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Evacuations Begin From Mariupol Steel Plant; Deadly Attacks In Afghanistan During Ramadan; World Bank Warns Of Economic Damage From China COVID-19 Policy; Russian Video Shows Sub Launching Missiles In Black Sea; Cleanup Begins After Tornadoes Sweep Through Kansas; Johnny Depp And Amber Heard Continue Court Battle. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired May 01, 2022 - 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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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): This is CNN breaking news.
ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Hello and a very warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and right around the world. I'm Isa Soares live in Ukraine.
Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, a small but significant sign of progress: a successful evacuation in Mariupol for a very lucky, very few. Our talk with a Ukrainian lawmaker about whether there will be more.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): And I'm Alison Kosik in New York following our other top stories. Deadly attacks on mosques in Afghanistan during the first Ramadan since the Taliban took control. That report ahead.
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SOARES: Welcome to the show, everyone. It's 9:00 am here in Ukraine.
And a glimmer of hope is emerging for people trapped in the port city of Mariupol. After weeks under siege and numerous failed evacuation attempts, around 20 civilians managed to leave on Saturday. But that, of course, is just a tiny fraction of the thousands still stuck in the city.
And conditions are only growing more desperate. Ukraine's president says the eyes of the world are watching. Have a listen.
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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): All the leaders of the free world know what Russia has done to Mariupol. And Russia will not go unpunished for this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: CNN's Scott McLean has a closer look now at the devastation in Mariupol and what comes next for the civilians as well as the soldiers still trapped there.
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SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From a distance, smoke rises above Mariupol's sprawling Azovstal steel plant. But only from above is the true scale of the damage apparent.
New satellite images show nearly every building on the sprawling industrial site has been damaged. Some roofs have caved; some entire buildings are a pile of rubble. What cannot be seen from above is the damage from days of Russian bombing in the network of tunnels and bunkers below the surface.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): All last night, barrel (ph) artillery worked on the territory of the plant, which caused new destructions and new rubble (ph) blockages.
As of now, the special rescue operation is being carried out by the Azov Regiment. We get civilians out of the rubble with ropes. It's the elderly, women and children. We hope that this process will continue and we will be able to evacuate all the civilians.
MCLEAN (voice-over): Svyatoslav Palamar (ph), the Ukrainian Azov Regiment's deputy commander, now says that about 20 women and children rescued from under that rubble have also been taken out of the plant, made possible by a cease-fire, the commander says, and an evacuation convoy, which arrived in the city in the early evening.
Russian media reported there were 25 civilians evacuated, including six kids.
After back-to-back meetings in Moscow and Kyiv by the U.N. secretary general, the United Nations stepped up negotiations to evacuate the civilians trapped under the steel plant.
ZELENSKYY (through translator): We are doing everything to ensure that the evacuation mission from Mariupol is carried out.
MCLEAN (voice-over): By Saturday afternoon, the Mariupol mayor's office reported the Russians were allowing civilians to leave neighborhoods east of the Kalmius River and cross to the west side to potentially meet up with an evacuation corridor at a mall on the edge of the city.
Their journey, through a wasteland of obliterated housing, in weeks of heavy fighting around the steel plant. It's not clear how many people from under the plant were able to escape the desperate conditions. The plant's CEO says the underground bunkers were stocked with enough food and water to last two or three weeks.
It's now been more than two months.
YURIY RYZHENKOV, CEO, METINVEST, AZOVSTAL PLANT OWNER: It's a humanitarian disaster. The city is being destroyed. Basically a beautiful, thriving city was turned into a concentration camp by the Russians in less than two months. You can say it's genocide which is happening there.
MCLEAN (voice-over): Even with some civilians getting out, the fighters are not, even the hundreds that Ukraine says are injured.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We asked to guarantee the opportunity to leave, not only for civilians but also for our wounded service men, who need medical care.
MCLEAN (voice-over): But the fate of those wounded now ultimately lies with Russia-- Scott McLean, CNN, Lviv, Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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SOARES: Well, in Kyiv, protesters are calling on international leaders to step in and help evacuate civilians and soldiers alike from Mariupol, as you heard there in that report from Scott McLean.
A group of women gathered in the capital on Saturday, holding signs and draped there in the Ukrainian flag.
