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CNN International: Putin Meets With Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang; Firefighters Battle Huge California Fire; Anti-Netanyahu Protesters Call for Hostage Release, New Elections; Thousands Evacuated in Northern Israel Amid Hezbollah Attacks; Biden to Protect Immigrant Spouses of Citizens From Deportation; Boeing Whistleblower Comes Forward Ahead of CEO's Capitol Hill Hearing; Extreme Heat Wave Scorches Much of the U.S.; Tropical Storm Alerts Issued for Texas and Mexico; Thailand Will Become the First Country in Southeast Asia to Legalize Same-sex Marriage; Trump Campaigns in Wisconsin After Horrible City Remark; Boston Celtics Win Record 18th NBA Championship; McCartney Releases Tour Dates in the U.K., Spain and France; Coldplay to Release New Eco-friendly Album. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired June 18, 2024 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:12]
AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everyone, and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I am Amara Walker. This is "CNN Newsroom." Just ahead, ready for a reunion. Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected in the North Korean capital soon for a much anticipated meeting with Kim Jong Un. We are live in Seoul with the very latest. Plus, action on immigration, U.S. President Joe Biden set to unveil a new executive order, what it will mean for the hundreds of thousands living in the U.S. illegally. And facing the flames, emergency crews battle California's massive Post Fire. We'll have a live report.
All right, very soon, Vladimir Putin will be setting foot in North Korea for the first time in more than 20 years. His two-day visit is the first by a world leader to North Korea since the COVID pandemic ended. The trip is aimed at bringing the two close allies even closer. Both leaders are largely pariahs on the international stage, but they share an animosity for the West and each has something the other wants.
Now, analysts say Putin is seeking continued support for his war in Ukraine, while Kim Jong Un has its own objectives. CNN's Matthew Chance takes a look at what each leader wants out of the relationship.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is why for Moscow, North Korea has become so crucial, vast supplies of artillery shells helping Russian forces sustain a massive bombardment on the Ukrainian frontlines. Russia and North Korea deny arms shipments, but U.S. officials assess millions of rounds have already been delivered.
Now, the Kremlin says President Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un toward a space center in eastern Russia last year will cement ties even further in a two-day visit to Pyongyang, fueling concerns this is fast becoming one of the world's most dangerous relationships. But Moscow as played down fears it could swap sensitive nuclear missile technology sanctioned by the U.N. for basic North Korean ammo. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea has its own nuclear umbrella Putin told Russian state television earlier this year. They haven't even asked us for anything he insisted.
But both countries stand to benefit. The Kremlin says it is working with Pyongyang on a new strategic partnership treaty to include security cooperation as well as bolstering trade in food and fuel supplies. Both states opposed to U.S. power looks set to join forces, undermining U.S. allies in Europe and the Far East.
It's been more than two decades since Putin last visited Pyongyang, back when Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un's father ruled the country. The newly elected Russian president was trying to revive Moscow's waning influence with an isolated and sanctioned regime. But now, Russia is isolated and sanctioned by the West too, finally giving Moscow and Pyongyang a common cause.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: All right, let's dive deeper now into the growing relationship between Russia and North Korea. We are joined now by an expert on North Korea, Andrei Lankov who is a Director at NK News. He's also Professor at Kookmin University in Seoul.
Appreciate you joining us, Andrei. First off, let's start with the Russian can perspective because it is Putin who is traveling to North Korea for this meeting with Kim Jong Un on Wednesday. Strategically, what's the calculus here for Putin and doesn't it show that he is getting desperate when it comes to this war in Ukraine, knowing that he needs -- badly needs more munitions and weapons?
ANDREI LANKOV, DIRECTOR, NK NEWS: When you are fighting a war, you cannot have too much munition, is what I believe. And the North Korean shipments, judging by what (inaudible) makes a noticeable, not decisive, but noticeable difference. Therefore , well, it is something which probably makes sense to work for. About saying that it is desperate need will be a gross exaggeration.
WALKER: OK. So then, so -- then what is the calculation for Putin? Why is he -- what does he want out of this deeper relationship?
LANKOV: First of all, munition for the Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine, number one.
[08:05:00]
Number two, some kind of a relatively minor economic benefits from improving relations with North Korea, not much, something like North Korean labor. North Korean workers, which can be sent into Russia which is due to the minor economic boom it is going through right now. Yes, as it is out of the massive war spending, a bit like the United States in the early 1940s, a massive shortage of the labor. Therefore, it is second part of the story. And of course, some kind of a geological gesture, a way to create an impression of kind of anti- American, anti-Western solidarity block, which is pretty much rhetoric. But it might be useful as a part of diplomacy, as a way to exercise additional pressure on the United States and broader speaking, countries of the West.
