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CNN International: Pentagon Leaked Documents; Leaked U.S. Docs Discuss Ukraine Military's Vulnerabilities; China Holds Third Day of Military Drills Around Taiwan; Tornadoes Killed More This Year Tan in All of 2022 in the U.S.; Spain's Jon Rahm Captures First Career Masters Title. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired April 10, 2023 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Bianca Nobilo. And if you're just joining us, let me bring you up to date with our top stories this hour.

A vote is set to take place in the coming hours by the Nashville Metro Council. Members will decide whether to reinstate ousted lawmaker Justin Jones back into Tennessee's House of Representatives. Jones was expelled after the GOP controlled House voted to remove him from joining protests over gun rights laws.

And three unions representing about 9,000 faculty and staff at Rutgers University are set to strike today. They're protesting low wages, equal pay and affordable housing, among other things.

The U.S. is in full damage control mode after the leak of highly classified intelligence documents, conducting a damage assessment and repairing relations with allies, while the U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the leak. The documents appeared last month on the social media platform Discord, according to screenshots of the post, reviewed by CNN.

Taken together, they're providing a rare window into how Washington spies on allies and foes alike. One of those allies, South Korea says discussions will be held with counterparts in the U.S. after some of the documents revealed a detailed conversation between South Korean national security officials regarding Ukraine.

As a whole, the topics exposed in the leak ranged from U.S. support for Ukraine to information on other key allies like Israel. They appear to have been produced between mid-February and early March. U.S. officials say that they fear all of this could jeopardize intelligence sources and methods and compromise foreign relationships -- as you might expect. One U.S. lawmaker discussed the significance of these documents with CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. RUBEN GALLEGO (D-AZ): We actually have to figure out the extent of how much is actual verifiable information that we've collected. How much is it? Something has been repurposed by our foreign enemies, specifically Russia, for their end goal. And let's be clear, the reason this is coming out right now is because its goal is to weaken our resolve. Weaken our alliance and help their end goal, which is to take all of Ukraine. (END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: A source close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN, Ukraine has altered some of its military plans because of this leak. There are also concerns sources who provided information about Russian troops might be in danger. Nada Bashir joins me now for more on all of this. Nada, this is obviously rattling the U.S. intelligence community because where these documents coming from, are they to expect more to be leaked? But also allies, because sensitive information is being shared about them and their private and classified discussions.

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Absolutely and that is a real concern when it comes to Ukraine, given the ongoing nature of the war with Russia and Russia's increasing bombardment of eastern Ukraine. Of course, we have now heard from a source close to President Zelenskyy saying that it is unsurprising that the U.S. government and its intelligence agencies will have been spying on President Zelensky and the Ukrainian government.

But as you said they're officials in Ukraine, in particular, are frustrated over the information and the revelations coming about when it comes to the situation on the ground in Ukraine. Particularly when it comes to the progress that Ukrainian armed forces are making.

We saw in one of these reports, which has been revealed from late February. The U.S. assessment of the battle in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. They say it was likely heading towards a stalemate throughout 2023. So, that has certainly raised concern over the betrayal of the efforts being put forward by the Ukrainian armed forces.

And of course, that is coming from one source. And as you mentioned there, according to that source, the Ukrainian armed forces has now altered its plans in response to the revelation scene in this document. Although it's important to know that we have also heard from a senior adviser to Ukraine's presidential office, who has said that he believes that these documents are inauthentic. That they may having put forward by the likes of Russia. And that, in fact, they have no relation to Ukraine's activities on the ground.

Then of course, there are also documents there which relate to the U.S.'s assessment of Russia's activities. And in fact, the extent to which the U.S. has been able to penetrate the Russian ministry of defense as well as the Wagner organization. We've now learned that the U.S. has been able to pinpoint and assess the degree of Russia's plans to deploy attacks on Ukraine to a significant amount of detail when it comes to the location and timing of these targeting attacks.

So, we are learning a significant amount of detail. And it is a very rare insight into the U.S. intelligence apparatus.

NOBILO: Nada Bashir, thank you so much. [04:35:00]

Meanwhile in Ukraine, President Zelenskyy is condemning Russia for striking a residential building in the city of Zaporizhia on Sunday. A 50-year-old man and his 11-year-old daughter were killed. Crews rescued a third person from the rubble. This, says a military spokesperson, says Ukrainian forces are holding their positions in Bakhmut despite difficulties. He says Ukraine is still supplying ammunition, food and supplies to its troops in the area and evacuating the wounded.

A soldier on leave described the fighting as hell in Bakhmut. And said the enemy artillery is shooting nonstop.

