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Trump on Iran Negotiators: "We're Getting What We Want"; Tensions Rise in New Jersey Amid ICE Facility Protests; Kenya Pushes Ahead on U.S. Quarantine Center Despite Court Order; Six States Hold State And Local Primary Elections This Week. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired May 31, 2026 - 05:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[05:00:36]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome to all you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom."

Donald Trump insists the U.S. is close to a deal with Iran despite weeks of negotiations. We'll share what we know about the details of the agreement.

Mounted officers cracking down on anti-ICE protests in New Jersey. Now a reported hunger strike spiraled into clashes with police.

Plus, Kenya moving forward with a quarantine facility for Americans who may have been exposed to Ebola despite a court order blocking it. We have a live report from Nairobi.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: President Donald Trump says the U.S. is getting what it wants out of negotiations with Iran, even though he admits the talks are progressing slowly. He claims Iran has agreed to never develop or buy a nuclear weapon. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is warning that American forces are ready to resume fighting with Iran if needed. The U.S. military says it fired a missile at a Gambian flagged commercial ship that was heading to Iran Friday after giving more than 20 warnings that was violating the U.S. blockade. CNN's Nada Bashir is joining us live from London.

So, Nada, take us through where the deal stands right now.

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, at this stage, Kim, we haven't had any clear announcements from the U.S. president nor from the Iranian side with regards to the progress of the peace talks at this stage. As you mentioned, we have heard from the U.S. president suggesting that there has been some positive movement, including on the nuclear issue. He believes Iran will be willing to agree to not develop or purchase any sort of nuclear weapons as part of this agreement. But again, while there has been pressure mounting for some sort of deal to be agreed as soon as possible in order to bring an end to hostilities in Iran, extend the ongoing ceasefire, and, of course, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. president has said he is not in a hurry. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), U.S. PRESIDENT: I would rather get a deal because we can open the Strait immediately upon signing. The one guarantee that I have to have is that there will be no nuclear weapons. They've agreed to that. And it was very interesting. They originally said, "We will not develop a nuclear weapon." I said, "Well, what happens if you buy a nuclear weapon?" So, now it says, "We will not develop or in any way purchase a military weapon." That's a big difference. So, we're getting what we want slowly. Very tough negotiators. It takes a long time. I'm in no hurry. I'd like to say I'm in a hurry because, you know, gasoline prices are going to come tumbling down. But if you're going to be in a hurry, you're not going to make a good deal. And slowly but surely, we're getting, I think, what we want. And if we don't get what we want, we're going to end it a different way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BASHIR: Now, of course, the U.S. president and his defense secretary have warned that U.S. forces are prepared to resume hostilities if it does come to that. But at this stage, it appears mediation efforts and negotiations are still very much ongoing. Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson has said that that dialogue continues.

But again, no clear conclusions. Just, yeah, what we do understand is that this is set to establish the foundations, it would hope, some would hope, for a future peace agreement. And this is expected to be sort of 60-day memorandum of understanding.

Again, laying out that framework. But there is still not a lot of certainty as to whether this would mean an extension to the currency spire or whether this would be perhaps a second phase before we see a full peace agreement. And, of course, amongst the key terms on the table that are currently being negotiated are not only a cessation of hostilities in Iran, but, of course, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to pre-war levels.

Iran wants to see the blockade on its ports lifted. It wants to see billions of dollars' worth of its assets in overseas banks being unfrozen. That's part of the agreement.

And, of course, as we heard there, the United States wants to ensure that Iran is not able to develop nuclear weapons in the future. These are all issues that, of course, are still being hammered out, and the finer details being ironed out. And, again, all eyes waiting to hear from the U.S. president as to whether there is a full and final agreement on this memorandum of understanding.

[05:05:05]

BRUNHUBER: All right, Nada Bashir in London. Thanks so much.

Israel has captured another strategic site as it plows ahead with its operations in southern Lebanon. The IDF said hours ago that it's now in control of the Beaufort Castle, about 10 miles or 15 kilometers from Israel's border.

