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Trump Threatens New Tariffs on China, Repeats Debunked Claim; Former South Korean President's Verdict; Russian Spy Poisoning Update; Jordan Spieth Leads By 2 After; Finau In Contention day After Turning Ankle; Arsenal Trash CSKA Moskow 4-1 In First Leg. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired April 06, 2018 - 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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ISHA SESAY, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): This is NEWSROOM L.A. Hello and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Isha Sesay.
U.S. financial markets could be in for another wild ride after Donald Trump's latest shot in a potential trade war with China.
Dow futures have been down sharply since the president released a statement late Thursday saying, "In light of China's unfair retaliation, I have instructed the USTR to consider whether $100 billion of additional tariffs would be appropriate."
The U.S. and China have been threatening to impose new import taxes on each other all week. President Trump says they are a penalty for China's theft of intellectual property. Wall Street finished the day up 240 points but the U.S. markets look to be headed for a disappointing start. Right now Dow futures are down more than 1 percent, the Nasdaq and the S&P futures are also pointing lower.
Let's take a look at how the markets in Asia are faring. The Shanghai Composite is closed today. But the Hong Kong's Hang Seng index is higher. Tokyo and Sydney have been relatively flat and Seoul in negative territory.
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SESAY: Senior international correspondent Ivan Watson is in Beijing and joins us now.
Ivan, the president has made his move, the consideration of a further $100 billion worth of tariffs against China. Question is now how will Beijing respond.
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Judging by the pattern of this week Beijing will probably come up with its own plan, its own threat of tariffs on about $100 billion worth of U.S. goods because that's the pattern we've seen thus far. This week has been remarkable if you look back at the beginning of the week, with China imposing tariffs on $3 billion worth of U.S. goods in response to U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.
And then moving forward a couple days, where you have the U.S. imposing tariffs on $15 billion worth of Chinese goods, threatening to do that, China reciprocated in kind. So presumably China will go the next step as well.
These massive tariffs have not been applied yet, it's important to note. And just earlier this week, the White House was saying it could be months before they come into place. Both sides have been calling for negotiations to take place. But clearly the tension is ratcheting up. The threats are ratcheting up.
And what's interesting about this is if the U.S. goes through on these latest threats, that would be roughly 40 percent of Chinese exports to the U.S. that would face a 25 percent tariffs.
Now in retaliation, U.S. exports far less to China. So China would have to presumably find other avenues to try to punish the U.S. economically. And I'm sure they're probably drawing up plans.
However, it is a national holiday here in China so we're not likely to hear very much from Chinese officials today.
SESAY: I'm sure they will speak out soon. Ivan Watson joining us there from Beijing, we appreciate it much. Thank you.
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SESAY: Michael Genovese is the president of the Global Policy Institute at Loyola Marymount University.
Michael, good to have you here.
MICHAEL GENOVESE, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Great to be here, thank you.
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SESAY: A great deal to discuss. The world is watching this, this tit-for-tat at least the potential showdown if you will. The market are spooked. The president is on a completely different page. Take a listen.
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DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You probably saw that for many years no president wanted to go against China economically. And we're going to do it. We're at a point where we had to do this. Our economy is strong. Our jobs are great. We're going to come out with numbers on Friday that hopefully will be fantastic numbers. Companies are doing really well and you have to go after the people that aren't treating you right.
(END VIDEO CLIP) SESAY: Michael, why is everything about this president framed in such
way that makes you feel it's a knockdown drag out fight, even when a more sophisticated, more nuanced, more subtle approach could work better?
GENOVESE: Well, the president personalizes everything. Everything is about him, doing it to me. And if he's correct -- and I think he is -- that the economy is strong and all the economic indicators seem to be going in the right direction, why do you want to rock the boat?
Why do you want to shake things up?
I'm scared to death to look at my 401(k) because it's been like a roller coaster. And what he does matters. It has consequences. He's using the bully pulpit to be a bully. China is not going to be bullied and they've already demonstrated that.
Now as the report indicated, no real imposition of these tariffs has gone into effect yet. And so there's time and there's room. And you hope cooler heads prevail.
Would that be the Chinese?
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GENOVESE: Because Donald Trump has not exhibited that he's going to be a cooler head. If this is a great negotiating point, fine. But you are walking on a razor and things could really collapse very quickly.
SESAY: And one Republican senator basically summed that up and sounded the alarm bell. The Republican Senator Ben Sasse, this is what he said.
He said, "Hopefully the president is just blowing off steam again. But if he's even half serious, this is nuts. He's threatening to light American agriculture on fire. Let's absolutely take on Chinese bad behavior but with a plan that punishes them instead of us. This is the dumbest possible way to do this."
