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Press Ban Escalates; Officials Hold Economic Talks Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit; Germany's Far-Right Surges Again; War with Iran Escalates; New Poll Shows U.S. Voters Believe Trump Hurt Economy; NYT: Trump Weighs Business Deals To Entice Putin To End War; Major Forest Fire In Colombia Spreads To Wildlife Sanctuary. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired September 21, 2026 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Joining us here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead on "CNN Newsroom," the White House making the next move in its dispute with certain media outlets, including CNN. Details on how it could impact coverage of President Trump's meetings with world leaders as he heads to the U.N. General Assembly this week. New polls show Americans are not happy with the president's party. What the Trump administration is saying about the big issue heading into the midterms. And another big win for Germany's far-right party. Even the country's leader is calling the latest election results a disaster.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom with Rosemary Church."

CHURCH: Good to have you with us. Well, in an unprecedented move, the White House has removed CNN from its Monday assignment as the pool network covering the president. Today starts a busy week in New York for President Trump as he gets ready to meet with multiple world leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

Under a longstanding arrangement, the five big networks, ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and Fox News share T.V. pool responsibility. That includes filming the president and providing live footage to one another and to the wider press corps.

The change deepens the dispute that began Friday when President Donald Trump said he was banning CNN, MSNOW, and Politico from the White House. The news organizations are now preparing a First Amendment lawsuit to challenge the ban.

Well, joining us now is CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein. He's also an opinion columnist for Bloomberg. Appreciate you joining us.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Good to see you. So, Ron, as the U.N. General Assembly convenes this week, President Trump is escalating his press ban, removing CNN from its Monday assignment as the T.V. pool representative for the entire White House press corps covering the president's U.N. G.A. trip. What's your response to this unprecedented move?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, you know, it's hard to know how much of it is just kind of erratic lashing out and how much of it is political strategy. To the extent there is political strategy, I think it was signaled by the gathering Republicans had the other day in Dallas where they, speaker after speaker, including the president, focused on anything other than the economy, tried to ignite all sorts of culture war issues on different fronts. I think this is an extension of that.

Politically, you know, fighting with the media, I think they believe is a way to energize and motivate their base, which is showing much less engagement with the election than Democrats. I think, politically, it's pretty hard to shift the subject from the economy when as many Americans as we are seeing today are feeling they are falling behind and feeling squeezed and feeling that Trump has failed to do what, above all, he promised to do, which is alleviate their cost of living.

But I would say, whatever his motivation and whatever the political fallout of this, which I think will be more negative than positive for him, the underlying reality is that this is a five-alarm fire for American democracy. It's just another reminder, I think, on how many different fronts Trump is banging against the barriers or really the buttresses that we believe uphold the basic principles of our democracy.

As we saw again today on all of the weekend U.S. shows, Republicans are not going to call him to account on this. So, it is very important to see what other media institutions do in the next few days. Do they stand together to push back against this more effectively than we saw from law firms or universities or hospitals or other groups that have been the targets of the president's efforts?

CHURCH: Yes, that's a very important point. I mean, reporters for CNN, Politico, and MSNOW were turned away from the White House complex on Saturday morning --

BROWNSTEIN: Yes.

CHURCH: -- after President Trump announced his media ban on Friday. So, all three are now preparing, as we mentioned, a First Amendment lawsuit to challenge the restriction. It is illegal. How critical is it that this gets done and what's the history behind the need to fight this?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, first of all, I mean, I think, you know, it's likely that the courts will overturn, I think, this.

[02:05:00]

I think more likely than not that they will rule this violates the First Amendment, right? It is the First Amendment to the Constitution, you know, certifying the freedom of the press.

But if that's all that happens, it's kind of cost-free for the president. If all -- you know, if each one of these efforts to chip away at the basic rights and the basic structure of the American democratic system, if it ends only like currently with his effort to subvert the Postal Service and his role in the 26th election, if it ends only with him, you know, being told to stop, there's no consequence, there's no reason not to try again and to just kind of roll the roulette wheel again and see if this time the courts will let you go forward.

I mean, I think it really is incumbent upon other institutions in the media to make clear in a variety of ways that this is simply unacceptable behavior and certainly, you know, to hear from the public as well.

But I do think -- as I said, I do think -- politically, I think most Americans will reject this. I think they will also see it as another example of the president focusing on his own obsessions rather than their problems.