The structure was built about 900 years ago, and it was under provisional enhanced protection by UNESCO. But across the border, have a look.

Israel is bracing for more Hezbollah attacks on the heels of multiple strikes in northern Israel on Saturday. Officials responded by canceling schools and moving one hospital underground. Public gatherings are now limited. There are no reports of injuries, but Israel's telling residents to keep an eye out for more.

Oren Liebermann joins us from Jerusalem. Oren, what's the latest?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Kim, keep in mind that all of this is happening while there is, in theory, a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that's supposed to be in place along the Israel-Lebanon border. But, of course, that's nowhere to be seen. As Israeli forces push deeper into Lebanon, beyond the Litani River, Israel had acknowledged and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had acknowledged that Israeli forces had crossed the Litani.

But now we see that they're pushing deeper into and seizing Beaufort Castle, some nine or ten miles in, and the Israeli military is saying this will be a basis from which to expand operations. So, this isn't the end of the expansion of Israel's occupied zone in southern Lebanon, but part of a broader strategy of trying to push deeper and deeper. The goal here, according to the Israeli military, is to push Hezbollah back.

Israel says that Hezbollah had used that ridge along which Beaufort Castle sits to launch attacks into Israel. So, this is part of that strategy, as the area which Israel has seized and occupied is very much growing by the day here, as Israel on a near-daily basis has issued more and more evacuation warnings for southern Lebanon and beyond.

In terms of what we're seeing from Hezbollah, we have seen an increased number of drone attacks. That has forced Israel's Home Front Command to cancel schools along the northern border there, the Israel- Lebanon border, and the Ministry of Health ordered a hospital in Nahariyya, which is about six or seven miles from the Israel-Lebanon border, to shift its operations underground into a more secure complex.

It's also worth noting that in the middle of all this, overnight, the Israeli military says an Israeli soldier was killed in a drone attack. That's significant because it's the first soldier killed at night in a drone attack. Several days ago, Hezbollah had unveiled nighttime drones, explosive drones that they were able to see and target and control at night. That hadn't been the case until now. They'd all been daytime attacks. This is the first time we're seeing a nighttime drone attack. And all this gets at, simply, the escalation between Israel and Hezbollah as the U.S. tries to push forward a diplomatic track. But right now, all we see here is an escalating conflict.

Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Oren Liebermann, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

Accusations over reportedly inhumane living conditions at a New Jersey ICE facility have sparked a string of heated protests. Now, state officials are trying to work with both local and federal officers to de-escalate tensions flaring up outside Newark's Delaney Hall. CNN's Gloria Pazmino has the latest.

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GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, tensions here between demonstrators and law enforcement have been back and forth throughout this weekend. We have seen that things really escalate in the evening hours after dark. That's when we see a lot of law enforcement and demonstrators really escalate tensions between the two sides. Some of the more violent clashes have taken place at night. But during the day, things have remained calm for the most part. There has been a significantly different police presence here throughout this weekend.

The governor of New Jersey, Mikie Sherrill, deployed state police officers to this area along with area local police departments to essentially take over for ICE officers which had been guarding the entrance to Delaney Hall where these protests have been taking place over the past few days.

So, I just want to show you what things look like because they do look a bit different from what we have seen in the past few days. You can see that the street is now closed off to traffic. The barricades have been put up to keep protesters on one side of the street. And you can see the significant police presence lined up outside of the entrance to Delaney Hall.

Now, this is a major detention center in terms of immigration here in the tri-state area. If you are detained by immigration officials, it is likely that you will pass through this center. And for the past few days, we've been told by attorneys for those who are detained inside Delaney Hall as well as their family members that their conditions inside are unacceptable. They're on a hunger strike to bring attention to these conditions.

[05:10:04]

A lack of proper food, a lack of medical care, lack of access to their legal counsel. This is something that has been denied by the Department of Homeland Security. They say that there is no hunger strike and that conditions are not as described by the detainees.

Still, protesters have continued for several days. The governor has said she believes her plan to bring in local police and state police is going to keep ICE officers from taking more drastic action. Take a listen.