And the danger for those stuck in Mariupol is growing. On Saturday, Ukraine's parliament warned deadly epidemics could soon break out in the city due the lack of water and sanitation and thousands of corpses now decomposing under the rubble.
One official tells me he could expect as many as 20,000 people dead just in the city of Mariupol.
Meanwhile, missile strikes have hammered southern and Eastern Ukraine on Saturday. In the southern port city of Odessa, witnesses reported hearing several explosions. Ukraine's military also confirmed the runway at Odessa's airport has been destroyed.
In his nightly address, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to restore the damaged runway. But he said no amount of rebuilding will make Ukraine forget the destruction caused by Russia.
Ukraine's president says nearly 70 percent of settlements once occupied by Russian forces now have full-fledged local self-government again. Volodymyr Zelenskyy says they're doing everything to return some normalcy really to the deoccupied areas.
He adds humanitarian work is underway in over 90 percent of the liberated Ukrainian towns. Officials are working to restore roads, infrastructure as well as access to medical education, educational and financial services.
Authorities are also actively demining the freed territories.
Mr. Zelenskyy has also been tallying up his military successes in the field. The president ran down the number of tanks as well as aircraft his country has destroyed. He says Russia has lost so many assets on the battlefield, they're having to change their victory parade plans. Have a listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENSKYY (through translator): Our defenders have already destroyed more than 1,000 Russian tanks, almost 200 Russian aircraft, almost 2,500 armored fighting vehicles. Of course the occupiers still have equipment in stock. Yes, they still have missiles to strike at our territory.
But this war has already weakened Russia so much that they have to plan even fewer military equipment for the parade in Moscow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Of course, CNN cannot independently verify those Russian losses there.
Well, elements of normal life are returning to some Kyiv suburbs that have seen some of the worst death as well as destruction during this war. The International Red Cross says it has restored water service in four towns near the capital.
They say they laid 70 kilometers of pipes over the past 18 days and, as a result, water service is up and running again for some 200,000 people, including in the town of Irpin, which has been heavily damaged. You can see there on your screen.
The Red Cross says it went ahead with the project, despite the risk of workers running into leftover mines during the construction. That, of course, is a huge concern at the moment.
The number of Ukrainians who fled the country because of the war continues to grow and now stands at more than 4.5 million people. And that is according to a U.N. estimate. That is roughly, just to put it into context for you, the same as the entire populations of Slovakia or Norway.
The U.N. also says far more Ukrainians are also stranded near battle lines because of security concerns and the damage we've been reporting, damage to roads and bridges and to infrastructure.
Joining me now is Dmytro Gurin, a member of the Ukrainian parliament.
Very good morning to you. Thanks for taking the time to speak with us. Let me start where we started the show this hour, is that breakthrough we've seen in Mariupol, 20 civilians being evacuated.
Of course we know there are a thousand or so inside a steel plant.
Do you know whether there will be further attempts to evacuate the rest today?
DMYTRO GURIN, UKRAINIAN MP: I'm very, very pessimistic about relocation from Mariupol, which is the golden ballot in Russian propaganda. They all this 80 years, they decide that Mariupol is a Nazi nest. And they decided to destroy this Nazi nest. And all the time they said we are opening humanitarian corridor, all
this time is lie. After the general secretary of United Nations came to Russia and then came to Ukraine. And the main reason was Mariupol and the situation is in Mariupol. They, yes, made this for 20 people.
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GURIN: But I am really pessimistic about all the other people in Mariupol, more than 1,000 civilians, and our army.
SOARES: Yes, we're talking about what we've heard about inside the Azovstal steel plant, where the Ukrainian commander tells us 20 civilians have been evacuated. So you're saying that you are pessimistic of further evacuations for the remainder of the civilians inside that steel plant, is that correct?
GURIN: Yes.
SOARES: Do you know whether they're going to try again today?
GURIN: We are trying day by day. We are trying to locate people. We are trying to have this deal with Russians every day, every day. And it doesn't work. They don't want.
SOARES: And what does that mean?
We've talked about the civilians.
Do you have details about what this deal entails?
Do we know what will happen to the soldiers, including the wounded soldiers?
Are they even part of this evacuation plan, Dmytro?
GURIN: Of course we want to locate all the wounded soldiers and the civilians. That's understandable. Most of the civilians are families of Ukrainian soldiers. And after Bucha, we know what will happen with them if they will be captured. These women, these children, they will be raped and they will be killed.
