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In an Effort to Improve Relations, Blinken Travels to China; Interview with University of Hong Kong Emeritus Professor John Pond Burns; AFL-CIO and Other Unions Host Biden's First Campaign Rally in Philadelphia; GOP Voters Support DeSantis by 23%, While Trump is Preferred by 53%; Days After Devastating Tornado Hit, Texas Governor Signs Disaster Declarations for Additional Counties; Russia's War on Ukraine; Ukraine Dam Collapse; Ukrainian Drone Unit Seen in Action by CNN; Misled About Jobs, Texas-Based Asylum Seekers Boarded Private Charter Planes Flown to California; Greek Coast Guard Disputes Liability in Migrant Boat Mishap; 17 People Killed in an Airstrike Over Khartoum; Rebels with Ties to ISIS Attack School, Leaving Dozens Dead; Two American Tourists Pushed Off Cliff; After Surgery, Pontiff will Conduct Angelus Prayer; After Gang Threats, Mayor of Tijuana Relocates to Army Base; Dads' Importance in Families Recognized by the Senate. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired June 18, 2023 - 04:00   ET

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

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[04:00:00]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: 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". For the first time in five years, a U.S. secretary of state is in China. We'll go live to Hong Kong for the latest from Antony Blinken's visit to Beijing.

Plus, a look at the extreme weather around the world from tornadoes in the U.S. to scorching temperatures in Mexico and Sweden.

And later, daddy day care in the U.S. Congress. How changing a diaper brought a group of fathers together at work.

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

BRUNHUBER: This hour, the U.S. secretary of state is holding talks in Beijing to try to mend ties with China. Earlier, Antony Blinken began the first of several meetings with the country's foreign minister. U.S. official say Blinken's main goal is to re-establish lines of communication with senior Chinese leaders, especially in the military. High-level talks have been disrupted in recent months. But President Biden says, they can get back on track. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT AND U.S. DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm hoping that over the next several months, I'll be meeting with Xi again. And talking about legitimate differences we have, but also how there's areas we can get along.

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BRUNHUBER: CNN's Anna Coren is following developments from Hong Kong. She joins us now with more. So, Anna, take us through what we're expecting from this meeting.

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kim, the talks have been underway now for an hour and a half. Antony Blinken is there with the U.S. delegation, meeting with China's foreign minister, Qin Gang, who we saw welcoming the delegation, ushering them in for talks.

They will hold this meeting this afternoon, and that will then go into a working dinner, taking place at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. This, we should mention, is the place where China hosted President Nixon half a century ago when Nixon reached out to China to thaw relations there. So, you know, the symbolism, you know, should definitely be noted.

We just got a tweet from a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson. Her name is Hua Chunying. Let's bring that up now for the viewers. It says, hope this meeting can steer China-U.S. relations back to what the two presidents agreed upon in Bali. Now, she is referring to the three-hour talk that President Biden held with President Xi Jinping in Bali at the G20 last year.

Now, really, not anything really substantial came out of those talks other than we need to keep talking, and that was supposed to be Antony Blinken heading to Beijing back in February. But then of course, there was the spy balloon over the U.S. air space and the diplomatic row that ensued.

So, this is really an opportunity, Kim, to get relations, you know, back on track. To re-establish the lines of communication. You will remember, you know, particularly, you know, military-to-military how essential those communications are, considering what has taken place over the past month. Those near-misses in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait with the naval vessels, as well as the fighter jets. Both countries, you know, they definitely don't want accidents, mishaps to then turn into an armed confrontation, you know.

So, they need to continue with dialogue. This is an opportunity to get thing back on track, to lower the temperature, the rhetoric, to discuss the issues. There are so many issues, Kim. Antony Blinken is going to be stuck in that guest house for hours. We, you know, trying to get through the list of issues. You know, it goes from Taiwan, the war in Ukraine, the fentanyl crisis. We know that there are detained Americans that the United States is lobbying to have released.

And then on the China side, you know, they are really struggling with the sense of containment that the U.S. is trying to impose on China, diplomatically, economically, and militarily. So, look, the hope, Kim, is that this meeting will pave the way for other meetings. We know the U.S. treasury secretary and commerce secretary wants to go to China. And then, of course, you heard Biden a little bit earlier saying that he hopes to meet with Xi in the next few months. So, I guess we're going to have to see what happens.