GOV. MIKIE SHERRILL (D-NJ): What we were doing and, you know, pulling things together remarkably quickly to make sure that there was no pretextual reason for ICE to put their people on the ground. We had put them off for at least one night, but we did not have a lot of time and we knew that they were ready to engage in a way and clear out protesters. Having seen what that looks like in other states, you know, very violent techniques, no area for people to protest.

PAZMINO: There were also some arrests during the weekend. At least six people were arrested. Governor Sherrill also pointing out that some of those who were taken into custody had come here from outside of the state.

She has told people not to come here to sort of disrupt the protests that for the most part had been peaceful, again, with the exception of those clashes in the evening hours, which have gotten pretty violent. So, we'll see how this situation here continues to develop. Over the next few days and into next week and whether or not we will see officials, public officials here from the area, perhaps access Delaney Hall as they try to conduct oversight and figure out exactly what's going on inside the detention center.

Gloria Pazmino, CNN, New Jersey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: The head of the World Health Organization is in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The nation's currently enduring a deadly outbreak of the Ebola virus. CNN traveled with him as he surveyed the situation on the ground.

Plus, controversy over an Ebola quarantine facility in Kenya intended for Americans. We've got a live report from the region, those stories and more coming up. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: The Director General of the World Health Organization is in the Democratic Republic of Congo this hour. That's where an outbreak of the Ebola virus is believed to have caused at least 238 deaths and more than 1,000 suspected infections. The head of the WHO went to the province where the first cases were confirmed. And while traveling, he spoke with CNN's Clarissa Ward.

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CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Are you worried that this could spread to the level that we saw in 2014?

DR. TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, WHO: It depends on how we respond. If we move fast and we're asking the international community to move fast in terms of funding and others, we can stop it. And the government can stop it. So, it depends. If we don't take it seriously, of course it can outsmart us.

WARD: I have to ask you, the United States pulled out of the WHO in January, dismantled USAID last July. How has that impacted the response?

ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS: First, we're working with the U.S. They're working with us. Second, they're putting resources. They're allocating a lot of money. So, I'm glad to see this. And I can see commitment from all levels, starting from the highest to the technical people we meet on the ground. And that's very good.

So, working together, unity, solidarity is the key. This virus cannot be stopped if there is a vacuum between us. When there are cracks in the solidarity. Because solidarity is the best immunity. And I'm glad that the U.S. is doing that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, Kenya is pushing ahead with an Ebola quarantine facility in partnership with the U.S. That's despite a high court order temporarily barring it earlier this week. It's intended for Americans exposed to Ebola in the DRC. The source tells CNN that U.S. personnel arrived Saturday at the Kenyan air base where the controversial facility will be located.

Our Larry Madowo is in Kenya and joins us from Nairobi. So, Larry, take us through the latest developments here.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kim, the Kenyan government says this Ebola isolation facility at a military base in central Kenya like Kipia will be useful for isolation, testing and emergency preparedness. So, their case is that this actually keeps Kenya safe because Kenya is a regional hub for commerce, for travel, for diplomacy. And Kenya cannot bury its head in the sand or block its borders because Ebola, the viruses have no borders, they don't respect visas, they will get here anyway.

And the subtext here, of course, is that the U.S. has committed $13.5 million to Kenya for Ebola preparedness efforts and there are longstanding health partnerships. And also part of the concern in the country is that why is this facility specifically for Americans? The Kenyan health minister addressed this on national television.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADEN DUALE, KENYAN CABINET SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF HEALTH: There's no way to say we are bringing Ebola patients to like Kipia. That facility is a military facility. Kenyans' defense forces will use that facility. Other Kenyans will use that facility. And by the way, let me say this. I don't know why people are so much about the U.S. If there's one country that has contributed between 25 to 35 percent of the health budget since independence ...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADOWO: He's right that the U.S. has supported a lot of Kenyans' health budget, up to 35 percent. But there seems to be some contradiction here between what the minister is telling local audiences in Kenya that this facility is not exclusively for Americans and what the White House, what the Health and Human Services, what the CDC is saying in the U.S. HHS told CNN in a statement Friday that a specialized unit of trained people from the Public Health Service Corps will be coming to Kenya. They arrived on Saturday. This includes physicians, nurses, lab technologists, engineers, mental health practitioners to provide foreign care for Americans at that facility.

