Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Event/Special

CNN Headlines: The U.S. Completes its Ninth Night of Strikes on Iran; FDA Says a Taylor Farms Cyclospora Lettuce Test was a False Positive; Major Celebrations Across Spain After World Cup Victory over Argentina. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired July 20, 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: Escalating tensions. The U.S. completes its ninth night of strikes on Iran. The latest development says U.S. troop deaths, they raise the fear of wider war. Plus, the FDA says a Taylor Farms Cyclospora lettuce test was a false positive. The latest on the outbreak as the company recalls iceberg lettuce across 27 states.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SPANISH FANS JUBILATING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: Major celebrations across Spain after the country's World Cup victory over Argentina. A look at all the excitement. Plus --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out of the car now! Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out of the car! Get out of the car! Let's go! Come out of the car! Open it! Open it! Open it! Get out.!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: A driver saved from being trapped in a car on fire. See that daring rescue later on this morning. Good morning, everyone, I'm Brad Smith, this is CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. Glad that you're with us today. Let's get this started.

We begin with a weekend of escalating strikes between the U.S. and Iran. Military casualties and expanded attacks in recent days have deepened fears of a wider war in the region. The U.S. completed its ninth consecutive night of strikes on Iran according to CENTCOM.

Explosions were heard in cities across Iran's northwest and coastal areas. Iranian state media reports, its military launched missiles towards, quote, "enemy targets" after Tehran accused the U.S. of striking one of its nuclear power plants.

Now, overnight, Kuwait's army said that its air defenses responded to hostile drone threats, and sirens were heard in Bahrain this morning. Meanwhile, the U.S. military confirmed the death of another American service member who was killed in northern Iraq during the controlled detonation of a downed Iranian drone. And here's what President Trump had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, we feel very badly. But, you know, those great people, those great patriots were out there fighting that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Iran has been very badly damaged.

They've lost everything almost militarily. They've got very little left. They've got same missiles. They've got some drones. They've got some manufacturing ability, not much. We control the Strait. They don't control anything. So, we'll see what happens.

But we hit them very hard again tonight, and we did that in honor of the probably three, it's probably three as opposed to two great Patriots.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the door to diplomacy with Iran remains open. CNN's Leila Gharagozlou has the latest from Abu Dhabi.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEILA GHARAGOZLOU, CNN PRODUCER (on camera): Yes, so, I mean, per Marco Rubio's latest comments about the door to diplomacy being open, the Iranians have also indicated that they could be open to diplomacy, but it really depends on how the U.S. behaves over the next few weeks and whether they look to escalate the war and expand the war.

Now, the IRGC, over the weekend, through various Iranian outlets, essentially said that they would always respond in kind, and that they would respond proportionally to anything that the U.S. does. So, if the U.S. strikes military bases, they will respond in kind.

If the U.S. strikes things like desalination plants, then they will do so as well. But they are saying essentially that they're going to respond proportionally to leave space for that off-ramp, for the potential of diplomacy.

Now, with the MOU and the ceasefire kind of being in shambles and in tatters, there's no time limit, really on that diplomacy. So, when that would happen or when they could come back to the table would really be up in the air.

And right now, there's no real indication that they are willing to do that. That being said, the Iranian state media has reported that there have been overtures from mediators like Qatar and Pakistan to kind of get things back on track. And that really speaks to the broader concern of over this war

expanding the nine days that we've seen of consecutive attacks has been very difficult, particularly on those southern cities in Iran, on what is essentially Iran's defensive arch.

[05:05:00]

The cities and coastal islands that allow Iran to control the Strait, and as you said, we did see some or hear some explosions in northwestern Iran, in the city of Tabriz. So, if things are going to expand, mediators are going to want to try to put things back in the bottle, get these two countries back to the negotiating table to finally get an off-ramp and an end to this war.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SMITH: Thank you, Leila. Now oil markets are reacting to the new strikes in the region. Take a look at Brent Crude, that is the international benchmark that's slightly on the rise here. And U.S. oil prices still now trading at the highest level that we've seen in weeks as WTI crude is slightly lower this morning.

We'll continue to keep close tabs on that as the rising oil prices are translating to higher gas prices. The national average ticked back up to $4 a gallon this morning, according to AAA. Well, President Trump says the Qatari-detonated plane -- or excuse me, the Qatari-donated plane that has served as Air Force One will be getting some upgrades.

