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Opening Statements for Trump's Hush Money Trial Begins Today; Foreign Aid Bill to be Passed in the U.S. Senate This Week; Biden Condemns Anti-Semitism Attacks Ahead of the Passover Holiday; U.S. Senate to Pass TikTok Ban Bill to Give A Moratorium For Almost One Year to Divest from the Parent Company or Ban the App Nationwide if it Passes into Law; Earth Day 2024 Centers on Plastic Elimination. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired April 22, 2024 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Lynda Kinkade. This is "CNN Newsroom".

Coming up, opening statements will begin this morning in the historic criminal trial of Donald Trump. What to expect as the case against the former U.S. president is put before a New York jury.

A U.S. aid package for Ukraine is expected to get final passage in the Senate this week. Ukraine's president says there is no time to spare.

Plus, concerns for the safety of Jewish students at New York's Columbia University, why one rabbi is calling for them to return home as Passover draws near.

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

KINKADE: And we are just hours away from opening statements in the first ever criminal trial for a former U.S. president. Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts for his alleged role in a hush money scheme to conceal an affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels. Each count is punishable by up to four years in prison.

And a source tells CNN the prosecution's first witness will likely be David Pecker, the former publisher of the "National Enquirer", who is said to be a key player in the hush money plot. CNN's Marshall Cohen gives us a closer look at several of the potential witnesses.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: What's finally here, opening statements are expected to begin Monday morning in New York City in former President Donald Trump's hush money criminal trial. This is, of course, the very first time in American history that a former president is standing trial for alleged crimes. This is all about a cover-up in 2016. Donald Trump paid $130,000 to Stormy Daniels, the adult film star, to prevent her from going public with allegations of an affair.

He denies the affair.

The alleged crime, the prosecutor's theory of this case, is all about the falsification of business records at the Trump Organization. How Trump Org paid back Michael Cohen, Trump's attorney at the time, paid him back for that hush money payment.

According to the prosecutors, the Trump Organization and Donald Trump at the head falsified business records, falsely suggesting that those were routine legal retainers and legal services when really it was a hush money payment intended to prevent the voters from learning about Stormy Daniels' allegations.

It's a novel legal theory that will be tested and under the microscope for perhaps the next six weeks. That's how long we're expecting things to go.

So opening statements are Monday and eventually we will get into witness testimony and there is a big cast of characters that are expected to swear to tell the truth in front of the jury. Michael Cohen himself, in many ways, is the star witness of this case. His credibility will be crucial.

There's also Stormy Daniels. She is expected to tell her side of the story.

There's also Hope Hicks, a Trump 2016 campaign official.

Karen McDougal, who is another woman who alleged an affair with Donald Trump.

And then there's also David Pecker. He was involved with the "National Enquirer", the tabloid that is central to this alleged scheme.

According to the indictment, Pecker and Cohen and Trump met shortly after Trump announced his campaign in 2015. And they all agreed, according to the prosecutors, that they would, quote unquote, "catch and kill negative stories about Trump".

Basically paying people off, buying their silence, agreeing to purchase the rights to their story and burying it so that the voters would never learn of those allegations. And the voters did not actually learn about the alleged Stormy Daniels affair until after the election, after Trump had made his way to the White House.

That's what we're expecting from opening statements. The prosecutors will be telling the jury their side of the story for the very first time. And of course, Trump's defense attorneys have their own opportunity as well. It all starts in New York City, Monday morning.

Marshall Cohen, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[03:04:59]

KINKADE: Bernarda Villalona is a criminal defense attorney and former New York prosecutor. She joins us now from London. Good to have you with us.

BERNARDA VILLALONA, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Thank you.

KINKADE: So the first ever criminal trial of a former U.S. president, Trump, of course, charged with 34 felony counts for falsifying business records. We know the opening statements will happen Monday. Both sides trying to lay out their case for the jury and preview any evidence. What can we expect?