[05:20:17]

There's still a court injunction against this deal, but they appear to be working within existing health partnerships. So, they're not necessarily violating that court order, but they're working that very thin line, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: I appreciate that. Larry Madowo in Nairobi, thanks so much.

Rescue divers have been called back to the flooded cave in Laos to assist the ongoing search for two missing minors. Diver Josh Richards explains what will come next.

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JOSH RICHARDS, RESCUE DIVER: From what we know, there is a significant air pocket that is considerably further on, another 100 meters or so through a fairly lethal passage that the only place they could still be would be there. So, we are potentially going to be pushing through to try and provide support and see if we can search the remaining tunnel.

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BRUNHUBER: Days ago, seven Lao men entered the cave to search for gold as part of an informal mining exploration. They became trapped when heavy rain flooded the tunnels. Since then, one was rescued, and four others were able to crawl and walk out on their own on Saturday after enough water was pumped out.

There are scenes of celebration and astonishment when that happened. The four trapped men emerged just as a team of expert divers was preparing to begin their rescue mission. They were greeted by their overjoyed families before receiving medical care.

The sound of an explosion shook buildings in New England on Saturday and sent people scrambling to understand what happened. Listen to this.

The American Meteor Society says the double boom was caused by a three-foot-wide meteor entering the atmosphere near Massachusetts. The group says it received dozens of reports from people who heard the sound, felt the ground shake or saw an actual fireball. A monitor with the society says the meteor looked like a shooting star in the afternoon sky, but that it was unlikely to have struck the ground.

All right, a closer look now at what remains after that huge rocket explosion in Florida. Have a look, video taken from above the Cape Canaveral launch pad shows the charred wreckage and destruction after a Blue Origin rocket exploded on Thursday during a test. It filled the night sky with enormous fireball but no one was injured. The company posted that it's actively investigating what it calls a hot fire anomaly.

Blue Origin founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos is warning people against touching or even approaching debris from the rocket that could wash ashore in the coming days.

All right, much more to come here on "CNN Newsroom," we'll get a preview of Tuesday's primary elections including contests from New Jersey to California and why a United Airlines flight from Chicago to Minneapolis was forced to land in Wisconsin. We'll share the conflict on board. That's coming up next. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back. I'm Kim Brunhuber.

Let's check some of today's top stories: President Trump is still insisting that the U.S. is very close to reaching a peace deal with Iran. He now says Iran has agreed to never develop or buy a nuclear weapon. He also called the Iranians very tough negotiators but said the U.S. is getting what it wants.

Israel has captured a strategic castle in southern Lebanon. The Beaufort Castle, built about 900 years ago, is about 15 kilometers or 10 miles from the Israeli border. Its capture followed days of intense fighting. Israel has been stepping up its operations to try to end Hezbollah strikes from Lebanon.

Kenya is pushing ahead with an Ebola quarantine facility in partnership with the U.S. That's despite a high court order temporarily barring it earlier this week. It's intended for Americans exposed to Ebola in the DRC. A source tells CNN that U.S. personnel arrived Saturday at the Kenyan air base where the controversial facility will be located.

Six states are set to hold primary elections this week. Some of these races could change the political landscape ahead of the midterm elections in November. Primaries will be held Tuesday in California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota. California and Iowa are getting the most attention. Golden state voters will choose from a host of candidates for governor. The top two vote getters, regardless of party, will face off in November.

Los Angeles is making primary choices in the mayor's race. Polls show Karen Bass is in a tight contest. Iowa's Senate race is attracting attention thanks to state representative Josh Turek, a Paralympian trying to spark a rural revival for Democrats.

All right, I'm joined now by CNN Political Commentator and Democratic Strategist Maria Cardona. Welcome to the program. Thanks so much for being here with us early

this morning. I want to start in California. Because of that top two system, a Republican could theoretically grab one of the two spots while Democrats split their vote three ways. So, how real a risk is that for your party in a state this blue?

