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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

S&P 500 Briefly Falls Into Bear Market Territory As Recession Fears Grow; Federal Judge Blocks Biden From Lifting Pandemic-Related Health Order Used To Turn Away Migrants At Southern Border; Pelosi Banned From Receiving Communion In San Francisco Archdiocese Over Her Position On Abortion; Giuliani Met Today With Jan. 6 Committee For More Than 9 Hours; Commander At Ukrainian Steel Plan Says Order Given To Stop Defending The City Of Mariupol; "Finally Home: The Trevor Reed Interview" Airs Sunday On CNN At 8PM ET; Disturbing Details Revealed During Depp And Heard's Testimonies; First of 10 Funerals After Buffalo Mass Shooting Held Today. Aired 8-9p ET

Aired May 20, 2022 - 20:00   ET

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

ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: Dr. Biddinger tells "OUTFRONT" quote, "What we have known from previous cases is that they are typically associated with travel to Africa and places where illness is endemic, but now, we are seeing a significant number of cases without this history of travel. So something is different about the transmission right now."

And that's why a lot more studies and work is needed.

Thanks for joining us, AC 360 starts now.

[20:00:27]

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Good evening.

We begin tonight with your money. Inflated costs, a falling stock market, and concerned about recession. If you have a 401 (k), you've likely seen a drop. The Dow Industrials just capped their eighth straight losing week, the worst since 1923. Here's what all three major indices look like for the year, down anywhere from 15 to near 30 percent.

On top of that, the price of gasoline is hitting record highs just in time for travel season. Inflation overall is higher than it's been for decades. There are chip shortages, supply chain bottlenecks and baby formula that's hard to find.

There is positive money news. The economy added more than 400,000 jobs last month and unemployment rate is now at pre-COVID levels. But let's try to figure out where we are at right now.

We begin with CNN chief business correspondent, Christine Romans.

It seems like there's nothing, but a strong pause on Wall Street.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: There's so much going on and so much chaos, really. I mean, I keep saying that there are so many crosscurrents in the global economy. Any one of them would be stabilizing. There's a half a dozen.

You talked about the higher prices. You talked about the chip shortage. COVID lockdowns in China.

COOPER: War in Ukraine.

ROMANS: War in Ukraine and that's going to be a really big deal for some time, and that's going to mean energy prices. We're going to redraw the global energy map that's going to take some time.

For investors, if you're looking at your 401(k), you know this. Eight weeks in a row, the longest losing streak for the Dow since the 20s and that's not great.

The NASDAQ stocks just hammered. You look at Apple, Meta, some of these widely held stocks, they are down -- the big eight tech stocks are about half of the stock market.

COOPER: What started the downturn in all the tech stocks?

ROMANS: Well, you know, they are really susceptible to higher interest rates. You know, they are a high growth stock. They are susceptible to higher interest rates, and the Fed is raising interest rates and is going to have to raise interest rates aggressively to fight inflation, and that leaves those tech stocks vulnerable.

Also, they had had a great couple of years. So you're taking some froth off the market, I think. I want to really kind of put some perspective in it, though. If you're talking about the S&P 500 or the Dow, those are blue chip stocks that you probably, if you're a buy and hold investor, that's what's in your 401(k). Those are back now to just about March of last year.

So you've lost 14 months of gains, but you're still -- so you've rewound the clock about a year.

COOPER: I mean, for those who are in the stock market, it has been riding high for --

ROMANS: That's right.

COOPER: It seems like --

ROMANS: A decade.

COOPER: Is it a decade? Okay. Yes.

ROMANS: Yes, right.

COOPER: I mean, it's been just unbelievably long.

ROMANS: Since the last crisis.

COOPER: Yes.

ROMANS: And there's something called -- I don't want to get too wonky here, but for regular investors, dollar cost averaging, you don't want stocks just to go up because you're just buying more expensive stocks. When stocks go down and you're consistently buying stocks in your 401(k) corrections, like we're almost there in the S&P, but a correction down 20 percent. That can be a refresher.

We don't know what's going to happen next, though. There is a lot going on in the economy. Some of the smartest minds in business aren't sure what's going to happen here next.

You've got all these things happening all at once, and the Fed has a really big job to fight high prices and to fight inflation. They've got to raise borrowing costs, which raises costs for companies and raises costs for consumers. So the medicine to cure the illness, also, it hurts you too.

COOPER: But if you've got -- I mean, you know, what do people do now if you've got to pay for college for kids, or you know, you're facing retirement soon.

