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Mangione's Lawyers Urge Judge To Block Death Penalty In Murder Case; CDC Advisory Panel's Vote On Hepatitis B Vaccine Postponed; Vigil For Charlie Kirk Held At Utah Valley University; ICE Detains Parents On 10-Year-Old Son's Birthday; Source: Kimmel Met With ABC Execs At His Lawyer's Office; Comedians Defend Free Speech; Palestinians Flee Gaza City As Israel Intensifies Ground Incursion; Farm Aid's 40th Anniversary Concert Raises Money For American Farmers; Trump Imposes $100K Fee On H-1B visas. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired September 20, 2025 - 13:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:00:23]

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN HOST: Hello, and thank you for joining me. I'm Isabel Rosales in for Fredricka Whitfield.

New today, Luigi Mangione's lawyers are urging a judge to bar prosecutors from seeking the death penalty in the UnitedHealthcare CEO murder case. Now, his legal team argues that authorities, including U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, have violated his constitutional rights.

CNN's Leigh Waldman is following this story for us. Leigh, what can you tell us?

LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Isabel, well, Luigi Mangione's legal team is hoping to build on the momentum that they got earlier this week after getting a major legal victory. His team is asking the judge to stop federal prosecutors from seeking the death penalty in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

The 114-page filing filed today argues that authorities turned his case into, quote, "a Marvel movie," and by publicly stating they wanted to see him executed. Now, you'll remember, last December, after he was arrested in Pennsylvania, Mangione was taken by a helicopter to Manhattan and then led by a large group of authorities and the New York City mayor, Eric Adams, to the courthouse after his arrest there.

Now, prior to his indictment, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a statement saying the capital punishment was warranted for, quote, "premeditated cold-blooded assassination that shocked America." Now, his defense team today in their filing is saying that the Bondi statements and the perp walk have violated Mr. Mangione's constitutional and statutory rights and have fatally prejudiced his death penalty case.

We also see him in these filings trying to further humanize their client, stating that "Luigi Mangione is a 27-year-old Italian-American dual citizen whose beautiful, promising life has been derailed. Born in Maryland into a large, close, loving family, he is now fighting for his life against a government that seeks to execute him."

Federal prosecutors have until the end of October to respond back to the filing we saw issued today from the defense side of things. He is facing a slew of state and federal charges in relation to the alleged killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Those federal charges, they have two counts of stalking, one count of murder through use of a firearm, and one count of firearm offenses.

Now, Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all of these charges, Isabel.

ROSALES: Now, Mangione's defense team had a major legal victory this week where a judge threw out the terrorism charges. Can you tell us anything about the judge's reasoning for doing that?

WALDMAN: Absolutely. This was a huge win for the defense in fighting some of those state charges that he's facing. A judge found that the evidence had not established he committed any kind of terroristic act allegedly in killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. That decision, the judge wrote, "There was no evidence presented of a desire to terrorize the public, inspire widespread fear, engage in a broader campaign of violence, or to conspire with organized terrorist groups."

They added that these ideological goals of killing Thompson did not fit the sufficient definition of terrorism. That is why those parts of the charges he is facing were dropped from the less than a week ago. Now, he is still facing other charges from the state, including the second-degree murder that could result in a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

ROSALES: It's a case that has certainly garnered so much interest and will continue to do so.

Leigh Waldman, thank you.

A CDC vaccine advisory panel has voted to move away from a broad recommendation for the COVID-19 vaccine. Instead, it is decided to recommend that anyone who wants a shot must talk to their doctor first, but no prescription is required. Now, following the vote, President Donald Trump defended the vaccine.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Operation Warp Speed, it was, just according to just about everybody, was one of the greatest things that any president has ever done in this country. So we're very proud of it. I'm very proud of it.

When I had the vaccine, I was very happy with it. Here I am.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

ROSALES: And with more on the panel's decision, here is CNN's Meg Tirrell. MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: This two-day meeting concluded with a vote essentially to soften the recommendation for COVID-19 vaccination to one that, for everyone, they say should be based on individual decision making.

