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Erin Burnett Outfront
Race On To Find Sub, About 34 Hours Of Air Left; Hunter Biden To Plead Guilty To Federal Tax Charges, Strikes Deal On Gun Charge; Top Ukrainian Official: "Main Strike is Still Ahead"; Putin Foe Alexey Navalny Says He Is Starting Campaign To Turn Russians Against War in Ukraine; Migrants Overwhelm Mexico, Desperate For U.S. Asylum. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired June 20, 2023 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:29]
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next, 34 hours. That's how much oxygen is left for the five people missing on the submersible headed to the Titanic. This, as we are learning tonight that the company that owns the sub was warned about potentially, quote, catastrophic problems.
Plus, Hunter Biden's plea deal. President Biden's son agreeing to plead guilty to federal criminal charges, and was likely avoiding jail time. Republicans are calling it a sweetheart deal, is it?
And, turning Russians against Putin's war from a prison cell. Top Putin critic Alexey Navalny back in court, as he launches a new campaign from behind bars. His health is deteriorating though, we have learned by the day. His daughter Dasha is my guest.
Let's go OUTFRONT.
And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett.
OUTFRONT tonight, the clock is ticking. The situation growing more dire at this hour, as rescuers raced to save five people on board that submersible off the coast of Newfoundland. The submersible is named the Titan. It has, we understand, about 34 hours of breathable air left. This is according to the Coast Guard.
The vessel was headed nearly 13,000 feet beneath sea level, beneath the ocean surface. It was going to the side of the Titanic wreckage. And it has been missing in the Atlantic since yesterday morning.
I'll show you some live pictures here. This is out of Newfoundland, rescue teams are gathering there, the scene on your screen. You are seeing on your screen the search area for the submersible, which is no bigger than a minivan itself, is now larger than the entire state of Connecticut. So you are looking for a proverbial, needle in a haystack.
U.S. military now sending in additional resources, including C-17s and C-130s, and flyaway deep ocean salvage systems, as it's called, which can recover large objects up to 60,000 pounds in the ocean. This daring mission could be the deepest rescue mission in history, and there are new signs tonight that it possibly could have been avoided.
Industry leaders writing a letter to the CEO of OceanGate, Stockton Rush, back in 2018. They wrote expressing deep concern, and they were writing to Rush, who I just want to emphasize tonight, you know, may be alive right, fighting for that last air. He is on board the missing sub tonight.
Well, they wrote him a letter, in which they said that the current experimental approach adopted by OceanGate could result in negative all comes, from minor to catastrophic. Your marketing material advertise that the Titans will meet or exceed safety standards, yet it does not appear that OceanGate has the intention of following class rules.
Well, that was nearly five years ago. Here we are, five years later, and that OceanGate sub has been missing, and it may be at the bottom of the oceans shore near the Titanic's wreckage, 12,500 feet underwater, it's it waters that are as deep as the tallest mountain in Japan, Mount Fuji, is tall.
Now, at that depth, I just want to emphasize, it's pitch black. There is no light. You can barely even see a hand in front of your own face. The pressure of course is bone crushing, there's no way to get out.
We just spoke to a software engineer who not only went on an OceanGate expedition to the Titanic, but did so in the very sub that is now missing beneath the surface tonight. And he described what the conditions are like inside the sub, if it's at the bottom of the ocean right now. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AARON NEWMAN, HAS BEEN ON OCEANGATE EXPEDITIONS DIVE TO TITANIC: It is going to be cold down there, but it's not freezing temperatures. So, they will have layers down there. So, it's not that it's ideal. I mean, the temperature at the bottom of the other Titanic is actually negative below zero, but it's salt where, they're so doesn't quite freeze. But it is cold down there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And he's actually been there, on this very submersible.
Our Tom Foreman has a lot more in Aaron Newman's voyage, and what it's like inside the Titan, and what exactly this whole voyage would have been light. The Coast Guard is admitting tonight that even a cruiser able to locate the sub, it's unclear if the five people on board could be saved.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: Even with that amount of time that's left, let's say 41 hours or so, if you were to find the submersible at this moment, would that give you enough time to save these five people on board?
CAPTAIN JAMIE FREDERICK, U.S. COAST GUARD: Yeah, so look, I don't know the answer to that question. What I will tell you is, we will do everything in our power to affect a rescue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: It's an honest answer. We don't know the answer to the question. And of course, it is a terrifying thought, as we think by the fact that there are five human beings there, underneath the water, perhaps still alive, hoping that they can make it out of this alive. Some of them paid upwards of $250,000 for the honor of this trip to see the Titanic on OceanGate.
So there is a lot to get to tonight. I want to begin over the Jason Carroll OUTFRONT live in Boston. And, Jason, I heard your voice asking the Coast Guard the question.