WALKER: What about North Korea then, does it stand to gain more from this trip and from this relationship considering it as the most isolated and opaque nation on this earth?
LANKOV: They hope to get more , but will they get? It's a normal part in negotiations. Each side is coming to nearly all negotiations hoping to get as much as possible. What do they want? First, money, money from military -- sales of the military equipment, ammunition, number one. Labor, it is not a really big from the Russian point of view, but for North Korea, it is fairly big because we are probably talking about few ten thousand North Korean workers which are likely to be employed in Russia.
Most of all, they probably need some kind of military technology but it is a big question whether they get much or anything that they wanted. The hope to persuade the Russian leadership to transfer some technology, preferably, but not large, exclusively related to the missiles, ballistic missiles to North Korea. Is it going to happen? Possible, but I am quite skeptical because Russia has very little to get --
WALKER: OK because --
LANKOV: -- from such a technology transfer. Yeah.
WALKER: Well, but there has been so much consternation around the world regarding this meeting. And of course, their deepening military ties and we know that, North Korea for decades now, they have prioritized their nuclear weapons program --
LANKOV: Yes.
WALKER: -- over the livelihoods and the lives of their own citizens, I want to read you a statement that came out from the U.S. State Department on Monday after this meeting was announced and it reads, "Deepening military cooperation between Russia and the DPRK is a trend that should be great concern to anyone interested in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, upholding the global non- proliferation regime and supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and independence against Russia's brutal invasion."
Talk us through some of these concerns, especially when it comes to global non-proliferation reformation. What are your thoughts?
LANKOV: Personally, I will be very much surprised if Russia is going to provide nuclear technology because Russia is actually not happy about proliferation, like the United States, like China, because of very simple reason. Being an officially recognized nuclear power means to be a member of an exclusive club, which gives you massive privileges. And we see it right now in regards to Russia. And therefore, proliferation is not something Russian government is going to be happy about.
And ballistic missiles technology, I am a bit skeptical too, because once it is given to North Korea, North Koreans are not under Russian control. They are not -- they have never been under anybody's control, by their own and God knows whom they will give this technology to, and how will they use it. The easiest way, we have seen it in the past in the 1980s when they essentially stole Soviet (ph) technology. Yes, their spies were efficient in stealing technology from a country which was opaque, as their ally (ph). They stole technology. They may begin to make cheap copies as they took a part of the Russian share of the weapons market, so there are many other reasons related to South Korea, probably we have no time to talk about it. I am a bit skeptical. They really want it and they might get it, but probability is not as high as many people say.
WALKER: And if they do get it, I mean, we may not even know about it.
LANKOV: (Inaudible).
WALKER: Yeah. Right, we may not even (inaudible).
LANKOV: Yes, you are right, you are right, yeah. If you are taking, yes --
WALKER: Andrei Lankov, yeah, it will. Thank you so much for your expertise in this. Thank you so much. And of course, we are waiting for Vladimir Putin to touch down in Pyongyang.
[08:10:00]
He's supposed to arrive sometime tonight where it is 9:00 p.m. in the evening and Kim Jong Un and Putin are expected to have their meetings on Wednesday. And of course, we will check in live with our own reporter in Seoul, South Korea. That's in about 20 minutes from now.
Turning now to the Israel-Hamas war where Gaza officials say two deadly Israeli strikes in central Gaza have left at least 15 people dead. Gaza's civil defense says members of two families were killed in the attack on the Nuseirat Refugee Camp. A journalist working for CNN in Gaza witnessed an 11-year-old boy clinging to the body of his dead mother, crying out in anguish, why didn't god take me with my mom.
Meanwhile in Israel, thousands of people gathered in anti-government, in anti-Netanyahu protest in Jerusalem. Police state they arrested at least nine people. CNN's Paula Hancocks is in Jerusalem. She's joining us now. Paula, it is just heartbreaking to hear these stories of children losing their parents. What more do we know about this airstrike today inside the Nuseirat Refugee Camp in central Gaza?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Amara, this particular incident, we understand happened in the early hours. It was two Israeli airstrikes, according to survivors and those on the ground and the hospitals. We heard some survivors say that most people were sleeping at that point. Now, we know that 15 people were killed and they went to two separate hospitals. We also know according to the hospital officials that six of those 15 were minors. We understand many were women as well. So, this is in the Nuseirat area.
We did hear from the Israeli military. We reached out to them and they said that they are operating to dismantle the Hamas military and administrative capabilities, pointing out that unlike Hamas, they do make efforts to try and mitigate civilian casualties. But this is an all too familiar scene that we are seeing from these hospitals in Nuseirat of survivors, the wounded, and also the bodies of those killed are coming in.
