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Russia's War on Ukraine; Pyongyang Launches Barrage of Missiles; Lack of Clarity in Uvalde Police Response; U.S. Gun Violence Epidemic; Biden Meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Pushed to July; Tropical Storm Alex; Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired June 05, 2022 - 04:00   ET

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


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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hello and welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber.

Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, powerful explosions rocked Ukraine's capital, following a missile strike there. It's grown fears as constant airstrikes continue in the eastern part of the country.

And all eyes are on North Korea, test-firing even more missiles after the U.S. and South Korea staged joint military drills.

And a gunman kills a former judge in Wisconsin. CNN has learned who else was on the killer's apparent hit list.

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BRUNHUBER: The Ukrainian capital was rocked by several large explosions in the past couple of hours.

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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): This video comes out of Kyiv today and the mayor says at least one person was hospitalized after missile strikes. Military officials say Ukrainian forces were able to shoot down a Russian missile south of the capital.

And Ukraine's state-run nuclear power operator is accusing Russia of nuclear terrorism after a Russian cruise missile reportedly flew critically low over a plant in the south. Weeks of nonstop Russian shelling on Eastern Ukraine have not led to any major changes on the battlefield.

Britain's defense ministry says Ukrainian counterattacks are likely blunting Russia's momentum in Donbas. Ukraine's military claims to have retaken about half of the city of Sievierodonetsk.

And Russian troops continue to storm the city and they are all throwing their resources and reserves into the battle. Also in the line of Russian fire, a revered church near Slovyansk went up in flames. Ukraine's president says the All Saints Church, which had recently been renovated, was deliberately targeted by Russian forces.

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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): This can no longer be fixed because this war is already going on. The terrible consequences of this war can be stopped at any moment.

The Russian army can stop burning down churches. The Russian army can stop destroying cities. The Russian army can stop killing children, if that same one person in Moscow simply gives such an order. And the fact that there's still no such order is obviously a humiliation for the whole world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: America's new ambassador to Ukraine has arrived in the country. On Saturday, Bridget Brink toured areas around the capital that had been damaged by Russian airstrikes and shelling. She said holding Moscow accountable for atrocities is daunting simply because there are so many to investigate. Here she is.

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BRIDGET BRINK, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: I think it is really important to bear witness to these horrible atrocities. And being here today has only strengthened my resolve to help ensure justice and accountability.

I think one of the challenges is that there are a lot of cases.

And how do you prioritize and order them and do them in the midst of a country in war?

And I can tell you, I personally will make sure that we, here on the ground, do everything to support it through various U.S. government mechanisms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Ukrainian officials are reporting a Russian airstrike in an area of Zaporizhzhya, where ground fighting has been ongoing. The city is not far from Russian-held territory in the south and has been a safe haven for many Ukrainians fleeing the Russians.

But many who made the dangerous journey are now living in their cars and have nowhere to go. Melissa Bell has our report.

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MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Alive and safe but stuck in Zaporizhzhya. Some of the families that fled the Russian bombings of southern Ukraine. Others have just found themselves on the wrong side of a line that has hardened. Some of these families, now living in their cars, have been here for weeks. Olyna Babad (ph) came from the Black Sea town of Skadovsk (ph) to buy

medicine for her elderly parents. She's now living with others in the open air.

"Look," she says, "he has just had surgery. My husband is without a leg."

This grandmother is recovering from a stroke.

"I can hardly sit," she says. "My legs are swollen.

"Can I just get back to Kherson or is this some kind of cruel joke?

Please just let me die in Kherson at home."

Some of the families bringing their anger to Zaporizhzhya's regional administrative building.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is the problem, why?

[04:05:00]

BELL (voice-over): Like Alexiy Myalov (ph), who fled Mariupol with his wife but has had no contact with the rest of his family for three months.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They still stay in Mariupol. And three months since I don't -- has had any contact. What happened with my father, my sister, I like bring them to Ukrainian.

BELL (voice-over): Marina Natanova (ph), who is in charge of social services for the greater Zaporizhzhya region, says humanitarian aid has been hard to bring because her teams to the south of the city are now without communications.

She tells us that it will also be necessary to tell those trying to return of the dangers they face.

"It is very dangerous there," she says, "so this will be discussed with them at this new filtration camp to find out why they want to go and whether they understand the risks."

She says that, beyond the water already being provided here, there will soon be a medical center, showers and a room for mothers and children. For now, these families wait, just hungry to get home -- Melissa Bell, CNN, Zaporizhzhya.

