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Tornado Outbreak Batters South And Midwest U.S.; Trump Expected to Surrender Tuesday and Face Arraignment; Hindu Temple Collapses in India; Pope Francis to Participate in Palm Sunday Mass; NYPD Shoring Up Security ahead of Trump's Arraignment; Funerals Scheduled for Nashville Shooting Victims; Arrest of American Journalist in Russia Has White House "Deeply Concerned"; Bucha Marks Solemn Anniversary of Russian Terror; King Charles III Wraps Up First State Visit Abroad. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired April 01, 2023 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

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LAILA HARRAK, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from the United States and all around the world. I'm Laila Harrak.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): You hear a lot of commotion and stuff, then it was just over. I go outside and it's crazy. People got blood all over their face.

HARRAK (voice-over): Deadly tornadoes ripped through parts of the Southern and Midwestern United States. More storms could be on the way.

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HARRAK (voice-over): We now know when former president Trump is expected to appear in a New York courtroom. How the day could go and how his supporters and Mar-a-Lago could react.

And an update on the health of Pope Francis. We're live in Rome, where we expect to see the pope discharged from the hospital today.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Laila Harrak.

HARRAK: We begin with yet another deadly tornado outbreak and, even now, in the middle of the night in the U.S., it's still underway. States from Louisiana to Kentucky are under storm alerts right now.

There have been dozens of tornado reports from Arkansas to Wisconsin and forecasters predict the severe weather will continue marching east over the coming hours. At least three deaths and dozens of injuries are being blamed on tornadoes that hit Arkansas on Friday.

Well, two of those deaths came in the city of Wynne, where the mayor says storm damage has cut the town in half.

And look at this. This is a massive tornado bearing down on Little Rock. A third death was reported there. One man talked about what it was like when the storm hit.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Everything happened, like five seconds, it's like it came home. It was a lot of -- you hear a lot of commotion and stuff, then it was just over. I go outside and it's crazy. People got blood all over their face.

And this lady named Nancy, she works at or was -- I met her at the beauty salon and she had a pipe piercing through her leg. So I was trying to help her out and stuff and I hope she's OK.

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HARRAK: In Illinois, one person was killed, dozens of others injured when the roof of a theater collapsed Friday night in the storms. More than 200 people were inside the Apollo Theater in Belvidere for a heavy metal concert at the time.

This is new video, just coming in, as two deaths are now being reported in Indiana.

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HARRAK: President Biden wants people devastated by last week's deadly storms to know, quote, "you're not alone."

On Friday, he visited Rolling Fork, Mississippi, where he reaffirmed the federal government's commitment to the state.

[04:05:00]

HARRAK: Mr. Biden announced the administration will cover the full cost of cleaning up for the deadly storms. Last weekend, storms killed at least 26 people and knocked out power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses.

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HARRAK: Donald Trump is expected to travel to New York on Monday before surrendering voluntarily to the Manhattan district attorney. That's when we should learn the specific criminal complaints against him. CNN's Jessica Schneider has a preview.

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QUESTION: What are the charges against President Donald Trump?

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An historic court date set for former President Donald Trump on Tuesday in Manhattan, where district attorney Alvin Bragg has brought an indictment against him.

Trump is planning to leave his Mar-a-Lago estate on Monday for New York and then on Tuesday, authorities will take his mug shots and fingerprints before escorting him to his arraignment. The indictments still under seal, styled the people of the state of New York against Donald J. Trump.

CNN learning the grand jury voted to charge him with more than 30 counts related to business. Fraud after hearing from an unidentified witness for about 30 minutes Thursday.

MICHAEL COHEN, FORMER TRUMP PERSONAL ATTORNEY AND FIXER: I am a convicted felon. I am a disbarred lawyer. But I also brought the documents. There's plenty of testimony corroborating testimony to go around.

SCHNEIDER: Former Trump fixer Michael Cohen met with prosecutors and testified to the grand jury and multiple occasions in this year's long investigation.

Cohen was convicted on federal charges and sentenced to three years in prison in part for his role paying off porn star Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet in the lead up to the 2016 election about her alleged affair with Donald Trump.

