Is Hantavirus the New Covid?

A deadly virus on a cruise ship has doctors in five states tracking passengers. Is the hantavirus the new COVID? If they tell us to stay inside this time, stay inside 30%. That's one out of three for the people that can't do math. Plenty of people are freaked out, so is this just a bad case of deja vu for most of us? And breaking news this hour? A rescue operation underway after a volcano explodes, a dozen hikers are stranded on a mountain.

I'll let you know when there's no cease. You won't have to know. Thank you. More missile fire between the US and Iran. Why the president is calling the latest exchange a love tab. They're calling this a special session. I'm calling it a white power rally. Anger boils over as Tennessee redraws the voting map and dismantles the state's only black district. And Cash Patel drops a new AI-generated FBI hype video. Did he just rip off the Beastie Boys? CNN This Morning starts right now.

This is not the start of a COVID pandemic. This is an outbreak that we see on a ship. There's a confined area. We have five confirmed cases so far. This is not the same situation we were in six years ago. Um it doesn't spread the same way, um, like coronavirus do. It's very different. Health officials say don't panic as they try to track down people who were on that cruise ship. Good morning everybody. I'm Audie Cornish and we begin with the race to trace and contain the outbreak.

Right now the ship is en route to the Canary Islands and then from there the remaining hundred and forty-six passengers will be flown back to their home countries. Three people died at the start of all of this. None of the remaining passengers. or crew right now are reportedly symptomatic. And the problem this morning is that dozens of passengers disembarked the ship in late April. They've already gone home.

So now health officials across four different continents are tracking down passengers and the people that they've come in contact with. In the U.S., that means five states are monitoring travelers who have returned home. And here's the president about all this just a few hours ago. It's very much, we hope, under control. There was the ship. And I think we're gonna make a full report about it tomorrow. We have a lot of people, a lot of great people are studying it. It should be fine. We hope.

So we're bringing in CNN's Selma Abdelaziz with the latest on this. Can you talk about this mission which we said is, you know, uh intercontinental? A mammoth task of course Audi across dozens of countries to try to contain and contact trace this virus and of course it is time sensitive. We are talking from Singapore to France to the Netherlands to here.

In the UK, top health officials are scrambling to contain the virus. Let me give you the UK as an example, Audi, if I can, just because there's so many different strands to this. As you mentioned, dozens of people had left the ship. In the previous weeks, and two of those individuals, two Brits, are here self-isolating. Authorities say that they've shown no symptoms, but they've chosen.

to isolate. There's also several other Brits that British authorities are monitoring that are in various locations around the world, including one who's in critical condition in a hospital in Johannesburg. But it's not just about the people who have disembarked the ship body because as you mentioned of course that cruise ship is on the way to the Canary Islands and everyone on board will need to be repatriated. You have more than a hundred

And 40 passengers from 23 different countries. Spanish authorities are working with other countries, including of course the UK here. to repatriate those individuals. So the expectation is that there will be British authorities at the port, in the Canary Islands, in the T in Tenerife to repatriate those individuals. They will be asked to isolate once they are home for a period

of 45 days. What other contact tracing is happening? Well perhaps one of the key bits of information that is needed right now for health health officials. is contact tracing around that Dutch couple. So a Dutch couple did die of HANTA virus uh in previous days. The wife in that couple Actually.

departed from Johannesburg, moved through commercial flights, moved through public airports to try to get home to the Netherlands and collapsed on her way, attempting to make her way home. Dutch authorities now trying to figure out who she was in touch with, but the key question of course Auddi is

Where did this originate? That's down to Argentine authorities. The WHO is working on the assumption that that Dutch couple may have picked up the virus in Argentina. They are following their steps bit by bit. They were sightseeing in the country before they boarded the ship.

So they are following their steps bit by bit, collecting rodents, collecting samples, and sending those on to labs to try to find where this originated. Of course the question we're all asking right now is should we be concerned? Should be should we be worried? Are these the hallmarks? of a new pandemic. The World Health Organization says absolutely not. This still remains low risk.