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL STRATEGIST: Well, I think that several months ago, Kim, there were Democrats who were nervous about possibly splitting the vote so many ways because there were so many people in the race, so many Democrats, that there could be the possibility of having the top two Republicans be the top vote getters and Democrats being locked out completely.

I don't think that that is a real fear anymore for Democrats, given everything that happened after Swalwell had to retire from the race. And now you have former Attorney General and former HHA Secretary Xavier Becerra actually leading the pack right now.

And then the other two that follow him are Steve Hilton, which is a Republican and Tom Steyer, which is the other Democrat. So, I think that Democrats are pretty confident that there will be at least one Democrat at the top of the ticket. And then going into the general election, as you said, it is such a blue state that I think that there's real confidence that a Democrat will end up being the next governor of California.

[05:30:04]

BRUNHUBER: All right. So, let's go from a deep blue state to a real red state, Iowa. But there, even Republicans seem a little nervous with an open Senate seat and farmers hurting from tariffs. What kind of candidate does your party need to run to win somewhere like Iowa?

CARDONA: You know, I think this is really a key question, Kim, because this race reflects the dynamic that is going on all over the country that I really think has Republicans very, very nervous going into these midterm elections. And that is that you have Democratic candidates all across the board, including obviously in Iowa, that are really appealing to new voters that they really need in order to win some of the races where we have been locked out recently, such as Iowa.

We really need to appeal to rural voters, to white working class voters, to Latino voters who, frankly, way too many of them voted for Donald Trump and Republicans two years ago. And I think what you're seeing, Kim, is that you have Democratic candidates doing exactly that. And why is that working for Democrats right now? Because they are really speaking to the issues that American families are really clamoring for, especially in places such as rural Iowa.

Issues like affordability, issues like the high cost of groceries, gas, and rent. They are really -- these Democratic candidates are really underscoring how Donald Trump and Republicans have, frankly, betrayed the American people, given that in the 24 election, they promised for their priority to be to bring down costs, to focus on bringing down inflation. And frankly, everything that Donald Trump has done since he got into the White House has done exactly the opposite.

The tariffs, getting into this war in Iran that no one wanted and no one needed that has really hijacked prices and sent them skyrocketing upwards. And ripping healthcare from hundreds of thousands of Americans when they passed the big, horrible bill almost a year ago in Congress. And so, Americans are really starting to hold Republicans accountable for that, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: You talked about a dynamic going across the country. I mean, I'm curious, within the party, I mean, in some areas, let's say, take New Jersey, a lot of these Democratic primaries, they're pitting old guard establishment candidates against more progressive sort of insurgent people from the wing. So, is that the same fight you're seeing playing across the party more broadly across the country?

CARDONA: There are certainly some places where that is happening, Kim. And what you're seeing is new, dynamic, fresh faces that are stepping up to lead, that are talking about these issues, like I mentioned, of affordability, of making sure that families can make ends meet, of talking about the housing crisis, of talking about how young people have really struggled in this economy to get good paying jobs.

But what I'm also seeing, Kim, and I know that people love to pit progressives versus more moderate Democrats, and certainly you can define some of these races as that. But what I am seeing and hearing as I talk to voters all across the country in so many different communities is that it's not really necessarily a fight between left and more moderate Democrats. It is a fight between candidates who are really speaking to the issues that their voters are clamoring for and candidates who perhaps aren't being as relevant in talking about those issues.

And so, voters don't really care about ideological labels. They care about candidates who are looking for, who are focused on solutions. And that's what you're seeing across the board. And that's why you have Democrats that are winning overwhelmingly in places that are historically red states, red districts, conservative places, because it's Democrats that are being the ones, those candidates that are really speaking to those solutions and those issues.

BRUNHUBER: We'll see what we can read from the tea leaves, from the results, I guess, on Tuesday. Maria Cardona, thank you so much for speaking with us. Appreciate it.