[04:05:00]

BRUNHUBER: All right. Thanks so much, Anna Coren in Hong Kong. Appreciate it.

I want to discuss this more with John Burns, emeritus professor in the politics and public administration department at the University of Hong Kong. Thanks so much for being with us again. So, you and I spoke a few days ago. The theme was low expectations. Is that still the case? Has anything changed?

JOHN POND BURNS, EMERITUS PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG: Absolutely. I think the expectations are very low. And low because, you know, the militaries have not been speaking to each other since Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. Low, because they continue to test each other's red lines, I would say, on Taiwan, the South China Sea, the balloon going over the U.S.

And let's remember that the U.S. is in Asia as a legacy of World War II and the cold war. This is 70 years. The U.S. has been in Japan, in Korea, and now in other parts of Asia. And this is something that China perceives now as a threat. So, I think distrust is high and expectations are low on both sides.

BRUNHUBER: Well, Antony Blinken is the first top U.S. diplomat to visit Beijing since Mike Pompeo in 2018. So, how different will this meeting be considering everything that's happened?

BURNS: I think it's different in the sense that I think the stakes are high here in this visit because neither side wants a hot war. And both sides have common interests beyond that. So, here is a chance for the two sides to re-engage to a certain extent, and I expect this to happen. So, if something like this happens, I would say, this would be the best-case scenario.

BRUNHUBER: So, on the military side, I mean, the primary goal here is to improve lines of communication, to head off any armed conflict, as you said. I mean, in context, that seems relatively simple. So, what are the challenges here?

BURNS: Well, I think the challenges are distrust. I mean, let's remember, the U.S. has sanctioned Chinese leaders, including the minister of defense. I think it's very difficult for the minister of defense to engage the defense secretary in the United States while he is being sanctioned. And so, this kind of tit for tat behavior which has gone on since the Trump administration, really, and just continued with Biden, this is the kind of thing that I think these talks are seeking to break through. So, if they can do that, this will be a success.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Speaking of mistrust. President Biden has publicly -- recently, anyway, tried to downplay the spy balloon issue. But how do they handle this and reports of a Chinese spy station in Cuba as well?

BURNS: Beyond the military thing, there are some issues that both sides would like to discuss. Taiwan is critical for China. And then the U.S. has a list of things it would like to discuss with China. I -- it's difficult to see how this, you know, they will start talking. These are issues that are not easily resolved. Compromise appears to be slim on these issues. And remember, they have to sell these issues domestically to their constituents in China and in the U.S. So, I think this is only a first step. I don't think we should see anything more in it than that.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Lots of challenges. A lot at stake, as well. John Burns, thank you so much for being here with us. Appreciate it.

BURNS: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Joe Biden's presidential re-election campaign is officially underway.

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BRUNHUBER: About 2,000 union members were on hand in Philadelphia for his first rally since announcing his candidacy. Biden flipped Pennsylvania in 2020 and he told the crowd that labor support will be critical for him to win re-election. Here he is.

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BIDEN: And I'm more -- excuse me for getting a little emotional, I'm more honored by your endorsement than you can imagine. Coming this early, it's going to make a gigantic difference in this campaign.

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[04:10:00]

BRUNHUBER: And in his rally in Philadelphia, he reminded voters that he's from Pennsylvania and had the personal and political ties to the state. And in this polarized political environment, even visiting a construction site is a chance to campaign, especially when it's in a key swing state. While in Pennsylvania, Biden got a firsthand look at the temporary structure workers are building at the site of that highway collapse in Philadelphia. The demolition phase was completed on Thursday. Pennsylvania's governor echoed the president's praise for unions.

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GOV. JOSH SHAPIRO (D-PA): I can tell you now, I can state with confidence that we will have I-95 reopened within the next two weeks. We are going to get traffic moving again thanks to the extraordinary work that is going on here by these union trades workers.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took his campaign to Nevada on Saturday, another key state that any serious candidate has to try to win. Speaking in a Republican event near Lake Tahoe, DeSantis told voters, among other things, that he wants term limits for Congress and to restore the line-item veto, that controversial presidential power was ruled unconstitutional some 25 years ago. In making his pitch for the presidency, the governor offered his grim view of the country under Democrats. Here he is.

