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Johnson Survives Confidence Vote, Vows To Move On; Labour Leader Calls Vote The Beginning Of The End; Nuclear Watchdog Warns Of Safety Risks At Power Plant; Muslim Countries Calling on Anti-Islam Comments by India; Fighting Climate Change; Interview with Our Children's Chief Legal Counsel Trust Julia Olson; U.N. Funds Needed for Weather-Related Emergencies is Eight Times Higher; SCOTUS Watch; Uvalde Shooting Survivor Sues Shooter's Estate. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired June 07, 2022 - 02:00   ET

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

PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a warm welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Paula Newton. Just ahead. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson survived a confidence vote from his own party but is waking up at 10 Downing Street badly bruised this morning.

Ukraine says it's killed and other top Russian general. Both sides now suffering significant losses as street by street fighting in the Donbas proves to be slow and bloody.

Plus, how 14 kids in Hawaii are combating climate change by taking their state's transportation department to court.

And so Boris Johnson is proving once again to be one of the most fortunate political escape artists in recent memory. The British prime minister has survived a closer than expected confidence vote in Parliament 211 to 148. That means a full 41 percent of Mr. Johnson's own Conservative Party. Remember, this is his own party. 41 percent refused to back him. Now the vote was brought by lawmakers angry over multiple parties attended by -- and even hosted by Mr. Johnson.

While the rest of U.K. was under COVID lockdowns. The prime minister tried to put a positive spin on the vote, calling it a convincing result. He says he plans to move on and focus on the things that are important to U.K. citizens.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We are going through a period of a when we have to help people with the cost of living and we are. Those are the things that really matter to our country right now. And yes, I am pleased because we now have the chance to talk exclusively about those priorities and not about all sorts of stuff that I know is of obsessive and compulsive interest to my beloved friends in the media.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Not sure he can bet on that. Meantime, the leader of the opposition Labour Party called Monday's vote, the beginning of the end of the prime minister's political career.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEIR STARMER, BRITISH LABOUR PARTY LEADER: The British public are fed up, fed up with a prime minister who promises big but never delivers, fed up with a prime minister who's presided over a culture of lies and law breaking at the heart of government. Fed up with a prime minister who is utterly unfit for the great office that he holds. Conservative M.P.s made their choice tonight. They have ignored the British public.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: CNN's Nina dos Santos is live this hour outside 10 Downing Street for us. And right behind that door, right? A long night and likely a very tough morning. The drama that surrounded this vote is hardly over. Was it a surprising outcome given this really wasn't insurgent rebellion from within?

NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, it wasn't a surprise that he won the no-confidence vote Boris Johnson and his allies went into it saying they were confident of victory. But it was the scale of the rebellion against him. The first time that we've seen a crystallization of the number of M.P.s within his own party who don't support his leadership these days. That was the bit that was really surprising.

One hundred forty-eight members of the Conservative Party express no confidence in Boris Johnson's leadership largely, as you said earlier, thanks to his response and participation in the party gate scandal. 211 backed him. That's a difference of 63 members of Parliament which means 41 percent of its elected M.P.s are no longer expressing confidence in the leader of their current party. The current occupant of number 10 Downing Street behind me.

Political analysts say that that is going to likely frustrate his attempts to introduce legislation. Just a few weeks ago, we have the state opening of Parliament during which Prince Charles as representative of the Queen read out 38 different bills that this government wants to try and introduce over the next parliamentary term. It's going to be very difficult to do that if you've got so many members of your own party against you.

So the thing about this conservative party, no-confidence votes isn't -- it isn't really about winning them. It's about the fact that you have to face them in the first place. And history offers an interesting perspective on this. This is actually the worst performance in a no-confidence vote by sitting conservative prime minister. This one we had last night since all the way back in the 1990s when Margaret Thatcher lost her position in a very spectacular fashion.

And she had to resign two days after having had a similar result to Boris Johnson in a no-confidence vote.

[02:05:01] DOS SANTOS: She triumphed in it but so many members are against her that she lost the confidence of her cabinet and she had to resign. Even Theresa May did better back in 2019 and despite winning that confidence vote she also resigned within months. Paula?

NEWTON: Yes, Nina. Loud and clear. We are hearing you this is not over yet. Nina Dos Santos for us in front of 10 Downing Street. Appreciate it.

