Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Texas Suspect Captured After Manhunt, Found Hiding In Closet; U.S., Mexico Reach Deal As Migrant Surge Looms; Source: House Speaker Agrees To Meet With Biden. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired May 03, 2023 - 02:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:29]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM. Authorities in Texas capture the man accused of gunning down five people including a nine- year-old boy. The U.S. sending hundreds of additional troops to its southern border in anticipation of a massive surge of migrants.

And D-Day in the U.S. debt crisis could come as soon as June 1st with D standing for default.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: A four-day manhunt of the suspect in the fatal shooting of five people including a mother and her nine-year-old son in Texas was arrested Tuesday evening. Authorities say 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza was found hiding in a closet under some laundry at a home just miles from the house where the killings took place. Oropeza is being held on five counts of murder with bond set at $5 million and will appear in court in the coming hours.

And because he's a Mexican national, the Mexican consulate will be notified. CNN's Josh Campbell has details.

JOSH CAMPELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: A major development in Southeast Texas. Authorities announcing Tuesday the arrest of the man accused of brutally murdering five people. Authority say that 38-year- old Francisco Oropeza was taken into custody without incident. He is charged with opening fire on the home of his neighbor's after being asked to stop shooting late at night on Friday.

That of course sparking a massive manhunt involving hundreds of law enforcement officers in Texas as well as authorities in Mexico. Sources told CNN that authorities along the U.S.-Mexico border had been on alert concerned that the suspect may try to flee in the state but ultimately authorities say that they arrested him just less than 25 kilometers from the original crime scene. The sheriff there in Texas spoke about the arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF GREG CAPERS, SAN JACINTO COUNTY, TEXAS: Bottom line is we now have this man in custody. He was caught hiding in a closet underneath some laundry. They will -- they effectively made the arrest. He is uninjured.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMPBELL: Now authorities had announced an $80,000 reward for information leading to Oropeza's capture, the FBI said Tuesday that an unidentified tipster called the FBI providing them with their location where he was ultimately taken into custody by tactical officers without incident. He is currently being held on $5 million bond. The Sheriff saying that he faces five counts of murder.

Josh Campbell, CNN, Los Angeles.

CHURCH: Joining me now from Los Angeles is CNN Law Enforcement Contributor Steve Moore. He is a retired FBI supervisory special agent. Good to have you with us on this story.

STEVE MOORE, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTRIBUTOR: Thanks for having me, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So, the Texas shooting suspect to Francisco Oropeza is now in custody found hiding in a closet underneath some laundry. The climax to a four-day long manhunt, after he allegedly fatally shot five neighbors including a nine-year-old boy with an A.R.-15 style rifle. So, what are you hearing about the circumstances leading up to his capture?

MOORE: Well, there's a couple of things that are conflicting to me at this early stage. One is that the FBI said this was involved with a tip. But the other one said the FBI followed the wife of the suspect to a home. So, somewhere that's either been miscommunicated or garbled and transmission, but I'm just glad they found him so quickly. And really, once they're out for 24 or 48 hours, they're going to be out a long time. So, this was a relatively quick result.

CHURCH: Right. So, as you say the information that led to the suspects arrest came through the FBI's tip line perhaps or as you say that's the other possibility of police following the suspects wife to this home. But you say this four-day long manhunt wasn't very long. A lot of people were saying this took a very long time and he was only 17 miles or so away from his home where the shootings are took place.

So, you would say that's a fairly swift capture?

[02:05:06]

MOORE: Well, you know, there are two ways of saying it. To anybody who is, in a community where there's a killer on the loose, anytime is going to seem like a long time. And I don't mean to minimize that at all. What I am saying is that you -- usually if you -- you usually catch them in the first 24 hours, maybe 48. If you don't get them in that time, the area where they could have gone to is just immense. And so, I've had -- I've had fugitives that have been gone for more than a year after they got into that kind of situation. So, while it's -- while it may seem a long time and it certainly is a long time for people who are grieving or people who are afraid for law enforcement, this was quicker than I would say average.

CHURCH: And of course, we heard that this was in a home. He was hiding in a closet under the laundry, possibly a relative's home. So -- and if the wife was followed to this home, what happens to them if they've been part of this? An accessory --

(CROSSTALK)

MOORE: Well, they're in some trouble. First of all, how did he get 17 miles? He may have had some assistance. Second of all, the wife knew where he was. And if she would bring him food or anything like that or money, she is an accessory after the fact. And they will know that by the time they even found him. So, anybody involved in hiding him, in feeding him and supporting him, anything are known as accessories after the fact. And they have some serious felony time possible ahead of them.