And when you what the president said on Thursday, he talks about the economy being strong and waiting for these numbers and they're in a good position, that's what he shares with that audience there in West Virginia.
What he doesn't say is China does possess the means to harm, hurt American consumers, manufacturers and farmers.
GENOVESE: You think he's taking that into consideration. You hope he does take it into consideration but you always know with Donald Trump he can be played. He can be manipulated. And he is perfectly correct. IP and a lot of other problems with China is imposing on us. They're not playing fairly.
But do you have to take a sledgehammer to every problem? If the only thing you know is the hammer than every problem is a nail
and that's all Donald Trump knows. He is not nuanced. He is not sophisticated. He is not well-versed in policy. So what he knows is to use the bully pulpit, to be a puppet and to take a hammer and hit people over the head with it.
The Chinese are not going to put up with it.
SESAY: (INAUDIBLE) these words.
The president has been on a tear and that he continued on Thursday, repeating a host of debunked claims that he has said time and time again. I want you to take a listen to what he had to say about voting in California.
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TRUMP: In many places like California, the same person votes many times. You probably heard about that. They always like to say, oh, that's a conspiracy theory. Not a conspiracy theory, folks. Millions and millions of people.
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SESAY: Would you like to take a stab at trying to figure out what he is trying to do, achieve, what the message is?
GENOVESE: Well, he's clearly unhinged in that comment, I mean, millions and millions of people, that's absurd. Normal people don't say things like that. A president shouldn't say things like that. And when he says things like that, people begin to question his judgment, his temperament, even his sanity. That's not what normal people say, millions of people, it's absurd.
And he's being absurd. Who is he playing to?
I don't think even his base believes that.
SESAY: It is interesting because I think about coming from a part of the world where our elections are constantly questioned in terms of their fairness, their transparency and to have the United States, their elections -- he's basically putting the U.S. in the same boat as a number of other places in the world, which is just not what the world is accustomed to hearing.
GENOVESE: Well, he did it during the campaign, when he thought he was going to lose and he said he was going to -- he might challenge the vote. And he did it afterwards about how, no, he really won the popular vote. Again, it's all about him, everything has to be spot and shiny and beautiful for him and if it's not, he simply changes history.
Well, it's OK for your uncle in the back room to change history. But when the president does, it has consequences. Other nations look to us as a beacon. We're not a beacon right now. Other nations look to us to lead. But when we're bashing the free press and we're undermining democratic elections, it undermines the press. It undermines elections. It undermines democracy.
The president doesn't care that this has consequences, it's all about him.
SESAY: The president also had some comment to make, comments again that he kicked his entire campaign with, about people trying to cross the border. Take a listen.
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TRUMP: And remember my opening remarks at Trump Tower. When I opened, everybody said, oh, he was so tough and I used the word rape. And yesterday it came out where this journey coming up, women are raped at levels that nobody has ever seen before. They don't want to mention that. So we have to change our laws.
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SESAY: What does that even mean?
It's what I think when I hear that. But also his use of rape is to evoke a certain kind of fear.
GENOVESE: You hit it on the nose, fear. What fear does is it stops the rational thinking process. When fear dominates, you don't think through, you don't think of the consequences. You don't think about the options. Fear is a great mind closer. And if he can get you to be afraid -- and the statement was completely absurd -- more rapes than have ever -- you know, those kinds of excessive statements which are just not true.
The caravans are for a purpose, to prevent violence. The caravans happen every year. It's part of the Way of the Cross, which is a Catholic -- especially in --
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GENOVESE: -- Central America and Mexico -- it's a way of life there.
And so this is a solution in search of a problem. Let's militarize the border. It makes him feel tough. It makes him feel manly. It's completely absurd and it's counterproductive and the caravans will fizzle out. They always do unless you provoke them.
And if you want to provoke them, we've had a history of that. President Polk provoked a war in Mexico because of tampering with the border and militarizing the border. I don't know what Trump's end game is.
SESAY: This gathering in the West Virginia was actually supposed to focus on tax reform. You would never know that, to be honest. If you were to listen to the president, in fact, take a listen because he had remarks but take a listen to his feelings about what he was supposed to be saying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: You know, this was going to be my remarks. It would have taken about two minutes but the hell with it. That would have been a little boring, a little boring. Now I'm reading off the first paragraph. I said, this is boring, come on. We have -- we have to say, tell it like it is.
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SESAY: He threw out those remarks, which were for this event on tax reform, this tax event. Tax reform or the benefits of tax reform are meant to be the central plank for Republicans trying hold onto the House and Senate in November.
If their own president can't stay on message, if you're running in November, what are you thinking?
GENOVESE: He is the showman in chief. And you saw -- it's great TV. It's funny. Oh, he's just playing around. He is the center of attention. But he so easily gets off message and that's been history of his presidency. And so many Republicans in Congress say, stay on message.