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BRUNHUBER: The U.N. is among the groups warning Russia's war in Ukraine could trigger a global food crisis. About 10 percent of the world's wheat exports come from Ukraine and much of that goes to countries in Africa and Asia.

But Ukraine and the U.S. say the Russian naval blockade is blocking grain exports from Ukrainian ports. Russia is also accused of stealing grain. Satellite images show Russian ships filled with grain, allegedly pillaged from Ukraine, docking in Crimea and Syria.

Amin Awad, the U.N.'s crisis coordinator for Ukraine, spoke earlier to CNN and he stressed the need to lift the blockade and let commercial ships pass through. Here he is.

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AMIN AWAD, U.N. CRISIS COORDINATOR FOR UKRAINE: Global food shortages and even famine in some part of world, the Sahel of Africa, the Horn of Africa and other (INAUDIBLE) states, they're in a state of transition, whether in Africa or Asia or elsewhere. They will face and they are facing food shortages.

So export of food from Ukraine is very important. It is a huge operation. It takes 12 months of the year to really keep feeding the world. So there is a need to lift the blockade on Ukrainian ports.

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BRUNHUBER: Last hour, I spoke with Ukraine's deputy infrastructure minister and he spoke about diplomatic efforts underway to end the blockade. Here he is.

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MUSTAFA NAYYEM, UKRAINIAN DEPUTY MINISTER OF INFRASTRUCTURE: This is only one chance for all of us. If you will not lift up this blockade for the seaport in the Black Sea, we will have big problem in all of the world. I think that we can have more killed people by starvation than by war in Ukraine.

Now we understand that many, many millions of people around the world, they depend on the Ukrainian grain. So it's only one option. Of course, we're doing many things. I know the government is in negotiation with other sides of this negotiation. I will not go in details.

As I know, we have some success. It is not, still it is not an option that Russia will say, OK, we will leave. We will deliver. We will take out the grain from seaports from Black Sea.

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BRUNHUBER: And if you want to safely and securely help people in Ukraine who need shelter, food and water, cnn.com/impact has several ways that you can help.

North Korea's back-to-back missile activity is kicking into an even higher gear. Early Sunday Pyongyang fired eight short range ballistic missiles, according to South Korea. They say all the missiles went up in a span of less than 40 minutes, which Japan says is a first for North Korea.

It comes right after the U.S. and South Korea wrapped up joint naval drills Saturday. The three-day exercises involve the aircraft carrier the USS Ronald Reagan. Paula Hancocks is following this for us from Seoul.

This is the 17th test this year and one that seems to be a troubling first for North Korea.

What more are we learning?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kim, the defense minister in Japan called it unprecedented, the fact that there were such a large number of missile launches from, they said at least three locations in such a short space of time.

We've since heard from the South Korean joint chiefs of staff. They believe they were fired from four different locations. So it is unusual in that respect.

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HANCOCKS: It has been widely condemned from both Tokyo and Seoul. Japan's prime minister condemned it, this is what he said.

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FUMIO KISHIDA, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER (through translator): North Korea has repeatedly launched ballistic missiles since beginning of this year, including a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile. They threatened the peace and stability of the region and the international community and cannot be tolerated.

This missile launch is also a violation of international law and we strongly condemn it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: Now there is a National Security Council meeting here in Seoul. On the South Korean side, they have said that this is a challenge to the security posture of the new government.

Of course, this is a relatively new government here in South Korea; at least the president taking power just last month. And this is the third launch from North Korea since he has taken power.

Now this, as I say, has been condemned but it is the 17th missile launch that we've seen this year. It has been an extremely busy year for North Korea. Kim Jong-un, the leader, showing clearly that he is more concerned with increasing his weapons capabilities.

We have seen a number of believed failures as well in some of these launches. These are generally the ones that Pyongyang does not admit to publicly. But of course, officials are worried about that because it shows that they are still learning. It shows potentially they are testing new weapons capabilities and they will be improving with each failure.

So certainly there is concern in the region. There is concern in Washington as well. The most recent launch before this was May 25th. That came just hours after the U.S. President Joe Biden had left the region. He was here in Seoul and also in Tokyo for a number of days for summits.

And just hours after he had taken off, the North Koreans carried out that launch.

BRUNHUBER: Thanks so much, Paula Hancocks.

