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CNN Live Event/Special
CNN Headlines: CENTCOM: U.S. Forces Complete Latest Strikes Against Iran; White House: Trump To Attend Dignified Transfer Of Soldiers' Remains; Coastal Flooding, Heavy Rain, Gusty Winds Put Gulf Coast On Alert; Army Vet Accused Of Throwing Incendiary Device At Federal Building In NYC. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired July 21, 2026 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:28]
BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: Tropical Storm Bertha slowly strengthens, threatening the Gulf Coast with flooding, rain and strong wind gusts. We have your forecasts.
And --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE WONSLEY, NOLAN WELLS' MOTHER: Your absence has left an emptiness that can never truly be filled. A piece of our hearts will always be missing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Mississippi teen Nolan Wells laid to rest. His family and friends shared memories of his life as questions still surround his death.
Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARL MCDANIEL, BISON ATTACK SURVIVOR: They move faster than you could ever imagine. He just kept coming and he was more aggressive. And as soon as he got off that tree, he launched me in the air.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Wow. An update coming from the man who was attacked by a bison at Yellowstone National Park. How he's recovering from his injuries this morning.
And one family welcomed four identical baby girls that were naturally conceived. Hear all about this extremely rare pregnancy that's coming your way.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Brad Smith. This is CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. Glad you're with us this morning.
Let's get this started.
We begin overseas in the Middle East. That's where CENTCOM says the U.S. has completed the 10th straight night of strikes on Iran. Iran's state media reported explosions in the country's southern region, along the Gulf of Oman and near the Strait of Hormuz.
Now, yesterday, the Pentagon confirmed nearly 100 U.S. service members have been injured in the past two weeks. The announcement comes after CNN reported the military has been slow to disclose injuries to troops in this war, saying the delay was intended to protect service members.
Mediators between the U.S. and Iran have floated the prospect of a ten-day ceasefire in an effort to get the two countries back to the negotiating table.
The White House wouldn't say if it would accept the pause in the fighting, but acknowledged that diplomatic efforts are ongoing.
CNN's Leila Gharagozlou has the latest for us from Abu Dhabi.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEILA GHARAGOZLOU, CNN PRODUCER: We're expecting to see a new set of U.S. fighter jets headed to the region, to the Middle East, as President Trump looks to figure out what he wants to do with this conflict, whether he wants to ramp up the war or look for de- escalation paths.
Now, we have heard, as you mentioned, that Qatari and Pakistani mediators have kind of stepped in to try to get the U.S. and Iran back to the table. Iran's interior minister is in Pakistan for bilateral talks. It's unclear whether this will also come up in those talks. But people are really working to try to get both sides to de-escalate and come up with some sort of diplomatic solution, because as were seeing over the last ten days, things are escalating and expanding rather quickly.
Just last night, U.S. CENTCOM essentially expanded a list of targets. It said that it struck Iranian military command centers, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and air defense systems, all in an effort to degrade Iran's military capabilities. So we're seeing things slowly start to widen out.
And given that Iran has said that it will respond in kind, the escalation ladder is kind of picking up. So we're going to have to see what happens over the next couple of days. But things are really tense here. It's a very fragile situation, and we're on tenterhooks to see which way things could go.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: The military has identified two soldiers who were killed in Iranian strikes in Jordan. Nineteen-year-old Army Private Isabella Gonzales died in Fridays attack on Royal Jordanian air bases. She was from Carrollton, Texas.
And First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan died a day after the strike. He was from Hawaii and was 25 years old.
The White House says that President Trump is expected to attend a dignified transfer of the U.S. service members killed in the war with Iran. Their bodies will be transferred to Dover Air Force Base on Wednesday. The announcement comes after Trump vowed retaliation against Iran following the deaths of U.S. troops over the weekend.
Parts of the Gulf Coast are on high alert this morning. Tropical Storm Bertha is on the move. Days of coastal flooding, heavy rain and gusty winds are in store. At this hour, a tropical storm warning is in effect from Alabama to Southeastern Louisiana. Forecasters say that those areas should expect conditions there to worsen tonight.
Bertha is expected to make landfall late Wednesday south of New Orleans. Bertha is the second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which has gotten off to a slow start.
[05:05:05]
We have new details this morning about the man authorities say threw an incendiary device at a building in New York City yesterday. The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the incident, which was caught on camera.