The message might work for us. Tax cuts might work. But every time he starts to talk about message, it becomes some game and he has to throw out all kinds of extreme statements and he loses track of his central focus and his central purpose.
You can't govern that way and he's demonstrated that you keep on stepping on your own feet. You end up messing up policy.
SESAY: Michael Genovese, we thank you.
GENOVESE: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SESAY: A South Korean court is delivering its verdict in the corruption and bribery trial of former president Park Geun-hye. She denies any wrongdoing but prosecutors are seeking 30 years in prison. Our Paula Hancocks joins us now from Seoul with more on all of this.
And Paula, bring us up to speed.
What's been happening?
What do we know?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Isha, the judge is still reading out the verdicts on those 18 charges. We have heard though from the judge that Park Geun-hye has been found guilty of abuse of power and of coercion.
This isn't the final verdict as they are still reading out the verdicts on some of those charges. And then after that happened it could take another half hour or so. There will be immediate sentencing of the former president. Now as you say, Park Geun-hye has consistently denied the charges against her. She has many protesters here. These are pro-Park Geun- hye people who have come to show their displeasure that she has been sentenced, that she has been imprisoned for almost a year. Many people here believe she is innocent.
But this is the minority here in the country. There are hundreds of thousands of people that came out onto the streets, calling for her impeachment just over a year ago. So certainly this is a very highly charged case. People around the country are able to watch what we are seeing right now live on television, this lower court broadcasting it live for the first time as judges deemed that this was in the national interest.
So we are still hearing the verdict being delivered, the ruling being delivered by the judge. But at this point abuse of power and coercion, Park Geun-hye has been found guilty of -- Isha.
SESAY: Paula, I know that when this trial and these criminal proceedings got underway, there was much talk about it being the end for the troubles, the family conglomerates and the collusion between the rich, the wealthy, those in politics.
Give me our sense as we arrive at this moment of the verdict and sentencing of Park Geun-hye, of the legacy of this trial.
HANCOCKS: Absolutely. Certainly there's -- it is incredibly far- reaching, this corruption case that Choi Soon-sil, who was the former confidante, unelected confidante of Park Geun-hye, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
You have the heir apparent of Samsung, Jay Y. Lee, he was sentenced to five years as well. That was later commuted to 2.5 years, suspended sentence in an appeals court and he is now free.
But it is -- it just shows how far-reaching this court case has been. This has really gripped the nation, the fact that so many people came out on to the streets to these candlelight --
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HANCOCKS: -- vigils to push for the impeachment of the former president in the bitter Korean winter.
There were families out. There were many people out on the streets, calling for an end to corruption in this country. There was a real sense -- and there still is a real sense that the corruption that has been rife within previous governments and also this strong collusion between the governments and big business, people have simply had enough.
And there was a real desire to see justice being done. Of course, the people behind me here do not see this as justice being done but for many people around South Korea they will be watching this sentencing and this ruling with great interest, hoping for the ruling that they want to see -- Isha. SESAY: Paula Hancocks joining us there from Seoul, South Korea, Paula, thank you.
Come up, Russia warns the British government it will be sorry if it does not stop accusing the Kremlin of poisoning its former spy.
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SESAY: Moscow's ambassador to the United Nations says blaming Russia for a nerve agent attack in the U.K. is a, quote, "fake story." He made the claim Thursday at a U.N. Security Council meeting and warned the British government it was playing with fire in making the accusation.
Despite Kremlin denials of involvement, U.K. officials reportedly believe they know which Russian lab made the nerve agent.
Meanwhile, former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal remains in critical but stable condition. His daughter, however, is recovering and has made her first public statements. We get more now from CNN's Matthew Chance.
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MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Today, the first statements from Yulia Skripal, now awake after surviving the nerve agent attack meant to kill her and her father, Sergei, in Salisbury, England, last month.
"I woke up over a week ago now and I'm glad to say my strength is growing daily," she wrote.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).
CHANCE (voice-over): Yulia's cousin claims she recorded this unauthenticated phone call with Skripal on Wednesday and handed over the audio to Russian state television.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).
CHANCE (voice-over): The call has not been confirmed by CNN but in it, an update on Yulia's father.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).
CHANCE (voice-over): The former Russian spy remains in critical condition as an emboldened Kremlin called a U.N. Security Council meeting today, rejecting all blame.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Ladies and gentlemen, I don't even know what to say about this. It's some sort of theater of the absurd. CHANCE (voice-over): Russia's anger has been fueled by the British government's allegation that the weapons grade nerve agent used in the attack was made in Russia. (INAUDIBLE) has tweeted the same conclusion but quickly deleted it. Scientists who examined the nerve agent say they never identified the source. Soon, Russia's foreign ministry --
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CHANCE (voice-over): -- spokeswoman took to Facebook.
