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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
Russia Proposes More Peace Talks; Germany Helps Ukraine With Long- Range Weapons; 600 Days Since October 7 Attack; Israel Has Killed Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar; NVIDIA's Latest Results; CEO Warns A.I. Could Cause Jobs "Bloodbath"; U.S. State Dept. Orders Embassies To Pause New Student Visa Interviews; Mexico's First-Ever Judicial Elections. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired May 28, 2025 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all over the world. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. And you're watching "The
Brief."
Just ahead this hour, Russia proposes a new round of peace talks with Ukraine in Turkey next week as President Trump gives Vladimir Putin another
two weeks to show be serious about ending the war. 600 days since the October 7th attacks sparked the ongoing war in Gaza. Growing calls to stop
the suffering of Palestinians and free the remaining Israeli hostages. And is A.I. coming for your job? Anthropic's CEO warns that white collar job
losses from artificial intelligence will be imminent and widespread. That conversation plenty more coming up.
Fourteen days, that's how long President Trump says Russia's Vladimir Putin now has to convince him that he is serious about ending the war in Ukraine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you still believe that Putin actually wants to end the war?
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I can't tell you that, but I'll let you know in about two weeks. Within two weeks, we're going to find out very soon.
We're going to find out whether or not he's tapping us along or not. And if he is, we'll respond a little bit differently.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Of course, it's been months since Trump first proposed a ceasefire. Russia is now proposing a new round of peace talks, which would
take place in Istanbul next week. This is Germany is boosting its defense support for Ukraine, including helping Kyiv develop its own long-range
weapons. Those missiles could conceivably hit inside Russian territory. Here was the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz in Berlin today as he met
and welcomed the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRIEDRICH MERZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): We are financing a considerable part of the country's Starlink cover and our defense ministers
will today sign a memorandum of understanding on the procurement of long- range weapon systems from Ukrainian production, so-called long-range fires. There will be no range restrictions. Ukraine will thus be able to defend
itself fully, even against military targets outside its own territory.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Joining me now is Roderich Kiesewetter of Germany's Christian Democratic Union Party. He has been a member of the German Parliament since
2009. Thanks so much for joining.
RODERICH KIESEWETTER, GERMAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER (CDU): Hi, good evening, Mr. Sciutto.
SCIUTTO: First, as you know, it's been months since President Trump proposed a ceasefire in Ukraine. Yet, today, he announced he's giving the
Russian president another two weeks to decide if he's serious. Do you believe that President Trump is giving Russia too much time here? And do
you believe that eventually he will actually impose new sanctions?
KIESEWETTER: Well, I believe that Putin is very serious to continue the war and even to escalate. He's exploiting the willingness of President Trump
for negotiations. But Putin has any power to continue the war because we, the West, are split also the U.S. with its allies and that Ukraine has not
the means to defend itself for the next months and weeks if we don't support them.
SCIUTTO: Do you believe that the U.S., under President Trump, is still a fair mediator in this process?
KIESEWETTER: We don't need the United States as a mediator. We need the United States as a strong ally of Europe. So, we in Europe have to take
over more burden to help the Americans to focus on the Indo-Pacific. And we need the protection of the United States, that we have a kind of backstop
in supporting Ukraine, especially with long distance fire like it was arranged today in Berlin, but also, to contain Russia, because otherwise,
Russia would continue the war against Moldova, against the Baltic States and even Poland. So, we have to contain Russia, and there is no willingness
on the Russian side to negotiate.
SCIUTTO: You have said that by, in part, sharing Russian propaganda about the war in Ukraine and the causes of the war in Ukraine, that the U.S. has
in effect changed sides in this conflict.
[18:05:00]
Do you still trust America's leadership, not just in the war in Ukraine, but for Europe's own security?
KIESEWETTER: Well, I trust the Hill (ph). But I do not trust the current administration because they are not neutral arbitrators. They have already
given Putin a much, much leeway. For example, Ukraine must not become a NATO member, Ukraine has to hand over territory, and Ukraine must not
receive natal troops.
So, this agenda of Trump is leaving Ukraine as a sacrifice to Putin, and we Europeans have to understand to organize our own security and hopefully we
will at least keep the nuclear umbrella of the United States over Europe. But nevertheless, the United States are not a reliable partner in
supporting Ukraine. They are a reliable partner for Putin to break Ukraine into pieces. Sorry to say that.
SCIUTTO: Wow, that's quite a remarkable statement. Let me ask you then about Germany's own security because there have been some German officials
and others who have openly discussed extending France's nuclear umbrella to include Germany in part -- in large part because Germany no longer trusts
America's nuclear umbrella. Do you trust it?
