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Proposed Israel-Hamas Ceasefire; E.U.'s Threatens Countermeasures to Trump's Steel Tariffs; Friedrich Merz to Visit the White House; Israel Not Cooperating with High-Level West Bank Visit; 16-Year-Old Targeted by Anti-Trans Protesters; White House Overhauls COVID Vaccines Policy and HIV Programs. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired June 01, 2025 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

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

There is new uncertainty around the U.S. proposed ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will have the latest developments in a live report. U.S. allies are reacting to President Trump upping the ante on his steel and aluminum tariffs. We'll have details on the response to its latest move in the trade war. Plus, understanding the significant changes made to U.S. COVID vaccine policy. I'll speak with an infectious disease specialist about what you need to know.

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

BRUNHUBER: We begin with a chaotic situation turned deadly in Gaza. The Palestinian Red Crescent says 26 people were killed this morning after Israeli troops opened fire near an aid distribution site, more than 80 others were reportedly injured. The site is run by a private organization backed by the U.S. and Israel, whose plan has been criticized by the U.N. Now, this all comes amid ongoing ceasefire negotiations. U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff is slamming Hamas' response to a U.S. ceasefire proposal as totally unacceptable.

In Israel, protestors held a huge rally Saturday night with the brother of one hostage making a direct appeal to Witkoff. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please, Mr. Witkoff, if the hostage deal outline is accepted, place a comprehensive deal on the table immediately, one that will end the war and ensure the return of all remaining hostages. Don't let Netanyahu torpedo this deal and resume the fighting, the fighting that will cause the living hostages their lives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: And for more, we join Salma Abdelaziz, who is in London. So, Salma, first on the situation at the aid distribution that we saw Gazans dying of starvation and facing death if they try to get food as well.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Kim. Horrifying breaking news that we received just about an hour ago, Israeli forces opened fire at an e distribution site in the south of the Gaza Strip, killing at least 26 Palestinians and wounding 80 others. This is according to the only medical professionals who are at the site, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. It says that, again, Israeli forces open fire as crowds of people desperately tried to get this food aid.

Now, we have reached out to the Israeli military for comment, and we've also reached out to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. This is the very controversial Israeli-backed, U.S.-backed group that is behind this aid distribution where violence broke out this morning.

It is a group that's been criticized by the United Nations, by other rights groups for simply carrying out what they say are aid distributions that are not done in a humanitarian way. They do not check I.D.s. We saw videos of some of these aid distributions, Kim, and there seemed to be no organization, no distributing of aid at all, just boxes where people crowded, ran to get that desperately needed aid. I think it is no surprise that violence has broken out yet again.

These chaotic sites where people are literally dying to get a bit of food. And what Palestinians are telling us is that if you are strong, if you are capable, you can get a box of aid. If you are elderly, if you are a child, if you are weaker or vulnerable in any way, you will not get that much needed drop in the ocean, again to remind our viewers, Kim, drop in the ocean of need when it comes to that aid.

The U.N. is describing Gaza now as the hungriest place on Earth. It says all 2 million people there are at risk of famine after this 11- week blockade we're seeing that aid come in. But again, just a trickle. And you can see the chaos, the horror that is happening at these sites and people dying, losing their lives, again, to get that much needed aid.

You also have to remember that about 80 percent of the Gaza Strip is now under some form of Israeli evacuation orders. That means all 2 million people now are being pushed into this one corner in the south, where, again, there is very little in terms of basic supplies, food medicine, hospitals, you can see that one woman just running with that bag of flour. It is really difficult to see these images, and I know we're going to speak about that next. Diplomatic efforts so far have not been able to ease the suffering you're seeing on your screen right now.

[04:05:00]

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Desperate no win situation for so many in Gaza. And, Salma, as you alluded to there, to get more aid, a pause in the fighting is so vital. So, bring us up to speed on the latest on a ceasefire proposal.