"The U.K. now has its own test tube of shame," she says, liars."
Britain stands by its assessment but Russian officials say that the allegations were fabricated, designed to discredit Russia.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The so-called Skripal case became a pretext, an imaginary or staged one for a groundless mass expulsion of Russian diplomats not only from the U.S. and Britain but also from a number of other states.
CHANCE (voice-over): Foreign minister spoke as 60 expelled American diplomats departed Moscow, part of a tit-for-tat response by Russia. As relations between the Kremlin and the West worsen, the Trump administration is also threatening to sanction Russian oligarchs coming to the U.S. over their involvement in the American presidential election.
As for the Skripals, Russia's ambassador to the U.K. was all smiles today at news of Yulia's survival, even offering an invitation home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really happy and I wish you that one day Yulia will come back to Moscow, where she has job, (INAUDIBLE).
CHANCE (voice-over): -- Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.
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SESAY: As you just saw, the front office deleted a tweet that blamed Russia for the poison attack. It was a serious misstep by U.K. foreign secretary Boris Johnson. Chemical weapons experts in the U.K. had not identified the nerve agent as Russian in origin.
CNN contributor Jill Dougherty joins us from Seattle, Washington. She's a former Moscow bureau chief at CNN.
Jill, always good to have you with us. Misstatements from British officials opening the door for the Russian ambassador to the U.N. to say this at the U.N. Security Council meeting on Thursday. Take a listen.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Couldn't you come up with a better fake story? We have told our British colleagues that you're playing with fire and you'll be sorry.
Your politicians never thought about all this, did they?
They had no idea that their sense -- that their hyped-up statements might boomerang and hit them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SESAY: Jill, how are you reading those comments about the U.K. being sorry?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think the Russians have upped the ante at this point. They initially denied and they continued to deny. But they've gotten more strident in the way they're doing that.
And I think at this point, you know, you're going to be sorry is really kind of a scary threat, what could it be?
Certainly they're not going to use nuclear weapons and attack. But they can retaliate in different ways. Right after, just a few days ago, the Russians were carrying some exercises right at the border of Latvia. So you have -- there are different ways you know that they can respond, not quite clear but they obviously are pushing it. They are not pulling back at all. They're pushing it right up to the wall.
SESAY: They are pushing it. The U.K. ambassador to the United Nations is also pushing back. Karen Pierce (ph) was equally forceful in her response. Take a listen.
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KAREN PIERCE (PH), U.K. AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: We can't ignore what has happened in Salisbury. We cannot ignore Russia turning a blind eye to the use of chemical weapons in Syria and in Salisbury. And we cannot ignore the way that Russia seeks to undermine the international institutions which have kept us safe since the end of the Second World War.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SESAY: Forceful, direct, laying the charge at Russia. But Jill, from where you sit, when you take into account what the British Foreign Secretary said in that interview that kicked off this retraction of statements about knowing where the chemical agent was made and the front office having to basically withdraw the tweet, how bad a misstep is this on the part of the British?
Have they dented their credibility here in their case about the Russians being responsible?
DOUGHERTY: I think they have. It depends to what degree. I wouldn't want to put a percentage on it. But Russia would certainly jump on anything that they can exploit to show that this is all (INAUDIBLE) and crazy and as they called it today, theater of the absurd. But I think the thing that really is worrying Russia right now is what it is going to probably happen in the United States, already seems to be happening, which is the U.S. government now, the investigators putting -- Mueller's investigators putting the squeeze on Russian so- called oligarchs.
And this type of financial movement by the United States, where you begin to squeeze people who are very rich, who are friends of President Putin gets serious. Russia can't retaliate in tit-for-tat.
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DOUGHERTY: Isha, think of just the past couple of weeks. You've had expulsions of diplomats right and left, 60 here, 150 total, et cetera.
Russia can play that game. But Russia does not control the international financial system. And so when this threat is out there, I think it makes Russia very nervous. And that's why the -- also the British had been doing some of that, too, saying that they might have to look at investments and property and bringing money from Russia into the U.K., making that more transparent.
These are things that really do worry Russia and the obvious intent is to get as close to President Putin with these so-called oligarchs, which the Russians would say are business men, close to Putin as you possibly can.
SESAY: And with that being said, with Russia's growing nervousness, with them becoming more strident, what are you seeing in Russian media?
DOUGHERTY: Well, they're very -- they're furious. So there is a lot of anger but then there's also a lot of ridicule. You know, just a few days they were saying, well, perhaps Mr. Skripal, the former spy, was killed with kasha, with porridge, you know.
