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CNN International: Sheinbaum Projected To Become Mexico's First Female President; ANC Loses Its Majority For First Time In 30 Years; Netanyahu Faces Mounting Pressure To Accept Peace Plan. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired June 03, 2024 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:10]
AMARA WALKER, HOST, "CNN NEWSROOM": Hi, everyone, and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Amara Walker. This is CNN Newsroom.
Just ahead, Mexico makes history, electing its first female President. We will join the celebrations in Mexico City. And the son of the U.S. President facing felony gun charges, Hunter Biden is about to become the first child of a sitting President to go on trial. Plus, there is a deal on the table for Israel and Hamas, but we're still waiting to hear whether either side will say yes to it.
We begin with what is set to become a historic new era for Mexico. Claudia Sheinbaum is projected to become the country's first ever female President. That is based on preliminary results from Sunday's election. The former mayor of Mexico City is also a protege of the outgoing President, who has congratulated Sheinbaum on her expected win.
Let's go now to Mexico City and CNN's Gustavo Valdes. Hello Gustavo. Tell us more about what Sheinbaum has been saying on how shall we govern?
GUSTAVO VALDES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Well, the announcement took a little longer. The National Institute of Elections said there was a glitch in the system that delayed their announcement until earlier this morning. But, when they announced the results, it was clear that Mexicans are ready to be led by a woman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VALDES (voice-over): Claudia Sheinbaum has made history as the first woman projected to be the next President of Mexico. The 61-year-old handedly defeated her two opponents with at least 58 percent of the vote, according to the National Electoral Institute.
CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, PROJECTED MEXICAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WINNER (Interpreted): Our duty is and always will be to look after each Mexican without distinctions. Although many Mexican women and Mexican men don't agree fully with our project, we will walk in peace and harmony to build a fairer and more prosperous Mexico.
VALDES (voice-over): Besides being the first woman set to become President, she would be the first one of Jewish ancestry. Her grandparents migrated from Eastern Europe, fleeing Nazi persecution, although she rarely mentioned her religious background. Her parents were leftist, according to a biography by journalist Arturo Cano, in which Sheinbaum says that she grew up talking about politics all day with her parents.
But, her first career is academia. She has a PhD in Environmental Engineering, focused in renewable energy and climate change. Her introduction to politics happened in 2000 when she became Mexico City's Environmental Minister under the head of government Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. She became part of his team during his three presidential campaigns, and in 2018, when he won the presidency, she was elected chief of government of Mexico City. She pledged to continue the policies of Lopez Obrador with a five-point plan, increase public safety, free public education, fight poverty through social programs and higher minimum wage, better regulation of water resources, and transition to renewable energies.
On Foreign Affairs, she has pledged to protect Mexico's sovereignty. And while recognizing the importance of their relationship with the United States, she wants to focus on growing ties with Central and South American nation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VALDES: And the result also show that Mexicans are happy with the policies of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador because Claudia Sheinbaum promised to continue whatever he started in this past six years. But, the people we talked to over the weekend and on Election Day told us that they really want to see her come from under his shadow and become her own person. Amara.
WALKER: All right. Gustavo Valdes, thank you very much.
And South Africa's ruling party is reeling after it received a seismic blow at the polls. Official results from last week's election were announced on Sunday, and the African National Congress has lost its majority for the first time since apartheid ended 30 years ago. The ANC got 40 percent of the vote, followed by the Democratic Alliance and the MK Party, which came in second and third place. President Cyril Ramaphosa is calling for construct of engagement, as the ANC will now have to form a coalition government.
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Let's go live to David McKenzie, who is in Johannesburg. I guess the question is then, David, will they -- these parties be able to find common ground to form a coalition?
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A huge amount is at stake, Amara, and that is the big question, whether they can put aside the differences and move this country forward after this very dramatic election that saw substantial, very substantial losses from the ANC. Just a few years ago, this would have been unthinkable, but they really took a drubbing in this election.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MCKENZIE (voice-over): Sometimes, change comes slowly.
CYRIL RAMAPHOSA, SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT: Our people have spoken. Whether we like it or not, they have spoken.
MCKENZIE (voice-over): Sometimes, it comes fast. In just one election cycle, the ANC, the party of Nelson Mandela, with a staggering drop in support. After three decades of dominance, the voters have spoken, the party that has defined South African politics losing its outright majority.
TK POOE, WITS SCHOOL OF GOVERNANCE: I think it means that society has passed the ANC by. We've always been waiting for the moment. We just didn't know the appropriate vehicle.
