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FEMA Administrator Visits Texas; Central Texas Flood Risk Upgraded; Homeland Security Department Will Ramp Up Deportations; Trump Admin. Defends ICE Raids in California; Russia Launches Second Largest Aerial Assault; Russian FM Meets with Kim Jong Un; Iran's Mass Expulsion; Afghan Refugees Forces Deportations; Lawmakers Tour Alligator Alcatraz. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired July 13, 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]

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Jean, how is a dentist able to purchase potassium cyanide?

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's a good question because it's not something you can just go out and buy even a dentist. Well, he had to give a reason and he said he was a surgeon and he was going to perform a cranial facial reconstruction, and during the procedure he was going to use some of the chemical. And if it was a success, everything would be published in the National Institutes of Health.

ANDERSON: Jean Casarez, it's such a bizarre story. The news continues on CNN.

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

Parts of Texas already ravaged by deadly floods are at risk of even more. We'll bring you the forecast as the federal government faces scrutiny for its response to the devastation. Full speed ahead for Donald Trump's trade war. We'll have details on the new tariffs the U.S. president is threatening to impose. And lawmakers get access to a controversial immigration detention center in Florida. We'll have the latest on concerns surrounding the facility dubbed Alligator Alcatraz.

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

BRUNHUBER: Parts of Central Texas devastated by flash floods once again face that threat. The risk has been upgraded amid growing concerns storms could bring even more rainfall than initially thought. Now, this comes just days after dangerous conditions ravaged parts of Hill County. We'll have the full forecast coming up in a few minutes.

But first on Saturday, FEMA's acting administrator made his first visit there since the deadly flooding began. The trip comes as The New York Times reports FEMA's struggling to answer nearly two thirds of calls from flood survivors. The governor of Texas has praised the federal response following President Trump's tour of the flood sites Friday. CNN's Julia Vargas Jones has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The acting head of FEMA, David Richardson, made his first visit to Kerrville on Saturday but dodge CNN's questions about New York Times reporting regarding how FEMA responded to its disaster lines and the dates after the flooding.

New York Times has reporting that says that nearly two-thirds of those calls went unanswered. And it's interesting because they detail how on the first day of this disaster calls when answered, and that lines up with the last day of contracts that the DHS had with call centers on the third day.

Once those contracts were no longer in place, that number goes down to 15 percent, this as CNN has reported that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has said that she has to personally OK any expenses that go above $100,000. And reporting from earlier this week says that FEMA's search and rescue teams weren't clear to deploy until 72 hours after the disaster began, and that is due to those officials encountering bureaucratic obstacles, according to four people inside the agency.

On Saturday, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem told a crew of reporters that this will now be the new normal for this administration's disaster response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTI NOEM, U.S. SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: Some of what you saw for our response in Texas is going to be a lot of how President Trump envisions what FEMA would look like into the future. Emergencies are locally executed. They are state managed. The state then manages. The federal government comes in and supports.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: Despite all that Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott praised FEMA's response, calling it Swift and effective. Now, we're also learning that FEMA removed dozens of Camp Mystic buildings from a designated flood area, this is coming from documents back to 2011 where this entire area of Camp Mystic was under what it was called a special flood hazard area.

But then two years later, in 2013, that camp was granted an exemption for 15 of the buildings that are under this red area that you see in the map there. And the yellow part, that is a 1 percent annual chance of flood hazard. That encompasses some other parts of Camp Mystic. Of course, this is a camp that had been here for 99 years. Some of those structures were quite old. But still, in 2019, as Camp Mystic expanded, they also were granted another exemption for these buildings.

Now, it's worth mentioning that the owner of the camp had been working with local authorities for years to try and have those sirens installed, an emergency alert system in the area, and that local authorities have actually submitted a report to FEMA back in October warning of exactly these kinds of conditions being a possibility for flooding here in Central Texas.

Julia Vargas Jones, CNN, Kerrville, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: The flood risk in the Hill Country of Central Texas has been upgraded to three out of four with more rainfall expected. As the storm system spreads, at least 19 million people in Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma will remain under flood watches through the weekend.