So there is a lot of mockery, ridiculous, saying this is so totally ridiculous it doesn't even bear answering. There are different ways -- Russia has used this consistently. Sometimes it will deny that something happened. Sometimes it will strike back and say prove it, which they've done. There is a lot mockery. That is definitely a tool.
And then I think also you take it to the threat. And that's where we are right now. You will be sorry for doing this. The threat is not defined yet.
SESAY: (INAUDIBLE) everyone on edge. Jill Dougherty, joining us there from Seattle, always appreciate it. Jill, thank you.
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SESAY: A judge in Brazil has signed an arrest warrant for former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, giving him until late Friday to surrender himself. Brazil's high court ruled on Wednesday that Lula da Silva must start serving a 12-year prison sentence for corruption while he appeals his conviction.
He had been considered a the front-runner in the presidential election this fall.
Next on NEWSROOM L.A., from Obama to Trump, we dive into how the U.S. prison system has changed in just a few years and what that means to those behind the wall.
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[02:30:03] SESAY: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. I'm Isha Sesay. The headlines this hour. The South Korean court is delivering its verdict in the corruption and bribery trial of former President Park Geun-hye. The process is expected to take hours. She denies any wrongdoing. Prosecutors are asking for a 30-year sentence. Donald Trump says he's considering $100 billion in additional tariffs on Chinese goods. The president says Beijing retaliated against the U.S. unfairly after he announced $50 billion in penalties for theft of intellectual property earlier this week.
The U.N. Security Council has meet for the second time to discuss the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter in England. Russia's ambassador warn the U.K. that blaming the Kremlin for the attack was, "Playing with fire." The times of London reports British officials believe they had pinpointed the Russian lab that made the nerve agent. When former U.S. President Barack Obama assumed office in 2009, he promised to make prison reform a priority a system that disproportionally imprisons people of color.
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BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We know that even as we imprisoned more people of all races than any nation in the world, an African-American child is roughly five times as likely as a white child to see the inside of a prison. A growing body of research shows that people of color are more likely to be stopped, frisk, questioned, charged, detained.
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SESAY: President Obama made it his goal to keep this conversation going in hopes to arrive at some legislative victory. In the end, he was the first sitting president to ever visit a federal prison. He commuted more sentences than any other president in U.S. history and he also issued an order to phase out the use of private prisons. But things are starting to look a little different now. Donald Trump won the presidency and the new administration immediately began to roll back to the Obama-era measures. Attorney General Jeff Sessions issues this memo shortly after the inauguration that called for the reinstatement of private prisons that critics say are inefficient and inhumane. Dozens of senators even sponsored a bill to ease drug lords sentences that have historically resulted in non-violent offenders spending lengthy time behind bars.
But the White House pushed it to the side. Last week, the "New York Times" reported, Mr. Sessions' excoriated the bill predicting it would reduce sentences for highly dangerous cohort of criminals including repeat dangerous drug traffickers and those who use firearms. But let's try and connect the dots and try to figure out what's really going on with this administration and really how they view the whole issue of prison reform. Joining me now to talk about all this is criminal justice reform advocate Shaka Senghor, he's the Director of Innovation and Strategy at #Cut50 and a "New York Times" best-selling author of his memoir Writing My Wrongs: Life, Death, and Redemption in an American Prison. Shaka, welcome.
SHAKA SENGHOR, DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION AND STRATEGY AT #CUT50: Thank you so much for having me.
SESAY: You're also welcome. It's good to have you with us. You were in prison for 19 years, can you tell us what you were convicted of? What you did that lead to your being incarcerated for all that time?
SENGHOR: Yes. So around one months before my 19th birthday, I was convicted of second degree homicide which occurs 17 months after I had gotten -- I got shot. I was sentenced to 17 to 40 years in prison. I ended up serving 19 years in prison, seven of that in solitary confinement.
SESAY: Seven years solitary confinement? Can you tell us what that is like? What that does to a human being?
SENGHOR: They say that most people begin to deteriorate within 30 days of in a solitary confinement. It's essentially torture, 23-hour lockdown five days a week, 24-hour lockdown, the other two days out of the week. The level of lesson is unimaginable and so when you put somebody in that environment for that length of time, there can only be one (INAUDIBLE) and what the designated outcome is to be and that's ready to torture a person.
SESAY: As part of your research into what prison, how much better prison could be or better yet how they could better serve the public? You went to Germany, tell me about that and what you took away from that when you kind of get a kind of perspective on what's happening there and here?
SENGHOR: When I went to Germany, I went over there with all the brasses as one can imagine understand the history of Germany and I thought that the prison system will be barbaric, inhuman, dehumanizing, and when I got over there, it blew my mind that the way that they treated the men and women aside were as if this is just a cousin or a brother, or a uncle where who had run a file and that they have to wrap their arms around them in order to make sort of they came home and healthy and whole. I had a conversation with the warden over there and I told her how much time I send this -- served inside a solitary confinement and she said, we would never do that to one of our citizens.