MCKENZIE (voice-over): Many South Africans were fed up with rampant corruption, huge unemployment, and deep inequality. But, the ANC collapse came in large part, thanks to this man, disgraced former ANC President Jacob Zuma. In just a few months, his new uMkhonto we Sizwe Party or MK, bled votes from the ANC, tapping into Zuma's loyal support in KwaZulu-Natal province. Zuma and his party have without evidence claimed there were irregularities at the polls, threatening trouble if results were announced.
MELANIE VERWOERD, POLITICAL ANALYST, FORMER ANC MP: Jacob Zuma is different, and it's always dangerous to let ethnic and tribal tensions rise too much. I don't foresee it being an issue in the foreseeable future. But, it is something that one always needs to watch.
MCKENZIE (voice-over): What to watch for next, coalition politics. The ANC likely must choose to combine with pro-business Democratic Alliance or the leftist radical Economic Freedom Fighters, perhaps even adding Zuma's MK. No one knows for sure.
FIKILE MBALULA, ANC SECRETARY-GENERAL: We call on all South Africans to resist the efforts of those forces who want to weaken our democracy, who want to undermine our electoral processes, and who want to disregard the will of the people.
JOHN STEENHUISEN, DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE LEADER: Coalitions can work. They work all over the world. It requires maturity, and yes, there is going to be choppy waters ahead for South Africa, but we will navigate them.
MCKENZIE: Do you want to be part of a governing coalition?
STEENHUISEN: Of course. I mean, your whole point of being in politics is to get into government.
MCKENZIE (voice-over): The results are deeply embarrassing for President Cyril Ramaphosa. He staked his reputation on reviving the ANC.
MCKENZIE: Is Cyril Ramaphosa under pressure now?
POOE: Oh, no. He is beyond under pressure. I think he might need to start looking for a new job. He always thought of himself as the next incumbent to President Nelson Mandela. Last recollection, President Nelson Mandela never lost an election.
MCKENZIE (voice-over): But, Ramaphosa is well known as a skilled negotiator, a skill that will now become very handy indeed.
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MCKENZIE: What I find quite striking, having covered South African politics for a long time, Amara, is that you have very different scenarios that could face this country in terms of the way that a coalition governs, the policies that they choose, and the direction they take this country. And I have to say, anyone who says they know what's going to happen, will be lying, because this is uncharted territory, and a great deal of backroom negotiations will be happening as we speak. Amara.
WALKER: David McKenzie watching this for us very closely in Johannesburg, thank you very much, David.
Well, the Biden administration is making a diplomatic push just days after presenting the outline of an Israeli ceasefire proposal. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with two Israeli ministers on Sunday. He assured Yoav Gallant and Benny Gantz that a ceasefire would advance Israel's long-term security interests. But, two far-right Israeli ministers are threatening to topple their own coalition if it implements the current peace plan. On Friday, President Biden laid out a three-phase Israeli proposal publicly that will combine the release of hostages with a full ceasefire.
CNN's Paula Hancocks joining me live from Abu Dhabi. All right. So, I guess, what are Netanyahu has options at this point? He is obviously being pulled in two different directions, one by his government and the other President Biden, who wants him to end the war.
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PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Amara, worth pointing out also, he is being pulled by those on the street protesting, saying that they want this hostage deal, this ceasefire deal to go ahead. So, what we know at this point is that we've heard from the U.S. side that this is effectively an Israeli proposal. They have built this up to show that that they are certain that Israel will go along with it.
We heard from John Kirby, the National Security Council spokesperson, on the weekend, saying that he was sure that this would go ahead because it was effectively Israel's deal that was on the table. So, certainly, there is pressure for Benjamin Netanyahu to push this through. Now, he said just after that announcement by the U.S. President that there still needed to be certain guarantees. There needed to be a guarantee that Hamas did not have governmental or military capabilities, something which President Biden did address and said he did believe that they have had their military capabilities taken away from them. He also said he wanted to make sure all hostages were released, and that Gaza would not be a threat going forward. But, of course, the issue is these far-right coalition members who
have said that if a ceasefire deal goes ahead and they have not completely destroyed Hamas, then they would pull out of the coalition. Now, there is somewhat of a safety net. We've heard from opposition leader Yair Lapid, for example, saying he could be a safety net just to make sure that this deal goes through. So, there could possibly be other elements within Israeli politics, not those that support the Israeli Prime Minister, but ones that support a hostage and ceasefire deal that could put themselves forward to try and make sure this goes ahead. But, many analysts and experts do fear that if it doesn't work this time, there may not be another chance.