And Nuseirat, obviously, has certainly been under intense fighting in recent days and weeks, just a week last Saturday, this is the area where those four Israeli hostages were rescued from, where Gaza hospital officials say that at least 270 were killed. Although the IDF disputes those Palestinian casualty figures, Amara.
WALKER: And talk to us about these anti-government protests that we are seeing in Jerusalem. I believe it was a week-and-a-half ago when those four Israeli hostages were rescued, and that seemed to have bought Netanyahu more time at least politically, where do things stand now in terms of the protests and the demands?
HANCOCKS: Well, we haven't seen a let up in those protests at all, even with the rescue of those hostages. That was certainly from those who are against what Prime Minister Netanyahu was doing and would like to see him removed from office. They never let up in their protests. We are still seeing continual protests in cities around Israel. Last night, Monday night, there were thousands that protested in Jerusalem.
We understand at least nine were arrested according to police, they say some were starting or trying to start fires. There was also a suspicion of attacking policemen and disruption, but it shows that the anger is spilling over onto the streets. There are many who do not believe that Netanyahu is the man who should be in the prime minister's position at this point. And there are many that are pushing for a ceasefire-hostage deal to be signed. Perception among these protesters certainly that the Israeli prime minister is not fully signed up to that deal.
In fact, we haven't heard him publicly say that he wants to go ahead with that deal. But these are protests that are seemingly building and the anti-Netanyahu camp certainly seems quite significant. We are seeing -- we were seeing every single Saturday these protests happen. They are now happening during the week as well. Amara?
WALKER: All right. Paula Hancocks, appreciate your reporting. Thank you very much. U.S. special envoy, Amos Hochstein, says Washington is trying to avert a greater war between Israel and Hezbollah along Israel's border with Lebanon. Hochstein met with the head of the Lebanese Army Tuesday, after stopping in Israel earlier where he met the prime minister and other senior officials. The escalation and cross-border fire has driven many people out of their homes. Oren Liebermann has more.
[08:15:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the main drag in the city of Kiryat Shemona in northern Israel, Amatsya Dahary works alone, taking orders from customers who won't come in person.
AMATSYA DAHARY, NORTH ISRAEL RESIDENT: There is no people here in the city. My customer don't come to my gallery and I feel alone here.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): The stores and restaurants near his frame shop are closed. The city is nearly empty, under constant threat of rocket attack from Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon. But Dahary shows up to work here every day.
DAHARY: I think it is wrong to leave Kiryat Shemona. I think everybody had to be here.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): The first launches fell in this city soon after October 7th.
LIEBERMANN: This was the safety room and security room and the mortar tore right through it.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): The city was evacuated two weeks later. The charred remnants of a life hastily abandon, visible inside.
Mayor Avichai Stern says less than 10 percent of the people here have stayed.
AVICHAI STERN, MAYOR OF KIRYAT SHEMONA, NORTHERN ISRAEL (through translator): Since the 8th of October, we've been attacked every day, Stern says. I don't think there is any nation in the world that would be prepared for its citizens to be fired upon every day.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): At a nearby location, the mayor shows us a much larger rocket that hit the street, its shrapnel tearing into nearby homes.
Also this, Stern says, this is shrapnel. Look and here, you'll find them in every place. Along Israel's northern border, once thriving villages have become ghost towns. In Shlomi, the spirit of the country may be strong but its people have left. Approximately 60,000 people have been evacuated from the north to hotels across the country.
According to Israel, Hezbollah has fired more than 5,000 rockets and drones since the start of the war. Israel has carried out strikes against Hezbollah targets and commanders amid fear of a simmering conflict boiling over into a war.
We are approaching the point where decision will have to be made, says Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and the IDF is prepared and very ready for this decision. In recent weeks, the north isn't just under fire, but on fire sparked by Hezbollah attacks and missile intercepts. Locals caught this video of an interceptor explosion, drained burning shrapnel on the area. Firefighters are still coping with smoldering embers that re-ignite in the dry conditions, fire that keeps burning on a border that threatens to do the same.
Oren Liebermann, CNN in northern Israel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: CNN has learned that Joe Biden will take executive action on Tuesday to protect some undocumented immigrants from deportation. The move will provide legal status to anyone who has been living in the U.S. for ten years and is married to a U.S. citizen. It will protect about 500,000 immigrants from deportation and would be the largest relief program for undocumented immigrants in more than a decade.
The government will allow people to begin applying for legal status by the end of summer. Let's go now to the White House and CNN's Arlette Saenz. Arlette, what are we expecting to hear from President Biden today and regarding the details of this executive order?
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Amara, this is a sweeping plan. President Biden will present today something that could have a real election year impact as he is trying to tackle one of the thorniest political issues facing this country. Now, this plan will tap into an existing program known as 'Parole in Place'. And it would essentially allow some undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens to legally seek permanent residency in this country without fear of deportation.