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GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL), U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Leftist government is destroying cities all over our country. It's destroying other states. And I think what we're going to see in this election coming up is America's got to make a decision. Because we need to restore sanity in this country.

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BRUNHUBER: Recent polls show DeSantis with about 23 percent support among Republican voters compared to more than 50 percent who say they favor Trump.

Cleanup is underway in Northern Texas days after a tornado killed three people and destroyed hundreds of homes. The governor has signed a new disaster declaration for several more counties in the area. That summons all the state resources to health in the rebuilding process. The tornado that struck to this town was rated an EF-3 and had peak winds of 140 miles per hour. It was on the ground for only about 11 minutes, but the governor says the storm left behind some of the worst damage he's ever seen. Here he is.

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GOV. GREG ABBOTT (R-TX): I've seen more tornadoes than I can count. I've never seen the level of decimation to a town as I've seen today. What the people in this area have gone through over past couple of days, there's nothing short of horrific.

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BRUNHUBER: Around the world, people are suffering in the early days of the northern summer. The climate crisis is becoming more intense and more frequent and it's impacting more livelihoods and economies. CNN's Lynda Kinkade has more.

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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR (voiceover): Forecasters say, much of Mexico is on a hot streak. On a stifling day in the capital, some residents wish this heat wave would just cool down. This construction worker says, it's tough, because you can really feel the heat. He describes it as very heavy and says he often gets dehydrated. High temperatures in some Mexican states reaching 45 degrees Celsius. And weather experts predict it will remain hot for the next 10 to 15 days. Beijing, too, is feeling the heat, hitting a record high for this time of year on Friday. People used umbrellas, fans, and face masks to try to stay cool as Chinese authorities urged people to stay indoors. And even though 30 degrees Celsius may not seem extreme, it is unusual in places like Sweden. Meteorologists there say, so far this month has been the driest in over 20 years, which could increase the risk of wildfires.

Spain is taking early precautions to prepare for another potentially brutal fire season. Last year, it was one of the worst hot spots in Europe with nearly 500 wildfires destroying more than 300,000 hectares of land. Firefighters say, they are already training for the battles ahead by taking part in drills to get to know the terrain, see what the vegetation is like, and practice where to unload heavy machinery.

Extreme scenes of a different kind in Serbia. A state of emergency was declared Friday after days of heavy rain flooded towns. Some residents say, they lost everything in a matter of minutes. This man says, all of a sudden, a big wave came and in about 10 minutes, water was about a meter and a half high in the house. The Serbian Meteorological Institute warned that the rains could continue through the weekend. Lynda Kinkade, CNN.

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[04:15:00]

BRUNHUBER: All right. Just ahead, on the heels of a deadly dam collapse in Ukraine. Emergency crews go house to house and find more victims in the floodwaters.

Plus, some asylum seekers in the U.S. are being offered jobs and housing, only to be flown across the country with nothing to show for it. We'll hear their stories, that's coming up, stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: We're getting reports of a Ukrainian strike on a Russian ammunition depot in the occupied south. In the past hour, Ukraine said its air force took out a significant storage facility in the Kherson region. Now, CNN isn't able to independently verify that claim.

Meanwhile, Ukraine also says, Russia is trying to push back against its ongoing counteroffensive. Officials say, Russian ground forces went on the attack across eastern and northeastern Ukraine on Saturday and conducted more than three dozen airstrikes. Ukrainian commanders say, their troops held the line while Russian forces stayed on the defensive in the south, which is one of the main directions of Ukraine's advance.

[04:20:00]

Now, despite all-out fighting, Russian President Vladimir Putin says, he's still open to talks with Ukraine. He spoke during a meeting with a group of African leaders who pitched their peace plan in St. Petersburg. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said, peace talks are off the table as long as Russian troops are in his country. The African leaders also called for the removal of all barriers to grain exports across the Black Sea. Food prices have skyrocketed in the many African nations during the war but Putin claim that more Ukrainian grain won't solve the world's food problems.

