Return to Transcripts main page

New Day Sunday

Religious Leaders Worry About Migrant Children Living In Shelters With Little To No Freedom; Navalny Team: He's Dying In Prison, It's A Matter Of Days; Sights And Sounds From Prince Philip's Funeral. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired April 18, 2021 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:23]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three million COVID-19 related deaths worldwide.

DR. JOEL FISHBAIN, MED. DIR. FOR INFECTION PREVENTION AT BEAUMONT HOSPITAL IN MICHIGAN: Until everybody gets vaccinated, could there be other variants that now escape the immune system?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The optimism about what the vaccines could deliver for us has, I think, eclipsed the amount of vaccinations that we've gotten in arms.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There have been 45 mass shootings in the U.S. in just the last month.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We never expected that, you know, they would go to work, and we would never see them again.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're just still looking for them hoping that maybe they'll just come back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The late, most high, mighty and illustrious prince, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was steeped in military tradition. More than 700 military personnel took part.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It will never be as it was, but certainly royal occasions Harry wants to be there to support them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. It's Sunday, April 18th. A pleasure to have you with us. I'm Boris Sanchez.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: It certainly is. Good to see you, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Good to see you, Christi.

PAUL: I'm Christi Paul. Thank you so much for being here. We are following some breaking news we want to let you know out of Wisconsin right now. Three people are dead. Two have been injured in a shooting at a tavern. This was in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Now, what we know right now is that police tell CNN the shooting happened inside the tavern just before 1:00 a.m. The two victims with gunshot wounds are in serious condition. That shooter is on the loose right now. Our Martin Savidge is on the way there and he's going to bring you more details this weekend.

And also tomorrow is President Biden's deadline for states to give every eligible American access to a coronavirus vaccine. Now, there have already been more than 205 million shots administered so far in the U.S. The world, though, has topped more than 3 million people who have died.

SANCHEZ: There is some good news, though, 3.2 million shots are going into arms every day now on average. Roughly a quarter of the United States now fully vaccinated, including more than 65 percent of those over the age of 65. But even with a significant chunk of the older population protected there's still lingering concern about the impact of variants on those that are still vulnerable including young people. You could see on this graph, the average of new cases is flat. It's hovering around 70,000 every day.

CNN's Evan McMorris-Santoro is following this for us from New York. Evan, the vaccination effort appears to be working. Real progress is being made but officials are still concerned about specific areas like Michigan and other hot spots around the world.

EVAN MCMORRIS-SANTORO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's absolutely right. You know, if you think of this pandemic in terms of chapters, it feels a lot like it's one long story, not a great story. Think about it in chapters. We're in a pretty good chapter right now.

There are a lot of vaccines available here in America. People can get them if they want them, and they should get them according to experts. But we're also at a moment where we're really facing just how hard and how bad this pandemic has been.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCMORRIS-SANTORO (voice-over): A somber pandemic milestone, the world has now surpassed 3 million deaths from COVID-19. That's according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins. And the U.S. leads the world in COVID deaths with more than 560,000 to date.

Michigan is being hit with so many new cases of COVID-19 right now that hospitals are running out of space to treat patients. The state is currently leading the U.S. in new infections.

FISHBAIN: We're seeing many, many more people sick in families and exposures. And the problem and concern that I have is until everybody gets vaccinated, could there be other variants that now escape the immune system? MCMORRIS-SANTORO: According to Johns Hopkins, nearly half of U.S. states reported an increase in COVID-19 cases this week. But some promising vaccine news, more than 205 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the U.S., according to data published Saturday by the CDC. And beginning Monday, all adults will be eligible to get vaccinated.

In addition, CDC advisers will meet next Friday to review the ongoing Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause. Experts emphasize that the rare cases of adverse reactions from COVID-19 vaccines are far outweighed by the collective protection of widespread vaccination.

[06:05:01]

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: The fact that this was done would, in my mind, underscore and confirm how seriously we take safety even though it's a very rare event. So if anybody has got a doubt that they may not be taking safety very seriously, I think, this is an affirmation that safety is a primary consideration.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: So as experts say at this moment in the pandemic, the best thing that people can do is get the vaccine as soon as it's available to them. And as we said, starting Monday, most places in the United States will have it available to every adult that wants to get it.