ABDELAZIZ: Yes. So, last week, Steve Witkoff, of course, the U.S. envoy for the Trump administration, proposed this ceasefire. And yesterday, we received a response from Hamas, which was neither a no nor a yes, Kim. What Hamas said in that statement is that it was willing to release 10 living hostages and 18 deceased hostages in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners. Now, that matched Witkoff's -- Mr. Witkoff's Draft proposal, but Hamas reiterated demands that do not, are not outlined in that proposal, and it's made these demands many times in the past.

HAMAS wants to see a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip and a guaranteed flow of aid to those desperate 2 million Palestinians trapped inside that enclave. Mr. Witkoff's response was that Hamas' response was totally unacceptable. So, it seems we've hit yet another bump in the road. But the diplomatic activity of course continues, Kim. But for the people trapped again there in that enclave, this ceasefire needed to happen yesterday. Every moment counts.

And now, we're seeing people not just dying of bombs, of bullets, of being pushed out of their homes, but also dying to get food.

BRUNHUBER: Really appreciate the update. Salma Abdelaziz live in London, thank you so much. Two bridges have collapsed in Western Russia overnight. Russian officials say at least seven people were killed and 66 injured when a road bridge collapsed on a passenger train, it happened in Russia's Bryansk region. State media reports that the train was traveling to Moscow when it was hit by debris from the falling bridge and derailed. A Bryansk regional official is blaming the collapse on an explosion, saying the bridge had been blown up.

Now, separately, a bridge in the neighboring Kursk region collapsed as a freight train was passing over it. A driver of that train was uninjured. Now, it's not clear whether the two incidents are connected, and despite both regions bordering Ukraine, there's no immediate indication that Kyiv is involved.

U.S. President Donald Trump is facing some backlash for doubling tariffs on imported steel and aluminum to 50 percent. The European unionists threatening to impose countermeasures, and the United Kingdom is vowing to protect its steel business and jobs. CNN's Betsy Klein has the latest developments from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: President Trump unveiled a doubling in tariffs on foreign-made steel set to take effect Wednesday. And while this could be good news for the American steel business, it also has the potential to raise prices for American's construction and manufacturing industries. It could also potentially raise the prices of cars.

Now, the president made the announcement after markets closed on Friday as he visited a U.S. steel plant in Pennsylvania. And in that surprise announcement, the president said that steel tariffs would jump from 25 to 50 percent. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We are going to be imposing a 25 percent increase. We're going to bring it from 25 percent to 50 percent, the tariffs on steel into the United States of America, which will even further secure the steel industry in the United States. Nobody's going to get around that. So, we're bringing it up from 25 percent, we're doubling it to 50 percent, and that's a loophole. And I said to the group, would you rather have a 40 percent increase?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLEIN: Both the European Union and the United Kingdom making clear that they are prepared to enact countermeasures when those steel tariffs go into effect on Wednesday. And all of this adding to the global economic uncertainty, after earlier this week, a federal court ruled in a decision that blocked the president's global tariffs and appeals court later said that those tariffs could stay in place while this plays out through the judicial system. The administration is prepared to take this fight all the way to the Supreme Court.

But it really sets up two key questions for the White House going forward. Number one, what happens to those trade deals that were already in progress? U.S. officials have been telling their counterparts they want to stay the course and finish up those deals, but their counterparts are waiting to see what happens with the U.S. legal system.

Meanwhile, what happens to the president's so-called big, beautiful bill? It has passed the House, has yet to pass the Senate, and it really relies on revenue from those tariffs to pay for some of the tax cuts that it includes. So, a lot to watch going forward.

Betsy Klein, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[04:10:00]

BRUNHUBER: Well, as you just heard, President Trump is urging the U.S. Senate to pass his mega bill and he wants them to keep the provisions from the hardline House Freedom Caucus, that includes additional adjustments to Medicaid and repeatedly former President Joe Biden's clean energy tax credits.

Trump repeatedly pledged to cut taxes on Social Security benefits while campaigning, but that was left out of his sweeping bill. He says the measure will be implemented in a different form similar to his plan for zero taxes on tips and over time.