So, of course, we're trying to locate all of them. But unfortunately, as for now, without success.
SOARES: Yes, but we don't know whether the soldiers are part of the evacuation plan.
Is that correct?
GURIN: From our side, of course, we're trying to locate soldiers, wounded soldiers, and all the civilians from other (INAUDIBLE).
Where would that mean, if they are evacuated or if they surrender, this basically gives, in many ways, a win to President Putin taking Mariupol.
What would that mean, you think, for this city that's so beloved by many that I've been spoken to?
GURIN: I'm not sure that will be victory for Putin because he already announced this victory. He already announced that they captured Mariupol. So doesn't look like he can have this victory twice.
So for us, it will be a really very, very hard situation because all that Ukrainian army, all our guys are doing there is far beyond heroic. And for us, of course, they're a symbol of resistance.
And we can -- we -- all of us we hope they can stay there until, with your help, with your weapons, with your offensive weapons, we can kick out Russian troops out of from Mariupol and save our guys.
SOARES: Let me ask you about what's happening in Odessa. I mean we saw missile strikes last night hitting the airport. Of course this is the third biggest city in Ukraine and a very strategic port.
Do you fear that Russia has its eyes on Odessa next?
Is this a prelude to a wider assault, you think?
GURIN: We don't see enough army troops and enough Marines to make a D-Day in Odessa. It looks like it's not possible from the military point of view. But they will make more strikes and all over Ukraine, of course, not only Odessa -- you'll remember we had a strike in Kyiv several days ago.
And so it will continue. Of course, intensity of rocket strikes is much lower now because they just -- like more than half of their rockets is already used. But we're waiting for -- we're waiting for more and more rocket strikes.
SOARES: You are waiting for more, so the expectation is that more is coming.
Dmytro Gurin, thank you very much for taking the time to speak to us. Do stay safe. Appreciate it.
And I'll have much more out of Ukraine in about 20 minutes or so. For now, I'll send it back to Alison Kosik.
KOSIK: Isa, thanks very much.
When we return, deadly attacks during the holy month of Ramadan are raising new questions and concerns about security in Afghanistan.
And Shanghai in lockdown, as one of China's biggest theme parks closes due to COVID.
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(MUSIC PLAYING) KOSIK: Israeli forces have arrested two Palestinians suspected of
killing an Israeli late Friday night. That makes four Palestinians detained in connection with the attack. The militant group al-Aqsa Brigades claimed responsibility.
The shooting comes amid rising violence in the region. The Palestinian ministry of health said Saturday that Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man in the West Bank. The Israeli military said it was conducting counterterrorism activity when a number of people threw Molotov cocktails at the soldiers.
Hundreds attended the Palestinian man's funeral. Clashes broke out after the funeral. The Palestinian Red Crescent says at least three people suffered moderate injuries.
Police in Afghanistan say an explosion in a Kabul residential area killed one person and wounded three others on Saturday. The incident highlights the growing security concerns in the Afghan capital, where, a day earlier, an explosion at a mosque killed at least 10 and wounded dozens more.
CNN's Arwa Damon reports, a wave of deadly attacks in recent weeks has people increasingly worried.
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ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At this packed marketplace in Kabul, shoppers wander through the stalls of dried fruits, nuts and sweets. They are preparing for the Eid and for their holiday.
But despite the bustling scene, the anticipation of laughter and loved filled gatherings with friends and family, there is an inescapable sense of caution, unease. This is a crowded public space. And in Afghanistan, that means potential danger.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The security situation is still not good. There is some security but the kind of security that people were expecting is still not there.
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DAMON (voice-over): This was the first Ramadan in Afghanistan since the Taliban regained control of the country last summer. And even though the Taliban said it would bring security to the country and protect its often targeted minorities, like Shia communities, a series of brutal attacks have rattled several Afghans cities in recent weeks.
Mosques have been targeted, especially during Friday prayers. On Friday, a blast ripped through a mosque in Kabul. Witnesses say there were so many wounded, it took hours to transport the victims to hospitals.