But there's some news about that. I'm out here at the Javits Center. It's the largest vaccine site in New York City. And last week, we saw a moment that was very strange for people in New York who have been following this pandemic. A ton of open appointments here at the Javits Center, thousands of available appointments.

There's some debate in the city about of what that means. Some people saying, hey, it's good we have a lot of appointments it means that the vaccine system is working well. But others are saying, maybe we're seeing a sign of vaccine hesitation here. People maybe not going out to get it. So what experts say is that right now the best thing you can do, sign up and get the vaccine as soon as you can. Boris and Christi.

PAUL: Evan McMorris-Santoro, we appreciate it so much. Thank you, sir.

Dr. Chris Pernell is with us. She's a public health physician and fellow at the American College of Preventative Medicine. Dr. Pernell, we thank you again for being on with us. We appreciate you.

I want to ask you about Canada, first of all. This news from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that they are in a punishing third wave of COVID this morning. That he says numbers are higher than they have ever been in some places, that it is the toughest stretch of this pandemic for them. And that there's a doctor in Ontario who characterized it as this. He said, hospitals can no longer function normally. They're busting at the seams. We know that they're administrating some more lockdowns there in Canada. But what do you think is contributing to that wave in Canada, and how vulnerable are other countries to seeing something similar?

DR. CHRIS PERNELL, PUBLIC HEALTH PHYSICIAN: I think it's a mixture of factors, Christi. You're going to see the variants exploding in Canada, like you see the variants exploding in the U.S. Remember, viruses don't respect borders.

In addition to those variants predominating, you also had seen some easing of restrictions with a mixture of a slow vaccine rollout. But now that Canada has picked up its speed around its vaccine administration and is considering increasing restrictions hopefully they can outpace those variants.

PAUL: All right. So then let's talk about what's happening here in the U.S. Michigan is seeing some real problems right now. And they're seeing them with younger children as we were hearing there from Evan McMorris-Santoro.

Do you see -- because, you know, you've talked a lot about vulnerability and about vaccine equity -- just health equity in general, but we have talked a lot about the vulnerable population. Do you see that vulnerable population as we've talked about it expanding now to younger people, and is there anything to do about it?

PERNELL: Look, vulnerabilities are exacerbated among those who are unvaccinated. And increasingly those who are unvaccinated are younger populations. That's why you see outbreaks being fueled by sports activities, by day cares, by schools, and wherever people are continuing to congregate.

That's why we can't let up. We have to get safe and stay safe. We've got to keep pushing access. We've got to make sure people understand the risks that they face if they are unvaccinated and we've got to think through what those barriers are or what those reasons are that people might still be slow to yes.

PAUL: Let's talk about the CDC vaccine advisers. They're meeting this coming Friday to talk about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause. There's an interesting article, an op-ed in the "Washington Post" this morning. I want to read you part of that.

It says what ACIP, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, must provide but likely never will, is an estimate of how many of the hundreds of thousands of Americans infected with COVID in the coming days could have been protected if Johnson & Johnson vaccines were available.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky could end the pause and restore access for people who reasonably prefer single-shot protection from COVID to the minuscule risks of vaccinations. If backed up by risk- benefit analysis, the CDC could recommend certain subgroups, example, younger healthy adults, wait for an alternative vaccine.

So it sounds like they're arguing let the Johnson & Johnson vaccine be available but perhaps keep particular subgroups like younger people away from it. What is your thought on that idea?

PERNELL: That's actually what I expect to see.

[06:10:01]

Let's try to manage the expectations about what actually happened. What the federal government did with pausing the administration of J&J is a welcome sign. It's showing that checks and balances are built into the system and that happened because of very rare occurrence was evidenced in about six women out of nearly 7 million doses.

We don't see anything other than the fact that they were 18 to 48, that they developed this condition, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis within six to 13 days after administration. Meaning no other predisposing factor that contributed to the incident of these clots.

So with that being true and with CDC combing through the data as they should, I expect that you're going to have guidelines to say, to lessen the chance of an already rare event from happening. Let's predispose certain groups to receive certain vaccines. We know that Pfizer, we know that Moderna is available. We know that they have great effectiveness and excellent safety profile. And let's just save those other vaccines, those one dose vaccines like Johnson & Johnson for those who have issues around access, perhaps home bound seniors.