[04:05:00]

For more on the flooding in Texas and an update on the weather out west, CNN Meteorologist Chris Warren has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS WARREN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The moisture coming in from the Gulf sets the stage. It's the fuel for these storms to tap into. Now, not everyone's going to see storms. There could be some showers that go by, but where the storms do set up and where it does rain, the heaviest and the longest, that's where flash flooding is possible. And there's going to be pockets here and here. This is a rough estimate of where the computers are showing could have some of the higher rainfall totals in that four to six-inch plus in the orange and red colors there.

But a lot of the state will be dry. It's just if you end up getting some of these thunderstorms, the future radar showing, again, hit and miss right through the day on Sunday. Areas that need the rain, really not getting it. It's in the West. We were pushing a hundred active wildfires here, and it is hot, it is dry, dangerously hot for some if you're not careful, if you're not taking care of yourself. Pushing a little bit too hard on the Columbia basin, also in parts of Nevada, Northern California major to even some extreme heat risk.

Temperatures will be well above average again in Las Vegas, 105 is what you would expect this time of year, and it's going to be 111, 112 on Monday and 108 on Tuesday. Some relief is on the way in some areas, coastal areas with a little bit of green. That's the Pacific Ocean, helping to be nature's air conditioner, if you will, and cool things off at the immediate coast or up in the mountains. You can find some relief. 98 in Sacramento on Monday to 87 on Tuesday.

Another way to look at some of that relief, keep in mind it's the -- you know, the hottest time of the year here. The hardest summer for the departure from average. That's still going to be warm. You see a little bit of blue show up or no color. That'll be about average. So, some relief is on the way Pacific Northwest and across parts of California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: A California farm worker who fell from a greenhouse roof during an ICE raid has died from his injuries. Jaime Alanis Garcia is the first person known to die during the Trump administration's crackdown on undocumented migrants. His family says Garcia worked at a farm producing cannabis, tomatoes, and cucumbers for 10 years. Hospital and government sources say Garcia may have been fleeing ICE agents when he fell about 30 feet from the greenhouse roof and broke his neck. The Department of Homeland Security says it arrested 200 people suspected of being in the country illegally, and says it wasn't pursuing Garcia.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security secretary says the agency will crackdown harder on undocumented migrants. Noem says Donald Trump's domestic policy Bill provides tens of billions of dollars of support to imprison and deport more people. Noem's also slamming a federal judge who's ruled against the DHS on Friday, calling her an idiot. CNN's Julia Benbrook reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIA BENBROOK. CNN CORRESPONDENT: After weeks of chaotic immigration raids in public and at workplaces across Southern California, a federal judge has granted a temporary restraining order and a lawsuit requiring federal authorities to find reasonable suspicion to make immigration arrest in California's central district, which includes Los Angeles.

The federal judge found that the Department of Homeland Security had made some stops and arrest in that area without probable cause and is ordering the department to stop detaining individuals based solely on race, occupation, or spoken language.

In a recent interview on Fox News, Tom Homan, the president's borders czar, detailed how ICE agents and border patrol determine who to target. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM HOMAN, WHITE HOUSE BORDER CZAR: You need to understand, ICE officers and board patrol, they don't need probable calls to walk up somebody, briefly detain them, and question them. They just need to so totality the circumstances, right? They just got through the observation. You know, get our typical -- articulable facts based on the location, the occupation, their physical appearance, their actions, like a uniform board station walks up to them at, for instance, a Home Depot. And they got all these articulable facts, plus the person walks away or runs away.

Now, agents are trained what they need to detain somebody temporarily and question them. It's not probable cause, it's reasonable suspicions. We're trained on that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BENBROOK: During a press conference on Saturday, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem continued to tout the Trump administration's large scale immigration operations. She also criticized the judge's order. And in a statement from a White House spokesperson, they said, quote, "No federal judge has the authority to dictate immigration policy, that authority rests with Congress and the president. Enforcement operations require careful planning and execution, skills far beyond the purview or jurisdiction of any judge. We expect this gross overstep of judicial authority to be corrected on appeal."

[04:10:00]

So, making it clear there that they plan to take more legal action.

Julia BenbroOK. CNN, Washington.

