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Pro-Palestinian Protests Across The U.S.; Protests Spreading To University Campuses Across U.S.; Police Arrest 93 Protesters At USC Campus In Los Angeles; Supreme Court Ruling on Idaho Abortion Ban Expected in June; Arizona House Voters to Overturn Abortion Ban From 1864; Blinken Walking Diplomatic Tightrope During China Visit, to Push for Regional Stability With Taiwan, Warn Beijing on Support for Russia; Officials in Kenya Say Flash Flooding in Nairobi at Extreme Levels; 160 Pilot Whales Stranded on Australian Coast, 26 Dead. Aired 2-2:45a ET
Aired April 25, 2024 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[02:00:31]
ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Anna Coren live from Hong Kong. Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The presence of police with batons, chemical weapons, pepper bullets is making us all on edge.
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COREN: Huge anti-war protests ignite across America's college campuses prompting some officials to try and control a growing crisis.
Plus. The months long waves is finally over. American weapons are heading to Ukraine in just a few hours.
And later, Kenya grapples with deadly widespread flash floods that have displaced thousands.
From New York to us in Los Angeles, to Boston and many place in between. Pro-Palestinian protests are jolting American Universities. The U.S. House Speaker suggested the National Guard be brought in to break up the rallies and encampments at Columbia University while state troopers in riot gear confronted demonstrators at the University of Texas arresting at least 34 of them.
COREN: There was also a tense standoff Wednesday at the University of Southern California right in the heart of L.A. where nearly a hundred people were also detained.
CNN's Nick Watt was there.
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NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT BASED: So as night is falling in Los Angeles, the police are processing the 50 or so people who were arrested during the protests here today on campus. A lot of them students, some of them people from outside who came to join this protest over what's happening in Gaza and Israel. The arrest themselves were actually peaceful. The police gave notice.
They told people who had occupied Alumni Park that if they didn't leave they would be arrested and liable for criminal trespass. The police then, phalanxes of police came across three sides of the square leaving one open for people to leave. Organizers then went around, all the people who were staying arms locked waiting to be arrested. They were given the number of illegal organizations that was written in a Sharpie on their arms.
Phones were taken away from them and they stood arms locked ready to be arrested now. This all began 4:30 in the morning when people began occupying Alumni Park. They put up tents, the college said you can't have tents so they took them down. And then the protesters said, you know, the university is being a bit nitpicky here. They're telling us take their banners down, so they put the tents back up.
And then university safety officers tried to take those tents away and it got very tense. A lot of cussing and it got physical. There was scuffles. One person was arrested taken into a squad car. The crowd of protesters surrounded that squad car and would not let it leave. Chanting let him go, let him go. And eventually the police did let him go. The LAPD decided that it wasn't really worth holding this person on a minor charge for the chaos that it was creating.
Once that person was released the temperature dropped way, way down. But during the day the crowd built and built. Chanting, speaking the college closed, all the college gates. You could only get in with a college I.D. as I say. There were people from outside the university coming to join the protest. But they didn't manage to contain it. It got a little bit out of hand. That's when the warning was given 10 minutes to clear the area.
Then those phalanxes of police came in. Kept the other protesters back and then a group came in and carried out the arrests. All the while the protesters shouting shame on you, shame on you at the police. As I say, the last of those arrested being processed right now.
Nick Watt, CNN on the USC campus in Los Angeles.
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COREN: Well, Jonathan Park is the digital managing editor of the Daily Trojan. USC student newspaper. He joins us now from Los Angeles.
[02:05:02]
Jonathan, thanks for joining us. Explain to us how events unfolded on your campus this afternoon. JONATHAN PARK, DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR, DAILY TROJAN: Hi, thank you so much for having me. I was there starting at about 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. this morning actually when they had started up -- started setting up tarps at Alumni Park where the protest was on this afternoon. We weren't able to speak to many people, people have been trained to kind of avoid media and talking to them.
We had several people, some 10 to 12 people just writing and several other photographers as well on the scene just monitoring and saying things as they happened. There was a large altercation. Later, closer to noon between police. It was a conflict over signage and putting those on trees. That was -- that was when one person was detained and then de arrested. And of course, there was -- there were the events in the afternoon, which I was able to witness, which was just a constant, like back and forth between LAPD, which had begun interfering and student protesters which were both in Alumni Park and then they started marching to the entrance. So, those are all things that we were watching.
COREN: Can you explain to us the demands that these protesters are making of the university?
