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Questions Linger About U.S.-Iran Talks; Rescue Teams Race To Find Earthquake Survivors; Football For Freedom. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired June 30, 2026 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR: All right, everybody, and thank you for watching Newsnight. You can stream the show anytime with an all-access subscription in the CNN app or at cnn.com/watch. CNN's coverage continues next.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN News. I'm Polo Sandoval, live in New York.

President Trump's special envoy headed to Doha after a round of talks with Iran, but Tehran is casting some doubt on whether those meetings will actually happen.

Plus, more than five days after Venezuela's devastating earthquakes, crews are combing through rubble and desperate search for survivors. We'll get you an update.

And a little later, how a former New York governor and his son are using American football to empower young people in the midst of war.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from New York, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Polo Sandoval.

SANDOVAL: We do want to begin with conflicting statements from the U.S. and Iran about potential new talks. Late on Monday, U.S. Officials said that special envoy Steve Wycoff was headed to Doha. This man.

Well, this after President Trump said that the U.S. would be meeting with Iran in Qatar today. But Iran says that there are no negotiations that are scheduled with the U.S. this week.

On social media, President Trump wrote that it was Iran that had requested a meeting. And all of this comes just days after tensions flared with the U.S. and Iran after they both exchanged strikes near the Strait of Hormuz. CNN's Paul Hancocks is following the developments from Abu Dhabi. So what do we expect in the coming hours, if anything?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Polo, it's not the first time that we've heard very differing accounts of what's going to happen from the U.S. and Iran. So it could be a case of waiting and seeing if these talks do go ahead. We have heard, as you said, from U.S. officials, that at least last night Steve Witkoff was on his way to Doha. We've heard from sources in the region that they do expect some talks, but we've heard from Tehran as well, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson saying that they have no plans for any kind of talks, any kind of level this week with the United States.

Now, what we're hearing from Iran is their line is that there are certain provisions within this memorandum of understanding that have to be completed or at least have to be commenced and then guaranteed before discussions start for a final agreement. So Tehran is looking to the frozen funds that they want released before they start these final agreement discussions. They're looking at the sanctions that they want lifted on Iranian oil.

And also, when you look at number one in the 14-point plan, that is a halt to all hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon. That hasn't happened at this point as well. So what we're really seeing from Tehran is a pullback saying that the other clauses have not been implemented, so they're not ready to, to go ahead with the final agreement talks. But we will have to wait and see if these talks in any kind of form do go ahead though.

Now we heard from Iran's president as well, Masoud Pezeshkian, saying that if the U.S. sticks to its side of the agreement, then so will Iran. I'll read you part of the social media post. He said, quote, "Mutual understanding is a two-way street. If the American side adheres to the agreement, we will also fulfill our commitments. Our approach to unreasonable saber-rattling and baseless threats, to rely on rationality and human dignity in decision making."

So what we hear is obviously the distinct lack of trust in each other on either side. It has been focused on Lebanon and it has also been focused on the Strait of Hormuz. Certainly, in recent days that serious escalation in violence was focused on the Strait of Hormuz. There is still movement, though, within that critical waterway.

When we look at some of the tracking agencies trying to figure out exactly how much is getting through the Strait of Hormuz. They said that on Monday there were a couple of dozen vessels that were able to, to make that route. They say six tankers, eight cargo ships managed to exit the Strait of Hormuz. Half a dozen came into the Strait of Hormuz.

So there is movement. But of course, what we're hearing from Iran at this point is that they want all of these vessels to use what has become known as the Iranian route, the northern part of the Strait of Hormuz, where they have to get Iranian permission, where Iran maintains control and, of course, leverage over the strait. But what many vessels are choosing to do is to go further south to hug the Omani coast so they don't have to go through Tehran in order to make that route.

[04:05:21]

So, this is really one of the main sticking points. But we are seeing that even though it's not anywhere near pre-war levels, which was something like 110 vessels a day, a couple of dozen on Monday means that there is some movement there. Polo.