CNN's Brynn Gingras has more for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: One federal authority calling Andrew Arrabaca anti-American and anti-government extremists in police custody after they say he staged an attack right here outside of 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan, a federal building that houses ICE as well as New York headquarters of the FBI and other government agencies.
Arrabaca, a Army veteran, according to the video that authorities say they have of this incident came to this area in the morning and essentially fired off an air pistol several times at this building, and then proceeded to take a gas can of gasoline, poured over the front steps of the employee entrance of the building, and then light it on fire quickly apprehended by authorities and has said some things to investigators throughout the investigation. And while he's being questioned, including bringing up some anti-ICE sentiments, authorities also say he had anti-ICE sign on a cart that he was carrying that was filled with a number of weapons, including a hammer and knives and a machete.
So, lots to be collected for this investigation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: Brynn Gingras reporting.
And authorities say that they found what they believe is Arrabaca's car. They're working on a search warrant and still no charges. But the suspect is in custody and speaking with law enforcement, were reaching out to find out if he has a lawyer.
Well, happening today, singer D4vd is expected to appear in a Los Angeles courtroom for a preliminary hearing in his murder case. D4vd is accused of killing and dismembering 14 year old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The teens decomposed body was found in the trunk of his car last fall. Prosecutors allege that D4vd killed her after she threatened to disclose details about their relationship. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The preliminary hearing is expected to last several days.
Mississippi teen Nolan Wells was laid to rest yesterday, but this morning questions surrounding his mysterious death still remain. A long line of mourners gathered outside the church in the family's hometown of Ocean Springs.
Al Sharpton officiated the service. The teen's parents spoke at the service and asked everyone listening to keep Nolan's memory alive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE WONSLEY, NOLAN WELLS' MOTHER: Hold him close in your heart, share his stories and never stop saying his name.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: And while friends and family pay their last respects, the demand for answers is only growing louder and more urgent. Attorney Ben Crump had this to say about the investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN CRUMP, ATTORNEY FOR NOLAN WELLS' FAMILY: We're going to go wherever the truth leads us. We want the truth, no matter who it implicates or exonerates. We want justice no matter who it acquits or convicts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Reverend Al Sharpton and Tyler Perry are offering a combined $100,000 reward for information, leading to a conviction in Wells's death. Perry also covered the funeral expenses.
More than three dozen senators are demanding significant reforms after the deadly shootings by ice agents in Texas and Maine. In a letter to Secretary Markwayne Mullin, they're calling on DHS to follow through on its earlier commitment to equip every ICE arrest team with at least one body camera within the next 60 days. The senators also want to know how new ICE recruits are vetted. Both fatal ice shootings happened during traffic stops earlier this month, and the agents involved were not wearing body cameras.
Here is Border Czar Tom Homan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM HOMAN, BORDER CZAR: I'm a supporter of body cameras. You know, I know that body cameras exonerate officers almost 90 percent of the time. I want the American people to see what that ICE agent sees. You know, you can have cell phone cameras from across the street or cameras from the side, or city cameras. I want the American people to see what that ICE officer sees when he takes action.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Homan has previously blamed the partial government shutdown earlier this year for the delayed rollout of the body cameras.
Well, Spain's World Cup champions, they are back home and to a hero's welcome. Nearly two million fans packed the streets of Madrid to celebrate the teams one-nil victory over Argentina. The celebration stretched well into the night, with music, dancing and players showing off the trophy on stage.
It is Spain's second men's world cup title and the country also holds the reigning women's World Cup crown, too.
Great time for sports there in the country.
Lots more to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
The owner of this house was in bed when they heard a boom, and then they saw this outside. That's coming up.
And the FDA says it got a false positive in its testing for cyclospora, the parasite that's made people sick. So what does that mean for you?
And --
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Presume nothing except this. If you return, you will return as brothers and sisters
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Oh, quickly rubbing hands together. All your faves are back. The new "Avengers: Doomsday" trailer is out. Find out what's so special about this one.
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[05:15:18]
SMITH: The FDA announced that a sample of Taylor Farm's shredded iceberg lettuce had tested positive for cyclospora. And then just a day later, the agency said it was actually a false positive.
CNN's Meg Tirrell explains what this could mean for consumers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: OK. Why is Taylor Farms saying that the FDA issued an apology over the cyclospora outbreak, and does that mean we don't actually know what's caused thousands of people across the Midwest to get so sick?