VILLALONA: Well, so today is going to be a very energizing day. I'm sure that both sides are on pins and needles because they know that all eyes are watching them.

But what we can expect today is the opening statements. And again, I say statement because it's not argument. So the prosecution is going to be very limited in terms of what they say.

So the prosecution is going to lay out, set a preview of what they expect the evidence to show, try to give a preview to this jury, a layout of how they're going to present the evidence. And then they'll remind the jury that they'll come back at the end of the case doing closing arguments to argue how they prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. The prosecution will go first.

The defense will then have the option to give an opening statement. By New York law, they're not required to give an opening statement. But I assume in this case, of course, that they are going to give an opening statement and they're going to be confined as to any arguments that they can make as well.

Of course, both sides have different narratives and it's the tale of who gives the best narrative for this jury. What I'm curious to see, who will be the first two witnesses that the prosecution calls? Because today may be the day right after opening statements that they call their first witness.

KINKADE: And of course, the list of witnesses, the list of players in this case is really intriguing to say the least. You got the former president and presidential candidate, a porn star, a playboy -- a former playboy model, the "National Enquirer's" former publisher, and of course, Trump's former lawyer and fixer, who went to jail over the hush money payments. How soon do you think the first witness will be caught and who do you consider to be the star witness for the prosecution?

VILLALONA: Well, the first witness is going to be called today, given any delays that may occur. And I highly doubt that it will be able to delay till tomorrow. So in terms of who's going to be the star witness, yes, people say it's Michael Cohen. Yes, people say it's Stormy Daniels. But really, the witness is going to be the documents. Those are going to be the most important pieces of evidence and the witness in this case against Donald Trump.

And of course, Michael Cohen, because Michael Cohen is going to lay out, give a narration as to why these documents are important, why the other witnesses are important. And technically, at the end, all the other witnesses are going to be corroborating what Michael Cohen says.

And eventually, at closing arguments, the prosecutor is going to be able to argue, look, Michael Cohen, he said what he said. Yes, he has his baggage, but he can be believed. Why? Because it's corroboration to show that he can be believed and will ask this jury to find a former U.S. president guilty of these 35, 34 counts of falsifying business records.

KINKADE: Now we were just showing some of those people there who could testify. And we have heard reports that the former publisher of The "National Enquirer", David Pecker, could be the first to testify. And according to prosecutors, he's already admitted to running this so- called catch-and-kill scheme to help Trump. It included paying sources not to tell negative stories. And we do know that he has been granted immunity in exchange for his testimony. What does that mean for his testimony?

VILLALONA: So in terms of David Pecker, David Pecker was granted a non-prosecution agreement. So he came forward and gave information as to what happened between Donald Trump and himself, as well as what happened with Michael Cohen.

And in that, the reason why prosecutors do that is try to get essential information. Prosecutors knew that in order to get to the bottom of this crime, they needed information from David Pecker.

Now, that non-prosecution agreement, the immunity agreement, is going to allow David Pecker to give the full story of what actually happened without any repercussions of him possibly facing jail time.

But instead, he'll be able to lay everything out for the prosecution. Still a concern for the defense, because the defense is going to try to discredit him and argue to the jury later on that the reason that he's making up these lies is because he's given a non-prosecution agreement in order to avoid any kind of jail sentence as well.

KINKADE: Good to have you on the program, Bernarda Villalona. Thanks so much for your time.

You can watch CNN's special coverage of the Trump hush money trial Monday at 9 a.m. in New York. That's 2 p.m. in London.

[03:10:02]

Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor-Greene is calling for U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson's resignation after the House passed a $95 billion foreign aid package on Saturday. Greene says Johnson has betrayed Republican voters and is threatening to call a vote for his ouster if he doesn't step down. The Georgia hardliner is one of at least three Republicans who say they will support a move to oust Johnson.

Well the new aid package, which is expected to be approved by the U.S. Senate this week includes $61 billion for Ukraine. The Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is urging the U.S. to move quickly to send weapons to the front lines as soon as possible. He says the country is preparing for a potential major Russian offensive in the coming months.