It's a fight against his rejection of truth and his manufacturing of stories that really motivated her to try to cooperate in any way certainly to get the truth out.

Trump denies the affair and any wrongdoing.

QUESTION: Mr. President, do about them under the $30,000 payment to Stormy Daniels?

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT: No, no.

SCHNEIDER: Cohen, though, admits to writing the $130,000 check and claims he was reimbursed by the Trump Organization. That reimbursement and the way Trump accounted for it appears to be at the heart of the case against Trump.

COHEN: For Donald, since we're talking about convicted felons, see you on Tuesday, pal.

SCHNEIDER: Sources tell CNN the grand jury also heard testimony about a catch and kill scheme to bury a story about another alleged Trump affair with former Playboy playmate of the year Karen McDougal.

Trump's longtime friend and then chairman of the "National Enquirer's" parent company, David Pecker, is believed to have orchestrated that $150,000 payment.

Pecker testified before the grand jury Monday. Trump also denies any affair with McDougal. Trump's lawyers are now vowing to fight, saying they will move to get all charges dismissed before any trial.

JOE TACOPINA, TRUMP DEFENSE ATTORNEY: There's no crime. I don't know if it's going to make the trial because we have substantial legal challenges that we have to front before we get to that point.

SCHNEIDER: CNN has been digging into who this last witness was on Thursday before the grand jury voted to indict Trump. A lot more could become clear as this case progresses.

And we'll see just how strong this case might be after the indictment is unsealed, likely Tuesday at the arraignment. In the meantime, former attorney general Bill Barr is the latest now speaking out, joining Republicans in saying that this case is just a political hit job and a weak case. Notably, though, no one has seen the exact charges or the evidence here -- Jessica Schneider, CNN, Washington.

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HARRAK: Trump's court appearance will be unlike any other, due to his unique status as a former U.S. president and current candidate. Here's how one of Trump's lawyers described it to CNN's Kaitlan Collins.

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TIMOTHY PARLATORE, DONALD TRUMP'S ATTORNEY: You have a client, who is also a presidential candidate. And so it's not like a normal situation, where you tell the client, "Hey, don't say anything, don't talk about anything," because the case is the single most important thing in their life.

He is running for president. So he's already got the campaign apparatus and everything else.

I mean, I know Judge Merchan. I've tried a case, in front of him, before. He can be tough. I don't think that it's necessarily going to be something that's going to change his ability, to evaluate the facts and the law in this case.

So you really do have that kind of balancing act when you have a client, who is also a candidate for office.

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HARRAK: Joining me now is Renato Mariotti, a former U.S. federal prosecutor.

Sir, so good to have you with us.

Before we get into the specifics of this case, how would you describe this moment?

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RENATO MARIOTTI, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well, it's a monumental historic moment in American history. We have, the first time a former President of the United States is the subject of a criminal indictment. It's going to create division in our country, it's going to be controversial.

And it may I think, pose some very significant legal questions and challenges. But it is no doubt something that we will be talking about for decades to come.

HARRAK: Well, let's focus on, from a legal perspective, what is one of the major questions you have?

MARIOTTI: Sure. I think one of my -- I think my first question is what charges are there in the indictment?

You know, there's a lot of speculation right now. I'm sure many, many of our viewers have heard people criticizing and attacking this indictment. But no one's read it yet. We don't know exactly what the legal theory is.

And there are a lot of alternatives there. We do know it has something to do with these hush money payments to individuals that Donald Trump allegedly had interactions with, those sexual interactions with.

But what we don't know is, for example, whether or not this is a campaign finance case or whether it's a tax case. We don't know whether there are, you know, racketeering type charges.

That you know, we don't know whether there's conspiracy charges, so I think there's a lot that's open and that will dictate what legal challenges will come next.

HARRAK: In terms of legal jeopardy, this isn't the only legal fight that Mr. Trump faces.

How could the outcome of this potential trial affect other legal proceedings that involve the former president?

MARIOTTI: Yes, it's a really good question. I think that's an important thing for everyone to keep in mind. Former president Trump is facing a number of different criminal investigations.

Up until recently, I think many people predicted that the Fulton County Georgia case would ultimately be the first case to result in an indictment. I think it's fair to say that a indictment appears to be highly probable in that case.

