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Tougher Entry Rules on Migrants Imposed as Title 42 Expires; Biden's Meeting with Congressional Leaders Reset; Israel and Gaza Experience More Deadly Violence; IDF Makes an Apology for the Death of Shireen Abu Aqla; U.K. Supplies First Long-Range Missiles to Ukraine; Ukrainians Give CNN Firsthand Account Of Bakhmut Offensive; Former PM Imran Khan Arrives In Islamabad Court; U.S. Bracing For Migrant Surge After Title 42 Expired. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired May 12, 2023 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. Ahead on CNN Newsroom, new asylum rules are now in place in the U.S. The large number of migrants who were crossing ahead of a key deadline appears to have waned a new weapon in Ukraine's arsenal. The U.K. delivers long-range stealth cruise missiles capable of striking deep into Russian-held occupied territory. And former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is said to appear in court for life in Islamabad as his arrest is deemed unlawful.

UNKNOWN: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: And we begin with a landmark change in U.S. immigration policy. The controversial Covid era rules known as Title 42 have expired, and that means harsher consequences for those entering the country illegally. Thousands of migrants seeking asylum made their way to the southern border ahead of the deadline. Many turned themselves into border authorities.

El Paso, Texas is boosting its law enforcement presence. It's just one of several cities and counties preparing for even more strain on the immigration system. Now, on the past few days, authorities have detained a record number of migrants at the southern border while things appear quiet at crossings right now.

One official tells CNN it will get worse. The Head of U.S. Homeland Security gave this warning to those seeking to enter the country illegally.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: If anyone arrives at our southern border after midnight tonight, they will be presumed ineligible for asylum and subject to steeper consequences for unlawful entry. I want to be very clear. Our borders are not open.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The Biden administration is also rolling out new restrictions this week, and that includes a new rule that will largely bar migrants who pass through another country from seeking asylum in the U.S. And just now, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it will comply with a federal court ruling that temporarily blocks the release of migrants from border patrol without court notices. It calls the ruling harmful and will result in unsafe overcrowding at their facilities. The ruling expires in 14 days, and the Biden administration is expected to appeal.

Now, many migrants fleeing Central and South America end up on a freight train, some call the train of death. The journey to the U.S. border is fraught with danger, despair and somehow lots of faith. CNN's David Culver filed this report near the U.S.-Mexico border.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're just outside Ciudad Juarez, and this is the last train stop for this freight train that's eventually gonna head into the city. And you can see already dozens of migrants in several of these cars on top of them, all about. They're asking us if we have water, if we have food.

CULVER (voice-over): We climb on. The train slowly starts up again, heading north. We meet migrants from all over.

UNKNOWN: Honduras. Honduras.

CULVER: He says he's from Honduras originally and wants to go to the U.S. Felipe Marcela from Colombia, also hoping to enter the U.S. I asked her why the U.S.? She said, to have a better future. Omar from Venezuela.

UNKNOWN: OMAR: Baltimore.

CULVER: He's trying to get to Baltimore, Maryland. We rode for an hour. They've been on here for days. Twelve days for Roberto and his family. He's with his dad and his sister. He says they've been attacked, they've been robbed, describes a really treacherous trek.

Part of the train journey north for some is on what's called La Bestia, the beast. It's also known as the train of death and often controlled by cartels. Roberto wears the face mask to not infect the others. Tells me he got sick early on in his travels.

It's because lot of them have been sick and over the journey, he had to leave his two kids, young ones. He tells me his two toddlers nearly died so we sent them back to family in Honduras as he continues on. They stand, sit and sleep on metal construction beams covered in plastic. Dirty clothes and cardboard used to make it as comfortable as possible. The heat and sun, brutal.

[02:05:00] At night, it's the cold and wind. The smells, a range. Sewage at times and burning trash as we drove past what appears to be an incinerator. Their souls worn down. He says it's very dangerous for women, too. And they said food is just really scarce right now.

Omar spent four days on board already. Food? He's run out. He showed us the little water he has left and the documents he clings to, keeping secured in plastic. He's reading through all the different situations that would allow you to enter the U.S. He's got it printed out in Spanish. And he's got the address of his friend in Baltimore that he hopes to get to.