PARK: Of course, there were six demands of the university. And these aren't like unique demands. There had been previous calls of protests at this -- on this campus that where they had called for these, but among them are an academic boycott of Israel, protecting free speech on campus, stopping the displacement from South Central and also in Palestine. The (INAUDIBLE) of police on campus and calling on USC to "end the silence on the genocide in Palestine." Those were among the demands.
COREN: Many Jewish students said at universities around the U.S. said they no longer feel safe. They feel threatened because of these pro- Palestinian protests. What's your feeling where you are and what you have witnessed?
PARK: Yes. Well, just because of my position, I can give you my personal opinion. I can't say we did receive a statement from USC Hillel which is one of the Jewish unscrupulous groups on campus. They put out a statement basically saying they stand with Jewish students, saying, well, students have a right to protest. They don't have the right to intimidate or threaten Jewish students.
We received kind of a similar sentiment from the mass e-mails that went out from campus administrators who said they have -- they advise with students who felt threatened by the protests on campus. Those are just some sentiments that we've seen.
COREN: Police being called in by the university to break up the protests and the encampments. It feels like one step too far for these protesters. What is the feeling from the students that you saw that you spoke to about this heavy-handed presence of police?
PARK: Yes. There were multiple students that we were able to speak to. They were pretty much in agreement that the protests have been peaceful and throughout the afternoon and it only got as intense as it did after police started entering campus. That was something that we had been embracing for throughout the afternoon and when we saw the LAPD coming in from Vermont Avenue and working with campus officers and circling in on them.
It definitely changed the mood and that was something that was also reflected in interviews that we were able to have with students.
COREN: Well, Jonathan Park, we appreciate you joining us. Thank you for your perspective.
PARK: Thank you so much.
COREN: On the battlefield in Gaza, Israelis stepping up airstrikes in the north with warplanes pounding the region for a second straight day on Wednesday. And the government spokesperson says Israelis moving ahead with plans for an all-out assault on Hamas in the southern city of Rafah despite international objections. Satellite images from Maxar Technologies show the expansion of the 10 cities in Rafah. The city is now home to more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million residents.
Hamas has released a video of an Israeli American hostage badly wounded in the October 7th attack. This is the first proof that Hersh Goldberg-Polin is still alive.
[02:10:05]
It's not clear when the video was recorded, but he makes references to Passover and his nearly 200 days in captivity suggesting it's from this week. Well, part of his left arm is missing. The former hostage says it was blown off by a grenade during the Hamas attack. Goldberg- Polin's family, his parents are calling for immediate action to bring him and all the hostages home.
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JON POLIN, FATHER OF HERSH GOLDBERG-POLIN: Seeing a video of Hirsch today is overwhelming. We're relieved to see him alive, but we are also concerned about his health and well-being, as well as that of all the other hostages and all of those suffering in this region.
RACHEL GOLDBERG, MOTHER OF HERSH GOLDBERG-POLIN: If you can hear this, we heard your voice today for the first time in 201 days, and if you can hear us, I am telling you, we are telling you, we love you, stay strong, survive.
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COREN: Protesters burned cardboard boxes outside the home of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanding the Israeli government secure the release of all hostages. Many carried signs and posters, I should say, of Goldberg Polin.
A billion dollars' worth of military hardware is being prepared for Ukraine after U.S. President Joe Biden signed off on a massive assistance package that includes nearly $61 billion of aid for Ukraine. The shipment includes long-range missiles and other military equipment the Ukrainians had asked for and comes after months of negotiations and debate by U.S. lawmakers.
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JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's going to make America safer, it's going to make the world safer and it continues America's leadership in the world, and everyone knows it. It was a difficult path. It should have been easier and it should have gotten there sooner. But in the end, we did what America always does. We rose to the moment, we came together, and we got it done.
VOLODYMR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): Now we will do everything to make up for half a year spent in debates and doubts what the Russian occupier was able to do during this time, what Putin is now planning, we must turn against him.
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COREN: Ukraine did get some long-range missiles recently from the U.S. The Pentagon revealed Wednesday they were delivered to Ukraine earlier this month. After President Biden secretly approved the transfer back in February. CNN's Fred Pleitgen has the latest on Russia's war against Ukraine.
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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): Russian choppers attacking Ukrainian positions on the Eastern front. Vladimir Putin's army able to strike with overwhelming firepower as Kyiv's troops suffered severe weapons and ammo shortages. But now the Pentagon confirms the Ukrainians have a new weapon, secretly shipped by the United States.