ROMANS: So if you are always making sure -- you shouldn't always have all of your money in the stock market. If your kid is going to college next year, or you're retiring next year, you should be balancing.

So there is always a good time to make sure that you don't -- that you are outside of, you know, being too risky. But there is also a good chance -- we've already come down so much, there's a good chance you could see a pop here, nobody knows for sure. But the stock market could have this wrong.

The Fed could manage to raise interest rates and not throw the U.S. in a recession and that would be a good thing for corporate earnings and a good thing for the stock market.

And the other thing, I think, is interesting is the U.S. is in a much better position than almost anybody else. I mean, Europe has a real energy problem. It could put it into a recession, China. It's got these lockdowns that have halted part of its manufacturing base again. The Chinese just cut interest rates today to try to reduce their economy. So the U.S. is really in the best position. But this moment, this the start of the year has been very ugly, the worst we've seen in a long, long time.

COOPER: Yes. It is a lot. Christine Romans, thank you. Appreciate it.

ROMANS: You're welcome.

COOPER: I feel a little bit better.

Now, the question that always lands at the White House when the economy stumbles and resonates through Election Day, namely, what's the President doing about it?

CNN's Kaitlan Collins traveling with him joins us now from Seoul, South Korea. What is the White House saying tonight and what are officials doing to bring some relief? KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson,

the President is here on his first trip to Asia since taking office, officials are well aware what a chaotic day it was on Wall Street back in the United States. They've been watching that closely and of course, this always comes back to inflation, being the White House's number one concern given it has risen much higher and remained around much longer than they initially predicted, pretty much anyone in the West Wing compared to what they were saying even six months ago, Anderson.

[20:05:21]

And so that is their main concern, because you hear what Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says, saying that these higher prices on energy and on food prices are contributing to what she calls stagflationary effects and raising concerns inside the White House.

But they are at times understanding, they believe that this is a messaging problem, Anderson, and they are trying to talk about the good aspects of the economy that Christine was just referencing there. You see today, they're touting this new analysis saying that the U.S. growth is going to exceed China's growth for the first time since the 1970s.

But I think at the end of the day, they know that the number one concern for Americans back at home are these higher prices, are inflation and what's going to happen with that and how they are handling that and they're doing so competently.

COOPER: What can the White House do and what can't they do when it comes to the economy?

COLLINS: So when you talk to officials, they say, okay, a lot of this has to do with what the Federal Reserve is going to do. It is their job to tame inflation. You've seen them raising interest rates. You've seen some of those hawkish comments coming from the Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell in recent weeks. That is what they are saying is going to really be who it's up to, to tame inflation.

But there are other steps that the White House could take, ones that they have not taken yet, but are being discussed inside the West Wing. And Anderson, one of those is removing those Trump era tariffs on Chinese goods. These are tariffs that President Trump put in place back in 2018, on about two thirds of the goods that the U.S. imports from China. It's a 25 percent tariff.

And so there has been an ongoing debate and there is division inside the White House over how to handle this and whether or not they should lift those tariffs. Because, you see some economists say that they believe it would have an immediate benefit for consumers, some others have argued it would only be a modest impact before the midterm elections, which is obviously raising a lot of concerns on the political aspect of this for the White House and how it will affect Democrats.

And it has created some divisions inside the White House, from people who say, we don't want to give up the leverage we have on China. That's why those tariffs have remained in place since Biden took office. Other aides have argued that it is time to lift at least some of them. And President Biden has confirmed, this is under consideration at the White House.

COOPER: All right, Kaitlan Collins, appreciate it. Thanks.

Back home, a setback for the administration. A Federal Judge in Louisiana late today blocking from ending a Trump-era restriction on immigration called Title 42. Now, simply put, Title 42 is a pandemic measure allowing authorities to turn migrants away at the border.

Last month, the CDC announced plans to end it because new COVID fighting tools such as vaccines are available in a number of states challenged the administration in Court and here we are.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez joins us now from Hidalgo, Texas at the Southern border. What's the latest?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN REPORTER: Well, the Federal Judge here ultimately siding with the states and deciding to block the termination of Title 42. This is a ruling that comes just days from when the Biden administration intended to end this authority. That was a decision that came under fierce criticism from Republicans and even some Democrats, and it also sparked lawsuits including the one last month by more than 20 states, who said that if this authority were to end, the states would incur costs, like healthcare costs, if potentially more migrants were released into the United States. They also said the Biden administration didn't follow the right procedures in ending the authority.

And today in his ruling, the Judge agreed, saying that the administration should have followed certain procedures when it decided to end this authority, saying that the emergency conditions that existed when this was invoked at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic don't necessarily exist now allowing time for that outside input.

