Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Event/Special
CNN Headlines: Americans Who were on Board Plagued MV Hondius Cruise Ship Back in the U.S.; Frontier Airlines Plane Strikes a Person Walking on Airport Runway; Police Arrest a Suspect After a Truck Flipped in a U-Haul Chase Near Atlanta. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired May 11, 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]
BRAD SMITH, ANCHOR, CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS: Americans who were on board that cruise ship at the center of a hantavirus outbreak, are now back in the U.S., they landed overnight, and one has tested positive. So, what happens next for them? We'll dive in. Plus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)
(COLLISION)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: A deadly accident on the runway led to this evacuation on board a flight. See what happened inside and outside of that plane. And officers in hot pursuit of a moving truck. The story behind this dangerous chase. And --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My wife, Marilyn(ph) and I, are providing a graduation gift --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: It is a gift that those graduates in the audience did not see coming. We have the details. Good morning, everyone, I'm Brad Smith, this is CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, glad that you're with us. Let's get this started. New this morning, 17 Americans stuck on a cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak are back in the U.S.
They disembarked yesterday in Tenerife, Canary Islands. Now, those passengers, they boarded a plane bound for the U.S., and one tested positive for the virus, another has mild symptoms. Now, just hours ago, they landed in Omaha, Nebraska.
That is the site of a federally-funded quarantine facility. Once there, passengers will be isolated and monitored. Here's a look at one of the quarantine rooms looks like. Nearly, a 100 passengers of 19 nationalities were evacuated Sunday. One began showing symptoms on the way back to their home and their
country of France. That's according to a report from "Reuters".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: I know the French experts will do all that's needed to manage this. And that's why we say when you see it from different angles, this may not be a concern, but at the same time, all the preparations also give us --gives us confidence.
And the behavior of the virus also, which is not -- I've said it many times, is not -- is not COVID. So, if you add all that, I think that's where it comes. When I say, not worry, it doesn't mean that there are no issues here, but it means we can -- we can handle it and it can be handled.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Flights today will evacuate the remaining passengers, and in total, hantavirus has been linked to the deaths of three people. A U.S. official says that the risk to the broader American public remains, quote, "extremely low".
Now, five other states are also monitoring passengers who previously disembarked from the ship, but none have symptoms. President Trump is rejecting Iran's latest peace proposal, calling it totally unacceptable as efforts to end the months-long war appear stalled.
Iranian state media saying the counter proposal included recognition of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, and a demand for compensation, but no mention of the country's nuclear program, an issue on which the President has drawn a hard line. CNN's Julia Benbrook has more from the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): It really was a waiting game here at the White House this weekend. But the United States has now received a response from Iran on their proposal to bring the conflict to an end. And President Donald Trump says he doesn't like it.
I want to pull up that post for you now. In it, he said, quote, "I have just read the response from Iran's so-called representatives. I don't like it. Totally unacceptable." This response came later than some in the administration had predicted.
In fact, Trump and other officials said on Friday that they expected to hear from Tehran that day. At the time, Trump was pressed on the timing of this, and if he thought that Iran was slow-rolling the response, to that, he said, we'll see soon enough.
[05:05:00]
Now, there are still a lot of questions about what is in that response. What is clear is that Trump thinks it doesn't go far enough to address his concerns. We have reached out to the White House for more details. What was included and how far did it go when it comes to addressing Iran's nuclear capabilities.
In an interview with "Axios", Trump confirmed that he did speak on Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the Iranian response and other matters. The two have been in close contact throughout these peace negotiations. He did say that it was a good call. Julia Benbrook, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: All right, thank you, Julia. Today, the man accused of trying to assassinate President Trump at last month's White House Correspondents Dinner is set to be arraigned in federal court in Washington. Prosecutors say 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen will enter his plea.
He faces several charges, including assaulting an officer with a deadly weapon and firearms charges. Meanwhile, Allen's defense team is actually moving to disqualify D.C.'s top prosecutor Jeanine Pirro and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
They're arguing that their presence at the dinner creates a potential conflict. Well, investigators are looking to that deadly runway collision at Denver International Airport. A Frontier Airlines plane hit someone who had jumped the fence and crossed the runway.