We're joining us now with CNN's Clare Sebastian, live from London. Good to see you, Clare. So Ukraine has been waiting for this aid for six months. It's now expected to be approved by the Senate here on Tuesday, then sent to the president's desk. But there is no time to spare, really. What is Ukraine's president saying?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Lynda, he's been saying really for most of this war that it's not just about the type of aid that's delivered. It's about the speed that it can get to the front lines. You'll remember last year he did partially blame delays in Western weapons deliveries for the fact that Russia was able to dig in on those southern and eastern front lines, eventually thwarting Ukraine's attempted counteroffensive.

But right now we see, you know, a mixture of very fulsome praise for the U.S. and gratitude for having, you know, this vote having passed through the House with these calls for increased speed. And on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, he also had this to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): This aid will strengthen Ukraine and send the Kremlin a powerful signal that it will not be the second Afghanistan. The United States will stay with Ukraine, will protect the Ukrainians, and they will protect democracy in the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: It won't become a second Afghanistan. I don't think that is a throwaway comment. I think that was designed to get the attention of both the U.S. and Russia, given, of course, how the U.S.' withdrawal from Afghanistan unfolded, the criticism that arose around the U.S.' leadership role in the world. All of that, of course, just six months before Russia invaded Ukraine.

Interesting as well to note that the foreign ministry, the Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also brought up the Afghanistan issue in a press conference on Sunday, suggesting the opposite, saying that the U.S., what she called hybrid war against Russia, will turn into the same loud and humiliating fiasco, she said, as it did in Vietnam and Afghanistan.

But when it comes to President Zelenskyy, you know, this was really a call to action. He's calling for long-range artillery. He's saying that, you know, the F-16s that were promised a year ago still haven't materialized. On the U.S. side, they are saying that speed is possible. The Pentagon last week before this vote saying that they can be ready to move within days.

And Senator Mark Warner, the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, saying on Sunday on CBS that he hopes that Ukraine, he said, will get ATACMS, those long-range missiles, by the end of the week. Lynda?

KINKADE: All right. Well, he's hoping for their sake. Clare Sebastian for us in London. Thanks so much.

Well, later this hour, we'll have more on the impact this aid could have in Ukraine. You'll hear from the head of the human rights organization, Center for Civil Liberties, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022.

Well, still to come on "CNN Newsroom", America's top diplomat speaks with Israel's defense minister about tensions in the region and the situation in Gaza. That conversation coming up, as well as a potential Israeli ground operation in Rafah looming. We'll have all the details and a live report.

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[03:15:00]

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KINKADE: Welcome back. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on Sunday with Israel's defense minister and underscored the importance of de-escalating tensions in the region. The two also discussed efforts to protect Israel's security, the need to boost aid to civilians in Gaza and enable hostage negotiations. The fate of those hostages who remain captive in Gaza was the focus of a meeting of the Israeli War Cabinet Sunday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is vowing to increase military pressure on Hamas and land quote "additional and painful blows in an effort to free the hostages still being held".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): On this Seder night, our hostages in Hamas captivity stand before our eyes. Their suffering and the suffering of their families break our hearts and only strengthen our determination to return them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well as Israel prepares for its next moves in the war against Hamas, Palestinians in central Gaza are digging through rubble and debris days after Israeli forces ended military operations in the area of one refugee camp. Many there are now searching for personal belongings and mementos of their life before the war began. CNN's Nic Robertson reports. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): Like so many layers of paper, Palestinian homes pancaked. Nuseirat refugee neighborhood in central Gaza demolished during a week-long IDF raid.

Is this what threatens the Israeli army, wedding dress store owner Mohamed Azra asks. This was his store before the attack, he says. He opened it a year ago.

I've put all my blood, sweat and tears and money into building this business, he says. Now there is nothing. This is an indescribable feeling, the push of one button and they ended our lives.