This Anderson, known as a notice and comment period. That is a month long process. So the bottom line ultimately here being that the Biden administration, despite wanting to end Title 42 will not be able to do so anytime soon -- Anderson.

COOPER: So what's their next move?

ALVAREZ: Well, the Justice Department came out very quickly saying that they intend to appeal this ruling. And the White House also chimed in saying that they disagree with the ruling, and in a statement, they said: "The authority to set public health policy nationally should rest with the Centers for Disease Control, not with a single District Court."

And Anderson this has been an ongoing challenge for the Biden administration as it tries to set immigration policy, in this case, trying to end the public health authority invoked under former President Donald Trump, Judges ultimately blocking those moves. And the administration saying today that while they will continue to

implement Title 42 because of this ruling, they will also continue their planning in the event that it ends and if there are more crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border -- Anderson.

COOPER: Priscilla Alvarez, appreciate it. Thank you.

More breaking news now, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's hometown Archbishop denying her the sacrament of communion because of her position on abortion. Father James Martin joins us to talk about it.

Also the latest on the Pennsylvania primary race that could determine who controls the Senate next year. That is coming up. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:14:24]

COOPER: As if the politically charged issue of abortion cannot get any more so, there is this breaking news. The conservative Archbishop of San Francisco says he is refusing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi the sacrament of Holy Communion. Quoting from his letter to her: "You are not to be admitted to Holy Communion until such time as you publicly repudiate your advocacy for the legitimacy of abortion and confess and receive absolution of this grave sin in the Sacrament of Penance." No comment yet from Speaker Pelosi's office.

Last year, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops voted overwhelmingly to approve a document that fell far short of refusing communion to President Biden or others who support abortion rights. Conservatives in the church have pushed for such a measure in spite of guidance from Pope Francis.

Joining us now, Father James Martin he's a Jesuit priest and editor- at-large at "America" Magazine: The Jesuit Review of Faith and Culture."

Father Martin, it's great to see you. When you heard about the decision from the archbishop in San Francisco, what went through your mind?

[15:15:18]

FATHER JAMES MARTIN, (EDITOR-AT-LARGE AT "AMERICA" MAGAZINE: THE JESUIT REVIEW OF FAITH AND CULTURE"): Well, I was a little disappointed. I mean, at the outset, I'll say I am pro-life. I'm a fan of Archbishop Cordileone, but I think it's the wrong move pastorally because it really just isolates one particular belief in the Catholic Church and one particular belief about life, to the exclusion really of most of the other ones.

COOPER: It was done, and obviously, in a very public way, does that make a difference?

FATHER MARTIN: I think that these things are probably best dealt with privately. I think, he said something about that. I'm not sure about his complete statement. But I think doing it publicly also makes the church seem partisan. It makes us feel like we're taking sides.

But once again, it's very selective. I mean, for example, we don't have politicians being denied over their support, for example of the death penalty, which is another life issue. And so that's why I think it's problematic.

COOPER: Is it clear to you why now, this is being done?

FATHER MARTIN: I'm not sure about the timing exactly. It may have something to do with the leaked Supreme Court decision, but I don't know anything about the timing really.

COOPER: Where does one draw the line? I mean, just one -- you talked about denying communion to those people who support the death penalty, which is not something you hear being done, or to people do not who -- for people who don't help the poor. Where does one draw the line?

FATHER MARTIN: Well, that's right. I mean, that's a good question. Pope Francis, I'm going to quote something that he said. He said, our defense of the innocent unborn needs to be clear from impassionate. Okay, so he's obviously against abortion.

Equally sacred, says Pope Francis, are the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the abandoned, and the underprivileged, victims of human trafficking, new forms of slavery, et cetera.

So you're right. You know, there are lots of different sins in the Christian tradition and in the Catholic faith, and the question is, why elevate this one over other life issues and over other sins as well. I mean, who really is able to say that they can present themselves and are not sinning in any way against Church teaching?

COOPER: Pope Francis, just last year told President Biden who is also pro-choice that he was a, quote, "Good Catholic" and said that he should continue receiving Communion. Does what the Pope -- clearly, what the Pope thinks does not necessarily mean that is what Archbishops have to follow. Is that correct?

FATHER MARTIN: That's correct. And there's also a directive from Cardinal Ratzinger from a couple of years ago, that said, he didn't think it was coherent to isolate one particular part of church teaching. But yes, the Pope has been pretty clear that he doesn't think that this is the way to go.