Well, the grim task of retrieving the victims isn't over yet in the aftermath of a dam collapse in southern Ukraine. Have a look, this is video from the occupied part of the Kherson region where more human remains were found on Friday. Russian installed officials now say, at least 29 people have died on their side of the Dnipro River, while Ukraine says, the death toll in the areas it controls has grown to at least 16 with people with more than 30 still missing.

For more, Scott McLean joins us from London. So, Scott, the damage done by the collapse, that's not in dispute. But what is heavily disputed, of course, is who is to blame?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. In terms of the damage, first off, Kim, you mentioned the death toll on both sides. There's also been a U.N. report that found that almost 10,000 buildings were completely inundated by floodwaters. Another 2,000 were partially affected. Plus, you have the issues with drinking water in southern Ukraine and Crimea, as well. You also have a severe lack of agricultural water or water for irrigation systems in southern Ukraine, as well.

So, that part is not in dispute. But in terms of what happened, who's to blame, still plenty of questions. So, you have the United Nations saying, look, we don't have enough information to draw conclusions. You have NATO saying, they can't say definitively either, but they're inclined to blame the Russians. Saying that, look, blowing up this dam and all the flooding that ensued is obviously not helping Ukraine's counteroffensive efforts.

You also have the Ukrainians blaming Russia. They say that this is based on Ukrainian intelligence that suggests that there were Russian bombs placed inside the dam itself. There's also an international group of legal experts that is assisting right now the Ukrainian prosecutor general's office, and they say that it is highly likely that it is Russia who placed explosives, based on the available evidence.

So, what evidence do we actually have? Well, first off, we know that in November of last year, this dam was damaged during fighting where the Ukrainians were trying to take back part of the Kherson region. We also know, based on satellite images that we can bring up now, that part of the dam, or at least a roadway that went over top of it was damaged a few days before. You can see that section missing right there. We don't know who is responsible or what may have been responsible for that.

Social media posts also guest that some people in the area heard an explosion at the time. Also, if you look at seismic data, according to a Norwegian group that monitors this, there was an explosion around the time of the collapse. Not a massive one, but a significant one. Now, it is possible that that explosion was not from war, but from one of the turbines exploding, for instance, that has happened before. But experts say that probably wouldn't have been enough to actually cause the dam to collapse, because these things are pretty sturdy. And if they're well-maintained, they don't just collapse like that. Whether or not this was well maintained, though, of course is an open question, because it was controlled by the Russian side, and obviously, it's literally on the front line of a war.

Now, the Russians, of course, blame the Ukrainians. They haven't provided evidence, but there is some evidence that suggests that at least it wasn't Russia. First off, some of the areas that were flooded were well known as staging grounds for Russian troops. Second off, Ukrainian troops actually reported seeing Russian troops being swept away by the floodwaters and some Russian regiments being flooded.

So, if it was Russia that was responsible for this, well, it's pretty odd that some of its people would have been caught off-guard. That doesn't necessarily implicate Ukraine either, because experts suggest that Ukrainian shelling of the dam would be unlikely to cause it to collapse. Maybe some damage on the top, some water lost, but certainly you would need a much larger explosive placed at the base of the dam to actually get it to collapse in the way that it did. So, the bottom line in all of this, Kim, is a lot of finger pointing, still not a lot of definitive answers.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, that's right. All right. Thanks so much. Scott McLean in London. Appreciate it.

Well, never before have drones played such a major and critical role in a conflict. Both Ukraine and Russia have used them for attacks and reconnaissance. CNN was given exclusive access to an elite drone unit with the Ukrainian military as it attacked a Russian position along the southern front lines. CNN's Fred Pleitgen reports.

[04:25:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in a foreign language).

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): A 3D printed stabilizer fin, some plumbing tubing, lots of glue, and the bomb is ready. Then its night vision goggles on, lights off, and full speed ahead to the front line.

We're with an elite drone unit of Ukraine's security service, the SBU and the patrol police, looking to take out a key Russian anti-tank position with a precision strike.

We found this target only recently, a team leader says. It was discovered literally today and today it will be destroyed.

PLEITGEN: Yes, we're going to the drone launch site right now. It's obviously extremely dangerous and we have to watch out that the Russians don't see us. Speed and precision are essential. The drone, a quadrocopter on steroids able to carry a massive payload up to 45 pounds. In this case, a mortar shell the Ukrainians say they got from retreating Russian forces elsewhere and are now using to hit Putin's army.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, we finish our preparing.

