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Trump On Hormuz Closure: Iran Can't Blackmail Us; NRC Chief: Lebanon Ceasefire Must Hold; Aid Is Underfunded; Police Search For Motive Behind Mass Shooting in Kyiv; Pope Leo Presides Over Holy Mass In Kilamba, Angola; Spanish Airport Serves As Refuge For Grounded Aircraft; Advocates Sound Alarm Over ICE Arrests At Courthouses. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired April 19, 2026 - 05:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:00:33]

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."

Days left on the clock and no word on whether talks between the U.S. and Iran will resume. We'll look at what we know about the tentative ceasefire and stability in the Gulf.

Plus, a deadly shooting in war torn Kyiv has people on edge. We have a live report from the region.

And a new website makes it easy to find out if your family members were Nazis. We'll look at why one German newspaper created a search engine specifically for this dark chapter of history.

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

BRUNHUBER: We're just days away from the end of a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the United States and Iran's top negotiator says they're far from reaching a peace deal. New marine traffic data shows that traffic in the Strait of Hormuz ground to a halt after two ships were attacked on Saturday. Maritime authorities say Iranian gunboats fired on a tanker traveling through the strait.

A container ship was also hit by an unknown projectile off the coast of Oman. That comes after Iran announced that it would close the key waterway again, blaming the U.S. for breaches of trust. President Trump says the U.S. won't tolerate blackmail over the strait. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), U.S. PRESIDENT: We have very good conversations going on. It's working out very well. They got a little cute, as they have been doing for 47 years. Nobody ever took them on. We took them on. They have no Navy. They have no Air Force. They have no leaders. They have no nothing. Actually, their leaders are -- it is regime change. You call that enforced regime change, but we're talking to them. They wanted to close up the strait again, you know, as they've been doing for years. They can't blackmail us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Top U.S. officials were seen arriving at the White House on Saturday as negotiations with Iran reach a critical juncture.

Our team of reporters is covering the latest developments. Joining us live from London is CNN's Leila Gharagozlou. But first, we go to Oren Liebermann in Jerusalem. Oren, just fill us in. What's the latest here?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Kim, we're waiting to see if and when there would be negotiations once again between the U.S. and Iran. There was a brief window, a very brief window in this case, where it seemed like the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical waterways, would be open to traffic. And just that little bit of good news after President Donald Trump announced it on Friday and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi seemed to hint at it in the hours and days after that, sent the price of crude oil down 10 percent in a matter of hours. But that was very short-lived.

Trump said the blockade of Iranian ports would continue. And then Iran, a country that Trump has said has no Navy, no Air Force and hardly any military, is still able to close the Strait of Hormuz. As you pointed out, Iran -- Iranian gunboats fired on a tanker on Saturday. Another ship, according to the U.K.'s maritime agency, came under attack. India said two of their incidents -- two of their vessels were involved in incidents in the Strait of Hormuz.

And that has once again effectively closed the Strait, as we have seen, according to marine trackers, ships heading either deeper back into the Persian Gulf or into the Gulf of Oman, away from that critical waterway.

So, now it's a question of, is it possible to get negotiations back on track, or is there too much bad blood in the water at this point, as the rhetoric very much seems to be escalating? And what are the options here?

There was an hours-long meeting at the White House between Trump and his top security and political officials there. We don't know the results of that meeting. We're waiting to learn and hear about those. But it's a question of what are the options here, whether it's a return to negotiations. Trump, despite saying that he had destroyed the military infrastructure and would not be subject to blackmail, also sounded somewhat optimistic or positive about the progress in negotiations. It's a question of whether that can be turned into a real agreement here, or is it back to some form of kinetic action, of military action, whether it's the all-out war we had seen over the course of about six weeks, or lower-level strikes, which the U.S. views as putting pressure on Iran.

These are all critical questions. And at the moment from where we sit, they're very difficult to answer, Kim, as the strait itself remains effectively closed, Iran using its asymmetric warfare abilities to make sure that barely any ships are able to pass through.

[05:05:10]

BRUNHUBER: All right. I want to turn to Leila now. Leila, you've been monitoring the reaction from the Iranians. What are they saying?