The longer-range army tactical missile system ATACMS which can reach up to 190 miles. Kremlin-controlled media already concerned about the powerful new missiles in Ukraine's arsenal.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): This is a huge territory of our country which Ukrainians now reach or already reaching despite the fact that American sources report that weapons will be delivered only by the end of the week. We record it every time the Americans as a rule deliver this assistance to Ukraine even before announcing it.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Ukraine's troops have been badly outgunned for months as House Republicans held up additional U.S. military assistance, losing ground to the Russians, and in desperate need Ukraine's president says especially of artillery ammo and longer-range weapons now on their way.
ZELENSKYY (through translator): These days we have been working as hard as possible with our American friends at all levels to quickly fill this package from the United States with exactly the kind of weapons that our soldiers need.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): The U.S. also announced it's sending more air defense missiles to Ukraine as Russia steps up its aerial blitz against Ukrainian power plants and towns wounding several overnight in Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): After the first one all windows were blown out. I cut my hand. When I was trying to get out there was a second strike. The door was blown out. I somehow managed to get out.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): The Ukrainians say they realize this aid might not be enough to turn the tide in the war but they hope it will help them stop the advances of Vladimir Putin's army. President Biden saying the new military aid package sends a clear message to the Russian leader and to America's allies.
BIDEN: We're all standing together against this brutal dictator. As I've argued for months, this is directly, directly in the United States' national security interest. If Putin triumphs in Ukraine, the next move of Russian forces could very well be a direct attack on a NATO ally.
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ROBERTSON (on camera): And the key port town Odessa that I'm in right now has been under increased Russian missile and drone attack over the past couple of weeks. And the Ukrainians are hoping that with this new U.S. aid package that they will get the interceptor missiles that they need to try and keep towns like this one at least a little bit safer.
Frederik Pleitgen, Odesa, Ukraine.
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COREN: Well, joining me now is Michael Bociurkiw. Former spokesperson for the organization for Security and Corporation in Europe and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. Michael, great to have you with us. After that torturous gridlock in Congress finally this aid package for Ukraine has been approved, shipments due to start in the next few hours. Explain to us what this means, not just in terms of weapons but psychologically for the country.
MICHAEL BOCIURKIW, FORMER SPOKESPERSON, ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY AND CORPORATION IN EUROPE: Right, well it's absolutely a huge development. I've spoken to by Ukraine in contacts from government diplomacy and elsewhere. Everyone is very, very pleased. And the fact, I think it's a bit of a surprise actually, Anna, that this is coming so quickly, especially those longer-range attack missiles with a range of about 300 kilometers that now give the Ukrainians a capability to strike from inside Ukraine to the Kerch Strait bridge into Crimea and elsewhere.
So, that is a huge development. But, you know, it needs to be said that this should have come many, many months ago because in the meantime, the Russians have been able to dig in with trenches, with barriers to Ukraine and forces. They've also been able to position more men there. And they've also been able to stockpile more missiles. One final thought, if I can on that particular one, you know, I think that delay, which is very costly to Ukraine in terms of human lives and damage to infrastructure. It may prompt some Americans to think why is it that an unelected con man, Mr. Trump, can block such a big package of aid and in the process compromise U.S. security, European security and Ukrainian security.
COREN: Yes. As you say, I mean, it's not just territory that has been lost, but countless lives. Speak to us the damage that has been done as this has stalled in Congress for the last six months.
BOCIURKIW: Sure. Yes. Well, to give you a very vivid example, I'm usually based on Odesa and I've noticed over the past weeks that for incoming Russian missiles and drones, there's a lot less air defense rockets going up to intercept these things. So, what that means is big, big damage to critical infrastructure. One of the key energy providers in Ukraine has -- had lost 100 percent of their generation capacity.
And where I live, one of the two ports -- two big ports in Odesa was struck by Russian forces just a few days ago. And, you know, again, it boggles the mind because people should be considering this infrastructure, the ports of Odesa as a critical component of the global food supply chain. I can't understand why more Western muscle isn't being deployed there to protect these critical sea lanes, on par almost with what's being -- what's being deployed to the Red Sea.
COREN: Michael, we know this is $61 billion, but is it enough for Ukraine not just to stay in the war and hold ground, but to actually fight back and reclaim territory?
BOCIURKIW: Well, the reality is that Ukraine needs to fire so much muscle firepower to the Russian side. That this is going to be depleted rather quickly, because don't forget, they've been conserving missiles for the past few months. So, I think what this means is that the American administration is going to have to find new ways to get money to Ukraine. And it does look like, Anna, that that could include, for example, selling off frozen Russian assets.