Republican Senator Joni Ernst issued a sarcastic apology after facing criticism for her comments about the bill at a town hall on Friday. She was speaking about the potential cuts to Medicaid and food stamps when an audience member yelled, people will die, she responded with, we are all going to die. And that drew a sizable reaction from the crowd and swift criticism from Democrats, but she didn't seem to take it too seriously while apologizing. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JONI ERNST (R-IA): People are going to die. And I made an incorrect assumption that everyone in the auditorium understood that, yes, we are all going to perish from this Earth. So, I apologize. And I'm really, really glad that I did not have to bring up the subject of the tooth fairy as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Germany's leader will visit the United States this week. Chancellor Friedrich Merz will hold talks at the White House Thursday with President Trump. It'll Merz's first visit as chancellor and the first personal meeting between the two men. The German leader met last week -- Wednesday, rather, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, announced an agreement that we'll see Germany finance the joint production of long-range missiles inside Ukraine.

South Carolina Democrats have been holding their state convention this weekend. Events have included a fundraiser and Representative Jim Clyburn's famous annual Fish Fry. National figures are making appearances as well, including Minnesota governor and former Democratic vice-presidential nominee, Tim Waltz.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN): What Trump learned from his first term to this one is if you say you're going to get things done and actually do it, even if it's not the right thing, people still give you credit for getting something done. They give you credit for doing it. Now, it's destructive as hell on their side. Think how powerful a tool that will be if we move with the same speed that he's moving to give everybody healthcare.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Popular Maryland. Governor Wes Moore also talked about how Democrats should fight back against Trump's policies. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. WES MOORE (D-MD): If he can do so much bad in such a small amount of time, why can't we do such good? Let's not just talk about an alternative, let's not study an alternative, let's deliver the alternative.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: South Carolina has played a key role in winnowing the field of Democratic presidential contenders since 2008 when it moved its primary to one of the earliest spots on the electoral calendar.

All right. Coming up, protesters in California denounced the right of a 16-year-old transgender athlete to compete in state track and field finals. A look at how Donald Trump is egging them on. That and more coming up. Please stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:15:00]

BRUNHUBER: Israel has made it clear it's not on board with a high- level diplomatic visit to the West Bank that was planned for today. Foreign ministers from six Arab countries plan to go there to discuss the promotion of the establishment of the Palestinian State, but Israel said it will not cooperate with the visit, calling it provocative. A Saudi source leader said the country's foreign minister who would've led the delegation has postponed the trip.

A confidential report from the U.N. nuclear watchdog accuses Iran of carrying out secret nuclear activities dating back to the early 2000s. The International Atomic Energy Agency says at least three locations were part of an undeclared program and that some activities used undeclared nuclear material. Tehran is rejecting the report, calling it politically motivated.

A separate IAEA report claims there has been a jump in Iran's stock of enriched uranium. If enriched further, Tehran could have enough uranium for nine nuclear weapons, according to the agency.

Now, despite those findings, Iran and the U.S. both have been expressing optimism over their renewed nuclear talks. Sources tell CNN they could possibly reach a broad agreement when they meet again, most likely at a location in the Middle East.

All right. For more on all of this, we're joined by H.A. Hellyer, a senior associate fellow at the Royal United Service Institute for Defense and Security Studies, and he is in Cairo, Egypt. Good to see you again. So, let's start with that planned Saudi visit to the West Bank. Such a high-ranking visit would've been quite remarkable, to say the least. So, what do you make of the latest developments, the fact that Israel blocked them from coming?

H.A. HELLYER, SENIOR ASSOCIATE FELLOW, ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE: Well, thank you Kim. It's always a pleasure to be with you. So, the visit was being led by the Saudi foreign minister, but it was supposed to be joined by the foreign ministers of all the other Arab countries that actually have normalized political relations with the State of Israel. So, the Egyptian foreign minister, the Jordanian foreign minister, the Emirati foreign minister, all of these countries were supposed to have sent their foreign ministers to visit Ramallah. It's worth pointing out, Ramallah is not Israeli territory. Ramallah is a Palestinian occupied territory. It's in the West Bank. And the foreign ministers were fully entitled to visit.

And especially considering that the rest of the delegation are by Arab foreign ministers that have normalized relations with Israel, it's really quite surprising, in an absolute sense. I'm not surprised that the Israelis said no. But it's quite shocking to see that it would be so blatant. And I think it indicates yet again the intention from Tel Aviv to block any sort of progress towards a political solution when it comes to the Israeli Palestinian historic conflict.