[13:05:00]

Now, that essentially leaves the decision up to the person in consultation with a health care provider. They further emphasize that for people under the age of 65, they say that the risk benefit profile should be emphasized that it's most favorable for people who are at an increased risk of severe COVID-19. They also voted on whether the COVID-19 vaccine should require a prescription. That was a very close vote, six to six.

And the chair of the committee actually had to break the vote, and he voted against that. And some of the concerns among committee members who voted against were that that could make access to the vaccine more difficult. We should also note that the Department of Health and Human Services says that this vote would provide for insurance coverage of the vaccine.

And we also know from private health insurers that they've said they'll cover COVID shots at least through 2026. Now, we should also note there were two other vaccines considered through the course of this meeting, the hepatitis B vaccine and specifically the dose of the vaccine administered at birth to prevent chronic infection with that virus.

That was a pretty controversial vote, and the committee had discussed pushing it back to at least age one month for babies whose moms test negative for hepatitis B. Ultimately, they decided to delay that vote because there were some disagreements on what the vote should be. And so we don't know exactly when or if they might revisit that.

There also was a change to the recommendation for the measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox vaccine. It's offered as a combination of all four. And they changed the recommendation to say that for kids under the age of four, typically you get your first dose around a year of age. They said that you should get the chickenpox vaccine separately.

Essentially, that's because of a small but increased risk of febrile seizures, which doctors say haven't shown -- been shown to have long term health consequences. But the people on the committee said they wanted to reduce that risk. And some of the reasonings they said were because they thought that might reduce vaccine hesitancy.

We should also note that some of the criticisms of this were that this could potentially take away from parent choice. So that wraps up this meeting. We'll see how the CDC adopts these recommendations, because that is the next step.

ROSALES: Meg Tirrell, thank you.

And joining me now for more perspective on this decision is Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco. Peter, thank you so much -- Doctor, rather -- thank you so much for being on with us and for talking us through this very important topic.

Let's start with the CDC's vaccine advisers voting to move to a, quote, "shared clinical decision-making model for COVID vaccines." Can you walk me through in plain language what that actually means for patients who want to get the shot?

DR. PETER CHIN-HONG, INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA: Well, Isabel, it means that people who want to get the shot of any age have to talk to a health care provider first, weigh the risks and benefits. And we know that that has problems because, first of all, only about 70 percent or so have regular access to health care providers. And we know that there will be variability in opinion and practice.

ROSALES: So practically, does this mean that fewer people will end up vaccinated in the way that you see it?

CHIN-HONG: Yes, definitely, because 75 percent of Americans get their vaccines currently directly from the drugstore. I'm worried that this will introduce a delay not only in people who don't have providers, but in just convenience, having to have that extra step and having, you know, a statement that says, well, weigh the risks and benefits instead of we think you should get the vaccine because you have X and Y.

ROSALES: How serious of a decision would you describe this as?

CHIN-HONG: Well, I think I'm just worried about the highest risk populations. I think for many Americans, it probably wouldn't make much of a difference. But for people who are 65 and older, pregnant people and very young, those particularly under two, you're not emphasizing these populations and not making it easy for them to just get it at the corner drugstore, I think will introduce barriers.

But most of all, I think COVID vaccines are just one part of the uncertainty, the confusion and the indifference as being propagated at the CDC and at the highest levels.

ROSALES: Are you concerned that this is going to lead to more confusion, perhaps misinformation or disinformation specifically around mRNA vaccines? We've seen so much of this rising along in social media. How do you see it?

CHIN-HONG: Yes, I mean, not only mRNA vaccines, Isabel, and we of course need mRNA vaccines not only for respiratory viruses like COVID or influenza, but for many other diseases like cancer. And I think vaccines in general have become under assault. And I've been talking to my colleagues and they haven't seen as many people as ever before who have been really indifferent or refusing vaccines for their kids in the last few weeks in their careers. And I think that's really a worrisome sign for the future since our child vaccination rates before all of this were already going down.

[13:10:21] ROSALES: Now, Doctor, supporters meanwhile, would say that this shifting guidance ensures that decisions are not a one-size-fits-all, but instead will be tailored to each person's specific health status or history and the risk factors with patients actually gaining more agency over their health. What would you say to a person who thinks that?