And we're actually gonna have a medical uh professional on later to talk about that and that concern. Selma, thank you so much. Uh I want to turn to this, that shaky ceasefire between the US and Iran that appears to be holding. And that's even after both sides exchange

fire with each other. So in a video posted to state media, Iran claims to have opened fire on U.S. warships which were passing through the Strait of Hormuz Thursday. The U.S. says that their ships weren't hit. The military responded by striking sights in Iran. U.S. Central Command said they quote do not seek escalation. President Trump called it quote just a love tap. He is warning Iran could be hit harder if they don't agree to a proposal soon. Has Ren officially responded to the one-page on

Well it's more than a one-page offer. It's an offer that's basically said they will not have nuclear weapons, they're gonna hand us the nuclear dust and many other things that we want. Good relax. Yeah, they would. Run. When they agree it doesn't mean much'cause the next day they forget they forgot they agreed. And you know, we're dealing with different sets of leaders. How close would you say that you are to a deal right now with Iran?

Could happen any day. Could and it might not happen, but it could happen any day. I believe they want the deal more than I do. Peter Bergen, CNN National Security Analyst and Vice President for Global Studies and Fellows at New America. I'm glad you're here. Uh first because the ceasefire has an awful lot of firing going on uh in it. Uh, and I understand they're saying it's not an S.

escalation um but it's means a lot of questions for the rest of us trying to understand where this um sort of peace proposal is actually moving. Something Trump said there was that um they're they're dealing with different people What does that mean? Like who who's the US dealing with right now? I think it's a little unclear. Ultimately Odie, the supreme leader, uh, I think we'd have to sign off on a deal.

Uh obviously the Isla Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is sort of in charge now. They would have to sign off a deal on a deal. I mean, which by the way, I mean in American politics we have disagreements. I mean, even within the Trump team we have Vance sort of on one side. It was supposed to be a regime that was, you know, decimated militarily, etcetera, but I I just it caught my ear when he said sort of like what some of the difficulties are.

Yeah, I mean I um and of course there's communication issues. Uh some of these people are living underground. Uh that was true during the Hamas war. where it was hard to know the military side of the Hamas leadership where they were at because they were literally hiding underground. That seems to be true of the Supreme Leader, Harmani. Uh we haven't seen him.

Uh but you know that said, I don't think there's like a massive difference of opinion between the people that are running Iran right now uh about what to do. I mean they're w you know. Is what to do hold out? Because I'm looking at a a mix of responses. One, setting up a website that says welcome to the Persian Gulf Strait.

authority. So their li their new, you know, authority that's gonna cre make it a a toll road basically if they had their way. Um and also telling the public, I think this was from President um Reza Aref that we will soon hold our victory celebration and the sanctions and pressures that have been imposed on the Iranian nation

over recent years will be lifted with the great victory of the Iranian nation. I understand propaganda on both sides, but help me understand their position here going into an attempt at a proposal.

Well, I think what we're gonna end up with is something not dissimilar to the Obama agreement of twenty fifteen. When all sudden Is this a sign that they're just like, We can continue to hold out, we can continue to have these little exchanges and the fact that the US isn't pounding us harder means we can play this game for a long time.

Um the Washington Rep Post reports a CIA assessment that they can hold out for certainly three or four months before they're seriously economically damaged. Now on their side, they do have sixty-seven percent inflation. You know, their economy is not in great shape. However

Um, you know, I think that they they realize that their real nuclear weapon is a straight of four moves that it gives them considerable leverage. It's something that they've discovered. Um, I doubt they're gonna completely give that up. Um so our United States maximist demands no nuclear weapons, complete freedom of navigation on the Strait of Ormuz.

I doubt we're gonna get there, Audio. And I unfortunately I think that this is gonna take months, not weeks or days, as they we hear from the President, uh for these things. It took eighteen months at least for the twenty fifteen nuclear agreement to be uh hammered out. And that included negotiations with the China And Iran just had a meeting, diplomatic uh exchange with China.

Yeah. Well and of course tr uh you know, Trump is going to China next week it seems. Uh that trip is still on. Uh you know, Napoleon's famous he said, Never make your never never interrupt your enemy when he's making a mistake. And so the Chinese certainly are very dependent on Iranian oil. However, they also have a billion barrels of oil reserves. It's the largest number uh certain amount of b oil reserves in the world. So they you know

They can let this play out a bit. They know it hurts the United States and the American consumers, it's hurting the Republican Party. Uh you know, they read the polls and so they know that they can spin this out, I think, a little bit. Uh they can put pressure on the Iranians, but they may may choose not to. Okay. Peter, thank you so much. Uh we hope to have you back especially next week um if this meeting happens.