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BARAK RAVID, CNN POLITICAL & GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: If this proposal is not accepted, there will not be another one. The Israeli negotiation team and the Israeli war cabinet exhausted their maneuvering space, meaning there will not be a more forward-leaning proposal than the one they got. And if Hamas says no to this, I think the whole issue of a hostage deal and a ceasefire will be off the table for a very long time, and this war will likely escalate.
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HANCOCKS: And that's why we've been seeing a flurry of diplomatic activity over the weekend, the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling those in the region, anyone who has any kind of sway with Hamas, for example, Qatar, Egypt, calling his counterparts, trying to put pressure on them, to put pressure on Hamas to accept this deal.
Now, the official line from the Biden administration is they are now waiting on Hamas. The ball is in their court to have an official acceptance, saying that the initial statement from the group was positive after this proposal was made. And we had a joint statement as well from the U.S., Qatar and Egypt, those three countries which are really key mediators for this deal, pushing both Israel and Hamas to take this proposal on the table, certainly heard from President Biden himself, saying on Friday, it is time that this war ends, and that's certainly a sentiment that has been felt by many around the world for many weeks and months. Amara.
WALKER: All right. We will see what comes out of that. Paula Hancocks, good to see you. Thank you so much.
The U.S. Secretary of Defense says he has not yet seen a major operation by Israel in Russia, but he says the U.S. will continue to monitor the situation in the southern Gaza City very closely. The Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, made the comments in Singapore while attending Asia's top security conference. On Friday, the Israeli military confirmed it had moved into central Rafah despite international concern. Ukraine was also a big topic of discussion at the summit.
CNN's Natasha Bertrand joining me now live from Singapore. Hi Natasha. Tell us more about President Zelenskyy's surprise visit to the conference. What did he have to say and was he able to accomplish -- what was he able to accomplish, if anything?
NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, he really came to Singapore to try to broaden out that international coalition of Ukrainian allies and partners against Russia. And importantly, he also tried to set up meetings with China, which has been accused of supporting Russia's defense sector and essentially propping up the Russian military and therefore fueling the war in Ukraine. But, he was unsuccessful in that effort. He was unable to secure a meeting with the Chinese, and he had a message for them anyway, an indirect message, essentially telling them and telling the world that they are responsible for lengthening the war in Ukraine and for fueling it.
[08:15:00]
And so, he was really urging all of the Asian defense leaders who were here in Singapore over the weekend to join Ukraine at a peace summit that it is going to hold in two weeks in Switzerland. And ultimately, he was not able to get that buy-in from the Chinese, who say that they are not going to attend a peace summit one way or the other. But, he was able to meet, of course, with Secretary of Defense Austin, who was also here meeting with officials, and they discussed Ukraine's battlefield needs at the moment, their air defense needs, because Russia continues to bombard Ukrainian cities with massive missile barrages really on a daily basis.
And importantly, Zelenskyy also took the opportunity to thank Austin, thank President Biden, for that major U.S. policy decision to allow Ukraine to finally use those U.S.-made weapons to strike inside Russian territory itself, which is a major shift that the U.S. had really considered a red line over the last two years. And so, Austin, earlier today, he spoke to us, traveling press with him, and he said that he does believe that this is going to make a significant difference in Ukraine's ability to defend itself because essentially Russia is firing from just across the border, and until now had been under the impression that Ukraine would not be able to fire back, and now they actually can.
And so, Russia's advances in that area, they're slowing, according to Austin, which of course is good news for the Ukrainians. But, ultimately, Zelenskyy came here because he doesn't have a lot of opportunity, right, to have facetime with these very key Asian leaders. He was hoping to really get support from them for this upcoming peace summit. And hopefully, ideally in the future, a broad opposition to Russia's war there. Amara.
WALKER: All right. Natasha Bertrand in Singapore for us, thanks so much, Natasha.
Ukraine's President has thanked his Philippines counterpart for agreeing to attend an upcoming peace summit. President Zelenskyy made a surprise visit to Manila, continuing his Asia-Pacific trip, as he looks to bolster support for the peace conference in Switzerland later this month. He also said Ukraine plans to open an embassy in the Philippines this year.
All right. Still to come, just days after a former U.S. President was convicted of a felony, the son of President Biden faces his own legal troubles. Jury selection in Hunter Biden's gun trial, is coming up. And Donald Trump tries out a new social media channel, one he has spent a lot of time criticizing in the past.
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WALKER: In a matter of minutes, jury selection will begin in yet another trial that could play a role in this year's U.S. presidential race. Hunter Biden, Joe Biden's son, is facing three felony charges for purchasing a gun in 2018 when he was allegedly suffering from drug and alcohol addiction. It is the first time the child of a sitting President has been charged with a federal crime. A special prosecutor brought the charges after a plea agreement fell apart last summer.