The IDF destruction here as Iran attacked Israel and the world worried about regional escalation.

Israel's war in Gaza though, not missing an ugly beat.

[03:20:01]

This mother pulling her children's school books from the rubble, clinging to memories, bravely bitter about those the Israeli military claims to target.

I hate Hamas first and foremost, she says, don't cut my words, keep rolling. They brought this on us. This is not jihad, this is not resistance, go resist at the border, don't resist between the buildings and the people, they're destroying the people.

Meanwhile in Rafah, where the IDF says Hamas brigades are still hiding, strikes continue and despite U.S. pressure, still no publicized plan of how to protect the 1.2 million Palestinians living there ahead of an expected Israeli assault.

At a Rafah morgue, wrapped in a single large body bag, an uncle brings the remains of several children who were among 12 of his relatives killed overnight.

They were children, Abu Hatim Jamal says, the youngest three, four years old. May God take revenge for them on Israel.

No one cares. Their aunt, Susan Abu Tuhar says, the Israelis are committing massacres while the world watches. Look at what they've done. We can't find whole bodies, only bits of them.

More than 34,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza now, according to the health ministry, irrespective of who they blame, all here feeling helpless to hold back the seemingly inevitable IDF offensive in Rafah.

ROBERTSON: Over the past week, the IDF calling up two reserve brigades for operational activities in Rafah.

And on Thursday, two senior Israeli officials briefed President Biden's national security advisor on their planning, which until now at least has not satisfied the White House that civilians will be safe.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, for more CNN's, Nada Bashir is following developments and joins us live from London. Good to have you with us, Nada. So as if the assault of Gaza wasn't painful enough, Israel's prime minister has promised more painful blows, plus an increase in political and military pressure. What does that mean? And what does it mean for the population there that has already seen the death toll rise to over 34,000 people, people, of course, dying not just from attacks, but also now disease and starvation?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I mean, the destruction is hard to put into words and the idea that we could see intensification is certainly concerning, to say the least. Now, of course, for weeks now, the Israeli government has been warning of an operation, a ground operation in Rafah. Important to remember, of course, that more than a million people are now concentrated in this southern border city, which has proven to be a crucial gateway to allow aid into the Gaza Strip.

And of course, there has been widespread condemnation and warnings from members of the international community against such an operation. And we heard last week from G7 leaders issuing a joint statement condemning plans for a ground operation in Rafah that has been the United Nations and multiple other aid organizations. And, of course, there has been concern expressed by the Biden administration. Last week, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan convened a meeting of both Israeli and U.S. officials.

And while the Biden administration has said that it stands with Israel in its intention and objective to rid the southern cities, including Rafah, of Hamas militants, they cannot stand by if there are risks being posed to civilians, that they have raised concerns. And according to a statement from Biden administration, Israeli officials have agreed to consider those concerns. And, of course, as we have heard multiple times in the past now, the Biden administration has said it will not be able to support a ground operation until it has received credible plans for the safety and protection of civilians in Rafah.

We know, of course, that Israeli officials in the Israeli military have suggested plans to evacuate civilians from Rafah. That certainly hasn't taken place yet, at least on an official level. We certainly haven't seen any credible plans for how the more than a million civilians in this southern city would be protected.

What we are seeing now is civilians taking it upon themselves to flee Rafah because of the fear of an impending ground operation.

[03:24:51]

Again, important to underscore, we are talking about a ground operation here. What we have continued to see now for months now is airstrikes on areas of Rafah, civilians being killed as a result of these airstrikes, according to Palestinian officials on the ground. So, this would be an intensification of the situation in the southern city.

And many civilians fearing that intensification have begun to flee to parts of central and northern Gaza. These are areas in Gaza which have been almost entirely destroyed, returning to areas where there are still heavy airstrikes, heavy clashes on the ground and where their homes have been turned to rubble. And as we know, getting aid into Gaza as a whole has proven extremely difficult, but particularly in these parts of central and northern Gaza, where now some civilians are attempting to flee.