BRUNHUBER: President Trump has fired a new round in his global trade war. He's now threatening to impose 30 percent tariffs on the European Union and Mexico. But Mexico's president remains optimistic that a deal can be reached. Here she is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, MEXICAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We believe, based on what our colleagues discussed yesterday, that we will reach an agreement with the USA and that we will, of course, achieve better conditions. We are clear on what we can work with the USA, and we are clear on what we cannot, and there is something that is never negotiated, ever, and that is the sovereignty of our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Mexico and the E.U. join a growing list of countries facing new tariffs starting August 1st. Senior White House Reporter Betsy Klein has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, President Trump launched a global trade war back in April, reshaping the economic world order with his tariffs and rocking markets in the process. The president then issuing a 90-day pause to allow his team to negotiate bespoke trade deals. Hat with two exceptions has really proven elusive for the Trump team so far. But that 90-day pause ended this week. The president extending that deadline to August 1st for his team to allow a little bit more time to negotiate as the president sends a series of letters to world leaders with new and aggressive tariff rates before that August 1st deadline.

On Saturday, he sent a pair of letters to the European Union and Mexico, two of the United States' biggest trading partners. And by the numbers, U.S.-Mexico trade totaled $840 billion last year. U.S.-E.U. trade closer to $1 trillion. But the president now setting a tariff rate of 30 percent for both if a deal is not reached by August 1st.

Now, in his letter to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, the president said that he believed in his view Mexico was not doing enough to secure the border and also urged Mexican companies to move their manufacturing to the United States. Following that letter, a top Mexican economic official said that they had conveyed that 30 percent tariff marked, quote, "unfair treatment" and that they did not agree, but agreed to continue to talk to protect businesses and jobs on both sides of the border. And on the European Union side, Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen said they are ready to continue working toward an agreement by August 1st. We also heard from one of the president's top negotiators, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who said in a post to social media on Saturday, quote, "The U.K. trade team smartly secured an early deal. Let this be a lesson to other countries. Earnest, good faith negotiations can produce powerful results that benefit both sides of the table."

Of course, all of this contributing to mounting uncertainty for businesses, investors, and consumers alike heading into that August 1st deadline.

Betsy Klein, CNN, traveling with the president in New Jersey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: CNN Global Economic Analyst Rana Foroohar weighed in on the latest trade ultimatum from the president to the E.U., and she warned that the roller coaster of threats and reversals could have a negative impact on both prices and international relations. Here she is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RANA FOROOHAR, CNN GLOBAL ECONOMIC ANALYST AND COLUMNIST AND ASSOCIATE EDITOR, FINANCIAL TIMES: If you think about what comes from Europe, automotives, electronics, washing machines, luxury goods, fashion, food, there's a lot of imports coming from the E.U.

In terms of where we are, you know, I think that Brussels is getting very, very tired of the back and forth. You know, you're starting to see the E.U. negotiating not just with the U.S. but with other trading partners. I sense that there is a kind of an exhaustion, frankly, with the back and forth of Trump tariffs. And so, I wouldn't be surprised if things go down to the wire and you do hear certainly threats of countermeasures. We'll see if we get there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Kim Jong Un welcome Russia's foreign minister to a beach resort in North Korea as Moscow keeps pounding Ukraine with nonstop attacks. We'll get a live report next. Plus, Afghan refugees face an uncertain future under Taliban rule after Iran forced them to go back to their home country. We'll look at what's behind the mass expulsion. Those stories and more coming up, stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:15:00]

BRUNHUBER: Ukrainian officials say Russia has carried out its second largest aerial assault since the full-scale war began. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, says 26 cruise missiles and nearly 600 drones were used in Saturday's attack. Falling debris killed at least two people and wounded several others. North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, reaffirmed his unconditional support for Russia's war while meeting with Moscow's top diplomat, Sergey Lavrov. The Russian foreign minister is wrapping up a three day trip to North Korea in a sign of growing relations between the two countries.

All right. I want to go to CNN's Nada Bashir, joining us live from London. Nada, take us through the latest.

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, loOK. Kim, what we've been seeing over the last week is a real ramping up and intensification of Russia's attacks on Ukraine. As you mentioned, overnight Saturday, we saw what has been described by Ukrainian officials as the second largest round of aerial attacks since Russia began its invasion.

And while the majority of those missiles and drones are said to have been neutralized, according to the Ukrainian president, we do of course know that some of those drones and missiles did make impact in civilian areas, including residential buildings leading to at least two being killed.

