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Trump To Mobilize Top Allies To Defend Him During January 6th Hearings; Philadelphia Mass Shooting Left Three Dead, 11 Injured; Man Gunned Down Former Judge Who Sentenced Him To Prison; Queen Elizabeth Makes Appearance On Final Day Of Platinum Jubilee; Russia's War On Ukraine; Astronaut's Mission For Gender Equality In Space Industry. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired June 05, 2022 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:08]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington.

We're just days away from new witnesses, new documents, nothing that any of us have seen before connected with the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021. It was Donald Trump's desperate push to stay in power after losing his re-election campaign. And this coming Thursday the House committee members searching for answers, take their investigation to the public in primetime.

CNN has learned Trump expects his acolytes on Capitol Hill including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to wholeheartedly defend him as they often do, and basically counterprogram the hearings by declaring them a partisan witch hunt. McCarthy, by the way, who just picked up Trump's endorsement, is one of five House members subpoenaed by the committee. So far zero cooperation. Straight out of Trump defender playbook.

Let's go to CNN's Zachary Cohen who is covering it for us.

Zachary, who is helping provide some of this cover for the former president during these hearings? And I suppose this tells you everything that you need to know about Trump's hold on this party right now?

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: It really does, Jim. And as you mentioned, Kevin McCarthy has secured Trump's endorsement but hasn't secured it for House speaker yet if Republicans are to retake the House. So maybe that's still a chip that's on the table and encouraging McCarthy --

ACOSTA: Dangling it out there. Yes.

COHEN: Right. But in addition to McCarthy, you know, we expect Elise Stefanik to be really a key player here. She oversees messaging for the GOP conference. She's one of Trump's loudest defenders during the impeachment proceedings and she's really expected to be intimately involved in really the strategy of how to push back against the committee's hearings in real time. And that's what Trump wants. He wants daily counterprogramming in real time, pushing back against what he believes are the false claims the committee is going to be making.

Now, you know, the others that are expected to be involved, they're people like Jim banks, Jim Jordan. Both of them were actually supposed to be on the January 6th Committee before Kevin McCarthy decided that he wasn't going to let anybody from his committee or from his party be on the panel. And, you know, now we're here. So, you know, we're all waiting to see what this programming push looks like. Trump is actually supposed to meet with some of these folks next week so we may know a little bit more after that. But it's clear that the counterprogram, that is going to be aimed to an audience of one, and that's going to be Donald Trump.

ACOSTA: Right. And not only coming from lawmakers but from conservative media also. We're going to see that as well. And these hearings could feature, likely to feature, witnesses with close ties to former Vice President Mike Pence. That obviously could shed a lot of light. We're already starting to hear, you know, some of these stories that have been coming out that, you know, the Secret Service was told that Pence could be in danger because of what Trump was up to on January 6th, and so on. But this also, I suppose, could cause some more tension between the Trump and Pence camps.

COHEN: Absolutely. And since January 6th we've really seen a sort of simmering animosity between the folks that are kind of in Pence's camp and the ones that are still loyal to the former president. Now we know that Pence's former chief of staff, Marc Short, who we, you know from Maggie Haberman's great reporting, he was the one who told the committee about this Secret Service or he told the Secret Service about this concern that he had.

It's going to be really interesting to see what impact that kind of testimony has in terms of, does Trump lash out at Pence directly? Does he lash out at some of the people that are in his -- in Pence's world that are defending him or attacking the former president? So -- and really also it remains to be seen how the committee decides to feature testimony from people like Short. We know that, again, they've asked him to come in and serve as a witness during these public hearings but we don't know how that's going to work.

ACOSTA: Right. And we've seen some of these high-profile members of the former administration refusing to cooperate, but there may be aides who worked for some of those high-profile former members who might be participating in these hearings. It'll be something to watch.

Zachary Cohen, thank you very much.

And joining me now one of the officers who defended the Capitol on January 6th against a mob that would go on to drag, beat and tase him. Former D.C. Metropolitan Police Department officer and CNN law enforcement analyst Michael Fanone.

Michael, you're still dealing with trauma from that day. Are you going to watch these hearings? Do you think they're going to make much of a difference? What are your thoughts heading into this phase of the investigation? MICHAEL FANONE, FORMER DC METROPOLITAN POLICE OFFICER: I'll be there.