Now the leader of the Scottish National Party blasted Boris Johnson on Twitter after the vote Nicola Sturgeon called the prime minister and I'm quoting here, "utterly lame duck" and pointed out that only two out of 59 Scottish M.P.s have confidence in his leadership. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss was good deal kinder. She tweeted that she's pleased her conservative colleagues backed Johnson and she urged them to support the prime minister's efforts on COVID recovery and helping Ukraine fight off Russian aggression.

CNN's European Affairs commentator Dominic Thomas is with us now from Berlin. And I know you were watching quite closely. British editorials as they are not kind, a hollow victory of humiliation they called it. Victorious but wounded. And so, let's talk about that damage, very collateral damage. In your opinion. I mean, is this damage to just Boris Johnson or perhaps the conservative party as well?

DOMINIC THOMAS, CNN EUROPEAN AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Paula, it's both and I think the longer Boris Johnson is at the helm, the greater the damage will be. What we saw over the weekend at the Platinum Jubilee was a public expression of this sort of level of discontent with the prime minister when they -- when they booed him. And that was amplified last night when 41 percent of his own M.P.s essentially expressed that they have no confidence in him.

And so, I think that for him, the road back to gaining the trust of the -- of the British people is an impossible one. And the sooner he goes, the sooner the Conservative Party will have an opportunity to rebuild as they go and head into general elections within the next couple of years.

NEWTON: What is the tipping point there? We have this moratorium, they're not supposed to be having a leadership, you know, contest now for at least a year and they can't vote them out as a party. At what point though, does that public opinion matter so much. We heard the boos, we just saw the video there. It bears repeating Britain is not exactly in good financial shape right now.

THOMAS: All of those factors play into it, Paula. I think that the fact we had this vote yesterday, was already a quite a remarkable step. The fact that the Conservative Party and remember, this is -- this is their tool that they use to express the level of support that a prime minister has, the Labour Party doesn't do this. They've been doing it repeatedly over the past 10 years or so, with Theresa May and so on and so forth.

And I think that, you know, as things go forward. The main thing really coming up, I think on the horizon is in a couple of weeks time the by elections. And I think that at that particular moment, if the conservative party loses those two seats, I think the writing will be on the wall but what M.P.s are feeling in their constituencies. And remember that they were very open many of them yesterday about expressing the fact that they were going to vote against the Prime Minister to make it clear to their constituents where things stand.

I think if they lose those seats, then it's going to be impossible for him to stay on. And they're going to have to, you know, go through the process of a new leadership so that they can plan for the next general election, Paula.

NEWTON: But Dom, just to press you on this a little bit, he is not the type to resign. He is no Theresa May who did just that a few months after she maintained her role in the party. I'm going to "Churchill" here because, you know, Boris Johnson is a Churchill biographer. He himself said the definition of courage. Courage here is going from defeat to defeat with enthusiasm.

THOMAS: Yes. But that's just unacceptable. And I mean, you're absolutely right to mention precedents. I mean, there's an extraordinary really what Boris Johnson gets to get away with and his true kind of sense of entitlement here that when you compare the way in which Theresa May was treated by the Conservative Party and what he's been allowed to get away with, it's really quite shocking.

I think, in this particular case, it's, you know, when you look at the reason why, you know, people are so upset, the booing and so on is because he set the rules and regulations for COVID. He ignored them and investigation was carried out. It confirmed that he had breached those rules, broken those rules, and also lied about them. And I think it's that disconnect with the plight of the -- of the people now compounded by the signs of a recession, inflation, higher energy costs, that this is a leader that is out of touch and is going to be incapable of legislating while he sits there in office.

And to that extent, he's going to bring down the whole house with him if they don't remove him in a timely manner, Paula.

[02:10:05]

NEWTON: Yes. And that is the issue, right? Is he -- the person who is expected to do what is good for the party or will this continue to be a long drawn out battle from within we might add. Dominic Thomas for us so live from Berlin. Appreciate it.

THOMAS: Thank you.

NEWTON: Now in a grinding battle for eastern Ukraine, Russian forces appear to be stepping up attacks in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Heavy smoke could be seen rising from the city of Donetsk Monday. The area is currently controlled by Russian-backed separatists who blame Ukraine for a missile strike on that city. But Ukraine says it's Russian strikes hammering most of the towns and villages across the east.

Now this is the town of Druzhkivka where officials say one person was killed and attack Sunday. The town in the -- that is the town that is in fact west of Severodonetsk. A city that remains a major target for Russia's offensive in the east. Here's the issue. Fierce fighting has raged there for weeks. Now street to street fighting leaving thousands of civilians trapped inside and leveling homes and businesses right across that city.