Four days on the train for him, he said. The first day he was really sick because the sun was just so strong and now he's making sure to keep covered as much as possible. He wants to go to New York.

For Omar, it's a familiar journey. He left Venezuela six months ago, already expelled once from the U.S. for trying to cross. He'll try again. Legally or illegally, he will cross, he tells me. I ask him if he's hopeful. I've got a lot of faith, he tells me. Ultimately, he hopes to get money to send back to his two kids in Venezuela.

As we pull into Ciudad Juarez, about 25 miles still from the border wall with El Paso, we and the others climb out. And that's it, you can see almost everyone now getting off. It's basically the last stop. Omar, among the last off, carrying his only belongings and, somehow, a smile, planning to cross immediately.

And most of those migrants we met had the same destination, this place right behind me, the border wall. That's technically U. S territory from Mexico looking on towards Texas and you can see it's been barricaded off by Texas National Guard and Texas State Troopers. We've also noticed that the migrants have been split into various groups, including single men, families and unaccompanied minors to begin processing their claims for asylum. David Culver, CNN, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: All right, so let's take a look at why some migrants are fleeing their home countries for the U.S. So take, for example, Guatemala. USAID reports 59 percent of the country's population lives below the poverty line. Seventy-seven percent who intend to migrate do so in search of economic opportunities. Seventy-five percent of Guatemalans cite insecurity as the most serious problem in the country. And many are victims of extortion and corruption. Guatemala also has the youngest population in Latin America and they mostly have insufficient training and job opportunities.

Now, I want to bring in Quique Godoy, who's an economist and Radio Host, joining me now from Guatemala City. Thanks so much for being here with us. So, for Guatemalans who wanted to come to the U.S., were they anticipating this end of Title 42 as a great opportunity to get through?

QUIQUE GODOY, HOST, GUATEMALA'S RADIO INFINITA: Yes, Kim. I think right before the pandemic, we had about 250,000 people trying to get to the U.S. every year. During the pandemic, that number went up to 500,000 people. And it's been getting even worse because of the corruption, some of the things you mentioned before, because of no job opportunities in some of the communities. And especially because there's a big, tight labor market in the U.S. which is pulling people into the U.S.

Like you said before in the introductory note, we have a very young population, which is exactly the opposite of what is happening in the U.S. You're getting an aging population. You got 1.4 million people that retired last year from the workforce. So, that's pulling people into the U.S. And because we're not creating opportunities here, it's pushing people from here into the U.S.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, exactly right. And the Biden administration, I mean, it's announced with the ending of Title 42 that the border isn't open.

[02:10:00]

They threaten tougher, newer consequences. So, do those messages get through in any shape or form or are they sort of drowned out by what the migrants are hearing from smugglers?

GODOY: Both things because I mean people are getting the message that without the Title 42 and going back to Title 8, if you get cut once you get, you know, brought back to Guatemala. But if you get caught twice, you might go to jail or you have some other penalties. So, that message is getting across, but at the same time, the needs are so big and they're rarely surviving in certain parts of the country that they take the risk. And even if they can't get through, they'll still remain in Mexico probably with better conditions than they have here.

BRUNHUBER: There's been so much focus here in the U.S. anyway on dealing with the problem at the border, but everyone acknowledges that more has to be done in the countries of origin. So, what can be done to help prevent the crisis at the border before it starts?

GODOY: We have two different things. One is -- from one side, we have to fight corruption all the way through because corruption creates the conditions for these communities -- complete communities, to try to migrate because corruption makes it very hard to get education, makes it very hard to get health, makes it very hard to get water and electricity in those communities. So, they're barely surviving while they're there. So, if we don't fix the corruption side of the problem, so we can get -- the U.S. says, well, we can send more money, we can make some investments for job creation.

But the problem is not only job creation, it's getting them basic conditions for people to be able to survive with those services that we were talking about before. So, the double problem we have there is that we have to fight corruption, but at the same time, we're in the middle of an election right now. And within that middle of the election, we're getting a lot of corruption through the election. We're getting people that are getting thrown out of the election process all through this year. So, it's not getting better, it's getting worse. And at the same time,

you have the conditions in the border, in the U.S. Mexican border is one thing, but the Guatemalan Mexican border is wide open so people are coming in from Venezuela, from Cuba, from Haiti, from Central America, and we're starting to accumulate people in our borders that are trying to get into Mexico. So that will create another problem of a lot of people waiting for asylum processes within the Guatemalan border.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, it seems like such an intractable problem. Before we go, I just want to ask you this. The Biden administration is opening processing centers in certain countries. Guatemala will be among the first, and that's to create more legal pathways to the U.S. Will that make a dent at all, do you think?