There was a similar attack the previous week at a mosque in Kunduz province in the north of the country, killing at least 33 people. The fear so pervasive, worshippers say, it's never far from their minds. UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I was very much preoccupied
with thoughts and fear. I was thinking a suicide attack or explosion would happen at any moment now. Or the mosque would be attacked. Not only me but every Afghan has this fear in his heart.
DAMON (voice-over): The Taliban condemned the attacks on the two mosques. And also targeted recently, a school and a learning facility in a Shia neighborhood in Kabul, where at least six people died nearly two weeks ago.
The ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan, which often targets Shias and a tribe of the Taliban, has claimed responsibility for several attacks during the Ramadan period.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): How long will such incidents continue?
Afghanistan's situation is so bad, we have no secure place to live.
DAMON (voice-over): Many are questioning if the Taliban government can actually live up to its promises to bring stability to the country. And so, as Afghans celebrate Eid this year, that sense of apprehension they have lived with us for so long, it just continues -- Arwa Damon, CNN.
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KOSIK: Universal Studios Beijing will be closed beginning today because of the COVID-19 outbreak. The theme park did not say when it may reopen.
And after several weeks in lockdown, Shanghai reported nearly 7,900 new COVID cases on Saturday and 38 deaths. Those numbers are from the Shanghai municipal health commission, which reports the number of new local cases and deaths both declined slightly over the last two days.
Shanghai is the engine of China's $18 trillion economy. And the city's strict COVID lockdown could come at a heavy cost. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout explains.
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KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: It's China's biggest and most affluent city. And the streets have been empty for weeks. Shanghai is battling its worst ever COVID-19 outbreak, determined to crush it with its zero COVID policy. It comes at a steep cost to its economy and has implications for the world.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're forecasting that the lockdown in Shanghai will rock China's economy. Shanghai is an economic powerhouse for China. It holds one of the two stock exchanges. Shanghai's port accounts for something like 3 percent of global carfare (ph) throughput at any given time.
STOUT: Shanghai's home to the world's busiest container port. It remains operational. But according to logistics platform Project 44, on April 18th, some ships have been diverted away due to truck shortages.
But the containers are piling up at the port, waiting on average for 12 days before they are picked up and delivered, compared to just over four days in late March. Shanghai is also a major aviation hub.
But the outbreak has forced the suspension of many flights, causing air freight rates to skyrocket. All of this is putting even more pressure on global supply chains.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is having a supply shock. A lot of these shipments now can't leave the ports, can't leave the airports in Shanghai. And these are goods which are ultimately going to Europe and the U.S. It's going to push prices up. We're going to see more inflation pressure.
STOUT: The zero COVID strategy has also forced many factories in Shanghai to suspend operations. The Apple supplier, Pegatron, has suspended production at its Shanghai plant and Volkswagen and Tesla's factories have been shut for weeks.
Production has resumed at Tesla, with CEO Elon Musk saying this, "Tesla Shanghai is coming back with a vengeance."
But the company warned it, too, is not immune from supply chain problems.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Authorities in Shanghai are trying to get essential production plants open under what they call a closed loop system. That means that their staff is actually sleeping on the premises, on the factory floors, eats there, don't leave them, don't go home.
But the problem is a lot of staff don't want to do that and there's a shortage of parts to get these factories reopened. So it will be a global problem.
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STOUT: An analyst warns that the economic pain caused by the zero COVID strategy could spiral out of control, saying this, quote, "Implementing the strategy in an excessive manner by itself could lead to disruption on the supply chain, mass unemployment and then could translate into social political instability, exactly what the zero COVID strategy wants to avoid," unquote.
And yet, Shanghai's weeks-long lockdown still has no end in sight with the bottom line from China watches to the world, brace yourselves for the fallout -- Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOSIK: I'm Alison Kosik. For our international viewers, "QUEST'S WORLD OF WONDER" is up next. For those in North America, our coverage continues after a short break. Stay with us.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): This is CNN breaking news.
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. I'm Isa Soares coming to you live from Lviv, Ukraine.
I want to bring you up to date with the latest developments in Ukraine. There is some hope for hundreds of people believed to still be trapped at the steel plant in Mariupol.
The Ukrainian commander says 20 civilians were evacuated on Saturday and he says he's hoping evacuations will continue and include not only civilians but also wounded Ukrainian troops.
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SOARES: This is what we heard in the last 15, 20 minutes from a Ukrainian MP on the show.