CHIN-HONG: Well, I think it sounds great on paper, but you put up roadblocks. It's almost like a survival course where you have to talk to this person. You're not really sure insurance will cover it because you need that step. How is -- you could you get at a drug store? Would they need documentation that you actually had this conversation?

I think there's a reality of going through all those steps and then there's a -- well, I'm not even going to bother because I'm not sure I can make all of these appointments rather than go to the drug store. I think that there's also a difference between saying, you know, for these risk groups older than 65, no obstacles, just everything business as usual. But again, introducing these steps also deemphasizes the highest risk groups that results still in about 50,000 deaths a year.

ROSALES: Now there's been a lot of changes here that still need to be fully finalized and approved. The panel also delayed a vote on the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns, which has been a standard for decades. If I'm confused by all of this news, where can I go to to look for guidance on vaccines?

CHIN-HONG: So that's a great question. I think that the professional organizations are stepping up. We've seen statements from the American Academy of Pediatricians, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Academy of Family Physicians. We've seen states coalesce and use these guidelines to make their own, like the Western States Health Alliance, also the East Coast, other states as well.

I think what you're seeing here is a movement of people putting science first and evidence first. And I think if we see that there is going to be consistent guidance that's science-based, that's probably going to be another conversation or a counterpoint to what's being or what might be shown by the CDC. At the end of the day, we know that Americans trust their clinicians still.

So I would say talk to your clinician if you're worried. But I think, you know, after the dust settles, we'll hopefully have a little bit more clarity.

ROSALES: Yes, Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, thank you so much. And to your last point there, part of the concerns is leaving a patchwork system across different states with different recommendations. We're going to have to see how all of this pans out, but such an important topic.

Doctor, thank you so much.

CHIN-HONG: Thanks so much, Isabel.

ROSALES: Thank you. Well, still ahead, new CNN reporting on Disney's move to pull Jimmy Kimmel show off the air and what will happen to his team.

Plus, a cyberattack throwing some of the largest airports in Europe into chaos. Details on what was targeted.

And a family celebrating a birthday torn apart by immigration and customs officers during a traffic stop as ICE ramps up operations in Chicago. Their story, that's next on CNN Newsroom.

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[13:18:29]

ROSALES: Welcome back, thousands of people are expected to gather tomorrow to honor the life of assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk. On Friday, students from Utah Valley University, where Kirk was killed, they gathered for a vigil honoring his life. The university's president delivered a message of unity.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

ASTRID S. TUMINEZ, PRESIDENT, UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY: In the coming days, weeks, and months, let us pause and slow down when anger rises in our hearts towards those we think might be our enemy.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

ROSALES: President Trump and other top political leaders, they are slated to speak at Kirk's Arizona memorial service tomorrow.

An ICE protest outside of Chicago has ended in several arrests. On Friday, federal agents fired tear gas and pepper balls into the crowd as they rallied against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in their state.

A Chicago family celebration quickly ended in tears and arrests after ICE agents detained two parents as they drove to their 10-year-old son's birthday party. CNN's Maria Santana has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

MARIA SANTANA, CNN EN ESPANOL ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A family celebration shattered by heartache and tears. A teen can be heard comforting her little brother and sister as they witness their parents being taken away by federal immigration agents last Sunday on the boy's 10th birthday.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Somebody talk to me, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's OK. Move, please.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Listen, (INAUDIBLE) somebody talk to me --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's OK. We're OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

[13:20:04]

SANTANA (voice-over): Mexican immigrants Constantina Ramirez and Moises Enciso have lived in Cicero, a suburb of Chicago, for more than 15 years. Their attorney says they were driving down this street with their eldest son heading to his university before meeting the rest of the family at church.

SHELBY VCELKA, FAMILY LAWYER: So they accidentally did a U-turn on a side street that they were not supposed to be on and then the -- they got pulled over.

SANTANA (voice-over): Their 22-year-old son, who is awaiting approval for DACA, was also detained but later released, their lawyer said.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Unanswered questions. What you're doing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get up, please. If you tell me he's a citizen, we'll him go.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're not -- we don't answer questions, I'm sorry.