The current system that is in place requires these individuals to travel out of the country, back to their origins to start this process, taking them away from their families and also raising concerns that they may not be allowed to re-enter the U.S. This policy, which the application process is expected to open at the end of the summer, would change that. Now, this would apply to those individuals who have been living in the U.S. for ten years and married to a U.S. citizen as of yesterday, Monday. It also applies to the children, stepchildren of a U.S. citizens.
This would allow those spouses to work legally in the U.S. and could potentially put them on a path to citizenship. It is estimated that overall this program could impact about 550,000 people. In addition to this policy, President Biden will also announce another plan that would make it easier for undocumented young people, known as 'Dreamers' to ease the way for them to obtain work visas.
[08:20:00]
Now, this is all coming just a few weeks after president announced -- President Biden announced that major crackdown at the U.S. southern border, shutting off the ability of migrants crossing into the country illegally to seek asylum when a certain limit -- daily threshold is met. That plan went into place right away. It angered progressives and immigration advocates. So this move from President Biden in part is trying to ease some of those concerns and also appeal to Latino voters in key states like Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada at a time when border security and immigration have really topped the list of concerns for voters heading into November's election.
WALKER: All right. Arlette Saenz at the White House, thank you very much.
A new whistleblower is making alarming claims about Boeing. The current Boeing employee claims the company probably installed broken or out-of-specification parts than 737 Max planes and then tried to hide it from FAA regulators. This bombshell comes just hours before Boeing's CEO, Dave Calhoun will be grilled on Capitol Hill today. Amid growing questions over the safety of Boeing's aircraft, Boeing says it is reviewing these latest claims.
Well, all right. Still to come life-threatening wildfires raging in the western U.S. force thousands to evacuate. A look at the conditions in one of the hardest hit areas. Plus, the Atlantic hurricane season kicks into high gear with a tropical storm warning, we will have the latest after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WALKER: Devastating wildfires, dangerous heat waves, and a tropical storm are gripping parts of the U.S. this week. Wildfires continue to rage in the west. More than 6,000 hectares have burned so far in Los Angeles County. And a similar scene in New Mexico, where thousands have been ordered to evacuate because of fast-moving wildfires fueled by gusty winds, high temperatures, and low humidity.
Now, those high temperatures are expected to impact nearly 80 percent of the U.S. population this week. Forecasters say more than 150 high record temperatures could be shattered. And finally, tropical storm warnings and watches have been issued for parts of Texas and Mexico. The system is expected to bring heavy rain over the next few days.
Let's start with those wildfires and CNN's Natasha Chen, who is joining us now from Los Angeles County, California with the latest. Hi there, Natasha. Good to see you. What are the conditions like where you are?
NATASHA CHEN, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Amara. Well, the good news is that conditions will be improving today, Amara, and these crews really need that relief. Over the weekend, this ballooned into more than 15,000 acres burned 1,200 people evacuated from a state park. There is still a red flag warning though, locally until 6:00 p.m. We are talking about very dry wind, high wind gusts and up in northern California, you also have the Point Fire, which is in wine country, very close to a number of vineyards and great restaurants therein the Healdsburg area.
[08:25:00]
And so, there are a number of wildfires throughout California. Luckily, we are seeing conditions improve, specifically here at the Post Fire. As of last night, we are seeing 20 percent contained. They say the northern part of the Post Fire is really under control now. I5 corridor safe to travel. The southern part of the perimeter though, above -- north of Pyramid Lake, they say it could take a week to really get under control because that is steep, rugged terrain for the crews to work in.
Now, while the conditions may improve here in California, it is still very dire in New Mexico that you mentioned. You've got to fires that are essentially converging on the village of Ruidoso. And officials describe it as two fires converging like a pair of tongs. There is very dramatic video that we've now seen from a live camera in Alto, New Mexico, that shows just how quickly those flames, that smoke just covered that area. It ignited yesterday on tribal land; it exploded into 3,000 acres. You've got 5,000 residents told to evacuate.
And CNN also did speak to someone who was on vacation there, who had to find themselves in evacuation mode, someone who had come in from Oklahoma, saw of that smoke and actually said she got a headache from it, decided to go back to her rental place and pack things up, then got the evacuation order. They left to go to Roswell and then tried to make their way home after that.
And I will say, even if people are not under evacuation orders, near these wildfires, you really get a sense of the thickness in the air, the dust particles, the smoke, the haziness. We are definitely feeling that right here at the command post, here in Castaic, California with a lot of irritation. It feels like heavy allergies and so people just have a lot to be dealing with right now with all of these fires, Amara.