CARDONA: Thank you so much. Great to be with you, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Well, President Trump spoke about the upcoming primaries with his daughter-in-law, the "FOX News" host, Lara Trump, between defending his ballroom project and his war with Iran. The president denounced California's elections, he said, without evidence that the whole thing is fraud. Listen to this.

[05:35:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: I don't think a Republican can win in California unless you pass the "Save America Act." Then they're going to have to show proof of citizenship. They're going to have to get rid of their mail-in voting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: A United Airlines flight from Chicago to Minneapolis was forced to divert to Madison, Wisconsin, Friday night. That after an unruly passenger triggered a security concern on board. CNN's Rafael Romo is following the story.

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RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We have very little information about the passenger's identity or what his motive might have been, but signs of possible trouble emerged before the plane was in the air. Mike Rundle, a passenger on the same United Airlines flight 2005 from Chicago to Minneapolis, told CNN that the man who was later detained had stood up during taxiing at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago and was asked repeatedly to sit down while crew members asked whether anyone on board could speak Russian. He said the man eventually sat down and the flight took off.

Later while the aircraft was airborne, Rundle said a fellow passenger saw the man at the front of the plane near the cockpit appearing to reach for a flight attendant, which prompted multiple men to intervene to restrain him. After the commotion, the passenger said, the plane was diverted to Madison, Wisconsin, where law enforcement boarded the plane and put the man in handcuffs before taking him out of the aircraft. This passenger provided photo shows the moment law enforcement get on the plane.

We need to clarify that the man in the blue shirt is not the suspect, but someone who helped interpret during the incident, according to Rundle. The FBI confirmed that a subject was detained by the Dane County Sheriff's Office and afterwards passengers resumed their flight. ATC audio reviewed by CNN captured the moment the flight crew notified a ground controller about the incident.

GROUND CONTROLLER: And is this individual detained or what's his status?

UA2005 GREW: Sir, we had five law enforcement, LEOs on board. They have -- I do not believe they ever cuffed him, but they were able to finally get control of him after multiple attempts to try to breach the cockpit. I believe at this point he is seated in a seat and flanked by law enforcement officers on the other side.

ROMO: The Federal Aviation Administration told CNN in a statement that airlines have reported more than 640 unruly passenger incidents so far this year. The FAA investigates all passenger disturbance incidents, the statement says, and pursues legal enforcement action against any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates or interferes with airline crew members and can propose civil penalties up to $43,658 per violation. United Airlines said the plane, a Boeing 737 carrying 147 passengers and six crew members landed safely and no injuries were reported.

Rafael Romo, CNN Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Tensions are mounting outside of an ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey. Still ahead, the alarming accusations over living conditions there that are fueling public protests. That story and more coming up, stay with us.

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[05:41:12]

BRUNHUBER: New Jersey officials say they're trying to lower the temperature following a string of tense demonstrations outside an ICE detention facility in Newark. Opposing crowds of supporters and protesters were separated by law enforcement on Saturday. It comes amid concerning reports of inhumane living conditions inside ICE's Delaney Hall facility. Nine people were arrested on Thursday and six more were taken into custody on Friday following clashes between demonstrators and officers.

For more on this, we're joined by investigative reporter Steve Janoski. He joins us from Wayne, New Jersey.

Thanks so much for being here with us. Really appreciate it. As I mentioned, officials trying to lower the temperature. Give us a measure of what that temperature's been like over the past few days.

STEVE JANOSKI, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: I would say since they started the hunger strike, the detainees started a hunger strike and a labor strike last Friday. And that really -- it drew a lot of attention to the area. It drew a lot of protesters to the area. And it's become a powder keg down there every night. It's a very tenuous situation. The ICE agents and protesters have faced off.

Now the New Jersey State Police and the protesters are facing off. It's not a good situation down there. It is frightening.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, talk to me about that. I mean, the DHS says its agents only use the force they have to. I mean, what have you heard? What have you witnessed?