There's also a couple of very serious investigations by the United States Department of Justice, which are federal prosecutors, the entity that I used to work for a number of years. And so, all of those cases are going on at the same time.

And it makes life very difficult for Trump's attorneys. I have defended individuals who are facing criminal charges and criminal investigations in multiple jurisdictions. And it's sort of like three dimensional chess. While the prosecutors get to focus like a laser, what would both, you

know, best help them win that particular case, the defense attorneys, before they make any move in a case, have to consider how it impacts all of the cases at once.

And if you, for example, have testimony in that first case, it could potentially be used against the former president in the subsequent case. But conviction in an earlier case can be used against him in another case.

Contradictions in the positions that he takes to those cases are going to be used against him. So definitely a lot for his legal team to weigh. I think they are defending this -- this is legal defense on hard mode, so to speak.

HARRAK: How tricky do you think will it be for the prosecutor to try this case?

The next president is not like any other defendant or is he?

And what are the challenges of finding unbiased jurors for a trial of this significance?

MARIOTTI: So if this case was at slam dunk evidence and legal theories that were very well tested, it would still be a challenge.

And because this is the first case involving the President of the United States and it's not just any president, it's a president who has attacked law enforcement, who has attacked the judiciary, who has at times incited violence, incited a riot at our nation's capital.

And so that presents I think fairly unique challenges for a prosecutor. On top of that, depending on what this indictment looks like, there could very well be very serious legal and factual, evidentiary challenges as well.

So really, I think this is a very difficult prosecution to take on. There are serious questions about whether this prosecution should have been brought. But obviously, I'm reserving judgment until I actually see the charges and see the evidence.

HARRAK: Renato Mariotti, thank you so much for joining us.

MARIOTTI: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: Trump and his legal team are expected to spend this weekend hunkered down at his Mar-a-Lago estate, mapping out a game plan for Tuesday. CNN's Randi Kaye with more from West Palm Beach.

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RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And for now, Donald Trump remains at Mar-a-Lago.

[04:15:00]

KAYE: And it is pretty much business as usual. Even in the hours following the indictment, he dined with guests here at the Mar-a-Lago Club, along with his wife, Melania Trump.

He was mingling with those guests even following that indictment. And then, of course, he went on his social media and started lashing out at the district attorney.

But in terms of the next few days for him, he will head to New York City on Monday. And Mar-a-Lago Club is about 15 minutes from the Palm Beach International Airport and he will likely take the Southern Boulevard, which is the main thoroughfare from Mar-a-Lago to that airport.

And that will likely be lined with his supporters. For a big event like this, they tend to come out and bring their flags and wave at the former president and honk their horns in support of him.

In terms of what he will do over the weekend, he certainly played a lot of golf leading up to this indictment coming down, so we'll see if perhaps he does go to one of his golf clubs here in Florida and play some golf and maybe be clear his head.

And then, of course, he will be here at Mar-a-Lago, where there's always weddings and parties and all kinds of events. He does tend to mingle with the crowds there and surprise people. Even a couple that was getting married shows up unannounced.

So we'll see if the former president is in the mood to do anything like that or he -- if he decides to just lay low -- Randi Kaye, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: U.S. Senator John Fetterman has been discharged from Walter Reed Medical Center after being treated for depression.

The freshman Democrat from Pennsylvania tweeted a thumb's up, writing he is, quote, "excited to be the father and husband I want to be and the senator Pennsylvania deserves. Pennsylvanians," he went on, "have always had my back and I will always have theirs."

Fetterman's office says he has experienced depression off and on over his lifetime. But he checked himself in last month after experiencing symptoms, including loss of appetite and loss of weight. He said on Friday he wants everyone to know depression is treatable and the treatment works.

Good news for Pope Francis, who will be getting out of the hospital soon as well. We're alive and we're with his plans for the holy week.

Also tragedy in a temple. We will tell you what happened when the floor collapsed during a Hindu festival in India. Stay with us.

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HARRAK: Anytime now, Pope Francis could be leaving the hospital and heading back to the Vatican. He's back up on his feet and even conducted an impromptu baptism on Friday in the children's oncology unit.