And then coming up on CNN this morning, we're following this breaking story. Rescuers looking for survivors after several hikers died in a volcano eruption in Indonesia. And Americans are paying the price for this war with Iran. prices surge and is the president missing the point? Plus, Tennessee Republicans carve up Memphis and spark a fight over voting rights. This is gonna serve as Trying to take advantage of uninformed constituents. In November, people are going to be scrambling.

I'm CNN Tech Reporter Claire Duffy. This week on the podcast Terms of Service. Tell me if you've ever felt this way while sitting at your desk at work. Eyes burning, back and shoulders curled up like a boiled shrimp, and feeling cranky. That is how journalist and podcast host Manouch Zomeroti describes the experience of working at a desk in front of a laptop all day in her new book. Today On average information worker, most of us are information workers, 90% of our time is spent.

Increases the possibility of diabetes, obesity. Listen to CNN's terms of service wherever you get your Yeah, I don't hardly drive anymore. You know, I have to walk and take the train now. It's it's tough. Okay, so AAA is saying that the national average for the price of gas is about$555 a gallon. That is the national average. And that guy j oh it's$4.55.

Sorry about that. And that guy we just uh heard from talking about walking or taking the train. I mean it's Vegas, so that's not easy. Others are filling up their tanks with their credit cards. White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett. was asked about the economy and here's how he described it.

I had the head of one of the big five banks in my office yesterday going through the credit card data and just as Secretary Besson said uh credit card spending is through the roof. They're spending more on gasoline but they're spending more on everything else too. Joining me now in the Group Chat, CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor, Elliot Williams, President and Executive Editor of the Daily Signal, Rob Bluey.

and co-host of the podcast and radio show today, Explain Noel King. Um I understand this messaging in that if you're you're an oil company, you're also having a big windfall. You know what I mean? Do we consider that a success? Um and do we look at an economy where people are spending more on gas? As a success.

Ani, I'll say, and I I've said this during the the Biden years, I've said it during the Trump years, one of the most important numbers that you have to look at if you're a politician is how people view their personal finances. And if they think that personal finances are getting worse, that's usually bad for the party that's in power. And I think that President Trump needs to take that to heart.

And remember that a lot of the the effect that we're seeing in terms of the price of gas and and I think subsequently the price of food because fertilizer costs and everything else is only going to get worse before it gets better as long as speaking do you mind keep talking because NPR at PBS did a poll and one of the questions they asked was right now, how do you think the economy is working for you personally? Um and the Republicans in the poll, sixty one percent said working well.

Um which isn't it's above. Uh independence thirty-three percent is working well. That's not great. And that's to your Yeah it's it's not it's not a great number. And it's not a vibe session like what Biden was dealing with, right? Like people feel like they can directly point to a policy Iran war. Rather than the vague sense of do presidents really control gas prices? Exactly. Which we do hear a lot.

Yeah, well I mean things were trending in in the right direction after after President Trump took office. Obviously he he will often go back and blame Biden for inflation and and uh you know the uh limited domestic energy production and all of those things. But obviously the war is having a huge impact on a lot of these prices that Americans are feeling day in and day out.

It's the messaging that's so confusing to me. So, like Kevin Hassett is making a good point. In a consumer economy, which we live in, consumer spending money is a great thing. It means we're doing well. But you don't say that out loud. Yeah. You don't say that in front of a camera. You say that behind closed doors. And so I think the thing that's very confusing to me is who is guiding the messaging from this administration and why are they saying things that are so

upsetting. Yeah, yeah, it's funny. That made me think of nine eleven and the Bush administration saying like kind of like you have to keep shopping or the terrorists win and people were like Uh, I don't really think that's the message we need right now. Um and I wanted to get a a point of view from you while I put up this number, how much strain

if any, are currently gas prices putting on your household budget. This is a super specific question. Major strain thirty percent and then minor strain forty eight percent. Put those numbers together, that's a lot of percents of people who are feeling it. that nineteen percent is quite low, a a very small portion of the people th that think they're feeling no strain at all. You know, Audie at the top of the program when you showed the the gas prices over the last year or so

The number that jumped out at me wasn't the four dollars and fifty five cents. It's the fact that it went up forty or almost nearly forty cents in the last month. You know, in many regards. People might be thinking about what they paid for gas a year ago or six months ago, but really what they paid last week is affecting them. And as they drive down the block, they see the gas signs on every single block. People reminded of this, how much it's gone up in real time.