JANOSKI: DHS is trying to paint it a certain way from what I have seen through videos when I was down there and talking to activists constantly. ICE and DHS are the ones who seem to be bringing the violence in that regard. These demonstrations are not new. A lot of people don't understand that these demonstrations have been going on for a year since Delaney Hall opened in May 2025. And you really didn't hear about these same kind of problems before the last week. But as these protesters came for the hunger strike to support detainees, it seems like ICE has taken a much more aggressive stance than they did in the past.

BRUNHUBER: All right, so let's talk about the root causes here. So those are the conditions inside. I mean, DHS says everyone gets three meals a day and proper medical care. But the men inside, they've written letters describing what's happening to them. So, what stood out the most in terms of what they've written, what they've said?

JANOSKI: So, yeah, DHS and ICE and GEO Group, which is the private prison firm that runs that facility, they've said over and over, they've pretty much done the same statement any time you ask them, which is, you know, we give them health care, everything is available to them, you know. But when you talk to the people inside, especially the families of the people inside who are just torn up all the time over the conditions that are described to them and then help their way to us, that includes water that they say is unfit to drink, that tastes terrible, food that is sometimes frozen. Lately, they've been saying that it's filled with worms.

The bathrooms are supposedly filthy inside there. The guards, they've had a really contentious relationship with the guards who have sort of been doing things allegedly to needle them, you know, taking away microwaves out of units to make it harder to make your food and just doing things that slowly ratchet up the tensions inside. And, you know, they also have prescription medications. They're saying we're not getting prescription medications when we're supposed to. The mealtimes are erratic. This is all stuff that kind of appears to be pushing them to the edge.

[05:45:06]

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, you mentioned a key piece of this. This facility isn't run by the government. It's a private company operating on a billion-dollar contract. So, how does that sort of play into what's happening inside and the accountability piece of this?

JANOSKI: It makes it a lot harder. I mean, these are not corrections officers. They don't answer to the state attorney general as they do in New Jersey. They're not federal corrections officers. They are a private prison firm who hires who they want. We don't know a lot about how they're trained. They're certainly not held accountable in the same measure that police officers or corrections officers in New Jersey would be held. And you're getting people in there. I'm not really sure how things are going in there with the guards.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah.

JANOSKI: But they're not trapped as well as regular guards are.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. I'm curious. Immigration, obviously, is a national flashpoint. But with voters heading to the polls there in primaries in your state on Tuesday, I mean, how much are the candidates themselves talking about this issue?

JANOSKI: So, certain candidates have been very good with going down there. Andy Kim has been down there constantly. I know he's not up for re-election, but he has been down there constantly.

Rob Menendez, the congressman from Hudson County, has been down there incessantly. There's been a good amount, I would say, of congresspeople who have headed down there. Certain local officials, you know, also are going down there, too.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah.

JANOSKI: But they seem to have been very responsive to what's going on. And, you know, it seems very important for certain politicians there.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. Well, certainly, Democrats have been called for this to shut down. We'll see where this story heads and whether officials are indeed able to tamp down that temperature, which has been such a flashpoint, a powder keg, as you've described it.

Steve Janoski, thanks so much for joining us here. Appreciate it.

JANOSKI: Thank you for having me.

BRUNHUBER: Pope Leo is calling on everyone to do their part for peace, including on social media. The appeal comes just days after the pope's landmark address on artificial intelligence. In his first major document, he warned that A.I. is fueling world conflicts and said A.I. shouldn't be controlled by a handful of people. The first U.S.-born pope made his latest comments on Saturday as he led congregants in a rosary prayer for peace in the Vatican Gardens.

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POPE LEO: Yet everyone can and must do their part, beginning with small but important things, abstaining from every form of verbal and physical violence in daily life and also on social media.

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BRUNHUBER: Hundreds of climate protesters formed a giant human windmill in northwest Germany on Saturday. The demonstration, under the slogan "Future Not Gas," opposes plans to restart a power station nearby as a gas-fired plant. Protesters say the move undermines climate goals and criticized economy minister Katherina Reiche's push for more gas production and infrastructure.