And that's after the 86 year old pope was treated for bronchitis. We now go live to Rome and CNN's Delia Gallagher, standing outside Gemelli Hospital.

Delia, the pope on the mend.

Is he well enough to lead Palm Sunday mass service?

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's what they're telling us. They love that he will be present at the Palm Sunday mass tomorrow in St. Peter's Square. He might not be saying the mass but he will be present and we will be able to hear him speak.

That will be important to sort of monitor just how well he is. He's obviously well enough to leave the hospital after a relatively short stay. We're just waiting any minute for him to come out. Now he checked in on Wednesday.

It was a moment of great uncertainty because we had heard that the pope had been complaining about respiratory issues for the last few days. But when he was diagnosed with bronchitis and then given the antibiotics, he was back on his feet.

Even by Thursday evening, they told us he was having pizza with some of the medical staff here in the hospital. And then, of course, yesterday, that visit to the children's oncology and neurosurgery unit, where he baptized the lovely Miguel Angel and distributed chocolate Easter eggs and rosaries.

So the pope was busy in the hospital, obviously well enough to come out today, much to the relief of many people.

HARRAK: I was going to ask you about that. There must be such a sense of relief that this health care passed -- health scare rather past.

GALLAGHER: Yes. Yes, well, there is relief.

But let's remember, 86 years old, getting over bronchitis, going into the busiest week for him and the Vatican, Easter week starting tomorrow, leading up all the way through next Sunday.

There are a number of public events that the pope has to be present at. So really, it's kind of a delicate moment for the pope. This has put the spotlight back on his health. He has already had mobility issues with his knees that caused him to use a wheelchair. But now obviously all eyes will be on this coming week. And then at

the end of April, he has a trip to Hungary scheduled. So I'm sure his doctors would like him to slow down a little bit.

But that's tough to do with Pope Francis. He likes to be out.

HARRAK: Likes to be out and busy. All right, well, we expect him to leave the hospital behind you any moment now. For now, thank you so much, Delia.

Delia Gallagher there for you in Rome.

The death toll now stands at 36 after the floor of a Hindu temple collapsed in India. Beneath the floor was a traditional Indian stepwell. It's a very deep structure that allowed people to walk down to the water table for bathing or drinking water. Michael Holmes reports.

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MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rescuers scour through the rubble, looking for survivors after a stepwell collapsed at a Hindu temple in central India on Thursday.

The incident happened at a temple complex in the city of Indore. Local officials say a concrete slab covering the stepwell gave way, crushing worshippers who had gathered to celebrate the Hindu festival of Ram Navalny (ph).

Stepwells are large wells or reservoirs with steps that go down to the water level. They're a common feature across India, many built hundreds of years ago and ornately decorated.

The country's army as well as federal and state disaster response teams are involved in the rescue efforts. Cranes, ropes and ladders are being used to help remove debris out of the large, gaping hole, water being pumped out of the stepwell to help locate any people trapped below.

[04:25:00]

HOLMES: The well was about 18 meters deep. Officials believe many of the deceased could have drowned. Candles, offerings and sweets are left scattered about in what's left of the temple. One man says he was lucky to make it out alive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I have not seen such a sight in my entire life. People were shouting and asking for help. Many people died. And I saw two women dying. I escaped death. I couldn't understand what happened as it suddenly got dark. I also don't know how I survived.

HOLMES (voice-over): Outside, survivors comfort other as bodies are taken away from the scene on stretchers and the injured are rushed to the hospital. Authorities say there were about 80 people in the complex at the time of the collapse. They've ordered an investigation into what caused it -- Michael Holmes, CNN.

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HARRAK: The death toll from severe weather in the South and Midwest continues to rise and more dangerous weather is expected in the coming hours. We'll look at some of the damage next on CNN NEWSROOM.

Plus a heavy security presence in New York ahead of Donald Trump's arrangement next Tuesday, the first time a former U.S. president has ever been hit with a criminal indictment. Details when we return.

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HARRAK: Welcome back to our viewers in the United States and Canada and all around the world. I'm Laila Harrak and you're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

Dangerous weather is heading toward parts of the eastern U.S.