Despite being out gunned and outman, President Volodymy Zelenskyy says Ukrainian troops are not giving up the fight. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE: Our heroes do not give up positions in Severodonetsk in the city fear street fighting continues. But it is the 103rd day of the war and the Ukrainian Donbas stands, it stands strong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: To the west meantime, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog is warning that there's a "clear and present risk" at a nuclear power plant near Zaporizhzhia. Now the plant fell under Russian control in early March, you'll remember but Ukrainian staff members have continued working there. The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency says the situation doesn't just raise humanitarian concerns, it also poses a major safety risk.

For more on all of this, we want to bring in CNN's Salma Abdelaziz live in Kyiv. Good to see you there on the ground, Salma. President Zelenskyy maintains his forces are standing strong in his words but the fighting in the east is just reported to be absolutely ferocious. What more do we know?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: Well, Ukrainian forces say that Russia is using scorched earth tactics in places like Severodonetsk. They say that they are using intense firepower to essentially bomb shell any routes out -- supply routes into Severodonetsk are tenuous at best. But you heard there from President Zelenskyy that Ukrainian defenders continue to hold their ground last week.

Ukraine conceded that up to 80 percent of that town that city was now under Russian control. Then they said that they were being -- that they were able to push back Russian forces. There seems to be a push and pull there as Ukrainian defenders again try to hold their ground against very heavy artillery power from Russian forces. But why are we talking about Severodonetsk, Paula? Why is it such an important town at this time?

Because consider it the gateway to Kramatorsk. And Kramatorsk of course, if Russian forces are able to enter it, that's the last Ukrainian stronghold in Luhansk. If Russian forces are able to enter it, if they are able to take it, if they are able to make that step forward, that would be a major victory for President Putin of course, in his major goal of trying to take the Donbas region.

So what you're looking at Ukrainian defenders trying to do on the ground now is trying to draw that out, keep this battle going, this street to street fighting for as long as they can. A majority of the city, over 90 percent of Severodonetsk is destroyed. So you're looking at them fighting over essentially what is a wasteland. You still have about 15,000 civilians trapped inside Severodonetsk.

Police forces, Ukrainian police forces are trying to evacuate some of those civilians. But again, those roads being heavily shelled, heavily bombarded. What Ukrainian forces are really waiting on and what could change the tide here is weapons from its allies. Particularly these longer range weapons, the U.K., the U.S., United States promising these longer range with weapons that would allow Ukrainian forces to hit at Russian artillery positions -- to hit out Russian positions in Severodonetsk and other areas in the east.

But it could potentially take weeks for these weapons to arrive on the ground for forces to be trained on them. So yet to be seen if that could turn this tide but you're really looking at a conflict here that is grinding down to street to street battles, Paula.

NEWTON: Yes. And quite the losses on both sides not to mention just the stress of the civilian population remains under. Salma for us in Kyiv. Thank you. I want to bring in CNN's Clare Sebastian now. She is live for us in London and has been following developments there. Clare, good to see you. It seems that any discussion of Russia's gaining momentum as Salma was just discussing this, it's a grinding fight.

[02:15:05]

NEWTON: And yet any momentum that Russia gets, it belies their stunning vulnerability still. This time with the apparent death of another senior military commander.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Paula. Russia has sort of numerical superiority on the battlefield when it comes to the number of forces and things like artillery. But this is a concerning sign. And this is not the first general to have been killed on the Russian side during this war. This was confirmed on Monday by a military correspondent for state T.V. He was quoted by state media saying that General Roman Kutuzov, a general was killed.

He had apparently led his people into an attack and was killed in battle. This is concerning for two reasons. One, because of the number of generals that we believe have been killed so far on the Russian side. The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency estimated as of early May, that could be up to 10 generals. So, this is yet another. And because of what that suggests about the sort of situation on the ground if a general is killed on the front line, that's pretty unusual.

Usually generals are further back running things, delegating sort of the frontline fighting. That would suggest according to defense and intelligence experts that there's, you know, low morale, that they have to move forward to make sure that their orders are executed. So that's one thing and another potential thorn in the side of any sort of path to peace between the two sides is the situation with the Azovstal defenders. The Ukrainian soldiers who were captured by Russia, who surrendered to Russia after the holding out in the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. Zelenskyy, President Zelenskyy saying on Monday, he believes more than 2-1/2 thousand of them are still, you know, are still in occupied territory being held by Russia in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. He said that the plans for their feet are constantly changing.