SANTANA (voice-over): After getting a frantic call from her mother, the 19-year-old ran to the scene where she repeatedly refused to answer the agent's questions.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don't answer question, and so our lawyers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) we all here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Its' OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

SANTANA (voice-over): At the family's request, we are not naming the children to protect their identities.

VCELKA: I think her reaction comes with being in a mixed status family. You learn from a young age how to watch out for either ICE presence or you learn your rights.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have --

(INAUDIBLE)

SANTANA: How are the kids doing after what happened?

VCELKA: You know, they're really resilient, smart kids, but you can tell that the event has been incredibly traumatic for them. As you know, the oldest son was detained along with his parents. SANTANA: And the younger kids are how old?

VCELKA: They are 12 and 10.

SANTANA: And they were born in this country?

VCELKA: Yes.

SANTANA (voice-over): In a statement requesting their parents' release, the elder son described the ordeal as a bad dream. He said, "The house feels dark. Their seats at the dinner table are empty now."

A review of court records found no criminal history for either parent. They are now being held in separate detention centers in Kentucky and Michigan. In a statement to CNN, the Department of Homeland Security said that Ramirez and Enciso entered the U.S. illegally and will remain in custody pending removal proceedings.

VCELKA: The entire exchange was heartbreaking to me. Now she has responsibility for her two younger siblings and these cars. She doesn't know where her parents are going. It broke my heart.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's OK. It's OK.

SANTANA (voice-over): Maria Santana, CNN, Chicago.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's fine. It's fine. It's fine. We're fine. We're fine.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

ROSALES: Maria Santana, thank you.

Just ahead, what Jimmy Kimmel is doing to get back on the air and how the host is focused on his staff while his indefinite suspension continues. You're watching CNN Newsroom.

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[13:27:21]

ROSALES: Welcome back. There are growing concerns about First Amendment protections after Jimmy Kimmel's late show was pulled from the air over his comments about Charlie Kirk and President Trump. Reactions from lawmakers are mostly split along party lines.

But now Republican Senator Ted Cruz is criticizing the head of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, for his threats against ABC. Cruz likening Carr's rhetoric to that of a mob boss. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

SEN. TED CRUZ (R), TEXAs: Look, look, I like Brendan Carr. He's a good guy, he's the chairman of the FCC. I work closely with him. But what he said there is dangerous as hell. He says, "We can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

CRUZ: And I got to say, that's right out of Goodfellas. That's right out of a mafioso coming into a bar going, 'nice bar you have here. It'd be a shame if something happened to it.'"

(END VIDEOCLIP)

ROSALES: We're also learning new details about that suspension of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Sources tell CNN that the show's crew, excuse me, will be paid through the next week. But the future of the show remains in limbo. There are roughly 200 to 250 people on the staff.

CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister has more from Los Angeles.

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Jimmy Kimmel, I hear from a source familiar with ongoing conversations, had a meeting on Thursday with top Disney executives at his lawyer's office in Century City, California. Jimmy was present, his attorney was present, and his manager was present, along with top Disney executives. But I hear that there was no resolution to the meeting, which means we have no indication of any path forward for Jimmy or his show at ABC.

Now, I have also been talking to sources who say that Disney is very hopeful that "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" could come back. Everybody at ABC loves Jimmy Kimmel, and they love the show. But after threats from the FCC and after the show was pulled by different station groups that were refusing to air Jimmy Kimmel's show, I hear that Disney executives said that Jimmy Kimmel needs to take the temperature down, but he did not want to do that.

He wanted to return with a monologue that I was told was coming in very hot, taking aim at MAGA, taking aim at Fox News, and that is when ultimately Bob Iger and Dana Walden made the decision to say, let's put the show on hiatus.

Now, Hollywood has been rallying around Jimmy Kimmel. Everyone from comedians like Conan O'Brien, who hosts the Oscars on ABC, here's what Conan had to say, quote, "The suspension of Jimmy Kimmel and the promise to silence other late night hosts for criticizing the administration should disturb everyone, on the right, left, and center. It's wrong and anyone with the conscious knows it's wrong."