And what we've seen overnight, just in the last few hours in Ukraine, according to officials, there is yet more aerial assaults across Ukraine overnight. At least nine people are reported to have been killed and several others injured as well.

[04:20:00]

So, we really are seeing this ramping up once again of Russia's attacks on Ukraine. And this all comes, of course, as we continue to see that shift in relations between the United States, Ukraine, and Russia. The U.S. now, according to both white House and U.K. Ukraine officials, is beginning to resume its military assistance to Ukraine, crucially via the NATO alliance. And this has been confirmed, of course, by the NATO spokesperson as well. NATO saying that as part of its continued efforts to support Ukraine, in its defense against Russia, it has procured air defense and weapons from the United States.

And President Trump has been very careful to emphasize that these are weapons that are being paid for by NATO, provided by the U.S. in support of Ukraine. And of course, we're also seeing simultaneously that growing sense of frustration between the U.S. and Russia. Earlier this week, the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, did meet with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, where he reportedly expressed and reiterated the president's frustration with Russia, with the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, as well as his disappointment in a conversation that Rubio has described as frank.

So, there are some fought tensions seemingly developing between Russia and the United States, particularly as Trump, of course, continues to push for some sort of peace agreement, for a ceasefire agreement. This is something that he touted during his campaign that he would be able to achieve on day one. And clearly, that is not the case.

And of course, as you also mentioned, Kim, we're also seeing at the same time is Russia now deepening its relations and cooperation with North Korea. Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, of course, then traveled onwards to Pyongyang where he met with the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un. North Korean officials have reiterated their support for Russia in all of its military operations in Ukraine. And there is a possibility that we may begin to see yet more North Korean troops as well being deployed in support of Russia's military offensive.

So, real concerns mounting there as to what the stage of play looks like, in terms of Russia's response and the reaction that we might see there. And of course, all eyes will be very much focused tomorrow on Washington. President Trump has hinted towards a significant announcement to be made tomorrow, or a statement rather, on Russia. So, we'll be waiting to see that. No details for just yet. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Appreciate the update. Nada Bashir in London. Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, will meet his far-right national security minister in the coming hours to discuss the ceasefire talks with Hamas. That's from a source familiar with the matter.

The minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, is opposed to any deal with Hamas. The move comes after the talks and Qatar hit a stumbling block with both sides pointing the finger at each other. Hamas says the negotiations have stalled because Israel keeps adding new demands. The latest one, according to Hamas, is related to the future presence of Israeli troops in Gaza. An Egyptian source confirmed that Israel is putting forward new demands, but an Israeli politician says CNN has -- tell CNN that Hamas has rejected a ceasefire proposal that would also include the release of some hostages.

Hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees who fled their country for Iran are being forced to return. Many of them have lived and worked in Iran for years. Now, they're headed to a country where poverty is rampant, women have few rights, and the Taliban regime rules with an iron fist. Nick Paton Walsh has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR (voice- over): One of the largest forced migrations in decades, Afghan migrants pushed out of the rock of Iran and its menial, low-paid labor, to the hard place of Taliban, Afghanistan, and the economic horrors they fled in the first place.

Half a million in just 16 days, according to U.N. figures, a peak that began at the end of the conflict with Israel, and 88,000 in just 48 hours of the past weekend before a deadline to leave expired on Sunday. You can see the scale here but not feel the heat.

MIHYUNG PARK, CHIEF OF MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION: There are dozens of people under the sun. And you know how hot Herat can be. It's quite dire. Last week it was about 400 separated, unaccompanied children.

WALSH (voice-over): Parisa is 11, but this year was told she couldn't go back to school. We spent six years in Iran, she said, before they told us to apply for the exit letter and leave. We did have a legal census document, but they told us to leave immediately.

They're often arrested on the street and deported without a chance to collect their belongings, sometimes from years working in Iran for better wages.

Bashir is in his 20s and was removed from Tehran. First, they took about $200 from me, he says. Then they sent me to the detention center, where I was kept for two nights, and they forced me to pay another $50. In the detention center, they wouldn't give us food or drinking water. There are about 200 people there. They beat us up and abuse us.

[04:25:00]

For Iran, it's a matter of pride. The music here sets the mood of how state TV presents the expulsions. And Tehran police release images of the manhunt: chasing Afghans, interrogating their employers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Why did you hire the Afghan? It's against the law.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I know. But I have to pay them so they can go back. They want to go and are waiting to get paid.