[04:20:00] And they've said it quite plainly, actually over the last few days, they've just issued authorization for 22 new settlements within the West Bank, within the occupied territories, and the defense minister made it very clear, they want to establish, i.e., the -- I think he was talking about Macron and the French, they want to establish a Palestinian State on paper. We will establish a Jewish-Israeli state here on the ground. I'm paraphrasing, but that's what he said.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. So, the timing of that Israeli statement of these settlements and then the timing of the visit, I mean, this is not a coincidence. It was to proceed this conference on a two-state solution that starts on Monday. But with the ongoing war and President Trump repeatedly floating a plan take over the Gaza Strip has a two-state solution, never seemed further away.

HELLYER: So, the -- here's the thing about the two-state solution. It's been spoken about for many, many, many years and there's been political recognition of a Palestinian State by the vast majority of U.N. General Assembly members, i.e., most nation states have already recognized the Palestinian State. The majority of European states actually recognize the Palestinian State, not the majority of the E.U., but a majority of European states. Worldwide it's a very popular sort of notion.

But in concert with recognizing a Palestinian State, you need to be able to take steps to ensure that there's a territory for it and the territory in international law has to be East Jerusalem, West -- the West Bank, and the -- and Gaza. The Golan Heights belonging, of course, to Syria, but was occupied at the same time in 1967.

When you look at the map of the West Bank it's completely covered in Israeli settlements that are completely off limits to Palestinians in the first place. And when you look at Gaza, Gaza's been utterly destroyed over the past 20 months.

So, declarations around the Palestinian State are one thing, but what are the measures that are being taken to ensure this rollback of the settlement of Palestinian territories by the occupying power, i.e., Israel?

BRUNHUBER: Yes. All right. Finally, I want to pivot to one of the other big stories in the Middle East that we've been following. I mentioned it -- before the reporting that Iran has hidden its nuclear activity and increased its stock of uranium. And this, as President Trump was telling how close the two are to a nuclear deal on one hand. And on the other hand, Israel itching to act to stop Iran. So, a precarious moment here. Where do you see things heading?

HELLYER: So, at the moment I still err on the side of I think that they're closer to getting a deal, closer than they've been before. Because the Iranians want a deal, and I think the Trump administration wants a deal. I think that because we're so close in that regard, you're going to see a lot of reports. You're going to see a lot of attempts, especially by Tel Aviv, to scuttle the talks because they don't want the talks to succeed. They don't want the deal. They want escalation. They want to bomb Iran sites, which I think would be very dangerous for regional stability.

But I do think that up until now the overwhelming preference for the Trump administration is to get a deal. And I think that the regime in Iran is very keen to get a deal. I think it knows that it's in a very weak position. It's never been in a weaker position in recent history in the region. So, holding out for anything else is really not strategic for them.

So, I do think that we are still on track for a deal. But of course, anything can happen. And I don't mean that in a gratuitous sense. I think that you do have very powerful forces in Washington that want to go for a more escalatory option. Of course, the Israelis have been making it very clear publicly and privately that that's what they prefer as well. But you also have the entirety of the region other than the Israelis, including countries that were not supportive of Iran at all, were very suspicious of Iran and continue to be, like the Saudis and the Emiratis. But they also know that escalation will damage the region, send it into a spiral. They're very reticent about it.

So, you have the entirety of the region really wanting a deal with the exception of the Israelis. I think that the Trump administration is going to try really hard to get to that deal.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, some key negotiations coming up. Really appreciate all of your insights. H.A. Hellyer live in Chiro, thank you so much.

HELLYER: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: The transgender athlete targeted by the Trump administration and by protestors has won gold. 16-year-old A.B. Hernandez took first place in high jump and the triple jump in California's track and field championships.