KIESEWETTER: Yes, I do trust. I'm a retired full colonel of our general staff. I worked at SHAPE with Jim Jones, John Craddock, and with admiral
staff leaders. I served for more than or nearly 30 years in the Armed Forces, also in the Balkans and in Afghanistan.
I do believe in the American people and in the Hill. But what we need is to convince all Americans who think transatlantically that Europe must do
more. But on the other side, we, Europeans are an added value for the Americans. Especially regarding to safeguard the sea lines of
communications in the Indo-Pacific. But we Europeans want this transatlantic partnership. But what we not want is Trump to support Putin
in splitting in part and destroy Ukraine.
So, what we need is that our transatlantic partnership shows the value of peace, freedom, and self-determination. Peace is not an armistice and no
negotiations should be even handed and safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. So, this deserves more European endeavor
but also a common transatlantic understanding and willingness.
SCIUTTO: I noticed you said there, you trust the Hill, as in Congress here and the American people. Do you trust President Trump himself?
KIESEWETTER: Well, then he has to change. I was already, eight years ago, one of those members of parliament who criticized that he was questioning
the cohesion of NATO. Now, he isn't questioning the cohesion of NATO. We are questioning, is he supporting Ukraine, yes or no? Or is he supporting
Putin?
Putin has to fulfill no conditions. Putin has received a lot of awards, so far, without stopping the killing, without stopping detaining children,
without stopping destroying the infrastructure and the hospitals in Ukraine.
So, what should we do to urge Putin, and this is key to Trump that we can trust him, that he will contain Putin and not make him as a new trade
partner of the United States by neglecting all the war cruelties in Ukraine.
SCIUTTO: Roderich Kiesewetter, thanks so much for joining us. We appreciate you taking the time.
KIESEWETTER: Thank you, Mr. Sciutto. Greetings to you.
SCIUTTO: Well, Oleksandra Matvichuk is the head of Ukraine's Center for Civil Liberties, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022. I spoke with her
a short time ago and asked her if she believes that Russia is serious about peace talks.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OLEKSANDRA MATVICHUK, CHAIRWOMAN, CENTER FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES: Russia identify attacks to Kyiv and to other Ukrainian cities in recent weeks and
killed a lot of people. Just recently, we have a funeral of a young mother who was killed by drones in Kyiv region. She covered her four-year-old son
with her body. Her son has survived and got to hospital.
So, I don't see that Putin plan to conclude the peace. It's a sign that Putin want to continue the war.
SCIUTTO: Yet today, President Trump who has delayed imposing new sanctions on Russia for weeks and months now, has said he is going to give another
two weeks to decide whether the Russian president is serious. Do you trust the U.S. president to do what's right for Ukraine?
[18:10:00]
MATVICHUK: Well, I think we have to understand the reality, and the reality is that Putin started this large-scale war, not because he wants to occupy
just more part of Ukrainian land. Putin started this large-scale war because he wants to occupy and destroy the whole Ukraine and move further.
His logic is historical. He dreams about his legacy. He wants to forcibly restore Soviet empire.
And that is why we must demonstrate strength to make Putin understand that it's impossible for him to achieve his goal. In another way, he will just
postpone it in a time.
SCIUTTO: Who do you and other Ukrainians you work with in your mission there, who do you rely on now to help defend Ukraine? Certainly, European
leaders, some of them have been publicly expressing support and delivering more aid. Who do you believe is actually on your side now in this war?
MATVICHUK: We are very grateful for all countries and people in United States and other countries as well for support and for being with us in
this dramatic time of our history. But we rely on our own shoulders or we rely on people in Ukraine because we are paying the highest price just for
a chance to be free and not to return to the state when we was a Russian colony.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: A word there from inside Kyiv.
Well, it has been 600 days since Hamas stormed into Southern Israel. And the path of destruction that began on October 7th has now left a death toll
in the tens of thousands inside Gaza. The threat of famine, a hostage crisis, and a ceasefire shattered multiple times.
The European Union's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, says Israel has gone beyond what is necessary to fight Hamas. While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
confirmed the killing of Hamas' de facto leader, Mohammed Sinwar, proof, he said, that Israel is changing the face of the Middle East. For the families
of Israeli hostages still held inside Gaza, it was another day of anger and frustration.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: As you can see, there are some demonstrators tussled with police outside the Prime Minister's party headquarters in Tel Aviv. 600 days also
comes during an expanded offensive by the IDF inside Gaza, condemned even by some Israeli officials.