SANDOVAL: Now waiting and seeing that certainly has been the dominating theme of this war. Paula Hancocks, thank you so much for that live update from Abu Dhabi.

To South America now, where aftershocks in Venezuela are keeping residents on edge nearly a week after two deadly earthquakes rocked that country. Officials are saying that more than 600 aftershocks have hit since last Wednesday and that number is sadly climbing alongside the death toll, which is now topping 1,700 people. And the government has created a new commission.

Their hope is to assess the nation's infrastructure and any homes damaged by the quakes to hopefully determine whether or not some of those homes are safe for people's return. Families in Venezuela, not just here in the United States, but also there, they are really quite desperate for information on what happened to nearly 150 people deported from the U.S. Some family members, you see, they have to wait there in the shade near the devastation, hoping for any news.

You see that group, including seven children, arrived in Venezuela the day that the earthquake struck in their hotel in La Guaira. It collapsed in the disaster. Their families here are now demanding more information.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSE GREGORIO RINCON AVILA, GRANDFATHER OF MISSING DEPORTEE (voiceover): Please, those of you who are here, help us. Help us. We have been waiting many days. We already know those bodies have been there for several days since Wednesday. But at least let us take our loved ones home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: And we'll get you more on the latest survivor to be pulled out of the debris on Monday. But first we go to CNN contributor Stefano Pozobon with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: As the hours and days go by since the two devastating earthquakes hit Venezuela, the window for finding survivors is beginning to close. There are still glimmers of hope, like this moment when a woman was rescued from under the rubble of a building in La Guaira surrounded by family yelling they love her. Her 18-day old baby also found alive, cradled by the hands that dug through the dust and debris. Or this man, Antonio, pulled from a collapsed building to the sound of cheers and applause.

Others continue to dig with the tools they have, hoping for a sign of Their loved ones growing frustrated and angry as rescue efforts stall.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voiceover): We want support. We want heavy machinery. We want to take our family members with us. I'm not the only one in this situation. POZZEBON (voiceover): Dozens of international crews are on the ground in Venezuela bringing highly trained sniffer dogs, supplies, expertise and compassion.

ADALBERTO PASTOR, MEXICAN RESCUE WORKER (voiceover): At this moment, we're continuing with our search for possible victims. We have conducted canine searches and we're now using electronic equipment which allows us to be more accurate.

POZZEBON (voiceover): The so called golden hour window, the 72 hours after an earthquake when the chance of 30 finding survivors is greater, has now ended. Many who survived are still shaken and each aftershock brings stark reminders of everything they've lost.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Stefano Pozzebon reporting from Venezuela. And earlier I had a chance to speak to Niurka Melendez. She's the co-founder of Venezuelans and Immigrants Aid, a nonprofit here in New York. And while many in her family back in Venezuela are safe from the earthquakes, some of her husband's family, they are still missing. And while they fear the worst, they're still clinging onto some hope. Here's part of our conversation that is.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIURKA MELENDEZ, CO-FOUNDER, VENEZUELAN'S AND IMMIGRANTS AID: A good question that I believe, thanks to my psychotherapist, they have been helping me a lot to just overcome all these challenges. But I think the frustration and the anger is the harder part in my case because as you mention, I mean, 2,000 times from my view, from my own personal experience, when you see everything from the distance, like from a window, and it's really hard because you feel like your hands are really tight and anything that you do is always isn't enough, at least from my experience.

SANDOVAL: It's been just over five days now about are you hearing any concerns from people on the ground about some parts of the devastation, Niurka, that are yet to be explored by, by search and rescue crews?

[04:10:00]

MELENDEZ: Yes, there are many concerns and I believe the one that is racing right now the most between the conversations with my family is basically that block that we are seeing from the regime. And it's not just regarding the international aid that is trying just to help, but also regular citizens like you and me, all the bureaucratic process that they are putting in place, me my willing just to help, I mean to whatever help. And I have to do lines to get an ID to be able to go down and search for my own family. This is huge.