[04:25:00]

Her victory comes as Donald Trump continues his verbal and legislative attacks on transgender athletes, and that puts individual athletes like A.B. in a spotlight, and she explains how she dealt with it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

A.B. HERNANDEZ, TRANS ATHLETE: I'm just nervous right now. You know, state finals back here again, just like trying not to get in my head and just relax, but it's a little harder this year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: CNN's Julia Vargas Jones has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A very controversial track and field championship coming to an end in California after the California Interscholastic Federation changed its rules to allow for one extra cisgender athlete to be able to compete in the finals, and then awarding an extra medal to an athlete, that would have placed had A.B. Hernandez not displaced him.

This after President Donald Trump took to social media earlier this week to complain about the rules of the event, and Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, said that this was a good compromise, despite earlier comments where he had said that just the existence of trans girls in sports raised an issue of fairness. Some protestors agreed with the governor and came to this event to protest A.B. Hernandez' participation.

What do you think of the solution that the CAF has put forward now where there is an extra law? So, basically --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's ridiculous. It's ridiculous. Once again, you're having special accommodations for someone. Why? Women. We got our spaces because we had to fight for it. We had to fight for our space so that we could compete and have our own thing. This is for women. This is for girls. He is a biological boy.

JONES: Some strong words there from that protestor who's talking about a 16-year-old junior in high school. Now, the vast majority of the parents here did not share that sentiment. They said that they wish we could just focus on the sports and not polarize a sporting event for high school students with political issues.

A.B. Hernandez and her mother have spoken multiple times defending her ability to be in the girl's team, even saying at a public-school board meeting that she deserves as much protection as any of the other girls in her team. And they have added that they have been very supportive of her throughout this championship.

Julia Vargas Jones, CNN, Clovis, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: All right. Still ahead, I'll be speaking with an infectious disease specialist on the new COVID-19 vaccine policy in the U.S. and the Trump administration's actions on HIV programs.

And later, an update on the wildfires burning in several Canadian provinces. Rain is in the forecast, but will it be enough to make a difference? Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:30:00]

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

The future of COVID-19 vaccine access in the U.S. could be at stake, according to experts. Now, this comes as the Department of Health and Human Services under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently made significant changes to how the vaccines are approved and on how their use is recommended. So, in the coming weeks, a pivotal vote will take place on whether to overhaul the eligibility criteria, which could make the COVID-19 vaccine more difficult to obtain and expensive for millions across the U.S.

The Trump administration is also targeting other aspects of public health. The New York Times reports that the White House has terminated a $258 million program crucial to the development of an HIV vaccine. Officials from the National Institutes of Health delivered the news to the programs to leaders on Friday. The gutting of the program is only the latest setback to HIV related initiatives and efforts to prevent the disease. The Trump administration also shut down the HIV prevention division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong is associate dean and infectious disease specialist at the University of California at San Francisco. Thank you so much for joining us. Really appreciate it here, staying up late for us. So, I'll start this by making an admission here, because I think I represent many people who want to follow the medical advice, follow the science, but are also, you know, fundamentally lazy.

I got all my COVID shots during and after the pandemic, and then kind of, you know, stopped because I'm not really hearing much about COVID these days, though I did read there's a new highly transmissible variant that popped up where you are in California. So, bring us up to speed. How big a concern is COVID really still?

DR. PETER CHIN-HONG, ASSOCIATE DEAN, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO: Well, Kim COVID is still amongst us. We had, you know, tens of thousands of deaths last year alone. And that's, you know, way beyond the early years of COVID. And, you know, I think what we're seeing right now is COVID is two diseases. One, you know, which is pretty mild in most people, but one which is like, it's 2020 all over again. And particularly those who are 65 --

BRUNHUBER: We might have lost our -- oh, wait, we have him back now. So, you were just saying that we have the two types of diseases. One is fairly mild, the other for people over 65. It can be absolutely fatal as it was in 2022. So, especially for that population. I mean, it's, I important to get your COVID shot.

But there seems to be a lot of confusion around the guidance here that we're getting from the Trump administration. So, they're no longer recommending the shot for pregnant women and children, but the CDC's vaccine schedule, as I understand, does recommend it for children. I mean, what's going on here?

DR. CHIN-HONG: I think what's going on here is that you had an announcement by the federal government or members of the federal government, but we didn't see yet what the CDC has said, and that's really based on scientific -- that is what we're waiting for.