[13:30:17]

The late-night comedians on other networks which are competing with Jimmy Kimmel, they also all took to the stage to support Kimmel. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY FALON, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALON": A lot of people are worried that we won't keep saying what we want to say or that will be censored, but I'm going to cover the president's trip to the U.K. just like I normally would. Well, guys, President Trump just wrapped up his three-day trip to the U.K. and he looked incredibly handsome.

STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT": If ABC thinks this is going to satisfy the regime, they are woefully naive. And clearly, they've never read the children's book, "If You Give a Mouse a Kimmel."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From Comedy Central, it's the all-new government- approved daily show with your patriotically obedient host Jon Stewart.

JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW": Are they are the naysayers and the critics right is Donald Trump stifling free speech?

CROWD: Of course not, Jon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: There have also been protests outside of Disney's offices both in Los Angeles and in New York with Hollywood unions like the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA backing Kimmel. Back to you.

ROSALES: Elizabeth Wagmeister. Thank you. Nextstar media and Sinclair Broadcasting are two of the nation's largest local TV station ownership groups. They were key players in influencing ABC's decision to suspend Kimmel show. Now, together, these two companies, they own 450 local TV stations and together, again, played this major role in influencing ABC. CNN's Tom Foreman follows the money and breaks down the power and politics.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!": Many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The takedown of Jimmy Kimmel started with the nation's biggest name in local TV. Nexstar Media owns or partners with more than 200 stations, many of them ABC affiliates. It has a $6.2 billion expansion up for approval by the Federal Communications Commission and reason to listen when the FCC head suggests stations everywhere could risk their licenses for putting Kimmel on the public airwaves.

BRENDAN CARR, FCC CHAIRMAN: These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action frankly on Kimmel or, you know, there's going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.

FOREMAN (voice-over): In short order, Nexstar declared Kimmel's comments "offensive and insensitive" and yanked his show. All just business? Hard to say. Open Secrets found Nexstar CEO Perry Sook has donated to both political parties, but much more often to Republicans.

The corporation has a more balanced donation profile. Yet a few years ago, the company's News Nation channel drew complaints from some staffers who said management was pushing them to favor the political right. Still, Sook recently said, there is no thumb on the scales.

PERRY SOOK, NEXSTAR CEO: I do not dictate content. No one in the organization dictates any content. We work together on group projects, but no one's handed a script and said, here, read this and it goes across all of -- all of the markets in which we operate.

FOREMAN (voice-over): Smaller than Nexstar, but still a powerhouse, Sinclair Television, with a long-standing conservative bent, preempted Kimmel's show and called on him to issue a direct apology to the Kirk family and make a meaningful personal donation to that family and to the conservative action group co-founded by Kirk.

It all seems to have been too much for ABC, owned by Disney, which turned the lights out indefinitely on Kimmel's show with little comment and too much for some critics as well.

ANNA GOMEZ, FCC COMMISSIONER: And what you're seeing here is this administration is increasingly using the weight of government power to suppress lawful expression. Not because it glorifies violence or breaks the law, but because it challenges those in power and reflects views they oppose.

FOREMAN : All of this is about one particular incident, but it doesn't seem like the issue is going to die down anytime soon. With the administration making more noise about other shows they'd like to see less of.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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[13:35:00]

ROSALES: New today, disruption for travelers across Europe. Operations at several major airports, including London's Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin have been badly impacted by a cyberattack. It resulted in hours of flight delays and cancellations. The attack targeted a company that provides check-in and boarding systems for several airlines. It took down some automated systems, allowing only manual check-in and boarding for passengers. What a headache.

Well, President Trump now calling the October 7th Hamas attacks genocide. He made the remarks Friday at the White House. Here's that exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, on Gaza. The U.N. concluded this week that Israel committed genocide in Gaza, what are your thoughts on that?

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Well, I haven't seen that. I'm looking at it. But did anybody commit genocide on October 7th? What do you think about that? That was genocide at the highest level.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[13:40:00]

ROSALES: A United Nations Commission this week said Israel has met the criteria for genocide in Gaza. Israeli forces have now surrounded Gaza City as they prepare a push to take full control of it. With us now is CNN Military Analyst and retired Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton. Thank you so much, Colonel, for spending your day with us and helping us to explain all of this. Let me start with just how close is Israel to taking full control of the city?