I was promised a front-row seat. So I plan on watching as many of the hearings as I can.

ACOSTA: You'll be in the room?

FANONE: Yes. Yes, I'll be in the room. That's my expectation at least. As far as, like, my expectations for the hearings, I mean, I was there. I lived that experience. So I'm acutely aware of what took place that day. I'm interested to see what they've come up with as far as the days and weeks leading up to January 6th as well as the aftermath, but unfortunately, I don't believe that it's going to move the needle.

I think most of the people in this country are indifferent towards what happened on January 6th, and everyone else is pretty well encamped in, you know, their side of the political aisle.

[16:05:04]

ACOSTA: Yes. And we were just hearing from Zach a few moments ago saying that the Trump team, they're going to try to counterprogram this, distract people from the testimony that's coming out of these hearings. But we're watching some of the video right now that obviously you're familiar with. This is what happened to you that day.

Why do you think the public is indifferent? Why do you think there are people out there who just want to move on, turn their eyes away from all of this?

FANONE: Because of where it happened and the fact that it involved a political rally. And I think people are just tired of politics in Washington, D.C. I mean, for me it's deeply personal. I was there. I experienced it. Almost lost my life. But for most Americans, I mean, they're worried about, you know, raising their families, making a living, sending their kids to school. Things like that.

ACOSTA: You know, one of the things that we learned late last week is that the Justice Department is not going to prosecute Mark Meadows and Dan Scavino. Some of these -- I mean, two of the very top aides to the former president who were very close to him on January 6th, very familiar with what was going on in the leadup to January 6th.

Are the worried about the message that is being sent by the federal government, by the Justice Department if they're not going to force these two officials to comply, these two former officials to comply and testify?

FANONE: Yes. I mean, that's something that's way above my pay grade. I just don't understand. I mean, the world that I come from, you either comply with the subpoena or you don't comply with the subpoena. There's no middle ground. And if you're not compliant, you get arrested. I mean, that's just the way that it works. So it doesn't bode for my confidence in whether or not the Justice Department would prosecute someone either from the Trump administration or, you know, one of his sycophants if there was a crime that was discovered as part of this investigation.

I think they've made up their mind, and I think that, you know, what we're seeing is that if you're part of a political administration, an elected official, that, you know, that there are some crimes that you'll be able to get away with.

ACOSTA: And let's play what former Congressman Denver Riggleman said earlier today when he was on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" with my colleague Jake Tapper. He was asked earlier today if there are any smoking gun moments that we should be looking for in these hearings. Let's watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DENVER RIGGLEMAN (R), FORMER SENIOR TECHNICAL ADVISER TO JANUARY 6TH COMMITTEE: I think when you look at the totality of the evidence, and some of these are my personal opinions, when you look at the totality of the evidence, it's pretty apparent that at some point President Trump knew what was going on obviously, right.

I mean, if you're having meetings within the White House, if you're having individuals that you're paying out there, you know, doing lawsuits, you know, the 64, 65 lawsuits, if you're pushing this sort of lie even on Twitter and social media which is very important which I think the committee is going to concentrate on, if you look at what's happening in the message that's being pushed by President Trump himself on social media and other individuals, you start to see this pipeline of information that's very damaging and is pushing things like "Stop the Steal."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And we should note, Riggleman, you know, is the technical adviser or was the technical adviser to the January 6th Committee, and part of what he had to do is going through all of these texts, go through all the social media content. All the data that paints part of the picture of what happened on January 6th.

Michael, are you worried? I mean, Denver was talking about a little bit there, you know, as to what is going to happen to Trump and all of this. Are you worried that Trump is going to be let off the hook? That he's going get off scot-free in all this?

FANONE: I believe he's going to get off the hook. I believe that he's going to, you know, get out of this unscathed, and I think that there's a significant possibility that he becomes president again in 2024.

ACOSTA: Why? Why do you think that?

FANONE: Just because the amount of support that still exists out in, you know, the U.S. for Donald Trump. I mean, you go outside of, you know, the beltway and a lot of the, you know, urban areas in the country and there's still a, you know, very significant part of the population that supports Donald Trump. Even after January 6th. To them, you know, January 6th was a 1776-esque event. It's something that, you know, participants are proud of, and that, you know, there are parts of this country that celebrate that.