PLEITGEN: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bomb is ready, and we're ready to go.

PLEITGEN: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it time?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ready steady to go.

PLEITGEN (voiceover): It's big, it's loud, and it's heading straight to the Russian position. We need to hide. Out here, the hunters quickly become the hunted.

PLEITGEN: So, for the Russians, the drone crews are also a high-value target. So, obviously, the Russians want nothing more than to kill these guys. Unphased by the shelling around us, the pilot flies straight to the target and releases the bomb.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in a foreign language).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in a foreign language).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At this moment, we call from Ukraine slava (ph).

PLEITGEN: So, you just dropped the bomb?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

PLEITGEN (voiceover): This is what the blast looks like from the drone's camera. Pitch black. The strike, fully automated. It's not until daytime that a reconnaissance flight proves they've hit and destroyed the target, not clear how many Russians were killed and wounded here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in a foreign language).

PLEITGEN (voiceover): This will allow the defense forces of Ukraine to move forward and continue the offensive, he says, with minimal losses, we'll inflict maximum losses on the enemy for the victory of Ukraine. But it's not over, as the uva flies back, intercepted text messages show the Russians have heard the drone and are targeting it. Enemy birds spot, a Russian text. Understood, another answers. They launch flares to spot the drone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now you can see.

PLEITGEN: Oh, yes, back there. Yes. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's Lustra (ph) -- called Lustra (ph).

PLEITGEN: Are they shooting those up to see the drone or why?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They cannot see the drone, but they should for the sound.

PLEITGEN (voiceover): Finally, the drone makes it back. They need to get out of here fast.

PLEITGEN: We follow you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Let's go. Follow me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on.

PLEITGEN (voiceover): After what they say was a successful mission, the drone warriors leave exactly the way they came. Fred Pleitgen, CNN in Southeastern Ukraine.

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BRUNHUBER: All right. Coming up here on "CNN Newsroom," some asylum seekers in the U.S. are being offered jobs and housing only to be flown across the country with nothing to show for it. We'll hear their stories, coming up. Please stay with us.

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[04:30:00]

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

Some asylum seekers are arriving here in the United States after harrowing journeys from south and central America only to be whisked away on another trip, one they didn't bargain for. CNN's Camila Bernal spoke to some of them and tells us their stories.

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CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Walking the streets of Sacramento is a dream come true for this 31-year-old migrant. But the first time she sat foot in the California capital, she felt confused, angry, and betrayed.

Unfulfilled promises, says the migrant who asked not to be identified for legal reasons. It was in a shelter in El Paso, Texas, where she says two men approached her with the offer of a lifetime. A paid trip on a jet to California and the promise of a job and housing.

BERNAL: She said, they offered her a job, so she was happy and signed.

BERNAL (voiceover): This after she spent two months traveling from her native Colombia to the U.S.-Mexico border. She describes the difficulties of the jungle, the train, starving, sleeping on the street, begging for money.

BERNAL: She is emotional and says it's the worst, because you feel like you are at your lowest.

BERNAL (voiceover): The offer in the end was too good to be true. But it was made to a total of 36 migrants, who traveled on two separate charter flights.

When we got here, we didn't have a job nor a house, nor direction in life, said this 34-year-old Venezuelan migrant, who was part of the first flight.

The migrants are at the center of a political battle over immigration policy, with Republican governors like Gregg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida sending thousands of migrants from Texas to Democratic-led cities.

BERNAL: We didn't come here for political reasons. We came here for work.

BERNAL (voiceover): But he says he wants people to understand their suffering and their desire to work.

BERNAL: She says they're human beings with feelings and families.

BERNAL (voiceover): Camila Bernal, CNN, Sacramento, California.

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BRUNHUBER: The Greek coast guard is denying it's responsible for capsizing a boat filled with migrants. A man told CNN earlier this week that his three relatives on board saw Greek authorities towing the vessel with ropes tied in the wrong places. Greek officials say, no, the coast guard had been observing at a close distance, not a mooring distance. Thousands of migrants were killed and dozens more went missing when the vessel capsized on Wednesday. An E.U. official said it may be the worst tragedy ever on the Mediterranean Sea.