A former judge becomes the victim of gun violence in the U.S. Officials say the attacker had an entire list of other targets, including some top politicians. That is ahead.

Plus frustration is growing in Uvalde, Texas. Families are livid over unanswered questions about law enforcement's response to the mass shootings. We'll have that latest ahead.

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BRUNHUBER: America's gun violence epidemic only seems to be getting worse. In the last few hours, we've learned of at least three people dead and 11 more wounded after a mass shooting in Philadelphia.

According to a CNN affiliate, police believe multiple shooters fired into a crowd in an area with a number of popular bars and restaurants. Two guns have been recovered from the scene. So far, no arrests have been made.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been more than 235 other mass shootings so far this year. And we're still not even halfway through 2022. That means the U.S. is currently averaging more than one mass shooting per day.

And those aren't just shootings but mass shootings, incidents where at least four people have been shot, not including the gunman.

In Wisconsin, an investigation is underway after a former judge was shot and killed inside his own home in what officials are calling a targeted attack. And now we're learning that the suspected gunman may have been planning other attacks on several high-profile targets, including two governors and a U.S. senator. CNN's Whitney Wild reports.

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WHITNEY WILD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: CNN looked through court records which show the suspect in this case, Douglas K. Uhde, has a criminal history which includes a 2002 conviction for several charges, including firearms charges.

Part of those proceedings went in front of Judge John P. Roemer, the man police say Uhde killed. Sources tell CNN the suspect had a list of targets, including Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Wisconsin governor Tony Evers and U.S. Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell.

Police say this all began at 6:30 Friday morning, when someone ran out of Judge Roemer's home to call 9-1-1, reporting that there was someone armed, reporting someone was firing a weapon.

Throughout the morning, police tried to negotiate with a suspect inside, Douglas Uhde, but those negotiations broke down. At around 10:15, tactical teams were finally able to get inside that home, where they found 68-year-old Roemer dead.

They also found Uhde, a 56-year old, inside that home with a self- inflicted gunshot wound. Officials have been sounding the alarm for months that there is this real potential that anti government sentiment could fuel violence in this overall heightened threat landscape.

This case is the example of the very crimes officials have been so worried about. Now the big fear is that this case could result in copycat attacks, certainly one that law enforcement across the country is watching closely -- Whitney Wild, CNN, Washington.

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BRUNHUBER: A Texas state lawmaker says lack of clarity about the Uvalde police response to the mass shooting there could hinder efforts to prevent such massacres from happening again. Funerals are being held this weekend for two young victims.

But one survivor is now out of the hospital. Nick Valencia has that and the unanswered questions tormenting families in Uvalde.

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NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The release of a 9-year-old girl from University Hospital in San Antonio is a bright spot here in Uvalde amidst the tragedy. But at least two victims of last week's massacre are still in the hospital, including the 66-year-old grandmother of the shooter, who was shot in the face before the attack.

Tragedy here is still front and center as two more of those 4th graders from Robb Elementary were laid to rest on Friday, including Makenna Elrod, whose family I spoke to.

They said they were still too broken up and in pain to speak on camera but highlighted that she loved to play softball and to do gymnastics.

Also 10-year-old Rojelio Torres was also laid to rest on Saturday. There are still so many unanswered questions here.

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VALENCIA: And not really a clear notion about what happens next at Robb Elementary School.

The school board met for the first time since the shooting, during which the superintendent reiterated that the students will not return to Robb Elementary. Perhaps what is most striking is what was not mentioned, no mention about the future of chief of the school district, chief of police, Pete Arredondo.

It was something that some parents in attendance found disgusting.

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ANGELA TURNER, AUNT OF SHOOTING VICTIM: I have a 4th grader that was in the room next door that's terrified. My niece died. I have a 6-year old that just told me, "I don't want to go to school."

Why, to be shot?

I have one going into junior high. I have a 3rd grader. We want answers to where the security is going to take place. This was all a joke.

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VALENCIA: Parents here want answers. And as we approach nearly two weeks since the school shooting, police here have yet to offer a full explanation for their inaction that day -- Nick Valencia, CNN, Uvalde, Texas.

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BRUNHUBER: I want to bring in Dr. Andre Campbell, he's a professor of surgery at University of California/San Francisco.

Doctor, thank you so much for joining us. As much as we're acutely aware of the dangers of gun violence in this country and how the number of deaths have been rising year after year, I think many people, myself included, were still shocked that gun violence would be the number one killer of kids.