WALKER: Yeah. Wow, what a situation. Natasha Chen, thank you very much. Let's bring in CNN Meteorologist, Allison Chinchar, who is tracking both that heat wave, those fires and of course, that tropical storm in the U.S. Where to start, Allison? Let's start with a heat wave, I guess, because I see all that red behind you. How are things looking?
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right. Yeah. We start with this because it is just impacting the most significant amount of people. You're talking over 80 percent of the U.S. population is looking at temperatures at least 90 degrees or higher at some point this week. We've also had records being broken in the last few days. This is just a look at yesterday, looking at these. Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, all looking at those temperatures in the 90s, and at least several degrees above what their previous record had been. More records are expected for today, the bulk of them are going to be in the Northeast and the Midwest. But there is over 150 of them and some of them stretch down into the southeast and even in some western states as well. So, a lot of folks really going to be feeling the heat today and for much of the rest of the week.
Now, when you also factor in the humidity that combined temperature and humidity creates what we call the heat index, the feels like temperature. So Cincinnati today going to feel like it is 101, Syracuse going to feel like it is 103, even Boston topping out at what's going to feel like 96 today. So again, very, very high. Another concern in the northeast is the prolonged nature of this heat wave.
Take a look at Pittsburgh, their average normally this time of year only 80 degrees. Every single one of the next seven days will be above that. But if you look at the next five to six days, you are talking 10 to 15 degrees above that normal temperature. Now, something else we are keeping an eye out, that's the flood potential along the Gulf Coast and that's all thanks to this particular system right here. Potential tropical cyclone one, this could become tropical storm Alberto later on today or even tomorrow morning. Regardless of whether it gets the name or when it gets a name, it is going to bring a huge surge of moisture into areas of Mexico and especially into Texas and Louisiana.
Look at all of this rain expected south of Houston, all the way down through Brownsville. You're talking widespread rainfall totals of four to eight inches, especially those coastal regions. But some spots not out of the question that they could pick up as much as a foot of rain before this system finally exits. So because of that, you have a moderate risk. That's a Level 3 out of 4 for excessive rainfall, both today and on Wednesday for much of Texas. But notice too, it also kind of stretches into that that marginal risk into Louisiana. So, it is not just going to be for Texas.
Another concern with this particular system is also the storm surge. It is expected to strengthen once it moves out over open water and by strengthening, it is going to have a lot of energy to push all of that water inland. So, you can see here just around the Houston and Galveston area, we are looking at some storm surge right around that two- to four-foot range.
WALKER: All right. Allison Chinchar, thank you very much. Still ahead. The war in Ukraine brought them closer. Now, the leaders of Russia and North Korea are coming together to take on the world.
[08:30:00]
We'll look at how they plan to do it. And a fight over water 80 years in the making, farmers in Texas versus the Mexican government, when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WALKER: In the coming hours, we will see two isolated and autocratic leaders coming together, Vladimir Putin is expected to arrive in North Korea soon. It is his first visit there in nearly 20 years. He and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un are expected to sign a new strategic partnership. The two countries have become increasingly close, especially since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. accuses the North of providing weapons to Russia.
CNN's Mike Valerio joining us now from Seoul with more on what we can expect regarding this trip. So, tell us what will happen over the next couple of days.
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So Amara, you know, it is going to be a lot of pageantry in the middle of Pyongyang and Kim Il Sung Square, the usual parades that we see. But like you said, we are expecting something to be signed at the end of this song and dance. It is just a question of what is going to be signed to enhance, in the words of the North Koreans and the Russians, this strategic partnership that they forged officially in September.
So at the very worst-case scenario, end of the spectrum, Amara, when were thinking about what this enhanced partnership could look like, we look to history and this treaty July 6, 1961, signed between Khrushchev and Kim Il Sung where the Soviet Union said, you know what, if something that happens to North Korea, we in the Soviet Union would come to the North's defense and vice versa, a mutual defense treaty.
There are more and more minds, North Korea experts, Amara, who are saying we don't think it is going to go that far, but there are still a whole multitude of things that each country wants from one another. Starting with North Korea, they need more help with their satellite and ballistic missile programs, assistance with food, energy. They want the "prestige" of having their leader Kim Jong Un standing on the stage for all the world to see with a leader like Vladimir Putin.
But, what does Russia want? It wants more ammo for its prosecution of the war against Ukraine. And along those lines, Amara, very interestingly, we heard publicly from Putin last week, when he thanked South Korea for not sending lethal weapons to the battlefield to help out Ukraine. Because of that, there are more North Korea watchers who think, you know what, Russia may not go so far as to rock the boat on the Korean Peninsula because they are grateful for the South not sending lethal munitions to Ukraine. Listen to more on that point.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETER WARD, RESEARCH FELLOW, SEJONG INSTITUTE: Korea remains committed to not providing lethal aid to Ukraine and this is very much -- the Kremlin has made this -- made it clear that this is a red line for them.