[04:35:00]

BRUNHUBER: OK. So, if I'm -- you cut out in the middle there, but we are waiting for updated guidance there from the CDC. But the two -- you know, the secretary of health and human services is saying one thing, we're hearing another. So, it -- are -- you know, is the government actually following the science? Do you have confidence that the advice that we're going to get now is medically sound?

DR. CHIN-HONG: I mean, that's a really good question, Kim. I think that, right now, I'm holding on hope that the process will go on, which is the linear process of scientific advisers, the CDC looking at that to make their final recommendation. And that's what we're seeing occurring. You can't have a recommendation made in the absence of science, in the absence of advisers. And right now, it seems that the process will continue to --

BRUNHUBER: All right. We're having a bit of problem with your signal on, unfortunately, Doctor. Really, again, appreciate you taking the time to join us. Hopefully, next time we'll have a bit of a better signal. But we got some important information there for our viewers that COVID is still here and we should, at this point, have confidence that we should follow the medical advice that we're getting from experts. A really important point to emphasize here for our viewers who are watching. Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, thank you so much for being here with us.

DR. CHIN-HONG: Thanks so much, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. The United Kingdom has banned single use vapes starting today. It's an attempt to tackle a so-called environmental nightmare posed by the devices. It's estimated that 8.2 million vapes are discarded every week in the U.K. The ban means the U.K. has joined France and Belgium in legislating against disposable vapes. The government says it's nearly impossible for nature to break the devices down. Some campaigners argue the ban is just a drop in the ocean in combating plastic waste.

A months long CNN investigation has uncovered a rise in disturbing cat torture videos being sold online. It shows that in the past year, this shadowy network has expanded in scale and popularity around the world. CNN's Ivan Watson spoke to activists and internet s sleuth for his report. But as you can imagine. this piece does co contain some graphic descriptions of violence, which you may find distressing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At first glance, these might seem like rescue cats at some kind of shelter, but look closer and something much more sinister is taking place here.

These are actually advertisements to torture and kill cats on camera shared by communities who celebrate the performance of extreme acts of violence against animals.

JENNY EDWARDS, CRIMINOLOGIST: There is a psychological disorder called sexual sadism, and the motivation underlying it is the sexual arousal or pleasure in watching the humiliation.

WATSON: This activity is deviant and would be considered criminal in most countries, but we found this kind of violent, disturbing content on mainstream platforms like X, YouTube, and Facebook, which means your children could potentially find it too. EDWARDS: It's pretty easy to have videos requested in the U.S. and produced in places like Indonesia and then distributed literally all over the world for $20, $30.

LARA, FELINE GUARDIANS ACTIVIST: There are torturers that are in Turkey and Japan, Malaysia and Europe.

WATSON (voice-over): Lara, who doesn't want to reveal her full name for safety reasons, is a volunteer in the activist group Feline Guardians.

LARA: We are seeing growth. And so, reporting this is absolutely necessary.

WATSON (voice-over): Feline Guardians says a main nexus for the production of this content is in Mainland China, where in less than a year they've documented a 500 percent surge, the equivalent of one new cat torture video every three hours. Chinese state media has named and shamed some individuals for alleged animal torture, but there have been few criminal prosecutions because of what legal experts say is a glaring loophole.

PETER LI, CHINESE LEGAL EXPERT: China does not have a standalone comprehensive law against animal cruelty.

WATSON (voice-over): This Chinese volunteer, who asks not to be identified, infiltrates and exposes networks of animal abusers.

"CHEN", UNDERCOVER VOLUNTEER, FELINE GUARDIANS (through translator): China's censorship of politics and pornography is actually very strict, but regarding animal abuse, there is no supervision of this thing.

WATSON (voice-over): In other countries, law enforcement has been cracking down. Turkey, a country renowned for its abundant street cats, announced a number of arrests of suspects, accused of torturing and killing cats. While in the U.S., the FBI has conducted arrests in Utah, Wisconsin, and Texas in the last two years.