But, you know, there's a one-way incentive structure that has been created here. All that ever pushes back against the president is a court saying no. He has no reason not to continue to move forward in all of these ways to try to retrench traditional liberties and rights.

CHURCH: And Ron, meantime, President Trump's big week of diplomacy not only includes his address to the UNGA on Tuesday, but also his meeting with China's President Xi Jinping on Wednesday and Thursday and meetings with other world leaders on the sidelines. What are the expectations and what will you be listening out for when it comes to Trump's Iran plans after his threat someday to blow it all up?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes. You know -- by the way, Xi is an interesting counterpoint to what we have seen from so many institutions in America. And he is a reminder, as the people in Minneapolis were on the ground, that when people do, institutions or countries push back against Trump, he often has no plan B. And I think Iran is another example of that.

I don't know what his path forward in Iran can be at this point. You know, it's not clear that military escalation will get him closer to what he wants above all, which is a resumption of oil flows and a reduction in gas and diesel prices which have, you know, soared before the midterm election. It's not clear that Iran is willing to make concessions in diplomacy, especially that we are only six weeks away from the U.S. election, when they feel clearly that they have leverage over the president based on their ability to squeeze the global supply.

I think the most interesting question with China would be whether they can find any common cause on A.I., right, because the president and the opponents of any kind of pause or restrictions on the development of A.I. basically argue, well, if we stop, China is going to go ahead and seize the lead in the kind of global race to dominate this technology. Is there any possibility that cooler heads in China also see the

dangers of allowing a technology to advance beyond our control? Maybe. I mean, there are certainly parallels to the nuclear arms race in the 60s that ultimately was managed through arms control negotiations with the Soviets. Don't know if Trump wants to try to knock on that door, but if he does, I think it would be fascinating to see how Xi responds.

CHURCH: Ron Brownstein, many thanks for joining us. Appreciate it.

BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: Of course. Well, the 81st United Nations General Assembly kicks off on Tuesday. Nearly 130 world leaders are set to gather in New York, and it comes at a critical time. Questions of A.I. and security have taken on new urgency, and the U.S. war with Iran is nearing the seven-month mark with economic implications stretching far beyond the Middle East. President Trump is set to address the assembly on Tuesday.

He will also meet separately with some leaders this week, including Ukraine's president. Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he spoke with President Trump on Sunday and that they will meet in New York. Mr. Zelenskyy thanked Mr. Trump for sending his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and the U.S. special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to Kyiv for peace talks. Ukraine's president says the peace process is his country's number one priority.

And as Ron mentioned earlier, later this week, the U.S. president will host Chinese Leader Xi Jinping for a state visit at the White House. Trump's treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, says he set the stage for that meeting by holding economic talks with China's vice premier.

CNN's Will Ripley explains.

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WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This meeting is especially important because Vice Premier He Lifeng oversees China's economy.

[02:10:00]

And so, this meeting with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ahead of this Thursday summit and state dinner at the White House with President Donald Trump and Chinese Leader Xi Jinping after the heel -- on the heels of their meeting in May in Beijing. Obviously, there are a lot of huge issues on the table, from technology to Taiwan to the U.S.-China economic and trade relationship. But looming large really over all of this is A.I. and industry leaders that have been calling in recent days for safeguards. Secretary Bessent says they talked about that.

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SCOTT BESSENT, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY: Well, the notification for whether there are incidents, whether there has been something that rises up to a national security level from A.I., because we think that just like with any cross-border activity, that moving from opaque to more transparency between the number one and the number two A.I. powers in the world --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: President Trump is going to be meeting a much more confident Xi Jinping than he found back in 2017 when they met in Mar-a-Lago. Nine years ago, China was lagging and it was vulnerable, particularly in areas like tech and trade.

But things have really changed. China has positioned itself as a tech heavyweight on everything from A.I. and robotics to reusable rockets and semiconductor manufacturing. They're trying to catch up with Taiwan, which still leads the global race when it comes to manufacturing of advanced A.I. chips.

China also has $1.2 trillion global trade surplus because of surging demand, particularly for its manufacturing sector, making electronic vehicles, solar panels and chips, and it has that grip on rare earths, which are crucial to semiconductor production, which will help Xi have the leverage that he needs to keep Trump in check.

