By Will Ripley, Kocha Olarn, Rebecca Wright, Laura Sharman, Isaac Yee, Angie Puranasamriddhi, Ally Barnard, Issac Yee

Xaisomboun province, Laos (CNN) — Hungry and weak, the Laos cave survivors huddled together in damp darkness for 11 days, clinging to hope as a wall of water blocked their way out.

When they noticed the water finally start to recede, they somehow found the strength to attempt a daring escape, completely unaided –– shocking the rescue team above ground when they appeared at the cave entrance on Saturday.

Their courage was born from fear, one the survivors told CNN in an exclusive interview.

Through narrow, treacherous tunnels, some waterlogged and cold enough for wetsuits, others so tight oxygen was scarce, the men navigated 260 meters (approximately 850 feet), from the chamber they’d been trapped in to the cave’s mouth, a distance equivalent to the height of a 78-story building.

One member of their group, who had entered the cave searching for gold, was guided to safety by a multinational team of cave experts using diving equipment a day earlier. The other four were left to wait for when conditions were safe enough.

“I was afraid because we were there alone,” Mee Singfamalai, a 23-year-old barber, told CNN from Long Tieng Hospital, where he is recovering.

“We had been there for a long time and the water had dried up. It was too cold inside, so we decided to crawl our way out,” Mee said.

The water was at least a meter deep in sections of the cave.

“Sometimes we had to dive, sometimes we had to crawl. We crawled slowly. The passage was just about the size of a person.”

The rescuers had first reached the group of five on Wednesday, an entire week after they had entered the cave and become trapped when heavy rain came down over the jungle outside, during the humid Laotian summer.

Exhausted and surviving only on water, they slept as much as they could, and they prayed that salvation would come.

“We slept hugging each other. Four or five of us,” he said. “It helped a lot. We didn’t have any blankets.”

And they clung to the hope of being reunited with loved ones to distract themselves from their hunger.

“I always believed I would survive. I had to make it back out to see my sisters and my mother,” Mee said. “When we stepped outside and saw people cheering for us, it felt like I had been given a new life. It was overwhelming. I suddenly had hope.”

This torturous ordeal marked Mee’s first time entering this cave, located in the foothills of a mining project near the village of Long Tieng, hours away from the nearest cities and on muddy roads that have been lashed by the rainy season.

An informal mining economy has expanded across parts of Laos in recent years, particularly in remote limestone and river basin regions where formal livelihoods are scarce and enforcement is limited.

Having found gold elsewhere once before, Mee and his friends decided to try their luck in the cave in the hope of earning some money.

“We’re villagers. We go into the mountains to make a living. We heard there was gold, so we went in looking for it. Then the cave flooded and we couldn’t get back out.”

Mee said he was thankful for “everyone who helped (him) survive.”

A massive rescue effort had been mounted to save the men, involving divers from all over the world, large pumps to drain water from the cave and heavy machinery to clear makeshift roads to the remote location.

Asked if he would venture into the cave again, Mee said: “Never.”

“You would have to send me to death if you want to force me in,” he added.

None of the villagers had prior diving experience, yet were faced with the hellis

Por David Goldman, CNN

En sus 50 años de historia, Costco nunca había visto una demanda de gasolina como la actual. Muchas de sus estaciones se han visto tan abrumadas que han tenido que llamar a camiones cisterna varias veces al día para evitar quedarse sin combustible, dijo Costco esta semana durante su llamada de resultados trimestrales. Un número creciente de clientes está comprando solo lo suficiente para rellenar sus tanques, preocupados por los precios que puedan haber mañana.

A medida que los precios han superado los US$ 4 a nivel nacional –y los US$ 6 en la costa oeste– Costco se ha convertido en el destino de Estados Unidos para conseguir gasolina barata. Bueno, relativamente. Costco suele vender gasolina unos 30 centavos por galón más barata que las estaciones locales.

Eso es una oferta tentadora en cualquier momento, aunque las largas filas a veces disuaden a los clientes, especialmente cuando la gasolina es barata. Ahora no: Un número significativo de miembros de Costco llenaron su tanque por primera vez en los últimos tres meses, dijo Costco en esa llamada de resultados.

¿Cómo –y por qué– vende Costco gasolina tan barata? Todo se trata de los pollos. Bueno, más o menos.

Costco en realidad obtiene ganancias con la gasolina; unos pocos centavos por galón. Eso es sustancialmente menor que el margen de 25 a 35 centavos que aplican la mayoría de las estaciones de servicio.

A diferencia de la mayoría de las estaciones de servicio, que son pequeños negocios independientes –quizás con una tienda de conveniencia o un taller de reparación adjunto– Costco puede apoyarse en su enorme escala y su modelo de membresía para generar ganancias.

El año pasado, las cuotas de membresía representaron aproximadamente dos tercios de las ganancias de la empresa. Costco vende la mayoría de sus productos de la misma manera que vende gasolina: al costo o apenas por encima del costo; y a veces por debajo, como su famoso combo de hot dog y refresco por US$ 1,50.