CNN Jeremy Diamond brings the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lishay Miran has been fighting this fight for 600 days. 600 days since Hamas militants broke
into her house and shattered her world. 600 days since they took this father from his home.
LISHAY MIRAN-LAVI, WIFE OF HOSTAGE OMRI MIRAN: At the moment that the terrorists get inside our home, Roni was sleeping here, I was here with
Alma, and Omri stand here next to the door with two knife in his head.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Now, visits to the home they once shared are interrupted by the sounds of war. Jolting shy to her husband's dangerous
reality.
DIAMOND: What goes through your mind when you hear that?
MIRAN-LAVI: I think about them. I think about Omri. But what's going on over there when they hear this? Yes, you know, I'm really scared. I'm
really scared. And I thought all the time what they think right now.
KEITH SIEGEL, FORMER HOSTAGE: When I was released and --
DIAMOND (voice-over): Keith Siegel knows exactly what the hostages are going through.
SIEGEL: It haunts me daily.
DIAMOND (voice-over): He survived 484 days in Hamas captivity, and during abuse.
SIEGEL: I was beaten by terrorist. I experienced physical abuse, psychological and emotional abuse.
DIAMOND (voice-over): And Israeli bombing.
SIEGEL: I spent most of my time in captivity above ground, and I can tell you that it's scary. I can remember that I was sitting on a chair next to a
window in an apartment on the fifth floor. A house right next to the apartment that we were staying in was bombed. I was blown off the chair
onto the floor. The windows, obviously, were all shattered, broken.
DIAMOND: And so, as these bombardments are now intensifying, as the Israeli military is threatening to further expand this military offensive, what's
going through your mind?
[18:15:00]
SIEGEL: I worry. I worry about the dangers that the hostages are in. Again, they're in a life-threatening situation.
DIAMOND: It seems like what you're saying is that expanding military operations in Gaza increases the threat to the hostages' lives.
SIEGEL: Yes, I believe so.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Omri Miran is among the hostages he is worried about. They spent nearly six months together in captivity, bonding over music and
family.
SIEGEL: We talked a lot about Lishay and his daughters, Roni and Alma, who are now aged four and two. It was very difficult for me to think about his
daughters growing up without their Dad.
DIAMOND (voice-over): After Siegel broke down while filming a hostage video, it was Omri who comforted him.
SIEGEL: He helped me very much. He really calmed me down and said --
DIAMOND (voice-over): Siegel also spent 67 days with Matan Angrest, a now 22-year-old Israeli soldier.
DIAMOND: It sounds like you carry Omri and Matan with you every day.
SIEGEL: Absolutely. Yes, absolutely. I think about them every day. Many times a day and I worry about them, and I miss them.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Omri cried out to Siegel and his family last month in this hostage video.
OMRI MIRAN, HELD HOSTAGE IN GAZA: (Speaking in foreign language).
DIAMOND (voice-over): His wife saw a different man.
MIRAN-LAVI: His eyes was -- really, like, it's not him.
DIAMOND (voice-over): But she is convinced their daughters will get their father back.
DIAMOND: When they ask you, will he come home? Do you tell them that he will?
MIRAN-LAVI: Yes, all the time. You know, I don't know if it's going to be tomorrow, and I don't know if it's going to be in one year from now.
DIAMOND: But you know he'll come home --
MIRAN-LAVI: But I know in my heart, I know that he's going to come back.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Nahal Oz, Israel.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: So, many hoping for peace there.
Well, coming up, the main event for global investors, A.I. chip giant Nvidia is just out with its latest results. Plus, a chilling new warning
about the threat of A.I. to jobs.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:20:00]
SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief." Checking the action now on Wall Street, U.S. stocks finished Wednesday's session lower giving back some of
Tuesday's strong gains. The latest Federal Reserve minutes helped put pressure on stocks. Fed members warning they could face, quote, "Difficult
tradeoffs" if tariffs boost inflation while at the same time weakening economic growth. Another sign the Fed is not yet ready to cut interest
rates.
Tariff uncertainty also continues to hit major U.S. retailers. Macy's is warning that it will hike prices on some items because of the tariffs. It
is also cutting its 2025 profit forecast.
In other business news, Nvidia is just out with its latest quarterly earnings. The world's leading A.I. chip maker beat expectations on both
sales and profits. Nvidia CEO says, the chip demands remain -- chip demand remains, quote, "Incredibly strong." Nvidia also says, the hit from new
U.S. restrictions on A.I. chip sales to China was not as bad as expected.