So imagine if you drive down the block uh by the Trump National Doral uh Miami golf course and you see this uh gold statue. Okay. And you think to yourself, Let me go fill up my tank. Like, what are what are we doing? I understand he wants to reshape the landscape in his image, just about everything that can't have his name on. has it. I mean I have a national parks card with his face on it. Um but is this like a read the room moment?

Uh well, th this is a president who from the time he was in in the real estate business, as you indicated, has always wanted to to you know is focused on branding. I mean absolutely. Surprise our statue doesn't have wings. That feels like that's where this is heading.

I mean there's one thing that's been consistent about Donald Trump pre presidency and that that is the fact that he loves the marketing aspect of the Trump name and so I think that this is just an extension and continuation of that EBC at the Kennedy Center here in Washington, D.C. But no, I you know, I think it's one thing for the president to put his name and face on things. Fine, he wants a statue of himself, have at it. It's the big spending when people are suffering.

uh the displays of wealth or the displays such as uh you know the ballroom uh next to the White House, which costs a lot of money. And it's gilded and so on. I think that's the kind of stuff that makes people more Yeah, we're gonna talk more about this later. And and Noelle I wanna get your point of view'cause you and I always joke that the stock market is not the economy. Uh but after the break we've gotta turn to this

of breaking news. We're hearing about this hiking trip that turned into a disaster in Indonesia. There was a volcano eruption and that turned deadly for some hikers. And the Qatari jet that's now Air Force One is actually closer to being here in the States. And I want to say good morning to viewers in Baltimore. I know you had a rough time with those Orioles. Maybe they will have better luck against the A's tonight.

I want to bring you this breaking news. Out of Indonesia, at least three people have been killed after a volcano eruption that happened earlier this morning. And it's triggered a frantic search and rescue operation. for twenty hikers who were near the volcano when smoke and ash started flying. We're bringing in CNN's Will Ripley joining us from Taiwan. Um first can you talk about what search and rescue officials are saying? Uh even in terms of is everyone accounted for?

So we know that there may be some people still on the mountain. There were two porters who stayed behind to look for the bodies that are still believed to be lying there right now. We're getting mixed information in these early hours about the status of the search and rescue, but the latest numbers that we have right now

Out of those twenty hikers who were on the volcano despite a climbing ban, we know at least five of them were injured. We also know that nine Singaporeans were part of that hiking group, along with eleven Indonesians. So there were eleven locals, nine foreigners, all the survivors locations believed to be accounted for. There was a Garmin device believed to be emitting SOS signals from the mountain, so they're looking into that. Also, the volcano still

shooting ash and rocks during this rescue operation. So that, those ongoing blasts, are hampering the body recovery. But here's the big question this morning. Authorities say that Mount Ducono has been closed for the last two weeks. And there were plenty of warnings posted both online and signs at the trail entrances telling people not to get anywhere near this active volcano, which has actually erupted about 200 times just since March.

So now officials are not just looking for survivors, but also investigating what they call possible negligence. They're not saying by whom, but the fact that hikers may have been able to use unmonitored access routes to get so dangerously close. And then all of a sudden this massive eruption sending a 33,000 foot plume of ash raining rocks down on them. Absolutely terrifying and frankly pretty incredible that more of those hikers were not injured or killed.

But the latest numbers this morning, Audi, at least five people in hospitals and three hikers confirmed dead. And that search and rescue continues. Will Ripley, thank you so much for that news out of Indonesia. And straight ahead on CNN this morning, we're gonna ask what a lot of people might be asking, is Marco Rubio running for president in twenty twenty eight? We're gonna show you the video he just dropped that looks a little bit like a soft campaign launch. And a growing hand to buy higher

Ant-pantivirus scare is putting Americans on edge. Coming up, a doctor joins us to calm some of the panic. At this point, five US states are monitoring several people who have returned to the US after traveling on that cruise ship where there has been a hantivirus. outbreak. And as far as we know, right now they're all asymptomatic. Public health officials in Arizona are saying the public should not be concerned.