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For more on this, let's bring in CNN Senior Crime and Justice Reporter Katelyn Polantz. Good to see you, Katelyn. So, remind us how we got here, because this case was almost resolved with a plea deal. Right?
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: It was, and they're -- the Hunter Biden team wanted to protect Hunter Biden from possible additional investigation or additional cases. The prosecutors wouldn't agree to that. And so, Amara, the case ultimately was charged, and now we see Hunter Biden arriving at court for this first day of the criminal trial. Here is a little bit more on what to expect in the coming days.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you happy with the plea deal?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey sir, back up.
POLANTZ (voice-over): The son of the sitting President on trial in another criminal case with big political implications.
HUNTER BIDEN, SON OF PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: They ridiculed my struggle with addiction.
POLANTZ (voice-over): Hunter Biden's addiction and purchase of a gun in October 2018 is at the heart of this case. The Justice Department accusing him of lying on gun purchasing forms that required him to attest he wasn't addicted to drugs. A special counsel brought the case last year after a prior deal fell apart in dramatic fashion at his plea hearing.
MERRICK GARLAND, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: I'm here today to announce the appointment of David Weiss as a special counsel.
POLANTZ (voice-over): On Monday, jury selection begins, potentially a challenging task in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware. Federal prosecutors plan to highlight a part of his memoir, where he writes about struggling with drug addiction around the time he bought the gun. H. BIDEN: I had returned that fall of 2018 after my most recent
relapse in California with the hope of getting clean through new therapy and reconciling with Hallie. Neither happened.
POLANTZ (voice-over): And they have evidence from the week of the gun purchase, Hunter Biden texting he was waiting for a dealer and sleeping on a car smoking crack. The trial also may feature testimony from the women in Hunter Biden's life, his ex-wife, his brother's widow, and a woman he pays child support to. Prosecutors say the women witnessed his drug addiction.
While Joe Biden continues to seek reelection, the President has avoided commenting directly on the prosecution of his son.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I'm very proud of my son.
POLANTZ (voice-over): Yet, the trial is likely to dredge up more Republican attacks on the Bidens, including about a laptop containing embarrassing messages and images that prosecutors have obtained.
REP. ELISE STEFANIK (R-NY): The Biden crime family sold out America and the American people have had enough.
POLANTZ (voice-over): Republicans have been investigating Hunter Biden's business dealings as part of an impeachment probe of President Biden that's come up short.
H. BIDEN: MAGA Republicans have impugned my character, invading my privacy, attacked my wife, my children, my family, and my friends.
POLANTZ (voice-over): After his trial on felony gun charges ends, Hunter Biden is set to face a second one in federal court in California on tax charges.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
POLANTZ: So, Amara, a lot is going to be on display about the personal trials and tribulations of Hunter Biden. In this case, his attorneys are going to contest and they're going to try and point out to the jury that Hunter Biden didn't know he was an addict at that time or didn't believe he was addicted to drugs at that time when he checked the box to buy the gun, saying he wasn't an addict. But, they are having some limitations put on them by the judge. They can't even call an expert witness to try and flesh out that point they want to make about his drug addiction. Amara.
WALKER: All right. Katelyn Polantz, appreciate it. Thank you so much.
Former U.S. President and now convicted felon, Donald Trump says he would be OK with serving prison time. It's just a few days since a jury found him guilty of all 34 charges in his hush money criminal trial. But, as he awaits sentencing on July 11, the Republican candidate for President said a harsh punishment could push his supporters to a breaking point.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The judge could decide to say, hey, house arrest or even jail. How do you face that?
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm OK with it. I saw one of my lawyers the other day on television saying, oh, no, you don't want to do that to the Pres -- I said, don't, you know, beg for anything. It's just the way it is. I don't know that the public would stand it. I don't -- I'm not sure the public would stand for it with a --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With a house arrest or --
TRUMP: I think it'd be tough for the public to take. At a certain point, there is a breaking point.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: Now, Trump did not stop there. When he asked -- when asked if he would seek revenge if he is reelected, here is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: It's a very interesting question. My revenge will be success and I mean that. But, it's awfully hard when you see what they've done. These people are so evil.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: Now, the latest Quinnipiac Poll taken before the hush money verdict shows President Biden and Donald Trump in a dead heat.
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They will face off for the first time in a CNN debate on June 27, two weeks before Trump's sentencing and three weeks before the Republican National Convention.
Well, as the old saying goes, if you can't beat him, join him, right? Well, Donald Trump has now joined TikTok. The former President's first video was from his appearance at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event. For years, Trump has been a vocal critic of TikTok, attacking it over its Chinese ownership. But, the fast-growing social media app is a great way to connect with younger voters.