Just hours before Sudan's warring sides agreed to a new ceasefire, a horrific airstrike left devastation in a civilian neighborhood.

[04:35:00]

The health ministry says, at least 17 people were killed, including children, and 25 homes were destroyed in a residential area of Khartoum. Shortly afterward, the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese military agreed to 72-hour ceasefire brokered by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, ad whether it will hold isn't at all career. Meanwhile, hospitals across the Khartoum region say, they're struggling to treat the huge number of civilians wounded in the fighting. The few still operating say they're overwhelmed and short on supplies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ABDUL HAKAM, SUDANESE HOSPITAL PATIENT (through translator): The situation keeps deteriorating, making it unbearable. From what I saw in the hospital, there are patients dying from medical shortages approximately every 10 to 15 minutes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Now to the west in Darfur, thousands of villagers terrorized by militias are trying to flee into Chad. This video from a human rights organization purportedly shows displaced Sudanese trying to escape as militiamen mock and taunt them. A group of high-level Ugandan government officials visited the school that was the scene of a massacre a day after it was attacked by Islamist rebels. The death toll from Friday's brutal attack has risen to at least 41. Local police and militia are blaming a rebel group from the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. CNN's Larry Madowo reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY MADOWO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Horror and heartbreak in western Uganda. Authorities say, the Allied Democratic Forces, the ADF, an armed group linked to ISIS, attacked this high school on Friday night. Distraught neighbors, speechless, as police try to piece together what happened. A heavy security presence, but for many here, too little too late. Dozens of people were brutally murdered, most of them students, some as young as 13. Staffer Brenda Masika heard it all.

BRENDA MASIKA, SURVIVOR: -- of the students crying, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Some (INAUDIBLE) in my room. They tried to open my room. They failed.

MADOWO (voiceover): It's an unspeakable tragedy that shocked the nation, but hit this area especially hard, like this man who says he lost four relatives.

CLAY BIRUMUNANE, MPONDWE RESIDENT: We are still in shock. People are crying. Everyone is in shock. And the school around, there are like five schools. They have already released the students who were in the boarding section.

MADOWO (voiceover): Survivors are being treated at a nearby hospital, with some said to be in critical condition. The Ugandan military says it is in hot pursuit of the rebels. It calls terrorists across the border in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They also abducted six students, prompting this apology.

DICK OLUM, COMMANDER, UGANDA PEOPLE'S DEFENCE FORCE (through translator): It's very unfortunate. Please forgive us that a mistake happened and our children died. This was a very peaceful area. I live in Congo, that's where I spend all my time. But what happened here is a real shame.

MADOWO (voiceover): But residents and their leaders are outraged that this tragedy happened, despite assurances from the Ugandan military. FLORENCE KABUGHO, UGANDAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER: If they are telling us their borders are secured, security is tight. I want the security to tell us where they were when these killers came to kill our people. Should we say there are rebels that came to kill our people? Is this security within Uganda?

MADOWO (voiceover): The Friday night massacre saw 17 girls attacked with machetes, and a petrol bomb thrown into the boy's dormitory where 20 students had barricaded themselves, they were burnt beyond recognition. Ugandan First Lady, Janet Museveni, said.

JANET MUSEVENI, UGANDAN FIRST LADY AND UGANDAN EDUCATION MINISTER: Parents across the country, please do not panic. Our children are safe and they will remain safe. There are evil people and they are trying to harm our children, but they will not manage all of this.

MADOWO (voiceover): Neither the ADF nor ISIS have claimed responsibility for the attack. Larry Madowo, CNN, Kampala.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: One of Germany's most popular and well-known castles is now a crime scene after two American women were pushed off a nearby cliff while hiking. We'll have that story when we come back. Stay with us.

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[04:40:00]

BRUNHUBER: In the coming hours, Pope Francis will lead the weekly Angelus prayer at St. Peter's Basilica just two days after he was discharged from the hospital. The 86-year-old was at Rome's Gemelli Hospital for more than a week where he was recovering from abdominal surgery.

But for more, let's go to CNN's Barbie Nadeau live in Rome. So, Barbie, I imagine the square is filling up in anticipation. What's the mood there?

BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, you know, I mean, the -- Rome is heaving with tourists right now. So, we're expecting a pretty big crowd by the time he gets out there at noon, that's in an hour and 15 minutes from now. And, you know, the mood is great because everyone is so pleased that the holy father was able to recover and get out of the hospital. You know, 86 years old, underwent a three-hour surgery, you know, what a difference a week makes, too.

A week ago, he wasn't strong enough to go out onto the balcony in Gemelli Hospital to give this Angelus prayer and to bless he crowds. This week, we're expecting him to be in good form and we'll be watching to see how strong he sounds and what he has to say. He makes comments, personal comments, as well in world affairs. So, everybody is waiting and watching and optimistic. This is a good news story for a change, Kim. BRUNHUBER: Yes. Absolutely. You and I were watching as he was emerging from the hospital there. So, talk to me about how his recovery is progressing in terms of his future plans. I take it he's still planning to travel later this summer?

NADEAU: Yes, you know, they did cancel the Wednesday audience for this coming week. He doesn't usually hold these Wednesday audiences, a two or three-hour affair, when people, pilgrims, and tourists alike fill the St. Peter's Square to hear him speak. And he's not doing it this week, that's, of course, because he's still post-operative. It's unclear if he'll do the last one in June. He won't be doing them in July but everything is pointing towards this really big August.

He's supposed to go to World Youth Day in Portugal. Now, that's a grueling affair during the, you know, the best of times. He's going to be, still, just you know, less than -- a little over a month, I guess we should say, post-operative. Then, a couple of weeks later, he's going to be taking this big trip to Mongolia. Both of those things are still on the calendar right now. There's no indication that they'll be canceled. But we can expect he'll be resting in July. You know, doctors are watching him. Nobody wants him to, like, push himself too far.

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This is a man that has proven time and time again, he has the stamina and energy of a man, of a person much younger than his own 86 years. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: All right. Thanks so much, Barbie Nadeau in Rome. Appreciate it.

One American tourist is dead, another badly injured following a violent altercation while hiking in Germany. Authorities say, the suspect, also an American tourist, is in custody. The two women, both graduates of the University of Illinois, apparently had met the man on Wednesday while hiking near this castle in Southern Germany. Now, at some point, he allegedly attacked both women and pushed them off a steep drop. 21-year-old Eva Liu, a computer science graduate from Naperville was killed in the fall. Her friend, 22-year-old Kelsey Chang was badly hurt. A neighbor back home in Illinois said she was horrified by the news.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My heart breaks for them. I just -- I'm very upset. Very upset. Very, very sweet people. So, I mean, it just -- it shouldn't have happened.

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BRUNHUBER: The University of Illinois put out this statement, "Both had just graduated in May and should have been able to celebrate such an important accomplishment without the fear of such a tragic outcome." The mayor of Tijuana, Mexico, is in protective custody after receiving gang threats. Montserrat Caballero is now living on an army base following an attempted attack in May. Now, this comes after she says her administration cracked down on criminal gangs. CNN's Rafael Romo has more.

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RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Suddenly the fact that it's a public official being threatened, it's also the fact that we're talking about the mayor of Tijuana, a major border city in a place frequently visited by Americans, because it's located across the border from San Diego. Mayor Montserrat Caballero has said that she was already the victim of an attempted attack. According to the mayor on May 17th, one of her bodyguards was shot at. That's when she made the decision to seek protection from Mexico's military, and now she's announced she will be living at an army base.

Why is she is being targeted? Caballero says that since taking office last September, her police force has seized 1,700 weapons from criminals and arrested 60 murder suspects, in addition to 1,700 other suspects accused of different crimes. But she told CNN, she doesn't know who's behind the threats. Let's take a listen.

MONTSERRAT CABALLERO, TIJUANA, MEXICO MAYOR (through translator): We found some banners where they asked me to stop the work I am doing. The banners were not signed by any criminal group. And I also had some phone messages asking me to stop working that weren't signed either.

ROMO: Mexican president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, confirmed a few days that the Tijuana mayor is under the protection of the military. The president said that she's already been under protective custody for more than two weeks due to the threats she has received. Adding that his government is going to wait and see how the situation unfolds before deciding what to do next.