We know, of course, that some 1.7 million Palestinians are displaced, and what we've been hearing from the U.N.'s humanitarian office is that not only are they struggling to get aid in, not only are they still facing obstructions at the various land border crossings to get aid in, but it is still proving almost impossible to get aid to some parts of northern and central Gaza, where, of course, as we know, more than a million people are now facing acute levels of starvation.

KINKADE: Nada Bashir for us, joining us from London, thanks very much.

Well, new developments out of Jerusalem this hour, where police say three people were mildly injured in what they're calling a ramming terror attack. And just hours ago, Israeli police say a vehicle rammed through a street, hitting three pedestrians. One of those injured is said to be a 15-year-old boy. Police say two people emerged from the car holding weapons, but got rid of them and fled the scene on foot.

Still to come, President Biden is denouncing anti-Semitism on college campuses. Details of his message ahead of the Passover holiday.

Plus, pro-Palestinian protesters are still camped out at Columbia University. How Jewish students are preparing to celebrate Passover amid the demonstrations.

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[03:30:00]

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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: U.S. President Joe Biden is condemning harassment of the Jewish community ahead of Passover. In a statement, he said, quote, "blatant anti-Semitism is reprehensible and dangerous". He also said we must speak out against the alarming surge of anti-Semitism in our schools, communities, and online. Silence is complicity.

The pro-Palestinian groups at Columbia University have responded to the White House statement, saying, in part on social media, we have been peaceful. We follow the footsteps of the civil rights and anti- war movements in our quest for liberation. Meantime, Columbia University is tightening security for Passover as pro-Palestinian protests continue there. The university says police will be present during Passover celebrations Monday and that the campus public safety department will provide walking escorts.

A rabbi associated with the college is urging Jewish students to return home. And the university has announced that students can attend classes virtually starting Monday.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul posted on X that threatening Jewish students with violence is anti-Semitism. Here's what some Jewish students are saying.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SOPHIE ARNSTEIN, BARNARD COLLEGE: I consider myself a very brave person, but I won't deny that I've been physically intimidated and harassed. So I want to say safe is a mindset. I feel safe when I'm around my Jewish peers who create a safe space, but in general the campus feels extremely hostile.

LILY ZUCKERMAN, BARNARD COLLEGE: I feel reasonably safe. I have since October 7th. I do think that the protests could very easily escalate.

BEN SOLOMON, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: I've felt like this is not a welcoming environment. I think it's a very difficult time for a lot of Jewish students.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well CNN's Polo Sandoval has been following the developments at Columbia University and has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All weekend long we have seen demonstrations supporting the Palestinian people both on and off the Columbia University campus here in Manhattan. Behind me, the one that's actually off campus, you see students able to only make their way up to the fence as the campus itself remains restricted with access only allowed for students and staff because of these ongoing demonstrations.

On campus there is still what's referred to as the Gaza Solidarity Encampment that continues to grow, a collection of people that have been gathering on the campus south lawn with that unified message with those protesters on the outside of the campus calling on Columbia University to divest from companies with Israeli connections.

The question now though is exactly how long those protesters will be allowed to remain on the Columbia University given that it was just a few days ago that university officials called on the NYPD to make their way onto campus to clear out that encampment which resulted in well over a hundred arrests and some student suspensions. The question is are we bound to see that yet again? Now over the weekend I had an opportunity to visit that encampment and

things were peaceful as security looked on and really university officials not really intervening at this point.

But also over the weekend a separate vein in which there are now growing concerns among Jewish students and some Jewish students attending Columbia University.

Many of them saying that they feel unsafe coming to school because of these ongoing pro-Palestinian protests. So much so that Rabbi Ellie Buckler with Columbia University's Orthodox Union Jewish Learning Initiative reached out on Sunday morning to well over 300 Jewish students saying that it is best that they simply stay home until Columbia University and the YPD do more to make sure that they feel safe.