SANDOVAL: And we should mention that last point that you just mentioned a little while ago. We did hear from a senior U.S. official over the weekend that said that any restricted access to some of the hardest hit areas was likely due to coordination issues. But in your view, based on what I'm hearing you say is that it seems that it's more than that. I mean you believe that the Venezuelan government is just out right mishandling this response.

MELENDEZ: Of course they are talking what coordination. They don't coordinate anything. I mean they appear in the case of my family, the one that the own family is searching for, they appear on Friday afternoon and they are missing since Wednesday afternoon. So, nobody coordinate anybody.

I mean neighbors helping neighbors, people helping people. And then of course because of the international pressure and then having people from, I mean rescue teams from El Salvador, Colombia, Mexico and the U.S. of course they have to appear there to pretend that they were helping us from the beginning. That is totally false.

SANDOVAL: I wonder if we could perhaps close on a note of resilience of the Venezuelan people. What is your hope now for your home country? You've been away for well over 10 years and yet I'm sure you feel very close to the pain that there experiencing at this hour.

MELENDEZ: I mean it's just unbelievable even from the Venezuelan fellows that we have been meeting and bringing peer support to our community. But it's just unbelievable to see how the solidarity keeps there even in our hardest time. I mean seeing our people even finding their owns loved one dead, continuing on the ground helping others. So it's beautiful to see that they, I mean they -- the regime could then destroy that part of us.

We are solidarity over solidarity people overall. And they cannot destroy that. They cannot destroy more than they have destroyed physically and material in terms of materials. And that is something that brings me hope and I hope in that term seem my people getting so mad at this unfair situation for them that the justice is more and more close.

And I really grateful to see and realize one more time how good and solidarity we are as a Venezuelan people, despite all the situation that we have been facing for almost three decades.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: And it's been a busy start to the week for the U.S. supreme Court. You see, on Monday, the justices struck down a nearly century old precedent that required a president to provide cause before firing federal officials from certain independent agencies. Earlier, CNN spoke with the woman at the center of the case, former Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter, who was, who was fired by President Trump last year. Listen to how she reacted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REBECCA SLAUGHTER, FORMER FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSIONER: It is the largest expansion of executive power in over 100 years, and that is exactly why we should be worried about it. And so, for working people who depend on agencies like the FTC and the other independent agencies, the Supreme Court has said, no, we will not have that independent check. You will not be watchdogs anymore. You will be lap dogs.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: And in a separate ruling, the justices rejected President Trump's attempt to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. The court argued that Cook must be given a chance to respond to allegations of mortgage fraud so lower courts can scrutinize the charges with greater context.

And the justice has also denied Trump's appeal in the 2022 E. Jean Carroll defamation case. The president will now have to pay Carroll the $5 million awarded to her by a New York jury. CNN's Paula Reid is in Washington with more on these rulings from the Supreme Court.

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: On Monday, President Trump lost a few battles at the Supreme Court, but he is winning the war to expand executive power. In a pair of cases, the Supreme Court did lay out some restrictions on who he can and cannot fire within the federal government. But really what they did most significantly is overturn about 90 years of precedent that said in order to fire certain officials within the government, the executive would have to find malfeasance, negligence of duty, inefficiency. The court held that is in fact a violation of the separation of powers, overturned that 90-year precedent giving the president broad authority to fire officials at roughly two dozen agencies that Congress had designed to be independent.

[04:15:35]

Now, in one of the cases, the Supreme Court did say that if he wants to file some fire someone at the Federal Reserve, that he would need to make sure that individual received certain steps, certain process. Through that process, they would have to have the opportunity to respond to their firing. Again, doesn't say you can't fire them, just says they need to receive process beyond just a tweet, which is what happened in this. Now, in a different case, interestingly, the administration lost its argument to try to restrict when mail in ballots can be counted. And this is significant because we know the Trump administration wants a greater federal power within how elections are administered, even though that's traditionally left to the states.