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CHURCH: New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is expected to host President Trump for talks later today. The meeting will take place at the mayor's official residence, Gracie Mansion. A Mamdani spokesperson says the two will focus on issues impacting New Yorkers. This will be the third time President Trump has met with the New York mayor.

President Trump is justifying the proposed building of his two hundred and fifty-foot triumphal arch. He says the structure would double as a -- quote -- "top-grade military complex." Some have opposed the building of the arch, including veteran groups who say the arch would overlook the hallowed grounds of Arlington Cemetery.

It's not clear how this newest change will impact the arch's approval process. It was not included in the initial designs that went through the two key federal agencies that oversee architecture changes in D.C. Trump's justification of using the arch for military readiness is similar to his legal justification for the building of the White House ballroom.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is calling recent election results a disaster as the country's far-right surges again at the polls. Voting projections show the far-right alternative for Germany party taking first place in northeastern Germany with 38 percent of the vote. Even in left-leaning Berlin, AfD made significant gains, getting a projected 16 percent. It underscores the far-right's growing influence across Germany. With his own party losing ground, Chancellor Merz is facing mounting pressure to resign.

CNN's Frederik Pleitgen has more now from Berlin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz finds himself in a precarious situation after a weak showing by his Christian Democratic Union, the CDU, in two key German state elections, one of them right here in the German capital in Berlin, the other one in the northeastern German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Now, of course, there has been some discussion about the political future of the German chancellor, but he has come out and shown himself in a fighting mood and said he wants to continue what he calls his reform agenda.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRIEDRICH MERZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): Germany is capable of reform. I would even go so far as to say that these reforms are the antidote to the authoritarian poison that, together with the fascination for authoritarianism, is penetrating ever deeper into our society. What must be done now requires courage, steadfastness, and patience. I will demonstrate these qualities as chairman of the CDU and, above all, as chancellor of our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: Now, here in the German capital in Berlin, it seems as though the Christian Democratic Union has been unseated by the left- wing D-Link, who could very well put forward the new mayor here in the German capital, which is also, by the way, a governorship in the German state.

Now, in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the right-wing AfD, the Alternative for Germany, has a very strong showing there.

[02:15:02]

I was able to speak to the chairwoman of the AfD, Alice Weidel, and she very clearly called on Friedrich Merz to resign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: How badly damaged is Friedrich Merz as a chancellor?

ALICE WEIDEL, CHAIRWOMAN, AFD (through translator): He is strongly damaged. I believe the CDU cannot continue with Friedrich Merz with a weak chancellor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: All this is the bad news for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. It keeps piling up. There has been a lot of discussions about his political future here in this country. Nevertheless, this past week, other governors from his political party backed Friedrich Merz and said that they do not want a change of chancellor here in Germany.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin. (END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says a man is in federal custody after being shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Texas. An immigration lawyer who said she is representing the family identified the man as Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, who officials say was shot and injured while working as a door dash driver in Austin. Homeland Security says he is an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela who had a final order to leave the country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: Oh, my God. Holy (bleep) dude. Oh, my God. What the (bleep).

CHURCH: A woman livestreaming on Facebook captured the moment gunshots rang out during the shooting. It's unclear whether the DHS agent seen in that video is the agent who actually fired the shots. Well, police were brought in as crowds gathered in protest following the shooting. Some of the demonstrators waved anti-ICE signs and Mexican flags.

According to a CNN analysis, at least 20 people have been shot by on- duty ICE and Customs and Border Patrol agents during the second Trump administration. Eight of those shootings were fatal. A Democratic lawmaker who represents Austin is calling for an independent investigation into this latest shooting.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. GREG CASAR (D), TEXAS: I think it is appropriate for this community to ask for independence, to ask for transparency, and to ask for accountability. This is a pattern. It's a disturbing pattern, and it got to stop. ICE has arrested five-year-olds in Austin. In the last few weeks, they've arrested pre-K teachers. And now, someone has been shot. This has to stop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: There's much more to come here on "CNN Newsroom," including potential escalation in the war with Iran. We will tell you what Tehran says is coming next. And new polling shows President Trump and Republicans are underwater heading into the November elections. Later this hour, we'll see how many Americans view their vote as sending a signal to Trump. Back with that and more in just a moment.