GODOY: It makes a dent, but if you need, I mean, Canada, the Canadian government put forth a 1.5 million visas for migrants to come into Canada because they realized they need younger people coming into Canada to work in those jobs that are not being filled by the existing workforce in Canada. The U.S. has not opened that many job options or visa options because the discussion in the U.S. is still basically between Democrats and Republicans about migration and --but ombre (ph), it's a new flex of messages and at the same time, you have a shortage of a workforce. So, if we don't start getting legal workforce within the U.S., that also creates a big problem within our countries.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, I know on the U.S. and many in the agricultural community are trying to lobby for that to get more workers to follow the need. We'll have to leave it there, but really appreciate getting your insights on this. Quique Godoy, thanks so much.

GODOY: Pleasure. Thank you, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Talks over the American debt ceiling keep dragging out as the U.S. inches ever closer to default. A meeting between the White House and congressional leaders that was supposed to happen later today is on hold, but there are a few glimmers of progress in the negotiations. CNN's Jeremy Diamond picks up the story.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, a meeting between President Biden and the Congressional leaders scheduled for Friday to continue those debt ceiling and spending negotiations has been called off. This comes after staffers for both sides met once again on Thursday for more than two hours. And sources tell me that the meeting was actually productive and that the two sides ultimately agreed that it would be more productive to postpone that leaders' meeting and to try and make more progress at the staff level first.

[02:15:00]

So, sources on both sides saying that this is actually a sign of progress, a positive developments in the words of one source. This comes as those early stage negotiations, I'm told, have really focused on trying to narrow the scope of these negotiations. They're trying to agree on the broad contours of where they can actually reach an agreement on spending that would also result in the debt ceiling being raised.

And as part of those negotiations -- those early stage negotiations, I'm told by two sources familiar with the matter that the White House has been laying out its red lines, saying where they will not negotiate. And at the very top of that list is the President's Inflation Reduction Act, that landmark piece of legislation that made historic investments in climate change.

It's also a piece of legislation that House Republicans, in their bill to raise the debt ceiling, have already targeted for severe cuts. The other items on the list include the President's Student Debt Forgiveness Program, cuts to Medicaid or SNAP benefits, all of those I'm told the White House views as total non-starters. But at the same time, there is growing acknowledgment inside the West Wing that the White House is going to have to agree to some spending cuts in order to get the debt ceiling raised.

There's a willingness even to agree to some caps on a future federal spending, but the sources tell me that the White House is not interested in a long-term spending caps deal for 10 years, for example, which is what happened back in 2011. But the White House really wants to ensure that they don't find themselves in the same position once again a year from now.

And that's why I'm told by sources that the White House is only looking for a debt ceiling increase that would last for over a year. But what's interesting here is that President Biden is still insisting that he's not willing to negotiate over the debt ceiling and yet, at the same time, there are these very intense negotiations between staff here at the White House and Republican congressional negotiators to talk about spending.

And that's ultimately where there could be some kind of agreement to potentially avoid that default that could come as early as June 1st. But of course, in this situation, time is certainly of the essence. Jeremy Diamond, CNN, The White House.

BRUNHUBER: More deadly violence in the Middle East as rockets fly from Gaza, and Israel reports its first death. For more details ahead, stay with us.

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[02:20:00]

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BRUNHBER: More deaths in the Middle East as fighting continues between Israel and Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza. One rocket fired from an enclave hit an apartment building in the Israeli city of Rehovot on Thursday, wounding five people and killing one. It's the first Israeli death since the violence started early this week. Palestinian officials say at least 28 people have been killed in Gaza, including militants and uninvolved civilians.

Since the start of Operation Shield and Arrow, Israel says it's hit nearly 200 targets in Gaza, the IDF says Islamic Jihad has launched over 800 rockets at Israel. Elliott Gotkine joins me from Jerusalem. So Elliott, what's the latest?