Video shows that person just as the plane was about to take off on Friday, and you can see them walking on the left side of your screen in this thermal imaging video. That person was killed when the plane hit them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was like, boom! And then you see the flames come, and then the smoke comes and it's just horrible. It was chaos. The flames were still like that, and it was like, everybody calm down, calm down! What do you mean, calm down? The plane is on fire.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: The fire that she mentioned was in the engine, and it was quickly put out. They were headed to L.A., and had to be evacuated. And here was what was going on inside of that plane.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Go to the back if --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jesus --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're blocked here. This exit is closed. Stay low, jump.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stay low, jump -- UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stay low, jump --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stay low, jump --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow, get the -- out of here! Holy --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Now, some passengers did go to the hospital, and Frontier says it is deeply saddened by what happened. Now, to a developing story out of Texas. A murder investigation underway after six people were found dead inside a train box car.
Police say that the bodies were discovered yesterday afternoon inside a Union Pacific Train in a rail yard in Laredo. Now, detectives have not released any information about the people who were found, so, no word on their names or ages or how they died.
But they also won't say where the train come -- came from or where it was headed. The U.S. Army says that the body of one of the American soldiers missing in Morocco has been recovered. He's been identified as 27-year-old first Lieutenant Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. from Richmond, Virginia.
A second soldier is still missing, and both disappeared more than a week ago on the Moroccan coast while participating in an annual training exercise. A somber Mother's Day for Savannah Guthrie and her family, the first since their beloved matriarch, 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie went missing from her Arizona home.
Yesterday, "The Today Show" anchor posted a moving tribute to her mom, vowing to never stop looking.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, NBC TODAY SHOW ANCHOR: My mommy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Savannah Guthrie posted a Mother's Day tribute to her mom, Nancy Guthrie, who's been missing for over three months. The today co-anchor shared an emotional Instagram reel of family moments with her mom. The caption reads, "we will never stop looking for you."
Eighty-four-year-old Nancy remains missing from the Tucson, Arizona, area. No suspects have been announced or publicly identified. Guthrie urged the public to submit tips, writing, "we need help". Someone knows something that can make the difference.
Guthrie's husband, Michael Feldman also posted a Mother's Day tribute, calling his wife, "the strongest person I know."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: We've got lots more to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. A bittersweet reunion. Parents detained by ICE get a last-minute reprieve to see their dying son. We've got that story coming up later on in the hour.
Plus, never before seen files on unidentified flying objects. Yes, UFOs released by the government fueling speculation about actual UFO sightings.
[05:10:00]
And why is the U.S. Secretary of Transportation and his family currently filming a reality show? And who is paying for it? We'll dive into it ahead. Stay with us, you're watching CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SMITH: The latest redistricting battle has House Democrats scrambling to figure out what is next. Last week, Virginia Supreme Court struck down a plan that had been approved by voters and could have helped Democrats win up to four more house seats.
But it gives the GOP a big advantage ahead of the upcoming midterms, as critics say Republicans are trying to reshape congressional maps in a way to reduce or eliminate majority black districts.
[05:15:00]
South Carolina's James Clyburn is the only Democrat in the state's congressional delegation. And he says even if Republicans split up his district, it's still ultimately up to the voters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JAMES CLYBURN (D-SC): You know, the voters will have the last word on this. And I don't know why people think I cannot get re- elected if they re-district South Carolina. I will be running on a record and a promise. My record and America's promise.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Record-breaking temperatures are returning to the west coast. Some cities could reach triple-digits. Let's go to meteorologist Allison Chinchar. Allison, what do we know?
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Several record highs were already set Sunday into the west, but now we're going to start to see the potential for even more as that heat begins to spread eastward in the coming days.
Looking at the remainder of Monday, roughly about a dozen or two record-high potential dots there. But even as we go into Tuesday, many of those remain. But you also start to see more of them spreading north and eastward as we head into Tuesday and even Wednesday of the upcoming week, as that heat really starts to spread, but also sticks around for areas of the west.