LEILA GHARAGOZLOU, CNN PRODUCER: So, the Iranians have been significantly more cautious in their assessment as compared to President Trump, who, as Oren said, was seeming to be a little bit more optimistic about the possibility of a deal. Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, the parliamentary speaker and the lead negotiator, said that they're far from a final agreement.

We've also seen quite a lot of commentary from people in Iranian media who are in the government, particularly hardliners, who are very reticent towards making a deal with the U.S., given the fact that there has been a previous breach of trust even prior to this war with the U.S. pulling out of the JCPOA.

So, a lot of the government chatter and what we're seeing on Iranian state media does lean towards maybe not necessarily an escalation, but a deep distrust of the American system.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Appreciate that. Leila Gharagozlou, thank you so much.

Well, France says one of its soldiers serving in the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in southern Lebanon has been killed. French President Emmanuel Macron says Hezbollah is responsible for Saturday's deadly attack. Three other soldiers were wounded.

The U.N. says its patrol was cleaning up explosives on a village road when it came under fire. Hezbollah has denied involvement. Lebanon's Prime Minister has condemned the attack and ordered an immediate investigation.

Long lines of cars navigate the wreckage and rubble in Lebanon. Have a look here. People uprooted by the war are trying to return home during a 10-day cease fire between Hezbollah and Israel. And you can see vehicles passing over a makeshift crossing at the site of the Qasmiyeh Bridge in southern Lebanon. It was bombed by Israeli forces shortly before the ceasefire. The roads are congested with people anxious to see what, if anything, is left of their homes. More than a million people in Lebanon have been displaced in this latest conflict with Israel.

Now, the damage is catastrophic in some of the southern suburbs of Beirut. Households and livelihoods have largely been reduced to rubble as the smell of death hangs in the air. But some people say they still consider it home and they plan to eventually rebuild. Listen to this?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMILA BASSAM, DISPLACED LEBANON (through translator): We will rebuild with our own hands. We're not afraid. Even if it takes us 10 years to repair, it doesn't matter to me. My house in the village is also gone, but we'll repair it too, and it will come back better than it was. What matters is that we live with pride and dignity, not to be ruled by anyone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Now, traffic is bumper to bumper along the highway in the coastal town of Sidon. Civilians are trying to return to their villages in southern Lebanon. Both the Israeli and Lebanese armies have warned residents against returning. The cease fire remains fragile, with both sides accusing the other of violating the agreement.

And joining us now is Maureen Philippon, Lebanon Country Director for the Norwegian Refugee Council, and she joins us live from Avignon, France. We're seeing those bumper-to-bumper pictures of traffic with families rushing south to check on their homes. I mean, from what your teams are seeing on the ground, what are people finding when they get there?

MAUREEN PHILIPPON, LEBANON COUNTRY DIRECTOR, NORWEGIAN COUNCIL: It's -- it's the level of destruction is impressive on your individual home, on your own home, but also when it comes to actual basic services in the town where you're going back. And we have a lot of report about lack of electricity, lack of water, because of the damage by the airstrikes. You know, you don't, like, even if the bomb land wasn't exactly on your village, but if it's been on the water network between the spring and your actual village, then, you know, you no longer have the water in the village.

So, it's a mix of damage on people's property, but also overall damage on the very basic service and infrastructure. That is extremely disheartening for the people who are going back.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, but they are going back. I mean, both the Israeli and Lebanese armies have warned people not to, but they're going anyway. I mean, what's driving that decision for families who know it might not be safe?

PHILIPPON: I mean, it's very interesting. And sometimes we have the tendency to analyze that a bit too coldly. But these people are really people like you and me.

And so, if your home was to be destroyed now, and then a ceasefire is announced that's filling people with hope, then you would want to go back and check on your home. Maybe you go back, only you, and check on the level of damage, whether, you know, you can do a bit of cleaning up before moving your family. But I think it's a very spontaneous human reaction.