Fresh U.S. export curbs though could be hitting the chip sector soon. The Financial Times is reporting the White House is ordering U.S. firms that
make chip design software to stop selling it all to China. The Commerce Department says, it is reviewing certain strategic exports and has
suspended some export licenses already.
Paul La Monica joins me now. He's a senior markets analyst at Barron. It's good to have you back, Paul.
PAUL R. LA MONICA, SENIOR MARKETS ANALYSIS WRITER, BARRON'S: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: So, first let's talk about Nvidia. I mean, big jump right here, no question. And it doesn't seem like they've seen effects from the
restrictions on sales to China.
LA MONICA: Well, I wouldn't say that. I think the issue is more that Wall Street knew that there was going to be this impact. So, even though their
guidance was a little bit disappointing, the revenue growth and earnings growth for this quarter is still phenomenal. There's no denying that Nvidia
chips are needed for artificial intelligence, technology, use in data centers, and that's why Nvidia is doing as well as it has. It remains the,
for a real 800-pound gorilla in this sector.
So, until someone, I think, comes to knock them off their -- Nvidia has very strong demand, you know, forecasts ahead of it. The biggest headwind,
obviously, is going to be politics and what happens with trading and tariffs with China.
SCIUTTO: Yes, and that Nvidia stock we showed the close, it went up and after I was trading. Now, you are aware of these new reports from the FT
that the Trump administration is planning to, or is already expanding its bans on sales, specifically chip design software to China. How big a
business is that, and what does the likely effect to be?
LA MONICA: Yes, these companies are important parts of the semiconductor ecosystem. Companies like Cadence Design Systems and Synopsys.
Interestingly enough, Synopsys also reported their latest quarterly results after the closing bell today, and their numbers were very good also. I
haven't had a chance to look at the conference call yet to see if their management is addressing that FT story. But that stock went down more than
10 percent today on the FT report. It's rebounding after hours.
So, I think investors are hopeful that, like with Nvidia, Cadence Design Systems and other companies that design software that semiconductor
companies need to make these chips are going to be able to somehow get past the China restrictions and, you know, that they may be temporary. We've
obviously seen a willingness on the part of the president to negotiate and take back some of the tough talk and have a, you know, looser restrictions
than originally planned.
SCIUTTO: That's the basis of those taco trades, as they're known in the market. Paul La Monica from Barron's, thanks so much for joining.
LA MONICA: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: All right. So, a dream come true or perhaps a nightmare in the making? The artificial intelligence startup, Anthropic says its new A.I.
model can work for nearly seven hours in a row, a full workday, human workday that is. And instead of just being able to do individual tasks, it
says it's new Opus four model can handle larger, more complex projects. Such as analyzing market strategies and determining which one is the best.
There could be a catch though, and that is your job.
Anthropic's own CEOs warning that A.I. could wipe out half of all entry- level white-collar jobs. We're not talking about 10 years from now or 20 years from now. He's saying this could happen in the next one to five
years.
CNN Business Writer Clare Duffy has been following this for us. So, first let's talk about what this A.I. was capable of doing.
[18:25:00]
I mean, seven hours is notable, right, because that's, you know, with the lunch hour, that's an eight-hour human work day.
CLARE DUFFY, CNN BUSINESS WRITER: Yes, Jim, I mean, this is a really powerful A.I. model. Anthropic is among the leading A.I. labs. It's in the
same league as OpenAI, Google, Meta. It has building this really capable technology and technology that, as you said, is capable of doing more than
just one-off, sort of, conversational back and forth tasks. This is capable of reasoning. This is capable of doing these complex tasks.
And because of that, you have the CEO of Anthropic, Dario Amodei, warning that this could take white-collar jobs. I mean, a lot of the expectation
around what A.I. could mean for the economy has been around blue-collar, simpler roles where it would be easy enough to take someone who lost their
job in an entry-level blue-collar role and find them a new job somewhere else.
But this warning is really striking because you could potentially see job losses of people who have spent a lot of time, a lot of money on education
to get these highly specialized roles. And now, A.I. is potentially replacing them.
SCIUTTO: So, how many jobs -- and I mean, this is not an outlier forecast, right? I mean, you hear different -- I've heard heads of investment banks
talking about, right? Eliminating a lot of those entry level analyst positions. You hear that from the heads of law firms. So, this seems to be
a growing chorus to some degree.
DUFFY: Yes, it is something that we've heard from economists, from analysts, as you've said, from academics, but it is really striking to be
hearing it from the CEO of a company that is making this technology.
One of the other things that he's predicting here is that we could see 10 to 20 percent unemployment within the next one to five years. And just to
put that into perspective, that could mean unemployment rates grow by five times in the next one to five years, that is really significant.