ACOSTA: Liz Cheney was asked in an interview on CBS whether or not, you know, a portion of the Republican Party is essentially a cult. Do you think it's because of some of this cult-like behavior in the GOP, among Trump supporters that he will get off scot-free in all this? Is that part of your thinking in all this? That he could potentially get off scot-free and become president again because there's a cult of personality around him?

FANONE: I think that that's part of it.

[16:10:02]

But, I mean, ultimately, you know, what's the saying? Evil exists when good men do nothing. I think that's -- you know, it's people's indifference and it's those who have the ability to stop this, their unwillingness to stand up for what's right. That's what's gotten us into this mess.

ACOSTA: Well, I know you're pessimistic about this, Michael. You and I have talked about this, but there are good people who are trying to do the right thing and you're one of them. And as hokey as that sounds, we appreciate it. Thank you very much, Michael, for coming on.

Please come back again and good luck this week at the hearings.

FANONE: Thank you. Appreciate it.

ACOSTA: Thanks a lot. Appreciate it.

Now to the nation's out of control gun violence. Since Friday there have been at least eight mass shootings in the United States bringing the total of mass shootings since start of this year to 243. A mind- boggling figure that includes a shooting in Chattanooga, Tennessee, overnight where three people were killed and at least 17 others injured.

Police say gunfire erupted at a nightclub in Mesa, Arizona. A bar shooting left two dead, two others injured. Also in Arizona, one person killed, another eight injured outside of a Phoenix strip mall. And in South Carolina eight people were shot at a graduation party. And that's not all. In Philadelphia, South Philadelphia, police say three people were dead. Police say 11 others are injured after a shooting in a popular bar and restaurant district.

CNN's Polo Sandoval joins me now from Philadelphia.

Polo, it's hard to keep track of it all. There have just been so many mass shootings over the weekend. In terms of the one you're covering, what are you learning about that particular shooting?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jim, just consider Philadelphia alone. Just last night there were three shootings reported. Two of them were fatal, and then that third one, the one that you mentioned that left three people dead, and what investigators say there was about 11 people. Their ages ranging from 17 to 69 injured. And their health right now, at least their condition, ranges from critical to stable as well.

Investigators sharing a little bit more about what they believe they went down in this extremely popular entertainment district, which there is a bit of normalcy which returned on this Sunday afternoon, but still some concern about what went down. Investigators say that it all started as an argument. And then before you know it, that shots rang out. In fact there were patrol officers that were nearby that managed to engage one of the gunmen.

They believe that they even wounded him causing him to drop his firearm and then flee. And so that's why investigators are now trying to track down at least that gunman that again they believe that they injured when they were returning fire, and they do have some of the weapons recovered.

In terms of what we know, three dead, two men and a woman. Those 11 injured, and investigators saying that many of the victims were simply innocent people that were caught in the crossfire. In the last hour or so we did hear from the head of the police department here in Philadelphia, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw, and she fears that the level of violence that she has seen in her city, not just in recent weeks but in the last year or so is just unacceptable.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COMMISSIONER DANIELLE OUTLAW, PHILADELPHIA POLICE: These incidents have an exponential effect on our community and it not only impacts the individual that's been directly victimized but it victimizes their loved ones, their families, and their neighbors, neighborhoods all over the world.

It's unacceptable. It's beyond unacceptable. And we're still using every resource available to get to the bottom of what occurred not just out there last night but behind this gun violence in this city, period.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: And there is growing concern among law enforcement here in Philadelphia that the rate of shootings in this city that could either match or at least exceed the record number that we saw in this city last year, Jim. Now in terms what they're doing. They are out in the community. They say they're doing as much as they can with the resources that they have but they need more -- Jim.

ACOSTA: No question about it. All right, Polo Sandoval, thank you very much.

Coming up, police say a man gunned down a former judge who years earlier had sentenced him to prison. What we're learning about the other famous names on his alleged hit list. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:19:15] ACOSTA: New details now on the suspected gunman who police say shot and killed a former judge in Wisconsin. We've learned the suspect has an extensive criminal history dating back two decades. We also know the suspect had a hit list of targets including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Governors Gretchen Whitmer and Tony Evers.

CNN's Nadia Romero joins me now from New Lisbon, Wisconsin.

Nadia, what more do we know about the criminal suspect in this case? What his criminal history was?