[05:10:05]

When you get access back after, you know, five, six weeks of intense conflict, to just go back and check on your property, and then try to make plan to resume your life, because that's also people's lives that have been turned upside down for five to six weeks now, and then check on your property. And then try to make plan to resume your life, because that's also people's lives that have been turned upside down for five to six weeks now. And not forgetting that these people are the same who suffered through de-escalation in 2024, and through the two years and a half of uninterrupted violence with strikes. But nonetheless, these people have been under threat, under attack since October 23.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, exactly right. And we're talking about more than, what, a million people displaced in a country of less than six million, as you say, Lebanon, you know, already scarred by all of these wars in the middle of an economic crisis before the war started. I mean, what are the most urgent needs right now for people who have, you know, lost just about everything?

PHILIPPON: So, the first thing is a sustained ceasefire, like a real peace. Because the people who've gone back to check on their homes, some of them are now moving back north again, because they know the ceasefire is only for 10 days, which is until next Sunday. And we also see, so as you've said, that there's been breaches from both sides.

And so, it's not really safe. And so these people who were filled with hope going back, now they're like, hmm, maybe I need to be a bit more cautious and careful. And so, the first thing that's needed is really the stability of peace, so that people can actually go back to their life.

Then the second thing that's needed will be money. I mean, the level of destruction is massive. From the 2024 escalation, the World Bank reported that, estimated that the damage on infrastructure was close to seven billion.

There's been very little investment since the escalation in 24. And so now, with now extra six weeks of violence, these figures have only gone up. So, we'll need money to be able to rebuild, as I said, fix the water towers, the water systems, the electricity, the schools, the hospitals.

And then hopefully, people go back to normal life, go back to their lives of generating income, and then start normal life in a normal village in a beautiful country.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. And as you say, I mean, all of this was already underfunded. You speak of the need for, you know, a permanent ceasefire, but there is no guarantee that it gets extended. So, how do you plan for a humanitarian response? We don't even know if the fighting could start again in a week.

PHILIPPON: So we, by, you know, our job is to plan for the worst. And so, we keep, and I think the government of Lebanon has also been well aware of that. So, the shelters remained open, no collective shelters as closed.

And then we will take stock this week about people movement, and try to see if we can rationalize the response to the displaced people. As you said, I think this week is going to be quite fragile and fluid in terms of movement. So, it's likely that we'll have to maintain a very strong response to the displacement, while trying to see how many people have returned and what we need to do for them so that they are able to have access, as I said, you know, potable water, the minimum that you need to go back and find your feet.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. So, many people desperate for help there. Maureen Philippon, thank you so much for speaking with us. Appreciate it.

Ukrainian officials say a mass shooting in Kyiv is being investigated as a terrorist act, but the motive is still unclear. They say a Russian-born man went on a shooting rampage on Saturday, killing at least six people and leaving more than a dozen others injured. The gunman later took hostages in a supermarket before being killed by police.

For more, Sebastian Shukla joins us now from Berlin. So, Sebastian, just a tragic story there in a city that's already seen way too much violence. Take us through what we know about what happened.

SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN PRODUCER: Yeah, Kim, good morning. A really shocking incident that's befallen the Ukrainian capital city, Kyiv, yesterday. This incident took place in a southern part of the Ukrainian capital, Holosiivs'kyi District, which is largely a residential part of the city.

So, people would expect to find restaurants, supermarkets, bars in and around this area, and there is video circulating online now of this particular incident, and it is really quite shocking. I've seen one video which clearly shows this perpetrator shooting somebody at point- blank range.

What we do know from the authorities is that he proceeded to kill four other people on the streets before then barricading himself, along with other hostages, inside a supermarket.

[05:15:02]

Now, the authorities were able to release the majority of those hostages, but not before he then killed another, and then one other person, the sixth person, eventually succumbed to their injuries in hospital.

What I want you to take a listen to, Kim, is the details of what we know about the perpetrator from the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): It's known that the attacker set an apartment on fire before going out onto the street with a weapon. He had passed criminal convictions. He lived in the Donetsk region for a long time and was born in Russia. Everything that could be known about him is being established, and why he did what he did. Every detail must be checked.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SHUKLA: The Ukrainian authorities are going to be very particular going through the cases and the reasons for this shooting, as we heard from the Ukrainian president there. The man has now been identified as Ruslan Kravchuk (ph). He was born in Moscow, 58 years old, but we now know has spent a large part of his time in Donetsk region, that region in Ukraine's Far East, Donbas region. But I want to note very importantly that just because he was born in Moscow does not mean that he was a Russian citizen here.