DR. ANDRE CAMPBELL, VICE CHAIR FOR DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO: First of all, Kim, thank you so much for having me on this evening.

And it is important that your viewers and people around the world understand that, in the United States, that gun violence and shootings and killings of children has replaced things like motor vehicle accidents, which had traditionally been the reason why children would die.

So it is important for people to know this information, pay attention to it and, of course, to really start thinking about how we can say that the lives of our kids really matter.

And we need to think about this as a public health emergency. This is a public health crisis, the gun violence in the United States. And it is affecting our children profoundly. So we need to be thinking about that as we go about addressing this issue as a public health crisis. BRUNHUBER: So you are also a trauma surgeon. You've spent a lot of

time in the ICU, unfortunately, dealing with the injuries from gunshot wounds.

And you now more than anyone know about the effects of this violence and particularly how damaging those assault-style weapons are and how much worse the injuries are from the rounds used in those AR-15-style guns.

CAMPBELL: First of all, the bullets are bigger, they travel faster, they travel over 3,000 feet per second.

When they travel through tissues, they create cavities or explosive areas within tissues. So bones, tissue, blood vessels, all the nerves are destroyed when these missiles or these bullets go through people's bodies.

I've seen it over the last -- over two decades that I've been taking care of trauma patients here in San Francisco. When I was in New York, I saw the same thing: higher velocity, more destruction and less chance that we have to save the patient's life.

When we deal with smaller bullets, we may get a chance. We've gotten quite good at saving lives. But when people are shot by these weapons of war on the streets of the United States, they create devastating injuries. It's like a bomb going off in someone's body.

BRUNHUBER: Many Republicans especially talk about it being not a gun control issue but a mental health issue.

Do you agree?

CAMPBELL: Well, first of all, I have to disagree because, in terms of these mass shootings or in terms of shootings, period, it is less than 3 percent of people who are involved in these shootings have mental health issues.

So I think that it is almost a simplification and, frankly, wrong, in my opinion, regarding the shootings. They are readily accessible, the adult or the 18-year old who purchased the guns in Uvalde, he had just turned 18.

And he went and bought it on credit and bought 1,200 rounds of ammunition with it. And that is something that should give us pause in terms of giving access to people, who will go and do these things.

BRUNHUBER: You mentioned a little while ago, treating it like a public health crisis.

But what does that actually mean and how do we find solutions?

CAMPBELL: So it means that we need to declare an emergency, that the depth (ph) of yesterday was Stop Gun Violence Day and that's why everybody was wearing orange. And the reason why they wore orange is it is the color that people wear when they go hunting, just so they can be seen. So what we want to do is put an end to this. [04:25:00]

CAMPBELL: So public health, the surgeon general should declare an emergency. We need to begin to give funds to looking at and ways that we can work toward ending what is a crisis, so that I don't have to go into the quiet rooms and talk to families and tell them that their loved one is dead.

Tonight I'm on call. And there may be a call where someone is shot and they die. And I have to go and talk to them and I know that I'll ruin their life. I know that I'm going to tell them something that they know that it is coming when their loved one is shot. And we need to look at it individually and we need to look at it in the broader society.

BRUNHUBER: Really appreciate your perspective. Dr. Andre Campbell, thank you.

CAMPBELL: Thank you, Kim, for having me. I really appreciate that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: And if you would like to help victims and communities impacted by mass shootings including the Texas school shooting, go to cnn.com/impact and you will find several ways that you can help there.

Heavy storm brings rain and flooding to Cuba and Florida. After the break, we'll go to the CNN Weather Center for the latest.

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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber, this is CNN NEWSROOM.

The U.S. has pushed back a meeting between President Joe Biden and Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler following public scrutiny. The in-person meeting would be a remarkable turnaround for Biden, who has been highly critical of the Saudis' war in Yemen and their role in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. CNN's Arlette Saenz reports.

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ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Biden is postponing an expected meeting with Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, a sit-down likely to take place in a broader trip to the Middle East in July.

Officials earlier this week had indicated the two men would likely be meeting toward the end of June, when President Biden is already scheduled to travel to Germany for a G7 summit as well as Spain for a NATO summit.

But on Saturday, officials told CNN that ultimately the White House determined two separate trips, one to Europe, another to the Middle East, would allow for more time to work on a schedule as well as set agenda items.

This would mark the first meeting between Biden and the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, after the administration has engaged in months of diplomatic work to try to repair U.S. and Saudi relations.