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jim, well, we know it dates back to at least 2002 here in the state of Wisconsin for convictions for armed burglary and firearms charges. And we know that he would have been inside the courtroom with former judge John Roemer in 2005.

Now I want to be clear here, the suspect has not been charged in the death of Roemer or in this most recent incident.

[16:20:06]

And that is part of the many unanswered questions we have regarding the suspect, his potential motive and connection to Roemer, and the other high-profile names you just mentioned.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSH KAUL, WISCONSIN ATTORNEY GENERAL: This incident appears to be a targeted act.

ROMERO (voice-over): Some political leaders across the country, targets on a hit list. And a former Wisconsin County Circuit Court judge dead. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers reacting to the death of John Roemer.

GOV. TONY EVERS (D), WISCONSIN: Somebody that devoted his life or a good share of his life being a jurist in the state, you know, in rural Wisconsin, and that's hard work, to be targeted like that, it makes me frankly sick to my stomach.

ROMERO: Authorities say they were called to Roemer's home early Friday morning.

KAUL: The Juneau County Sheriff's Office received a call notifying law enforcement of an armed person and two shots fired in a township of New Lisbon.

ROMERO: After failed negotiations with the suspect, in this house about 80 miles northwest of Madison, the Juneau County Special Tactics and Response Team entered the home to find former judge John Roemer dead.

SHERIFF BRENT H. OLESON, JUNEAU COUNTY, WISCONSIN: I would estimate between the Juneau County Sheriff's Office and local agencies and state patrol we had approximately 30 officers out there. ROMERO: The suspect, 56-year-old Douglas Uhde, in critical condition

after self-inflicted wound in the basement. According to authorities, Judge Roemer wasn't the suspect's only target.

KAUL: The individual who is the suspect appears to have had other targets as well. It appears to be related to the judicial system.

ROMERO: Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer among those targeted, sources tell CNN.

KAUL: We have been in contact with the individuals who were identified as potentially being targets.

ROMERO: Governor Whitmer's office releasing this statement reading in part, "Governor Whitmer has demonstrated repeatedly that she is tough, and she will not be bullied or intimidated from doing her job."

Authorities say the targeting was based on some sort of court cases but law enforcement remain tight lipped on many details regarding the suspect's motive and possible connection to the judge and others targeted.

KAUL: This is an ongoing investigation so we can't go into it further at this point.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMERO: So the investigation is ongoing but authorities say there is no threat to the general public. But that doesn't mean people here in this very small town aren't rattled. Every time I speak to someone it's the same pattern. They don't want to go on camera, they don't want to share their name. They are concerned, because they tell me most of them have lived in this town for their entire lives. They knew the Roemer family. And they said they were well liked, respected in community. And now they're concerned because something like this has never happened before -- Jim.

ACOSTA: Must be very unsettling for that community. No question. All right, Nadia Romero, thank you very much.

Coming up, Queen Elizabeth and a surprise appearance that had the crowds going wild on the final day of her Platinum Jubilee.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:27:31]

ACOSTA: It was a finale fit for a queen. The final day of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee marked by street parties, a parade and then a surprise appearance by the monarch herself on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

CNN's Max Foster is live in London for us. Max, this was quite a moment. MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: It really was, and you can

probably tell that the heavens have opened. The rain is pouring down. But throughout the weekend, throughout these celebrations, it was good weather, it was good spirits. Everyone was really on form and I think the Queen was pretty pleased by the end of it because it couldn't have gone better for her and it's amazing that suddenly it would have been unmanageable. But up until now, it's been amazing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER (voice-over): The priceless gold state coach travels down the mile kicking off the final day of the Queen's jubilee celebrations. Then on to Buckingham Palace. Just as it did 70 years ago, carrying a young recently proclaimed Queen Elizabeth.

Now the 96-year-old monarch appears represented by a hologram, a sign of the times but also of the Queen's frailty after she missed all but one of the jubilee events due to her discomfort. Prince Charles again taking on the Queen's responsibilities, saluting the parade as it passed. An estimated one billion people watched the so-called People's Parade including the Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other members of the royal family in the audience. But not Harry and Meghan.

The event aimed to tell the story of the Queen through a parade marking the most iconic fads over the past 70 years. From the '50s Lambert Walk, to the Notting Hill Carnival and even punk culture. With a special appearance of some U.K. celebrities, national treasures, and many more. To the great delight of the Queen's great-grandchildren. Even the iconic double-decker bus got a special makeover for the occasion.