PAUL: Ohio State University has a student body of about 61,000 people and they have said you do not need to be vaccinated before you come back to class in the fall. But there are 26 other universities and colleges here in the U.S. that are mandating getting a vaccine before you come back. And there are some companies that are doing it as well. Do you see that as necessary right now, and do you see any legal pushback for it?

PERNELL: You know, I actually think that's a safe and a wise move by the universities, mandating vaccination before students come back in the fall. What we know is that students when they live in, you know, congregant settings, settings that are cramped, where they may not be following social distancing, where universal masking most likely isn't being followed. If we want to save the most amount of lives and prevent disease and morbidity, we need to have some strong and firm guidelines in place. And I really don't have a problem with that. That would just be like mandating that students receive other different types of vaccinations before coming on to campus.

Where you start to see a challenge is when we get into these conversations around vaccine passports, where will we restrict movement or bar entrance to certain activities or events because of vaccination status. What I don't want to see happen, I don't want to see public goods tied to vaccination status.

Hospitals should be open to people as long as CDC guidelines are being followed, things of that nature. That's where we have to make sure we're leading with equity and not just reacting with equity.

PAUL: Dr. Chris Pernell, it is always such a pleasure to have you with us. And we always learn from you. Thank you for being here. PERNELL: Thanks, Christi.

PAUL: Of course.

And for more on how the U.S. is working to slow the spread of the variants and the safety of the coronavirus vaccines be sure to catch Dr. Anthony Fauci. He's on "STATE OF THE UNION WITH JAKE TAPPER AND DANA BASH" this morning at 9:00 a.m.

SANCHEZ: We have new details to share with you about that mass shooting in Indianapolis. Police say the suspect bought both assault rifles he used in that shooting legally. They say he purchased them back in July and September of 2020, just a few months after a shotgun was seized from his home when his family called police to warn them of issues he was having. Police placed him on a mental health hold.

PAUL: We're also hearing from the suspect's family. They put out a statement saying -- quote -- "We are devastating at the loss of life caused as a result of Brandon's actions, through the love of his family we tried to get him the help he needed. Our sincerest and most heartfelt apologies go out to the victims of this senseless tragedy. We are sorry for the pain and hurt being felt by their families and the entire Indianapolis community" -- unquote.

Now last night CNN's Jason Carroll attended a vigil for the victims.

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christi, Boris, a lot of emotion as you can imagine at the candlelight vigil that was held for the eight victims from the FedEx shooting. Four of those victims were from the Sikh community. And many of the members of the Sikh community came out Saturday night to pay their respect. We spoke to family members of Jasvinder Kaur and Amarjit Sekhon. They found the courage to speak to us about those who they loved and those who they lost.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Amarjit I want to say she was a very, very hard working woman. She devoted her life to her kids, to her family. She's a family oriented woman. She had no issues with anyone. She was the nicest person ever. This is something that shouldn't have happened to her or to my other aunt, Jasvinder.

[06:15:04]

We're deeply saddened by this. Jasvinder, auntie, she was an amazing person. She always had a smile on her face. The only reason why she joined working was because she was just bored at home. She just needed something to do.

That was one of the reasons why we always would say to her, like, oh, you should stay at home. You don't -- you don't need to be going working overnight. And she was like, oh, you know, I like going, I like working, it's something that kind of clears my head. I get out of the house, I walk, I talk to people. She was the nicest person ever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: During the ceremony, they lit a candle for each of the eight victims. The two youngest victims, just 19 years old. The oldest victim, 74-year-old John Steve Weisert. He was just about to celebrate his 50th wedding anniversary. Christi, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Jason Carroll, thank you for that. I want to let you know next hour we're going to be speaking with K.P. Singh. He's a member of the Sikh community and an interfaith leader in Indianapolis. He says the Sikh community is dismayed and devastated. You want to tune into an important conversation coming up in the next hour.

PAUL: Closing arguments in the Derek Chauvin murder trial begin tomorrow. This is amid this already tense situation in Minneapolis following the police killing of Daunte Wright. How the city is preparing for what could be a pretty significant week ahead.