But I also think it's notable to think about the timing and what he might be trying to do by making these comments. You know, the big A.I. labs are
in competition, not just to make the most powerful technology, but also to be the ones who are the most trusted to handle this technology
transformation responsibly.
And so, I think that may be part of what we're seeing here in terms of his decision to come out publicly with these estimates is he's trying to say,
we are thinking about this. We're warning about this. We're conscious of the risks here. And in an effort to make his technology and his company be
the trusted one in this space that's moving really quickly.
SCIUTTO: Clare Duffy, we know you'll keep on top of it. Thanks so much.
DUFFY: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: Coming up, President Trump continues his attacks on Harvard University. We're going to speak with one international student about how
she and other international students are handling those attacks.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:30:00]
SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Jim Sciutto. And here are more international headlines we're watching today.
President Donald Trump sets a new deadline of sorts for Russia's Vladimir Putin. Trump says, he will know in two weeks if the Russian president is
serious about peace in Ukraine or whether Putin is just, quote, "Tapping him," Trump along. But the U.S. President did not specify exactly what he
might do to punish Russia if there is no progress. We are reiterating again today that news sanctions on Moscow could jeopardize any potential deal.
Turning now to the U.K. where authorities have accused self-proclaimed misogynist, Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan, of rape and human
trafficking, along with a number of other charges. The social media influencers are facing similar charges in Romania. They have previously
denied all wrongdoing.
And the Sean Diddy Combs' sex trafficking trial. A celebrity stylist and friend of star witness, Cassie Ventura, took the stand. He testified that
he saw Combs threaten and abuse Ventura. Ventura had previously testified she was the victim of physical and sexual abuse by Combs. Combs has pleaded
not guilty to racketeering, conspiracy and sex trafficking charges.
Well, cracks may be forming in that big, beautiful alliance between Elon Musk and President Trump. In a new interview with CBS News, Musk comes out
against the president's big, beautiful spending bill, as Trump likes to call it, making its way through Congress. Musk adding his name to those
worried about the bill's enormous cost.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELON MUSK, CEO, TESLA: You know, I was like disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just
decrease it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing.
DAVID POGUE, CBS SUNDAY MORNING CORRESPONDENT: I actually thought that when this big, beautiful bill came along, I mean, like, everything he's done on
DOGE gets wiped out in the first year.
MUSK: I think both can be big or it could be beautiful, but I don't know if it can be both. My personal opinion.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Well, president Trump was asked about Musk's comments. He noted that the bill is a product of compromise and still a work in progress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We will be negotiating that bill and I'm not happy about certain aspects of it, but I'm thrilled by other aspects of it. That's the way they
go. It's very big. It's the big beautiful bill. But the beautiful is because of all of the things we have. The biggest thing being, I would say,
the level of tax cutting that we're going to be doing. We're going to make people really be able to -- we'll have one of the lowest tax rate we've
ever had in the history of our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: A federal judge has delivered a win to DOGE. Ruling it can access Treasury Department systems controlling trillions of dollars of government
payments. The systems also hold private information about millions of Americans.
Well, Trump administration is telling U.S. embassies and consulates around the world to pause all new student visa appointments. The State Department
is changing how it reviews applicants to develop social media screening. The White House has already revoked thousands of student visas and tried to
stop foreign students from enrolling at Harvard University, but many of those efforts have been blocked by the courts.
CNN's Nada Bashir has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Students across the globe hoping to study in the United States are now in limbo after the U.S. State Department
issued a bombshell decision, instructing embassies and consulates around the world to pause all new student visa appointments as it mirrors to
expand social media vetting for applicants. That's according to a diplomatic cable seen by CNN.
ADEFEMOLA AKINTADE, ACCEPTED TO INCOMING COLUMBIA JOURNALISM SCHOOL CLASS AND REPORTER, PEOPLE'S GAZETTE: I don't have any backup plan. You know, I
put all my eggs in one basket (INAUDIBLE).
BASHIR: Nigerian journalist, Adefemola Akintade was accepted to Columbia Journalism School for a master's degree on a scholarship and is due to
start in August after paying a hefty enrollment fee.
[18:35:00]
She was on the verge of applying for her visa when the news broke.'
AKINTADE: I was blank for some seconds. I didn't know what to think. And then it's so close, like palpable. I can almost feel it, and then it's yet
so far. I don't know what to do. This is what I always wanted for the long years of times.