But it's also giving a push to, for example, in Europe where there is, you know, we have to admit sum position to aid to Ukraine. For example, releasing the millions and millions of interest accumulated from frozen Russian sovereign assets and Belgian bank accounts and giving that to Ukraine. So, a lot of thinking going on on how amidst this position, if we want to call it that, in the various democracies that, you know, elected officials can get more money to Ukraine.
Because if they don't, it's going to become a lot more expensive. Mr. Putin will not stop at Ukraine. And if he does attack a NATO country like Poland, that would trigger the need for U.S. and other allied boots on the ground. So, the cost could be immense.
COREN: Michael, do you envisage a Ukrainian counter-offensive in 2024 or is it more likely to happen the following year?
BOCIURKIW: I think what we're going to see is Ukraine upping their defensive positions along the front line and also air defense system -- systems.
[02:20:06]
But I think you're also going to see the use of what the U.S. is providing, a long-range strike capability to strike inside Ukraine to legitimate military targets. And also, for example, putting out once and for all, Putin's pet project, the Kerch Strait Bridge, which transports a lot of military supplies into -- to the -- to the front line. But, you know, the Russians will use various tactics, including their long-range missiles to fire cities like Kherson as far as the Lviv in Western Ukraine.
And this is also a psychological warfare that the Russians are waging, because it is causing a lot of anxiety in Ukraine, forcing people to make that very, very difficult decision whether to stay or go. And it also hurts business confidence. None of the airports in Ukraine have been open since the start of the war and that creates huge logistical bottlenecks.
COREN: Michael Bociurkiw, always great to speak to you. Thank you for your perspective.
BOCIURKIW: Thank you for having me.
COREN: Well, former U.S. President Donald Trump will return to a New York courtroom in the coming hours, as the criminal hush money trial against him resumes. Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker is set to take the stand for a third day. Pecker has already testified about how he used his power to spread false stories about Trump opponents, while killing and flattering stories about Trump himself.
So far, he has not mentioned the allegations of hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels to silence allegations that she and Trump had an affair. Meanwhile, the judge in the case could rule at any moment on the district attorney's motion to sanction Trump for violating the court's gag order.
Meantime, in Washington, the U.S. Supreme Court, will hear arguments on whether Donald Trump should have absolute presidential immunity, including for his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Trump maintains the alleged acts were part of his duties as president, although judges have rejected those claims in many instances. Multiple courts have agreed Trump's alleged efforts to subvert the election were based on his efforts to seek a second term in office, not a presidential act.
Well, Trump's alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election are bringing new legal troubles for some of his closest allies. And Arizona grand jury has handed up an indictment against several key figures who were involved.
CNN's Zachary Cohen has the details.
ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Another indictment for efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, this time here in Arizona, as not only the 11 fake electors now facing criminal charges, but members of Trump's inner circle, his inner orbit that helped push that effort to overturn the election nationally. Now, there were seven key swing states that were targeted by the Trump campaign and the Trump team in that push.
And this indictment points the finger directly at members of Trump's inner circle for helping orchestrate that effort that includes people like White House former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows that includes people like the former president's one-time personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and conservative lawyer John Eastman who has been labeled the architect of the fake elector scheme.
And that's really what's that question here in Arizona. At the center of this indictment is the effort and the alleged conspiracy to put together these 11 fake electors and have them sign a fraudulent certificate that was ultimately submitted to the U.S. Congress. And the indictment alleges that the scheme only failed because Mike Pence declined to participate at the end of the day on January 6, 2021.
Now, we'll have to see how this criminal indictment plays out. Well, the next steps are initial court appearances. We could see some plea deals after that. But prosecutors in Arizona joining those in Georgia and Michigan to bring criminal charges for this fake elector scheme, especially at a time when the federal case against Donald Trump has largely stalled because of his Supreme Court challenges.
Now, the prosecutors here in Arizona are bringing these charges almost three years after these alleged acts took place. But Donald Trump himself is listed as an unindicted co-conspirator in this case. They joined Michigan as listing Donald Trump as the top of this alleged conspiracy. Zachary Cohen, CNN, Phoenix.
COREN: Well, much more still ahead this hour including.
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COREN: Protests in Washington as the U.S. Supreme Court, his arguments are a controversial abortion law that could shape health care for millions of Americans.
Plus, the U.S. Secretary of State has a tough sell to making China improve relations between the two countries will also draw a line in the sand for Beijing. We'll have a live report on his business.