Take a look at Phoenix for example, 109, 106, 103, their average high temperature this time of year is about 92 degrees. So, still hot, but not nearly as hot as where they're expected to be. Sacramento, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, even Denver looking at temperatures well above where they normally would be.
And for some of those spots, it's going to stick around for quite some time. Las Vegas, take a look at this. Every single one of the next seven days, well above that average high in the mid-80s. And Dallas, it's going to be a little bit more of a delayed effect.
We've got to wait for that heat to spread eastward, but their average high is 82. Not too bad for Monday, sticking right where they should be. But then we jump pretty quickly by the Middle of the week and it stays that way all the way through the upcoming weekend.
SMITH: Thank you, Allison. The Pentagon released newly declassified files on UFO sightings, some that we've never seen before. The documents spanned decades including reports from military pilots, troops, and even NASA missions.
Officials say that the files include photos, videos and firsthand accounts, some with fewer redactions than ever before. There were internal military memos describing what it calls unidentified aerial phenomena. They say that there were multiple layers or light from unknown sources.
The government plans to keep rolling out more as it pushes for more transparency. Still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, check this video out. Somehow this motorcycle colliding with a car and ended up hanging from a traffic light. Just what in the physics took place there.
We'll dive into that. And everything from tickets to transportation and housing soaring for this Summer's World Cup games. How some city leaders are calling on FIFA to help offset the enormous cost. That story and more as CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:20:00]
SMITH: OK, take a look at this. A wild scene in Vancouver after a weekend crash. Yes, you are seeing a motorcycle left hanging from a traffic light after colliding with a car. Police say that speed may have played a role here. The rider was seriously hurt, but is expected to be OK and the driver of the car was not hurt.
There's just a month to go before the 2026 World Cup kicks off, but for many fans, the biggest competition may be affording the trip from sky-high ticket prices to travel and lodging costs. The bill, it keeps climbing. CNN's Leigh Waldman has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): If you paid thousands or even in some cases, millions of dollars for your FIFA World Cup ticket, I hope that you set some aside to actually make it to those games.
If you are traveling from Penn Station here in New York City, over to MetLife to catch one of those games, that train ticket is going to cost you $105, a discount from the $150 that was announced just a few weeks ago.
But still way more expensive than the typical $12.90 that ticket would run you. New Jersey transit says this is because it's going to cost them $48 million to try and ferry those fans over to the stadium during these games.
It's something that New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has been very vocal about her spokesperson, telling us in a statement, Governor Sherrill has been clear that FIFA should contribute to transport its fans to World Cup games, since it hasn't, she's directed New Jersey transit to seek private and non-taxpayer dollars to significantly reduce the fare.
The governor appreciates all the companies that have already stepped up to lower the costs for ticket holders. She will continue to ensure the World Cup is an experience that benefits fans and all New Jerseyans. Now, FIFA, they don't want to help with the cost here, but New York's governor and New York City's Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, have also weighed in on these huge expenses.
MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK STATE: The decision of what to charge for these tickets is a decision made by New Jersey transit, and it's a decision that they're making because of the cost that comes with the host duties.
And I empathize with the fact that what we see often times is municipalities being left with a cost of a tournament that will generate $11 billion in revenue. What I can say is that, what is within New York City's control, we are going to ensure it is the most affordable experience it can be.
[05:25:00]
WALDMAN: If we look at Boston and other host city, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has increased their transit prices to $80 around these games. It's way up from the typical $20 that fans would normally pay for these tickets.
But Atlanta, Los Angeles, Houston, they're not increasing their fares at all. If you don't want to book a New Jersey transit ticket here, you don't have a ton of other options. A bus ticket will cost you $80 here. And if you want to get a parking spot nearby at the stadium, that's going to run you just over $200. Not a ton of options for fans here who want to take in a game. Leigh Waldman, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: All right, think twice on that financial planning around the World Cup. Ahead on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, a plane carrying Americans who were on the cruise ship with hantavirus landed in the U.S. overnight. At least, one passenger confirmed with the illness.
We've got the latest on this ongoing health crisis coming up. And at some daycares in the U.S., opening a bag of chips for children is OK, but peeling a banana, not OK. Details on how lawmakers are trying to change that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