Whether that be a potential tribunal or trial or something like that. He did though say Paula that he believes that it's not in Russia's interests to torture them. And Russia has consistently maintained that they will be treated according to international standards. But as yet we still do not know the fate of these people.

NEWTON: Yes, Clare. And as we continually outline here. There's a lot at stake in Ukraine, but there's still the very real material risk of a food -- a world food crisis. You know, do I dare ask you has there any -- been any progress on liberating what are vast Ukrainian green stockpiles?

SEBASTIAN: You know, Paula, if you look at the rhetoric around this, it would seem that the opposite is true. It has been stepping up over the past few days. President Putin over the weekend accusing the west of creating this food crisis. And then we see on Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying and he, you know, who accused Russia of "pilfering Ukrainian grain and selling it for profit."

And then an incident of the United Nations, the United Nations security council talking about this issue. E.U. Council President Charles Michel accused the Kremlin of using food suppliers, "as a stealth missile against developing countries." He went on to accuse them again of stealing grain called them cowardly. And then you get this moment. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLES MICHEL, EUROPEAN COUNCIL PRESIDENT: Let's get to the facts. The E.U. has no sanctions on the agricultural sector in Russia. Zero. And even our sanctions on Russian transport sector do not go beyond our E.U. borders. You may leave the room, maybe it's easier not to listen to the truth, the ambassador.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: So what you saw there, the Russian ambassador to the U.N., Paula, Vassily Nebenzia walked out of that session. His deputy Dmitry Polansky, the first deputy permanent representative of Russia to the U.N. later tweeted that they had come to listen to the truth. He said the E.U. clearly doesn't need it. And we heard in his words only cheeky lies and unsubstantiated claims accusing, you said it was painful to see such low professional standards and lack of manners from key E.U. functionaries.

So, it would seem that the deadlock persists. I will say that Lavrov the Russian foreign minister is expected in Turkey tomorrow on Wednesday. Turkey may be playing a role in trying to broker some kind of deal to unblock the Black Sea ports and release Ukrainian grain exports onto the market but as yet hopes for that are pretty dim.

NEWTON: Yes. We'll -- any kind of meeting is that they're talking constructively would be good news at this point. Clare Sebastian, thanks for wrapping up for us appreciate it.

Now the U.S. is hosting the Summit of the Americas this week, but three countries in the region were not invited. And now Mexico's president says if they're not going, he's not either.

Plus, as America's gun violence epidemic gets worse, we'll take a look at how the bipartisan gun control talks in Congress are fair. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:21:57]

NEWTON: A local lawmaker tells CNN the close to 50 people are now confirmed dead including children. During an attack on a Catholic Church in Nigeria. And we have to warn you, the following video -- the following video of this attack is in fact graphic. According to witnesses and survivors, gunmen stormed in on motorcycles and just opened fire. It's still not clear who is behind the massacre. Listen to this account from survivor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANCIS OBI, CHURCH ATTACK SURVIVOR: When this rush is going on, all of a sudden when the mass is about to end, we've had to (INAUDIBLE) near the site. So everybody begin to run. So (INAUDIBLE) what is happening? What is happening? It is (INAUDIBLE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now we are also learning about some of the victims, a woman who lost both her parents during the attack describe them as inseparable, saying they never missed mass on Sundays.

Another weekend of bloodshed here in the United States and it is now on track for the worst year of mass shootings on record. According to a CNN tally, at least 17 people have been killed more than 70 wounded in at least 13 mass shootings since Friday. The nonprofit gun violence archive says there have been at least 246 mass shootings in 2022. And yes, that is more than one per day.

Two key Republican senators involved in gun reform are indicating it's unlikely Congress will raise the age to buy semi-automatic weapons. Senate Democrat Joe Manchin who's part of the bipartisan talk says a higher age limit could in fact have saved lives in Uvalde. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D-WV): Two things that could have prevented this, an age requirement would have prevented an 18-year-old and basically a red flag law that's basically intended to try to help a person get some mental health. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think raising the age from 18 to 21 for all gun purchases.

MANCHIN: Well, that's -- it's where it is, everything except for rifles and long run -- long guns right now. Or if it's just for these high capacity weapons. Whatever they want to do, I'm open to doing something that makes sense.

SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R-TX): We're talking about common sense targeted reforms that are responsive to the tragedies in Uvalde and elsewhere. And that will, I believe, save lives. Strengthening mental health, bolstering school security, keeping guns out of the hands of people who are already legally prohibited from having them. I think a lot of our colleagues could get behind those provisions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: John Cornyn there. He is the lead Republican negotiator in the Senate's bipartisan talks. Now a U.S. House Democrat says gun control is typically a partisan issue in Congress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. TED DEUTCH (D-FL): This is something that is only artisan under the Capitol dome not out in the real world where people are afraid to go out in public, afraid to go to school, afraid to go to the grocery stores.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:25:09]

NEWTON: Now America's political divisions on guns extend though to the public. A new CBS YouGov poll found 44 percent of Republicans say that mass shootings are something the country has to accept as part of a free society. Somber scene on the National Mall meantime in Washington as more than 45,000 flowers were placed for the National Gun Violence Memorial. The number represents the rising U.S. death toll from firearms each year. The Giffords Foundation says the installation is meant to inspire change.

Mexico's president says he will in fact boycott the Summit of the Americas this week because Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua were excluded. The move is a snub to the United States which is hosting the event but the White House says "We don't believe dictators should be invited." CNN's Patrick Oppmann has the details now from Havana.

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN HAVANA-BASED CORRESPONDENT: Even before the Summit of the Americas got underway this week in Los Angeles, there was a controversy brewing over the guest list. As the United States is the host for this summit, the Biden administration gets to decide who is invited and fairly early on, officials indicated that Cuba and Nicaragua and Venezuela because of concerns over their human rights records would not be getting invites sent to them.

That did not sit well with Mexico's president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador who said that if those countries were not invited that he perhaps would not attend. There was some back and forth behind the scenes for several days where the Biden administration and AMLO as he's known, his administration tried to work out a compromise. But apparently those negotiations failed as on Monday, the Biden administration finally confirmed that Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela would not be getting invites.

The Mexican president said that he himself would be boycotting the summit but he would send in his stead a delegation of high-ranking Mexican officials. And then in July, he would visit the White House to meet one on one with President Biden. Cuba blasted their exclusion, saying that it was undemocratic of the U.S. said that there will be Cuban representation in the form of opposition activists who they said they would invite to the summit.

But some of those activists over the weekend said that they were not being allowed to leave the island by the Cuban government. Patrick Oppmann, CNN Havana.

NEWTON: Now remember in that report, we told you that the White House says the U.S. President doesn't want dictators at the Summit of the Americas. But it seems not all dictators are created equal. The White House says an official visit to Saudi Arabia is in the works. And that would mean meeting with its powerful Crown Prince, the White House says if engaging with a foreign leader is in the best interest of the American people, and President Biden will do it.

Last year his administration called for U.S.-Saudi relations to be recalibrated in their words. Now the State Department is pointing to signs of progress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NED PRICE, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: I think what we've seen over the course of the past 16 months with our Saudi partners, compared to where we were in January of last year to where we are now, just a few days after the humanitarian truce was extended in Yemen. It speaks to the progress that we've seen. It's a relationship that is now on steady footing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now the head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog says Iran is just a few weeks away from having a significant quantity of enriched uranium (INAUDIBLE) says that does not mean Iran is close to having a bomb but he indicated it is possible. And he says the agency wants to reengage with Iran to resolve the situation and make sure its nuclear program is "exclusively peaceful."

OK. Just ahead for us. Muslim countries are outraged after controversial comments by some Indian officials of the Prophet Muhammad. We'll have a live report from Delhi next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:30:00] RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR-AT- LARGE: There it is, said to be one of the most efficient waste-to- energy plants in the world. This amazing structure transforms about half of Copenhagen's rubbish into heat and power. Up to 300 waste trucks stop every day and feed the belly of the beast. And then turn up the heat, it's dropped into the furnace. The fire heats water that creates steam. The steam is converted into energy, it's filtered from nearly all the contaminants. It is monitored and measured, 24/7. And voila. You have enough power to heat about 150,000 local homes. Efficiency to one side. Where else can you slalom down a hill full of garbage?

NEWTON: Several Muslim countries are condemning controversial comments by some officials from India's ruling party about the Prophet Mohammed. Those countries have also summoned India's diplomatic representatives and demanded an apology. For more on this, I'm joined by CNN's Vedika Sud. She is in New Delhi.

And you just need to fill in our audience, kind of, where all of this started. And then we're going to get to what apparently is a sincere sense of atonement from the ruling party. Is that what's going on here? I mean, these remarks were just so inflammatory?