During the campaign as a candidate, former vice President Biden referred to Saudi Arabia, saying they should be treated as a pariah due to their human rights record. And the president has also been quite critical of Saudi Arabia following the murder of "Washington Post" columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

The president has faced some criticism for this expected meeting with the crown prince but, on Friday, he defended the prospect of a meeting when speaking to reporters.

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JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have been engaged in trying to work with how we can bring more stability and peace in the Middle East.

And there is a possibility that I would be going to meet with both the Israelis and some Arab countries at the time, including, I expect, would be, Saudi Arabia would be included in that if I did go. But I have no direct plans at the moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: There were two key deals earlier this week which really laid the groundwork for this likely meeting between Biden and the crown prince. That included an extension of a truce in Yemen, as well as OPEC agreeing to produce more oil -- Arlette Saenz, CNN, the White House.

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BRUNHUBER: Oil prices keep climbing, despite OPEC agreeing to ramp up production. U.S. oil jumped again on Friday, closing at the highest level in nearly three months. Prices are up for the sixth week in a row, within striking distance of this year's closing high.

This continued spike doesn't bode well for customers looking to fill up at the pump. One gas station in northern California is charging customers nearly $10 a gallon. According to CNN affiliate KGO, this auto repair shop was selling fuel for $9.60 on Friday; for supreme drivers, a whopping $9.91 a gallon.

The service organization AAA says the U.S. national average is about $4.81 for a gallon of regular. The gas station's owner says their prices are so high because they don't sell food or drinks to help cover costs. Former Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro says he wants to

represent himself after a federal grand jury indicted him for contempt of Congress. It's part of the investigation into the January 6th attack on the Capitol.

Navarro railed in court against what he called the hardball tactics following his arrest Friday at an airport. It comes just ahead of public hearings by the committee investigating the attack. CNN's Katelyn Polantz has details.

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KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: The House Select Committee starts holding public hearings this week. The committee is already saying it's going to be presenting material that's never been seen before about January 6th.

The committee has done hundreds of interviews with witnesses to prepare for this and collected White House documents, phone records, text messages, including from one of the closest advisers to Donald Trump in the White House. That's Mark Meadows, chief of staff.

But even with this extensive investigation, the House won't be getting testimony from everyone they wanted. The House voted to hold four witnesses who didn't comply with their investigation's subpoenas in contempt: Meadows, Dan Scavino, Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon.

In the end, the House gets a mixed result. The Justice Department told the House it would not be prosecuting Trump's close White House advisers, Meadows and Scavino, as a way to enforce their congressional subpoenas.

But a grand jury indicted Navarro for his refusal to turn over documents and his failure to testify. While he wasn't talking to the committee, Navarro had written a book that described the Trump reaction to the election and even spoke about a plan called the Green Bay sweep.

The committee said he ultimately didn't even engage with them, so now he's in court, like another Trump confidant, Steve Bannon, facing contempt charges-- Katelyn Polantz, CNN, Washington.

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BRUNHUBER: Just-named tropical storm Alex is moving into the Atlantic after inundating both sides of the Florida straits with heavy rain. Some streets were turned into rivers. In Miami, officials are warning that wastewater may be overflowing into the ocean. CNN's Carlos Suarez has more.

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CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Parts of south Florida are still drying out after nearly a foot of rain fell in some cities. Here on Ft. Lauderdale Beach, nearly 8 inches of rain caused some

flooding along A-1a. Police here spent the day trying to keep drivers out of roads, reminding them that their cars may not make it.

The worst of the storm, of the flooding was in Miami, where water pumps had trouble keeping up with the rain overnight and throughout Saturday. A number of cars in downtown Miami stalled, leaving drivers stranded.

Late Saturday, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue used a high rescue vehicle to help people stuck in their homes and cars across the state in Naples. And in Ft. Myers, folks there saw 4 to 7 inches of rain since Friday morning. What is left of the system should clear the state Saturday night -- Carlos Suarez, CNN, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

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BRUNHUBER: Some Greek residents have evacuated their homes due to a wildfire threat in the country's capital. Officials say there have been reports of damage to at least 20 houses near the southern suburbs of Athens.

The Greek fire service says more than 100 firefighters are on the scene, battling the blaze, and the situation is improving. Right now the evacuations are just precautionary.

China is kicking off the final push to complete its space station. Three astronauts blasted off Sunday morning. China says their job is to finish the construction of the Tiangong space station by the end of the year.

