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Biden Administration Braces For A Migrant Surge; Brian Walshe Pleads Not Guilty In Disappearance And Apparent Death Of Wife; Record Snow Melt Sparks Flood Concerns Along Mississippi River; Large Storm Brings Golf-Ball-Sized Hail To Florida, Texas; How A Giant Panda Turbocharged Chinese-U.S. Tensions. Aired 2:30-3p ET
Aired April 27, 2023 - 14:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:30:00]
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: That's what some Americans stranded in Sudan are saying as the situation there grows more dire.
During a press conference at the State Department earlier today, Secretary of State Tony Blinken said the U.S. is working to develop a, quote, "sustained process" that would allow Americans to leave Sudan over land, likely to Port Sudan on the Red Sea.
But with no food, no water, with the dangerous conditions, many Americans are being forced to make life-or-death decision among violent fighting between the country's rival military groups.
Jim?
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: Just days after President Biden announced his re-election bid, his administration set to face one of its greatest political vulnerabilities, a surge of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.
On May 11th, two weeks from today, the Covid-era border restriction known as Title 42 will expire. That means border authorities will no longer be able to expel certain migrants based on health grounds.
Two Homeland Security officials say the number of migrants has already begun to climb in recent weeks, reaching 7,000 encounters between migrants and law enforcement a day.
CNN's Priscilla Alvarez joins us now.
Priscilla, listen, the administration has been preparing for this for some time. They got some help from the courts, extending Title 42. The first question is, no more extensions, I assume, and then, two, where do administration plans stand?
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, to your point, Jim, this is something that has been caught up in litigation. And multiple times, we've been in a position where we thought this authority was going to end.
Right now, it is full steam ahead of, it ending on May 11th, when the coronavirus public health emergency ends.
We should note, with this ending is something that started in March of 2020. We go back to decades-old protocols. Those are protocols that we have been using for a long time.
But what happens is we're using them at a time of unprecedented mass migration in the western hemisphere. And that's really the challenge that the administration is facing, in addition to smugglers who spread misinformation.
Take a listen to what Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said just this morning on this issue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We do expect that encounters at our southern border will increase as smugglers are seeking to take advantage of this change and already are hard at work spreading disinformation that the border will be open after that.
High encounters will place a strain on our entire system, including our dedicated and heroic workforce and our communities. The smuggler's propaganda is false.
Let me be clear. Our border is not open and will not be open after May 11th.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALVAREZ: Now, a senior U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent tells me several thousands are already in northern Mexico. So that's a concern in the term when this expires on May 11th.
Now what the administration is doing, a number of things. They're opening regional processing centers in Columbia so migrants can apply to come to the U.S. and come lawfully.
They are also setting up capacity for those who cross to try to process them, setting up a new asylum rule to try to largely bar migrants who have transited through other countries from seeking asylum in the United States.
Some of these measures, Jim, they're controversial, even among Biden's allies. But it's a measure they have to take to try to stem the flow of migration and manage a situation that Mayorkas described as going to be challenging.
And of course, Jim, as we usually say, and as the administration says, it is Congress that ultimately have to pass reforms to solve this.
SCIUTTO: Yes, listen, that's the one thing that's not happening. Any bipartisan negotiation to change the laws, which would impact some of these things, including how you handle folks as they seek out or have their cases heard.
Priscilla Alvarez, she knows it. She's been covering it for some time -
Boris?
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: New information now revealed in court in the case of missing wife and mother, Ana Walshe. Her husband appeared before a Massachusetts judge just a short time ago, pleading not guilty to new charges, including murder.
Prosecutors believe that Brian Walshe killed, dismembered, and disposed of his wife's remains. Remember, she disappeared almost four months ago.
CNN's Jean Casarez has been following this story for us.
And, Jean, the prosecution laid out a lot of new evidence that we hadn't heard before. What did they bring to the forefront?
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brand-new, Boris. It was about the issue of bail, because the prosecutor really wanted to show that ed toed to s danger to the community or that he could flee the jurisdiction.
So they put on so many new things that we haven't heard, especially immediately preceding the time of Walshe's disappearance.
So early on, in December of 2022, the prosecutor said that Brian Walshe believed his wife was having an affair with someone.
[14:34:54]
And then, in December '26, so right after Christmas, that is when, under the direction of Brian Walshe, prosecutors say that his mother hired a private investigator to surveil his wife, Ana Walshe.
December 28th, Ana Walshe, who worked in Washington, D.C., but came back on the weekends to be with her family, on December 18th, prosecutors allege that she had dinner with a friend in Washington, D.C., and said she was going to leave her husband and she was going to take the children with her and bring them permanently to Washington, D.C.
On December 30th, she flew back to Massachusetts to spend the holiday weekend with the family. She went to an exercise class on the 31st, had her nails done.