CHURCH: And for a few days, there were zero leads. And the police said that. Zero leads on the suspect's whereabout. How often does that happen? And what would the FBI be doing in those sorts of circumstances when there are absolutely no leads in case to follow?

MOORE: Well, there's usually no leads in the case, especially when somebody bails out after a crime that was a -- that was not planned. They have -- there's no leads because they have no plans for you to fall onto. But what we would do and frequently, I would go to their phone records. I would do -- I would go through any of their information, which would give me a list of their family and friends.

And then I would find out who might be -- who might be, you know, helping him. Who might be predisposed to help him. The wife is somebody you'd want to -- want to follow. I remember one fugitive case that I was working, we saw --we just went out and found anybody who this person trusted and set up surveillance on them. And one guy who lived alone came home one night and he had two bags of fast food and two drinks with a, you know, if he -- if he lives alone, he's got a visitor and that's where the person was.

CHURCH: Interesting. And what do you think will likely happen to the suspect now?

MOORE: Well, he's going to be remanded to custody. Got a $5 million bail amount. I'm surprised to get any bail with his history. He's going to be charged almost certainly for capital murder and it's going to be hard to fight that with the witnesses that were left behind.

CHURCH: Steve Moore, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

MOORE: Thank you.

CHURCH: The U.S. and Mexico have just agreed on some new measures to cope with an expected new surge of migrants at the border. Thousands are camped out right now in cities on both sides waiting for May 11th. That's where the U.S. rule enabling the government to immediately expel migrants expires. Under the deal, Mexico has agreed to keep taking back migrants from four Latin American countries on humanitarian grounds after May 11th.

CNN's Rosa Flores is in El Paso, Texas where border cities are already reaching breaking point.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The city of El Paso under a state of emergency as hundreds of migrants camp outside shelters, on the streets, in alleys and parking lots ahead of the lifting of the pandemic error rule known as Title 42, which allows immigration agents to swiftly expel some migrants to Mexico.

FLORES (on camera): How would you characterize what you're seeing right now?

JOHN MARTIN, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE HOMELESS: Scary.

FLORES (voice-over): John Martin runs The Opportunity center for the homeless and says the surge started last Tuesday when 70 migrants started camping outside. Now, nearly 700 total.

[02:10:00]

MARTIN: We haven't had the opportunity to come out here and actually talk to each of these folks one by one.

FLORES (on camera): Because so many have arrived so quickly.

MARTIN: Exactly.

FLORES (voice-over): And the flow of migrants arriving by train (INAUDIBLE) as Mexico across the border from El Paso is growing too, say officials.

CNN was there in April.

FLORES: Were you coming on the train?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Si.

FLORES: As migrants like Esmison Duarte (ph) from Nicaragua jumped off the train with his four children and his wife.

FLORES (on camera): She says her children haven't eaten in four days.

FLORES (voice-over): The Duartes are part of a large group of migrants who are arriving in northern Mexico and staying on the streets, in hotels, or migrant shelters.

Like this one, the pain of the migrant struggle palpable during church service. Eladio Garcia (ph) embraces his two boys and says he and his wife couldn't live in their native Nicaragua anymore.

ELADIO GARCIA, MIGRANT: It's difficult and dangerous for me.

FLORES: Especially after he protested against his government in 2018. Garcia shows us.

GARCIA: A small shot.

FLORES: He still has a pellet in his arm, which he says came from Nicaraguan security forces.

Nearly 40,000 migrants are in northern Mexico, according to officials and community leaders. In Tijuana, about 9,000 are waiting. In Reynosa Matamoros, more than 17,000 and in Ciudad Juarez, up to 12,000. Their desire to seek asylum in the U.S. varies for this woman from Guatemala.

It was gang threats and her son's death. For the family getting off the train.

FLORES (on camera): She says that they left Nicaragua because of political oppression there.

FLORES (voice-over): Back in El Paso, if this time lapse of a walk around one city block is a preamble.

FLORES (on camera): About how long can you go based on the resources that you have?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Best guess right now is estimating Friday.

FLORES (voice-over): Community leaders say the end of Title 42 could be one for the history books.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Our thanks to Rosa Flores for that report.