During their six-month stay, China will send two new components, which will more than double the living space available to astronauts. When the station is finished, China expects it to operate for 15 years.

And Blue Origin, the space tourism venture started by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, completed its fifth crewed launch on Saturday. A 60-foot suborbital rocket blasted off from West Texas, carrying six passengers to the edge of space more than 62 miles above the Earth's surface.

During the 10-minute flight, they got to experience a few seconds of weightlessness and a view of the Earth against the blackness of space before descending back to Earth.

Still ahead, the rock band Queen putting on a performance for the queen. We'll have a look at the celebrations still underway to mark the British monarch's Platinum Jubilee.

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BRUNHUBER: The U.K. is set to kick off a final day of celebrations honoring Queen Elizabeth's historic 70-year reign. She has been largely absent for much of the Platinum Jubilee but she did manage to steal the show on Saturday with a surprise video appearance, alongside another famous face. Have a look at this.

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PADDINGTON BEAR, TOY ICON: Perhaps you would like a marmalade sandwich. I always keep one for emergencies.

ELIZABETH II, QUEEN OF ENGLAND: So do I. I keep mine in here.

BEAR: Oh.

BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Her Majesty sharing a snack with Paddington Bear in a video that helped kick off an all-star concert at Buckingham Palace, that included performances from the rock band Queen, as well as pop superstars like Elton John, Rod Stewart and Diana Ross.

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BRUNHUBER: Let's bring in Anna Stewart live in London.

Let's start with the party at the palace, shall we?

ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, the party at the palace was spectacular. And what an amazing sketch from the queen, which brought back memories of when she did a sketch with James Bond for the opening ceremony of the London Olympics. That was a decade ago.

It has all broken down here and if I get out of the way, you can probably see a marching band or something setting up there, because that is what takes place later today. But last night, such an array of different musical performances across all the generations really.

And we had all the generations in the stand, including Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who were allowed to stay up late. I saw Prince George singing along to "Sweet Caroline." And there was a really moving address by Prince Charles. Take a listen.

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CHARLES, PRINCE OF WALES: Your Majesty, Mummy --

(APPLAUSE)

PRINCE CHARLES: -- the scale of this evening's celebration --

[04:45:00]

PRINCE CHARLES: -- and the outpouring of warmth and affection over this whole jubilee weekend is our way of saying thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP) STEWART: It has been the most incredible four days. And thank you has been said by just hundreds of thousands, millions of people across the U.K. Hard to believe that this is the scene of the concert, it looks pretty different now.

BRUNHUBER: Absolutely. So first of all, we're hoping the weather holds. But let's look ahead to today and what we're expecting to see.

STEWART: Well, today is the People's Pageant. So we'll see thousands of performers flooding down the mall toward Buckingham Palace, where the finale will be. This will be a moment for all sorts of people to come together and reflect on the seven decades of the queen's reign the history, the change in culture.

There will be a lot of celebrities, sports stars, what is called national treasures over the years. So a fairly big event and we're expecting thousands of people to come out and watch that, despite the rather miserable weather.

There are thunderstorm warnings.

But what could be more British than that?

And also street parties; today is the day to get your cream tea out in the street with all your neighbors and, despite the rain, I am planning to go to one. I've baked my scones, I've got my meringues ready so I'm all good to go.

BRUNHUBER: Lovely stuff.

But will we see the queen, do you think?

STEWART: Ah, that is the big question. So far the palace hasn't said anything regarding whether she will or will not go. We've been kind of taking it as a day by day situation. We know that she has episodic mobility problems, which have affected her presence at multiple events even before the jubilee.

It is kind of hoped that perhaps she will be here for the last day. She could, for instance, watch the pageant from the balcony. But we'll have to wait and see, I think.

BRUNHUBER: All right, I'll leave you with your scones. Thanks so much and we'll tune into you later. Thanks so much.

Still ahead, she is undefeated after more than 2 dozen matches. How the top ranked women's tennis player dominated in Paris. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Some sad news, the original Gerber baby has died. Ann Turner Cook's iconic baby face first graced Gerber products in 1928, when her neighbor entered a sketch of her into a contest for an advertising campaign.

For decades, Cook's identity was a secret. She was an English teacher and wrote a series of mystery novels after she retired. The company said it was saddened by her passing but her smile and expressive curiosity will continue to live on as a symbol for all babies. Ann Turner Cook was 95 years old.

That wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back in just a moment with more news, please do stay with us.

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