SANCHEZ: Plus, President Biden further explaining his administration's abrupt reversal on the refugee cap. Why he says he initially declined to increase the number of refugees being allowed into the United States.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:20:47]

PAUL: Twenty minutes after the hour. Listen, authorities say four police officers were sprayed with a liquid they don't know what it was during protests overnight in Sacramento.

SANCHEZ: Yes. Demonstrators gathered at California's state Capitol to protest the police shooting deaths of Daunte Wright and Adam Toledo. Protesters marched through the streets. They pushed down barricades and chanted no justice, no peace. Police say there were two reports of vandalism but there were no arrests there last night.

PAUL: And, listen, Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, has seen a 7th night of demonstrations. This is over the death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright as well. Late last night, Congresswoman Maxine Waters said this to the crowd.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MAXINE WATERS (D-CA): We have been fighting for so many years for reform, reform, reform. And so, yes, I would like to see the bill in Congress pass on police reform, but I know that the right wing, the racist are opposed to it. And I don't know what's going to happen to it. But I know this, we've got to stay in the street.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: CNN's Adrienne Broaddus joins us now live from Brooklyn Center. Adrienne, you have been there all week at the height of tensions. What have things been like this weekend, and what are you seeing now? ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We have seen a mix of emotions this week. Currently this morning we are in Minneapolis. But about 10 miles away from here is what many of the protesters call home base, outside of the Brooklyn Center police department. And about 30 minutes after the curfew expired last night members of law enforcement say there were still about 100 protesters remaining but no reported arrests.

And this all comes after the death, the shooting death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright one week ago today. That Brooklyn Center police officer resigned days after the killing and on Wednesday she was charged with second degree manslaughter. But Wright's family and people in the community say that's not enough. They want more serious charges. And they took their push for more charges to the neighborhood where the prosecuting attorney lives. And yesterday, we also saw civil rights icon Reverend Jesse Jackson in town showing support for the Wright family, and other protesters.

Now, these last few weeks, it's been a trying week for Clarence Castile. You may remember, he is the uncle of the late Philando Castile. Philando was shot and killed following a traffic stop here in the Twin Cities a few years ago. Castile has been watching this Chauvin trial, which is taking place 10 miles from Brooklyn Center all week.

Derek Chauvin has pled not guilty to second and third three murder, and second degree manslaughter. And despite all of the video evidence, there are some who say they don't know what the outcome will be, including Clarence Castile. Listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLARENCE CASTILE, UNCLE OF PHILANDO CASTILE: It brought back horrible memories. And I hate to be somebody who will sit there and pretend that I know what's going to happen because in these cases you don't know. Regardless of what the evidence looks like, you just don't know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROADDUS: Meanwhile, closing arguments are expected tomorrow. Late last week, Chauvin invoked his Fifth Amendment right. So he's not testifying. We did not hear from him, other than the comments he made on the body cam soon after the incident that led to George Floyd's death. Back to you.

SANCHEZ: Adrienne Broaddus reporting from Minneapolis. And as Adrienne just pointed out, closing arguments do begin tomorrow in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

Joining us now to discuss is CNN legal analyst and former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Elie Honig. Elie, good to see you as always. We appreciate you sharing some of your Sunday morning with us.

Attorneys typically are allowed to argue their cases much more aggressively in closing statements. So what do you expecting to see tomorrow from both sides?

[06:25:01]

ELIE HONIG, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, Boris, as you said, first of all we should expect a tonal shift from opening. Openings tend to be very straightforward just the fact. You're actually not allowed to argue on opening. In closing, where they are called closing arguments, expect to see more fireworks, more dynamics.

The trick for the prosecution is you have to boil down 38 witnesses, 2 1/2 weeks of testimony into really a couple of hours. So expect them to focus on the eyewitnesses who we heard from, the police experts about excessive force and the medical experts explaining that Derek Chauvin's actions caused George Floyd's death.

The defense has different strategy here though. The defense does not need to outdo or outscore the prosecution. All they need to do is poke a big enough hole that it will be reasonable doubt. So that's the dynamic we're going to see tomorrow.