This is You know, the person to person transmission and certainly when individuals are hearing about Disease. There is a lot of public concern. So really for us, the important message right now is to make sure that the general uh understands that there is no risk For them. I want to bring in Dr. Carlos Del Rio. He's the chair of the Department of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. I've got a lot of questions about the ship, but I just want to address the public concern.

And play for you how people are freaking out online. Take a listen. All we wanted was summer twenty sixteen back. A little 10 year revival of summer 2016. But instead it seemed like we about to get summer 2020 back. I can't do it. I can't. You I gave you my one lifetime pandemic and that was coronavirus. Like I can't do another one. Um, what's your message to people who are using those terms? Because we have heard from the World Health Organization that this is not the start of a pandemic.

Yes, thank you very much for having me this morning. I agree with the Del View Show and I agree with the people that are saying this is very interesting. This is concerning, but clearly not the start of the pand uh of a new pandemic. Uh these are viruses that we know a lot about. We know how it's transmitted. They're they're not very easy to transmit. The virus has not changed. There's no mutation uh whatsoever. So in general it's a virus that transmits very poorly between persons to persons.

And the object's probably self contained, probably gonna go away. We may see a case here or there, but overall you're not gonna see what we call the reproductive number of these virus is pretty low. It's less than two, which means that there's one less than one infection for my infected individual. So eventually this pandemic, this outbreak is gonna die away and it's already doing that.

Uh and at this point when you see people uh who are being monitored in various countries, can you just tell us briefly what doctors are looking for in those folks who have already disembarked? This one. Is that the incubation period, time between exposure and developing symptoms, can be usually about 10 to 15 days, but can be as long as six to eight weeks.

So during that period the person is still symptomatic, they need we check regularly, they need we check whether they develop symptoms. The symptoms initially are very similar to the fluke. Are they starting to develop a fever? Are they starting to develop have you know body aches, fatigue? And at that point in time, you have to test them, you have to do a blood test, a PCR test looking for this kind of virus.

And that's what they're doing right now. They're they're watching them, they're making sure they don't transmit to others. We know this is transmitted first person to person through uh secretions. We know this is transmitted through intimate contact, like sex.

So there's certain things you need to do to prevent it from spreading to others, educating them, letting them know well how to prevent spread, letting them know how to be aware of symptoms. But if you monitor these individuals and you if you diagnose them early and you tackle it, the spread is gonna stop.

That's Dr. Carlos Del Rio. Thank you so much for your time. He's from Emory University. I want to turn now to the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, continuing his diplomatic trip to Italy this morning. And he's fresh off his meeting with the Pope. He's meeting right now with Italian leaders, including Prime Minister uh Giorgia Maloney, and it's been a busy week.

for the Secretary of State. He went to the White House briefing room on Tuesday. And his answer about his hope for America, coupled with like this new flashy video, is uh fueling some speculation about his plans for 2028. Thank you. Each generation has left the next generation of Americans freer, more prosperous, safer. come upon this 250 year anniversary, I think we have a lot to learn and be proud of. Perpetual and continuous improvement.

Group chat is back. Uh Noel, can I start with you? Because uh for people we're not just psychos who only care about twenty twenty eight. There's sometimes specific messaging that you hear. Yeah. Key words that make you think this is not Talking about just this mo look at you smiling, you know what I'm talking about What does I see right now? I'm not sure. I'm like, why is this in here? So what to you about it gives the vibe of I'm thinking beyond this moment?

Reagan. Reagan. I mean honestly, no, Marco Rubio is such an interesting guy. He has maintained retained this kind of fundamental awkwardness for all the years that he's been in, you know, high political positions, in all the years that he's been in the public eye. He does not seem like a natural president. But this is the kind of that that ad that we heard with the Reagan. And America is a good country that has always been improved. Proving. That is a that is a strong message.

That's a strong message. Yeah, he's said publicly that he would defer to Vice President Vance if if he chose to pursue the presidency, so I take him at his word that they're friends. They probably would

However, I do think that there's something to be said for competition in a Republican primary, just as I think Kamala Harris would have benefited from some competition among Democrats in in twenty twenty four. I think that whoever the presumptive Republican nominee is would Fair better if they had to debate and have some.