And then, December 31st, they had a family friend come over to dinner for New Year's Eve and he left at 1:30 in the morning. That was the last time that anyone other than her family saw her alive, 1:30 in the morning.
Then after that, many things started to happen. On January 1st, prosecutors say he traveled to dumpsters.
I think we can show everybody some of the things that they found in those dumpsters, because he went to Lowe's, he went to Home Depot, he went to a grocery store. And in the dumpsters, we found out that there were many things. There was a Tyvek suit, there were tapes, there were gloves, there were cleaning supplies, including 364 jugs of ammonia, 24 pounds of baking soda.
And then right here, a hatchet, a hacksaw and cutting shears. And that goes along with google searches that he had done the middle of the night on New Year's Day, right after New Year's Eve.
I think we've got some screens of some of those google searches that were done on his oldest child's iPad, we found. Not on his phone.
But some of those google searches have to do with how long before a body starts to smell, talking about the best way to dismember a body. So many.
Now, the defense said today, first of all, that the family, there was no discord in the family, at all. He has pleaded guilty. And that the google searches were problematic, but he also searched about family vacations for them all.
So this does not mean that they believe that the prosecution has proven their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
SANCHEZ: That sounds like the prosecution has a mountain of evidence and the defense has their work cut out for them.
Jean Casarez, thank you so much for that update.
Jim?
SCIUTTO: That's one disturbing case.
Well, coming up, the U.S. slaps new sanctions on Russia following the arrest of U.S. reporter, Evan Gershkovich. We'll have the latest on his detainment and any hope of getting him out.
Plus, he's been accepted by more than 170 colleges and universities. So where does this 16-year-old plan to go?
These stories and more when CNN NEWS CENTRAL returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:42:19]
SANCHEZ: It doesn't really look like spring, but this is Florida in April. It's a hailstorm that's sweeping through the south. And take a look at this. Hail hammering parked cars. Not something you would typically want to see in the Sunshine State.
And it wasn't just Florida. This is Texas. I'm going to show it to you in a second. It's probably not the best time for a swim in your pool.
Meantime, I want you to take a look at Wisconsin. This is a before and after shot of some of the extreme flooding we're seeing along the Mississippi River, where voluntary evacuations are already underway for a lot of riverside towns.
Let's get an update now from CNN's meteorologist, Chad Myers, who's live for us in the CNN Weather Center.
Chad, a lot of activity, all over the map.
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, I mean, the hail coming out of Texas was unbelievable yesterday. We had four inches around, almost the size of a grapefruit falling out of the sky at terminal velocity of over 100 miles an hour.
And Florida, the big hail there over the past 24 hours, have really been something.
A couple of tornadoes, but it's the wind and hail that we saw yesterday, not as much today. We are not in that kind of situation.
But look at this hail. This is part of -- this is sitting in the passenger seat of a car. This is how large the hail was falling out of the sky yesterday.
Even closing the school district, because there was so much damage to their schools, with the hail and the wind and the rain and the roof damage and window damage, as well.
So here's where we are right now. Did have a tornado warning not that long ago for Panama City. That was a waterspout moving onshore. Now we're down to just a severe thunderstorm warning, not seeing the rotation.
Here's where we are expecting to see more in the way of severe weather today. Not the ramp-up that we saw yesterday, but it will certainly be around. You need to pay attention today, keep the radio on.
Pets, people, and property. You need to watch out for that. That's the real problem. That's the problem we see when people are not paying attention to what a hailstorm or what a wind event can do out there.
Here's where the rain will be over the next couple of days here across the Deep South. We'll take the rain, but we certainly do not need this severe weather with this -- Boris?
SANCHEZ: Yes, Chad, as you were saying, people, pets, and property. I got a look at this video of hail knocking into the pool. And you see a poor cow running in the background getting pelted.
MYERS: Yes.
SANCHEZ: Not a great day there.
Chad Myers, thank you so much.
MYERS: We -- Boris, hold on. We contacted the owners and the cow was just fine.
(CROSSTALK) MYERS: So that is a disturbing video, a disturbing video. For a kid growing up in Nebraska, that was a very disturbing sight to see. But we did contact them and everything was just fine with that cow. Thank goodness.
SANCHEZ: Thrilled to hear our bovine friends are OK.
MYERS: Yes.
[14:45:00]
Chad Myers, from the CNN Weather Center, thank you.
Jim?
SCIUTTO: Boris, he's always looking out for the animals.
Now to some of the other headlines we're watching this hour.
Major newspapers are demanding the release of "Wall Street" reporter Evan Gershkovich, now detained in Russia for four weeks. Today "The Journal," "The Washington Post," and "New York Times" are running full-page ads calling for Russian authorities to let him go.