COL, CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST AND U.S. AIR FORCE (RET.): So, when you talk to -- Isabel, when you talk to some of the Israeli officials, they tell us that they are pretty close to achieving full control of Gaza City. They think they can do so in a matter of weeks, according to at least one of them.

But having said that, it's -- you know, full control is kind of in the eye of the beholder. The definition of that I think varies. And it's really a political decision on the part of the Israeli government as to when they'll declare full control. I think, you know, from a pure military standpoint, I think what we're looking at is an effort to subdue as much of Hamas' fighters as possible and to occupy as much of Gaza City as possible, that could take place within a matter of, you know, a week or 10 days or so.

But as far as actual control is concerned, Isabel, I think that we're looking at something that may prove to be elusive in the final analysis when it comes to the Israeli goals. So, if they declare some form of control, they might be able to get away with it politically. But de facto control might be impossible to completely achieve.

ROSALES: Now, Israel has warned civilians to evacuate the city, but some of them certainly don't have a means to leave or they simply don't have anywhere to go. What kind of civilian casualties could we be looking at here?

LEIGHTON: Well, unfortunately, the civilian casualty rate might be extremely high in a situation like this. So, far, at least 350 to 400,000 residents of Gaza City have left or tried to leave the city. But that leaves at least 600,000 or so that are still in the city. So, the possibility of 10,000 or more civilian casualties, both dead and wounded, is definitely real. And it really depends on how the Israelis move forward.

If they use the types of heavy-handed tactics that they've used in the past with, you know, direct bomb attacks against high-rise buildings and against tunnels and things like that, that's going to create a situation where you can probably see somewhere north of 10,000 casualties, maybe close to 20,000. And that could be something that, you know, would of course be very terrible for that population.

ROSALES: 10,000 to 20,000 casualties. Colonel, Hamas very publicly, in Hebrew, bluntly stated that Israel's ground incursion means the deaths of hostages, Israeli hostages, are unavoidable. Does that shape Israel's military strategy at all?

LEIGHTON: Well, it's -- you know, when you listen to what the IDF says, it does seem to impact it a bit, because they're looking at, you know, being -- one of their main goals being the release of the hostages, basically getting them freed from the clutches of Hamas. The problem with that is that military action has -- especially of this type, has not really resulted in the direct release of hostages. So, this could very well be a situation where hostages' lives, unfortunately, are at extreme risk right now, just because of the tactics that the Israelis are employing and the fact that negotiations are basically non-existent at this point.

The fact that there are no negotiations, no meaningful negotiations going on right now that we know of, really points to the fact that the hostages are going to be in extreme danger at this point on, and that is going to be tough for the hostage families, and I think for the nation of Israel as a whole.

ROSALES: Yes, and so many of those families desperate with their backs against the wall, out on the streets protesting the next actions here by Israel. Colonel Cedric Leighton, thank you so much.

LEIGHTON: You bet, Isabel.

ROSALES: Well, in a moment, a milestone day for the musical movement to support the backbone of America. We'll take you live to Farm Aid's 40th anniversary concert.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:45:00]

ROSALES: Welcome back thousands of people in Minneapolis for the Food and Music Festival Farm Aid. This year marks the 40th annual event that raises money for farmers and agricultural initiatives in the U.S. Big names include Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, and Dave Matthews. All of them set to perform.

CNN's John Berman is joining me from all of this excitement in Minneapolis. John, usually I'm on the other side of the camera and you're at the anchor desk. How's it going? What are you seeing out there?

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, I got to say, I feel so lucky to be here, Isabel. There's such a cool vibe in this stadium. Over the next several hours, tens of thousands of people are going to come in here. It's just getting started right now. Some of the early acts have been playing.

But by the end of the night, as you said, you know, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, Bob Dylan, who of course was born and raised in Minnesota. He was just announced as a guest this week, and it was his words 40 years ago that really inspired the first Farm Aid.