[04:40:00]

WATSON: In a month's long investigation, CNN infiltrated some of these animal abuse networks, and what we've learned is that to avoid detection, these members often speak in code and sometimes even disguise themselves as cat lovers. The more extreme groups require newcomers to demonstrate their own acts of violence to get into these clubs.

Activists and experts worry that some tech giants' decisions to reduce vetting on social media platforms may make it easier to share this truly awful content with the wider public.

Ivan Watson, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: Now, CNN has submitted questions to the Chinese government and the tech giants about the issues raised in this story. YouTube and Telegram said that content promoting violence against animals is banned on their platforms and they try to remove it on a daily basis. Meta declined to comment other than to point to their policies, which include removing some content that is particularly violent or graphic. So, far, the Chinese government and X haven't responded. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: Hot dry conditions are still fueling Canada's raging wildfires. The western provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan are considered under extreme danger. Forecasters say strong winds could worsen things this weekend, but cooler weather and some rain is coming to parts of Western Canada in the days ahead. As Jenn Sullivan reports, evacuations are continuing as smoke spreads into the U.S.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENN SULLIVAN, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Nearly 200 wildfires are raging across Central and Western Canada, forcing thousands of people to evacuate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The smoke was getting pretty heavy and we had to drive out.

SULLIVAN (voice-over): On Friday, Canadian officials declared an extreme risk for wildfires for the Northwest Territories and Alberta to Ontario. That's the highest level on the country's fire risk scale.

[04:45:00]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are we still going to have a place to stay when we go back in there?

SULLIVAN (voice-over): The heavy smoke filling the skies. And now, that haze pushing south, impacting air quality in major cities in the U.S.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: States like Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, thanks to this cold front, it's pulling a lot of that smoke down into a lot of these areas and is likely going to stay there for the next several days.

SULLIVAN (voice-over): The thick smog taking over Minneapolis, worrying residents who were enjoying the outdoors.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We probably won't run for a while.

SULLIVAN (voice-over): This same situation happened two summers ago. This EarthCam time-lapse video from June of 2023 shows the New York City skyline disappearing in heavy smoke due to wildfires in Canada. The air quality then was considered hazardous.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's this higher concentration that you're breathing kind of overwhelms your body and can lead to kind of the health issues that we expect from air pollution.

SULLIVAN (voice-over): A recent health study out of New York's Mount Sinai Hospital found, quote, "matter from wildfire smoke can have health effects up to three months afterward," well beyond the couple of days that previous studies have identified. That's why health officials are telling people to check air quality levels and stay indoors if it's not safe.

I'm Jenn Sullivan reporting.

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BRUNHUBER: Newark's airport is one of the busiest hubs in the U.S. Recently, it suffered radar and communications outages, raising questions about how safe it is to fly there and elsewhere in the U.S. To give you an idea what happens when aircraft systems go wrong, our Pete Muntean team gives you a pilot's view inside a cockpit.

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CAPT. MILES MORGAN, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF FLIGHT TRAINING, UNITED AIRLINES: Ready to go?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): I'm at the controls of a Boeing 737 Max simulator here at United Airlines Flight Training Center in Denver to see what pilots experience when air traffic control goes dark. It's the latest challenge for them after flights in and out of Newark faced repeat failures of radar and radio earlier this month.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't have a radar. So, I don't know where you are.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): Along with me is Captain Miles Morgan who heads training for United.

MUNTEAN: Would you say that these issues at Newark have caused any sort of degradation of safety?

MORGAN: Not at all. Safety for us -- if you've got pilots that are operating into the airspace, it is safe for us to do so. We are a hundred percent confident in that.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): This is some of the busiest airspace in the country. If air traffic controllers lose their radar scopes --

MORGAN: Traffic, traffic.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): -- Morgan says pilots can fall back on the plane's Traffic Collision Avoidance System or TCAS. It calls out collisions in the making and can even issue instructions to climb or descend traffic.

MORGAN: So, now, OK, I've stopped doing what I'm doing. I look, I see it on the screen, 700 feet above. I acquire it visually. And now, I'm monitoring it. I'm making sure, hey, I'm -- this is good. I'm -- we're at a good airspace. We're safe.