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: Kim, the latest is that it was actually a pretty peaceful night. There haven't been any rockets fired from militants in the Gaza Strip towards Israel for some 11 hours, and there haven't been any airstrikes from Israel against militants in the Gaza Strip since 2 o'clock local time, so for about seven hours now.

And this is, I suppose, fueling more speculation that we could be inching towards some kind of ceasefire brokered by Egypt. In terms of the actual fighting so far, you mentioned, as you say, more than 800 rockets, almost 900 rockets fired by Islamic Jihad militants towards Israel since this latest round of hostilities began. Israel saying that almost a quarter of those misfired or fell short, and saying that it hit 170 targets, including overnight military posts and concealed rocket launchers.

In terms of the death toll so far in Gaza, as you mentioned, 30 deaths, according to the Palestinian health authorities in the Gaza Strip. Israel is saying that at least half of those were militants, which means that about half of those were uninvolved civilians, as well. In terms of that death in the Israeli city of Rehovot, when a rocket fired by militants from the Gaza Strip scored a direct hit against an apartment block in that city of Rehovot, Israel saying that that was down to a malfunction by the Iron Dome rocket defense system. Israel saying that, so far, in this round of fighting, it's had a success rate of 91 percent. In other words, taking out 91 percent of the rockets that it wanted to take out.

But I suppose, while the militants of Islamic Jihad will see this death of the first Israeli so far in this round of fighting as a victory, it also goes to show that Iron Dome, for all its successes, is not infallible. Now, one other development that's not related to this specific fighting going on in Gaza right now, but to fighting that was taking place in the West Bank a year ago, in an interview with CNN yesterday, the Israeli Defense Forces Chief Spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari apologized for the killing of the Al Jazeera Correspondent Shireen Abu Aqla, which had taken place a year ago to the day. That's the first apology.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REAR ADMIRAL DANIEL HAGARI, ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES CHIEF SPOKESPERSON: I think it's an opportunity for me to say here that we are very sorry of the death of the late Shireen Abu Aqla. She was a journalist -- a very established journalist. And in Israel, we are a democracy and in democracy, we see high value in journalism and in free press. And we want journalists to feel safe in Israel, especially in wartime. And even if they criticize us, we want them to feel safe. It's all about democracy and we build democracy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOTKINE: And as I say, Kim, this is the first time Israel has explicitly apologized for the killing of Shireen Abu Aqla. Back to you.

BRUNHUBER: All right, appreciate the update. Elliot Gotkine in Jerusalem. Thanks so much. Well, Ukraine's military gets some help ahead of its expected counteroffensive. Still ahead, a high-tech weapon from Britain that's the first of its kind for the Ukrainian military arsenal. Stay with us.

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[02:25:00]

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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back, I'm Kim Brunhuber, this is CNN Newsroom. Britain is breaking an unwritten taboo in military supplies to Ukraine. The U.K. has provided Kyiv with its first long-range missiles known as Storm Shadow. Other countries have refused to send similar weapons because of fears Ukraine could hit targets inside Russia. Storm Shadow has the range of about 150 miles or more than 250 kilometers which is three times longer than any other missile supplied, so far. In return, officials say Ukraine promised not to use this weapon outside its territory. Britain's Defense Secretary says London made the right decision.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN WALLACE, BRITISH DEFENSE SECRETARY: The donation of these weapon systems gives Ukraine the best chance to defend themselves against Russia's continued brutality, especially the deliberate targeting of Ukrainian civilian infrastructure which is against international law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: And we're just getting reports of new Russian strikes in Ukraine's Kherson region. Officials say Russian troops unleashed about 80 attacks over the past day, killing one person and leaving four others wounded. The attacks reportedly include schools, hospitals and key infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian commanders say they're trying to keep the momentum going after their military offensive in Bakhmut. Ukraine says it regained some ground in the city Thursday, which independent observers now say is likely true.

[02:30:00]

Nic Robertson is getting firsthand accounts from Ukrainian soldiers about how that battle played out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voiceover): At the vanguard of Ukraine's most successful offensive in months, elite soldiers stormed out of the U.S.-made M113 Troop Carrier near Bakhmut. Over the following three days, they would take back close to two miles at eastern Ukrainian territory from Russian troops. Their commander explains dry ground new U.S. attack vehicles helping reverse months of losses.