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[02:20:00]

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. One of the leaders attending the United Nations General Assembly this week is Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The U.S. approved travel for him and a core group of Iranian delegates. The president's attendance comes amid one of the most volatile conflicts in the Middle East in recent years.

All of this comes as the Middle East remains on alert as multiple flashpoints grow across the region. Tehran is warning that the U.S. plans to resume military action against Iran. According to Iranian military command, they have the backing of other countries in the region. Iran says any U.S. attack will trigger sustained strikes on American bases and interests in the region, and anyone supporting U.S. aggression will be considered parties to the conflict.

Joining me now is Mehran Kamrava, a professor of government at Georgetown University's campus in Qatar. Appreciate you joining us.

MEHRAN KAMRAVA, PROFESSOR OF GOVERNMENT, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY IN QATAR: Thank you very much. Good to be here.

CHURCH: So, President Trump's UNGA remarks are expected to touch on the conflict in Iran. He's also expected to emphasize that Iran can't have a nuclear weapon. But with tensions escalating and Iran threatening to strike U.S. bases and interests in the region if it's attacked, and President Trump now warning Sunday he might blow the whole place up, how's all this playing out in the region and what are you listening out for during Trump's address on Tuesday?

KAMRAVA: Well, tensions in the region are once again extremely high. We're all on edge here. As you know, I live in Qatar, as you just mentioned, and we are kind of nervous because what we hear from the United States is President Trump once again threatening to -- quote -- "annihilate" Iran. That's quite ominous.

And I think what's also worrying is that the Iranians have now begun -- they're beginning to change their security doctrine from what might have been called a defensive one to an offensive one. Recently, the Iranian military has warned that it's not only military bases in the region that are within Iran's crosshairs, but also beyond the region.

So, I think we're kind of at a very difficult moment. The Iranians have now made a proposal, and I think that puts the pressure on the president, particularly in light of the gathering in the United Nations, and more importantly, the elections coming up in the United States.

CHURCH: Yes. And, of course, President Trump says that he's open to meeting with Iran President Pezeshkian at the UNGA. How likely is it that this will happen and how significant would it be if it does?

[02:25:01]

KAMRAVA: Well, it could be quite significant. Let's remember that President Trump also met with the leader of North Korea, and there was a lot of anticipation and excitement around that meeting and, ultimately, nothing came out of it. I think it would really serve the Iranians well if they were to meet with President Trump and to try to add substance to what is no doubt symbolically a very important meeting.

CHURCH: And in the meantime, of course, where do things stand in the region and specifically in the Strait of Hormuz, and are we further from an end to this war than we've ever been?

KAMRAVA: Well, you know, insofar as the Strait of Hormuz is concerned, not much is changing. In fact, there has been a drop in the traffic, in the very little traffic that was going through the strait. That traffic has really been reduced significantly.

But we're at the precipice of something, Rosemary. Either there is going to be yet another eruption in the conflict or we're likely to see significant movement and negotiation. The Qataris are deeply involved in mediating between Iran and the United States. The Iranians have made a proposal. The ball now is in the White House's corner. And I think we're either going to see a major eruption in the conflict or significant moves towards some sort of substantive end to this war.

CHURCH: Let's hope it's the latter. Thank you so much, Mehran Kamrava, for joining us and sharing your analysis and perspective on this issue, and do take care there. Appreciate it.

KAMRAVA: Thank you.

CHURCH: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says Italy will ban face coverings in schools as well as limit the number of international students per class. She unveiled the new policy on Sunday, but did not specify what the maximum number of foreign students would be. Immigration remains a contentious issue across much of Europe, and Italy has been one of the countries most impacted by migrant arrivals due to its location on the Mediterranean.

Still to come here on "CNN Newsroom," U.S. president's calls for Vladimir Putin to end his war in Ukraine haven't moved the needle toward peace. A new reporting suggests he may be considering a new tactic. We'll take a look at that.

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[02:30:00]

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[02:31:05]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everyone.

Well, with just over 40 days until the midterms here in the United States, a new poll shows that voters believe President Donald Trump's policies have weakened the economy, and they might be looking for a change in Congress.

The NBC News poll shows more voters would prefer Democrats in control of Congress, according to a poll of registered voters, 50 percent would prefer Democratic control, while 45 percent would prefer Republicans maintain power. Forty-three percent of voters said they will use their vote for congress to signal opposition to President Trump, while 27 percent said their vote would signal support for the president.