VEDIKA SUD, CNN REPORTER: Paula, good to be with. Now, what I would say is that the Indian government is making all the right noises when it comes to this controversy for now, and hoping all this will go away. But clearly, Paula, this controversy is here to stay for a while, given that at least 14 Muslim countries have either called or summoned Indian ambassadors of those countries representing India, talking to them about this controversy and expressing their concern, anguish, and anger over it or issuing statements against the controversy.

Now, this comes at a time when there have been -- there has been a lot of talk about the kind of discrimination reportedly on across India when it comes to minority communities. Now, these officials have been suspended. They belong to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu National Party, the party -- Janata Party also known as the BJP here. The controversy was made by one spokesperson on an Indian news channel while the other tweeted a controversial comment against Prophet Muhammad.

Now, what we're seeing is a lot of strong reactions from different Muslim countries. Let me just read out an excerpt from the Grand Mufti in Oman, and he has described the comments as a war against every Muslim in the Eastern West of the earth and called it a matter that calls for all Muslims derives as one nation.

Now, as far as the Indian government is concerned, they have been issuing a lot of statements. This has to do with different countries. And their statements against the controversial comments made by these BJP officials. Now, what the Indian government is saying is that these are views of the individuals and not the Indian government.

Also, the party, Janata Party, the face of that party, of course, is the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they have distanced themselves from these two individuals, and they said that we are not here to condemn any religion. We don't stand for it. Hence the suspension of one official and they've expelled another.

Now, this comes at a time, Paula, interestingly when the United States has also issued a report and this report has to do with the International Religious Freedom of different countries. And in that report, they have stated that when it comes to India, there has been a lot of attacks on members of minority communities. This includes intimidation incidents, as well as attacks on these members of minority communities.

A comment from the Indian Ministry -- Foreign Ministry recently has also condemned this report and denied such incidents take place in India. So as of now, the Indian government is certainly in damage control mode and they're hoping that this goes away sooner than later. Paula.

NEWTON: Yes, but as you say, it's a controversy that is likely to continue. Vedika Sud for us live in Delhi. Appreciated it.

Still to come for us, the rising generation takes legal action to fight back against climate change. How young people are banding together to hold States accountable legally. That's after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:35:00]

HATEM DOWIDAR, CEO, ETISALAT: We are now in a major point of flux from being a Telco, into being a TechCo. And I think we're not the only big company that is looking at it. We are moving it really into a time where we're looking into consumer digital products, enterprise digital products, and really looking at providing solutions, not just providing connectivity.

NEWTON: So, even children as young as nine, nine can't help but take notice of the climate crisis. A group of 14 children and teens from Hawaii have filed a climate lawsuit against the States Department of Transportation for contributing to the problem. Hawaii has seen several severe weather occurrences over the past several, and that includes torrential rains, flooding, drought, and yes even a blizzard warning late last year. The youth claim Hawaii's Transportation Department is causing significant harm to the community and violates their constitutional right to a clean environment.

Now, for more on this, I'm joined by Julia Olson. She is Chief Legal Counsel for Our Children's Trust. One of the nonprofit public interest law firms representing these young plaintiffs in this case. Good to have you with us. But I have to say, this isn't the only case of its kind, right? Can you lay out for us the legal premise behind this kind of action?

JULIA OLSON, CHIEF LEGAL COUNSEL, OUR CHILDREN'S TRUST: I sure can. And thanks so much, Paula, for having me. I'm really excited to be here to talk about the work that Our Children's Trust has been leading for over a decade now. And representing children and supporting them in bringing these types of cases all across the United States and also in countries around the world to secure their climate rights.

And you're right, the Hawaii case is the mystery sent case that was just filed last week in partnership with our co-counselor Earthjustice. And that case is enforcing the Hawaii constitution's express right that children deserve to live in a healthful and clean environment. And that the transportation system in Hawaii is continuing to cause dangerous levels of climate pollution.

NEWTON: Now, I want to ask you, what the final outcome would look like here? So, let's take, for instance, that these legal pursuits are in fact winnable. What does victory look like? And will it enable a more responsible and effective approach to the climate crisis by governments? Can it really do that?

OLSON: It can. And that's a great question, Paula. And the way I often answer that is to really point to cases like Brown versus Board of Education. In those cases, when courts declare that an old system is no longer constitutional and can't be sustained anymore by government, it means it needs to end. And right now, we're in a crisis where children's lives, their health, their well-being, their safety is in danger. And we need courts to hold governments accountable to protect the fundamental constitutional rights of children and say, no more fossil fuel energy systems. You need to transition away from the old way of producing energy.