[19:05:02]
What is the very latest that you are hearing tonight?
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Coast Guard, Erin, is also telling us that at this point, what they are going to be doing is, they are going to be released into the public a grid that they have put together, which shows exactly where they have been searching, thousands of square miles of open water.
One Coast Guard captain described it as a complex search, a search that will take time, and time is something they simply do not have on their side.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERICK: Right now, all of our efforts are focused on finding the sub.
CARROLL: With each passing hour, it is becoming increasingly clear if the five people on board the missing submersible are to be rescued, it will have to be soon. There is now a little more than 30 hours of oxygen left inside Titan's tiny haul. When asked if that's enough time to find it and effort a rescue, the Coast Guard said this.
FREDERICK: I don't know the answer to that question. What I will tell you is, we will do everything in our power to affect a rescue.
CARROLL: Search and rescue teams from the United States and Canada, have been working around the clock in the North Atlantic, and have scanned an area about the size of Connecticut, remotely operated vehicles equipped of cameras are now searching the area where the 22- foot long vessel was last seen Sunday.
Some are buoys, deployed to try to detect any sound from the submersible. And deep sea rescue equipment is on its way.
FREDERICK: I will tell you, it's a unique operation, it's a challenging operation. But, right now, we are focused on putting everything we can add it, and searching as hard as we can, and getting answers out there as quickly as we can. CARROLL: According to the Coast Guard, the Titan lost communication
with its mothership, the Polar Prince, less than two hours into its descent Sunday morning, as it headed towards the wreckage of the Titanic, nearly 13,000 feet below the surface. The company that operates the submersible on voyages to the titanic, OceanGate Expeditions, released this statement.
Our entire focus is on the well-being of the crew, and every step possible is being taken to bring the five crew members back safely.
On board OceanGate CEO and founder Stockton Rush, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman. The vessels pilot French national Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British billionaire Hamish Harding also on board. He was recently a passenger on board Blue Origin spaceflight in 2022.
On Saturday, he posted on his Facebook page, I am proud to finally announce that I joined OceanGate Expeditions for their RMS Titanic mission as a mission specialist, on the sub going down to the Titanic. Just before the expedition, Harding texted his friend, retired NASA astronaut, Colonel Terry Virts.
COL. TERRY VIRTS (RET.), FRIEND OF MISSING PASSENGER HAMISH HARDING: He just said hey, he was all said and, going out to see the titanic, as long as the weather permits. And that was right before he went down. So, he was very excited about it, and there was no concern in his voice.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL (on camera): And, Erin, despite all of the search and rescue teams are up against at this hour, the Coast Guard described it as a full court press, to get more additional equipment into the area. Additional assets coming in from New York, coming in from other places in Canada. But again it's timing. This is -- this is just all about timing -- Erin.
BURNETT: It really is, and against the clock. Thank you so much, Jason.
And I want to go now to David Gallo. He co-led an expedition to create the first detailed comprehensive map of the Titanic. He's an explorer, an oceanographer, senior adviser for strategic initiative at RMS Titanic Inc.
And also with me, Larry Dailey, a Titanic logistics specialist who rode a submarine down to the Titanic 20 years ago on Sunday.
Thank you both very much. And obviously, a sobering conversation that we are about to have.
David, you spent an enormous amount of time mapping this area underwater. How hard is this rescue mission?
DAVID GALLO, OCEANOGRAPHER & EXPLORER: Oh, it's difficult. But, you know, I've got to say, I think compared to some of the big missions where we've had Air France or Malaysian Air, it may seem more manageable. But, the oceans are a tough place to look. Pitch black in- depth, you don't know what the waves and currents are doing, so it can be really tough.
But, a lot of this activity and effort going into the search right now, as I called the armada descended. I can't believe that that effort should have been put into what happens in those few hours after that sub doesn't return to the service, that we've known that this might happen for ever, for decades that this was going to happen sometime. But did we prepare for it? No. And there is no protocol, none of that stuff until this is what we end up with, difficult searches for five people and their loved ones in the balance.
BURNETT: And just imagine if they are, they're counting those minutes, jammed, in this incredibly tight space, and hoping against hope.
[19:10:05]
I mean, it's a -- it's horrible to contemplate.
Larry, you know, you've been down there. We are looking, again, at the search operations in Newfoundland. And obviously, I know you are nearby, and you know these missions well, and as you've said you've been down to the Titanic as well, and you know how deep it is, what it feels like to be there, to be able to see nothing, to know that that pressure is around you.
Are you still optimistic?
LARRY DALEY, TITANIC DIVER & LOGISTICS SPECIALIST: Yes. And, first of all, good evening to you both.