Now, in this case, they were looking at a case in Mississippi, and that state allows mail in ballots that are postmarked on election Day to still be counted even if they come in several days after Election Day. But the court said that law is constitutional, upheld it. And that is significant because roughly a dozen other states have similar laws. So, if the administration had prevailed on that case, it could have opened the door for more federal intervention in sort of preventing people from voting in alternative ways, not just lining up on Election Day.

So again, a mixed bag for the president on Monday in terms of what he can and cannot do, how far the administration can go into state governments. More questions coming, a big one on birthright citizenship. Can the president limit that right through executive order? Also, a big case related to transgender students in school sports. All of that expected to be revealed on Tuesday, the final day of the Supreme Court term. Paula Reid, CNN, Washington.

SANDOVAL: All right. When we return, we'll take you to a city in Ohio that's now getting ready to lose a significant portion of its population just ahead, while a recent Supreme Court ruling has thrown the future of Springfield's Haitian community into serious doubt. Also, thousands of migrant workers in South Africa are worried about a rise in xenophobic violence and why they're now facing an ominous deadline today. Stay with us.

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[04:21:34]

SANDOVAL: Many Haitians living in the U.S. right now are looking for other legal immigration pathways after the Supreme Court ruled last week that the Trump administration could remove the temporary protected status. Springfield, Ohio, It is home to at least 10,000 Haitians. CNN's Omar Jimenez traveled there and spoke with some affected immigrants who say they're now fearful about their future.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I've been here multiple times over the past two years, and each time during a period of fear or uncertainty for the Haitian population here. And we're getting ready to meet with a man I first met a little bit more than a year ago. He's had a steady job throughout all of this, but is now among the many trying to figure out what he's going to do next.

Daniel, how's it going?

DANIEL AULA, HAITIAN IMMIGRANTS LIVING IN SPRINGFIELD, OHIO: Hey Omar, how are you doing?

JIMENEZ: Yes, doing okay.

AULA: Not too bad.

JIMENEZ (voiceover): Daniel Aula came to the U.S. from Haiti in 2022, running from what he says was a serious threat on his life. He had to leave behind his wife and daughter.

AULA: I have to protect my life, to save a life, to stay alive, to take care of my family.

JIMENEZ (voiceover): Since he's been in Springfield, he's worked steadily at a local metalworks manufacturer, building a life he fears he could soon lose.

JIMENEZ: Are you scared right now?

AULA: Very. I'm off with all day they take me and go back in AD with me by force.

JIMENEZ (voiceover): He's not alone either. Viles Dorsainvil is the executive director of the local Haitian Support Center.

VILES DORSAINVIL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HAITIAN COMMUNITY HELP AND SUPPORT CENTER: Haitian Support Center.

JIMENEZ: We've just been trying to talk to him for a few minutes and he's getting calls.

JIMENEZ (voiceover): He's helping manage the immigration paperwork for their attorneys.

JIMENEZ: What are you telling people who are calling in?

DORSAINVIL: We tell them that if they have children, choose a trustworthy person and give that person power attorney in case something happens to them.

JIMENEZ: A lot of the Haitian population here came pretty suddenly over the last five years through a combination of immigration programs, but among them temporary protected status along with just word of mouth from other U.S. communities. But as you might imagine, not everyone is happy about their presence here.

JIMENEZ (voiceover): But economically, the City and Republican Governor Mike DeWine have pointed to the influx as one of the reasons the area has seen an economic revitalization. Since the Supreme Court decision, Dorsainvil says some people have been calling in to the community center taking a victory lap.

JIMENEZ: Are you nervous at all about what comes next here in Springfield?

DORSAINVIL: Basically, yes, because there is so much at stake.