Las estaciones de servicio competidoras necesitan ese margen para pagar gastos generales y reparaciones. Cuando los precios de la gasolina suben, los clientes compran menos, lo que limita la cantidad que pueden cobrar.

Por eso, irónicamente, cuando los precios de la gasolina son altos, la mayoría de las estaciones de servicio tienen dificultades para ganar dinero.

Costco tiene un problema diferente: cuando los precios de la gasolina son altos, Costco vende más gasolina. Pero, como la gasolina es uno de sus productos con menor margen de ganancia, el margen de beneficio general de la empresa se reduce. Lo contrario ocurre cuando los precios son bajos.

El año pasado, cuando los precios estuvieron durante un tiempo considerable por debajo de los US$ 3 por galón en promedio, la gasolina sumó alrededor de una décima de punto porcentual al margen bruto de la empresa. El último trimestre, la gasolina restó dos décimas de punto.

Sin embargo, es un buen problema para tener. Costco dijo que ingresó US$ 2.300 millones menos en ventas de gasolina en 2025 que el año anterior porque los precios bajaron.

Costco tiene 747 estaciones de gasolina, que representaron el 10 % de sus ventas totales el año pasado.

¿Dónde entran los pollos?

Costco dice que aproximadamente la mitad de sus clientes que llenan el tanque terminan entrando a un almacén. A medida que un número récord de miembros visita las estaciones de gasolina de Costco, el tráfico peatonal en las tiendas aumentó alrededor de un 5 %. Y los clientes también están comprando más cuando hacen sus compras.

“Creemos que esto generará una lealtad aún mayor con estos miembros en el futuro, ya que los miembros que usan nuestras estaciones de gasolina suelen ga

By Michael Rios, CNN

Mexico City (CNN) — When millions of foreigners visit Mexico for the World Cup this summer, they will encounter much more than colorful soccer murals, towering statues of players and lively fan festivals.

In the country’s biggest tourist hotspots, visitors will see tighter security measures and heavier police presence meant to safeguard both fans and Mexico’s public image.

Nearly 100,000 security personnel will be deployed by the government to the country’s three host cities – Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey – as well as other places hosting training centers and team base camps.

It’s part of an ambitious security strategy called Plan Kukulkan – named after a serpent deity in Maya mythology – that involves dozens of federal, state and local agencies, as well as cooperation from World Cup co-hosts Canada and the United States.

Mexican officials insist the plan will keep the country safe despite its history of cartel violence, crime and impunity.

While experts acknowledge that Mexico is stepping up its security efforts this summer and that fans will be relatively well protected, they caution that parts of the country are still susceptible to threats that could impact tourists and residents to varying degrees.

Mexico City

The capital city, which will host five World Cup matches including the opener on June 11, is considered one of the safest places in the country, but it’s not without risks.

Though it’s not dominated by major cartels like the other two host cities, criminal groups are still active there and have their hand in a range of illicit activities, according to Víctor Manuel Sánchez Valdés, researcher at the Autonomous University of Coahuila.

“There are very large networks of piracy, human trafficking, prostitution, obviously drug dealing, and some extortion, but it’s also the area of the country with the highest per capita police presence and security cameras, which gives it a different crime profile,” Sánchez told CNN.

As in any other global city, tourists in the Mexican capital could encounter street-level crimes including pickpocketing, robberies and scams.

Transportation will also be a security challenge in the metropolis of nearly 22 million people, according to Teresa Martínez, a professor and researcher at the School of Social Sciences and Government of Tecnológico de Monterrey.

“In a city like Mexico City, you have to ensure there’s a transportation system running all night, which involves a series of decisions beyond just deploying security personnel. You need other things to guarantee, for example, that the transportation system is safe, viable, and accessible to all fans, whether foreign or not,” Martínez said.

To mitigate security risks, authorities are reportedly deploying some 56,000 officers across the city, including traffic police, special units, a tourist police force and aerial surveillance.

Dozens of security personnel, some armed with shields and automatic rifles, are currently guarding El Zócalo, the city’s main plaza, where a “Fan Festival“ will be held starting June 11.

Guadalajara

Guadalajara, which will host four group-stage World Cup matches, is plagued by two of the country’s biggest crises: cartel violence and disappearances.

The city is the capital of Jalisco, a state

By David Goldman, CNN

(CNN) — In its 50-year history, Costco has never seen such demand for gas.

Many of its stations have been so overwhelmed that they’ve had to call in tanker trucks multiple times a day to avoid running dry, Costco said this week during its quarterly earnings call. A growing number of customers are buying just enough to top up their tanks, concerned about what tomorrow’s prices may be.

As prices have surged above $4 nationwide – and above $6 along the West Coast – Costco has become America’s destination for cheap gas. Well, relatively. Costco routinely undercuts local gas stations by around 30 cents a gallon.

That’s an enticing bargain at any time, although long lines sometimes dissuade customers, especially when gas is inexpensive. Not now: A significant number of Costco members filled up for the very first time over the past three months, Costco said on that earnings call.