You know, I am very optimistic. I am keeping positive, I know the Atlantic firm where I grew up in St. John's Newfoundland. Obviously, it's out there a faraway down very deep. But there is a lot of assets being deployed there as we speak. There is still a good amount there left, as we know.
So, I'll be an optimistic, and it will be a miracle, but there is still a chance. So I think we should all do whatever we can, excuse me. Use every resource available to at least try.
BURNETT: Absolutely. I mean, David, this you know this is personal for you as well. I know we always hear emotion And Larry's voice. And you know Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who's there.
GALLO: Yeah.
BURNETT: You worked closely with him mapping the Titanic. You worked with him on the recovery of Air France, which you just mentioned Flight 447.
So he's down, there he is in charge, what can you tell us about him, and I mean, he would know more than anybody down the right. Would he be doing anything he could, whatever there is that can be done. GALLO: Yeah, he is as comfortable and confident on the deck of the
ship, and then in a fierce storm, as he is in a freezing -- and a lot of wisdom in that man. And, if I was in a bind with anybody, it would be Paul-Henri Nargeolet PH. In France they call him Mr. Titanic.
Yeah, he would do everything he can, and without panic, to work his way out of this situation. So, it's odd for me, because normally, if we were doing an interview like this, Paul would be somewhere up here, talking about it like I am. And now he's on the other side of the equation, and is that we're worried that he's out there.
BURNETT: I know, it's got to be so hard for you to imagine, that person, so full of life and you describe, so beyond competent and calm.
GALLO: Yeah.
BURNETT: But, at what is it, I guess to ask you, David, that can be done? I mean, in the sense of, there's -- there's no signals down there, right? There is no way to communicate, right, other than to hope someone hears you banging.
GALLO: Yeah, well, it's curious, because it seems like they never made it to the bottom. Because they lost contact an hour 45, and I think they would still be mid-water someplace. I think it takes two hours to get to the bottom. I could be wrong, but I think so.
So it's not quite at the wreck. So this whole idea of being caught at the wreck or snagged or whatever. So, then, you've got to wonder, well what happened to the electronics, that they couldn't signal the ship. And then, you start to get into wondering, well, how could that be?
And again, the ocean, very strange places. Anything is possible, so, you know, I just hope that something happens in the right way. Now, a lot of rumors, a lot of if, ands or buts and everything heading in the wrong way. We need things to turn around.
It's a good time for prayer, right around now, that something good happens.
BURNETT: Well, Larry, when I show the animation earlier, I just want to show it again to understand how deep the Titanic is. And I understand, obviously, David's point, that the ship may not have made it down there. I don't know whether, it could've possibly drifted, whether right, sideways, or laterally, or vertically.
But you have been down there, how difficult would it be to find something, because you know, if we were talking of this race against time, the point of the Coast Guard. If they were to find it, how would -- how would you be able to get it up quickly enough, in the amount of time left, for them to survive?
DALEY: Well, first of all, like as you know. I think there's about (INAUDIBLE) of depth. So, you are not being thrusted around per se. It's pretty stable down there, you know, if it's midway down, I'm not sure if there is a neutral point at that point, or would it be drifting back up. I would think it would, it would either go back down to the bottom or it would have come up to the surface.
I can't speculate, because enough million of that platform they are using to search for it. I mean, you know, back almost 40 years ago, they found the titanic using a pretty older technology, I think it was side scan sonar. So the technology that's available now is very effective, and can be deployed very quickly.
So, that's why I'm optimistic, because you can get assets, get on- site, get those assets in the water and deploy, and start moving a grid, using a grid at the depth and scan, look and sound sonar, you name it.
[19:15:07]
Just find anything that's not direct and kind of end point from there. So, you know, I would think that technology could be out there, and deployed very soon. That's my hope.
BURNETT: All right. Well, I know we all share that, as everyone is watching this, and hoping and praying. Thank you both very much.
DALEY: You're welcome.
GALLO: Thank you.
BURNETT: And next, President Biden's son Hunter reaching a deal on criminal charges, making it extremely likely he will avoid children. So was it a sweetheart deal, as the Republicans are now loudly alleging?
Plus, top Putin opposition leader Alexey Navalny on trial today. The proceedings, though, were suddenly pulled from public view, so no one could see anything. As those around him say that his health is deteriorating, and now, he is losing his eyesight, because of his time in treatment in prison. His daughter Dasha will be OUTFRONT.
And the story you'll see OUTFRONT first, we're going to take you to Mexico, where there is a massive migrant search in an unexpected place, all with the goal of entering the United States.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's crushing her and I said, what do you, guys, are going to do? And they said just wait.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And more coming up on inside that tighten sub. We're going to show you exactly what is like in there, as there are 34 hours of oxygen remaining, and the world hope for a miracle for those five inside.