[02:35:03] And when she said that like her eyes wield up and she was tearful and it made me think about the disconnect we have over here. The reason is so easy upon us is because black and brown men and women are not seen as equal citizens in this country. And when you see people as your fellow citizen who may have made a mistake then you realize it's a responsibility as a fellow citizens to help that person.
SESAY: You subscribed to the line that Bryan Stevenson as, you know, the activist, the founder of Equal Justice Initiate who serves marginalize communities on death row and you have been closer to saying that also we are more than the worst deed we've ever committed.
SENGHOR: Absolutely.
SESAY: Why is it important for people to understand that even if you murdered something, someone you are not just a murderer?
SENGHOR: The reality is a lot of times we look at a singular act without understanding the holistic reason behind whether these things continue to occur. In addition to working on criminal justice reform and our work and highly volatile communities that are been devastated by gun violence and what I found is that if you get to the root causes, you start getting with the early childhood trauma, adverse childhood experiences, you know, you begin to understand that these singular acts are not born in a vacuum that there are circumstances in the environmental factors that are contributing to them and we recognize that the brain of a 19-year-old is not the same as a 40- year-old. But they have to have this thing. They have to have a rehabilitative resource. They have to have people that really say, you know what, we're willing to fight for you because we believe in you and we're not going to throw you away and disregard you which is what we do in this country all too often.
SESAY: I could talk to you for hours and say the way out of time. Shaka Senghor, thank you.
SENGHOR: And thank you so much for having me.
SESAY: Thank you. Well, still to come. A court appearance to South Africa's former president. We're live in Durban ahead here on CNN.
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SESAY: Well, an Indian court is set to decide in the next day or two whether to grant bail to Bollywood star Salman Khan. He was sentenced to five years in prison for shooting a rare protected antelope back in 1998 and he has appealed. The court has yet to take up that argument. This isn't the first time he's been in legal troubles though. He was convicted three years ago at a deadly hit and run incident. The guilty verdict was thrown out after a higher court said there wasn't enough evidence. Well, South Africa's former president is set to appear in court in a little more than an hour. Jacob Zuma faces corruption charges for his role in a decades of arms deal. He is denying any wrongdoing but he's ruling party still forced him to resign last month. David McKenzie joins us now outside the courthouse in Durban, South Africa. And David, colorful scenes behind you. But give us some sense of the significance of what's happening in court today.
[02:40:01] DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Isha, it's hugely significant. This is a former president who was at the seat of power months ago and now he's facing a court appearance for very serious charges. But as you say, very colorful scenes out there outside the court. These are supporters of former President Jacob Zuma, not a huge showing but they're here to say these charges are unfair. So Isha, he will be facing charges -- summons for charges of fraud, corruption, racketeering, and money laundering. Hugely, it's significant in the African context that a former leader could be charged and could go to trial. Now, these are being long standing charges against Jacob Zuma legal wrangling over the months and this shouldn't fool you because the sentiment I feel across the country is actually that Zuma should have his time in court. Take a listen.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's gotten a lot -- gotten away with a lot and it's quite ridiculous to say that he's --
MCKENZIE: That he should have his time in court?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Definitely. And we should see our justice system at work.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. I think he should go to court and make sure that, yes, everything is settled.
MCKENZIE: Do you think that he's guilty of any crimes?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. I think he's guilty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE: Well, Isha, one Zuma advocate we spoke he said that this court proceedings and the possible trial will be like a 15 round heavyweight fight. He says that the defense team of Jacob Zuma will most likely come in and try to delay again. Many South Africans feel that justice delayed here for the country is justice demand, Isha.
SESAY: Sure. This has drag on for so long. So David, talk to us about next steps here and the big picture.
MCKENZIE: Well, President Jacob Zuma will come as a heavy police presence here at the court. He would most likely will come through a side entrance. There will be a short call proceedings right here. The charges against them very serious charges that if convicted, he could spend many years I jail. But this is just the beginning. Even though it's been more than a decade in the making, it could then be delayed yet again by his team. They could bring in procedural and legal wrangling to again delay it. So most experts believe that the trial won't start anytime soon and this could take years. But the political backdrop of this is extraordinary. You have ANC members here and ANC regalia. They're ask not to come in the ANC colors. They have done it. They choose the divisions within the ruling -- new President Cyril Ramaphosa. So as more people scream in behind the camera towards me --
SESAY: Technical issues -- technical issues there David McKenzie. We just lost him there as he set the scene for what comes next with Jacob Zuma in court shortly there in Durban to face charges -- decades old charges related to that long turning case. He denies any wrongdoing. Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. I'm Isha Sesay. World Sport is up next. You're watching CNN.