A celebration of the last 70 years of British culture and the testimony to the incredible length of the Queen's reign. Her many challenges. Her worldwide responsibilities as leader of the Commonwealth, and even her personal interests. It was also an opportunity to get a rare glimpse of the more informal part of the royal family dynamic.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel like it's been momentous.

[16:30:00]

I feel like this is the people's pageant. Our chance to say thank you to her majesty's 70 years of service.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that people are generally, yes, --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- much more happy towards her, and talk more about her because of her age and how long.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think most people are just proud of her. We are really proud of her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, we are. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's been crying all afternoon.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've been crying all afternoon. I've even (INAUDIBLE) and tissues.

FOSTER: In a statement, the Queen said she was humbled and touched by the support. And said, quote, "While I may not have attended every event in-person, my heart has been with you all."

British singer, Ed Sheeran, closed Sunday's festivities with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth, before the surprise highlight of the day. It was the book ending to this four-day jubilee celebration that so many people had been hoping for. One last glimpse of their aging Queen up there on the Buckingham Palace balcony. And for the Queen, in the twilight of her reign, reassurance that she's loved more than ever.

Max Foster, CNN, Buckingham Palace, London.

ACOSTA: Great stuff. Thank you very much, Max Foster.

And joining me now is Robert Lacey, a royal family biographer and historical consultant for Netflix's great show, "The Crown." He's also the author of "Majesty: Elizabeth II and the House of Windsor."

Robert, thank you so much for being with us. What a tremendous weekend it's been for the Queen and for, I guess, all of patriot Brits.

Tell me, the Queen continues to inspire and fascinate. What's it been like to watch the jubilee celebrations this weekend and get that glimpse of her on the palace balcony? Knowing that, you know, she is 96 years old and, yet, she felt it was so important to participate in what is truly a remarkable thing we're never going to see again in our lifetimes.

ROBERT LACEY, ROYAL FAMILY BIOGRAPHER: Well, Jim, you're right. What you're talking about is given a poignancy to these celebrations. And a depth, I think, an emotional depth. The contributors there through Max's report, I think, really do reflect opinion right across the country.

Obviously, in this country, in Britain, there is a very strong and proud republican tradition. By which I mean republican with a small r, antimalitisc (ph), if you like. And we must never forget that, in Britain, we are proud that we were a republic for 11 years. We were one of the first countries in the world to cut off the head of our monarch, that's Charles I, in 1649.

And after 11 years of living without a monarch, we decided to restore the monarchy. And -- because ever since then -- although people say, and they're entitled to say, that the monarchy is an anachronistic institution, I think we've seen with this jubilee that it's moved with the times. It was a remarkably diverse festivity.

In fact, one could be say that the new races, the new immigrant communities that make Britain such a diverse country these days, were in the forefront of the celebrations. And felt that it was all part of the society in which they've come to live and of which they are now part.

ACOSTA: And everyone is also talking about this moment with the Queen and Paddington Bear. Let's have a little fun and play that moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Perhaps you would like a marmalade sandwich? I always keep one for emergencies.

ELIZABETH ALEXANDRA MARY WINDSOR, QUEEN, THE UNITED KINGDOM: So do I. I keep mine in here for later.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Great stuff. Very British.

LACEY: Jim, that was -- sorry. That was -- that, of course, echoes the way in which her majesty celebrated her last jubilee, which also happened to coincide with opening of the Olympics. When she greeted James Bond to the palace --

ACOSTA: Right.

LACEY: -- in the form of that break (ph). And she, then -- a double -- a stunt double, then went off with James Bond and jumped out of a helicopter. It's an example of the great skill with which the Queen and all -- one must also say the minders (ph) of Buckingham Palace seek to bridge the culture gap.

I mean, one of the odd things about our second Elizabethan age that we're celebrating is that much of its character, as displayed in that pageant today, from the Beatles to the Rolling Stones, to punk rock, to satire, to Monty Python, are actually not very reflective of the character of our Queen.

[16:35:05]

LACEY: And when we talk about the first Elizabethan age, we're talking about an adventurous outgoing woman. And that was the character of the age That's when we came across the Atlantic for the first time.