But, Kim, as you can imagine, an incident like this often leaves people shocked and saddened over an act of violence, particularly a domestic terrorism act like this, which is saying something for a country like Ukraine, which has been seeing near constant violence on an almost daily basis for since February 2022. But it is very important to also say that incidents like this, domestic terror is so rare in Ukraine that we've not seen an incident like this since the invasion of Russia in February 2022, and nor had we seen incidents like this before the invasion either. They're just so rare, but obviously has left the Ukrainian capital and parts of it deeply, deeply saddened.

Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Absolutely. Sebastian Shukla, thanks so much.

All right, still to come here on "CNN Newsroom," the first American Pope responds to criticism from the U.S. President. That, plus, the latest on the Pontiff's tour of Africa. We'll have that ahead in a live report. Stay with us.

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[05:21:12]

BRUNHUBER: Pope Leo the 14th is celebrating mass in Angola this hour. He's on the third stop of his four-nation tour of Africa. The trip is about encouraging the growing Catholic population, quote, "peace building with people of all faiths." He also says he isn't trying to debate President Trump.

We're seeing live pictures right now of mass as it's going on here. Christopher Lamb is there traveling with the pope. He joins me from Kilamba, Angola.

So, describe to us what we are seeing right now. What's taking place, Christopher?

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well Kim, we're seeing the procession at the start of mass happening. The bishops and cardinals are processing up the altar with Pope Leo about to walk up the steps to begin the celebration of mass here in Angola.

We've got a huge crowd here today. The estimates are around 200,000 and Angola is a country with a very large Catholic population. Around 40 percent of the 38 million population of Angola is Catholic and a large number have turned out today for this mass in a place which was constructed by the Chinese as part of the oil for housing program. This is a new town that's been built on the outskirts of the capital of Angola.

Pope Leo was here, saying that he's seeking to encourage the Catholic community across Africa, which of course is such an important part of the church today because a fifth of all Catholics live on this continent and it's a growing church. And Leo has been very at ease. He's a pope who of course has a missionary background. He was in Peru, Latin America for many years, in the global south. So, this is really a kind of place where he is in his element.

Now, he did of course address the criticism that President Donald Trump would have been for the background to the early part of this trip on the plane from Cameroon to Angola.

Pope Leo came out to speak to us reporters to say that he doesn't want to get into a back and forth with President Trump. That's not in my interest, he said. He did say that some of the reporting around his comments in Cameroon were inaccurate because they weren't aimed at President Trump. They remember that he has said in Cameroon that the world has been ravaged by a handful of tyrants. He pointed out to us reporters that that speech was actually written two weeks ago before the president launched his extraordinary broadside against the pope.

I think what Leo is trying to emphasize whilst he's here in Angola is that message of peace. This is a country that has undergone a civil war but also he's been speaking a lot about exploitation. And we spoke about when he arrived in Angola about the dangers of extractivism, people coming to take Angola's natural resources. It's an oil-rich country. That's also a theme of this trip.

But the mass is just underway. The pope is celebrating the mass, speaking in Portuguese. He's been speaking lots of different languages whilst on this trip. But yes, the liturgy is now underway with thousands of people here. Quite an extraordinary crowd turning out for this mass today, Kim.

[05:25:04]

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, we're watching it now and as the choir was beautifully singing there in the background. Such an important moment for so many Catholics in Angola and across Africa as you say.

Christopher Lamb in Angola, thanks so much.

Well, the White House is looking to expand medical research on psychedelic drugs. We'll have the latest on President Trump's newly signed executive order after the break and a growing legal fight over immigration enforcement in U.S. courthouses as arrests at immigration hearings are on the rise and fewer than ever are being granted bond. We'll have that story and more coming up. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back. I'm Kim Brunhuber. Let's check some of today's top stories. Iran has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz again days before the ceasefire ends. New marine traffic data shows the traffic in the strait ground to a halt after two ships were attacked on Saturday. President Trump says the U.S. won't tolerate blackmail over the key waterway.