We'll be back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:20:00]
BURNETT: Tonight, House Republicans vowing to intensify their investigation into the Biden family, as the president's son Hunter reaches a plea deal with the DOJ that will likely keep him out of jail.
As part of the deal, Hunter Biden will plead guilty to two tax misdemeanors for failing to pay at least $200,000 to the IRS in 2017 and '18. He will also admit to the facts of felony gun charge, and the DOJ will recommend a sentence of probation.
Now, Republicans are quick to claim that this is evidence of a, quote, weaponized Justice Department. Here they are.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: It continues to show a two-tiered system in America. If you are the president's leading political opponent, the DOJ tries to literally put you in jail. If you are the president's son, you get a sweetheart deal.
SEN. TIM SCOTT (R-SC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This DOJ continues to haunt Republicans, and protect Democrats. I can't think of anything more blatant.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
BURNETT: All right. So those are very clear accusations.
Evan Perez is OUTFRONT.
So, Evan, let's just start with what we know, on the facts of the case. Hunter Biden's attorney says the investigation is, quote, resolved. The U.S. attorney in Delaware, of course, Trump appointed, who oversaw this, says that it is, quote, ongoing.
So, what is it?
EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, this -- the language that the U.S. attorney included in the press relief, that says that the investigation is ongoing. It is the standard language you have been something like this, especially one where a judge has yet to finalize the plea agreement. The judge will have the final say, as to whether Hunter Biden gets probation, whether he has no jail time, or you through the diversion, which has to do with him going through some kind of substance abuse and help, and complying with the terms of that, and having this gun charged wiped away.
That will be up to a judge. We do know that the FBI and the IRS investigated all aspects of this, including the former, including Hunter Biden's business dealings in Ukraine and China. In the end, they arrived at this, as the charge that they could try to make a deal on.
And so, it is possible, Erin, that there are other aspects, not related to Hunter Biden, that are still under investigation. And we will see whether those come forward.
BURNETT: Right, so again, I hate in these situations having to mention who appointed a judge or who had pointed an investigator. Because the whole point is we should trust our justice system, and you shouldn't even have to mention that.
But I did mention to say Trump appointed person right, leading this up, because the Republicans are saying that this is a plea deal is evidence of a double standard by the DOJ, after Trump's indictment for his handling of classified documents. So, can you just give us some facts, Evan, on how this plea deal for Hunter Biden compares with other cases that are like it?
PEREZ: Well, you know, look, there's not a lot of other cases that are like this one. Typically, when someone gets in trouble for possessing a gun, someone who is prohibited from having a gun, it's usually somebody who has a felony conviction. In this case, Hunter Biden has never been convicted of anything. He is a first time offender.
According to the facts of this case, he had this gone for about less than two weeks. And, you know, it was -- it was never used in a crime. There is no indication that it was a got into anybody's hands that it shouldn't have.
So, that's part of what made this a difficult case for the Justice Department. And so, there is no indication that he is getting a special or sweetheart deal. But you know, politics is going to rule the day on this. And you can bet that Republicans are not going to let this drop.
BURNETT: Absolutely not.
All right. Evan, thank you very much, I appreciate it.
So, I want to go to Andrew McCabe now, because he's the former deputy director of the FBI.
And, Director, you just heard Speaker McCarthy, Senator Scott who obviously is running for president. And, they are not alone, leading Republicans saying the plea deal is evidence of a, quote, weaponized Justice Department. So, is it a sweetheart deal or not?
ANDREW MCCABE, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Well, Erin, it's very hard to know without looking inside the case file, and understanding what evidence the prosecutors in the investigators had to work with. It's also really not fair to start making accusations like that until legitimate oversight has an opportunity to take place. And those are reasonable questions to ask to see if the prosecutors and DOJ exercise appropriate judgment based on what they have.
But I think based on what we can, stay pretty confidently, is that there have been many indications that. This five-year investigation hasn't really been going anywhere. It started with pretty lofty directives of looking at influence peddling, and foreign financial entanglements. BURNETT: They were looking at bribery. They were looking at
corruption. They were looking at -- I mean, they ere looking for really, really serious corrupt bad stuff.
[19:25:01]
MCCABE: Right, and so, if this is, in fact, the only thing -- the only charges that the government can prove against Hunter Biden at this point, then that tells you the investigation didn't really go anywhere.
And I should add, Erin, that these charges are pretty rare. We don't typically see people getting charged criminally for taxes that they have actually already paid, even if paid late. Those cases do not play well in front of juries. Most juries ask quite rightly, why are the prosecutors wasting time prosecuting somebody who is actually at that point already paid their tax bill?
BURNETT: Right, right. So I guess what you are saying is if it's possible that it's a double standard, it's a standard against him, to treat him with more rigor, than would otherwise.