WALSH (voice-over): The answer to why now? Why, when Iran should be recovering from a brutal 12-day conflict with Israel, would it choose to focus on undocumented laborers? Well, there have been accusations Afghans spied for Israel, like these alleged confessions in state media. The evidence may be lacking here, but the messaging is clear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): That person contacted me and said he needed information on certain locations. He asked for them, and I provided them. I got $2,000 from him.

WALSH (voice-over): Iran decided to do this months ago, but perhaps never imagined this pace. And Afghanistan, already struggling, perhaps never imagined this new challenge of returnees.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: All right. Coming up here on CNN Newsroom, lawmakers finally get inside Florida's controversial detention center, Alligator Alcatraz. We'll hear from one congresswoman on what she witnessed. That's coming up after the break. Plus, we'll bring you the story of one woman's choice to self-deport from the U.S. back to Honduras. And why she says her request was denied at first.

(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.

A group of lawmakers in Florida toured the Immigration Detention Center known as Alligator Alcatraz for the first time since it opened last week. Several Democratic lawmakers were denied entry when they tried to visit. The immigration rights groups say that detainees are subjected to inhumane conditions. State officials say that's not true. CNN's Rafael Romo has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The State of Florida's Division of Emergency Management agreed to allow a group of lawmakers at the state and federal levels to tour the facility dubbed Alligator Alcatraz. This happened after earlier this month, a group of state legislators was denied entry.

After touring the detention center for migrants in the middle of the Everglades, Florida Congresswoman Davy Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat, called it, quote, "an internment camp" surrounded by other Democratic state and federal elected officials. Schultz also said that temperature was 85 degrees in the medical intake area, that there's no privacy in the shower area, and the detainees are fed food portions that in her opinion are smaller than they should be.

Another lawmaker called it a, quote, "cruel political stunt." While Wasserman Schultz added that there were bugs everywhere. The Florida representative also said she's concerned about the amount of people being held in every holding unit. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, U.S. HOUSE DEMOCRAT: The only thing inside those cages are the bunk -- they're bunk beds, and there are three tiny toilets that are toilet units that have a sink attached to it. So, they essentially drink -- they get their drinking water and they brush their teeth where they poop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: On Thursday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said people need to remember that Alligator Alcatraz is not a hotel. DeSantis also said that all the standards are a lot higher than what was even required. A Republican Florida State senator who also toured the facility Saturday agrees with the governor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STATE SEN. BLAISE INGOGLIA (R-FL): The rhetoric does not match the reality from what you guys have been hearing from, I would say, Democrats, especially congressional Democrats. It's actually a very well-run facility. The idea that the detainees are in there and they're in squalid conditions is just not accurate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: Several days ago, I spoke with a Guatemalan woman whose husband is detained at Alligator Alcatraz. Among other things, she told me her husband is enduring mosquitoes, unbearable heat and humidity, insufficient washing facilities, hard beds, and bad food. She also told me her husband was only able to take one shower in a six-day period and that he has not had access to an attorney so far.

In a statement published on X, the Department of Homeland Security said that ICE has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens. All detainees are provided with proper meals, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with lawyers and their family members.

Earlier this month, Florida officials said the Migrant Detention Center has a capacity for 3,000 people.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: President Trump is targeting Rosie O'Donnell with insults and personal threats. It's the latest in a decade's long vendetta against the comedian. Donald Trump posted on social media calling her a threat to humanity and saying he's giving serious consideration to taking away her citizenship. Now, it's not clear what prompted the social media rant, but it comes days after O'Donnell posted a video slamming the Trump administration's response to the deadly Texas floods.

CNN's Supreme Court Analyst Steve Vladeck says Trump's threat is patently unconstitutional. O'Donnell moved to Ireland in 2024 after Trump was reelected. She says it was the safest thing to do for herself and her non-binary child.

The Trump administration continues to push to pressure undocumented migrants to leave the U.S. and, quote, "stay out." CNN's Polo Sandoval brings us the story of Yesica and her decision to voluntarily leave with her daughter to return to Honduras.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Yesica Paola Ramirez is one of many Hondurans to voluntarily self-deport from the United States after President Donald Trump started cracking down by deporting undocumented people.