And also, they look at these things very differently in Europe than they do in the United States, I would say.

COOPER: What does it mean if somebody is denied communion by an Archbishop? Does that mean that? I mean, would some churches in San Francisco who disagree with it, give Speaker Pelosi communion or does what the archbishop say goes for all churches?

FATHER MARTIN: What the Archbishop says goes for all churches in San Francisco, so he is the final authority in the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

COOPER: So what about in California for the entire state?

FATHER MARTIN: Well, that's a good point. I mean, that doesn't mean that Nancy Pelosi can't receive Communion in Washington, D.C. or in another diocese, and you know, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, but this is just for San Francisco.

COOPER: Father Martin, I really appreciate your time tonight. Thank you.

FATHER MARTIN: My pleasure.

COOPER: With abortion almost certain to loom even larger politically at the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, who controls the House and the Senate next year potentially decides on Federal abortion restrictions will obviously matter even more than usual.

Few races can be more in that regard than the Republican Senate primary in Pennsylvania, which is still obviously as you know, undecided. The Trump endorsed Dr. Mehmet Oz still holding a slim lead over David McCormick. CNN's Melanie Zanona is in Lancaster, Pennsylvania for us tonight. What's the latest there?

MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: Well, it is really coming down to the wire here in Pennsylvania, and it looks like we are going to end the day exactly where we started and that's with Mehmet Oz holding a very narrow lead over David McCormick.

We're talking the difference of just a thousand votes here and there is only a small number of votes left to be counted. Now, both camps are projecting competence and laying out what they see as their potential path to victory.

McCormick's camp say that they are competent that the military and overseas ballots are going to benefit McCormick who is a military veteran, but Dr. Oz's campaign says the math just isn't there and that there aren't enough outstanding votes from McCormick to be able to close the gap -- Anderson.

COOPER: What's the timeline for the outstanding votes to be counted and when do we know if this is heading for a recount?

[20:20:10]

ZANONA: Well, officially, we should know sometime next week whether this is headed to a recount. Canvassing is going to continue over the next few days and a recall would need to be called by June 1st and be completed a week later.

But unofficially, there is already consensus behind the scenes between both camps that this is headed towards a recount, which will be automatically triggered if the race comes within half a percentage point.

In fact, both sides appear to be gearing up for that exact scenario. They are adding lawyers and experts who are familiar with recounts and have experience in those areas.

McCormick's campaign even last month, hired a GOP operative, Mike Roman, who's known for his expertise challenging election results. Mike Roman was also the Director of Election Day Operations in 2020 for Donald Trump. He became a key figure in seeking to overturn the Pennsylvania election results.

So, we should know in a few days, but like I said, it seems like both sides are gearing up for a potentially bruising battle and what could determine control of the United States Senate -- Anderson.

COOPER: Fascinating. Melanie Zanona, appreciate it.

Up next. Outbreaks of a rare monkeypox disease are being reported worldwide with New York City Health Officials today saying they are treating a presumptive positive case. We are going to talk to Dr. Sanjay Gupta on the origin, the signs and symptoms of this disease, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:25:05]

COOPER: A lot of concerns and questions tonight about outbreaks of an extremely rare disease called monkeypox which are popping up across the globe, even in the U.S. It's partly due to pictures of the disease like the ones we're about to show you which we warn you may be disturbing, according to the World Health Organization, there are 80 confirmed cases and 50 cases under investigation worldwide.

As I said, the disease has made its way to the U.S., one patient is being treated as a presumptive positive here in New York City, another case was reported Wednesday in a patient hospitalized in Massachusetts. He recently visited Canada, which confirmed the first two cases just yesterday.

Back in 2008, CNN chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and I traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the first case of monkeypox was recorded in people back in 1970 and we went to a place where there was an outbreak in a remote region of Congo. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: We're here because I'm looking at something that I've never seen before as a doctor. I want to introduce you to Koi (ph). She is 22 years old and what she has is an active case of monkeypox.

This is something again, that I've never seen before, but is actually endemic here in the Congo. She just came to this particular surveillance center from over 200 kilometers away, to try and get whatever treatment she can possibly get.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Sanjay joins me now. It's remarkable. You and I were in Cameroon and DRC and Congo reporting on these rare viruses, reporting on a monkeypox outbreak in a very remote area of Congo, I think back in 2008.

GUPTA: That's right.

COOPER: It is now -- it's incredible to me. I mean, the whole report was about viruses that can spread from a remote area like Congo to the rest of the world, and now we're seeing monkeypox spreading.