Let's bring in CNN Business Writer Clare Duffy with more on this. All right. So, Trump has attacked TikTok pretty relentlessly, and now he is on it.
CLARE DUFFY, CNN BUSINESS WRITER: Yeah, Amara. I mean, I think this just speaks to how important this platform is. There are 170 million American users on this app, and many of them are those young users, those young voters that the Trump campaign really wants to reach here. I think the timing of this is also really interesting. It comes just two days after Trump's conviction, and the account appeared just one day after the Biden-Harris campaign's TikTok account started posting, attacking Trump for that conviction. So, you have to imagine that Trump wants to be able to respond directly to those attacks on the platform. But, it is striking, right? It was under Trump that these conversations first began about the national security concerns surrounding TikTok, as President Trump tried and failed to ban the app.
But, in the last few months, as Congress and the Biden White House moved closer to and eventually did pass a law that could ban TikTok, Trump has had an about-face. He now says he doesn't support banning TikTok. He thinks that could alienate young users and it could benefit the Facebook parent company Meta. And -- but, I have to say that this has to, at least in part, be a political move on Trump's part. He wants to curry favor with these young voters, these young users who love this platform, and at a time when Biden has signed a law that could ban the app, Trump is saying, no, I think this app should be allowed. And now, he is getting on to be able to talk directly to those users. Amara.
WALKER: And have you heard anything about TikTok potentially policing Trump's content?
DUFFY: I think it's kind of a wait and see moment here. Trump was banned from a number of other major platforms following the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He has since been allowed back on to many of those platforms as they kind of wait to see how he uses those platforms in the run-up to this upcoming presidential election. And I think it will be a test for TikTok. The platform does say it will not allow misinformation or content about civic and electoral processes that could compromise voting or could interfere with the peaceful transfer of power. And so, I think it could be a test for TikTok, if we do see that kind of content from Donald Trump. How will they handle it? They haven't had to deal with a situation like this in the way that many of the other major platforms have had to.
WALKER: All right. Clare Duffy, appreciate your reporting. Thank you very much.
And just ahead, from the U.S. presidential campaign to that historic vote in Mexico. The country will now get its first ever female President. What challenges await Claudia Sheinbaum? Also, President Biden gets ready to roll out a new executive order aimed at tackling U.S. border security. The details are next.
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WALKER: Let's return to our top story now. Claudia Sheinbaum will become Mexico's first female President. Preliminary results from Mexico's Electoral Institute now show she has won Sunday's presidential election. She is a climate scientist and the former mayor of Mexico City. Over 98 million people were registered to vote.
Carin Zissis is the Editor-in-Chief of Americas Society and Council of the Americas Online. She is joining us now from Mexico City to discuss this election. Hello to you, Carin. Let's talk about the fact that -- I mean, this election was historic in so many ways, of course, namely because we're talking about a first female President in Mexico, a first Jewish President in Mexico, but also the sheer size of this election.
CARIN ZISSIS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, AMERICAS SOCIETY AND COUNCIL OF THE AMERICAS ONLINE: Absolutely. This was a massive election, because due to a series of political reforms, many elections across the country aligned to be held at the same time. We're talking about 20,000 seats across the country up for election, the entire Congress, and of course, the presidency, as well as nine governorships. Now, her party, Claudia Sheinbaum's party, won by a landslide in not just the presidency. She won by about 34 points. It's important to note that she won by more votes than her predecessor, the popular -- the person who will be her predecessor, the popular President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and she won by more votes -- a greater portion of the votes than any other President since Mexico went through a democratic transition.
It also is appearing as though her party has won two thirds majority in the lower house of Congress, and in addition, potentially close to a two thirds majority in the Senate. She will come in and have an ability to carry out sweeping changes. And as you mentioned, this is a historic election because she is the first woman President. She will be governing the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. And given that size of Mexico's population, there are more women in Mexico than even in the second largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. So, she will be governing more Spanish-speaking women than anywhere else in the world. So, this is indeed a historic election, for many reasons.
WALKER: How much did AMLO have to do with her winning this election? I mean, I guess there are questions on how independent she will be able to be and governing not being in his shadow?
ZISSIS: That has really been a big question as we've gotten closer to the election. She was seen as his chosen successor. She got her start politically in his government when he was mayor of Mexico City and he is seen as her political mentor. She has repeated over and over, she has pledged a government of continuity. She has pledged to carry on a reform agenda that he laid out the spring, which is important now that we're seeing that Congress will be very likely controlled by Morena. And that's been the big question, to what degree will she sort of go out on her own, walk out under a shadow? It's looking as though we can expect this Morena movement, the political party to continue. It's very likely we're going to see some continuity.