SANCHEZ: Elie, you pointed out the 38 witnesses that we have heard from and we've heard a lot of expert testimony from both sides, the prosecution and defense. Much of it as you might expect, contradictory on the cause of George Floyd's death, on whether Derek Chauvin responded to the situation appropriately. On that issue, I want you to listen to two sound bites. One is for Barry Brodd, a witness for the defense, and the other from the Minneapolis police chief. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARRY BRODD, USE OF FORCE EXPERT: I felt that Derek Chauvin was justified, was acting with objective reasonableness.

CHIEF MEDARIA ARRADONDO, CHIEF OF MINNEAPOLIS POLICE: I vehemently disagree that that was the appropriate use of force for that situation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: So in your experience, Elie, when a jury hears conflicting testimony like this, what factors ultimately play in to who they find most credible?

HONIG: Yes, Victor. So this is exactly what the jurors are going to be wrestling with over the next several days. The judge will instruct the jury, just because a witness is labeled an expert, does not mean you automatically have to credit or believe that witness. And so juries will be looking at factors. Let's take this dispute, for example, what kind of credentials does this person have? How close to the situation is this person? Is this person supported by other evidence?

In my opinion, in this case, the evidence is much stronger in the chief's favor. First of all he's the chief of that department. I think his opinion that this was excessive force is much more in line with common sense. And, by the way, jurors are allowed to use common sense. And finally, remember, Chief Arradondo -- this is not one versus one. Chief Arradondo was backed by four or five other police officers and expert witnesses who agreed with him this was excessive force. On the other hand, you have the one witness from the defense. But, again, all the defense is aiming to do is create enough doubt for reasonable doubt.

SANCHEZ: Well, there's expert testimony and then there's, you know, emotional, firsthand accounts of what someone at the scene watched unfold. So I want to play a portion of some of the most painful testimony during this entire trial. Here's Charles McMillian now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLES MCMILLIAN, CHAUVIN TRIAL WITNESS: I feel helpless. I don't have a mama either. I understand him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: So when the jury goes back and deliberates this case, it's hard to predict, but given your experience, what kind of impact does that have on jurors?

HONIG: So when you're prosecuting a case like this, Boris, you really want to appeal to the jury's sort of heads and their hearts. And I think Charles McMillian and the other eyewitnesses, the cashier, the people who are on the streets, the minors, I thought that they as a group did a remarkable job of appealing to both. Not intentionally, but I think their testimony had that effect.

They were all very clear about what they saw. Everything they said is backed up by the video. There's really not much question about what happened. But they also made a strong emotional impact on the jurors.

The jurors will be told, you're not supposed to take things like emotion into account. The judge will tell them that tomorrow when he instructs them. But the fact is jurors are human beings, they're not robots. Emotion, the gut instinct really does matter when a jury gets back there to deliberate.

SANCHEZ: There's no question that, you know, the eyes of the country if not the world are going to be focused on what happens in this case. And we're all going to be reading the smoke signals, what the jury asks, whether they take a certain amount of time. What are you going to be watching for, and who ultimately would it help if this jury deliberates for, say, more than a few days, and gets into the weeks?

HONIG: I have been in that situation of reading smoke signals. It is a very anxiety creating uncertain process.

What we need to know is this. The jury is going to be deliberating in secret. Nobody is going to be back there with them, no judge, no lawyers, certainly no cameras. They will from time to time, send out notes, asking questions, and we will all try to see what those questions mean. Sometimes the questions can sound like they're good for the prosecution. Sound like they're good for the defense. If they send out a note -- sometimes I have seen notes saying, judge, we're close. We just want to hear about reasonable doubt one more time. That could be good for either side. Who knows? Who is more time good for, generally speaking as a prosecutor, you're hoping for a quicker verdict.

[06:30:00]

That said, I've seen juries take two weeks and still come back with a guilty verdict. So let's -- let's all be very caution about the tea reading.

[06:30:00]

It's really hard to read and understand what a jury is doing just from those little notes.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: We will all be watching closely and listening for expertise like yours. Elie Honig, thanks so much.

HONIG: Thanks, Boris.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: So, the pandemic has kept unaccompanied migrant children, you might not think about this, but from attending church. The church they attended before COVID restrictions is peppered with their presence though. We'll show you the story. Stay close.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: In the border town of Brownsville, Texas, finding a church was a crucial step for the dozens of migrant children who came to the United States alone and are now living in shelters.