[08:35:00]
But by the same token, if the Kremlin were to upset or annoy or anger Seoul too much, then the threat is, of course, that Seoul may start to provide lethal aid to the Kyiv.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VALERIO: So in the background, Amara, there is what is happening along the DMZ. Earlier, 8:00 a.m., local time, just a couple of hours after the sun came up, 20 to 30 North Korean troops were spotted by South Korea crossing over the median of the DMZ.
South Korea fires warning shots. Everybody goes back to where they were supposed to be. And we also have new telephoto and satellite images of what appears to be new North Korean construction along their side of the DMZ. And experts say that's most likely to prevent more and more people from defecting to South Korea.
Meantime, China is always involved in this. The Chinese authorities were meeting with their South Korean security counterparts today to talk about maintaining the status quo here in the Peninsula. China does not want to rock the boat either, it doesn't want things getting out of control. So that is another reason to think with China having such a tight leash on Russia, Amara, that what we see tomorrow may be a very small deliverable, but we are all keeping a close eye on it.
WALKER: That is absolutely right. Mike Valerio, thank you. Good to see you live for us there in Seoul.
Thailand will become the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. The kingdom's senate approved a Marriage Equality Bill earlier on Tuesday. 130 senators voted in favor and just four voted against it. It still requires endorsement from the king, which is considered a formality. Thailand will be only the third place in Asia to allow for marriage equality after Taiwan legalized same-sex marriage in 2009 and Nepal in 2023.
Tensions are rising between the U.S. and Mexico over a decade's old agreement to share water from the Colorado River and the Rio Grande. Mexico has fallen behind in sending water to the U.S. because of a severe drought gripping that country. CNN's Rosa Flores has more on how it is impacting farmers in Texas.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSE SILVA, CITRUS GROWER IN SOUTH TEXAS: (Inaudible) and growing citrus, that's always been my passion.
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jose Silva, citrus grower in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas takes us to a grove he hasn't irrigated since January.
SILVA: Well, this grove is about 25-years-old.
FLORES (voice-over): To show us how his life's work could be in peril due to lack of water.
SILVA: As you can see, the leaves folding and the fruit, how small it is because we haven't been able to irrigate like we should.
FLORES (voice-over): The culprits he says are both natural and man- made. There is the years-long drought that has reservoirs along the Rio Grande at all-time lows according to Texas water Authorities and a dispute between the U.S. and Mexico over an 80-year-old water treaty that has Silva and many Texas farmers blaming Mexico for their misfortunes.
SILVA: If we had water from Mexico, this grove would be irrigating right now.
FLORES: I am in South Texas. Under the 1944 treaty, Mexico, which you see over my shoulder across the Rio Grande, owes the U.S. about 390,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools of water so far, this five-year cycle which ends October 2025.
FLORES (voice-over): When Mexico released water to the U.S. in 2020, it sparked violent protests from Mexican farmers. Currently, about 90 percent of the country is enduring its most expansive drought since 2011.
ALICIA BARCENA, MEXICAN SECRETARY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: We have a 1944 (inaudible).
FLORES (voice-over): Mexico's foreign ministry points to that years- long severe drought and says it plans to meet its treaty obligations by the October 2025 deadline. But it is too late for some farmers, not only have some citrus growers pulled and burned their wilted groves.
SILVA: When you see this, it is just heartbreaking. It just breaks your heart.
FLORES (voice-over): The entire South Texas sugarcane industry is dead, forcing the state's only sugar mill, a $100 million business that employed more than 500 people to close in April, according to this man.
FLORES: Do you blame Mexico?
TUDOR UHLHORN, CHAIRMAN, RIO GRANDE VALLEY SUGAR GROWERS: Yes. I mean, this does not an act of God. This is a man-made situation.
FLORES (voice-over): Tudor Uhlhorn is the Chairman of the Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers.
FLORES: So, is this equipment going to be sold?
UHLHORN: Yes.
FLORES (voice-over): And says a group of 90 farmers went from harvesting 35,000 acres of sugarcane and churning giant piles of sugar like this one to producing less than 10,000 acres in February.
FLORES: Do you in part blame the State Department for not forcing Mexico to provide the water?
[08:40:00]
UHLHORN: It is definitely the fault of the State Department because this has occurred under Republican administrations and its recurring right now under a Democratic administration. You start to feel like maybe the State Department doesn't care about you very much.
FLORES (voice-over): The State Department tells CNN that the agency continues to urge Mexico to make water deliveries and continues to work with Congress to resolve the issue.
SILVA: We have to check with the water districts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are in a crisis.
FLORES (voice-over): It is at meetings like these that Jose Silva advocates for the water he needs to save his wilting groves.
