Good Lord!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FREEMAN: The CNN flash doc "ROYAL FEVER: WHY AMERICA CAN'T QUIT THE CROWN" airs tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on CNN and tomorrow on the CNN app. We'll be right back.
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[06:50:00]
FREEMAN: Let's get a check of our top stories this morning. First up, the U.S. launched strikes on Iran for the seventh night in a row. Iran claims the U.S. struck a water treatment plant that provides drinking water for countries in the Gulf.
In response, Iran launched retaliatory attacks on U.S. allies in the region. And blessedly, relief is on the way for cities that have been choked by wildfire smoke from Canada. A system bringing rain will help clear up some of the smoke in the northeast later this evening.
President Trump has threatened to hit Canada with higher tariffs as a result of the fires, citing what he called the cost of pollution. This year marks the 20th anniversary of CNN Heroes, and there's no better time to catch up with Quilen Blackwell, the 2025 CNN Hero of the year.
He employs at-risk youth in Chicago to grow flowers on vacant lots and then sell them at his nonprofit shop. Opportunities for his team have blossomed, and they even had a chance to join forces with another CNN Hero. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Quilen Blackwell.
(CHEERS)
(APPLAUSE)
QUILEN BLACKWELL, PRESIDENT & CO-FOUNDER, CHICAGO ECO HOUSE & SOUTHSIDE BLOOMS: I was stunned, absolutely stunned. It's just given us like that massive stamp of credibility.
ANDERSON COOPER, ANCHOR, ANDERSON COOPER 360 (voice-over): Being named CNN Hero of the Year brought new opportunities to Quilen Blackwell and his nonprofit flower shop, Southside Blooms.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's so good to see you.
COOPER: It also led to a collaboration with a fellow CNN Hero, Hillary Cohen, her nonprofit, everyday action, rescues leftover food from film sets and delivers it to those in need.
Q. BLACKWELL: Hillary(ph) and I just hit it off pretty instantly, to have that moment to meet people who really are passionate about compassion, it's absolutely phenomenal.
COOPER: In April, Quilen and his wife, Hannah(ph) brought a team to Los Angeles to help with Hillary's(ph) annual fundraising gala.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's so cool that he came with his entire team, and it's like my friends here.
COOPER: They turned her workspace into a temporary flower shop, a step that also helped with Quilen's big plans for the future.
Q. BLACKWELL: We are kind of looking at this as like a dry run of what it would look like to have an L.A. Southside Blooms location.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I never imagined I would be able to go to L.A., Los Angeles, that's crazy! I feel like I'm dreaming.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can have that kind of curl around.
Q. BLACKWELL: Galas are your lifeblood, you know, for any nonprofit. It means the world that Hillary and her team is putting so much faith in us, and hopefully she's not disappointed. So --
(LAUGHTER)
COOPER: The flowers and the gala were both a huge success. At the end of the night, Hillary(ph) invited Quilen on stage to announce a new initiative they developed together.
[06:55:00]
Q. BLACKWELL: We had a conversation that turned into our collaborations, which is flowers for good.
COOPER: The program gives nonprofits 20 percent of purchases made by their supporters. Quilen hopes that Hillary's group is just the first of many to benefit.
Q. BLACKWELL: It's a way to really help share the bounty of flowers. Shop Southside Blooms, sign up for flowers for good and help support your favorite charity in the process.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that two nonprofits coming together to help each other on this really big level, that's so beautiful.
COOPER: For Quilen, it's another example of the power of flowers.
Q. BLACKWELL: It just really makes me feel good to see Southside Blooms blossom.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FREEMAN: Just a great story. To learn more about his work, go to cnnheroes.com -- and just by the way, I mean, it doesn't get mentioned here. Those flowers are absolutely beautiful. It's just -- what a great mission, and I love them working together.
All right, stay with us because "TABLE FOR FIVE" is coming up next, and I'll be back for another hour of CNN THIS MORNING in about one hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