[02:40:00]

NEWTON: It is definitely their future that is at stake. Some would be tempted to just call this a stunt, right? A gesture, really, to get publicity and not a real attempt to really command some climate action. I mean, what do you say to them? And I'm also curious about what the children and teens say to you about this?

OLSON: Well, when the teens and children we represent are told by adults that this is a publicity stunt, they staunchly disagree with that. These are young people who are suffering real injuries. So, take the plaintiffs in Hawaii for example, some of these indigenous youth are -- they're losing their burial grounds to sea level rise, they're losing their ability to grow their traditional feuds and practice their traditions. And many children in our cases, like in Utah and Montana have real harm to their health. They can't breathe the air right now safely. And so, these young people are harmed and they're standing up for their rights and for their lives.

WALSH: And Julia, I don't have a lot of time left, but what does that look like? Let's say these cases, you know, come to fortune, how long would it take and what would you expect to happen per se, in a State like Hawaii?

OLSON: Yes, I mean, the cases right now, we're heading to trial in the State of Montana, we'll be in trial next February. Hawaii was just filed and hopefully, we'll have a hearing within the year. So, they can move quickly. And, like our federal case, the Juliana case, we've been in court for seven years.

But the key is, is that governments are actively endangering young people. And so, we need judges to step up and hear these cases and hold the political branches accountable. And Our Children's Trust, we will keep representing youth and taking their cases to court so that they can secure their climate rights.

NEWTON: Well, it is certainly their climate future. And we'll continue to follow these cases with interest. It is certainly an interesting approach. Julia Olson, thank you so much for your time. Really appreciate it.

OLSON: Thank you, Paula. I appreciate it.

NEWTON: Now, a reminder here. A disturbing report from Oxfam outlines a surging price of climate change and how the world is failing to keep up with it. Oxfam's report shows that from the year 2000 to 2002, extreme weather-related humanitarian funding was valued at about $1.6 billion. Look at this, the last year, that number has risen to nearly $16 billion, a more than 800 percent increase. And research also says that wealthy countries, as this comes as no surprise, caused the most harm to the climate and are only paying about half the funds that are needed.

OK. And just before we go, this will give you a little bit of a breather, it's time for that adorable baby picture. OK. All together now. Isn't she cute? This is the newest photo of Prince Harry and Meghan's little girl, Lilibet. Taken as she celebrated her first birthday on Saturday at Frogmore Cottage in England. I am told there was cake. Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor is named after her great grandmother, of course, Queen Elizabeth. Prince Harry and Meghan were in the UK for the Queen's jubilee. An unprecedented 70 years on the British throne. And who can think of a better jubilee present than that smiling face and that grandchild?

All right. I want to thank you for joining us. I'm Paula Newton. World Sport is next. But I'll be right back with more news in about 15 minutes from now.

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LEMON: The Supreme Court has 30 opinions remaining in the final weeks of this year's term. Of course, we're expecting a final decision on abortion after a leaked draft opinion showed the court would overturn Roe V. Wade. But there are also decisions coming on major issues like guns and immigration.

Let's discuss. CNN's Chief Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin is here. Jeff, thanks for joining us. I want to start with this decision on guns. After oral arguments last year, it seemed that the conservatives on the court were ready to strike down a more than a century-old New York law that places restrictions on carry -- carrying a concealed weapon outside the home. What impact would that decision look like, you think?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN CHIEF LEGAL ANALYST: Potentially enormous. Not just in New York but around the whole country. And it's particularly relevant now because this is a time when gun control and gun safety is a huge issue after the mass shooting -- shootings we've had.

And, you know, what people are not focused enough on is whether it's even constitutional to do the restrictions people are thinking about, even if they think it's a good idea because the Supreme Court, it looks like, is getting ready to use the second amendment as a tool to shut down almost all gun control in the United States.

LEMON: Wow. So could a more expansive ruling and you said this would -- this is going to impact -- this is going to go far beyond New York. But could that open -- this concealed weapon law open the door to more constitutional challenges to gun safety laws across the country? Is it just the beginning?

TOOBIN: Absolutely. Absolutely, because, you know, in 2008 the Supreme Court held for the first time in a famous case called Heller written by Justice Scalia that the understanding of the second amendment that we had in this country for 200 years was wrong.

[02:50:00]

The idea that it only applied to militias and it didn't apply to individuals. Now, Justice Scalia said, individuals have a right to possess a handgun in the home. But since 2008, the court has not really discussed the second amendment very much. And conservatives like Justice Clarence Thomas have been saying, look, we need to expand the definition of the second amendment. We need to end more regulation on guns.