But President Trump and some of his advisers don't believe voters' wallets are feeling the pinch heading into the November election.

Here's what national economic council director had to say about the poll showing most Americans have a negative view of the economy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN HASSETT, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL OF U.S.: Look, I'm the White House economist and all I can say is that polls over and over again harm impressions about the economy, because they poll way too many Democrats. Republicans are basically seeing what we see, which is a very strong economy with low inflation, GDP now in the third quarter is supposed to be 5 percent. We just had a blockbuster jobs report. We've got real income growth. We've got huge progress on affordability

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Russia's ruling pro-Putin party is set to win the country's parliamentary elections, which wrapped up on Sunday. That result was never in doubt. United Russia faced no meaningful opposition and the tightly controlled race with President Vladimir Putin's critics largely jailed, exiled or barred from campaigning.

The final tally won't be released until Friday, but early results show united Russia leading with more than 57 percent of the vote.

Well, the last day of voting took place after Ukraine launched its largest ever drone attack on the Moscow region. Russian officials say at least three people were killed. Ukraine says it targeted one of Russia's largest oil refineries and other facilities that bring in billions of dollars for Russia's war machine. Russia's defense ministry says it shot down more than 1,900 Ukrainian drones overnight Sunday, along with several cruise missiles and other projectiles. At the same time, Russian air strikes on Ukraine's capital killed three children and one woman.

It has been more than three years since Donald Trump began promising to bring a swift end to Russia's war with Ukraine. And despite personal engagements with Vladimir Putin, his negotiations have gone nowhere.

According to new reporting from "The New York Times", he may be switching gears altogether. "The Times" reports President Trump is considering whether to strike business deals with Russia as an enticement to end the war.

Joining me now is Anton Troianovski. He is a global affairs correspondent for "The New York Times". I appreciate you joining us.

ANTON TROIANOVSKI, GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES: Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: In your recent "New York Times" article, you say the Trump administration is offering inducements to Russia's President Putin to compel him to end his war in Ukraine, even as new U.S. sanctions are about to be imposed on Moscow. So, what exactly are these business offers, and how likely is it that Putin will accept them and end his war?

TROIANOVSKI: So, what's on the table right now is a variety of business deals. We don't know exactly what they are. We know that things like, joint projects in the Arctic, selling Russian natural gas, even things to do with aluminum production in Russia.

[02:35:03]

All these things have been on the table. The Russians have tried to get the Americans, the Trump administration in particular, interested in business deals as part of a broader reset in relations. Trump until recently has been saying, yes, we're ready to do deals, but not until the war ends.

And the change that I'm reporting in this recent article is that now the Trump administration is saying, actually, we're ready. We are open to doing business deals with Russia before the war ends.

CHURCH: Yeah, it's an interesting shift, isn't it? Because Congress agreed to pass these new sanctions, believing that they would cripple Putin's war machine by applying enough economic and military pressure to compel Putin to make compromises and thus end his war. So why is the Trump administration essentially undermining that effort by offering Putin these business deals before he ends his war? And particularly, as you say, they weren't going to do this previously?

TROIANOVSKI: Yeah, no, it's a great question. My understanding as I report in the story is that the Trump administration believes that they need to do more to show Putin and perhaps the Russian hardliners around Putin that the U.S. is serious about resetting the relationship.

CHURCH: And, Anton, in your article, you also say that when President Trump's envoy sat down to meet Putin at the kremlin this month, the Russian leader exuded confidence. What did that signal to you

TROIANOVSKI: Well, the backs -- the background to kind of to all of this is that the Trump negotiating team, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have really been focused on this question of territory. That slice of land in eastern Ukraine, the part of the Donbas region that Russia does not yet control and is trying to capture.

What Putin told Witkoff and Kushner, as I reported in my story in their visit to Moscow this month, was that, uh, he was confident that Russia would capture the rest of that territory in the coming months and would really make Ukraine hurt this winter by bombing Ukraine's electricity grid. And what Jared Kushner responded, as I report, was, with all due respect, you told us the same thing a year ago. Is there not something we can do to avoid another repeat, to avoid us coming back here in a year and having the same conversation?