ROLLO, UAF STORM BATTALION COMMANDER (through translator): Everything was planned and calculated. And we had an advantage because we used armored vehicles. This time, the weather gave us a chance to use all our might and show what we're capable of.

ROBERTSON: Yevgeny Prigozhin is saying the reason you took territories is because the Russian forces ran away.

ROLLO (through translator): Prigozhin is a liar because the first to flee were Wagner. It is his units that fled. And our success is not due to the fact that they fled but the fact that we conducted a planned assault by circumventing and cutting them off. Actually, the unit he is bad-mouthing fought to the end. His Wagners were the first to flee.

ROBERTSON (voiceover): Cleaned up and back from the battle, three young troop commanders recall the first moments. You are nervous. You feel the shivers, Oles says. Every sound scares you, especially the whistle of the mortar shell. With their success, losses too, it is always painful and hard to lose, Bars says. But it doesn't stop us. It makes us angrier, tougher and gives us motivation to go all the way and not stop.

Each of them knows more battles to come. After each fight, morale goes up, then down then up again, Dzudo says. You have to motivate them somehow. And this last battle not done when the Russians were pushed back. They regrouped, rushing in reinforcements.

Not for the first time in the days-long fight, U.S.-made weapons making a decisive difference. This time, HIMARS precision rockets.

ROLLO (through translator): Their reserves are too far away. And this allowed us to destroy the enemy even as we approach them. We use unmanned aerial vehicles to see where they were concentrated, which enabled us to use a HIMARS for a precision strike.

ROBERTSON (voiceover): His battalion estimated in their sector of the fight two to 300 Russian soldiers killed, but he is quick to acknowledge those soldier's strengths and says Prigozhin is wrong to discount the Russian army.

ROBERTSON: Their offensive was so successful. Another round of attacks was launched early Thursday morning. Commanders are unwilling to say how successful the new offensive is, or even if it's connected to the much anticipated big counteroffensive. Nic Robertson, CNN, Eastern Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Pakistan's former prime minister is expected to attend the hearing this hour after the Supreme Court decided his arrest was unlawful. We'll have a live report from Islamabad after the break. Stay with us.

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[02:37:39]

BRUNHUBER: All right, we're just learning this. Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has just arrived at an Islamabad court this hour. Today's hearing comes after the country's Supreme Court ruled that his arrest earlier this week was unlawful. Now, so far, there's been no return to the angry demonstrations that rocked Pakistan in the past few days.

CNN producer Sophia Saifi joins us now live from Islamabad. So, Sophia, are you expecting Khan to be released and are you anticipating any more violence?

SOPHIA SAIFI, CNN PRODUCER: Kim, all eyes are in Islamabad High Court. He's filing a bail petition against the corruption charges that led to his arrest. There is a heightened sense of tension in the country.

The military has been called in to keep the law and order situation calm. There has been a ban on public gatherings. So, Khan's supporters have been told to come into the city but in reaction, the police have done mass gathering.

So, yes, the protesters are coming in yet, but you've got this order from the police. So, we're hoping that clashes do not happen. It could go either way.

There's a possibility that he could be released on that bail, or you know there would be fresh different charges issued against him. So, we're all going to have to wait to see what happens inside the Islamabad high court within the next couple of minutes and then see how that plays out here in Pakistan, where we're having a massive coms issue. Phone lines are down. The internet has been down for four days.

There's a heightened sense of fear in Pakistan. And we're waiting to see what happens next after a very tumultuous couple of days here in the capital, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right, we'll stay on top of that story. CNN Producer Sophia Saifi in Islamabad, thanks so much.

Well, three weeks into the conflict in Sudan, there's no lasting ceasefire, but the warring sides have signed a declaration of commitment to protect the civilians of Sudan. A U.S. official says the purpose of the agreement is to get humanitarian aid into the country, restore power and water and bury the dead. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia had been mediating talks between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary faction. And say ceasefire negotiations could resume in the coming day.

Well, Twitter could be about to get a new CEO. Current chief Elon Musk says he's found a replacement to step into his shoes, and that she'll start in six weeks.