LEMON: Let's put the word up on the screen.

TOOBIN: Yes, let's put it up because this is such an important point.

LEMON: So, how do they match up with today's reality, the court's interpreting? A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

TOOBIN: Right, that first clause, the militia clause, was seen by the Supreme Court, and by virtually everyone, for 200 years to trump the second part.

LEMON: Right.

TOOBIN: To say, look, the right to keep and bear -- to people to keep and bear arms only applies for militias, which are like state police forces. What Justice Scalia's opinion said is, no, no, no. We're going to sort of forget about that first clause and say, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, and that includes individuals with weapons on their own.

And just -- let me give you an example of what's going on now in the country. In -- a couple of weeks ago in California, a federal appeals court said that a law in California that said, people from 18 to 21 could not buy assault weapons. What the appeals court, two Donald Trump appointees said, that's unconstitutional that a ban of 18-year- olds buying assault weapons is unconstitutional. I mean, think about how -- frankly, it's my own opinion, how crazy that is, but that's where the way the law is heading.

LEMON: So -- wait, let's go back to what we said. So, do you think that that -- do you that that was wrong? Do you think that Heller was wrong?

TOOBIN: I think Heller was wrong. It was a five to four opinion with the, you know, the conservatives in the majority. They --

LEMON: So, Heller was wrong, then everything that these folks are saying about the second amendment is B.S. then?

TOOBIN: Well, I mean, you know, this is the thing about the constitution is, you know, it is what the Supreme Court says it is. I mean, I disagreed with that decision but that's the law of the land now. But the question now is, how broad is the second amendment protection established in Heller? And if you listened to the oral argument, as you said earlier, it certainly seemed like the court was ready to say to New York State, you can't regulate when people carry guns in public.

LEMON: So, there's a lot that we're going to, you know, have to deal with now. The court is dealing with religious liberty, immigration, the environment, and abortion. How much of that is going to have to do -- I guess all of it has to do with, right, the political makeup of the folks who are on the bench right now?

TOOBIN: Absolutely. I mean, you know, I've been covering the court for decades. The -- there's never been a moment like this because the court really since the '70s has been very evenly divided between liberals and conservatives. And that's why you saw five and four opinions going different ways. You know, the same court that decided Heller in a conservative direction decided the Obergefell case, same- sex marriage in all 50 States, you know, in a more liberal direction.

You had people like Justice Anthony Kennedy, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor who were centrists, who really controlled the outcome. Now, we have five or six strong conservatives on the court, depending on how you count, Chief Justice Roberts. But he's not even necessary for a majority now. You have five very solid conservatives.

So, on religious liberty issues, they're basically saying, look, we can have more religious display by the government. In the public's fear, there's a case about whether a football coach can hold prayers at -- in the 50-yard line after games. Whether government money can go to parochial schools. All of that is moving in that direction. And, you know, making labor unions. You know, taking powers away from labor unions. This is all the conservative majority asserting itself. And we've seen it on guns. We've seen it -- we're very likely going to see it on abortion. As you say in immigration, environment, make it harder for the federal government to regulate pollution. All of that is coming in the next three weeks.

LEMON: It is interesting to me to -- when I was talking to a soccer player and others, right, people who have more of a world view, already travel a lot. Even in populations that are similar to that of the United States, they don't have the gun violence that we have and what is the difference?

TOOBIN: And they have the same mental illness --

LEMON: Yes, the same.

TOOBIN: -- that we do, but they don't have the mass shooters we do.

LEMON: Yes. Thank you.

TOOBIN: All right. Pal.

LEMON: Appreciate it, Jeffrey Toobin.

Next, 13 mass shootings this weekend alone, 17 people killed, many more injured. What will this country's leaders do about it?

[02:55:00]

And Uvalde survivors are suing. The details of the filing right after this.

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A teacher who survived the elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas is speaking out about what happened inside the classroom where 11 of the 21 people were killed. Here's what Arnolfo Reyes told ABC News about when he saw the gun.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARNOLFO REYES, UVALDE TEXAS SHOOTING SURVIVOR: They started asking out loud, Mr. Reyes, what is going on? And I said, I don't know what's going on. But let's go ahead and get under the table. Get under the table and act like you're asleep. As they were doing that and I was gathering them under the table and told them to act like they were going to sleep is about the time when I turned around and saw him standing there.

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