In the coming hours, the U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates again for a second time this year. It comes just days after the collapse of First Republic Bank. The second biggest bank failure in U.S. history. And analysts say its collapse was precipitated by the central bank's yearlong rate hiking campaign. JPMorgan Chase acquired the failed bank over the weekend under a federal deal but that hasn't calmed nerves on Wall Street.

U.S. stocks fell steeply again on Tuesday as investors grew fearful that turmoil in the banking sector has not been contained.

The Dow, NASDAQ and S&P 500 were all down.

A source told CNN. U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy will meet next week with President Joe Biden to discuss the looming debt crisis. A long sharp procedural move by Democrats to raise the debt limit appears headed for failure. And Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is warning of serious consequences from a debt default, including higher borrowing costs for taxpayers and a downgraded U.S. credit rating.

CNN's Manu Raju has more from Capitol Hill.

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Even as Janet Yellen, the Treasury Secretary has warned Congress that the debt ceiling must be raised as soon as June 1st to avoid the first ever debt default in the United States. There is no sign that the two sides are anywhere closer to reaching a deal to avert what could be an economic calamity if in fact, no deal is reached.

The Democrats are making very clear. They believe the debt ceiling should be increased. No conditions, no spending cuts, wait until after the borrowing authority is increased for the federal government. Republicans say that House passes bill, the GOP-led house did so last week. That included a slew of spending costs other Republican priorities and they say that there need to be some negotiation at least to include spending cuts in a final deal.

Now, the White House plans to have a meeting. Joe Biden does next week with the four top leaders in both chambers from both parties. But it's unclear whether any deal can be -- can come of that earlier in the day on Tuesday. I asked Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell whether he would intervene in this debate between the House GOP and the White House. And he made clear the Senate he said would take a backseat to the house.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): It should be clear to the administration that the Senate is not a relevant player this time. They have got to have a measure that can pass the House. How does it pass the House? As I said the support of the speaker and I'm behind the speaker.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: Now that comment is significant by Senator McConnell because in past debt ceiling standoffs, he has intervened in the final moments, come up with inventive ways to avoid a debt default.

[02:15:03]

This time he's making clear that it'll be up to McCarthy and Biden ultimately to come to a resolution. If they can't, it is anyone's guess, what will happen next, if the country will in fact, go to a debt default because what the White House were proposing a clean debt ceiling increase is something McCarthy said, well, cannot pass the House. It even doesn't have the support right now in the Democratic- led Senate which -- because it would need at least nine Republican votes to overcome a filibuster attempt.

So, major scare here on Capitol Hill and in the White House about what exactly will happen here because as we saw a dozen years ago, the U.S. credit rating was downgraded over fears of a debt default. Debt default didn't happen then. Will it happen now? No one knows for sure.

Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill. CHURCH: Just ahead. Tensions are high in Israel and the Palestinian territories after the death of a prominent Islamic Jihad prisoner, following a months-long hunger strike. We'll have a live report from Jerusalem.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: An exchange of fire between Palestinian militants in Gaza and the Israeli military has come to an end for now. The latest round of rockets and airstrikes was sparked by the death of Khader Adnan, a prominent figure with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad who died after a months-long hunger strike in Israeli custody. CNN's Hadas Gold is live for us in Jerusalem. She joins us now. So, Hadas, what more are you learning about this?

[02:20:11]

HADAS GOLD, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Rosemary. It's been quiet since the early morning -- early hours of this morning after a rather active 20 hours or so, rockets being fired from Gaza. The Israeli military responding with airstrikes, but as of just the last few hours, a ceasefire of sorts has been called. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad saying a round of confrontations has ended.

The Israeli military telling me that there is no actual ceasefire with militants in Gaza but they said that messages had been exchanged. I think that's more reference to that there is no official sort of long- term ceasefire with Hamas. But the message is being exchanged essentially saying things are over for now. The Israeli military saying that over the last 24 hours or so more than 100 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel.

The Israeli military responding with airstrikes. They say that they attacked everything that they wanted to. They said they attacked 16 targets, which include Hamas reinforcement targets, outposts and underground tunnels. We have not heard of any injuries in Gaza as a result of these airstrikes. There were some injuries in Israel as a result of rocket shrapnel. Three people were injured. One of them, a 25-year-old man was it was injured with serious injuries.