A message purportedly from Iran's new supreme leader has a new warning to the U.S. Mostafa Khamenei says Iran's Navy is ready to inflict new defeats on its enemies. Khamenei hasn't been seen in public or released video messages since his appointment as supreme leader six weeks ago.

And Iran says it's examining new U.S. proposals after talks with intermediary Pakistan. Tehran has yet to give an official response. Iranian sources tell CNN a new round of negotiations between Tehran and Washington are expected to take place in Islamabad this week.

[05:30:04]

Well, the war in Iran is taking a heavy toll on the aviation industry. It's so severe that a Spanish airport has become a parking lot for planes grounded because of the conflict. CNN's Pau Mosquera has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAU MOSQUERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One runway, several large hangars, and even a terminal.

(On camera): This is Teruel's airport, located more than 200 kilometers east of the city of Madrid. Now, this is not your typical airport. Here, there are no crowds, no boarding calls, and no duty- free panic. Actually, here, business takes off when planes stop flying.

OCTAVIO LOPEZ, PRESIDENT, TERUEL AIRPORT CONSORTIUM (through translator): We can call it an aircraft parking facility, and we can also call it the most important industrial airport in Europe. At Teruel Airport, services such as maintenance, storage, recycling, and even painting come together. Full, comprehensive aircraft maintenance.

MOSQUERA: This aeronautical center, owned by a consortium involving the government of Aragon and the city council of Teruel, it spans an area of 550 hectares, about 2.1 square miles, enough space to park up to 400 aircraft. Currently, there are 90 aircraft, a quarter of which belong to the Qatar Airways fleet, and have been parked here due to the war in Iran.

ALEJANDRO IBRAHIM, CEO, TERUEL AIRPORT: They have come, as you know, from the Persian Gulf. Well, because they want to be in a safer place, such as Teruel Airport, and to be based in Europe, which also allows them to use flight routes that are operational and commercially valuable.

MOSQUERA: Since opening in 2013, this airport has not only proven its value as an aircraft maintenance and repair hub, but also as a refuge in difficult times.

IBRAHIM: During the pandemic, we had up to 140 aircraft parked here.

MOSQUERA: How long do airplanes typically remain on the ground here?

IBRAHIM (through translator): It depends. Some aircraft come for painting and stay around 10 or 11 days. If they come for maintenance, it depends on the maintenance program. It can range from a week to a couple of months, or even three months. Or you may have a long-term parking if the client decides the aircraft won't be used for the time being, and will be kept as a backup. We have a record of a Boeing 747 that stayed parked at the airport for seven years, but the aircraft was restored, returned to service, and flew to the United States to join a cargo airline.

MOSQUERA (voice-over): In the case of aircraft that are no longer being used because of the conflict in the Middle East, it is still unclear how long they will stay or whether more will arrive. As Ibrahim points out, like birds, these aircrafts are designed to fly. And the hope is that before long, they will be back in the air.

Pau Mosquera, CNN, Teruel, Spain.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: In the Oval Office Saturday, President Trump was flanked by Health Secretary RFK Jr. and podcast host Joe Rogan. It was the signing ceremony for an executive order aimed at accelerating research into psychedelic drugs as mental health treatments. The president also pledged $50 million in funding for research into the hallucinogen Ibogaine, a drug he appeared eager to try on Saturday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), U.S. PRESIDENT: Ibogaine, because it's so important, and experienced an 80 percent to 90 percent reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety within one month. Can I have some, please? I'll take it.

(LAUGH)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: President Trump later said he stays too busy to be depressed. Early research into Ibogaine shows the compound found in an African plant may alter neural pathways. The drug has been used to treat depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms in veterans, as well as curb opioid cravings. But experts are concerned the administration could bypass industry benchmarks and potentially put patients at risk.

Advocates say migrants appearing for U.S. immigration hearings are now more likely to be arrested or detained than fewer are being granted bond. The Justice Department recently admitted that it's been incorrectly relying on an ICE memo to justify those courthouse arrests.

CNN's Rafael Romo has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We've all seen the viral videos showing ICE agents arresting people in and around immigration courthouses. But immigration advocates say they are even more concerned about what's happening inside the courtroom.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you have a warrant for his arrest?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where? Where?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, grab him.