GUPTA: Yes, these zoonotic viruses, right, the things that sort of make these jumps from animals to humans. It's kind of incredible, sometimes, Anderson this job, because, you know, we saw things that very few people in the world get to see.

Most cases of monkeypox have been pretty much in Central and West Africa and the idea that they would spread outside it happens, certainly from time to time, but not to the extent that we're seeing it, certainly now.

But it is sort of very interesting to look at, you know, that woman again, Koi and understand the symptoms that she had, in some ways, sort of a lesser version of smallpox. People, they oftentimes start with flu-like symptoms, something that is sort of vague. But the characteristic symptoms, Anderson that you and I saw, you know people will get lymph nodes that are swollen, and they'll get a characteristic rash, and then they'll get these fluid-filled vesicles. You know, those sort of blisters.

It can happen all over their body. It can happen in their mouth, it can happen on the palms of their hands. It's very distinctive when people have these types of symptoms.

And the transmission, at least what we've known in the past, and again, you know, we're talking about, you know, places in the world where this has mainly been is typically either from animals to humans, or clearly from an infected person to a human.

It's not something that you know, is known to spread silently and you would really know it if you were dealing with someone who is infected. So that's what we've kind of known about monkeypox in terms of the symptoms, in terms of how it is transmitted in the past.

But this is a big outbreak, as you well know, Anderson that we're seeing around the world.

COOPER: We also went to a bush meat markets which essentially, a bush meat is forest animals that are hunted and killed mostly so that people can feed their families in areas where there is not a lot of other sources of protein.

But that's not exclusively where monkeypox comes from, but is that where it is most often passes to humans from animals.

GUPTA: Yes. I mean, that's the thing. I mean, I spent a lot of time and I don't know how you remember this, Anderson, but it was, first of all, monkeypox is a little bit of a misnomer, because it was called monkeypox, because it was found in laboratory monkeys, not necessarily monkeys in the wild.

It was more often thought to be coming from rodents, you know, possibly, or smaller animals that could be transmitting this, but much like Ebola, Anderson, you'll remember, we don't know for sure what the natural reservoir of monkeypox is.

It could be you know, any of those sorts of animals. Ebola is probably bats, so that they haven't shown that for sure; with monkey pox, probably these rodents, but it's that contact. It's that swapping of these viruses that happens between animals and humans, these zoonotic jumps.

And we know that in certain cases, typically, with prolonged contact, you can have human to human transmission. That is what we've known in the past. But as we, you know, have seen with COVID, we have to be a little bit humble here in sort of understanding, does the virus change? Could it become more transmissible in some way?

We're not saying that at this point, but when you're dealing with a very large outbreak like this, people who seem to have contracted this disease, with no known travel to that part of the world, no known contact with someone who is infected, it is a bit of a sort of medical investigation that is still ongoing now to figure out if that is still the predominant form of transmission.

COOPER: I mean, how concerned should people be about monkeypox?

GUPTA: I mean, if you talk to folks at the CDC, WHO they say they don't think there's significant reason for concern. I mean, I think it is worth sort of understanding what is happening here with transmission now at this point, compared to what we have seen in previous outbreaks.

[20:25:17]

There have been outbreaks, have been cases of monkeypox in the United States before even large numbers up to I think, close to 50 in the past.

But I think there's a another reason why concern is probably doesn't need to be as high, which is that smallpox vaccine could potentially be effective against this. These are part of the same family of viruses. We know we've seen monkeypox before. So there are treatments out there to treat the symptoms of this. So if this starts to continue to evolve even larger, larger numbers, those are tools that we have that we didn't have, for example, at the beginning of COVID.

COOPER: Sanjay Gupta, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

GUPTA: Yes. Thank you.

COOPER: Coming up, there's more breaking news tonight. CNN has just learned that Rudy Giuliani talked today at great length with the January 6 select committee. We'll have more on that in a moment.

Also, more missile strikes and Ukraine today is the last fighter is defending the last holdout in Mariupol lay down their arms, the latest on the war coming up next.

And an exclusive interview with Trevor Reed, the former Marine who spent more than two years in a Russian prison was freed just last month. His ordeal is the stuff of nightmares. You don't want to miss what he tells CNN's Jake Tapper.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:35:00]

COOPER: Just in the time we've been on the air, we've learned that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani one of the central figures in the efforts of the overturn the 2020 presidential election sat down today with the House January 6 committee. And it wasn't just for a minute or two.

CNN's Ryan Nobles joins us now with more. So what have you learned?