In the south President Zelenskyy is pledging to rebuild the destroyed airport runway in the port city of Odessa. He says the airport was struck by Russian missiles. Witnesses reported seeing military planes in the sky and hearing multiple explosions in the area.
And this video really apparently confirms what Ukraine has been saying for almost a week now, that Russia is using submarines in some of its missile strikes. Moscow released this video, saying it shows a cruise missile launched at a Ukrainian military target.
But Kyiv says the strikes also hit civilian infrastructure. It's not clear when, of course, this video was taken.
Regardless of how the civilian evacuations in Mariupol play out, one question is, what will happen to the Ukrainian troops, who say they'll fight to the bitter end?
We know about 600 or so or injured from the last time we heard from the people inside that steel plant. Earlier, I spoke about that with a military expert who slammed what Russia is doing in Mariupol. Have a listen.
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JOHN SPENCER, MADISON POLICY FORUM: Make no mistake: if Russia wanted those civilians out, they could give the order and that cease- fire would happen and last and get every single civilian out.
And, oh, by the way, the wounded soldiers, those are considered non combatants in the law of armed conflict. They're not fighters. They need to get out as well.
SOARES: And in the meantime, John, what we have been seeing in the battlefield is Russia really pressing on with its offensive in the east and intensifying -- I think it's important to point out -- intensifying that offensive.
What is your assessment of their tactical coordination and that push that we've been seeing?
Because they are somewhat a bit more organized all of a sudden.
SPENCER: Yes, they have the advantage of basically having their supply line but they're still making a lot of the same mistakes, Isa. I mean, yes, they've massed some forces in their heavy use of artillery. We see that. That's why this is a dangerous phase.
And some of these fights like where the fight for Izyum and really this is a war over logistical lines right now. They need certain road intersections, railway heads and cities, to do this encirclement of the Donbas that they want to do.
It's a real dangerous phase. But we also see Ukrainians counter attacking in Kharkiv and other locations that are more promising than a couple of the spots. This is a day by day fight.
SOARES: Yes, and we have seen, like you said, Ukraine pushing back. And we have seen the pull and push of battle.
On the question of what Russia, what they are suffering, according to President Zelenskyy in his overnight address, he said they -- defenders have already destroyed more than 1,000 Russian tanks, almost 200 Russian aircraft, almost 2.5 thousand armored fighting vehicles.
Obviously, they are still in stock. They still have plenty of stock. The supply lines are still coming in. And we are seeing, from the Russian side, those attacks on the supply lines, John, here in Ukraine. And that is critical for the Ukrainians.
SPENCER: Yes, absolutely. And I would really question -- we all know that Russia has stockpiles of tanks but we've also seen the quality of the stuff they put into Ukraine now. Unlike the Ukrainians, who are getting some of the world's best equipment -- vehicles, tanks, artillery -- Russia, even if it resupplies and they can get it, it's not good stuff.
SOARES: Yes, and I suspect, I mean, with the Western artillery that we've got coming in and it starts making its way in here, this battle will be very much kind of a long range weapons and would force, I suspect -- and you can correct me here -- force them to ultimately grow more nimble.
SPENCER: Yes, absolutely. It will break them up. We've already seen long-range attacks today in Izyum. They supposedly took out a Russian command and control center. That long range that we've been talking about, the phase we're entering, where both sides will be trying to hit each other from as far away as possible, while Russia continues its war crime.
But those systems, as more and more get in, the more holding and pushing back and breaking up of those Russian forces the Ukrainians will be able to do. SOARES: And just before we came to you, we reported the story that
really many have been saying, that Ukraine has been saying for over a week, that Russia is using submarines in the Black Sea.
What do you make of what we've been seeing, carrying out cruise missiles on Ukrainian targets from the Black Sea?
What are the challenges for the Ukrainians here, John?
SPENCER: One is to stay vigilant. As I say, as we saw Odessa was struck, I think they're running out of cruise missiles, to be honest.
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SPENCER: So you see them using them, such as a submarine fleet. But like we saw in Kyiv, like in Odessa, the Ukrainians have to stay vigilant.
That's why curfews and things like that, just to keep people safe, because Russia is going to continue this basically missile terrorism.
SOARES: Very briefly, John, as we push forward with this offensive and we see this offensive play out, Putin seems to be wanting a victory, some sort of victory for May 9th.