SILVA: Is there something that maybe you guys can do to --
FLORES (voice-over): But after much discussion --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I am sorry, we couldn't come up with a better solution for you, but --
FLORES (voice-over): The outcome was there is no water.
FLORES: Could this mean that some of your groves die?
SILVA: There's a good chance, yes. It is really heartbreaking. It really hurts. It really does.
FLORES: At this point, Texas farmers are praying for rain. They are praying for a miracle. They are praying for a hurricane, anything that will save the citrus industry. Right now, they are keeping their eye on the weather system that's in the Gulf. Now, I checked, according to the National Weather Service, the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas could get between four to six inches of rain. So this could help the citrus farmers.
But the citrus farmers are also hoping that it rains in Mexico. Why? Because they are hoping that the reservoirs in Mexico fill up, so that Mexico can pay up its water debt.
Rosa Flores, CNN, Houston.
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WALKER: All right. Still to come, Joe Biden again turns his attention to the border with Mexico. The political stakes in his brand new immigration policy, when we come back.
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WALKER: All right. Let's return now to one of our top stories. And Joe Biden's upcoming action on the migrant crisis. Later today, the U.S. president plans to announce a change in the rules for undocumented immigrants who are spouses of U.S. citizens. Under the new rules, they will be allowed to apply for legal status without leaving the country. You would offer a path to citizenship for about 0.5 million people.
Now, Donald Trump will spend the day campaigning in an important swing state and trying to make up for insulting its biggest city. Trump's rally today is in Racine, Wisconsin, which is just outside Milwaukee. Trump reportedly called Milwaukee a horrible city last week during a meeting with Republican lawmakers. He has tried to clarify that he was just talking about crime in the city. But of course, there is that little question that Trump has some work to do to repair his image in Wisconsin.
Joining us now to discuss all of this is CNN Politics Senior Writer Stephen Collinson. Stephen, good to see you.
[08:45:00] Let's first talk about this executive order that the president will unveil later today on immigration. Tell me about the why because we just saw a few weeks ago, this executive order that was cracking down on the border and asylum requests. And now, he is going to the other side of that, seemingly appeasing those progressives who were not happy about that other executive order.
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: From a humanitarian point of view, to start with, this will give relief to thousands of people. It will prevent families from being broken up, pending legal challenges. So I think that is one reason why the president is doing it. But clearly, you cannot look at this through anything but a political lens in an election year less than five months before Americans go to the polls.
As you say, last week, when -- last month, when the present introduce those tightened asylum regulations that make it much harder for people coming through the border, he really did dismay a lot of progressive Democrats who he needs to show up to the polls in November. And he now is trying I think to redress the balance of that a little bit. This particular measure I think is going to be quite popular in states like Nevada and Arizona, out west where the president is behind Trump in many recent opinion polls. And he really needs to kind of make up the difference.
So clearly, this is a political act. Republicans are sure to come out and say that he is basically giving people amnesty. That is going to encourage more people to come to the border. But he is on a balancing act between appeasing centrist voters who are worried about the border crisis and people in his own coalition who traditionally like a little bit more of a liberal policy towards these issues.
WALKER: Tell us about how the Biden campaign and the Trump campaign are going about trying to woo the Black vote and the minority vote and also, tackle their images about regarding their age concerns.
COLLINSON: Right. So we have seen in recent weeks, the former President Trump try to cut into President Biden's margin among Black voters in big cities, which is a traditional Democratic stronghold. Polls show that Trump is polling about 20 percent of Black voters, which may not sound very much. But considering he only got about 8 percent in the last election, this suggests that the president has a few problems with his coalition.
I don't think we would expect to see that reflected necessarily, those polls, in an election. But this is going to be such a close election that even if you points in states like Philadelphia, Wisconsin where Trump is today, or Michigan, the key states that will divide -- decide the election, a few thousand votes either way can make a big difference.
In terms of the age issue, what you're seeing now is the Trump campaign and conservative media trying to make a great play out of videos at a Democratic fundraiser which appeared to show former President Barak Obama lead Trump off -- lead Biden offstage. Democrats in the warehouse say these videos are doctored, they are not true, but what I think it tells you is that the Trump campaign believes that the issue of President Biden's age, which -- he is 81 and many voters question whether he is fit for a second term, is a big one in this election.
WALKER: But in terms of the older vote, what we've been seeing is the seniors, the elderly, they are shifting more towards Biden. Why is that?
COLLINSON: That is an interesting facet of this election. Traditionally, older voters, especially in states like Florida, have tended to vote Republican. I think there is a couple of reasons for this. One is that the older voters now are not really the sort of post (inaudible) the World War II generation. They are baby boomers, and they are perhaps a little bit more in tune with Democratic values.