YESICA PAOLA RAMIREZ, VOLUNTARILY DEPORTED HERSELF FROM U.S. (through translator): They were already knocking on doors, knocking on apartment doors, and I said, my daughter is in school and I'm here in the apartment. They'll grab me and deport me.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): The 29-year-old says that she decided to surrender to U.S. authorities to be deported, but claims her request was rejected.

RAMIREZ (through translator): ICE told me they didn't have authorization to deport me because I don't even have a criminal record. [04:35:00]

SANDOVAL (voice-over): Ramirez decided to seek help from the Hispanic community in Houston, Texas where she lived managing to raise money to buy plane tickets and return to Honduras with her daughter on February 24th.

RAMIREZ (through translator): I didn't feel well, and I cried every day and night. Sometimes I wouldn't eat because I didn't feel well. So, that's when I decided to self-deport.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): More than five years ago after an accent, Ramirez lost her arm and a leg in Honduras. The mother of four originally decided to move to the U.S. with her youngest daughter at the end of September, 2023 to work and try to buy prosthetics. She says she had a hard time in Honduras because her children were bullied at school.

RAMIREZ (through translator): They told my children I had a wooden legged mother. So, I told them, no kids. Don't worry. I'm not going to do that anymore. I'm going to change. I'm going to go to the United States.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): Ramirez spent a little over a year at the United States without being able to raise enough money to buy her prosthesis. She says she would never try to return to the U.S. again.

RAMIREZ (through translator): Not even in my dreams. I don't think I want to have anything to do with the United States, not even in my head. But now, the way things are, I don't want to anymore.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): Ramirez says that she's content to stay at her home in San Bernardo, Honduras with her family from now on.

Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. So, we have we have a mom, we have a dad, we have a kid and a dog. They all need rescue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Well, that is the moment when the Texas Department of Public Safety rescued a man, woman, and child from the catastrophic flooding in Kerr County. At least 129 people have been killed in the disaster and rescue efforts remain underway for nearly 150 victims who are still missing statewide. And a post on social media, the agency confirmed it's already completed several hundred water, air, and ground rescues so far.

On Saturday, FEMA's acting administrator made his first visit to Central Texas since the flooding began. His visit comes as The New York Times reports FEMA's struggling to answer nearly two-thirds of calls from flood survivors. In response to the article, a FEMA spokesperson argued the call center was responding to victims efficiently, despite the influx. But earlier, the former FEMA administrator for President Joe Biden outlined what she believes is causing the continued delays.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEANNE CRISWELL, FORMER FEMA ADMINISTRATOR: We did see delays during Hurricane Helene in the call center, but we also had a much larger population of people that were impacted. We had six states that were affected by Hurricane Helene and not -- you know, not to diminish the fact that there's less people there and they need to have their calls answered, but if FEMA doesn't have the ability to surge their staffing the way that they have in the past, then they're going to have continued delays.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: So, under scrutiny for altering a 100-year flood map surrounding Camp Mystic. Multiple appeals approved by federal regulators saw dozens of Camp Mystic buildings removed from a special flood hazard area. The move seen by experts as a way of avoiding flood insurance policies and tighten construction regulations. Camp Mystic lost at least 27 campers and counselors amid the flooding that was far worse than FEMA's 100-year projections.

Meanwhile, Texas residents are rallying around their communities. CNN Gustavo Valdes visited a recently reopened bar along the Guadalupe River. After witnessing victims being swept away by flood waters firsthand, the owners hoping to give the community a place to gather as they grieve.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUSTAVO VALDES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Howdy's Bar and Chill in Kerrville, Texas. It's a place to dine and unwind after a long day.

BOB CANALES, OWNER, HOWDY'S RESTAURANT, BAR AND CHILL: It's sort of one of the last Texas honky-tonks in this part of the country.

VALDES: Bob Canales is the owner who says he reopened the bar to offer a gathering spot to residents after the tragic floods.

CANALES: It's real important to us to have our friends showing up and enjoying some normal times. A lot of the older folks, they don't use Facebook. This is their social media.

VALDES: Here hugs replace smiley faces. The bar sits in front of the Guadalupe River where Canales and his wife also run an RV park that was devastated by the rushing water. Many campers could not escape the fury of the current. Canales says he almost died trying to rescue a father carrying two children to safety.