No. Here's what's actually going on. The outbreak has still been traced back to iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms, with many people, although not all saying that they ate at Taco Bell locations across five states. Now, these illnesses started in mid-May, so food experts tell us its likely that the food that made them sick is long gone.
At this point, the FDA, as part of its outbreak investigation, started testing samples as part of what it calls targeted surveillance. And on Saturday, it said that a sample of Taylor Farms shredded iceberg lettuce had tested positive for cyclospora. Now, this was lettuce that was not included in the ongoing recall. The next day, the FDA said, actually, no. That should be considered a false positive.
But the ongoing recall still stands. The FDA on Monday cited, quote, "overwhelming epidemiological data." So Taco Bell, Jack in the Box and several other food suppliers said they've removed recalled lettuce. Walmart also said it removed some products as a precaution with sell by dates out to August 3rd.
So how worried do you need to be right now? Well, Rutgers food safety expert Dr. Donald Schaffner tells us that the food that started making people sick likely is not out there anymore, but we may still see case counts rise as people who are already sick are added to the outbreak count.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: Opening arguments could begin as soon as today, in the case of a Massachusetts mother accused of strangling her three young children. Prosecutors say Lindsay Clancy planned the killings in 2023 before sending her husband out of the house. Her defense argues that she was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis and lacked criminal responsibility for the killings. She allegedly also tried to kill herself. She has pleaded not guilty.
South Carolina Senator Darline Graham saying that she's going to run for a full term. She was appointed last week by the governor to finish out the term after her brother, senator Lindsey Graham, suddenly died. In an interview on Monday, Darline Graham said that she's made the decision to run.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. DARLINE GRAHAM (R-SC): He cared about the people of this state. I've worked for almost 30 years for the people of this state.
SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: I want to talk about that in a minute.
GRAHAM: I feel like I can do it. I feel an inner peace about it. Will it be difficult? Yes, absolutely.
HANNITY: So, you're in? GRAHAM: I'm in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: President Trump posted on Truth Social that he would like for her to run for the seat. Darline Graham has never held elected office.
Well, Arizona voters, they are going to the polls today with several primaries that could help determine the balance of power in Washington. But this is the race that most are watching. It's Andy Biggs and David Schweikert, two congressmen vying for the Republican nod for governor. Biggs is President Trump's pick to lead Arizona.
But we should note voters there have a history of choosing the non- Trump-backed candidate in recent statewide elections. We'll be watching that closely.
Still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, a major airport trying something different when it comes to getting you through security. More on that big change coming up.
And Flavor Flav opens up about why its so important to honor Team USA's female athletes. More on his big SHE Weekend in Vegas. That's all coming up on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
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[05:23:39]
SMITH: Well, in Europe, another big day for Britain's new prime minister. We are just hours away from Andy Burnham's first cabinet meeting, some returning officials are rejoining the cabinet and some new faces as well. Now, Burnham replaces Keir Starmer and is now the UK's seventh prime minister in 10 years.
Turning now to that terrifying bison encounter at Yellowstone National Park. We are hearing more from the 65 year old grandfather who was launched into the air during the attack. You may have seen this dramatic video showing the moment that Carl McDaniel was tossed several feet high after the bison charged at him -- just a frightening ordeal.
A broken femur is what he suffered after the breathtaking incident, and now he's recounting the encounter from his hospital bed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARL MCDANIEL, BISON ATTACK SURVIVOR: They move faster than you could ever imagine. He just kept coming, and he was more aggressive. And as soon as he got off that tree, he launched me in the air. I didn't get bruises from him launching me in the air. It was the landing that came the problem.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's actually broken in multiple pieces, and you can see some fragments here. And there are fracture and break lines right through that. (END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: The hospital provided the video while he recovers from surgery. This was the second bison attack at Yellowstone this year. A 12-year-old was injured in June, according to the National Park Service.
[05:25:03]
Speedy recovery to McDaniel there.
Straight ahead on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, Tropical Storm Bertha is getting stronger. What that means for the Gulf Coast in the coming days.
And Matt Damon is sharing some behind the scenes details about "The Odyssey". And they're all about his female stunt double. That is coming up on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
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SMITH: It is half past the hour. Let's hit the refresh button on our top stories.