WALKER: And two big issues that come to mind when you think of Mexico, as an American is, number one is violence and of course immigration. But, when it comes to cartel violence, I mean, this is a country that has been marred by that for many, many years. That's going to be a huge challenge as she tries to tackle violence. In fact, I mean, it was highlighted by the fact that there were 30 some candidates who were vying people, vying for public office, who were killed since this last summer. I mean, how does she -- what is her plan to crack down? [08:35:00]
ZISSIS: That's a great question, and we really did see, unfortunately, the impact of organized crime on these elections. There were, as you said, well over 30 candidates assassinated in this election cycle, hundreds more intimidated, threatened. We're going to probably see a continuation of some of his policies, of AMLO's policies. He really expanded the military, expanded the National Guard, this agency that he created, that is well over 100,000 strong. And there has been a sort of deep militarization in the country. By that, I mean that the military is involved in everything in terms of infrastructure building, taking care of ports, airports. We might see a continuation of that. That's what she has promised.
During her time as mayor of Mexico City, there was a reduction of homicides and certain types of crime. So, it'll be interesting to see what different tactics she used in the capital, Mexico City is the biggest city in North America, and how some of those could get transferred over into her policies as President. But, we should expect to see similar policies --
WALKER: Right.
ZISSIS: -- to her -- to AMLO.
WALKER: Yeah. Carry on AMLA's legacy. Carin Zissis, good to have you, Editor-in-Chief of Americas Society and Council of the Americas Online. Thank you.
So, as Mexico gets ready for a new leader, sources tell CNN U.S. President Joe Biden is preparing to roll out sweeping executive action on arrangements at the southern border. Basically, he will be cracking down with more restrictive policy there. They say an announcement could come as early as Tuesday. The President is expected to dramatically limit the scope for migrants to seek asylum at the U.S. border. We're hearing the White House is aiming to neutralize Republican attacks, claiming the President has failed to tackle the border crisis.
CNN's Arlette Saenz joining me now live at the White House with more. So, what are you learning in terms of what kind of policies President Biden could announce, and could some of it, I guess, mirror those policy that were in that bipartisan agreement that we saw was torpedoed by Trump several months ago?
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Amara. Sources have told us that President Biden could announce his executive action relating to the border as soon as tomorrow. In fact, sources have told us the White House officials have started reaching out to mayors who represent cities along the U.S. southern border to potentially join Biden here at the White House for that event.
Now, the President has been weighing this potential executive action for months now in the wake of that failed bipartisan border talks up on Capitol Hill. In recent weeks, administration officials have been working towards this executive action, which would dramatically limit people's ability to seek asylum at the U.S. southern border. It's expected that this policy could be reminiscence of an approach President -- former President Donald Trump took while he was in office, tapping in to an existing authority -- a pre-existing authority that would severely clamp down on border crossings at the border.
Now, the White House has so far has not detailed exactly what would be in this executive action or confirmed that it's actually coming this week, a White House spokesperson simply saying quote, "As we have said before, the administration continues to explore a series of policy options and we remain committed to taking action to address our broken immigration system." Now, it comes as the President and his team are really trying to tackle a politically problematic issue for the President heading into November's election, and before that all- important first debate with former President Donald Trump a bit later this month.
Now, Americans have increasingly shown concern about issues relating to the U.S. southern border. It's something that Trump has really tried to seize on within his campaign. But, you have also seen the President and the White House really take a more aggressive approach when it comes to the border at a time when they were frustrated with the fact that Republicans blocked those bipartisan border talks at the urging of former President Trump. Now, Biden is seeking really to try to turn the tables on Republicans as they are trying to roll out these measures to address the issues at the U.S. southern border. It comes at a time when apprehensions at the southern border have actually been down this year, in part due to Mexico's own stepped-up enforcement along the U.S. southern border.
But, administration officials are keenly aware that there could be a border surge in the coming summer months, and at this time, are trying to take some steps to try to show that the President is trying to address this issue that many voters have expressed concerns about and that Republicans have tried to use against Biden heading into November's election.
WALKER: Arlette Saenz, good to have you there at the White House. Thank you very much.
The city of Atlanta is under a state of emergency right now. It all stems from a series of water main breaks. What is being done to put matters right? That's coming up. And lots of water is being used in parts of California where extreme temperatures are making conditions unbearable.
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WALKER: The city of Atlanta is still seeing interruptions to its water service. This comes days after a number of significant breaks in the city's water main. Homes, businesses, hospitals and entertainment venues across the Georgia capital are all affected. The mayor of Atlanta has declared a state of emergency and apologized for the city's response.