CANALES: So, I stepped off the sidewalk and was swept away about 30 yards down the other end of the park where we have a retaining wall. And fortunately, at the water level, I was able to get back up on that wall.

VALDES: In time to see the man and his children disappear under the rumbling water. From his regular spot he tries to make sense of the events of that night.

CANALES: The constant sounds of the people screaming for help and knowing you really couldn't help them, but you still had to try. So that that sort of has worked on me the last few days.

[04:40:00]

VALDES: The tragedy also hit closer to home. One of his part time employees died when he cut an artery on a broken window as he was getting his family out of their house.

LARRY STEWART, KERRVILLE RESIDENT: We're in here today because we want to help them get back on their feet.

VALDES: Larry Stewart is one of the bar's regulars. He says supporting local businesses is his way to help the community.

STEWART: And at my age, 76, it's kind of tough for me to be a volunteer out there over this rough terrain.

I mean, it's looking like cleanup-wise it's looking better.

VALDES: Heather Harding has worked at Howdy's for only three months. She knows a good bartender, is also a good listener.

HEATHER HARDING, WAITRESS: I'm trying to keep the vibe going in here and keep their spirits up. And for me, after shift, yes, it's gotten to me a little bit. But then I just think of all the people who are helping.

VALDES: Like Scott Sneider who came from Austin.

SCOTT SNEIDER, RECOVERY WORKER: And it's really how I was raised, is just lending a helping hand to your fellow person as much as you can. And if you're of willing mind and able body, why not.

VALDES: The cracking sound of the pool balls, country music in the jukebox, and the laughter of friends old and new help drown the sorrows the locals know well stay with them for a while.

STEWART: We're going to have some heartache and tears along the way, but we'll get through it.

CANALES: Like they always say, courage is being scared to death, but you saddle up anyway. And that's a famous John Wayne phrase. And that's sort of a mantra that we use around here. So I think we'll be here Fourth of July next year, and then many after.

VALDES: Gustavo Valdes, CNN, Kerrville, Texas.

(END VIDEO TAPE) BRUNHUBER: North Korea says it wants to welcome thousands of tourists to its new beach resort, but the notoriously locked down country isn't known for its hospitality. We'll look at the messages leaders are trying to send. That's coming up next. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Kim Jong Un has opened a massive beach resort, meant to accommodate nearly 20,000 people. It's supposed to be a luxury vacation destination built in one of the world's most repressive countries. United Nations says more than half of North Korea's population is undernourished. It's not clear who will be welcome at this new tourist site. CNN's Will Ripley gives us a look.

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WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kim Jong Un's yacht glides ashore on North Korea's eastern coast. The Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, miles of white sand beaches, water sports, luxury villas, 1,500 hotel rooms. Wonsan was known as the ruling Kim family's favorite summer retreat and one of North Korea's most active military testing grounds.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But they have great beaches. You see that whenever they're exploding their cannons into the ocean. And I explained, I said, you know, instead of doing that, you could have the best hotels in the world right there.

RIPLEY (voice-over): President Donald Trump once pitched U.S. investment in Wonsan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where the doors of opportunity are ready to be open. Investment from around the world. One moment, one choice.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Today, seven years later, Kim beat Trump to the punch, building it on his own. The resort features grand hotels with luxurious amenities, even international grade summit halls. A soft power backdrop, perhaps setting the stage for diplomacy.

Kim did bring the Russian ambassador for the grand opening. These days, Pyongyang reportedly won't even accept Trump's letters at the United Nations. Kim's wife, Ri Sol-ju, made her first state media appearance in more than a year. Often walking several steps behind her husband and their teenage daughter, believed to be Kim Ju-ae. She often appears alongside her father at official events, fueling speculation she's being groomed as a possible successor. Kim personally inspected the Wonsan project at least six times, including once when I was there reporting for CNN.

RIPLEY: On the ground here in North Korea, now they're building a beachfront resort that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un came here to Wonsan to inspect just yesterday.

How have things improved under Kim Jong Un? RIPLEY (voice-over): Every day we see changes, he told me, like new construction. The new resort includes a massive water park and a surf machine generating artificial waves. And this very real wipeout, even grannies firing pistols on horseback. This retiree says she was moved to tears thinking about how their leader has given them such amazing benefits, even as much of the country still struggles with food shortages, medical care and electricity.