How – and why – does Costco sell gas for so cheap? It’s all about chickens. Well, kinda.

Not a ‘loss leader’

Costco actually makes a profit on gas – a few cents per gallon. That’s substantially lower than the 25- to 35-cent markup that most gas stations take.

Unlike most gas stations, which are small, independently owned and operated businesses – maybe with an attached convenience store or a repair shop – Costco can rely on its massive scale and membership model to drive profit.

Last year, membership fees accounted for roughly two-thirds of the company’s profit. Costco sells most of its products the same way it sells gasoline: at or just above cost – and sometimes below, like its famous $1.50 hot dog and soda deal.

Competing gas stations need the markup to pay for overhead and repairs. When gas prices rise, customers buy less of it, keeping a relative cap on the amount they’re able to charge.

That’s why, ironically, when gas prices are high, most gas stations struggle to make money.

Costco has a different problem: When gas prices are high, Costco sells more gas. But, because gas is among its lowest-margin products, the company’s overall profit margin gets squeezed. The opposite is true when prices are low.

Last year, when prices spent a considerable amount of time under $3 a gallon on average, gas added about a tenth of a percentage point to the company’s gross margin. Last quarter, gas subtracted two tenths of a point.

Nevertheless, it’s a good problem to have. Costco said it brought in $2.3 billion less in gas sales in 2025 than the year before because prices got cheaper.

Costco has 747 gas stations, which brought in 10% of its overall sales last year.

A chicken driver

Where do the chickens come in?

Costco says about half of its filler-uppers end up walking into a warehouse. As a record number of members visit Costco’s gas stations, foot traffic at stores increased around 5%. And customers are buying more when they shop, too.

“We believe this will drive even greater loyalty with these members in the future as members who use our gas stations typically spend more with us in the warehouse,” said Costco CEO Roland Vachris on a conference call with analysts Thursday, during which gas was mentioned 72 times.

Vachris said customers were stretched this past quarter, because they were allocating a higher percentage of their paychecks to gas. But that gave Costco an advantage: iIts competitive prices.

Among its best-selling how-can-they-sell-it-this-cheap products: rotisserie chickens, which Costco sells for $4.99 – way undercutting local supermarkets. And the

By Patrick Svitek, CNN

(CNN) — Shawn Harris is aware of the political bind he faces in northwest Georgia.

“Because I live in a ruby-red district, I can’t have every nationally known Democrat come here and support me because it doesn’t fit what we’re trying to do,” said Harris, who is running for a congressional district formerly represented by Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene. President Donald Trump carried the district by more than 30 percentage points in 2024.

But after Pete Buttigieg reached out to Harris ahead of a March special election runoff for the seat, Harris made an exception and welcomed the former transportation secretary to the district. Harris lost in the runoff but significantly overperformed past Democratic margins there. He hopes Buttigieg will return this fall for the general election.

Unlike many potential 2028 contenders, Buttigieg doesn’t hold a government position. He’s instead become one of the most prolific midterm campaigners among possible presidential candidates, backing candidates in more than 30 races and traveling to over a dozen states.

Those endorsements give Buttigieg a record to tout on a potential future debate stage, especially as the party looks for leaders who can break through in Republican territory. Buttigieg is also quietly building a network of allies and working to address a key weakness that ultimately doomed his 2020 White House bid.

In a statement to CNN, Buttigieg said that he wants “to be useful to citizens organizing to fix broken systems, and candidates who represent a better version of our politics.”

He appears to be looking to help Black Democrats in particular, a constituency with whom he struggled mightily in his 2020 presidential campaign. His dearth of support among Black voters was a glaring weakness as he otherwise rose from the mayorship of South Bend, Indiana, to become a top-tier candidate in the 2020 Democratic nominating fight.

Now, he is supporting up-and-coming Black Democrats in the midterms such as Harris, Aaron Ford for Nevada governor and Jasmine Clark for an open House seat east of Atlanta. Buttigieg also supported another Black Democrat, Chedrick Greene, who won a hard-fought special election for Michigan state Senate earlier this month where the party’s majority in the chamber was on the line.

Buttigieg, who passed on a US Senate run last year from Michigan — where he now resides — enjoys more political freedom than most other possible 2028 contenders. Some have focused on the midterms in more targeted ways, such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who led the redrawing of his state’s congressional map to favor Democrats. Others must balance their national ambitions with reelection campaigns in November.

Buttigieg has his own political group, Win the Era, that grew out of his 2020 campaign, but several of his midterm endorsements are also aligning with The Bench, a new group run by some of his former aides, including top 2020 campaign spokesman Andrew Mamo, that says it is “recruiting and supporting the next generation of Democratic leaders.”

Buttigieg has appeared with candidates in more traditionally competitive states such as Pennsylvania, Nevada, New Hampshire, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Carolina and Ohio. But he’s also gone to Republican strongholds like Montana and Oklahoma.

Jaime Harrison, a former Democratic National Committee chairman from South Carolina, said Buttigieg has been “extremely active and I think that’s a good thing.” But he also name-checked other potential contenders who he said have be