And then, when we talk about the Victorian age, we talk about prim and proper and rather hypocritical. And that was the character of the queen and that was the character of the age. One of the interesting things, therefore, about this jubilee is how it's brought a rather shy retiring character into the bosom of the nation and a culture, which as I say, isn't really in her nature.

ACOSTA: Well, and speaking of that, Prince Charles gave a moving tribute to his mother during last night's party at the palace. Let's take a listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLES PHILIP ARTHUR GEORGE, PRINCE, WALES: Your majesty, Mommy, the scale of this evening's celebration and the outpouring of warmth and affection over this whole jubilee weekend is our way of saying thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And speaking of the future of the monarchy, how does the country feel about Prince Charles as the next king and Camilla as the next queen?

LACEY: Well, again, it's very interesting how this jubilee, which commemorates the Queen's 70th access -- year of accession, which the actual date was back if February. And then, the Queen gave the first of her jubilee statements, in which we expected her to dwell in the past and the sadness and the death of her father, George VI, who she had to inherit from.

But what was interesting was she seemed to acknowledge her mortality, and she made an explicit statement that she hoped Britains would welcome Charles' chosen partner and wife, Camilla, as Queen. Until this year, it wasn't certain that when Charles, if and when Charles becomes king, that Camilla would actually be called Queen.

It was always talked, because of the scandal surrounding the end of Charles' marriage with Diana, that Camilla might not become a full Queen consort. It might be called something like princess consort.

ACOSTA: Right.

LACEY: So, we see a very pragmatic woman here looking towards the future and helping prepare the ground for Charles.

ACOSTA: Right. That way you're not in this position where that's having to be explained every time Queen Camilla comes on television or whatever.

I want to end on somebody who I think, if you'll forgive me for saying, stole the show during the jubilee. And that is the precocious four-year-old Prince Louis. He was a classic toddler throughout all of this. Completely unpredictable but also totally adorable the entire time. What are your thoughts on that? Did Louis steal the show?

LACEY: Yes, he did. I mean, the -- I mean, actually, my wife and I went to the party last night and there was an element of (INAUDIBLE.) And you couldn't help echoing what Prince Louis felt. You felt he couldn't wait to get out his iPad and watch something more enjoyable.

But he, of course, is the Prince Harry of the future. He is the future king's younger brother. So, we'll see if history is going to repeat itself. Who knows?

ACOSTA: All right. Very good. Well, and she -- he seems to be a favorite of the Queen's, if I'm allowed to say that. She seemed to have a good time with him the other day. Robert Lacey, thank you so much for spending some time with us. We appreciate it.

LACEY: Thank you, Jim. We love the fact that you Americans still remain interested in our ancient rituals, and that they have some meaning for you. ACOSTA: Well, it didn't end in the best way, but, you know, some

traditions have to carry on, including our special relationship. Thank you so much. We appreciate it.

All right, coming up, powerful explosions rock Ukraine's capital, as new video shows how dangerously close a Russian cruise missile got to a nuclear power plant.

[16:39:16]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: Now, to the war in Ukraine and a frightening close call, involving a Russian cruise missile that flew dangerously close to a nuclear power plant today. You can see it right there. The plant's operator calling it an act of nuclear terrorism. And CNN's Matthew Chance has the latest on Russia's invasion.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, the fighting in Ukraine continues to be most ferocious in the east of the country, where Russian troops have been pounding Ukrainian positions in several locations. Pushing to gain full control of the Donbas region, which, of course, Moscow says is its military priority.

Streets in the city of Severodonetsk are, apparently, changing hands rapidly. The Ukrainian military officials giving conflicting reports about whether Ukrainian or Russian forces are in control.

The city of Sloviansk is also now, according to Ukrainian officials, under renewed Russian attack, as Moscow pushes hard for military gains. But Donbas, remember, is not the only focus of Russian strikes.

And, in the past day, there have been an upswing in violence elsewhere in the country. With Russian missile attacks, for instance, on the southern port city of Mykolaiv, where three people were killed.

And a grain storage terminal was destroyed.

[16:45:01]

CHANCE: Further damaging Ukraine's ability to export essential food. And, of course, Kyiv, the capital, has again come under sustained attack with five Russian cruise missiles slamming into the city, hitting at least one military target, according to Ukrainian officials. But, also, destroying a train repair factory.