Now the university for its part released a statement over the weekend saying that they are acting on these concerns and they also added that students do have the right to protest on campus so long as those demonstrations do not interfere with campus operations and also that they do not intimidate any of their fellow students.

Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: The U.S. House of Representatives passed a crucial $95 billion foreign aid package Saturday. It's now headed to the Senate and is expected to be approved this week. The bill includes $61 billion for Ukraine and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is urging the U.S. to send weapons to the front lines as soon as possible. He says it will help make Ukrainians have some gains on the battlefield which of course has been dominated by Russia for months.

Well joining us now is Oleksandra Matviichuk. She heads the Human Rights Organization's Center for Civil Liberties which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022. Aleksandra, thanks for joining us.

Thank you for the invitation.

KINKADE: So you went on a speaking tour across the U.S. lobbying for this aid for Ukraine. What was your reaction when you heard the House had voted on this $61 billion in aid for Ukraine?

[03:35:08]

OLEKSANDRA MATVIICHUK, HEAD OF CENTER FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES: I had public lectures, public discussions, meeting with people in different parts of the country and I always face a very warm welcome. Our narrative Ukrainian story for freedom and for human dignity is very understandable for people in the United States and this reflects the sociological pulse.

The majority of people in the United States support Ukraine.

KINKADE: And of course that amount, $61 billion, is almost as much as what the U.S. has given Ukraine in aid since this war began. What does it mean to Ukraine in real terms on the battlefield?

MATVIICHUK: It means that this support of the United States will save thousands, thousands, thousands and thousands of lives.

It also means that we will be able to stop the Russian offensive and this means for me as a human rights lawyer that we will have less war crimes which Russia committed in occupied territories.

KINKADE; There are of course plenty of lawmakers, mostly far-right Republicans who did not want to send more aid to Ukraine. What case did you have to make to get those lawmakers and lobbyists to support this?

MATVIICHUK: I'm not very familiar with American politics. I'm a human rights lawyer. But Speaker Johnson has to fulfill the will of the people of the United States of America. He had just to do his job.

KINKADE: And of course you work with the Center for Civil Liberties and that work has meant documenting human rights abuses amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. What do you want the world to know about what you found?

MATVIICHUK: Just recently Vladimir Putin once again repeated his genocidal claim in an interview to Tucker Carlson that Ukrainians do not exist, that there is no Ukrainian nation, there is no Ukrainian language, there is no Ukrainian culture.

And we for 10 years documenting how these words transferred in the horrible practice in the ground when Russian troops deliberately liquidate active local people, destroy Ukrainian cultural heritage, forcibly deported Ukrainian children to Russia in order to bring them up as Russians.

So we have no other chance. If we stop fighting, there will be no more us.

KINKADE: And of course we heard from the CIA director last week who warned that without this aid Ukraine could lose the war to Russia this year. What's your reaction to that assessment and what else is needed to turn the tide of this war?

MATVIICHUK: I think that we have to define issues properly because if Ukraine will not be able to stop Putin in Ukraine, Putin will go further. So this is not a question about Ukraine. This is a question about security of Europe. And this is a question also whether or not the United States will be obliged to send their people to fight here in this region and to pay the highest price, which we can just imagine, the price of human lives.

KINKADE: Oleksandra Matviichuk, we appreciate your time today. Thanks so much for joining us.

Well, as part of that wide-ranging aid package for Ukraine, a bill that could ban TikTok is also headed to the Senate for approval. The new bill gives TikTok nine months, up from a previous six, to separate from its current Chinese parent company ByteDance. The social media app is seen as a national security risk by many in Congress. So if the Senate approves the legislation and President Joe Biden signs it, TikTok could be forced to find a new owner or be banned entirely from the U.S.

CNN's Marc Stewart is following the developments and joins us from Beijing. Good to see you, Marc. So there's been so much scrutiny of TikTok here in the United States. The company saying that any ban could trample free speech. Is there any indication from the Chinese government about what they would like to see happen next?