ROMO (voice-over): ICE in courthouses. Under the Trump administration, federal immigration agents have gone to places they generally have avoided in the past, conducting chaotic arrests, also impacting American citizens during a nationwide immigration crackdown.

URVAL PATEL, VOLUNTEER, DETENTION RESISTANCE: They are showing up to their court dates. They're getting future court dates because they're meeting the requirements set by the law in this country.

ROMO: The practice of arresting people at immigration courts is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit brought against the Trump administration by civil rights groups last year. And according to that ongoing lawsuit the Justice Department recently admitted to a federal judge, it's been incorrectly relying on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo to justify arrests at immigration courts. CNN has reached out to DHS for comment.

[05:35:20]

But immigration advocates say what these viral videos don't show is a tectonic shift in the asylum policy.

LAUREN WAITS, COURT WATCH VOLUNTEER, GEORGIA ASYLUM AND IMMIGRATION NETWORK: The major difference is that nobody's getting bond anymore.

ROMO: Several times a week, Lauren Waits sits in her kitchen and watches immigration court proceedings through a virtual feed.

WAITS: The dramatic change has been, for a long time, in the way that we deal with immigration. For people where there's no criminal history whatsoever. Those folks, prior to this administration, had access to bond.

Now, the way I see it, we're all paying with our tax dollars to keep them in these detention facilities for no good purpose.

ADRIANA HEFFLEY, LEGAL SERVICES DIRECTOR, GEORGIA ASYLUM AND IMMIGRATION NETWORK: What changed is that in around July of 2025, ICE began to take the very new position that the majority of immigrants in immigrant detention are not eligible to even ask a judge for bond. ROMO (voice-over): Immigration attorney Adriana Heffley, the director of legal services at the Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network, leads the Court Watch program, a network of over 100 volunteers who document immigration court hearings.

(On camera): Observers with GAIN's Court Watch program say in the past, it was very likely for people living in the country with no legal documents to get bond if they didn't have a criminal record. But there has been a noticeable change during the current administration.

HEFFLEY: It's a drastically different interpretation of existing law that has been commonly understood by, you know, everyone practicing immigration law for decades.

ROMO (voice-over): An Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo from July posted online by the Immigration Policy Tracking Project says in part that, effective immediately, it is the position of DHS that such aliens are subject to detention and may not be released from ICE custody except by parole.

Immigration court observers also say that starting in early March, they have noticed they are being blocked from accessing immigration courtroom hearings, which are supposed to be public.

Observers say they are being asked if they are attorneys or relatives of the immigrant whose case is being heard and blocked when they identify themselves as observers, a potential violation of due process.

(On camera): We reached out to the Department of Homeland Security with questions about this new interpretation of the law and were referred to the Department of Justice. We are still waiting for a reply.

Rafael Romo, CNN Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Thousands of people are using a new site to dig into the dark history of their family members. Still ahead now, a German newspaper is making records available of Nazis in the Second World War. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:41:02]

BRUNHUBER: A new search engine allows people to find out if their relatives were Nazis. The database has been made available by the German Newspaper Die Zeit, which calls it a bid to end the silence born of misplaced shame. The A.I.-enabled program makes it easy to comb through Nazi records for family information. It was launched this month and has already been accessed millions of times.

For more on this, I want to bring in Sven Stockrahm, head of the online knowledge department of Die Zeit, and he joins us live from Berlin. Thanks so much for being here with us.

So, just to start, can you walk us through how this actually works? I mean, you just, you know, type in a family name. What do you see?

SVEN STOCKRAHM, HEAD OF ONLINE KNOWLEDGE DEPARTMENT, DIE ZEIT: Yes, exactly. It's -- so, what we did, we developed a search engine that makes the NSDAP cart index files, so the membership files of people who were members in the Nazi party, quickly available and searchable. So, you type in a family name, for example, and then you get results. And we made it easy to search millions of party records in that case.

BRUNHUBER: I mean, you know, obviously, you know, finding out would be so problematic. I mean, why do you think this was something so many people would want to do?