She sewed it up because she had the ability and network to do that. She could hop on the phone and do all that, and that does make me think about Rubio versus Vance. Who has the operational talent behind them to do something? That video that was struck me was uh there's Reagan in it and there's Trump in it. Yeah, being all things to all people within the coalition. Um, and that's

Somewhat what the their nominee has to be in 2028. It reminds me honestly of Obama in 2008 having to speak to both progressives and the sort of white moderates in the Midwest. Yeah, but he won them both. What's interesting, it isn't like

I'm doing great in Iran and also I'm ready for Cuba. You know what I mean? Like he's not talking about the things that are actually under his umbrella, but here's the voter he might be appealing to. Here is Alyssa Farragriffin. You may know her from CNN. She also has a high profile gig here. Republicans are really, really zeroed in on what will likely be the Republican battle, JD Vance versus Marco Rubio.

Well, Marco Rubio did not convince me there's a strategy on the war. I am reminded when he speaks what it sounds like to have somebody who has more than like a hundred-word vocabulary, somebody who's not talking about Hannibal lector and then weaving over here to like Lord knows what I think that every time Marco Rubio speaks, JD Vance is kind of in the fetal position because that is a much more formidable Republican candidate. No I'll think you're like final position. What did you?

I don't know. I don't know. I mean I Vance I think Vance thinks highly of himself and his abilities and his potential. I don't know that You would know better than I do. I don't know that he's scared by Marco Rubio. I also don't know if you put them up against each other that Vance comes out looking like a winner, in part because of some of the sort of Scoldy smarminess that he's been exhibiting since President Also being vice president by definition sometimes puts you in a not ideal policy.

position. Like yes, Vance went to a peace talk, but he didn't come out with peace. And now he's scandal hunting somewhere while Rubio is shaking hands with the Pope, giving him a glass football. We'll talk about that later. Yeah. But like it feels like he's not got a portfolio right now. He's got a portfolio for the primary, not the general. Well, and as you indicated, look at how many national security issues have dominated the second term of President Trump. And it's just elevated.

Exactly. It's elevated Rubio to a position where he just gets more airtime and more international exposure than uh than certainly the vice president does, right? does get it however with those key voting constituencies, right? Through TP USA, et cetera. So um we're keeping an eye on it. We're not too soon, okay? I promise. People are talking about this.

Next on CNN this morning, there is a major fight over race and redistricting. Republicans in Tennessee, they hopped on redrawing those maps, and there were some voters who were saying it could weaken the power of black residents. Plus, later on CNN, even behind Elaine Maxwell is surrounded by controversy. Why fellow inmates are turning on Jeffrey Epstein's longtime associate? This is not a special session. This is a white power rally and a white power grab.

These maps are racist tools of white supremacy at the behest of the most powerful white supremacist in the United States of America, Donald J. Trump. This is about trying to dilute the the black black. All right, we're gonna talk more about this. This is how Tennessee lawmakers, some of them at least, are describing the new congressional map. Heading to the governor's desk this morning. So it carves up the majority black district in Memphis, reshaping it to the GOP's advantage.

I'm gonna put up that map again so you can see the change that's happening. This new map passed as protesters in the galleries and hallways were chanting. Congressman Steve Cohen, who actually represents that little blue corner there. Uh it that's a district that's about to be eliminated and he said this to CNN last night.

This seat is a a African American majority seat. It's elected it's elected me and it shows the African American population votes on issues and they choose the candidate of their choice. It's a beautiful example of how America can work, races working together. and having a good democratic process and they totally tore it asunder.

So you've been hearing a lot about all these states and the redistricting issue, but Tennessee is the first state to pass a new map since the Supreme Court ruling last week. The others are in the works. Alabama, South Carolina, they've taken some steps. Louisiana actually postponed their primary election where voting had already started. It's uh Take a You have all the No one knows Raman. Thank you.

We're bringing in Democratic Congressman James Walkinshaw of Virginia to the group chat. I just need to deal with that question from a voter. Which is amazing, which is I'm going to vote and I'm not even sure if my vote will count. And the reply was, yeah, we're not either. What are you all saying? What do Democrats say in the moment to voters who have concerns?

Yeah, I mean what's taking place in Louisiana is an outrageous assault on on democracy. I mean the fact that the election was taking place, people were voting, and the Republicans in that state

stopped it because they didn't like the direction it was going. Every single American, Republican, Democrat, independent, should should be outraged about it. So that's one thing we're saying. I think the other thing is like, look, if you look at this redistricting that's taking place across the South now where It's a grab based on race and power. Uh Republicans are gonna come to regret it because in advance of the twenty twenty-eight election cycle.