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KATE RILEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS ANCHOR: Hello and welcome along to World Sport. I'm Kate Riley at CNN Center. The first round of the year's first major, the Masters is nearly in the book. And when no shortage of drama as well. We all cross out to Augusta in just a moment of time. But first, let's see how that leaderboard is shaping up the 2015 Masters, when a Jordan Spieth was absolutely on fire on back ninth to come away with these first round, 66. Good for two- stroke lead over Tony Finau and Matt Kuchar. Well, a number of big storylines to choose from. We'll going to start with the amazing finish from Spieth. In Augusta for us, here is CNN's Don Riddell.
[02:45:38] DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: He just loves this tournament, does he? Remember, he's only 25 years old. This is only his 5th Masters appearance. He's already got one green jacket and two-run as that spots. And here he is, grabbing this thing by the scarf of the neck, throwing the (INAUDIBLE). And basically, saying, "Once again, I am the man to beat." So, an absolutely, thrilling performance from Jordan Spieth.
The man as you say that everybody wanted to see was Tiger Woods. Of course, he has completely dominated the build-up to the 2018 Masters. Remember, his mastery of the last four tournaments, he has won it four times. People thought he might never play again. He even told that himself with the four back surgeries he's had to go through. But here he was out there today, hitting a one over par round with a score of 73. That's not bad, he will be there or thereabouts. And you can tell from the video I was showing you here, the crowds' reps with the massive, and he really was enjoying the big welcome back.
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TIGER WOODS, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: The people are -- were incredible. They have been -- they've been awesome this entire comeback. I got a standing ovation on the range. Come after the first tee, the people coming up -- was come out the clubhouse and they putting green. I mean, they really into it. But as I said, that was kept in my mind, myself just a low pillar out there. You know, I'm not as tough when I do my job, and my job is football in the fair and move on from there.
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RIDDELL: Another American who has scored everybody's eye with his great play and what was almost an after his ridiculous injury. Tony Finau, remember him? The 28 year old who on Wednesday made that hole and one at the par three. And then, seemingly, completely dislocated his ankle and he put it back in luck it was a face of lego. And there he is out there on the opening round in his Masters debut with the four and the past score of 68.
It was an absolutely phenomenal performance from Tony Finau. He said when he went over on his ankle the previous day, the pain level was 10 out of 10. He just didn't want to be embarrassed out there that's why he put it back in himself. He is going to be resting up on Thursday night. He's going to elevate the ankle and get it iced. And hopefully, he can continue his thrilling performance in the second round on Friday.
So, we've shown you some of the better highlights but many of you watching are oversee not going to be professional golfers. You want them all is like to be a professional and to be out there and performed well and win green jackets. Well, I can tell you this, the next time you have a bad round, just remember, it's not only you, the professional has do it too.
Sit back and enjoy if you like. Sergio Garcia, the defending champion. The man who won the green jacket last year. Here he is on the 15th hole. Now, this hole, by the way, one year ago, he ego then that propelled him on ultimately to his victory. He put the ball in the water, not once, or twice, or three times, or four times, but five times. He ended up signing for a score of 13 which for a single hole at the Masters tie the record.
He's only been done twice before back in 1978 and 1980. This can be a very, very cruel game. He is almost all the way at the bottom of the leaderboard on a score of nine over par. Heaven only knows how is going to about to come back on Friday and perform better. And if he misses the Cup, you know what happens at the Masters, the defending champion presents the green jacket to the new champion. The next year, he's going to have to stick around all weekend.
So, hopefully, that doesn't happen for Sergio. He is a popular golfer, he was a very popular champion here and last year. But this just is a reminder that this can be a very, very cruel game. The golfing Gods can give and they can take it away.
RILEY: Well, as today, golf fans have been looking forward to whole year and the first day of the Masters Tournament is officially in the books. Here's more in our "ROLEX MINUTES".
PATRICK SNELL, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: One of four Spanish players competing at Augusta National, Jon Rahm, is aiming to follow Sergio Garcia and host the Maria all of the vow. And extending the nations distinguish history at the Masters.
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JON RAHM, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER, SPAIN: It really as great under Sergio being the defending champion. Two out of the four Spaniards have won here, one of them twice. You know, it's the atmosphere is great for all of us. And if you like a lot of people hoping I'm here to wrapped -- I get the jacket from Sergio this year. We're truly amazing.
[02:50:11] SNELL: Garcia's title defense at his over almost before it has begun. The Spaniard watched this five consecutive shots rolled into the water, this course 13th of the 15th on the opening day. But Jordan Spieth, the number five had only positive cementations.