[04:30:00]

HARRAK: In the hours ahead, forecasters say more than 55 million people from the Southeast to New England are at risk for severe weather with strong thunderstorms likely and a few tornadoes possible.

The warning comes as we're learning more about the deadly damage wrought by storms on Friday. Two deaths are being reported in the town of Sullivan, Indiana. Tornadoes are being blamed for three deaths in Arkansas with the mayor of the town of Wynne, saying the community was, quote, basically "cut in half" by damage.

All right. We've got some breaking news for you. We want to take you back to Rome right now, where Pope Francis is being released from Gemelli Hospital after being treated for bronchitis. These are live pictures that you're seeing right now.

He was admitted on Wednesday and was treated with antibiotics after he complained of respiratory problems. He's in good spirits, as you can see, smiling, answering questions from the press that is gathered outside Gemelli Hospital.

The Vatican said on Friday he is expected to take part in Palm Sunday services at St. Peter's Square tomorrow. While in the hospital, the pope kept busy, getting pizza, visiting the pediatric oncology unit and even performing a baptism.

The pope has had various health issues over the years. Part of one of his lungs was removed when he was a young man after a bout with pneumonia. He has used a walking stick and a wheelchair in the last few years due to pain in his right knee. And he also has a condition which led to the removal of part of his colon.

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HARRAK: Donald Trump is expected to voluntarily surrender to the Manhattan district attorney on Tuesday for arraignment on multiple criminal charges related to his business operations. Security is already tight in and around the courthouse.

Media cameras inside the building are expected to show the former president when he is escorted to the courtroom on Tuesday afternoon. While the case revolves around a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 election, well, that itself is not illegal.

But prosecutors are investigating whether the Trump Organization tried to cover it up with falsified business records, which is a crime. Trump's legal team claims the prosecutor is only pursuing a political vendetta. Take a listen.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But you got to start with the big picture. You know, prosecutors are supposed to be judicious. They're supposed to start off seeking the road the evidence takes them down, not targeting a man and putting charges on him, no matter who it is.

So we've really crossed the Rubicon in this country with politicized prosecution. Alvin Bragg needs to be the focus of a lot of attention because he's ushering in a new criminal justice system right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Earlier, I asked CNN presidential historian Tim Naftali how big of a test this is for America's institutions and democratic foundations.

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TIM NAFTALI, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Most constitutional experts believe that the Founders, the Revolutionary Leaders, the writers of the Constitution, expected that a president, while in office would be immune from any criminal indictments.

But the Founders -- and there is no disagreement about that -- the Founders made clear that a former president would be subject to the law, as it would any other American citizen.

Nevertheless, in over 200 years, neither a sitting president nor a former president has been indicted. That's the first thing that's a first. The second is that -- and that's the second one -- is actually even more important for what awaits Mr. Trump.

Mr. Trump is the first individual, first former president in American history, to have been indicted for something he did while he was not in office. In his case it was something he did before he was elected.

There was a president in the 19th century, Ulysses S. Grant, who was mixed up in a controversy -- actually a fraud in New York City -- that occurred after he left office. He was not responsible for the fraud. There was no real legal jeopardy for him.

But it looked bad for him. Donald Trump is the first person about whom there's a probable cause of a crime committed before he was president.

[04:35:00]

NAFTALI: And so what's being tested here is not whether the American people are capable of judging a president who has survived a political scandal in office; it's whether the American judicial system will treat someone, who has once been president, can treat them as any ordinary American after they left office.

So that is the test and that's what's so interesting about what's going on now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: New York's mayor says the city has seen no credible security threats ahead of Trump's indictment. But it remains vigilant for possible protests and unrest. CNN Shimon Prokupecz reports on the preparations in New York.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): With an unprecedented indictment comes immense security challenges.

The NYPD, along with court officers, U.S. Marshals and the United States Secret Service, are running through logistics of how Tuesday's historic arraignment of the former president will go down.

Tonight, law enforcement sources telling CNN officials are conducting a dry run of Trump's movements, including his motorcade route to the courthouse in downtown Manhattan where he is expected to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon, how he will get inside the courtroom flanked by Secret Service.

And what will the arrest process look like?