Now, there have been security concerns over the $400 million gifted jet that you may remember, Trump unexpectedly ditched when he returned from the NATO Summit in Turkey. Now, at the time, he said he was sending the new plane to an air base in England, giving U.S. service members stationed there a chance to tour it. And now, he says the aircraft will be maxed-out with upgrades.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: It has a lot of capability, but as I understand it, in about a month or so, they're going to send it to have it be maxed out. So, they're going to be sending it and they'll have it be maxed out. It will take about a month.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: Security concerns surrounding the new plane were previously reported by the "New York Times". The White House has launched an investigation to determine who leaked information about the security deficiencies.

Well, social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate are expected to appear in a Miami-federal court today, following their arrest by U.S. marshals over the weekend. The brothers were arrested on an extradition request from the U.K.

British prosecutors accused them of rape, sex-trafficking and other offenses tied to an investigation involving multiple alleged victims. Their attorneys say that the brothers are expected to reject the extradition request. They both have repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

President Trump suggested that Canada should pay damages for wildfire smoke that has drifted into the United States in recent days. Trump says that he spoke with the Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, at the World Cup final on Sunday.

The President had previously suggested using tariffs to retaliate for smoke affecting the United States. Trump said the air in the U.S. is being poisoned by the smoke. The FDA is now saying that they got a false positive when testing a sample of Taylor Farms lettuce.

But even with that, the produce supplier Taylor Farms is recalling iceberg lettuce shipped to 27 states, just out of an abundance of caution. The FDA says that they haven't confirmed the presence of the parasite on samples from the company.

Taylor Farms supplied the shredded lettuce to Taco Bell restaurants that have been linked to the outbreak. Any lettuce distributed between June 29th and July 16th should be thrown away. Today in Mississippi, family and friends of Nolan Wells, they're preparing to lay the 18- year-old to rest as they press on for answers about his mysterious death.

The service is set for today at their hometown church in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Nolan's mother, Christine Wonsley, says that there will be a private section for family, friends and classmates. But the service will be open to the public.

Al-Sharpton will officiate and the funeral will be live-streamed. The teen's mom posted to social media after the weight of this loss.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTINE WONSLEY, MOTHER OF NOLAN WELLS: This loss, this grief, this pain, it's different. It's insurmountable. And then it's like you get these floods of emotions all at different times, and grief is so multilayered.

You know, one second, I might be OK and I can talk about things and I can listen to his stories. And then the next minute, I am falling apart and I feel like I can't breathe. And I feel like there is an elephant just sitting on my chest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: Both the state autopsy and an independent autopsy requested by the family remain pending. Authorities suspect that he drowned, but the Jackson County Sheriff says the investigation is still open. Well, Democrats in Maine are one step closer to picking a new candidate for senator after embattled former nominee Graham Platner ended his campaign.

[05:10:00]

Troy Jackson supporters won more than 460 of the 500 delegate slots that were up for grabs this weekend across Maine's 16 counties. He will not officially become the nominee until the state convention next week.

Now, if confirmed, Jackson will face off against long-time GOP Senator Susan Collins in November. Let's take you to the U.K. now. That's where Andy Burnham is set to become the British Prime Minister today. The new Labor Party leader was confirmed on Friday, becoming the country's seventh Prime Minister in a decade.

He's taking over from Keir Starmer who won the top job in a landslide victory just two years ago, but stepped down amid controversy. Burnham has promised to kick-start England's lagging economy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SPANISH FANS JUBILATING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: Celebrations on the streets of Madrid as Spain wins its second World Cup, beating defending champions Argentina 1-0 in extra time. Ferran Torres scored the winner in the 106th minute, capping a dominant run through the tournament. CNN's Paul Mosquera joined the party in Madrid.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is incredible. This is the best part of my life, the best moment of my life.

(SPANISH FANS JUBILATING)

PAU MOSQUERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was very tense, and actually, the anxiety and the nervousness was very palpable all through the match. And I can tell that many of them are going to get back home with no fingernails left after biting all of them, because it has really been a lot of suffering through all these 120 minutes of match. But I bet that it has been worth it.