There's a lot more blue states that can go back and redistrict again. We can have a West Coast where there's not a single Republican district. That can be done. I don't think that's good for the country. We'd be much better off if we join hands and end this redistricting war and ban partisan gerrymandering, but clearly that's not the direction Republican controlled states.

Really quickly because I feel like people don't fully understand that when the Supreme Court made this ruling, it wasn't just saying you can devalue race as an issue in doing maps, that that isn't right. They also, to my reading, elevated partisanship, but I don't know if that's how the legal

The law you absolutely Audi, the law allows redistricting based on partisanship. What you where you run into challenges uh is places in the country in which there's almost a one to one ratio between race and political leaning, right? And so you can say South. Which is why the Voting Rights Act exists.

I'll take it step further if if you track where cotton was grown uh two hundred years ago. Literally that's that the black belt is literally where the the black or at least heavily democratic district. Districts are. So you can say we are merely consolidating Republican districts in the South, but what you are doing in practice. But what I'm asking is when you say that it is now legal to say that. Yes. Someone takes you to court and you say, Look, we're doing this for partisan advantage.

Kosher. That's legally it. That's kosher and because that's often happening in state legislatures, it's very hard to, when you sue, get the information uh about the discussions that were happening about why they were choosing it. Because they're legislative bodies, as you know very well from Congress.

you often don't have access to the papers of members of Congress or members of state legislatures. So it's sort of this continuing cycle of someone can play with funny business when they're redistricting, but you can't really sue them for it, so they can do it. Well let me just play a Tennessee Republican so you can hear um sort of what they're thinking.

The maps were drawn to maximize the potential Republican partisan advantage by winning and having a chance and opportunity to win all nine congressional districts for the Republican Party. Salt. Well I I would argue that it's no different than what Abigail Spanberger and Gavin Newsom said in Virginia and California because they were obviously trying to maximize the Democrats' advantage too.

And I agree with you, Congressman. I do think the path that we're headed down is is not one that's probably good for the country. You're going to end up in a situation where primary elections for the Republican Party and Democratic Party are the only elections that really matter because there are so few competitive districts in the U.S. Because the districts have been drawn in such a manner.

What I mean, Audi, is that you'll either you that's that's where the choice will be made about who the ultimate winner of the election is, because it's not going to be between a Republican and a Democrat necessarily, it's going to be between a conservative or a moderate Republican or vice versa with Democrats.

Yeah, I think it's important to note you mentioned California and Virginia. A big difference is Gavin Newsom and Abigail Spamberger didn't decide on the maps in California and Virginia. The voters of California and Virginia decided to redraw the map. Big difference w between that and what we just saw happen in Tennessee. I think with respect to the Supreme Court decision, I think it's important to note, you know, they're saying there you have to prove intent now.

Uh look, I'm I'm from the Commonwealth of Virginia. I live very close to the Fairfax County Courthouse. And from roughly 1904 until the 1960s, if you were black and you wanted to vote at that courthouse, you had to do a poll tax, pay a poll tax or perform a literacy test.

And they said it's not about race, right? There's no racist intent here. We just have some standards for everyone who votes. Supreme Court's basically saying the same thing, it's a return to Jim Crow in terms of how we draw districts. Uh I just wanna bring up one other thing I've been thinking about. You know, there's been an exodus of black Republicans from Congress. And one of the things that these black districts were supposed to do

is kind of compensate for the fact that white voters did not vote for non white candidates. Right? It wasn't just black voters should get their own person. It was like white voters don't vote for non white candidates. This was supposed to allow for

some diversity within our governing class. And there's something about this tipping point moment where Republicans in a way might be shutting the door on a world of candidates because they're gonna make it so that they I I don't know, maybe their voters will surprise us, but right now it's not

Yeah. This is the great this is the great conundrum in America. We keep thinking we're past this. We're at a point where white voters will vote for a black candidate. Surely it's 2026. That's what we'll see. And then I don't know.

We're about to find out because all those guys want to run for governor, et cetera. So we'll see what happens. Um I want to ask you something very quickly, which is that uh you were in, I think, the Howard Lutnick oversight committee thing. Yes.