BASHIR: For now, it's unclear what kind of social media posts could pose a problem for a student's visa application. As a result, many students were
reluctant to speak to CNN on camera. One Canadian student hoping to study at Columbia in the fall told CNN, it feels like a really scary and
unsettling time for international students studying in the U.S. A lot of us chose to study in the U.S. for its freedoms, but now knowing that innocent
social media posts could cost an education feels like censorship.
The White House has also recently attempted to stop foreign students from studying at Harvard University, though that decision has since been halted
by a judge for the time being. But plans to further restrict the flow of international students to the U.S. will deal a significant blow, not only
to prospective students, but also to U.S. colleges.
DAVID HAWKINS, FOUNDER, THE UNIVERSITY GUYS: Well, I think this is going to be a concern and perhaps threaten some of the financial stability of many
U.S. universities, is those floating voters, those consumers of education who might be looking at the U.S., but also other destinations like Canada,
like Europe, like the U.K. where that lack of certainty is at the very least, meaning they're going to have to apply to more than one destination.
BASHIR: According to a report from the Institute of International Education, more than 1.1 million international students studied at U.S.
higher education institutions in the 2023 to 2024 school year. Meaning, many U.S. colleges reliant on foreign tuition could be severely impacted.
Nada Bashir, CNN, in London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: The pause on new student visa interviews is contributing to the cloud of uncertainty hanging over Harvard's graduation week, normally a
time of celebration. While Harvard Day festivities are being held on campus, President Trump is doubling down, expanding his attacks on the
university, suggesting it should place now a 15 percent cap on the number of international students enrolled.
Aleksandra Conevska is a PhD student at Harvard, originally from Bosnia, and she joins me now. So, good to have you here.
ALEKSANDRA CONEVSKA, INTERNATIONAL PHD STUDENT, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: Thank you so much for having me.
SCIUTTO: I imagine you came to the U.S., not just looking for an elite education at an institution such as Harvard, but the freedom to study and
to speak. What do these attacks do to that feeling about the way things operate here?
CONEVSKA: Yes, the flagship, I guess, idea that we have as international students coming to America is that this place is a place for freedom and
free speech. And it's fundamentally disorienting and very hard actually, I think, to understand what's happening. I think there's a lot of
disassociation because for our entire lives we've been socialized and we've studied the United States as this beacon of freedom and -- for speech,
especially when you come here to study and do the research that you're passionate about, that's what you anticipate.
And so, now I think we're kind of in the last several weeks reorienting ourselves. But it's going to be a long process, I think, before we fully
understand if we're comfortable or not actually speaking our minds.
SCIUTTO: As you know, this has been justified in part by the Trump administration on accusations that institutions such as Harvard allowed
antisemitism to propagate. You are a Canadian Jewish student. What do you think of that argument?
CONEVSKA: Yes. So, yes, as an international Jewish student, I do believe that antisemitism is a genuine problem. It's a problem across campuses on -
- in this country, other countries as well. But I believe that a genuine fight against antisemitism on campus does not involve the deportation of
any international students, and especially not international Jewish students, Israeli students that then leads to the -- further fracturing of
the Jewish community.
And so, over the last several months and couple of years, the -- I think the Jewish community on campus has grown stronger as a result of what has
taken place here. And now, we're looking, it's -- it looks like it's being peeled apart by these actions that are supposed to be in the name of
fighting antisemitism. So, it's very hard to understand and honestly it doesn't make sense at this point whatsoever.
SCIUTTO: Harvard, unlike some universities, is fighting back against the administration. Challenging many of these moves in court. Do you welcome
that? Are you proud of Harvard?
[18:40:00]
CONEVSKA: I am proud of Harvard. And I think -- I've noticed, at least in some of the circles that -- in which I live and communicate within, that
other people have a heightened sense of Harvard now. And so. this administration has obviously decided to attack and focus in on Harvard
specifically, but I don't think that it has actually done much to harm Harvard's reputation whatsoever. And in a lot of ways, I actually think
that many people, particularly on the left, have more respect for the institution now.
And it's almost funny to hear it be discussed as the frontline of the resistance, but in a sense, it is where a lot of this is happening, and we
know, I think now is this on campus that the university will not back down. And we feel, at least, somewhat safe because of that.
SCIUTTO: What do you do now? Do you think about leaving? Harvard is fighting, but we don't know the outcome of that fight, right? Do you find
yourself feeling that you have to have a backup plan outside of the United States?
CONEVSKA: I think that's right. I think -- I mean, I think kind of myself and my international peers, we -- the questions that ring through our minds
as of late, the last several weeks, and especially since last Thursday is, you know, what choices can we make? What control do we have over our lives?