MCCABE: Entirely possible. In fact, on the firearms charge, there is not too many hard statistics on this. But the National Criminal Justice Association reports that in 2019, there were 428 referrals made about people who allegedly lied on the firearms purchase form. And only 300 -- less than 300 cases were filed.
That's out of 25 million gun sales. So that's exceedingly rare. So, to be charged for that again -- if anything, they may have been leaning pretty far forward.
BURNETT: All right. So, then, where does this go from here, when people are asking what does this mean for Joe Biden? You know, I know Comer said he went into the secured facilities today. He wasn't happy with the documents he saw, they didn't show what he thought he would. Does this mean anything for that?
MCCABE: I don't think so. You know, what's going to matter for this congressional committee is if they ever actually turned up evidence of wrongdoing, by the president or other members of the family. For what we heard from other folks on that committee, they haven't turned up anything yet. They certainly haven't announced or shown any significant findings in that area. I'm sure that's not going to stop them from looking.
But, what people should be asking is, show me the facts. Where, not just breathless allegations, but where are the facts that there was wrongdoing happening here. So far, we haven't seen that.
BURNETT: All right. So far, we haven't. After five years of looking for at least here, for all we understand, they came up with the gun charge, and attacks misdemeanor, and nothing else.
Thank you very much. I appreciate your time, Deputy Director.
MCCABE: Thanks.
BURNETT: All right. And next, top Putin critic Alexey Navalny's new extremism trial. It's a new trial, it's not been held in secret. His own family even banned from the hearing today. So what happened in the court appearance? Well, Navalny's daughter is next.
And, we're going to take you to Mexico City tonight, 500 miles from the U.S. southern border. Yet, tents now lined the city streets there. It's quickly becoming ground zero for migrants, who are waiting, 500 miles away, to enter the U.S. This is a special report that you will see first OUTFRONT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:31:05]
BURNETT: Tonight, Ukraine's deputy defense minister warning the main counteroffensive is still ahead. That message just hours after Ukraine said Russia is suffering maximum losses, their words, on the battlefield. It comes as Roman Trokhymets, a Ukrainian sniper we have interviewed several times is sharing new video with us of Ukrainian forces rushing a soldier to safety after he was wounded while liberating territory.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UKRAINIAN SOLDIER (through translator): Well, this is how and evacuation goes down. Croc (ph), wave your hand.
UKRAINIAN SOLDIER (through translator): I can't, it's broken.
UKRAINIAN SOLDIER (through translator): Okay, I'll wait instead.
UKRAINIAN SOLDIER (through translator): So, it's broken, is it? You will wave again after recovery.
UKRAINIAN SOLDIER (through translator): Here, a fellow was torn apart by an explosion.
UKRAINIAN SOLDIER (through translator): One of ours?
UKRAINIAN SOLDIER (through translator): Yes, that's all that is left of him.
UKRAINIAN SOLDIER (through translator): Get him in there, get him in. Watch his head. I'm getting out now. The 300 is in the armored vehicle.
Get out. Get out now. They will take care of him. Okay, guys, let us skedaddle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: In the middle of a field, a video just showing up what it is like right now on the front lines of a war that has been going on for 16 months. Fred Pleitgen is OUTFRONT tonight in Ukraine with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Ukrainian SU-25 attack aircraft given the go to assault Russian positions. Against all odds, Ukraine's air force is still very much in the fight, pilot Oleksiy tells me.
Are you helping the ground forces now a lot in the south with the counteroffensive?
OLEKSIY, UKRAINE AIR FORCE: Yep, yep.
PLEITGEN: The mission's extremely dangerous, especially for front line attack aircraft. Ukraine's aces trying to keep Russian air defenses off balance.
OLEKSIY: We lost many young pilots from our brigade. This taught us to change something. And day by day, we try to fly not the same as yesterday.
PLEITGEN: While Kyiv says its counter offensive is progressing, the battles are tough and gains hard to come by.
The biggest threat, Ukraine says, Russian air power. This video purporting to show a Russian helicopter taking out a Ukrainian vehicle. The Ukrainians say Russian interceptor aircraft like the advanced SU-35 often stop their old MiG-29 jets from operating near the front lines.
This MiG-29 pilot, who asked us to hide his face and use only his call sign "Juice", tells me.
"JUICE", UKRAINE AIR FORCE: You can be like a maverick but without the proper hardware, you can't win.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There goes one.
PLEITGEN: The Ukrainians say they need F-16s from the U.S. and its allies to level the playing field and to fully utilize the air launched missiles the U.S. has already given them.
In between the taxing wartime missions, pilots are already learning the basics of the F-16, hoping they'll be able to fly them in the future.