Health care for the elderly is a massive issue in this election, as it is in all elections. And those voters, particularly attuned into the Biden message on this issue, and the fact that Republicans have repeatedly tried to overturn Obamacare, the federal health care law, which is not specifically for the elderly, but has given the impression that Republicans are less trustworthy on issues of health care.
So I think that is one reason why these demographics are shifting. And in states like Florida and elsewhere, this could be interesting. As I was saying in reference to Michigan and Pennsylvania, these are going to be very tightly close -- tightly fought elections, a few thousand votes either way can make a big difference.
WALKER: And lastly, we got to talk about the much anticipated CNN Debate between Trump and Biden, which is less than ten days away. As you know, Biden has obviously taken a bigger hit when it comes to his cognitive abilities, the way it's been talked about more heavily, I guess, in the media and I guess, regarding people's concerns in general.
[08:50:00]
How risky -- I guess, who is more at risk? Who is more vulnerable when it comes to this debate, now that we know the roles of the debate, including mics being muted once your time is up and the fact that there will be no live audience?
COLLINSON: Yeah, I think this is going to be an interesting debate because for many Americans, the choice is between a president who is 81 who they don't know whether he could fully fulfill a second term and an ex-president who pulled (ph) great chaos, who has a very volatile personality and is threatening to basically destroy American democracy. So, that is a contrast a lot of voters are going to see in this debate.
I think one interesting thing is that campaigns normally raise expectations for their opponent, Donald Trump has done exactly the opposite. He's basically given the impression that it will be a miracle if Biden can stand up for the two hours of this debate. That could sort of rebound against the former president. We saw Republicans take a similar stance ahead of the State of the Union address earlier this year when Biden put on a very robust performance and surprised many people and for a time, quelled questions about his age.
So, if he is able to put in an energetic performance in this debate, former President Trump may regret some of his expectations game before the debate. President Biden is expected go up to the Camp David presidential retreat this week to practice. Trump doesn't really practice with debates. He plays Donald Trump on TV pretty much every day. He's got a big rally on Saturday night in Philadelphia, which will be according to his campaign, one of the preparations that he is taking for the debate.
He thinks is pretty fast on his feet. We'll have to see whether he is taking things a little bit too easy. Don't forget, he skipped all the Republican primary debates this year. So he could be a little bit out of practice as well as the president.
WALKER: Yeah, he might be a little rusty. We shall see on June 27th. Stephen Collinson, great to have you. Thank you.
COLLINSON: Thanks.
WALKER: And we will be right back.
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WALKER: Celtics are celebrating the thrill of victory after winning their record-setting 18th NBA championship.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are all on their feet here at the Garden. Get ready to raise an 18th (inaudible) the Celtics are once again the winningest franchise in the history of the NBA. It's an 18th title for the Celtics, the 2024 NBA champions.
WALKER: Boston beat the Dallas Mavericks 106 to 88 to win the series in five games. Jayson Tatum led all scorers with 31 points. Jaylen Brown added 21 points. He was named the Most Valuable Player in the finals.
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JAYLEN BROWN, BOSTON CELTICS GUARD/FINALS MVP: I think we learned, I think we learned from all our mistakes, all of our adversity. I think it has made us stronger, made us tougher, and all season, you can see it. We started from the jump. We've made a lot of sacrifices. We play both ends at a ball (ph) at a high level. We didn't skip any steps and this was the result.
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WALKER: The Celtics finished the regular season with the best record in the NBA. They lost only three games throughout the entire playoffs.
Paul McCartney is bringing his 'Got Back' tour to Europe later this year. The former Beatle who turns 82 on Tuesday, announced his European tour dates, which will see him and his band perform in France, Spain, and the U.K. in December.
[08:55:00]
In October, the musician is slated to make stops in Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, and Peru. McCartney's 'Got Back' tour first kicked off in 2022 and last year, he performed 18 shows in Australia, Mexico, and Brazil. He still has it.
One of the world's biggest bands is back with new music and it is hoping it will be the most sustainable record yet. My favorite band, Coldplay's new album, Moon Music with Atlantic Records is set to come out October 4th. The first single is called "Feels Like I'm Falling in Love." Vinyl copies of the album will be made from old plastic bottles, CD copies also will be made from recycled plastic. And my child would say, what are CDs mommy?
And finally, this hour, in Chicago, people and their furry friends tried to beat the heat at a special dog beach as temperatures touched the high-90s in the area. This is Chicago and as you can see, the dogs were having a lot of fun too despite the hot weather. Temperatures in Chicago are expected to be in the 90s today as well, as much of the U.S. is in the midst of a brutal heat wave.
I'm Amara Walker. "Connect The World" with Becky Anderson is next.
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