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COREN: The U.S. Supreme Court justices appear deeply divided after hearing arguments over a strict abortion ban in the state of Idaho. And whether states can criminalize abortions in medical emergencies. The court's ruling is expected by the end of June in the midst of an election campaign where abortion is certain to be a big issue for American voters. CNN's Paula Reid has the latest from Washington.
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PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Today, the Supreme Court heard another historic case on abortion as protesters on both sides of the issue gathered out front.
The high stakes hearing focused on Idaho's abortion ban and how it applies in medical emergencies. The state allows exceptions when the life of a mother is at risk, but the Biden administration sued the state arguing that federal law requires that the state's law is not a law. The state's law requires the state to allow the procedure if it is needed to stabilize a patient even when the mother's condition is not yet life threatening.
Joshua Turner argued for the state and faced a barrage of medical hypotheticals from the liberal justices.
ELENA KAGAN, ASSOCIATE JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES: All of these cases are rare but within these rare cases, there's a significant number where the woman is her life is not in peril, but she's going to lose her reproductive organs. She's going to lose the ability to have children in the future unless an abortion takes place.
REID: Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined her liberal colleagues in pressing Turner on the state's position and how it leaves doctors open to prosecution.
JOSHUA TURNER, IDAHO ATTORNEY: If they were exercising their medical judgment, they could in good faith determine that life-saving care was necessary. And that's my point, is this a subjective standard --
AMY CONEY BARRETT, ASSOCIATE JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES: But some doctors couldn't, some doctors might reach a contrary solution, I think is what Sotomayor is asking you. So --
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TURNER: And we --
BARRETT: -- if they reach -- if they reach the conclusion that the legislatures doctors did, would they be prosecuted under Idaho law?
TURNER: No. No. If they -- if they reach the conclusion that the -- Dr. Reynolds, Dr. White, did that these were life --
BARRETT: What if the prosecutor thought differently? What if the prosecutor thought, well, I don't think any good faith doctor could draw that conclusion I'm going to put on my expert?
TURNER: And that, your honor, is the nature of prosecutorial discretion.
REID (voice-over): Justice Barrett and Chief Justice John Roberts had tough questions for both sides and could end up being the swing votes that determine the outcome.
Elizabeth Prelogar argued for the government that Idaho is subject to a federal law called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA. ELIZABETH PRELOGAR, SOLICITOR GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES: In Idaho, doctors have to shut their eyes to everything except death, whereas under EMTALA, you're supposed to be thinking about things like, is she about to lose her fertility? Is her uterus going to become incredibly scarred because of the bleeding? Is she about to undergo the possibility of kidney failure?
REID (voice-over): She faced questions from conservatives about how to protect unborn children.
SAMUEL ALITO, ASSOCIATE JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES: Have you seen abortion statutes that use the phrase unborn child? Doesn't that tell us something?
[02:30:07]
PRELOGAR: It tells us that Congress wanted to expand the protection for pregnant women, so that they could get the same duties to screen and stabilize when they have a condition that is threatening the health and well-being of the unborn child.
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PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL CORRESPONDENT: A decision on this case is expected in late June, right in the middle of the presidential election season. Historically, Republicans have used the abortion issue to rally their supporters, but since Roe was overturned, the issue has actually helped Democrats. So, a lot riding on this decision from the high court.
Paula Reid, CNN, Washington.
ANNA COREN, CNN ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWSROOM": After two failed attempts last week, lawmakers in the State of Arizona voted on Wednesday to repeal a 19th century ban on abortions. (Inaudible) 1864 during the American Civil War era, although it was revived earlier this month by a state Supreme Court decision. The Arizona High Court concluded that because there is no longer a federal constitutional right to the procedure, the 1864 ban is enforceable.
The text of Wednesday's bill contains fewer than 20 words, simply stating that the statute should be repealed. Well, this would leave in place a state law from 2022 which restricted abortions to 15 weeks. Arizona Senate is expected to pass the repeal in early May with the governor's signature expected to quickly follow.
The U.S. Secretary of State is visiting China as the two countries try to patch up diplomatic ties. We'll have a live report next.
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COREN: The U.S. Secretary of State is walking on a diplomatic tight rope in China. At this hour, Antony Blinken is wrapping up his meetings in Shanghai and getting ready to head to Beijing for talks with his Chinese counterpart. Washington wants to improve relations with Beijing, which hit a historic low last year. But Blinken is also expected to push back on China's stance on Taiwan and its support for Russia's arms industry.