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Anderson, we learned today that Rudy Giuliani did, in fact sit down for a lengthy deposition with the January 6 Select Committee that the deposition took place virtually, and that the former mayor of New York City answered questions for more than nine hours, that is a significant amount of time, we know that a number of these depositions that the committee has taken on have gone for a lengthy amount of time. So this fits into that scenario. And would also lead you to believe that Giuliani did more than just plead the fifth, it did answer some of the questions that the committee was asking.

Now of course, Anderson this came after Giuliani back out of a scheduled deposition that was set to take place a few weeks ago, because he said that he wanted to be able to videotape the deposition himself and then release it to the public. That was not the terms that the committee was interested in cooperating with. So they -- the original interview was postponed. However, the two sides continued cooperating talking about what they wouldn't would not be asking Giuliani about, that led to today where he had this meeting, it took place virtually, and now the committee has his testimony as part of their investigation.

COOPER: Is it clear why Giuliani didn't go the route of other Trump allies, the band and Mark Meadows just to name two of them and just refused to continue to refuse to appear?

NOBLES: Yes, it's not exactly clear his motivation behind being willing to be cooperative as opposed to the path that some of these other Trump loyalists have taken. But we do know, Anderson, as I mentioned, before, that there was a lengthy negotiation here, he was under subpoena. So he was compelled by the committee to testify. And if he didn't, he certainly risked being sent to criminal contempt of Congress, which the committee has done with other folks. But the fact that he remained in negotiations with the committee that could have meant conversations about issues of privilege that the committee may or may not be interested in, could have played a role in him ultimately deciding to participate. But make no mistake, Anderson, there are few players in this drama, that the January 6 select committee is singularly focused on that play a more central role than Rudy Giuliani. He was the President's personal attorney. He was in many ways the architect of this effort to undermine the election results to the big lie that the election was stolen, and that there was widespread fraud of which Giuliani himself could never really materialize on information to back up that claim. And the committee really believed that that connection between peddling the big lie and then what happened on January 6, are directly connected.

So, it's clear that they wanted to nail down exactly what Rudy Giuliani was up to during that period of time, leading up to January 6.

COOPER: Yes. Ryan Nobles appreciate it. Thanks.

Tonight, we're also following a number of significant events involved in the war in Ukraine. President Biden expected to sign that $40 billion aid package while overseas. This is Russian attacks continue this one in the eastern city of ZOVA, injured seven including an 11- year-old child that's according to Ukrainian officials. CNN can't confirm those injuries.

However, the building is about 45 miles from the Russian lines. Most significantly today, the end of a battle rife with symbolism both for Ukrainians and Russians defenders that massive steel plant in the southern port city of Mariupol have laid down their arms after months of holding out and conditions some they're called Hell on Earth.

CNN's Melissa Bell joins us now with more.

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, it was a symbol of Ukrainian resistance tonight from the Russian Ministry of Defense, we hear that the final 531 fighters have left Azovstal. We've been wondering all day when it would end, whether there were dead, whether there were any men left inside hearing these poignant messages coming from within the plant. It looks tonight as though that symbol of Azovstal has fallen and with it, the strategic port town of Mariupol.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BELL (voice-over): The latest picture of Dmytro Kozatskiy, a soldier with the Azov regiment who helped the world to see the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. Posting, that's it. Thank you for the shelter Azovstal. The place of my death and my life.

A steady stream of its haggard and injured defenders has been leaving these last few days, Russian forces and their allies in the Donetsk militia surrounding the plant.

SERGEI SHOIGU, RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER (through translation): Nationalist back to the plant are actively surrendering. So far 1,908 people have laid down their arms.

BELL (voice-over): The injured taken to hospital. The evacuees now prisoners of war in the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic.

Some of their families finally beginning to hear news from their loved ones.

NATALIA ZARYTSKA, WIFE OF AZOV FIGHTER: So my husband wrote me two days ago and as a situation as really hard and horrible. And my husband is on the way from one help to another help.

[20:40:06]

BELL (voice-over): Russia has promised to treat the fighters according to international law, but has said nothing about any exchange of prisoners of war. According to Ukrainian officials, negotiations are difficult.

After weeks of bombardment, the place that symbolizes Ukraine's resistance seems at last to be quiet.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Most of there are a number of Russian strikes around the country today, what more do we know about that?