According to emergency workers, this happened yesterday in the southern city of Sderot. And of course, this is all sparked yesterday morning by the death of Khader Adnan who you mentioned was once a spokesperson for the Islamic Jihad. He became really a symbol, a face of Palestinian prisoners. He was in prison for his -- I believe his 11th time since 2004. And this was actually his sixth hunger strike.

But this one he was found dead in his cell yesterday morning. The Israeli prison authorities saying that he had consistently refused medical attention as a result of his hunger strike. And then of course his death sparking not only these rocket fires but also a general strike in both the West Bank and Gaza. Meaning everything from shops to schools were completely closed off. What's interesting though, is actually Khader Adnan's wife yesterday before the biggest barrage of rockets made a statement to the media saying she didn't want more blood to be spilled. She actually requested that rockets not be fired from Gaza because she didn't want the Israeli military to then be striking Gaza in response. Obviously, of course, that did not happen. But for now, at least it seems this latest round of exchange of fire is over for now. Rosemary?

CHURCH: All right. Hadas Gold joining us live from Jerusalem. Many thanks for that report.

Sudan's warring factions have agreed in principle to a new ceasefire starting Thursday, according to neighbor and mediator, South Sudan. And this truce is supposed to last a week. But neither the Sudanese army nor the rapid support forces have commented on that report. A series of earliest ceasefires all failed to stop the fighting, with gunfire and explosions now a daily occurrence.

The latest happening near the Presidential Palace in central Khartoum just a short time ago. And just outside the capital, the Sudanese army carried out airstrikes. The RSF fired back with anti-aircraft guns.

Meanwhile, the U.N. Refugee Agency says more than 100,000 people from Sudan have now fled to neighboring countries. Many have crossed into Chad which has now closed its border with Sudan.

And many others are heading east to Port Sudan where they are being ferried to safety. Saudi Arabia is behind a growing number of these rescues. The Kingdom says it has now evacuated more than 5600 people from Sudan since the start of the conflict. That includes dozens of Americans who arrived on a Saudi Royal Navy ship on Tuesday. CNN's Larry Madowo reports from Jeddah.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As the news of the latest ceasefire trickled here into Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the 15th Saudi-Iran ship just arrived here with 26 More people. 91 Americans according to the Saudi foreign ministry. The number of nationalities have so far failed across from Port Sudan to Jeddah is now 102. The -- only a tiny percentage of those are Saudis. Many of them are from nationalities from the U.S. and Canada and the U.K. and Sudan and Kenya, Burkina Faso. Really everywhere around the world.

So, as that ceasefire really struggles to hold, you see the need for so many people still imported and trying to get across the Red Sea to a semblance of safety here in Saudi Arabia as a figure out where they're going to go next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KHOJELLI EL-NOOR, EVACUEE FROM SUDAN: See here, I'm just -- my body here, but my heart and my blood and my mind is over there because this division is really scary. You cannot even describe it. And, you know, example, you see dead, people. We cannot bury them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADOWO: The ceasefire itself still has a couple of options for the two warring generals in Sudan to back out of it.

[02:25:05]

They say they've agreed in principle. That's the statement according to President Salva Kiir of South Sudan. He was appointed by the regional body, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development to spearhead this negotiation process of the two generals. The others were President Ruto of Kenya and President Guelleh of Djibouti. And so, that in principle is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that statement.

The other one is that he's urging General Burhan and General Hemedti to send negotiating teams and to agree on where that could be. One of the proposed venues for this negotiation could be here in Saudi Arabia. Could it be Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, or Nairobi in Kenya or Juba, South Sudan. There's this a lot of questions still. We don't know about this seven-day ceasefire that was announced.

Larry Madowo, CNN, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

CHURCH: And still to come. A campus and a city on edge following three stabbings near the University of California Davis. What police are saying about the search for a suspect.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:30:00]

CHURCH: Police are searching for clues in a series of stabbings near the campus of the University of California Davis. The attacks described as violent and brazen have left two people dead and have shaken the community. And students now fearing for their safety. CNN's Nick Watt has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Students ordered to shelter in place overnight as police tried and failed to find the suspect to stabbed a woman shortly before midnight on a city street.

TODD HENRY, DEPUTY CHIEF, DAVIS, CALIFORNIA POLICE: We're following a multitude of leads. But as of this point, nobody has been identified.

WATT: This laid-back California college town usually sees just one homicide in an entire year, now two within a week. Three stabbings total.