PAUL: Well, it was until the coronavirus pandemic ended in-person worship. So, they're in shelters now that they can't leave to attend religious service. But look at this from CNN's Rosa Flores.

[06:35:10]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This is more than a Sunday service in South Texas. It used to be a lifeline for dozens of migrant children living in shelters who crossed the border alone.

Before the pandemic, here they are attending a Christmas Posada. The children allowed to come to church every week. Arlina Leal and sister Sindi Bardales say they'll never forget a boy whose eyes filled with tears when he said his mom wouldn't take him out of government custody.

So, the mom was in the U.S. and rejected her child?

SINDI BARDALES, WORKS WITH MIGRANT CHILDREN: Yes. So, it's very painful. a very painful situation for them. FLORES: Pain the children are now have to deal with in confinement.

The pandemic keeping them in South Texas shelters with little to no contact with the outside world except for this religious live stream with Catholic Priest Tony O'Connor.

TONY O'CONNOR, PRIEST, SAN FELIPE DE JESUS CATHOLIC CHURCH: Because of COVID, we can't go into the centers, and they can't come here.

FLORES: Nearly 20,000 unaccompanied migrant children live in shelters under the care of U.S. Health and Human Services for about 30 days.

What do you tell them?

BARDALES: Be patient and have faith. Even though they feel they are in a prison.

FLORES: Do they tell you it feels like a prison?

BARDALES: Yes, they do.

FLORES: And while they're treated well, overall, he says O'Conner --

O'CONNOR: They're going to be free.

FLORES: He's sure they miss the little things.

O'CONNOR: And we always manage to find a lot of food because they like food, and Coca-Cola.

FLORES: They like Coca-Cola?

O'CONNOR: They like Coca-Cola.

FLORES: Since the pandemic, the pews where the migrant children used to sit are empty but their presence peppered throughout the church.

O'CONNOR: This is one of the kids'.

FLORES: Their prayers with sealed envelopes are still here at the foot of religious statues.

O'CONNOR: They're probably saying help me get out of here. Increase my process so that I can go north and be with my family.

FLORES: The bright paper flowers and figurines they made inside the shelter still decorate the church, including this swan made by a boy who O'Connor says had been in custody for a year.

O'CONNOR: When they talk to you about it, you just say you're not going to be here 50 years. Just don't throw the towel. And you'll get out.

FLORES: But he knows that advice is tough for young children, especially since they can't leave the shelter.

BARDALES: I pray for them. And I always have them in my heart.

FLORES: Leaving them without freedom through faith. Rosa Flores, CNN Brownsville, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: Rosa, thank you so much for that. So, aides to Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny are calling on supporters to rally for is life. They say the Russian opposition leader is dying. We'll tell you what we know from Russia in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:40:00]

SANCHEZ: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny says -- or his team, I should say, says he is near death inside a Russian prison. He's still continuing his hunger strike now at 18 days.

PAUL: Yes, he's on strike claiming that prison officials are refusing to provide him proper medical treatment.

CNN's Sam Kiley is live in Moscow this morning. So, Sam, we get these reports that his health is deteriorating. We know that he was still recovering from nerve gas poisoning when he went in. What do we know about his condition. And let's be honest, is this really surprising because it was such a risk for him to go back to Russia.

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Such a risk to go back to Russia, and an even bigger risk to end up in a Russian penal colony two hours outside of Moscow. A penal colony pretty notorious for the harsh conditions which people say have been made worse by the way that he's being treated in there, being woken up frequently with torches being shined into his eyes and no access to independent medical care for him following that poisoning of him in August using the Novichok nerve agent.

The Russians have denied responsibility in connection with that, but of course, the international community and the Navalny camp think otherwise. But the latest information coming, and we have to say that this is not something that we have been able to independently verify. We have only got Navalny's people to say this.

But a group of doctors who say that they have seen the results of government medical tests conducted on him a few days ago indicate levels of potassium in his bloodstream as a result -- that it is excessively high, which they say could be a recently or could be an indicator of imminent renal failure and heart problems on a man who's already frail, 18 rising 19 days of hunger strike in protest at the medical conditions that he's being held under.