[13:50:00]

And we've been talking to people who've been coming back again and again and again. I just met Arthur here, who was born in Indiana, grew up in Michigan. This is your what, your 16th Farm Aid? ARTHUR: Yes.

BERMAN: What keeps you coming back?

ARTHUR: The spirituality of the of the music and the people and the sponsorship, the eclectic mix of all kinds of music. And, you know, in this day and age, music brings us together.

BERMAN: And we need that. We need to bring it together.

ARTHUR: Definitely. And I hope you put this in, but it's music and cannabis.

BERMAN: We'll take the music at least.

ARTHUR: No, no. Support family farm. Support the family farmer.

BERMAN: It's support the family farthers. Arthur, it's great to see you. He says think global, act local. Arthur actually went to the same high school as my co-anchor Kate Bolduan in Goshen, Indiana. Not at the same time, though, I should say, Isabel.

It's so cool. And people like Arthur who are filling up here, they love the music and they really want to support the farmers here. $87 million raised by Farm Aid over the last 40 years, Isabel.

ROSALES: I love what Arthur said, that music brings us together. What are some of the struggles, John, that farmers are facing now? Why is this event so important?

BERMAN: You know, according to the American Farm Bureau Association, farm bankruptcies rose 55 percent last year. Farmers are really struggling. They get caught in the middle, really, of almost everything. Climate change, global economic trends. You know, the tariff war, this isn't political for anyone here. They're here to support farmers regardless of politics. But farmers are being affected by tariffs right now. China's not buying soybeans yet this year. So, the soybean crop is, for a lot of farmers, just sitting around, and it's a real struggle.

In Farm Aid, what it's done for 40 years, it provides help for farmers. They have a phone number, 1-800-FARM AID, where people can call and get assistance, not just financial assistance, but direct help in how they can keep their family farms alive and hopefully thriving for decades more. Isabel.

ROSALES: And if you eat today, you got a farmer to thank for that. John Berman, thank you so much.

And don't forget, CNN is airing this year's Farm Aid Benefit Concert live. John, that you saw right there, will be hosting alongside Laura Coates. That is tonight at 7:00 Eastern, right here on CNN. And we'll be right back.

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ROSALES: Welcome back. The Trump administration is trying to make it even more expensive for companies to hire international workers. President Trump signed an executive action yesterday which would impose a $100,000 application fee for H-1B visas. That is a steep increase from current base filing fees of a couple hundred bucks. The administration says that this is part of an effort to curb what they see as an overuse of the program. This is just the latest in a series of efforts from the administration to crack down on immigration. CNN's Kristen Holmes has more.

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KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump taking a number of executive actions on immigration today, including imposing a new fee on H-1B visas, as well as creating what they are calling a Gold Card immigration program or pathway.

So, starting with those H-1B visas, which are essentially visas that allow companies to hire foreign workers for a minimal, or used to be a minimal fee, that have specialty skill sets that they couldn't potentially get in the United States. Now, that fee is going to be, for an application waiver, $100,000. Now, this is an enormous increase in what these applications are going to cost for these employers.

So, there's two things going on here. One, we had heard from a number of employers who said it was growing increasingly hard to actually get these H-1B visas. This likely will make it harder. But two, you see the administration here trying to do two things. One of them is get companies to essentially say that the person that they are hiring is so good and so unique, they could not be found in the United States, and they're willing to pay $100,000 for that person to come into the country.

The other thing to keep in mind here is the companies that generally use these H-1B visas, they're likely to be able to pay that kind of fee. It's usually tech companies or computer companies who have said that they need this kind of foreign skill set that is not necessarily something they can find in a U.S. job pool.

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HOWARD LUTNICK, COMMERCE SECRETARY: The whole idea is no more will these big tech companies or other big companies train foreign workers. They have to pay the government $100,000, then they have to pay the employee. So, it's just non-economic. If you're going to train somebody, you're going to train one of the recent graduates from one of the great universities across our land, train Americans, stop bringing in people to take our jobs. That's the policy here. $100,000 a year for H-1B visas, and all of the big companies are on board.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now, when it comes to this Gold Card program, this is something that President Trump has talked about before. So, again, essentially an expedited visa process for those who are willing to, quote, "invest in America $1 million."

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