HENRY: It's very obvious that the manner in the brutality of these crimes are very similar. That is concerning to us. But at this stage, we can't definitively link them yet.

WATT: Thursday morning, David Breaux was found stabbed to death in a city park. A downtown fixture known for asking passers-by to share their thoughts on compassion.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw that on June 3 of 2009 and have got about 5000 entries and talks about 10,000 people, have become known as the compassion guy. WATT: Saturday night, a 20-year-old computer science student Karim Abou-Najm stabbed, murdered on this bike path through another park on his way home.

MAJDI ABOU-NAJM, SON STABBED TO DEATH NEAR U.S. DAVIS: He was just six weeks away from graduating. He was so proud and so happy and so thankful. He said thanks Mom and Dad, you paid all my tuition and you did it.

WATT: The family moved to California from Lebanon in 2018.

ABOU NAJM: We came here hoping for safety.

WATT: The latest victim of this apparent spree, a woman stabbed through her tent late last night. She remains in critical condition.

ANDREW MCCABE, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: You have a very dangerous person who seems to have struck out randomly in a very violent way against three very different victims. I think the people of the city of Davis are rightly very concerned right now.

WATT: The FBI is now helping in the manhunt. Local police also upping their patrols hoping to reassure students and keep them safe.

KRISTIN MIFSUD, SENIOR, DAVIS: I did not expect my senior year for any of this to be happening especially in Davis. A lot of students just don't want to go to school.

WATT (on camera): Police are advising people in Davis not to go out alone after dark. They say use the buddy system. As for the murders themselves, police say that they don't look like robberies. There were frankly just too many wounds on the victim.

They hope that DNA will actually allow them to formally link all three crimes. And they hope that their description of the suspect by witnesses might lead to an arrest. The most distinguishing feature of the suspect, long dark curly hair.

Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Just ahead, communication breakdown. What Ukraine's president is saying about leaked U.S. documents and the war with Russia? We're back with that and more in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:37:26]

CHURCH: Welcome back. We are seeing more evidence that Ukraine may be striking back inside Russia and Russian-controlled territory. A Russian-installed official in the city of Melitopol has been wounded by an apparent explosive device in his front yard. A police chief was killed last week in a similar incident, which Russia called sabotage by a reconnaissance group. And a second Russian freight train has derailed this week in Russia's Bryansk region. The governor blames an explosive device. No one was killed in either derailment.

Meanwhile, the latest UK intelligence shows Russian forces have built an extensive system of trenches in both southern Russia and occupied Ukraine. The defense ministry says the defense highlights Moscow's deep concern that Ukraine could achieve a major breakthrough with its planned counteroffensive.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy tells the Washington Post neither the White House nor the Pentagon informed him about leaked documents containing sensitive details about the war in Ukraine. CNN's International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DILOMATIC EDITOR: Well, this wide- ranging interview as the Washington Post calls it when President Zelenskyy does seem to indicate some underlying tensions between the Ukrainian President and the White House because he is saying that the White House did not talk to him about these intelligence leaks. He said it's bad it reflects -- it reflects poorly on the United States and poorly on the White House. Now, we do know that Secretary of State Antony Blinken did speak in April with his opposite number, the Ukrainian foreign minister about the leaks.

But the leaks were potentially damaging. It's not entirely clear what was accurate in those leaks, what was doctored information but potentially damaging for Ukraine, given that Ukraine is trying to build up for a counteroffensive where descriptions that seemed to indicate Ukraine was short of vital ammunition. And it also potentially embarrassingly for Ukraine indicated that the U.S. persuaded Ukraine not to attack targets inside Russia on the 24th of February, the anniversary of the war.

Now, I have spoken with Ukrainian military intelligence officials and they say that that's not accurate. So, it's not clear what was accurate in those leaks or what wasn't. But what is emerging, as clear here, is that President Zelenskyy feels let down that he did not hear from his closest ally, his biggest ally, his most important ally, the United States.

[02:40:12]

And President Biden, of course, is so important for galvanizing this Western coalition to arm and equip and to train Ukrainian forces. So, President Zelenskyy on -- least on this issue of these intelligence leaks does appear to feel let down.

Nic Robertson, CNN in Eastern Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: When it comes to Russia, the match group is ready to swipe left. The online dating company behind Tinder, Hinge, OKCupid, and others is pulling its services out of Russia by the end of June. It cites Russia's human rights record for the move, joining the massive list of Western companies that have bailed on Russia since the war in Ukraine began.