What are the risks here for Ukraine as we look ahead to the next few weeks?
SPENCER: A lot of risks. Russia is being pushed a lot harder and a lot of us believe it's going to need something to celebrate, because they really have to make something up at this point. They've lost so much.
So the forces that are holding the line along that east have to be reinforced as quickly as possible. So this is an urgency for Ukraine and the world, really.
SOARES: Yes, and we don't know yet what that win would be. Odessa, we saw them attack Odessa, of course, yesterday; Mariupol perhaps. But explains really why we have seen Russia attacking those critical supply lines of Ukraine. John Spencer, always great to get your thoughts. Appreciate it, John.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: John Spencer talking with me earlier.
Well, actress Angelina Jolie, a special envoy for the U.N.'s Refugee Agency, was seen visiting the Lviv region on Saturday. She visited children at a boarding school, a medical institution and also went to a train station to meet with the displaced. There she expressed here gratitude to the volunteers.
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ANGELINA JOLIE, ACTOR AND SPECIAL ENVOY FOR UNRWA: Very complicated, yes. But I imagine just to have a room, where somebody shows that they care and is listening, is so important.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: The Ukrainian journalist says she ran into Jolie during a coffee run in the outskirts of Lviv. The journalist said many other people inside the cafe did not even notice Jolie. The U.N. Refugee Agency says they're not involved in her visit and she's in Ukraine in her personal capacity.
And I'll have much more on Ukraine in about 20 minutes or so. But for now I want to send it back to Alison in New York.
KOSIK: Isa, thanks very much.
In Washington, the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner made a grand return on Saturday after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. The black tie gala celebrates press freedoms, raises money for journalism programs and includes jokes at the expense of politicians and the media. CNN's Kate Bennett was there.
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KATE BENNETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Tonight the return of the White House Correspondents' dinner here in Washington, this time after a hiatus, attended by President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden.
There were also a number of celebrities here, including Kim Kardashian and comedian Pete Davidson. But the night was to celebrate journalism and the First Amendment. The president roasting himself along with those in the media.
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BIDEN: I came to office with ambitions and an agenda and I expected to face stiff opposition in the Senate. I just hoped it would be from Republicans.
But I'm not worried about the midterms. I'm not worried about them. We may end up with more partisan gridlock. But I'm confident we can work it out during my remaining six years in the presidency.
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BENNETT: Also host Trevor Noah did his fair share of jokes, also roasting the president, as well as the many, many members of the media in attendance.
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TREVOR NOAH, COMEDY CENTRAL HOST: For those who don't know me, my name is Trevor Noah and I'm really honored to be here, honestly, you know. Because you could have picked any comedian, you could have invited anyone. But you went with the South African variant, very on theme.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BENNETT: A welcome return of this dinner after the pandemic break and after several years of president Donald Trump not attending, which is tradition. Presidents do typically come to this dinner.
Despite the pandemic, despite the large number of attendees, who all had to prove a negative COVID test, the night was about honoring journalists and returning to some normalcy -- Kate Bennett, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOSIK: We're following the aftermath of several tornadoes in the U.S. and there are more storms brewing. Details from the CNN Weather Center after the break.
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SOARES: And this breaking news just coming in from the capital, Kyiv. The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, has made an unannounced visit to the Ukrainian capital, as you can see there, to meet with president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Pelosi was accompanied by other Democratic members of the House, including Adam Schiff there of California. She told Mr. Zelenskyy the U.S. is committed to be there for Ukraine until the fight is done.
We are short on details. This breaking news just coming into us. The U.S. Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, visiting Kyiv and meeting with Zelenskyy. This comes about a week or so from that visit from the secretary of state Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and their visit to the capital.
We'll stay on top of this breaking news. As soon as we have more details of that meeting and what was said, of course, we shall bring it to you.
For now, I want to send it back to my colleague, Alison, in New York.
KOSIK: Cleanup is underway in Kansas after at least seven tornadoes swept through the state Friday night. On Saturday, crews worked to get power back up in the area.
City officials say several people had minor injuries but no deaths were reported. Dozens of homes were hit and the extent of the damage is still being assessed.