JUICE: We're trying to improve our English skills. We're flying simulators. So, at the moment, we have like improvised simulators of the F-16 from old bases.
PLEITGEN: The pilots say for them, it's a matter of life and death. The attrition rate among combat aviators is extremely high. Both Oleksiy's squadron leader and his wing man killed in combat he says.
OLEKSIY: When you see explosion of your colleague by eyes in real time, it's -- it's a shock to -- it's a -- it's a shocking picture.
[19:35:01]
And to really big -- difficult in this situation, it's how to -- how to sit in aircraft again and again and again.
PLEITGEN: But when the call comes, they say they will be ready and back in the seat taking the fight to the Russians.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PLEITGEN (on camera): So, there you can say, Erin, the huge price that Ukrainian pilots, like so many quite frankly, and the Ukrainian armed forces are currently paying.
You know, this despite those huge losses among Ukrainian aviators, they say that they are highly motivated right now especially now that the counter offensive as rolling. They understand, as well, it is going to be a very tough battle. It already is, but I do believe it can be successful. At the same time, this pilot saying again and again and again, they will hope in the future, they'll get their hands on those F-16s, Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Fred, thank you, very much, live tonight in Kyiv.
And in Russia, the so-called extremism case against Putin critic Alexey Navalny continued today behind closed doors. The trial could mean decades more added behind bars for the already imprisoned opposition leader. Journalists and even Navalny's own parents have been banned from attending the hearing.
What you are seeing here is a video feed that was briefly available yesterday, briefly, then they took it down so no one could go, not even his family. Here is what Alexey Navalny's father had to say to Russia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEXEY NAVALNY'S FATHER (through translator): No shame, no conscience, no honor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And OUTFRONT with me now, Alexey Navalny's daughter, Dasha.
And, Dasha, I really appreciate your time. I'm glad to see you again. I'm sorry it's under these circumstances. You know, your father having another trial and they could add more prison time.
The state-owned news agency in Russia says they closed the hearing to the public because of fears of provocations against the participants in the process. What does that even mean to you?
DASHA NAVALNAYA, DAUGHTER OF ALEXEY NAVALNY: I think -- thank you so much for having me, first. And I think it's a bit ironic that they close it out of fears of the
prosecution considering the fact that normal Russian citizens are being prosecuted by the Russian government for simply not agreeing with them, and the judge and the prosecutor who are, you know, doing illegal things, putting a man in prison who has done nothing wrong or nothing illegal are afraid of prosecution.
BURNETT: Yeah. I mean, it's amazing what's happening, right? We saw the feed at first. I know it's hard to even see that. I mean, you know, it's grainy, right? But it's your dad.
And he's gone, you know, a labor camp and solitary confinement and his press secretary says his eyesight is worsening now due to the lighting, right? The bright lights that they subject him to in his prison cell because the guards refuse to turn them off even at night. I know he's experiencing back pain.
Even for what you know, right, his health has been deteriorating, and they're doing that on purpose, it appears.
How worried are you about his medical issues right now?
NAVALNAYA: I'm, of course, incredibly worried. They are not providing any support, any medical help for him in prison. And before, you know, we know that he's been poisoned by Novichok and that he has had acid thrown in his eyes and his face, and they constantly wake him up during the night to physically torture him, to psychologically torture him. And I want him to get medical access immediately.
BURNETT: Your father, amidst all of this, right, so he's got this other trial going on, right, which was actually a trial that confused a lot of people. It's like what is this trial even about, right? They've already said he's going to prison for a long time, but he's trying to launch a new campaign to try to turn Russians against the war in Ukraine.
Now, from everything that we understand here, there's still incredible support among regular Russians for the war. I know you and I have talked about that there are groups, right, that there's not -- that's not true for and you've talked about that. But, overall, we still see it in surveys.
So, what is he doing? How is he trying to accomplish this now?
NAVALNAYA: So, what they're doing now is they're going to ask volunteers to call in foreign service and ask questions about the war. Those who are still on the fence of what's happening and don't necessarily understand or have questions or even want their relatives to talk to someone to explain what's happening with the war in Russia -- in Ukraine that was started by Putin. And basically, this is -- I think it's a -- it's an amazing thing to start considering the fact that my dad announced this while he's in court, being prosecuted on his own case, and he decided to announce to do something for the Russian people, for the better future of the country. And I'm incredibly proud of him.
BURNETT: So, your father -- your grandfather, we heard him there, right? He said Russia has no shame, no conscience, no honor.
[19:40:08]
I know that it's been more than a year since your dad has seen his own parents. How would you describe what Putin is doing, what Russia is doing right now, just on a personal level to your father, to your family?
NAVALNAYA: I can talk about this for hours. I -- I'm just -- it's not even about my family. It's about -- I'm sad and disappointed and angry that he's doing this to people who haven't done anything to him, to normal Russian citizens, to ordinary Ukrainian citizens.