I'm Rosemary Church. For our international viewers, "WORLD SPORT" is next. And for those of you here in North America, I'll be back with more CNN NEWSROOM in just a moment. Do stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:45:29]

CHURCH: Popular late-night television shows in the U.S. have gone dark and they're airing repeat episodes just hours after thousands of TV and film writers went on strike. It comes after weeks of negotiations, collapsed with production companies, overpay, and other issues, including the use of artificial intelligence in script writing. CNN's Brian Todd has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): NBC's late-night hosts Seth Meyers recently told his audience of the grim possibility.

SETH MEYERS, HOST, NBC NEWS: It is something that is not done lately, and that I will be heartbroken to miss you as well.

TODD: CBS's Stephen Colbert spoke of how important the writers are to his show.

STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, NBC NEWS: Without these people, this show would be called the Late Show with a guy rambling about the Lord of the Rings and votes for an hour.

TODD: But those late-night shows hosted by Colbert, Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, and Jimmy Fallon are among the first casualties as more than 11,000 movie and TV writers are now on strike. The Writers Guild of America voting to walk out after several weeks of negotiations with a group representing companies like Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, NBC Universal, Paramount, and CNN's parent company, Warner Brothers Discovery.

DOMINIC PATTEN, SENIOR EDITOR, DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD: You're going to see that on films that are also currently in production with writers. That's going to stop.

TODD: The last time the writers went on strike in 2007, they left for one hundred days leading to delays in production for months. Some of the late-night shows are the first to go into reruns because they're more dependent on writers. The show's written the same day they air.

JIMMY FALLON, HOST, LATE-NIGHT SHOW, NBC: I am actually in the Writers Guild as well. So, yes, I couldn't do the show without them.

TODD: Daytime shows, soap operas and other popular programs will soon follow. NBC announcing that Saturday Night Live will air repeats until further notice. What are they fighting over? One sticking point is money. Many writers say because streaming has changed the industry so much, they're making less than they were a decade ago.

DAVID MANDEL, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, HBO'S WHITE HOUSE PLUMBERS: Unfortunately, we have a situation where too many writers certainly that I know, my contemporaries, guys in their 50s women in their 50s, who all of a sudden, even though this is supposed to be peak television, are not making a living like are worrying about like how they're going to like pay their mortgage and stuff.

TODD: Analysts say writers are also worried about being replaced by computers writing scripts using artificial intelligence.

SARA FISCHER, CNN MEDIA ANALYST: I think that a lot of writers feel as though with AI coming in, they might get really, really small gigs. And so, they want to make sure that they have a minimum duration of work and a minimum pay guarantee.

TODD: How will the strike affect some streaming favorites like Apple Plus's Ted Lasso?

JASON SUDEIKIS, ACTOR: I think that's what it's all about. Embracing change.

PATTEN: You're still going to see those shows come out week after week because they were delivered months ago to those studios and those companies. All the streamers have kind of bragged that they have a bunch of shows in the pipeline going forward.

TODD (on camera): But industry analysts say if the strike goes on for a couple of months, the fall TV schedule will be affected. Because right now in May and June, is when the writers are actually writing those shows so they can film them in July and August.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And joining me now live from Los Angeles is Mandalit del Barco. She is a culture correspondent with NPR. Good to have you with us.

MANDALIT DEL BARCO, CULTURE CORRESPONDENT, NPR: Thank you so much, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So, writers are struggling to make a decent wage while studios claim they're hurting too. So, no agreement has been reached yet. And that means of course that writers will be on strike for the foreseeable future impacting late-night talk shows and Saturday Night Live first. But what other shows are at risk of being impacted by this strike? A lot of our viewers watching now wondering what's going to happen in the weeks ahead.

DEL BARCO: Yes, we'll have to see what happens. I mean, as you -- as you say that the shows that are written pretty much the same day or that week, the writers who write the jokes for those late-night shows, they will be impacted, they won't be at work to write those jokes. Their -- soap operas could be affected.

Any show that is kind of like a -- you know, done that same day, that same week, or we're going to see that first -- the impact of that first. And then, like you said, Saturday Night Live, that's not going to be on -- is it'll be rerun for a little while. I mean, you'll start seeing the ripple effect, you know. And shows that are being written or would have been written now for the summer and early fall, they could be impacted. Because this strike could go on for months. We don't know yet.