Will he be treated like any other defendant?

The former president expected to be fingerprinted and photographed for a mug shot.

It's a massive effort starting when Trump arrives by plane Monday, securing Trump Tower, the court and the motorcade route.

KENNETH COREY, FORMER NYPD CHIEF OF DEPARTMENT: In this case, though, where you have a former president and certainly a president with as larger following as former President Trump, there's a lot of unique concerns that are going to come into play.

I think that the bigger unknown here is going to come in the form of protests or potential protests. PROKUPECZ: Officials are also bracing for protests after Trump urged his supporters to protest his arrest when news of the indictment reportedly neared. So far, the mayor's office says there are no credible threats to the city.

And out of an abundance of caution, every member of the NYPD, some 35,000 officers, are reporting for duty in uniform and prepared for mobilization.

COREY: So the challenge for the NYPD is going to be protecting everybody's First Amendment right, allowing everybody to have their voice heard and to do so in a way that keeps the peace.

PROKUPECZ: The big question, will the public see images of Trump as he enters the court, where many of his associates have already passed?

And we've learned that, actually, there will be a camera on the 15th floor in the hallway to capture the former president walking through the hallway into the courtroom. Of course, everyone anticipating what this area will look like on Tuesday.

Behind me is where defendants, where people who are about to be arrested by the Manhattan DA s office, surrender. It is certainly expected that that is the way the former president is going to go in here and be taken into custody by the Manhattan DA's office.

But we have yet to see, as the security officials and the Secret Service here continue to finalize the plans for the former president to surrender on Tuesday -- Shimon Prokupecz, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: Funerals are scheduled for later today for two of the six victims in this week's mass shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee. Services for three other victims are scheduled for the coming days.

On Friday, the community remembered 9 year old Evelyn Dieckhaus at a local church. CNN's Carlos Suarez has more now from Nashville.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As you can imagine, this community is still grieving several days after the shooting. And we're talking about six funeral services over the next week.

The first funeral service was for 9 year old Evelyn Dieckhaus. Family, friends and loved ones were seen entering and leaving the service on Friday. We're told that the private service lasted about an hour.

The pastor at the church here, said that, here in Nashville, we know that music heals. So there was a lot of music. An obituary for Dieckhaus really captured the girl's spirit. She was described as being a, quote, "beacon of joy" to her family, as someone whose faith was pure and her prayers were sincere. On Saturday, there will be two more funeral services. The first will

be for 9 year old Hallie Scruggs. Her father is the lead pastor at the school's church.

Now in 9-1-1 calls that were released on Thursday, the father is heard telling a 9-1-1 dispatcher that he'd heard there'd been a shooting at the school and that he was going to run inside the building.

Now at no point during that call does it seem that the father knew that his daughter had been shot.

The other funeral service that will take place on Saturday is for 61 year old Cynthia Peak.

[04:40:00]

SUAREZ: She was a beloved substitute teacher at the school. Tennessee governor Bill Lee said that his wife, Maria, was best friends with Peak. The remaining funeral services will take place through Wednesday. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: A U.S. judge is hitting pause on a law that would ban many drag shows in Tennessee. He put the measure on hold for at least two weeks on Friday, a day before it would have gone into effect.

The reason, the judge said, the state didn't show a compelling interest to regulate drag performances so strictly. The law would limit drag shows on public property, purportedly to protect children from overtly sexual performances. But opponents who filed a lawsuit say the law violates First Amendment rights.

Ukraine remembers the victims of Russia's occupation in a town that symbolizes Moscow's suspected atrocities.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK (voice-over): Still ahead, President Zelenskyy holds a somber ceremony in Bucha, one year after Russian troops were pushed out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK (voice-over): Plus a ruling at Centre Court. Tennis officials decide whether or not Russian and Belarusian players will be allowed to compete at the Wimbledon championship amid the war in Ukraine. The call from the All England club coming up.

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HARRAK: "The Wall Street Journal" says it is doing everything in its power to secure the release of one of its reporters in Russia. The newspaper's editor said in a staff memo that they're working with U.S. officials to make sure Evan Gershkovich returns home.