The Tijuana mayor is not the only one who has received threats, according to President Lopez Obrador. He also said that the governor of Baja California, where Tijuana is located, was also threatened as a former governor of the same state. For the time being, Mayor Caballero says she will continue to sleep at the army base with her son and her pets, although she continues to carry out her daily duties at city hall and other places, at all times escorted by her bodyguards. Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

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BRUNHUBER: All right. Just ahead, we'll explain how a baby on the house floor led to a new caucus in Congress. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Well, just in time for Father's Day, lawmakers on Capitol Hill can agree on at least one issue, recognizing the role dads have in improving life for their children and families. CNN's Jake Tapper has the story of how the dads' caucus began.

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JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR (voiceover): It's a common question asked by parents all across the United States. Who is going to watch the baby? And it's one that the Congressional Dads Caucus aims to address head- on. During the house speaker votes back in January, California Congressman Jimmy Gomez was doing two jobs at once, congressman and dad. While Republicans were looking for votes for McCarthy, Gomez was looking for a changing table for his four-month-old son, Hodge.

REP. JIMMY GOMEZ (D-CA): During the speaker's vote, I just changed him on the floor in the Democratic cloak room. And it was fine but, you know, a lot of people don't have access to the Democratic cloak room.

TAPPER (voiceover): And after this viral moment on the House floor, the Congressional Dads Caucus was born. The caucus says, it will push for policies that support working families, like expanding paid family leave or making child care more affordable or increasing the child tax credit.

GOMEZ: I think that the Dads Caucus is creating a dialogue. What's the role of dads in the workplace? What's the role of dads in the household? And how do you combat some of those, I would say, outdated notions that dads shouldn't step up and do their part?

TAPPER (voiceover): The U.S. and Papua New Guinea, and a handful of small island nations are the only ones in the world that do not guarantee paid family leave. Family and medical leave act became law in the U.S. 30 years ago, but it does not guarantee paid job-protected leave for workers. Today, only one in four workers in the U.S. has access to paid family leave, and lower-income workers are not surprisingly hit the hardest. The Congressional Dads Caucus now has 30 Democratic members, including Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, but it has failed to gain bipartisan support in the House.

REP. JOSH HARDER (D-CA): I've written more bills with Republicans that any Democrat in the country, not by compromising values, but by trying to find common ground. And if there's one area of common ground that should exist, it's carrying about our kids and carrying about our families.

TAPPER (voiceover): Republicans have long-opposed a government-funded paid leave program. And Republicans tend to favor tax credits and policies that will not increase spending. One Republican criticized the Dads Caucus, saying, "Fathers care about keeping their kids safe. They care about putting food on the table for the families, and keeping a roof over their heads. They don't just care about liberal policy priorities.

[04:55:00]

If they wanted this caucus to actually be taken seriously, they would have made it bipartisan, like almost every other caucus in the House is. The Congressional Dads Caucus has also taken issue with the parents' bill of rights, a Republican education bill that requires public schools to share their material with parents. The Dads Caucus argues this takes away from the real problems that families face.

While the Dads Caucus advocates for policies they say will help American families. They're also hoping to add a few more changing tables in the capitol complex for themselves.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Changing your daughter on the restroom is not a Republican or a Democratic issue, right? It's something that whether you're a Republican dad or a Democratic dad, it's something that we should all be able to push for.

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BRUNHUBER: And in honor of Father's Day, the Prince and Princess of Wales have released a picture of William with his three children. Have a look. It shows the first in line to the throne with Prince George and Princess Charlotte, as Prince Louis hangs on to dad tightly. The photo was taken earlier this earlier at the Windsor Estate, the home of the British royal family for almost 1,000 years.

While Prince William's dad, King Charles, observed his first official birthday as reigning monarch with a celebration fit for a king, the monarch rode on horseback on Saturday along with other royal family members for the annual trooping the color. They've marked the first trooping for someone other than Queen Elizabeth in seven decades. The 74-year-old king actually had his real birthday as monarch in November.

Now, young Prince Louis, meanwhile, stole the show. The five-year-old appeared to cheer on the pilots during the military flyover at Buckingham Palace.

Well, that wraps this hour of "CNN Newsroom." I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news in just a moment. Please stay with us.

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