(SPANISH FANS JUBILATING)

MOSQUERA: Where are you now heading to? How are you going to celebrate this?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know, with a lot of joy in every street, everywhere --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And with our friends. Everything --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is incredible. This is the best part of my life. The best moment of my life. Now (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

MOSQUERA: Three lions(ph) --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

MOSQUERA: It is a historic moment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: So much excitement, excellent stuff there, Pau, capturing the vibe of the city after that win. Lots more to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. Old allegations surfaced about an officer connected to the ICE involved shooting in Maine.

The latest on that investigation. And trapped by mudslides. What happened at a national park when storms hit, causing this mess?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:15:00]

SMITH: Explosions rocked Kyiv on Sunday after one of the largest Russian attacks of the war so far. Ukraine's Air Force said that Moscow launched the strike using attack drones and various types of missiles. CNN's Barbie Latza Nadeau has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Russia launched one of the Ukraine war's biggest ballistic missile attacks overnight, according to Kyiv officials. Ukraine's acting Minister of Foreign Affairs said Russia launched around four dozen missiles on a ballistic trajectory, calling it the largest number of ballistic missiles since the start of the war.

Ukraine's Air Force said it was a massive combined operation targeting the capital using attack UAVs and air-and-ground launched missiles claiming to have shot down or neutralized 126 targets. The overnight attack comes after Ukraine struck deep into Russia, the day before in twin drone attacks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SMITH: Well, happening today. Jury selection is expected to begin in the trial of the Massachusetts mother accused of killing her three children in 2023. Lindsay Clancy has pleaded not guilty; her attorney has signaled that he plans to argue Clancy should not be held criminally responsible because she was suffering from extreme mental health distress.

She was paralyzed after jumping out of a window after the deaths. We are learning more details about the upcoming services to honor late Senator Lindsey Graham. His office has announced that two memorials will be held, one in Washington D.C. on July 28th, the second in Columbia, South Carolina the following day.

Additional details will be released later. Senator Graham died suddenly on July 9th due to complications from heart disease. He was 71 years old. Still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, this was a mess that people in New Jersey faced over the weekend.

And now other parts of the U.S. could see lots of heavy rain and flooding this week. We've got more on your forecast. Plus, the Vance family just got bigger. Usha Vance had her baby. The name and the history that she made coming up on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:20:00]

SMITH: A tropical depression has formed in the northeastern gulf and is expected to bring heavy rain and tropical storm force gusts in the coming days. It is expected to become a tropical storm today and would be called Tropical Storm Bertha. CNN meteorologist Melissa Nord has a look at what we can expect.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA NORD, CNN METEOROLOGIST (on camera): And this system in the northeastern gulf is not moving very quickly now, but it is expected to get some better steering currents, moving it to the northwest and then westward later in this week.

So, in the meantime, for Monday, it's going to be nearly where it is right now. OK, what about the winds? Well, as this strengthens the tropical storm force wind-field will expand in size. And some of those wind speeds will increase as well.

So, you can see the winds Monday morning, kind of small in the middle of the gulf. And as we get towards the middle of the week, Tuesday, Wednesday, wind-field expanding and moving onshore there in Louisiana.

Now rainfall, this will be one of those more widespread-felt impacts. It's not an all-day thing, but it's these tropical rain bands pivoting around the center of the system that will pull some of those tropical downpours to the western coast of Florida, up through the Big Bend and the northern gulf coast as well the next couple of days.

[05:25:00]

You can see them throughout Monday and even into Tuesday, moving onshore, and those could lead to localized flash-flooding issues. On average, rain amounts expected 2 inches to 4 inches locally, though, some of those rainfall spots could get up to 8 inches.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SMITH: Well, Vice President J.D. Vance and the second lady have announced the birth of their fourth child. Vance says that Usha and baby boy Alec Neill are healthy, and his siblings are excited about their new brother.

This is the first-time a vice presidential spouse has had a baby while in office since 1870. Straight ahead on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, produce recall. What the FDA now says about the iceberg lettuce-linked to the Cyclospora outbreak.

We've got the details you need to know before you take that next bite. Plus, what did fans think about that first-ever World Cup half-time show? I'm still dancing a little bit. Coming up, the surprise guest stars.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)