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KLOEY VALENTINE, TORNADO VICTIM: It's really sad. I hate seeing my family cry because they lost everything. I hate that all these things are like gone. I keep thinking like what now and like I have nothing but like trying to stay positive because last night was really terrible, a lot of tears. So it's just hard to see.
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KOSIK: Hollywood stars Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are in the midst of a bitter defamation case over abuse claims after the collapse of their once glamorous marriage. More on the tragic aftermath just ahead.
And music has lost one of its angelic voices. After the break, we bid farewell to Naomi Judd.
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KOSIK: After Johnny Depp and ex-wife Amber Heard had a bitter divorce, now their defamation court case has revealed just how troubled and tragic their marriage was. Depp and Amber Heard accused each other of violence. Polo Sandoval wraps up the week.
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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was back to the witness stand for actor Johnny Depp at the start of week three in his defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard.
Both Depp and Heard are accusing the other of acts of physical violence during their relationship. They've both denied the allegations.
JOHNNY DEPP, ACTOR: The only person that I've ever abused in my life is myself.
SANDOVAL: Depp is suing Heard for $50 million over 2018 "Washington Post" op-ed which she described herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse.
Depp was not mentioned in the piece, though, he maintains it cost him lucrative acting gigs. Depp sitting on the stand concluded on Monday but not referring to his marriage to Heard as horrific.
He also recalled a recorded conversation between the two actors after an incident in which part of Depp's finger was severed off by a bottle allegedly thrown by Heard. AMBER HEARD, ACTRESS: I really did think I was going to lose my life and I thought you would do it on accident. And I told you that. I said, oh my God, I thought the first time.
DEPP: Amber, I lost a -- finger, man, come on. I had a -- a mineral can, a jar, a can of mineral spirits thrown at my nose.
HEARD: I mean, you can see, tell people that it was a fair fight and see what the jury and judge think. Tell the world, Johnny. Tell them Johnny Depp, I, Johnny Depp, a man, I'm a victim too, of domestic violence.
DEPP: Yes.
HEARD: And I -- you know, it's a fair fight.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What did you say in response when Miss Heard said, tell the world, Johnny, tell them Johnny Depp, I, Johnny Depp, a man, I'm a victim too, of domestic violence?
DEPP: I said yes, I am.
SANDOVAL: During cross-examination, Heard's attorney brought up a barrage of bad press that pre-dated the op-ed, that he argued may have been what derailed Depp's career.
BEN ROTTENBORN, AMBER HEARD'S ATTORNEY: "Where did it all go wrong for Johnny Depp after a string of flops and a ton of bad press, Johnny Depp's star power looks as wobbly as Jack Sparrow on a plank."
Did I read that right?
DEPP: You read that very well.
SANDOVAL: On Tuesday, a forensic psychologist hired by Depp to assess Heard, told the jury that she suffers from several personality disorders and that she does not suffer from post-traumatic stress from her marriage to Depp.
SHANNON CURRY, FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGIST: One of the primary things I learned was that she had a very sophisticated way of minimizing any personal problems.
SANDOVAL: Heard's lawyers in turn grilled the psychologist about possible bias toward Depp and questioned her analysis. Also this week, Heard's op-ed piece dominated testimony as the jury was told about the ACLU's involvement in helping her draft it.
You see, Heard continues to be an ambassador for the organization, focusing on women's rights.
Depp's attorney brought up ACLU email, showing people inside the organization knew that when Heard wrote about alleged abuse in her marriage, she was referencing Depp.
[02:55:00] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it also true that there were some at the ACLU who expressed their belief that excising those references to her marriage and divorce from Johnny Depp made the op-ed less impactful, correct?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is correct.
SANDOVAL: That line of questioning could be significant because Depp claims the public knew who Heard was writing about in her essay.
However, it will be up to the jury to decide if that's Heard's fault and if it's defamation. Heard is expected to take the stand as her side's first witness with weeks still to go in the trial, it's unclear when that will be -- Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.
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KOSIK: The world of country music has lost one of its legendary voices.
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KOSIK (voice-over): Music legend Naomi Judd passed away Saturday at the age of 76. She and daughter Naomi (sic) rose to fame in the 1980s in the group The Judds. The duo racked up number one hits, countless awards and the admiration of thousands of fans.
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KOSIK: I'm Alison Kosik in New York. Our breaking news coverage live from Ukraine continues in just a moment.