JIMENEZ: So people are calling the community center saying it's time for you to leave.

DORSAINVIL: To leave. And they are not saying that in that beautiful words that we are using now. So, they are using n words to tell us to leave.

JIMENEZ: Are you afraid if you're sent back that you would be killed?

DORSAINVIL: Very afraid if AD will be safe, it will be all good. Pleasure to go back on my country.

JIMENEZ: Yes. But right now that's just not.

AULA: No. Right now, no.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Our thanks to Omar Jimenez for that. The ominous deadline set by anti-immigration groups in South Africa. It is here thousands of migrants have been fearing for their lives with many trying to get out of the country. And some say that they were told to get out by June 30th or quote, "Leave in a coffin." This so-called deadline follows a month's long series of protests, threats and attacks targeting South Africa's migrant population. Some have even been fatal. Government officials say that security forces are on high alert ahead of planned anti-immigration marches today. So, what is happening on the streets at this hour?

[04:25:09]

Let's go live to Larry Madowo joining us from Johannesburg. Hey, Larry.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Polo. We are at one of the marches here in Johannesburg. It already began. This is the deadline set by anti-migrant groups for all undocumented migrants, mostly Africans, to leave South Africa.

Let me speak to one of the people who are marching here, Felissa (ph). Why are you out on the streets today, Felissa.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because we are tired. We as. We are tired of being. Being given drug. Our kids.

MADOWO: Right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I given drug (inau. Our husbands, our mothers. They are on drug because of (inaudible).

MADOWO: There is no evidence of the drugs. But you're married to a foreigner. You're married to a (inaudible), right?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I do. And he is documented.

MADOWO: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And we met when we were 19 years old.

MADOWO: Right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are married. U.S. (inaudible) drugs and wasn't all that.

MADOWO: Okay. And you are -- you are -- a lot of people say this much is xenophobic. Do you agree?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't agree. We are not xenophobic. We only -- we're only xenophobic when people say to us, we must not match. We -- we are not xenophobic. We are loving people.

MADOWO: Right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We love people. We love foreigners, but we want the foreigners to -- to be documented.

MADOWO: Right? Felissa, thank you. She says they love foreigners, but they want the foreigners to be documented. So, the march is underway here. It's just a few dozen people right

now, but there might be more in future. It's still early in the morning. Police have said that they will keep everybody safe. They have a right to march, but not to violence or intimidation.

But they essentially have shut down the city of Johannesburg. We're in downtown Johannesburg and it's been stunning just how completely deserted the city is because of the fear of this deadline set by these groups and the possibility that there might be some violence. Even though authorities in South Africa have been telling everybody, you'll be safe, today will be a normal working day. But that's not the reality.

What you see here, people already just after 10:00 a.m. and already people on the streets declaring that South African immigration law must be respected and any undocumented migrants should leave. And you've seen a lot of African countries already repatriating the citizens from South Africa. Zimbabwe, Ghana, Malawi, Uganda, Nigeria have all said they will be repatriating the citizens from this country. Polo.

SANDOVAL: That's CNN's Larry Madowo, live in Johannesburg, South Africa, speaking to some of the protesters there. Larry, thank you so much for bringing that. We'll check back in with you.

Elsewhere, a manhunt is underway for a person suspected of detonating a makeshift bomb in the middle of Monaco. Several people, including a child, were wounded in the blast on Monday night, two of them suffering life threatening injuries, according to officials there. And police from Monaco and France, they are currently conducting a joint operation to find the suspect who they believe fled across the border into France. The explosive device was a partial bomb, according to French outlet BFMTV, citing officials in Monaco.

Ukraine is targeting the Kremlin's oil infrastructure deep within Russia's borders. Coming up, how President Putin is responding to a growing fuel crisis in Moscow. And also helping the children of Ukraine navigate tragedy through sport.

Just ahead here on CNN News from how American football might help bring some normalcy back to daily life for these young people.

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