Rafael Romo joining us now live from Atlanta. Rafael, this wasn't just one water main break, right?
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. It was two major lines. But, after that, it was several more that wreaked havoc here in the city of Atlanta. And we're at the site of one of those two major water main breaks that caused so many problems over the weekend. And we still have vast portions of the city without drinking water, Amara, for the fourth straight day. Residents tell us that this break here at 11th Street and West Peachtree in the midtown neighborhood started Friday and it was finally shut off just a couple of hours ago.
It's hard to put into words the impact that those two major water main breaks and several smaller ones had on one of America's largest cities. Thousands of people have been without water for four days. Now, some of the top tourist attractions in the south, including World of Coca-Cola and the Georgia Aquarium were forced to shut down. Two major concerts by a rap artist had to be canceled, and at least one hospital was forced to transfer dialysis patients to a different location and bring in tens of thousands of gallons of water by tanker truck to be able to operate.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens apologized for the water crisis over the weekend, saying that city crews are doing everything they can to bring it to an end. He also said the city is getting help from the state of Georgia.
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MAYOR ANDRE DICKENS, ATLANTA: We have declared a state of emergency in the city of Atlanta to allow us to access resources in an expedited fashion. We've been working with the Georgia Department of Emergency Management, and we appreciate the support from the state.
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ROMO: Amara, we've also heard from Emory University Hospital Midtown, which announced it has moved back to normal operations because water pressure returned to the hospital after several water main breaks in the area were repaired. The hospital also said ambulances have resumed normal service as well, although they will continue to provide bottled water to patients, visitors and staff because there is still a boil advisory in the city. And finally, Amara, the Atlanta schools announced that summer school and summer programs will not be held today due to the water emergency, a crisis, a really big crisis in Atlanta right now.
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Back to you.
WALKER: Absolutely. Rafael Romo, thank you very much.
Well, firefighters in California say the huge Corral Fire there is 50 percent contained now since starting over the weekend south of Sacramento. It has charred 14,000 acres and more than 5,600 hectares. Weather conditions are improving, which is helping firefighters get a handle on those flames. Despite the lower winds and falling temperatures, those living closest to the fire have been ordered to evacuate. Extreme heat could be an issue for parts of the southwestern U.S. in the coming days.
Meteorologist Derek Van Dam joining us now with a look at the current condition. Hi there.
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah. This fire, the Corral Fire, is set amongst the backdrop of the mercury climbing in the state of California. It's going to get very hot over the coming days. But, it's also a product of the dry grasslands. So, we had above average snow and rain this past winter. Then the atmosphere decided to turn off the faucet, right? So, we've gone into the drier season. And all that grass that was able to grow amongst the abundant moisture that fell through the winter is now starting to dry out and it's drying out rapidly. And unfortunately, these are the combinations that you need for timber box conditions to ignite wildfires, just like the Corral Fire.
So, the good news is the winds have relaxed. So, we've seen this containment go up. The firefighters starting to get a handle on this fire, 50 percent containment. San Joaquin and the Central Valley there still seen relaxing winds, but it's the temperatures that are really the concern for many locations because excessive heat warnings are in place, larger city centers as well. So, we're talking Las Vegas. They're under a heat warning that we could see temperatures climb to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. That's your heat indices.
So, what it feels like as you step outside, record-high temperatures, record-low high temperatures as well. So, just hundreds of them being broken over the coming days. And of course, this poses a risk to the elderly and also to the vulnerable within these types of conditions, stretching from Texas through the four corners and into the Central Valley where San Joaquin location is located, and the Corral Fire is actually located.
And you can see the triple-digit heat that's going to last through the week for Vegas, Phoenix to Palm Springs. It's set amongst a cooler weather pattern over the eastern half of the U.S. So, anytime we get these collision of air masses, we get the chance of severe weather. So, we're looking out for that across the central U.S. Seven-day forecast, not looking that promising, though. If you're located in Las Vegas, you're going to hit the strip with temperatures well above 100 degrees, and that is just a scorcher. So, take care. Drink water.
WALKER: Yeah. It is a scorcher. It is the desert too but it is a scorcher. Good to see you, Derek Van Dam.
Still to come, a stunning win for Simone Biles, as she extends her record at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships. All the details and highlights after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WALKER: South Korea says it may suspend a landmark military agreement with North Korea following the barrage of trash-filled balloons that have floated across the border from the north. The South Korean military says that in the past week, something like 1,000 trash balloons have been sent from North Korea.
CNN's Mike Valerio has more on one of the strangest ever outbreaks of cross-border hostilities.