MUNTEAN: The reason you're showing it is to show that there are other layers here, there are other systems.

MORGAN: Exactly, correct. We have a lot of different layers and a lot of them rely on the external role, but we all have this internal system that our airplanes will talk to each other.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): But when controllers can't reach flights via radio, Morgan says pilots would try a previously used radio frequency.

MORGAN: Push this button, the previous frequency pops back up.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): Try the emergency backup frequency.

MORGAN: This would be a backup if we couldn't raise it any other way.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): Use datalink text messaging to communicate with the airline.

MORGAN: And I could say, need frequency and I --

MUNTEAN (voice-over): And dial in a transponder code that signals that communication has been lost. Decades old redundancies that air traffic controllers are trained for too.

NICK DANIELS, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ASSOCIATION: We were always prepared for it. The pilots were always prepared for it. Unfortunately, we're having to use those safety nets.

MORGAN: So, I'm going to start putting some flaps in for you.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): Maybe to prove that flying is safe. Morgan even let me do the landing.

MORGAN: A little flare. Perfect. Boom.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): Not my worst. As airlines insist, the worst will not happen when air traffic control fails.

MORGAN: I don't really worry when something is a little abnormal. We're trained for all these abnormalities. It's not just this, it's -- we're constantly training for whatever could be going wrong and how to make a decision to rectify that.

MUNTEAN: This is especially pertinent since Newark is one of United's biggest hubs, and the FAA has scaled back flights there in order to not overwhelm air traffic control. United says that actually led to it canceling no flights on Memorial Day or the day before. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Wednesday that the federal government has taken steps to harden Newark air traffic control systems. But even still, there needs to be a nationwide overhaul of air traffic control, he says, something that could cost tens of billions of dollars.

Pete Muntean, CNN, Reagan National Airport.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: All right. coming up next here on CNN Newsroom, Costa Rica has all the elements for a thriving tourism industry, but it's struggling. We'll have details on the crime wave that's making visitors think twice that and more coming up. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Fewer people are visiting the Central American nation of Costa Rica, according to the Nation's Tourism Institute. While it has beautiful beaches and a rich cultural scene, residents say visitors are being driven off by a surge in the crime rate as CNN's Djenane Villanueva reports.

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DJENANE VILLANUEVA, CNN EN ESPANOL JOURNALIST (voice-over): When you step foot in Costa Rica, you are sure to be greeted by its iconic expression, pura vida, meaning that pure life with a focus on nature and wellbeing, people come to see friendly creatures like sloths and iguanas. But the Costa Ricans Tourism Institute is reporting a drop in visitors and locals say it's because crime is on the rise.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It seems to me that it's an issue of insecurity, not competitiveness.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Insecurity can sometimes affect you. You feel safer in some cities than you do here in San Jose.

[04:55:00]

VILLANUEVA (voice-over): Last year there were 880 homicides in the country. The second at least here since 2023, according to its judicial investigation agency. This year, murders have decreased in most provinces, but they are skyrocketing in the capital San Jose.

Authorities insist it's a local issue between gangs clashing over drug trafficking, but they're still warning tourists to beware on their surroundings.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We try to warn tourists about chains, bags, cell phones, and professional cameras. So, they can try to hide them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, yes. We've been told to put -- I had to put my earrings away, keep my cell phone in my purse.

VILLANUEVA: And how do you feel now?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, walking around here, I don't feel at risk or anything.

VILLANUEVA (voice-over): Warnings are also posted at popular tourist spots, like this one, where people often jump out of their vehicles to take pictures of local wildlife. Police say they've also stepped-up roadside checkpoints, but merchants say less people are coming.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Normally, there are months when there's a lot of tourism. But this year, it's decreased significantly.

VILLANUEVA (voice-over): The Costa Rican Tourism Board tells CNN security could be a factor, but also points out there are less flights available. And Costa Rican's currency has appreciated against the dollar, making services more expensive.

With summer vacation approaching, it remains to be seen how many people will show up to experience food pura vida.

For CNN, Djenane Villanueva, San Jose, Cost Rica.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: All right. That wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber. We'll be back with more news in just a moment.

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