Starting on 13, the 2015 champion birdied a career-best five holes in a raw in the major. The 24 year old Texan, six on the par, 66th season league by two.
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RILEY: Welcome back to the show. It's another busy night with your famed football on Thursday. One of the marking matches who also ahead to CSKA Moscow, in their first leg quarterfinal in the Europa League. A lot riding on the (INAUDIBLE) for the North London as they hope to make it to the last four of a competition in Europe for the first time and almost a decade.
To the Emirates stadium, we go, where won the goals have been a theme in Europe this week. Aaron Ramsey would get his brace with one such goal. It was also a great night for Arsenal Golf course to get two to their name as always settle, Alexandre Lacazette for his second of the night. 4-1 if found this one end to the EPL side.
Well, over in the Spanish capital where Atletico Madrid would face Sporting Lisbon on Thursday night, as well. What noting that the last time the Spanish out that won this competition is back in 2012.
To Madrid, we go, fans will -- he will late in the ground would have missed the opening go, Diego Costa, setting up Koke, within the first minute to get things going for the La Liga Club. Just before the break, the host double their lead, thanks to Antoine Griezmann, 2-0 is how this match and in Spain.
All right. Then, more now from a busy night of the European football, we are joined by CNN's Patrick Snell. And based on what we saw tonight, he was the favorite.
SNELL: Yes. I think I'm leaning towards the Atletico Madrid, when they tend to go deep in this tournament, I tend to go on a win it, 2010, 2012, but just a location, that game is significant. A Spanish capital host in the visit of Sporting Clube de Portugal. A certain former club of a certain Cristiano Ronaldo.
This is really cool because what (INAUDIBLE), so, back to (INAUDIBLE) in that Champions League won the goal, you have the (INAUDIBLE) Juventus, You pokes in on his former club, the left bag was back in 2003 to join Manchester United. You just seen in the corner there, in the white top, going in there, chatting to a current generation of players is a really cool pic. One of the club teenage goalkeepers posting a picture there, really nice, really humble.
The game itself, especially mention that Koke goal that has been clocked, Kate, at 22 seconds. What a start of the home team in that one, and that is now, the club's fastest goal in tournament history, no real surprise to learn that.
Atletico simply love this tournament once it get going in as I mentioned earlier. They are formidable at the sparkling, you won the Metropolitano Stadium, 828 minutes without conceding a goal. They won 15 of their last 16 in the Europa League, formidable on home. So -- Kate.
[02:55:31] RILEY: Yes, very much. So, as for Arsenal, we obviously saw the goals that now tell us, how hungry are they to savour this season?
SNELL: This is what as huge incentive friend, a club competing in the Europa League this season because if you win it, just start Man United. If you win it, you get direct entry into the following season's Champion's League, and all the look they have reached, they go with it.
Arsenal are in 6th place right now in the Premier League. They're 13 points off the top four. They know that really, they're going to fix on the Champions League next season. Arsene Wenger's team, they have to win this tournament. There's no question about that.
A wonderful night for Aaron Ramsey, could easily if had a hat trick on another night, he had a goal that was disallowed you. You know, the wonderful curling shot in the second half that grace the woodwork.
But I just like the fact that Arsenal and I got terrific momentum in their season. With 27 goals, they are now the top scorers in this competition. And you remember about a month ago, one of our key editorial storylines on CNN World Sport, was the boo-boys, the critics. Those that was slating the club's French head coach Arsene Wenger. Each in every opportunity, how are this team responded they've knuckled down, and they want five straight games now?
Terrific momentum are real answer, a gesture to finds to the critics. And you know what? Here is the added bonus. The gunners are now through to the quarterfinals of a almost through. They're looking that one step for too close the quarterfinals. The major European competition for the first time in eight years. 4-1 lead, they'll taking to the second leg in the Russian Capital, they're in great shape, and Arsene Wenger will be delighted.
RILEY: You have the both turning to cheat. Patrick, thank you very much. All right, that's it from us. Thank you so much for watching, stay with CNN, "THE NEWS" is next.
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ANNOUNCER: This is "CNN BREAKING NEWS".
GEORGE HOWELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: We are following the breaking news this hour here at CNN. I'm George Howell at CNN World headquarters in Atlanta. South Korean Court has delivered its verdict in the corruption and bribery trial of the former president of that nation, Park Geun-hye. Our Paula Hancocks, following the story live in Seoul, South Korea. Paula, what have you learned?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, George, you just heard that the Judges have sentence the former South Korean President Park Geun-hye, to 24 years in prison. They find him guilty of abuse of power, of corrosion, of other charges, as well.
Some of the 18 charges she was find not guilty of, but the overrule -- ruling of this point of sentencing is 24 years.