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's a good question, Lynda. And at this point, there has been no direct response to this latest action by U.S. lawmakers from Beijing.

In the last hour or so, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs held its daily briefing. The TikTok question is not one that came up. But what I can tell you that based off of past responses, China does not look kindly on the idea of being told by American lawmakers about what to do with a Chinese platform.

Now, TikTok, according to its CEO, you know, is not owned or controlled by the Chinese government. But its parent company, ByteDance, is required by law to have a committee of Communist Party members within its organization. And there are meetings. So there's no question that the government has some kind of influence.

[03:40:09]

And in the past, the government has expressed reservations about this required sale.

One phrase that has come up in the past is this idea of exporting technology. And what is meant by that is TikTok's algorithm, which is seen as extremely valuable. And, you know, an algorithm is a way of getting insight into what people may be thinking and what they want to see. It's this technical tool that has become so important in social media.

So if this is a deal that goes through, at least by lawmakers, you know, proposing a sale, you know, it's something that will likely be met with a lot of reservation from China. So we'll have to see what happens. It could be a very long legal road.

Already we have heard expressions that there would be some kind of blockade to take place. So that's something we're going to have to see. But at this particular moment, Beijing is not giving any direct response, at least just yet. We'll have to see what happens, Lynda, in the days ahead as this moves through the congressional process.

KINKADE: Yeah, exactly. And it's interesting. Some say China might get a taste of its own medicine, given that for such a long time it's banned American apps in its country. So what makes this development notable?

STEWART: Right. It's interesting. Living here in China, popular apps that Americans use every day, like Google, like Instagram, like Facebook, like X, even YouTube, are all blocked. And so there is this juxtaposition, this contrast that is being thrown back-and-forth.

And I think one question that needs to be answered, is China willing to part ways with the American market? It already has a similar app, ByteDance has a similar app in China, not named TikTok, but basically the same principle. And of course, this is a market with 1.4 billion people. So the question is, is China, is the government, is this company willing to part ways with its American presence? That's something we're going to have to see.

KINKADE: Interesting. All right, Marc Stewart for us in Beijing. Good to have you with us. Thank you.

Well, I want to update you now on a story we reported earlier. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff now say North Korea fired multiple short-range missiles less than two hours ago. Reports from South Korea and Japan say the missiles were fired into the waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula. Japan's Coast Guard alerted its vessels in the area, and just six minutes later, it announced a missile had already fallen into the ocean. We'll continue to follow this developing story.

Well, there's much more to come on "CNN Newsroom", including a tragic and deadly accident at a child's birthday party in Michigan, and who police believe is responsible.

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[03:45:00]

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KINKADE: A Michigan community is struggling to come to terms with a tragic accident that left two young children dead. It happened on Saturday when a car crashed into a boathouse where a child's birthday party was underway. CNN correspondent Rafael Romo has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a joyous occasion that instantly turned into a nightmare for multiple families with young children. It was about three in the afternoon when they were celebrating a child's birthday party at a boat club in Newport, Michigan, which is located on Lake Erie, about 30 miles south of Detroit.

According to Monroe County authorities, a woman later described as driving while intoxicated crashed her vehicle against the building where the party was being held, went through a wall, and finally came to a stop approximately 25 feet inside.

The sheriff says first responders who rushed to the scene described what they saw as extremely chaotic with a high level of emotions of those directly involved and those who witnessed this horrific incident.

Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough choked back tears at a press conference providing details about the tragic crash.

SHERIFF TROY GOODNOUGH, MONROE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: Unfortunately and tragedy, two of the victims were pronounced deceased at the scene. This includes an eight-year-old female and a five-year-old male who are siblings of each other. The 66-year-old female driver of the vehicle, excuse me, who will not be identified at this time, has been taken into police custody for operating while intoxicated causing death and she's lodged at the Monroe County Jail.