He's killing people. He's threatening people. He is asking people to move out of different countries.
And I want him to stop, and I want his government to stop what they're doing, surrender and stop this horrifying war.
BURNETT: All right. Well, Dasha, I'm glad to see you again. One of these times I hope it will be under, right, just very different circumstances. But thank you so much for sharing this and making sure everyone knows what's happening to your father.
NAVALNAYA: Thank you for having me.
BURNETT: All right. You, too.
And next, live pictures out of Newfoundland. Search and rescue crews are gathering here now, even more here as this past half hour has passed. They are searching for the missing submersible that was headed down to the Titanic. We have a special report on what it is actually like to be inside that sub with someone who is there in that very soft down at the Titanic.
Plus, the story you'll see first OUTFRONT tonight, the migrant surge building up far away from the southern border but likely to make its way there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:45:25]
BURNETT: You're looking at live pictures. That's a port in Newfoundland where search crews are rapidly moving resources from the United States and Canada, all in that massive search for the missing submersible that was handed down to the Titanic.
Now, more than 30 precious minutes have passed since we last updated you on the story. So, at the top of the hour, the Coast Guard estimated that five people on board have about 34 hours of breathable air left.
Tom Foreman is OUTFRONT with more on what it's actually like to be inside this titan submersible.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: OceanGate Expeditions offers you the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be one of the crew members safely diving to the Titanic wreckage site.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): That quarter million dollar trip may look like a luxury adventure on the surface, but beneath the waves, ask Aaron Newman who took the Titan to the Titanic in 2021.
AARON NEWMAN, HAS BEEN ON OCEANGATE EXPEDITIONS DIVE TO TITANIC: I wouldn't it plus. It's very comfortable.
FOREMAN: Fully loaded with five people, the quarters are tight, he says, hot near the surface and nearly freezing in the depths. Propellers to move the vehicle and their controls seem rudimentary, although he and the company insists they are adequate.
NEWMAN: Not super complicated. They have two sets of fans, up and down and left and right.
FOREMAN: But communications, that's another story. The craft checks in with the ship above through a text messaging system every 15 minutes, relying on that system for safety and guidance. Former Navy submarine officer Van Gurley.
CAPT. J. VAN GURLEY (RET), FORMER NAVY SUBMARINE OFFICER: So, all those things we're used to now with GPS and Wi-Fi and radio links do not work under the ocean. The pressure is immense.
FOREMAN: OceanGate says titan's carbon fiber and titanium hull has proven itself against that pressure repeatedly. A monitoring similar is set to warn the pilot of problems and even if everything fails, Newman who is now an investor in OceanGate notes the vessel should drop its external weights and rise automatically.
NEWMAN: It is designed to come back up.
FOREMAN: So the fact that there seems to be no clue as to Titan's whereabouts is deeply troubling to those who know the deep ocean best.
GURLEY: The fact that this vehicle has not come back to the surface does not bode well. Either it's an entanglement issue or there's a broader series of failures that have it now on the bottom.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOREMAN (on camera): Worth noting, Erin, Newman knows two of the people who are in that missing vessel right now. He praises them for being real heroes for wanting to continue the exploration of the deepest parts of the ocean and he's really hoping that he will see them again soon -- Erin.
BURNETT: Tom, thank you very much.
FOREMAN: You're welcome. BURNETT: And next, a story that you will see first OUTFRONT. We're on the ground, hundreds of miles south of the U.S./Mexico border. Piles of mattresses aligned shelter walls. Migrants are growing more and more desperate. They are 500 miles away, but they are headed to the United States.
And then, do you recognize this man? It's John Goodman, who's known for his role as Dan Conner from "Roseanne". He shed more than 200 pounds. Hear how he did it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:50:56]
BURNETT: Tonight, desperation in Mexico. New images into CNN of a trailer packed with more than 129 migrants mostly from Guatemala discovered in southern Mexico. The temperatures there topping 110 degrees this week. Among those making the dangerous journey, 19 children, they were traveling without their parents. They are just part, a small, small part of the migrant surge in Mexico where many are waiting to cross into the United States.
And David Culver has the special report that you will see first here OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the Texas-Mexico border, U.S. law enforcement patrol the tranquil waters of the Rio Grande. The flow of migrants slowing to a trickle since Title 42 ended in May. On sidewalks in El Paso that last month were covered with migrants, today only a handful camp out.
The travel more than 500 miles south into places like Mexico City and the numbers are rapidly rising, overwhelming for the Catholic nuns who run this shelter.
Sister Maria Silva says, at night, every aspect of the shelter floor --
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
CULVER: Inside and outside covered with the thin mattresses you see stacked around us.