STOCKRAHM: I think people -- so the main problem was that it wasn't easy to access this information beforehand. So, when the U.S. National Archives actually started to release its data of this membership cards on the Internet in the beginning of last year, we only realized by mid-March, because there was some news coverage on the topic, that it is available online via the U.S. National Archives, these files.

So, we decided to -- or we questioned ourselves, OK, because it was very kind of difficult to access the data on the U.S. National Archives site, and there were so many people interested in accessing the information that the site temporarily went down. So, we were thinking about an easy, accessible research tool that we could provide for our readers and users to -- yeah, to search their own family history. So, that was the idea.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, I mean, the history of those membership cards and how they were saved from destruction and so on, I mean, I could do a whole interview on that because it's fascinating. We don't have the time, but I'm -- I'm interested to -- to hear from you about how the readers who've used the search engine, they found relatives there. I mean, what -- what are some of those conversations been like?

STOCKRAHM: Yeah, I think we -- yeah, we stirred up some really some -- some intense discussions in many families. And this is -- and the response from our readers so far has been nothing short of overwhelming. We received thousands of comments and responses, people telling us what they found out.

And you have to know that in opinion polls, only a few Germans say that their ancestors supported the Nazi regime and quite a lot believe that their families actually opposed Hitler. And if you are thinking about 10.2 million people joined the NSDAP from 25 to 45, this cannot be true. So, there must be someone in your family or maybe in a branch of your family that joined the party in the past.

[05:45:02]

So, we -- we want to help people with this search engine to actually arrive at a more realistic view of the past and of their family's past, if they want to. BRUNHUBER: Yeah, if they want to, that's the key. I mean, my -- you know, my last name is Brunhuber. I'm of German extraction. I could tell you I would be, you know, maybe hesitant to do something like this. But I'm sure many of our viewers will be sort of turning from this and going immediately and trying to -- to find this.

So, for those people who might be engaged in this, I mean, if they go and they find a way to do this, obviously that would be a hugely difficult moment for them, for their family. I mean, what -- what guidance are you able to offer people on kind of how to deal with that and what to do next?

STOCKRAHM: Yes, so our search engine is basically a first step. If someone is interested in their family's history, it would be a first step to find a family name or search a family name. And there are also a lot of archives to provide more information. And this engine is not about telling people all your -- it's just -- it's trying to basically to return history to families. Because the Nazi regime actually reached throughout all levels of society.

And now this black box becomes more accessible and silence and suppression, two topics that have been -- yeah, that have been a huge part of remembrance in Germany, now turn into something that is concrete knowledge. And I think this is -- this is so important about this engine to understand. And it's not to call out people or to put blame on your ancestors, but there are a lot of people who just want to know and find relief in knowing, even though it can be quite a bitter shock to realize that your ancestors, your great grandfather might have been part of the NSDAP.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, important to confront the past in order perhaps not to repeat it. Really appreciate your input here, Sven Stockrahm. Thank you so much for joining us.

STOCKRAHM: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: All right, we'll be right back here on "CNN Newsroom." Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: In the British countryside, the hunt has meant a fox hunt with riders on horseback and snarling hounds tracking down and killing the unfortunate prey. Well, no more. Twenty years ago, England and Wales banned hunting with most wild dogs -- hunting most wild animals with dogs. This year, the government is set to ban trail hunting. Participants have already found a replacement. CNN's Christina Macfarlane joined the chase.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The great British hunt, known for its pageantry, aristocracy.

MACFARLANE (on camera): So, the stereotype that this is an elitist sport is -- LYDIA FREEMAN, SENIOR FIELD MASTER, HAMILTON BLOODHOUNDS: It's not true.

MACFARLANE (voice-over): And controversy, too. For centuries, pack dogs have chased and killed foxes and other wild animals. But since that was banned decades ago, hunts have needed another prey.

MACFARLANE (on camera): I'm here in the Suffolk countryside, where I'm about to be chased by a pack of horses and hounds in something called a clean boot hunt.

Now, traditionally, this hunt would have chased an animal scent like foxes, but now it's humans or runners. And today, that means me. And I'm a little bit nervous.