And all of this coming at a time when his people are trying to get a 500,000 person petition together online so that they can then say that they are going to conduct -- they are saying that they will then, at an unspecified date, have a mass protest in support of Navalny and for political reform here in Russia. Christi, Boris? SANCHEZ: And Sam, relations between the United States and Russia taking a hit this week after President Joe Biden imposed new sanctions on the country, in response to Russia's election meddling. Russia in response, expelled some diplomats. What is Moscow doing?

[06:45:11]

KILEY: Well, as far as the Russians are concerned, they have acted with what they call proportionality. In other words, they have said in their words asked ten U.S. diplomats to leave following the Biden administration's expulsion of ten Russian diplomats from the U.S. soil. And they've also invited the U.S. ambassador here to return home for consultations. He hasn't yet taken up that invitation.

But this is against a backdrop, obviously, in the first instance of the Biden administration taking a very different stance with regard to Russia, in particular, Vladimir Putin that Donald Trump took and particularly calling out Russian for as you say, election interference and cyber hacking.

There have been wider expulsions elsewhere in Europe with the Czech Republic expelling 18 diplomats there accused of being Russian intelligence agents. Boris?

SANCHEZ: Sam Kiley reporting from Russia. Thank you so much.

SANCHEZ: A fitting sendoff yesterday for Britain's Prince Philip. The Duke of Edinburgh is laid to rest at Windsor Castle surrounded by those closest to him. We'll take a look at his final farewell next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:50:00]

PAUL: Well, it certainly wasn't what we normally would have seen in another year. The United Kingdom and the world are certainly mourning Prince Philip yesterday as he was laid to rest at Windsor Castle. But by royal standards, this ceremony was small, it was inmate, and that's due to restrictions set in place because of the COVID pandemic.

SANCHEZ: Yes. And one fascinating aspect of this is that Prince Philip had quite a hand in planning his own funeral. He chose the naval themes, the music, and even that custom Land Rover that he designed back in 2003 to carry his casket.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID CONNER, DEAN OF WINDSOR: We are here today to commit into the hands of God the soul of his servant Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburg. We have been inspired by his unwavering locality to our Queen, our lives have been enriched through the challenges that he has set us, the encouragement that he has given us, his kindness, humor, and humanity.

JUSTIN WELBY, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY: We remember before thee this day, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, rendering thanks unto thee for his resolute faith and loyalty, for his highsense of duty and integrity, for his life of service to the nation and commonwealth, and for the courage and inspiration of his leadership. To him with all the faithful departed, grant thy peace.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eternal Father, strong to save, whose arm hath bind the restless wave.

THOMAS WOODCOCK, GARTER PRINCIPAL KING OF ARMS: Thus it hath pleased Almighty God to take out of this transitory life unto his divine mercy the late most illustrious and most exalted Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich, husband of her most excellent majesty, Elizabeth II.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:55:00]

PAUL: Well, this week's CNN hero is one of the survivors of the Boston Marathon Bombing. Look how Heather Abbott turned that tragedy into triumph.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HEATHER ABBOTT, SURVIVOR, BOSTON MARATHON BOMBING: I heard the first explosion just ahead in front of me. The next thing I knew, a second explosion occurred to my right. And that was the last thing I knew before I landed in the restaurant on the ground.

I was in the hospital for several days while doctors were deciding whether or not to amputate. It was hard to come to terms with the fact that I am an amputee at first. And had my injury not happened in such a public way where there was so much assistance available, I never would have been able to afford multiple prostheses.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some of our recent beneficiaries.

ABBOTT: So I decided to do what I could to help people get those devices that simply couldn't get them because they were out of reach. It has been life-changing for them, and a lot of them remind me of that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's the crazy man.

ABBOTT: It feels very rewarding to be able to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Oh, you don't want to miss this. You can see Heather's full story at cnnheroes.com.

SANCHEZ: A quick programming note for you. The new CNN Original Series The People Versus The Klan tells the true story of Beulah Mae Donald, a powerful woman, a black mom who took down the Klu Klux Klan after the lynching of her son. Here's a preview of the latest episode. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Consider what Gwen Carr is going through now in the wake of Eric Garner's death. Consider all the mothers behind the hash tags who had children we understand to be human beings.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our child, they die one time, the mother, the father, the family, we die a little every day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Don't miss the moving conclusion of The People Versus The Klan with back-to-back episodes tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.