[02:50:11]

You know, the lions of Motion Picture and Television producers who represent the studios, they're going to be turning next to their contract with the directors and other people behind the scenes. And so, they're going to be focused on that. They -- I don't know if they're going to be getting back to the negotiating table with the writers just yet.

So, it's hard to say. But I think that those directors and behind-the- scenes people, they -- their unions are supporting the writers. So, I don't think there's going to be much production going on for a while.

CHURCH: Yes. And then, of course, we have to remember that the last writers' strike. it was 15 years ago.

DEL BARCO: Yes.

CHURCH: It went on for a hundred days and cost about two billion dollars. But this time around, of course, the studios and production houses, they have an abundance of shows to stream. So, how long could this strike last and how much could it end up costing studios? Could that force them back to the negotiating table?

DEL BARCO: Well, I know that the CEO of Netflix, Ted Sarandos, he was talking before this strike -- before the contract. And he said that they had a big library of shows. And I've heard that the streamers and the studios have like a big backlog of programs from around the world that they could possibly use.

So, I don't know how big those libraries are. I don't know how much they'll use, but it could go on for some time. I'm really -- I don't have a crystal ball. I don't know how long this could last.

But there was a strike earlier before the last one that lasts -- that went on for five months. And that's quite a long time for all these people to be out of work. Yes.

CHURCH: Yes, absolutely. And I -- you know, you can't overestimate how much work it takes for a writer to pull together a comedy show. I mean, that that is just an extraordinary effort.

We do it in the news, but it's very straightforward compared to being funny at the same time. So, what all other writers asking for in terms of compensation, job security, and a share of the streaming era profits, given they no longer receive residuals that they used to get the show reruns?

DEL BARCO: That's right. Yes. They say that the streamers when they re-air a show -- an episode that they've written, for example for TV, they're making -- I talked to one writer who said she makes 5.5 percent of her fee -- her writing fee when something gets streamed or rerun on a streamer. And she's getting checks for three dollars -- seven dollars. She said she sometimes she'll get a stack of checks for seven cents, you know.

I mean, it's kind of -- it's kind of extraordinary that that could happen. You know, one of the issues now that the writers are talking about is this use of what they call mini rooms. And those are kind of developmental deals where writers will work on spec for scripts, and they don't have any guarantee that what they're working on is going to be greenlit into a show, for example. There's no -- there's no guarantee.

So, that's one of the things that they want to get -- they want the studios to guarantee is that to have at least six writers in this many rooms. And four of whom are also producers so that they get paid more. That's been one of the sticking issues that the studios have said that they -- you know, that has kind of stalled the contract negotiations. And they also -- the writers also are concerned that they're going to be replaced by AI, you know, that the bots will take over.

And that's a fear right now, but they're looking at what could be a technology in the future. You know, the last time -- the last strike that happened, they were arguing over DVDs.

CHURCH: Yes.

DEL BARCO: DVDs are extinct. DVDs and downloads -- internet downloads. Now, they're trying to imagine what could be next, and it's hard to -- hard to know. @Their contract is three years at a time.

CHURCH: Yes.

DEL BARCO: So, they're trying to figure out what's going to happen in three years.

CHURCH: Hopefully, they can reach a fair agreement. Mandalit del Barco, thank you so much for talking with us. Appreciate it.

DEL BARCO: Thank you so much.

CHURCH: And finally, a principal in West Virginia got a big surprise when he unlocked the school's dumpster. CCTV footage shows the moment James Marsh came face to face with a black bear. As you can see, both were just startled to see each other. Thankfully, the scene didn't turn grizzly. Both bear and man emerge from the incident unharmed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES MARSH, PRINCIPAL, ZELA ELEMENTARY: That was a big surprise. I was not expecting that. You know, you throw trash in a dumpster, and you throw things in it but you really don't expect things to come out. (END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:55:06]

CHURCH: It's not the first time the bear has helped itself the contents of the dumpster which is why the school had a lock installed. Clearly, though, that did not stop this unexpected visitor.

In Northeast Florida, drivers on a highway had to face an unexpected situation on Tuesday after a truck collided with a tractor-trailer, releasing thousands of bees into the area. A statement by the highway patrol says the track was hauling approximately a million bees in hives. A beekeeper was on the scene recovering the insects, but authorities advise caution as the bees continued to spread.

And that wraps up this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church. Do stay with us. I'll be back with more news in just a moment if my voice holds out. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:00:00]