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
CULVER: Wow. Mexico City, which is very far from the border, she sees it, has now become a border town but in the center of Mexico.
The migrants here spend their mornings trying to get an appointment with a U.S. asylum officer, using the CBP 1 app.
A confirmed date nearly impossible for some. It's crushing her. What are you guys going to do? They said just wait. Wait for the date. Maria Jose Camacho and her husband Ender Diaz (ph) from Venezuela
arrived two weeks ago in Mexico with their 4-year-old daughter, who have been here for the past several days.
They feel like after Title 42 expired, that it's now much more difficult to try to cross. Title 42, the pandemic era immigration policy, allowed U.S. officials to immediately expel migrants who cross illegally without processing their claims for asylum, the same migrants would often try and try again until they got in.
Now, Title 8 back in full effect. Sure, it gives migrants the right to claim asylum. Those who fail to qualify risk being banned from entering the U.S. for at least five years.
The result? Migrants flooding into Mexico where they then wait to figure out how they can get into the U.S.
You can see encampments have already taken up most of this little square here. You can see along this street, you've got an art gallery, a nice restaurant, but then just turn the corner here and look down the sidewalk, you can see tents and families who have been set up for days and weeks with nowhere else to go at this point.
We drive an hour outside Mexico City where a government-run shelter is set up to handle the overflow. Officials tell us most here from Haiti. Make shift medical stations.
This little girl complaining of a sore throat. Her dad says she's not wanted to eat in five days. They pass the time doing chores and playing sports. Their cell phones sit in a web of chargers. Battery power fuels their chances of getting an online CBP appointment.
Eventually, they move on.
So, you can these folks here are going to be boarding the bus. They're going to meet with Mexican authorities and get paperwork that allows them asylum in Mexico. Basically, they're trying to buy more time to continue on their journey to get to the U.S. southern border and get an appointment and they hope enter the U.S. legally.
[19:55:06]
Since Title 42 expired, migrant crossings are down, for now at least. We visited Eagle Pass, Texas. Main Street, quiet. But Texas Congressman Tony Gonzales warns what we saw building up in Mexico will push north.
REP. TONY GONZALES (R-TX): So, it's almost a calm -- I say calm, there's 800 apprehensions a day, just in the Del Rio sector. On the Mexican side, it's just building up, building up. The cartel will adapt and that will be the next thing that they send over.
CULVER: U.S. border officials warn as more migrants either fail to qualify for asylum, or grow frustrated, waiting, they are turning to cartel controlled smugglers to get across -- the congressman proposing a bipartisan approach to counter that. GONZALES: I'm of the mindset stop sending them down that route. Send
them another route, work visas, make sense to knee. Remove the politics in it. Remove you have access to vote or access to social services and say, do you want be to have a job? We have a job for you. Link up the two.
CULVER: Back in Mexico City, we find Maria Jose and their daughter walking a busy commercial street carrying a sign and candies.
We're Venezuelan migrant family and we're asking for your support.
They tell me they're out here three hours twice a day.
She was a nurse in Venezuela and so doing this, resorting to having to sell things, is different, as she points out, but she'd rather do this than just ask for money.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CULVER (on camera): What's really concerning in all of this, Erin, is you have those Mexican cartel backed smugglers, you see all of this, this buildup of migrants as an opportunity. It's a potential business for them.
Now, we know they've trafficked human beings through trunks of cars, through truck trailers. Now, according to U.S. officials, they've seen recent cases of migrants being smuggled over the Pacific Ocean and in many cases swimming through the Pacific Ocean at night just to get to the U.S. shows you how increasingly desperate and treacherous these journeys are.
BURNETT: Yeah, perfect words.
All right. Thank you very much for sharing all of that with us, David.
And coming up on "AC360", did Russia try to kill a defector who's spying for the CIA while living in Florida. The details on that plotter tonight at 8:00.
Meantime, next OUTFRONT, the man on the left, that is John Goodman, almost unrecognizable when he was nearly 400 pounds. How did he lose so much weight?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Finally, tonight, actor John Goodman revealing he lost over 200 pounds. Now, the 71-year-old star, many of us know him is Dan Conner from the original hit, ABC hit series "Roseanne" is barely recognizable. There he is at a TV festival in Monaco.
And, obviously, losing that much weight at anytime, right, it'd be good for your health. And Goodman is crediting his weight loss to portion control, exercise, and cutting out alcohol. Back in 2011, "The Righteous Gemstones" actor revealed he was pushing 400 pounds at his heaviest. He said he would get off "Roseanne" every spring, lose 60 pounds, didn't get it all back and then some. Hopefully, these lifestyle changes stick, and we wish him luck and keeping that off this time.
Thanks for joining us.
"AC360" starts now.