First of all, the whole you're under o you're not under oath but you're here. I don't know the value of that. Also, people then get to come out and kinda say whatever they want. I wanna play for you one of your colleagues, Rokana and a Republican, after they came out of that meeting. Uh if Donald Trump had seen the video transcript, he would have fired Howard Lutnick. Uh it was really embarrassing. feel compelled to have to come out and and clean up and Uh

the Democrats made. I I couldn't believe as I was getting updates of what they were saying. And I hope that when you get the transcripts, you fact-check them on what they say. This is a habit of the Democrats on this committee coming out telling you all stuff that was said that was not said. Um Congressman Walkinshaw, can you respond to that?

Well here's what Chairman Comer and the Democrats agree on. Chairman Comer said even before the transcribed interview that Howard Lutnick had not been I think the word he used was completely or one hundred percent truthful with the American people. Now that's a euphemism for lie. I say it quite clearly. Howard Lutnick lied to the American people when he said he had never been in a room or had only been in a room once with Jeffrey Epstein. And that's what we learned in the transcribed interview.

Howard Lutnick painfully, awkwardly, embarrassingly tried to dissemble and explain his lie to the American people. He attempted to redefine the meaning of the word I He said when I said I wasn't gonna be in a room with Jeffrey Epstein, I meant only I wouldn't be in a room one on one with him, so I was okay bringing my wife and family to eat lunch with him. It was nonsensical. And I I I agree with Roe.

If Donald Trump saw a video, if a video existed, he would fire Howard Ludnick. Because what Trump doesn't like is someone who represents him looking like they are ridiculous. I hope you're back because I hear Pam Bondi is going to get the same treatment going down to the. Okay. The American people deserve to see it. That'll be up to Chairman Coman. Okay, I have some serious serious news for you. I want you to stick around because this is when we lawyer up. Yeah.

With Elliot Williams, you can see that we're lawyering up there. We are. Um okay, so you are bringing me a video from the FBI director. Yes. Um tell me Looks strangely like the Beastie Boys video for the song Sabotage. Right. You can almost look frame by frame. Now the issue Wait, do people want to see a clip of it? Can we show a little bit of it? FBI can. I hear, I hear the sabotage.

Hear the song and that's actually a lot of the video. Now, uh it's believed that they used AI for a lot of it. If you looked at that Ford in the front, the the the the grill of the car is sort of messy. Um Now the problem is that when the government appropriates your image, you uh copyrighted work, you can't sue them for an injunction. You can really only sue them for damages. So they can't, they won't, and they don't stop using that image.

because of the fact that that the law really allows it. In many respects, they have a license to illegally appropriate the copyrighted works of individuals. And then on top of that, we can't verify if this is AI. This is the joy of reporting in the age of AI. We can't verify if this is what part of this is AI and what's not. The beasties have not released a statement and nor has Cash Patel. Yeah. I think sabotage is appropriate. That's what Cash Patel has done to the FBA.

I see what you did there. They're right. In the edge in the age where everybody is always having to post some cool little digital thing, do you also feel pressure to put out these little fun blah blah blah that and that AI would make that easy to do? I mean look I try to put out things that you know feel real for me and um uh are like feel authentic. Uh so I tend to avoid the the like funny cute videos. I maybe have a couple, but it's hard for me to pull off. Let's go.

You gotta fight for your right to do that though. I mean you really have I mean th it's right there on the computer. You I would definitely need AI to pull that off. Because he's been rocking that seriousness eight days a week. That's right, folks. He's a clear he's here all week. Tiff your waitress. Elliot Williams, Congressman Walkinshaw, thank you for being here. Rob Louie, and of course one of my favorite podcasters around, Noel King at Vox, thank you so much.

And thank you for being here with us this week. There are a ton of places where you can spend your time. I can't believe it, but I love it that you are spending it with us. We've got a lot of complicated and you know, it's a lot, the news. But we've got those headlines for you, they're coming up next. I'm Audie Cornish, so stay with us.

I'm Daniel Day Kim. I'm going to South Korea to figure out how this small nation conquered the world with its culture. Join me and meet the artists and creators behind the phenomenon. K Everything. Now streaming on the CNN app. Influential journalist Kara Swisher is taking a hard look at the longevity industry. So much bad information that the really good information gets drowned. Yeah. New C N original series, Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever. Now streaming on the CNN