BELL: You mentioned a moment ago, Anderson, the strike honors over there's extraordinary pictures where you see that cultural center being obliterated by a Russian missile, absolute evil, said President Zelenskyy tonight, explaining that it was hitting the nation education, learning culture. But that is just one of the areas along that frontline to the north of Donetsk to the west of Luhansk, where the Russian forces have been concentrating their firepower. And when you consider again that strategic importance of the full of Mariupol that is now a swathe of territory, a land bridge from Crimea annexed in 2014 all the way to those areas in Donbas and Luhansk that is essentially in Russian hands a part of the country it can now choose to announce that it is deciding to annex and I think that is why you are seeing even more violence, even more firepower concentrated on that part of the country where Russian forces are trying to consolidate their positions, take as much land as they can northwards, even as it is meeting Ukrainian resistance for the time being remarkably successful. Anderson.

COOPER: Yes. Melissa Bell, appreciate it. Thank you.

Now to a homecoming, more than two years in the making this Sunday, CNN where an exclusive interview with Trevor Reed, the former Marine who was freed last month and a prisoner exchange with Russia, is forced to survive in deplorable circumstances. As recently as February the State Department reported that he was coughing up blood after exposure of tuberculosis in prison.

Reed sat down with my colleague Jake Tapper to discuss his arrest, his conviction and the circumstances of his imprisonment. Jake joins us now.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Anderson, I sat down exclusively with marine veteran Trevor Reed and his family for the first interview since he was released from Russia in captivity after being held for 985 days. We covered a wide range of topics, but frankly, Trevor's description of being punished by the Russians by being sent to a Russian psychiatric prison and how he got through that period. It was terrifying.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TAPPER (on-camera): What was the worst condition that you had, that you experienced during that time?

TREVOR REED, FREED AFTER MORE THAN 2 YEARS IN A RUSSIAN PRISON: The psychiatric treatment facility, I was in there with seven other prisoners in the south, they all had severe serious psychological health issues. Most of them so over 50% of them in that cell were in there for murder, or like multiple murders, sexual assault and murder, just really disturbed individuals. And inside of that, so you know, that was not a good place.

There's blood all over the walls there. Were prisoners had killed themselves or killed other prisoners or attempted to do that. The toilets just a hole in the floor. And there's, you know, crap everywhere, all over the floor on the walls. There's people in there also that walk around, they look like zombies.

TAPPER (on-camera): What are you afraid of your life?

REED: I mean, I did not sleep there for a couple of days. So I was too, too worried about, you know, who was in the cell with me to actually sleep?

TAPPER (on-camera): You thought they might kill you?

REED: Yes. That's that that was a possibility.

TAPPER (on-camera): Any prison is brutal. Russian prisons are notoriously awful and tough. Did you have a strategy for surviving?

REED: I did. I tried to, to kind of compartmentalize and focus not on being in prison kind of, you know, distract myself. Think about future plans, what university I was going to go to, you know, what plans I was going to have with my family. All of those things and just tried to distract myself from reality, which, you know, was not something that you want to think about.

TAPPER (on-camera): Did you have confidence you're going to get out?

REED: No, I didn't. And why do people are not going to like what I'm going to say about this, but I kind of viewed their having hope as being a weakness. I did not want to have that hope of like me, you know, being released somehow and then have that taken from me.

TAPPER (on-camera): You denied yourself hope?

REED: Yes.

TAPPER (on-camera): You wouldn't -- REED: (INAUDIBLE) I wouldn't let myself hope.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TAPPER: Now, it's interesting. Trevor, Anderson was not fluent in Russian when he went to Moscow in 2019. But after spending so much time in Russian jail he became fluent. Eventually he told me he would think in Russian, he would dream in Russian, and you can even hear he has a slight Russian accent now although it is expected that he will soon lose that. Anderson.

[20:45:18]

COOPER: Wow. It looks incredible. Jake Tapper, thank you. Look forward to that.

You can watch the full interview to "CNN SPECIAL REPORT: FINALLY HOME TO TREVOR REED INTERVIEW," airs Sunday 8:00 p.m. Eastern here on CNN.

Just ahead, the latest defamation case brought by Johnny Depp against his ex-wife Amber Heard and the disturbing details have been brought to light.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard continued hurtling or hurling accusations against each other in court this week. The intimate details for the relationship are part of the defamation case Depp brought against Heard. He says an op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post several years ago, painted -- falsely painted him as an abuser. Depp is suing her for $50 million, she is countersued mentioned some of the details are extremely intimate.

[20:50:07]

So if you have young children in the room, you might want to turn the sound down for this report from "360's" Randi Kaye.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHNNY DEPP, ACTOR: But never did I myself reach the point of the striking Ms. Heard in any way, nor have I ever struck any woman in my life.

RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Actor Johnny Depp facing off against his ex-wife in court vowing he's not the abusive monster she made him out to be. Both he and Amber Heard testified at length about a 2015 trip to Australia, each with differing accounts.

DEPP: The first bottle went --

KAYE (voice-over): Depp said Heard through a vodka bottle at him that cut off the top of one of his fingers.

DEPP: She threw the large bottle and it made contact and shattered everywhere, and then I looked down and realized that the tip of my finger had been severed.

KAYE (voice-over): For her part, Heard told the jury Depp sexually assaulted her using a bottle.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you recall what Mr. Depp was saying to you when he had the bottle and was pushing it against your pubic bone?

AMBER HEARD, ACTRESS: I said (INAUDIBLE) kill me, (INAUDIBLE) kill you. He said it to me over and over again. He said I'll (INAUDIBLE) kill you.

KAYE (voice-over): Heard testified Depp also used his bloody finger that night to draw all over the walls, only switching to paint when his blood ran dry. Depp didn't deny that. More disturbing details came to light when Depp testified he'd found feces in the couple's bed back in 2016. Depp security guard pointed the finger at Heard yet she blamed it on the dog.

Each side tried to paint the other as the abuser.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You didn't stop --

KAYE (voice-over): Heard's lawyers introduced text messages from Depp writing to a friend about Heard, let's drown her before we burn her. And I will f her burnt corpse afterwards to make sure she is dead. Depp explain them away in court as irreverent.

Depp's lawyers tried to diminish her credibility, citing this 2016 journal entry she wrote to Depp apologizing for hurting him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm sorry I can get crazy. I'm sorry I hurt you.

KAYE (voice-over): His lawyers also accused her of doctoring photos of her injuries which she denied and they pointed out the absurdity of her giving Depp a knife as a gift.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's the knife you gave to the man who was hitting you right Ms. Heard?

HEARD: I wasn't worried he was going to stab me with it when I gave it to him that's for certain.

KAYE (voice-over): Still, Heard has continued to share sordid details of alleged abuse by Depp, once allegedly on an airplane in 2014 during an argument about romantic movie scene she had with actor James Franco.

HEARD: I walk away from him. My back has turned to him and I feel this boot in my back. It just hits me in the back.

KAYE (voice-over): More damning testimony against Depp came from Amber Heard sister who said Depp was about to hit her and Amber stepped in to defend her which set Depp off.

WHITNEY HEARD HENRIQUEZ, AMBER HEARD'S SISTER: Johnny had already grabbed the Amber by the hair with one hand and was whacking her repeatedly in the face with the other.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: And Randi joins us. Now how much longer is this trial expected to go on?

KAYE: It should end one week from tonight actually Anderson, May 27th will be closing arguments. And the jury is actually going to decide not only this $50 million lawsuit that Johnny Depp has brought but also Amber Heard's countersuit worth $100 million. So, we heard from the couple in court we also heard from some of their friends and family members, and also a number of psychologists testified, and one of them really stood out because she actually treated them as their marriage counselor back in 2015. And she said that this couple engaged in what she called mutual abuse.

Now it's unclear if any of that will matter to the jury because this case really isn't about whether or not this couple physically abused each other. It's really about defamation because of that 2018 op-ed that Amber Heard had written in The Washington Post, Johnny Depp says that she made false claims about him in that op-ed even though she never actually used his name. And she says that she is now -- he has now accused her of lying. So that is really the issue. It's the defamation.

But meanwhile all of their dirty laundry has been aired in public in the courtroom, Anderson, certainly disturbing and embarrassing.

COOPER: Yes. Randi Kaye, appreciate it. Thanks. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:59:00]

COOPER: We end tonight's broadcast remembering the life of Heyward Patterson. A solemn and almost completely silent carrying the casket holding the father of three is the first of the 10 people killed the mass shooting in Buffalo to be laid to rest this week. Sixty seven- year-old taxi driver was helping a passenger outside the supermarket where the shooting occurred. His nephew told CNN that Patterson took pride in helping people, that he would give people rides if they had little money or not at all. Also that he loved telling jokes and always had a smile.

Patterson worked as a deacon at his church and was described by another deacon there as someone who was a provider not only for his family, but for the community. Heyward Patterson, the deacon said will be sorely missed.

That's it for us. The news continues. I hope you have a great weekend. I want to hand it over to Laura Coates in "CNN TONIGHT." Laura.

LAURA COATES, CNN HOST: Anderson, thank you yet one of the funerals that never should have been that for that horrendous hate crime. Thank you so much.

[21:00:06]

I am Laura Coates and this is "CNN TONIGHT."