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ANTONY BLINKEN, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE: Just arrived here in Shanghai in the People's Republic of China to work on issues that matter to the American people. And of course, we'll be dealing with areas where we have real differences with China, dealing with them directly, communicating clearly.
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[02:35:00]
COREN: CNN's Steven Jiang joins us from Beijing were Blinken is expected to arrive in the coming hours. Steven, certainly a lot on Mr. Blinken's agenda. What is he hoping to achieve from this visit?
STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Anna, that's right. The important thing seems to be both sides, the world's two superpowers are talking with regularity at all levels of the government after years of diplomatic deep freeze, which of course was not conducive to either bilateral relations or global stability.
Now, I just came back from the eastern port city of Qingdao, where China actually hosted International Naval Symposium. It was interesting and reassuring to see the Pentagon sending its new Head of the U.S.-Pacific Fleet just a few weeks after they sent its newest missile launch system to the Philippines. So, the message here from both sides seems to be let us keep talking despite that growing list of grievances and complaints against each other.
As you mentioned, topping Secretary Blinken's agenda is this issue of Beijing's continued support for Russia's defense -- industrial defense complex. That is why Russia has been able to continue its brutal war against Ukraine. Now, this is something American officials have been increasingly vocal about in recent weeks, saying there would be serious consequences for Chinese entities if they continue to provide Russia with not just technologies and tools, but also financial support.
So, it is interesting to see what kind of potential sanctions will be levied against these entities. Taiwan, as you mentioned, another hot button issue, especially we are less than a month away from the island democracy swearing its new president, again, from the independence leaning party. Now, interestingly in that massive foreign aid package just signed into law by President Biden, there was actually more than $8 billion set aside for Taiwan and other U.S. allies in this region.
But so far, to all these issues, Beijing's responses have been relatively muted, perhaps because Blinken is actually here. They are expected to talk about all of these thorny issues behind closed doors where Chinese officials have plenty to push back on as well, especially the economic fronts where they have been increasingly complaining about U.S. crackdown targeting China, not just the investigations, but also of course, these very stringent export controls. So, the key here is that they are having low expectations, but they are still talking. But whether or not they are only talking past each other or they can have some sort of meaningful dialog, of course, is something remains to be seen, Anna.
COREN: As we know, communication is key. Steven Jiang in Beijing, good to see you. Thank you.
Well, still to come deadly flooding tears through cities and villages in Kenya. Now, officials are calling for help as more rain approaches.
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COREN: Officials in Kenya say flash flooding in Nairobi has escalated to extreme levels after days of heavy rain. At least 32 people have died according to the United Nations Humanitarian Affairs Office and some neighborhoods have been completely submerged. Well, CNN's Larry Modowo is in one village, attempting to salvage what is left with more rain on the way.
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LARRY MODOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Where I'm standing used to be somebody's house. All this area used to be people's homes, all swept away. What is getting cleared back there, that debris that is left over, that is what used to be their homes. In these informal settlements around Nairobi, the houses are made of wood. They are made of iron sheets. They are very easily swept away when there is flooding, like what was experienced. It is a cycle, if it is not the flooding, it is a fire, and then flooding and the fire, and it goes on and on and on.
You see a lot of people trying to collect whatever level is left where their homes used to be, some iron sheets, maybe some valuables, trying to figure out how to rebuild their lives after a devastating situation where every single thing they owned was swept away by these flash floods.
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JECINTER AGUNJA, ACTIVIST & MATHARE, KENYA RESIDENT: Nothing has come from the government. We only help ourselves because nobody has come to the rescue. You feel like you don't come from this country, you are maybe inferior, because if it was somewhere else, maybe middle-class or the highest class, government could respond ASAP.
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MODOWO: Residents in these areas, informal settlements, are slums as they are better known, often complain about emergency services not get into them during disasters. But here's the extra complication, it is starting to rain one more time. The Kenya Meteorological Department has warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall still to be expected. And the fear here is that that may lead to a new wave of flooding. Larry Modowo, CNN, Nairobi.
COREN: 160 pilot whales have beached themselves on the western Australian coast, several hours south of Perth. Local parks and wildlife service officials say the whales are spread out across about 500 meters and 26 of them have died. Wildlife officials and marine scientists are assisting the animals. About 20 whales are in a pod 1.5 kilometers offshore, another pod of about 110 animals are together, closer offshore.
Well, thanks so much for your company. I'm Anna Coren in Hong Kong. "World Sport" is up next, then I'll be back in 15 minutes time with more of "CNN Newsroom." Join me then (ph).
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