ROMO: In addition to the children, at least a dozen other people were injured. Nine people, including three children, were transported to area hospitals with what Sheriff Goodnough described as serious life- threatening injuries. The two siblings were pronounced dead at the scene.

In addition to driving while drunk, officials also say the 66-year-old woman will likely face additional charges.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

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KINKADE: Well, the man accused of breaking into the home of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is now in jail. Police say the break-in happened around 6:40 a.m. Sunday. They said the man smashed a window to get inside the mayor's official residence. Bass was there but her spokesperson says no one in the family was harmed. A law enforcement source tells CNN that investigators are trying to learn if the mayor was targeted or if this was a random break-in.

Well still to come, environmental advocates are calling for a drastic reduction in plastic production to save the earth. Hear their call to action on this year's Earth Day.

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[03:50:00]

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KINKADE: Welcome back. Monday marks Earth Day here in the United States where for more than 50 years, activists and educators have worked together to drive positive action for the planet. Planet vs. Plastic is this year's theme with earthday.org pushing to raise awareness about the harm plastic does both to humans and the environment. They say recycling is not the answer.

Instead, the group had set a bold goal for the planet, reducing plastic production by 60 percent by the year 2040. Some of the ways they think this can happen include phasing out single-use plastics by 2030, advocating for policy to combat the impact of fast fashion or clothes that include fabrics made of plastics. Finally, the group is calling for larger investments in technology to find alternatives to plastics.

CNN's Eleni Giokos has more on companies trying to reduce the amount of plastics in landfills but also those who are trying to find alternatives to the material.

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ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 40 tons of plastic waste flow through the conveyor belts at site zero every hour.

This high-tech plant in Sweden is one of the world's largest plastic sorting sites, using infrared lights, lasers, camera tech and even A.I. The fully automated plant operates more efficiently than smaller plants to divide plastic materials, sorting up to 12 types of plastics to be recycled rather than the usual three or four.

MATTIAS PHILIPSSON, CEO, SWEDEN PLASTICS RECYCLING: Every time you see this infrared light, it looks like sunshine. That detects the plastic type and when we identify the right type, it will blow this particular type to a certain direction and the rest continues to be further sorted.

GIOKOS (voice-over): Site zero reduces the amount of plastics that produce pollution or end up as waste.

PHILIPSSON: So there's huge amounts of tones now that we are now able to not only sort out but recycle separately so it can become a new packaging of the same type again.

GIOKOS (voice-over): But even with 200,000 tons of plastic recycled a year, some experts say this new way of recycling shouldn't be the focus.

[03:55:06]

HENRI BOURGEOIS-COSTA, PLASTIC WASTE SPECIALIST (through translator): The challenge is to replace them and eliminate them. We shouldn't reverse the problem. The tool itself is interesting, but it is interesting if it serves a global approach for society to reduce and then better sort and recycle what we have sorted.

GIOKOS (voice-over): Seaweed is one possible alternative to plastic, according to the World Economic Forum. It says seaweed's becoming more popular and could be a game-changer. Dissolvable seaweed packaging has been used in Europe. Five years ago, London marathon runners were given edible capsules called Ojo instead of bottled water. The concept didn't take off as fast as the company hoped.

They've pivoted to add other products like these dissolvable capsules that are a bit sturdier to replace sauce packets. So whether it's biodegradable packaging or zapping away to sort recycled materials, experts are revolutionizing the way we use plastic and working to reduce the carbon footprint.

Eleni Giokos, CNN.

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KINKADE: Well, it is spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and some Canadians are being treated to one of spring's greatest pleasures, cherry blossoms. This was the scene Sunday in Toronto's Hyde Park. Visitors were treated to a dazzling display put on by thousands of cherry blossom trees. They were sent to the city as a gift by Japan back in 1959.

Beautiful. Well, thanks so much for joining us. I'm Lynda Kinkade. "CNN Newsroom" continues with Max Foster after a short break.

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