Now, North Korea celebrates a resort. Kim built it without Trump, without aid, without compromise. And with every single one of his nuclear weapons still intact.

RIPLEY: They built it, but who will come? Aside from locals, only Russian tour groups can visit the beach resort. Certainly, no Westerners, not even Chinese tourists, at least for now.

In fact, it may be quite some time before North Korea even comes close to being able to fill those dozens of brand-new hotels designed to accommodate up to 20,000 people.

Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: All right. Coming up, the highlights from the stunning end to the Women's Wimbledon final. Everything from the remarkable wind to why many called the match hard to watch. Stay with us.

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[04:50:00]

BRUNHUBER: The latest "Superman" movie is soaring up, up, and away from opening weekend expectations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My actions? I stopped a war.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Maybe.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not maybe, I did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: With an 82 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, the newest installment in the famed franchise is expected to gross nearly $130 million at the U.S. Box Office. Superman is the first film of the new Warner Brothers and DC Universe partnership headed by James Gunn, who's the film's director and co-CEO of DC Studios. And Warner Brothers Discovery is the parent company of CNN.

This weekend, Northern England has been a buzz with Oasis returning to their hometown of Manchester as part of their long-awaited reunion tour. The Gallagher brothers are back together again in front of a crowd of nearly 80,000 fans from around the world. CNN's Ben Hunte has more.

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BEN HUNTE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voice-over): Welcome home Oasis. Manchester, England is where it all began for the band more than three decades ago. And to some hometown fans, even after a 16-year gap, it feels like they never left.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely epic, legendary, and just once in a lifetime. Absolutely fantastic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

HUNTE (voice-over): Manchester has been hit by a champagne supernova of excitement over the return of brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, who make up the core of Oasis. Tickets to the shows are sold out. There's a mural of the brothers in the city center, and city officials say about 350,000 people are expected to travel here just to see the band. But it's more than a concert to these diehard fans.

CROWD: We believe and (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, we got them done today, this morning for it.

HUNTE (voice-over): was an all-day event for some people, waiting in the hot sun outside heat and park for the show they've been waiting years for.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, this is my son. He's grown up with the music. And to be back here with him in Manchester for the homecoming gig is just like nothing else. It's just like a dream come true.

HUNTE (voice-over): The Oasis reunion tour began in Cardiff Wales more than a week ago, and their songs have resonated so much with fans that Oasis is once again dominating the U.K. album charts with three of their records in the top five.

After Manchester, the tour continues in the U.K. and Ireland, along with stops in North and South America, Asia and Australia. But fans say the vibe here is one of a kind.

[04:55:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No disrespect to card. If it did look absolutely amazing when band looked absolutely on another level, but I think they were preparing for this. I think it's all about coming back to Manchester, isn't it?

HUNTE (voice-over): Ben Hunte, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Well, a new women's champion has been crowned at Wimbledon. CNN's Don Riddell has more on the match that's being described as painful to watch. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: This was an emphatic victory for one of the sport's great champions, but it was a brutal beat down for the loser, Amanda Anisimova. It was an electrifying performance from Iga Swiatek who was utterly ruthless in claiming her first Wimbledon title and her sixth Grand Slam title. She's never lost a major final that she's played in, and she never looked like losing this one. But the six-love, six-love score line, also known as a double bagel, was something not seen in the Women's Final here since 1911.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IGA SWIATEK, SIX-TIME MAJOR CHAMPION: Honestly, I didn't even dream because, for me, it was just like way too far. You know, I never really expected this one. So, I want to thank my team because I feel like they believed in me more than I did. And I want to thank my coach who joined this year. And obviously, with ups and downs right now, we showed everybody that it's working. So, also to the team that has been with me for many years, I would be nowhere without you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIDDELL: For Anisimova, it is a bitterly disappointing end to a brilliant run, having beaten the world number one, Aryna Sabalenka, in the semifinal, expectations were high, but she never got a look in here. And honestly, her defeat was pretty tough to watch.

But to the victor goes the spoils. And Iga Swiatek has now won three of the four major tournaments. And at 24, she's the youngest player since Serena Williams to win on all three of the surfaces in tennis. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

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