MACFARLANE (voice-over): James Chadwick is the master and huntsman of the Hamilton Bloodhounds. He's been rearing these bloodhounds from birth to track human scent.

MACFARLANE: Am I going to get torn to pieces?

JAMES CHADWICK, MASTER/HUNTSMAN, HAMILTON BLOODHOUNDS: Not at all. You might get licked to death, but far from that. You'll find out in a minute. They're so friendly. They love people.

Watch your head.

MACFARLANE: Oh, my God.

MACFARLANE (voice-over): We enter a tiny cage so the dogs can sniff our scent.

MACFARLANE: Not on my mouth. Thank you.

Do you know all their names?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's Sunday.

MACFARLANE (voice-over): With our dignity just about intact --

(DOGS BARKING)

MACFARLANE (voice-over): -- we're given a 15-minute head start as the riders assemble.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Fudge, just behave yourself.

FREEMAN: As you know, I'm your field master. Please stay behind me.

MACFARLANE (voice-over): And then the hunt begins.

(TRUMPET)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stand still. On you get.

MACFARLANE (on camera): There goes the horn. MACFARLANE (voice-over): If hunting is to continue in the U.K., this could soon be the only way to do it, with the government proposing a ban on all forms of hunting involving animal scent in England and Wales.

Dogs have been used to track foxes and other wild animals in Britain since the 16th Century. It only became popular as a sport a century later.

After animal hunting was banned in 2004, hunts were permitted to chase a pre-made scent without any killing, but some think that's been used as a smokescreen to continue illegal hunting. Which is why clean boot hunting is taking off.

MACFARLANE (on camera): I can hear them.

MACFARLANE (voice-over): As the runners make good progress, excitement is mounting at the back of the pack.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Fudge, just be sensible.

MACFARLANE (voice-over): On this occasion, we finished the trail before being caught and lie in wait.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here they come.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good old boys, good old girl.

Well done!

(TRUMPET)

MACFARLANE (on camera): It's strangely exhilarating. A lot more fun than a park run.

MACFARLANE (voice-over): There's a round of port for everyone who completes the course.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cheers!

MACFARLANE (voice-over): Including the runners.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good boy, Fudgy.

MACFARLANE (voice-over): And time for a catch up.

[05:55:03]

REESE PLUM, RIDER: People think you're crazy, but it's -- it's -- I love it. I love it. And to keep it going is -- it's necessary, because it keeps the community together. Because you have all walks of life that come here.

MACFARLANE: What do you say to people who think this isn't a real hunt?

FREEMAN: I would say that this is the most brilliant compromise because no one gets hurt.

MACFARLANE (voice-over): And no one is more relief than me.

MACFARLANE (on camera): Thank God. It's only biscuits they want.

FREEMAN: Three cheers for the runners. Hip, hip --

ALL TOGETHER: Hooray.

FREEMAN: Hip, hip --

ALL TOGETHER: Hooray.

FREEMAN: Hip, hip --

ALL TOGETHER: Hooray.

MACFARLANE (on camera): Thank you. We survive.

MACFARLANE (voice-over): Christina Macfarlane, CNN, Suffolk, England.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Well, things got rowdy for a second year in a row when an elderly D.J. collective led a rave in Cologne, Germany. Have a look.

The seniors' women's group known as "Forever Fresh" returned to the CEO Pop Music Festival on Friday to prove you're never too old to get out on the dance floor. The project formed in 2025 when festival organizers set out to recruit older women for a DJ workshop.

A year later, the show's success has grown beyond the festival, inviting music fans of all ages to rethink D.J. culture. The festival says the performance isn't a gimmick but a statement of visibility, participation, and true diversity.

And another D.J. is honoring the late Pope Francis in a way only he can, and that's because Guilherme Peixoto isn't just a D.J., he's also a Catholic priest. On Saturday, he hosted a free electronic music show in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the late pontiff's home city. Thousands of people joined in for a night of techno music, religious songs, papal- inspired messages, and dancing. Tuesday marks one year since Pope Francis, known as the People's Pope, died.

Well, that wraps this hour of "CNN Newsroom." I'm Kim Brunhuber. For our viewers in North America, "CNN This Morning" is next. For the rest of the world, it's "African Voices."

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