What facts do we know? What can't we know?
And I think we -- unfortunately, with this vast uncertainty, we know we can't determine what the best action is. So, we're thinking ahead. OK. You
know, maybe I'll stay in the U.S. plan to proceed with the fall semester, and I'll just keep checking the federal docket to see if the restraining
order is still in place. But I think, in general, a lot of us are mapping out alternative career plans, even as we saw the United States as the
venue, the forum for our academic work, particularly in a lot of the disciplines in which I engage and the friends I have here. It would be very
challenging to find jobs in a small -- in another set of countries.
And so, a lot of us, including myself, are just thinking, OK, what else are we passionate about? And what can we do outside, maybe in our home
countries or elsewhere? Still using the training that we received at Harvard to do something we care about and to be fulfilled still.
SCIUTTO: Well, I hope that this becomes a welcoming place for you and your fellow classmates. Again, Aleksandra Conevska, thanks so much for joining.
CONEVSKA: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: And we will have more news right after a break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:45:00]
SCIUTTO: Mexico is preparing for its first judicial elections. After a major overhaul of the justice system, voters will elect nearly 900 federal
judges. Another 800 will be elected in two years, but the speed and scope of those changes have raised concerns about the qualifications of the
candidates and the potential for outside influence. CNN's Valeria Leon reports.'
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a first for Mexico and for the world. Voters will make history Sunday by directly electing judges,
magistrates, even Supreme Court justices in an unprecedented vote to reshape the country's judiciary.
More than 3,000 candidates are vying for 881 positions, all without party backing or campaign funding.
I'm funding everything with my salary. That alone is complicated, because from the same salary, I have to pay for my everyday costs, my rent, my
living expenses, and I help support my mother, who's a widow.
Adding pressure, strict rules from Mexico's electoral authority, the INE, no radio or TV ads, no painted murals, and even family members can't hand
out fliers. For first time candidate Arcelia Santillan, it's been a crash course in campaigning.
It's really about learning from political campaigns, how to talk to people, how to approach them, how to explain what it is that I do.
But the new plan is also drawing criticism. Legal experts and human rights groups warn that putting judges on the campaign trail could politicize the
bench, favoring name recognition over experience and opening the door to populism, influence or pressure from interest groups.
I'm satisfied with what I've done. And so, I'll find out after the vote whether I managed to reach all the people I hoped to.
Low budget, high stakes and a bold experiment in democracy.
Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico City.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced today that a new fiber optic cable should drastically improve air traffic control
communications at Newark Airport. The busy Newark area airport has been dealing with issues for weeks on end, but nationwide, he says there's much
more to be done.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN DUFFY, U.S. SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION: I think this truly is a moment to look at what kind of system we're using, what kind of equipment
we use, what kind of telecom we use, and it's a call to action to make sure we build a brand-new air traffic control system.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Pilots need to be able to react in the moment if or when they lose signal with the ATC Tower. CNN's Pete Muntean team got a firsthand look at
exactly how those pilots handle that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAPT. MILES MORGAN, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF FLIGHT TRAINING, UNITED AIRLINES: Ready to go?
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): I'm at the controls of a Boeing 737 Max simulator here at United Airlines Flight Training
Center in Denver to see what pilots experience when air traffic control goes dark. It's the latest challenge for them after flights in and out of
Newark faced repeat failures of radar and radio earlier this month.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't have a radar. So, I don't know where you are.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): Along with me is Captain Miles Morgan who heads training for United.
MUNTEAN: Would you say that these issues at Newark have caused any sort of degradation of safety?
MORGAN: Not at all. Safety for us -- if you've got pilots that are operating into the airspace, it is safe for us to do so. We are a hundred
percent confident in that.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): This is some of the busiest airspace in the country. If air traffic controllers lose their radar scopes --
MORGAN: Traffic, traffic.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): -- Morgan says pilots can fall back on the plane's Traffic Collision Avoidance System or TCAS. It calls out collisions in the
making and can even issue instructions to climb or descend traffic.
MORGAN: So, now, OK, I've stopped doing what I'm doing. I look, I see it on the screen, 700 feet above. I acquire it visually. And now, I'm monitoring
it. I'm making sure, hey, I'm -- this is good. I'm -- we're at a good airspace. We're safe.
MUNTEAN: The reason you're showing it is to show that there are other layers here, there are other systems.
MORGAN: Exactly, correct. We have a lot of different layers and a lot of them rely on the external role, but we all have this internal system that
our airplanes will talk to each other.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): But when controllers can't reach flights via radio, Morgan says pilots would try a previously used radio frequency.