So that kind of shows how for the Trump team, what they're doing is they're trying to figure out what can they offer to Putin, that would convince him that he's better off taking the deal on the table than pursuing the war on the ground, even longer. And the problem, of course, is that this is an approach that the Trump team has been taking now for almost 18 months. And it's something that Putin has not engaged on.

CHURCH: And meantime, Ukraine's President Zelenskyy says he plans to meet with President Trump this week in New York after what was the largest attack yet on Moscow. What do you expect to come out of that meeting?

TROIANOVSKI: Well, I think for President Zelenskyy, there's still a lot at stake in terms of American support for his war. You know, the United States continues to provide intelligence to Ukraine, to help them in their war effort. There are American weapons being provided via sales to the Europeans who are then providing them to the Ukrainians.

So, there's still a lot going on there. And of course, I would expect Zelenskyy to try to, you know, tell Trump that there needs to be pressure applied to Putin as well. You know, in this kind of carrot and stick model, the Trump administration seems to be really focused on the carrots, on the inducements and what the Ukrainians and other supporters of Ukraine are going to be saying is there needs to be more pressure on Putin as well.

CHURCH: Anton Troianovski, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

TROIANOVSKI: Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: We have much more coming up on the show, including renewed focus on femicide in Mexico. A look at what has sparked new calls for authorities to protect women from violence.

[02:40:03]

That's just ahead

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CHURCH: A massive fire in Colombia has spread into a wildlife sanctuary, burning at least 100 hectares, or nearly 250 acres of forest. Officials say more than 250 emergency response units are battling the blaze, but that strong winds, coupled with difficult terrain, are hampering their efforts to contain the fast-moving flames. Authorities say preliminary information indicates the fire was deliberately set and that an investigation is underway.

The murder of a Spanish exchange student in Mexico has drawn attention to violence against women across the country, especially in the state of Morelos, which recorded 21 femicide victims in just the first half of this year.

CNN's Valeria Leon has more

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These are the faces of five students from the same university in central Mexico. All of them murdered over the past year and a half. KATIA SANTANA LINARES, UNIVERSITY STUDENT (through translator): That

is an enormous number. We had never experienced anything this violent in Morelos.

LEON (voice-over): Their likenesses are a painful reminder of the violence and insecurity facing women here in Morelos, the Mexican state with the second highest femicide rate. The most recent case brought international scrutiny to the state when Claudia Tacoronte, an exchange student from Spain, was killed on September 12th.

But she's not the only one. A missing person poster for Eileen Rodriguez hangs on the wall.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Had her life taken in such a terrible way.

LEON (voice-over): Her body was found in April 2025. Nearly a year later, first year student Kimberly Ramos's body was found.

[02:45:01]

And three days later, Carol Toledo's corpse was found with signs of violence. In each case, their bodies were found a short distance from the college campus in Morelos.

Students then took over the university auditorium in protest. But they say the administration refused to meet with them or address their demands.

FRIDA VELEZ, UNIVERSITY STUDENT (through translator): Our classmates should not be missing from the classroom or from any other place. There is a crisis and no one is doing anything for the women in this state

LEON (voice-over): CNN requested an interview with the administration but was declined.

AMARINTIA GARCIA, ACTIVIST (through translator): They warned it is going to happen again after Carol, after Kimberly. They said it's going to happen again. And that's why they occupied the university.

LEON (voice-over): And then it happened again. On June 2nd, Michelle Fuentes, a high school student, was found dead in Tepoztlan. Morelos. Three months later came the killing of Claudia Tacoronte. The 21-year- old Spanish student was attacked in Cuautla, Morelos.

LEON: With this memorial, they remember the student who was killed. She was attending a cultural event right here in this courtyard when she was stabbed. Other people at the event called for help and some of the neighbors came to her aid.

LEON (voice-over): This woman who asked us not to show her face because she fears for her safety, shared what she witnessed just outside her door.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I tried to call 911, but the call wouldn't go through. So I sent a message to a WhatsApp group I belong to.

LEON (voice-over): Five days later, authorities announced an arrest.

OMAR GARCIA HARFUCH, MEXICO'S SECURITY SECRETARY: An arrest warrant was executed against Francisco Javier N for his alleged responsibility in this femicide.

LEON (voice-over): Despite the quick arrest of the Tacoronte murder suspect, these cases are a chilling reminder that women here in Morelos and throughout Mexico remain an easy target.