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MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're going to start with that military agreement that now could be in trouble because of this balloon drama between North Korea and South Korea. So, the agreement was made in September of 2018 between the North and the South. And what they essentially said they were going to do is pull back their respective militaries ever so slightly from their activities in the DMZ in order to build up trust. Fast forward to now and everything that we're witnessing here, South Korea says that so much of that trust, from their point of view, is gone, and they want to perhaps fully suspend this military agreement.
So, that's the diplomatic dimension. The human dimension, though, we have 26 million people or thereabouts in greater Seoul, this huge metropolis, and if you put yourself in their shoes, seeing perhaps one of these balloons descend from the sky, hitting a car, landing on your local school grounds, having hazmat teams inspect these balloons all weekend long to see what is in them, what, if any, kind of waste is in them, and it certainly left a lasting impression with so many people. Here is just a sample of what we've heard.
SONG KWONG-JA, RESIDENT OF YONGKIN CITY, SOUTH KOREA (Interpreted): I had goosebumps. It felt like a childish prank. I was surprised to hear about it.
KIM MIN-HEE, RESIDENT OF YONGKIN CITY, SOUTH KOREA (Interpreted): Why are they sending things like this? I'm worried that they might send something dangerous.
VALERIO: So, where do we go from here? Well, North Korea says that it is going to at least temporarily stop these dispatches of balloons heading southbound. But, there are human rights groups in South Korea that have said they're going to keep sending their balloons northbound over the DMZ. Just think of flash drives tied to balloons filled with K-dramas, K-pop music, samples of what it's like in South Korea being sent on balloons over the DMZ to North Korea.
So, we will be waiting to see what South Korea's cabinet does on Tuesday, potentially abandoning this agreement, and what other nonprofit groups do sending their balloons northward as well.
Mike Valerio, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE) WALKER: Mike, thank you.
It is another monumental win for American gymnast Simone Biles. She extended her record after securing the ninth U.S. Gymnastics Champion all-around title on Sunday. Biles dominated the competition in Texas, finishing with top scorers in four events. She is just spectacular. The four-time Olympic gold medalist is now eyeing a spot on the team for Paris this July, following a two-year break from sport to focus on her mental health.
CNN's Sports Correspondent Carolyn Manno joining me now. I can just watch that over and over and over. She is incredible. She dominated the competition, the national competition, from the start. Tell us more.
CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. It's great to see her smiling and looking really confident. We know her resume. We know that she is the greatest gymnasts of all time. She continues to prove that. And this is actually, Amara, more than a decade after she first won at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships. So, if you think about that span of excellence and the way in which she did this, just domination all around, winning the all-around title for that record-extending nighttime. She has got four Olympic gold medals already. She turned in the top cumulative scores in all four events. She looked really good on the balance beam, the floor, the vault, the uneven bars, and she finished almost six points ahead of silver medalist Skye Blakely.
So, a lot of people have been watching what she has been doing since she returned to competitive gymnastics last year. We all watched her experience of the twisties at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and how that shined that an even bigger spotlight on athletes prioritizing their mental health.
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SIMONE BILES, MOST DECORATED GYMNAST IN HISTORY: Today, it's just getting out here, getting comfortable and confident in my gymnastics, and hopefully going to Olympic trials and making that next step towards Paris. So, I couldn't be more proud of how I'm doing this time of the year and just gaining that confidence over and over, getting myself back in front of a crowd and just doing what I do in practise.
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MANNO: The U.S. women's Olympic gymnastics team is going to be chosen later this month, Amara, at the trials in Minneapolis, and she is looking to become the first American woman since Dominique Dawes back in 2000 to make three Olympic teams in her career.
WALKER: All right. Carolyn Manno, really incredible stuff. Thank you so much. Good to see you.
And a historic win for golfer Yuka Saso, who took home her second career U.S. Women's Open title on Sunday. Saso's victory makes her the first Japanese national to win the tournament. Her compatriot, Hinako Shibuno, finished runner-up at one under par, while Americans Andrea Lee and Ally Ewing finished tied for third at even par.
And finally, a celebration that you've become quite familiar with in the Spanish capital, as the kings of Europe, Real Madrid, brought home their record-extending 15th European Cup Trophy, presenting the dazzling piece of hardware to thousands and thousands of fans who gathered there in central Madrid Sunday.
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Los Blancos received a hero's welcome and ticker-tape parade one day after their 2-0 victory against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League final. Obviously, a huge celebration, well deserved.
That's my time. Thank you so much for being with me here on CNN Newsroom. I'm Amara Walker. Connect the World with Eleni Giokos is up next.
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