MORGAN: Push this button, the previous frequency pops back up.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): Try the emergency backup frequency.
MORGAN: This would be a backup if we couldn't raise it any other way.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): Use datalink text messaging to communicate with the airline.
MORGAN: And I could say, need frequency and I --
MUNTEAN (voice-over): And dial in a transponder code that signals that communication has been lost. Decades old redundancies that air traffic
controllers are trained for too.
[18:50:00]
NICK DANIELS, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ASSOCIATION: We were always prepared for it. The pilots were always prepared for it.
Unfortunately, we're having to use those safety nets.
MORGAN: So, I'm going to start putting some flaps in for you.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): Maybe to prove that flying is safe. Morgan even let me do the landing.
MORGAN: A little flare. Perfect. Boom.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): Not my worst. As airlines insist, the worst will not happen when air traffic control fails.
MORGAN: I don't really worry when something is a little abnormal. We're trained for all these abnormalities. It's not just this, it's -- we're
constantly training for whatever could be going wrong and how to make a decision to rectify that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Coming up, we have sports. The UEFA Conference League final and day four of the French Open. Please stay tuned.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: In today's Field of Play, the UEFA Champions League final is this Saturday between PSG and Inter Milan.
First Chelsea were looking to make some European history Wednesday in the Conference League over Real Betis. Cot Wire has the details. How's it going
out there?
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Hey, what's going on, Jim Sciutto? Chelsea wrote themselves into the history book by becoming the first club to win
all three, the European competitions. They can now call themselves Champions Leagues, champs, Europa League champs and Conference League
champs.
Let's get to the action in Poland. After a slow first half, Jim, the blue's bounce back in the second half. Cole Palmer with a great ball in to find
Enzo Fernandez who has an even better header into the back of the net. That leveled the match, and you can just feel the momentum starting to shift.
Just six minutes later, Jim, Chelsea doubling their lead. Palmer again. Plan provider with another great cross to find Nicolas Jackson at the near
post.
Chelsea, who would then put the game out of reach when they added a third Jadon Sancho with a wonderful curling shot, leaving the keeper reaching
like that hot date that got away, Jim. Blues added a fourth to complete the comeback in style. They win 4-1. What an historic night in Poland. Chelsea,
our Conference League champs.
Now, Jim, it is all eyes On Champions League Final on Saturday. Can PSG win their first win or will enter Milan come out on top?
SCIUTTO: All right. So, tell us what things are looking like at Roland- Garros. Because Carlos Alcaraz always looking sharp, but he had a win on and off the court?
WIRE: Jim, I have a question for you. Have you ever gone on a work assignment and decided I don't like the way my hair looks? So, I'm going to
change things up a bit, and you go ahead and get a brand-new do right there on your work trip. Well, that may have been the case for tennis phenom
Carlos Alcaraz.
At the French Open, the photo on the left was from Monday's first round win. On the right, that's Wednesdays second round. The defending French
Open champ flew his barber to Paris for a mid turny glow up. He may have inspired me to grow my hair back, Jim.
Facing Fabian Marozsan in the second round, the freshly faded Carlos cruised in the first set, but he ran into a bit of a snag in the second.
The 56th rank Marozsan hitting some exquisite shots on that red clay finding a way to level this match at a set a peace.
[18:55:00]
But then, from then on, it was Alcaraz playing the barber, cutting up his opponent. Look at this ridiculous shot, around the net gym. Former NFL star
Odell Beckham Jr. was there. His jaw dropped. He ran that thing right around the net, just like Odell used to run around those defensive backs.
Alcaraz was not done yet. He said, I'll give you an round the netter and raise you another. The guy has a cheat code, Jim. He lost just three sets -
- three games, including in the final two sets, advancing to the third round.
And as I mentioned, I'm feeling inspired to maybe change up my hairdo, Jim, maybe go back to the days. When I had a -- little salad up top.
SCIUTTO: I don't know who that guy is there in that photo.
WIRE: I know. Look at that neck. Who is that guy?
SCIUTTO: What -- it also like a tennis like rules question. I guess as long as the ball's over the level of the net, it doesn't have to be over the net
physically?
WIRE: It does not have be --
SCIUTTO: Is that the rule?
WIRE: It does not have to go over. It can go around that pole and land inside that line and you are clear.
SCIUTTO: All right. I'm going to -- next time I play it on the weekend, I'm going to use that little bit of knowledge.
WIRE: Good luck.
SCIUTTO: Coy Wire, thanks so much. And thanks so much to all of you. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. You've been watching "The Brief." Please do stay
with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:00:00]
END