Valeria Leon, CNN, Cuautla, Morelos.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: In Spain, hundreds of people are protesting the ongoing migration crisis in the city of Ceuta, located on the north African coast. They marched toward the border that Spain shares with Morocco. Some carried signs that read "SOS Ceuta Invaded". Residents have been demanding solutions from the Spanish government after a mass crossing of migrants from Morocco into the tiny territory in late July. Most have left but about 10,000 migrants still remain

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LUCIA, PROTESTER AND CEUTA RESIDENT (through translator): What government needs to do is to change the government. That's what we need. This could have been solved from the first minute, but they have left us abandoned. This is a Spanish and European border and they have left us abandoned.

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CHURCH: As military began escorting some groups into new temporary housing built at the city's port. But so far it only has room for 1,700 people, leaving thousands stranded on the city's beaches and streets.

Still, in Spain, thousands are marching against a $3.7 billion approved project to expand Barcelona's airport. Residents opposing the plan say it would further fuel over tourism and harm protected wetlands and natural habitats. Some banners read "Less planes, more lives", and "nature, yes, airport, no."

Authorities plan to break ground by 2030, but still need environmental approval from the European Commission.

And coming up here on CNN NEWSROOM, the number of alien species found in the Mediterranean sea is growing every year. We will tell you what factors are driving new creatures into these waters.

Back with that in just a moment

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[02:52:51] CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

Invasive species are taking over parts of the Mediterranean Sea. Many of the new sea animals are arriving on cargo ships and are helped along by climate change.

Our Stefano Pozzebon breaks down how it happens

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STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Alien species are invading the Mediterranean, but not from outer space. Lionfish, silver cheeked toadfish, red coats, just a few of the many species discovered over the past few decades. And the number is growing every year. With more than a thousand different non-native species found in the Mediterranean that we know of.

ANASTASIA MILIOU, SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR, ARCHIPELAGOS INST. OF MARINE CONSERVATION: Only researched the last month, discovered two new marine invertebrates that had not been noticed before. There is other information that we get from the public, from people who are swimming or snorkeling or diving, or are fishing, and they discover new species in the area.

POZZEBON (voice-over): But how did these species get here? The most common answer a combination of manmade decisions.

POZZEBON: Picture this -- you're on a cargo ship and you have just delivered your shipments to port. And to make up for the lost weight, water is pumped from the surrounding sea to the ballast tanks here. Taking in hitchhikers with it.

Once this ship arrives to its next port of call, this water is released on the other sea to make way for the new cargo. And with the Egyptian government's decision to widen the Suez Canal back in 2015, a lot more ships are able to get in and out at a faster rate. An improvement for men. But it brought even more invaders.

Climate change is another factor, according to the us geological survey. Warmer temperatures can allow alien species to expand into areas where they couldn't survive just a few decades ago. But adult alien species don't immediately spread across the Mediterranean when released from the Suez Canal.

MILIOU: But its larvae, it can be transported by sea currents and spread to areas where they may or may not survive.

[02:55:00]

The local species do not recognize it as a predator or as a prey. They are feeding very efficiently on the local species.

POZZEBON (voice-over): For each new discovery, residents have to learn which aliens are safe to consume and which ones are poisonous. Fishermen can also find their equipment damaged by unexpected spiny, biting fish. Many cities in southern Europe and north Africa are trying to combat the spread of invasive species in different ways, from fishing competitions, to control the toxic fish population to promoting eating fish prepared in a way that removes the toxins.

And even European Union-backed researchers are finding ways to create wellness products from various alien species, all with the hope of coexisting with the new neighbors.

MILIOU: We cannot take the time back, and we cannot eliminate the problem of the alien species. So, we do have to learn to live with them, as also the marine species. Do learn to coexist with the new predators and the new prey. This part of the world is blessed with one of the richest biodiversity hotspots in the area, with four species of dolphins, three species of whales, sea turtles, so many sharks, and so many other rare and endangered species that we don't find anywhere else in Europe, and these to survive need healthy seas.

POZZEBON (voice-over): Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, Rome.

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CHURCH: Fascinating, isn't it?

Thanks so much for your company this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. CNN NEWSROOM with Polo Sandoval is next after a short break.

Stay with us.

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