The letter says. in part, this, "As editors and publishers of some of America's largest news organizations, we are united in calling for his immediate release. Reporting is not a crime."
Let's hope those words are heard.
Also, Nepal is announcing it's issuing a record number of permits to climb Mount Everest. And 463 climbers got permits so far. This is amid continuing concerns about dangerous overcrowding at the summit.
Most climbers attempt to ascend the peak in May when temperatures are warmer and the jet stream has moved away from the mountain. But, boy, it could still be dangerous.
And as your child sweats out college admissions, a New Orleans 16- year-old has gotten more than 170 different acceptance letters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DENNIS BARNES, ACCEPTED BY 170+ COLLEGES: I definitely have a very supportive group of people behind me. They were all instrumental in getting me through this journey.
I'm very excited. This is something that I'm very happy that I was able to accomplish. It feels really good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: He also brought in more than $9 million worth of scholarship offers from those schools. He plans to get a bachelor's degree in computer sciences and going on to law school.
He's got a lot of work ahead of him -- Brianna?
SCIUTTO: Amazing stuff.
We have an animal story right up Boris' alley ahead. If you can believe it, this panda is now in the diplomatic spotlight. Ya Ya, the panda, back in China after her home country demanded her return to the U.S.
This is actually pretty serious, though. Ahead, why this is only highlighting the tense relationship between these two nations.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:51:38]
KEILAR: Ya Ya, the giant panda, is now back home in China after spending 20 years at the Memphis Zoo. Chinese state media says that she landed in Shanghai earlier today.
CNN's Selina Wang explains how Ya Ya has become a symbol of the deteriorating relations between the U.S. and China.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SELINA WANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ya Ya the panda, has left Memphis, Tennessee. She's headed back to China in a FedEx truck and then flight. For many in the country, Ya Ya couldn't come home soon enough.
She arrived in America with her playmate, Lola, two decades ago as an emblem of growing U.S.-China friendship.
But recent videos showing the once-fluffy panda, now looking skinny with scraggly fur, has sparked outrage in China. Many Chinese people and some animal advocates accusing the zoo of mistreatment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
WANG: Videos on Chinese social media claiming the pandas are being abused, quickly went viral against the backdrop of growing anti- American sentiment. The rumors often fanned by state propaganda.
And meanwhile, Chinese social media users are praising these viral videos of this panda in Russia, Wu Yi, claiming videos of the active and playful panda prove Russia is taking excellent care of the Chinese bear.
State TV saying the pandas are helping the Russia-China relationship.
Chinese and American scientists launched a joint investigation, concluding that Ya Ya has a genetic fur and skin condition that does not impact her quality of life and has received excellent care.
But that message is not getting through.
Outside the panda exhibit at the Beijing Zoo, I ask people if they've heard of Ya Ya the Panda.
This man says, yes, she's abused in America.
An 11-year-old boy tells me, I heard the U.S. is treating the panda poorly.
This man says, isn't Russia taking good care of pandas? Pandas are happy over there, not like in the U.S.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
WANG: And this man with his granddaughter tells me, pandas in Russia are very happy. Why? Russians and Chinese are friends. At least Russia is not sanctioning China.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
WANG (on-camera): Ya Ya will soon settle in this Beijing Zoo.
Now, China has long used its pandas as a diplomatic tool. Currently, its pandas are on loan to about 20 countries. The United States has not received one since Ya Ya and Lola 20 years ago.
Now, these pandas are normally loaned on these 10-year leases and they cost a million dollars annually.
(voice-over): The Memphis Zoo had already planned to send Ya Ya and Lola back to Beijing this spring because their lease is expiring. But Lola died of heart disease two months ago at the age of 24. The average lifespan for pandas is usually under 30 years.
Yet, that didn't stop rampant speculation and led to an explosion of accusations about Ya Ya's treatment, too, accelerating calls to bring Ya Ya back to China.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ya Ya, come back home.
WANG: The message even featured on billboards from New York City to major cities across China.
In 1972, during U.S. President Richard Nixon's historic trip to China, his wife visited pandas in Beijing.
PAT NIXON, RICHARD NIXON'S WIFE: On behalf of the people of the United States, I am pleased to be here and accept the precious gift.
WANG: Months later, China sent a pair of pandas to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Now, decades later, this panda's return from the U.S. to China symbolic not a growing friendship, but growing animosity between two global superpowers.
[14:55:15]
Selina Wang, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE) SANCHEZ: I didn't know you could lease a panda.
Our thanks to Selina Wang for that report.
It's been an emotional return to the spotlight for Brittney Griner. Her message to fans and the media at her first press conference since being released from a Russian prison, next on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRITTNEY GRINER, WNBA PLAYER: Am I exactly where I want to be? No, but you know, I'm on the right track to getting there, that's for sure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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