Now, Paris Saint-Germain has clinched a second straight Champions League title. Coming up, we'll look at why hundreds were arrested in France during post-game celebrations. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Celebrations in France got rowdy after Paris Saint-Germain beat Arsenal to win back-to-back Champions League titles. Videos show densely packed crowds starting street fires and launching fireworks throughout Paris. French police say more than 400 people were arrested nationwide.

At the soccer team's home stadium in Paris, thousands of fans were jumping for joy while watching the match on a big screen. PSG rallied in the second half to force a nail-biting penalty shootout after extra time. CNN's Patrick Snell has a closer look at Saturday's high-stakes showdown.

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PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: It's back-to-back titles now for Luis Enrique's team after PSG overcame English Premier League champions Arsenal on Saturday in Budapest. The Parisians now just the second team this century to win the Champions League in consecutive seasons after you know who, Real Madrid.

And the Gunners making an unbelievable dream start, taking the lead in just the sixth minute of play. German star Kai Havertz smashing the ball into the back of the net from the tightest of angles there, right into the roof of the net, past PSG's Russian goalie Matvei Safonov, who had no chance at all of keeping that one out.

Havertz in dreamland as the men from North London take the lead, a brilliant opener from Havertz. So, just past the hour mark now. We re- pick up the action. Last season's winners hit back. Georgian international Kvaratskhelia bursting through. He's fouled in the box by Arsenal's Spanish player Cristian Mosquera. Arsenal players are not happy about it one little bit, but the officials check it, and the penalty is given for contact there in the box.

Ousmane Dembele had been pretty quiet up to that point, but he makes no mistake from 12 yards out. Cool as you like, as the Ballon d'Or winner makes it 1-1, all to play for, right into the corner. Gunners' goalie David Raya given no chance. Raya going the wrong way. Remember, Dembele had been an injury doubt going into the match, but, boy, had he recovered from that calf injury. And at this point, it's now 1-1.

Now, after a goalless extra 30 minutes, it comes down to, oh no, the penalties, the shootout, the nerves are jangling. Lucas Beraldo, the young Brazilian, who PSG sent on as a sub during extra time, keeps his cool, nicely done from the South American. That piles the pressure, though, onto his compatriot, Gabriel, who plays for Arsenal. And that pressure taking its toll. He can't keep the shot down. The ball flying way over its target.

And PSG celebrate another famous victory. Paris Saint-Germain, champions of Europe again for a second straight season after winning the shootout 4-3. This was the moment then at PSG's home stadium, the famed Parc des Princes in the heart of the capital city, Paris.

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Cue the celebrations as Paris fans, so long deprived of winning the biggest prize in European club footy, now they get to celebrate two back-to-back in a row, and a hearty congratulations to PSG.

And keep in mind, as I mentioned, the only other team to achieve back- to-back wins in this famous old competition since it was rebranded in the early 1990s, 15-time winners Real Madrid, no less.

And on that note, I'll send it right back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: Yet another major upset at the French Open. Defending champion Coco Gauff has been knocked out in the third round by Austria's Anastasia Potapova. Now it's the worst result for Gauff at Roland-Garros since she made her debut in 2020.

This follows third-seeded Novak Djokovic losing to Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca Friday. And before that, world number one Jannik Sinner lost Thursday to Juan Manuel Cerundolo amid sweltering heat in Paris.

Devin Vassell throwing down a final dunk here as his San Antonio Spurs ousted the defending champs Oklahoma City and are now heading to the NBA Finals. The Spurs won the Western Conference to Sinner over the Thunder 111-103 in a tense back-and-forth game as the series went the full seven games. Victor Wembanyama led the winners with 22 points. It's the Spurs' first appearance in the Finals in 12 years. I'll play the New York Knicks for the league title starting on Wednesday.

All right, that wraps this hour of "CNN Newsroom" and that also wraps my time here at CNN.

I'd like to thank all of the women and men who have put this show together for the last six years that I've been here. And most of all, I'd like to thank you, the viewers, and especially those who have reached out either online or in person. It's been an absolute privilege for me to share my mornings with you here.

So, for the last time, I'm going to do this throw for our viewers in the U.S. and Canada. "CNN This Morning" is next. For the rest of the world, it's "Inside Africa."

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