[02:40:01] Now, Musk didn't name the mystery woman but media reports suggest it could be Linda Yaccarino, NBC Universal's head of advertising. Musk has previously toyed with speculators saying that his dog is actually the CEO of the multibillion-dollar company. He says he now plans to step back and become a chair and Chief Technology Officer.

All right. I'm Kim Brunhuber. For our viewers here in North America, the news continues after a break. For our international viewers, "WORLD SPORT" is next.

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[02:45:31]

BRUNHUBER: A key immigration restriction from the COVID-era has now expired and the U.S. is bracing for a possible surge of migrants. Title 42 allowed them to be swiftly turned away at the U.S. border, supposedly to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. But with that policy no longer in effect, it's feared tens of thousands of migrants massing near the border with Mexico could lead to chaos. The Biden ministration says it's done all it can to prepare.

And there's more danger for migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border this weekend. The National Weather Service says there's the threat of flash flooding and severe storms. CNN's Chad Myers has more on the forecast.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, it has already been a violent week here in the middle part of the United States with tornadoes, large hail as big as a great fruit at times, some tennis ball, and then obviously quite a bit of golf ball size hail on the storms that have already moved through the area. But we're focusing now on the area here along the Rio Grande River. That's where the storm is, well, fire tonight, and then all day, really on Saturday.

This is going to be a high-impact event for everyone that will be outside. Two to three inches of rain per hour. In total, somewhere in the neighborhood of about 200 millimeters of rainfall could fall along the river here in South Texas and also in Northern Mexico. And it's not just one day, it will be more than one day of storms here and Flash Flood Watches are issued.

Flash Flood Watches are different than river flooding. River flooding happens when the river slowly rises. Flash flooding happens when you get such very, very quick rainfall and high rainfall amounts at one time, one, two, three, four hours and you get 200 millimeters of rain. The water just doesn't soak in, it runs off.

And that's what we're seeing here. In this red zone, that's all 200 millimeters of rainfall just over the next 48 hours. So, there's a high risk really. It's called moderate, but in my opinion, it's a high risk of flash flooding here, especially under some of those storms.

A large area in the orange by the National Weather Service calling a moderate risk. There are just different levels of risk, one two three four, we're at three right now. But certainly, four is not out of the question as all of this rainfall comes down.

Not just this week, but also next week as well, with heavy rainfall day after day after day. There was a computer simulation of what the computer believed the rainfall will look like. All the way through the south right in here where all these people will be outside, flash floods will probably be likely.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: It's expected a U.S. Marine veteran will be charged in the chokehold death of a man on the New York subway. The Manhattan District Attorney's office says it will arrest Daniel Penny on a second-degree manslaughter charge. The 24-year-old Penny was caught on camera restraining 30-year-old Jordan Neely, a homeless street artist.

He allegedly had been shouting on the subway and saying he had nothing to live for. Neely's death led to protests about the incident and the way homelessness and mental illness are treated. Attorneys for Daniel Penny say he stepped in to keep his fellow passengers safe. They believe Penny will be fully absolved.

Joran van der Sloot's attorney says they will appeal an extradition order to the U.S. approved by Peru's Supreme Court. The Dutch citizen was one of the last people to see American teenager Natalee Holloway alive before she disappeared in Aruba nearly two decades ago. The prime suspect in her disappearance will face charges of extortion and fraud in the U.S. And CNN's Jean Casarez reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): 18 years after Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway vanished on a school trip and Aruba, the prime suspect in her disappearance is being extradited to the United States. Joran van der Sloot, who was one of the last people to see Holloway alive and twice detained in connection with her disappearance, will finally face federal charges in the U.S. for extortion and wire fraud.

BETH HOLLOWAY, MOTHER OF NATALEE HOLLOWAY: He knows exactly what happened. He knows what, where, when, who, why, and how. He knows the answers.

CASAREZ (voiceover): He is accused of extorting thousands from Holloway's mother, Beth, in exchange for details on the location of her daughter's remains. According to legal documents in March 2010, van der Sloot "offered to take the cooperating witness to the location of Natalee Holloway's body, advise as to the circumstances of her death and identify those in her death and disappearance in return for a payment of $250,000."