The journalist is being detained in Russia on allegations of espionage, a claim the newspaper denies. U.S. President Joe Biden has urged Russia to release him.

[04:45:00]

HARRAK: But so far the Kremlin is refusing to budge.

Ukraine is marking a somber anniversary in a town that became synonymous with alleged Russian atrocities in the country. On Friday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy led a ceremony in Bucha commemorating one year since its liberation.

Russian forces are accused of brutally killing hundreds of civilians there in what international investigators called possible crimes against humanity.

Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund is sending a financial lifeline to Ukraine to help its economy stay afloat while it's on war footing. Well, let's go now to David McKenzie. He joins us from Kyiv.

David, on Friday, President Zelenskyy marked a very grim anniversary.

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And it certainly was a profound moment. A year since Ukrainian forces liberated Bucha, the suburb and area to the northwest of me, which was synonymous -- that has become synonymous with the alleged war crimes of Russian forces that were pushing on to Kyiv in March last year and earlier.

More than a month they held that area; President Zelenskyy went to the scene, now, obviously completely different from those harrowing days and read out the names of some of those victims, gave out medals.

They are still investigating the ongoing -- these ongoing investigations. More than 700 people were killed in Bucha city alone. It's believed more than 1,000 in the overall Bucha area.

The prosecutor of Ukraine says they are still gathering evidence for crimes ranging from murder, torture, sexual violence. You know, you will remember the awful images, as Bucha was liberated, of dead bodies lying on the streets.

And certainly myself and several other reporters from CNN has -- have reported on those terrible alleged crimes. The president, in his nightly address, spoke about the importance of the day.

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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Dear Ukrainians, the main word today is justice. Justice is for our state, for all the people who lost relatives, loved ones; lost health, home in normal life due to Russian aggression, due to the terror of the occupier.

Our special events took place in Bucha on the anniversary of the city's liberation.

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MCKENZIE: Well the prosecution here in Ukraine is saying they still will try to get those responsible to justice. They have named several; actually, several dozen Russian military individuals and offices that they want to bring to trial.

HARRAK: And David, Ukraine received some much needed aid to help with its devastated economy.

MCKENZIE: That's right. I mean, the -- obviously the focus of our reporting has been on the front line and the impact on civilians. That impact on the Ukrainian economy has been devastating. The IMF has said they're going to extend a bailout of $15 billion over four years. That's already joins $100 billion.

Now they do admit that this is a somewhat risky loan to the Ukrainian government. But they believe they are able to manage this and, critically, they say, it's also to help reform the country with the view of possibly starting the process of joining the European Union when this war is eventually over.

So it's both a important financial instrument and, also, I think a political statement of support of Ukraine by the European Union.

HARRAK: Dave McKenzie reporting from Kyiv. Thank you so much, David. Thank you.

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HARRAK: King Charles wraps up a historic diplomatic trip. What he accomplished in Germany during the first state visit his reign.

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HARRAK: King Charles has wrapped up his first state visit abroad as Britain's new monarch. It was a three day diplomatic tour across Germany, where he looked to strengthen ties with key European allies. CNN's Max Foster reports.

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MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT: The king and queen arriving here in Hamburg by train, their first stop visiting the Kindertransport memorial, representing the thousands of children rescued by the United Kingdom from Nazi Germany.

They're then going to go on and visit a church that was bombed out in the war. So this is about reconciling the past, coming to terms with the differences the two countries had but forging forward with a modern relationship.

Trading partners, also partners with Ukraine in the current war against Russia. Despite all the rain, this tour, this first state visit for the king abroad, couldn't have gone better. There haven't been distractions. Both governments have managed to get their message across.

These are two countries with deepening ties and King Charles, Queen Consort Camilla can go back to the United Kingdom pretty pleased with how everything's gone, despite the fact that the first part of this tour to France had to be canceled because of the protests .

But this, Germany, becomes a historic visit for the United Kingdom and for the royal family because, unfolding in front of you here, is the first state visit of King Charles III's reign -- Max Foster. CNN. Hamburg, Germany.

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HARRAK: Thank you so much for spending this part of your day with me. That wraps up this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Laila Harrak. I'll be back with more coverage right after this break, don't go anywhere.