Meanwhile, the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has criticized the United States for agreeing to supply Ukraine with long-range artillery, telling Kremlin controlled media that that move was intended to prolong the armed conflict. And that Russia, he vows, would respond by striking unspecified facilities that he said had not been targeted before.

Back to you, Jim.

ACOSTA: Matthew Chance, thank you very much. Coming up, a history- making astronaut and her mission to promote gender equality in space.

[16:46:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: She's on historic mission aboard the international space station now but this NASA astronaut isn't stopping there. She, and other women at NASA, are on a mission to bring more women into the aerospace industry. CNN's Rachel Crane has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RACHEL CRANE, CNN INNOVATION AND SPACE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 250 miles above the earth, history is being made. Jessica Watkins is the first black woman to do a long-duration mission onboard the International Space Station.

JESSICA WATKINS, ASTRONAUT, NASA: I certainly would like to, you know, spend as much time in space as I -- as I can.

CRANE: Despite her history-making mission, Watkins and NASA know diversity in space continues to be a problem. According to NASA, 622 people have been to space, yet only 75 of them have been women. That's just 12 percent. Speaking to CNN, while orbiting in microgravity, Watkins says she is doing all she can to work toward a pipeline young talent that is more diverse.

WATKINS: Investing in school programs and education.

CRANE (on camera): Does the space industry have a gender inequality problem?

PAM MELROY, DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR, NASA: I think absolutely the entire aerospace industry, I'll add, has a gender inequality issue.

CRANE (voice-over): NASA deputy administrator Pam Elroy is taking action from the ground. As a former astronaut who made three trips to space and was one of only two women to command a space shuttle, she knows it's tough problem to solve.

MELROY: We're just ignoring untapped potential. And we have to take the proactive steps to make that number more similar to what the average population is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Liftoff of SDS-7 and America's first woman astronaut.

CRANE: Sally Ride was the first American to open the doors for women, like Melroy, with her historic mission to space in 1983. That opened the floodgates for a series of firsts. First female commander of the International Space Station, first black woman in space, first all- female spacewalk.

MELROY: There were a lot of people who told me that women couldn't be pilots, couldn't be astronauts. But it is very tough when you are the first or the only. But I had a reason to keep going. CRANE: Still, nearly four decades after the Ride's first flight, women

make up just above 36 percent of NASA's active astronaut class.

BRIDGET CHAPMAN, EXECUTIVE: We really have to go deeper in the academic channel.

CRANE: Bridget Chapman is an executive who also chairs women in aerospace, and she says the key is to start young.

CHAPMAN: Middle schoolers. Those little girls who are excited about science, and math before someone whispers in their ear that they should look at a different profession.

WATKINS: Hey everybody.

CRANE: NASA has more plans for Watkins. She has been selected by the agency to be a part of her astronaut class for Artemis, a mission which plans to send the first woman and the first person of color to the moon. But she hasn't been chosen to make the journey yet. No matter who is selected, Melroy is convinced the impacts of sending a woman to the moon will be astronomical.

MELROY: You can believe it if you see it. This is going to have an impact far beyond that lucky individual who I'm already jealous of.

CRANE: Rachel Crane, CNN, New York.

ACOSTA: And the record continues for Rafael Nadal. The Spanish tennis star won in straight sets today to capture his 14th men's French Open title. He now extends the record for the most majors in men's tennis with 22. And he's at 36 years old and he's doing this. Nadal also became the oldest men's single's champion in French Open history. The king of clay won his first French Open title 17 years ago.

Throughout the nationwide formula shortage, breast milk banks have been a real life saver for some parents. That's why this week, CNN hero salutes lifestyle content creator, Lucie Fink, a breastfeeding mom who is donating her excess milk for babies in need after sharing her journey with her online audience.

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LUCIE FINK: My son is now 12 weeks old and he eats four times day. It was actually my Tiktok and Instagram followers that alerted me that I had such a drastic oversupply of breast milk. Pumping from the start was a big mystery box for me. And I know that it is that way for a lot of other moms as well. Ever since having Milo, I have been sharing a lot of content about my nursing journey. I would always express milk one or two more times in a day than he was actually feeding.

[16:55:02]

FINK: I googled how to donate my breastmilk in New York City. It was easy. It was fast. The whole process was so incredibly rewarding. Especially now with the formula shortage, it's needed more than ever.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: And to learn more about her efforts, go to CNNHeroes.com. And we'll be right back.

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