[02:50:06]

Papers were signed, a total of $25,000 was given to van der Sloot and Holloway's attorney flew to Aruba. Van der Sloot took the attorney to a house saying her body was buried within the foundation. Soon after fleeing to Peru with a $25,000, he e-mailed the Holloways saying, "he had lied about the location of Natalee's remains." Extortion charges were filed a short time later.

In May 2005, the 18-year-old Holloway was last seen leaving a nightclub in Aruba with van der Sloot and two other men. All three were charged by Aruban prosecutors in 2007 for involvement in manslaughter, but a judge ordered their release citing a lack of direct evidence. Her body was never found.

Beth Holloway said in a statement she would be 36 years old now. It has been a very long and painful journey, but the persistence of many is going to pay off. Together, we are finally getting justice for Natalee.

After the U.S. legal proceedings conclude, van der Sloot will be sent back to Peru according to a statement from Peru's judiciary to a Peruvian prison where he is serving time for the murder of 21-year-old Stephany Flores. She was murdered five years after Holloway's disappearance.

CNN was allowed exclusive access to van der Sloot's cell shortly after his arrest. And in 2012, he was sentenced to 28 years in prison for that murder.

CASAREZ: The attorney for Joran van der Sloot, Maximo Altez is telling CNN that he is going to fight this extradition request that was ordered by Peru's Supreme Court. He believes the charges are just too old to have it be valid. Of course, there is an extradition treaty between the United States and Peru signed in 2001.

Jean Casarez, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: China and the U.S. are trying to move past the uproar over the alleged Chinese spy balloon. The two sides held high-level talks this week in Vienna for the first time since the diplomatic crisis erupted in February. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout is live in Hong Kong. So, Kristie, both sides say the talks were "candid and constructive." But did anything actually come out of it?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And you know, this was a surprise. You know these were talks that were previously undisclosed as a meeting that one U.S. official told CNN came together fairly quickly. And it showcases how China and the U.S. are trying to just move beyond the balloon incident and trying to stabilize this pivotal relationship.

You have China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, meeting with the U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. They met for two days of talks in Vienna. Talks that spend some eight hours. And again, this surprise meeting is the highest level of engagement between both sides since the balloon incident back in February, which of course, led to America's top diplomat Antony Blinken to delay a planned visit to Beijing. Now, we have a statement from China's embassy in Washington. They said that the two sides "had candid in-depth, substantive, and constructive discussions on removing obstacles in China-U.S. relations and stabilizing the relationship from deterioration." And the White House readout used similar language, and we had this for you as well, saying this. "The two sides, they had candid, substantive, and constructive discussions on key issues in the U.S.-China bilateral relationship, global and regional security issues, Russia's war against Ukraine, and cross-strait issues among other topics."

Now, Sullivan also raised concerns about U.S. citizens detained in China and he added that this was a personal priority for the U.S. President, Joe Biden. And he also raised concerns about the potential for Chinese military aid to Russia. This comes as this ongoing diplomatic rift has been deepening between both of these nations over a slew of issues including Taiwan, Ukraine, access to technology, the balloon incident, the list goes on.

And although these talks that just took place in Vienna were deemed candid and constructive by both sides, still, we don't know when Blinken will visit China. In fact, the spokesperson at the State Department reiterated that that trip would be rescheduled "when conditions allow," Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Interesting. All right, thanks so much Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong.

LU STOUT: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: A new system of risk-based rules will clear the way for gay blood donors in the U.S. The Food and Drug Administration will now ask all donors the same questions, and those include if the donor has a new sexual partner or more than one sexual partner in the last three months. If so, that person will be asked not to donate. It's intended to reduce the chance of someone with a new HIV infection from giving blood before the infection can be detected in a lab. And previously, the FDA had a lifetime ban on gay men giving blood.

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And finally, the lineup is in. We now know which 26 acts will be representing their nations in the Eurovision Song Contest grand final this weekend. The English city of Liverpool is hosting this time around on behalf of last year's winner Ukraine.

Enthusiastic pop music fans have already gathered for the semi-finals are now waiting for the big event on Saturday which can be viewed around the world. And the quirky competition has a star-studded legacy in some seem -- seen some pop's biggest names on stage including, well, I think you know them, Abba, right?

That wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back in just a moment with more news. Please do stay with us.

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