China is accusing the U.S. Navy of illegally intruding into the South China Sea. The U.S. says one of its guided missile destroyers was on a mission consistent with international law when it entered the area near where it calls Mischief Reef and China calls Meiji Reef. It comes on the final day of drills by the Chinese military in the waters and skies around Taiwan. Those exercises beginning after Taiwan's president returned from a trip to visit officials in the U.S. and Central America.

CNN's Beijing bureau chief Steven Jiang joins me now with the latest. Steven, obviously, we are viewing these military exercises and missions through the prism of this narrative of increased tensions between China and the U.S. How far do they mark a ratcheting up or an escalation of what's normal?

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: You know what's interesting here is even though the scale and intensity of China's latest war games are not reaching the level of what we saw last year when then U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. Remember after that trip, the Chinese launched its biggest ministry drills around Taiwan in decades, including foreign missiles directly across the island.

We have not seen that. But what the Chinese have been doing, of course, is to in a way normalizing these military drills around Taiwan to refine them and to increase its tactical complexity, according to experts we have talked to. That is really, in a way, injecting a new element of uncertainty and also potential danger, especially as Chinese assets continue to cross the median line in the Taiwan Strait. Something both sides had observed for decades until recently.

This, of course, is where a potential miscalculation could come in because, remember , it's not just the Taiwanese, but also the Americans and their allies continuing to send warships and warplanes to the region to assert for their claims and their navigational freedom and the rights -- as you just mentioned just now -- with that latest U.S. Naval warships freedom of navigation trip in the South China Sea. So, this is where potential confrontation and conflict comes in -- could come in between the two superpowers of the world. That, of course, is a major concern right now -- Bianca.

NOBILO: Concerning indeed, Steven Jiang live in Beijing. Thank you. Automaker Tesla is opening what it calls a mega factory in Shanghai.

While best known for electric cars, the company's new facility is supporting energy storage. It will produce 10,000 of its so-called mega packs per year. The mega packs are trailer sized battery packs. They can store enough electricity to power thousands of homes for one hour.

Still to come, John Rahm slips on the green jacket for the very first time. We'll show you how he overcame a marathon day at the Masters to win at Augusta.

[04:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NOBILO: Rescue workers in France, say there's still hope of finding survivors under the rubble of a collapsed building. This news comes after two bodies were recovered from the debris in Marseille. The mayor says authorities are trying to find at least nine missing people. The local prosecutor says investigators are looking into whether a gas leak caused this disaster.

Also in France, at least four people have been killed by an avalanche near Mont Blanc. This video was captured from a nearby ski resort. In addition to those killed, the interior minister tweeted that several others have been injured. Officials say two more people are missing, but eight others managed to escape unharmed.

More than 30 million people in the U.S. under freeze alerts across states in the mid Atlantic that includes areas from South Carolina up to New Jersey. Some could see temperatures as low as 30 Fahrenheit. The National Weather Service warns the freezing temperatures could damage pipes and kill sensitive crops.

The frieze isn't over, and neither is this year's deadly tornado season across the U.S. At least 26 people killed last month when tornadoes ripped through Rolling Fork, Mississippi. A week later, tornadoes across the south left more than 30 people dead. And last week at least five people were killed after a possible tornado struck Bollinger County in Missouri. In fact, the severe weather has already killed more people this year than in all of last year. Here's CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar with more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It has been an incredibly active start to the severe weather season. For example, just since January 1st we've had over 500 tornado reports. Normally up to this point we would only have about 270. So, you're talking nearly 200 percent of average.

The reason behind all of this, we've had a series of atmospheric river events that have pushed in along the West Coast. Well, those systems don't just end in California. They continue to traverse across the U.S. And while they've been intense when they arrive, point being, you've even had some tornado reports across California. But once they really surged east and they've had a lot of that very

warm air, especially that we had in February. Bringing those moist conditions has really made the atmosphere perfect conditions for these tornadoes to occur specifically for areas of the Midwest and the southeast specifically.

Now the unfortunate part here is it's led to higher fatalities, mostly because this area tends to have a higher population density rather than, say, the traditional Tornado Alley of Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, those types of states. They're also more difficult to see. The terrain can often be hillier, more mountainous, making it difficult to see these tornadoes from greater distances. And also, they tend to be more rain wrapped, which can also be a concern.

And housing, all of the houses in this area don't necessarily have basements or some type of underground structure that they can get to, whereas a lot of states in the Great Plains tend to have those in close proximity.

Another big concern that we've had with the last few months is a lot of the tornadoes that have occurred in these states are nocturnal tornadoes. And unfortunately states like Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky tend to have very high amounts of these nocturnal tornadoes, which tends to lead to higher fatality rates as well. Because many people are asleep. They're not really able to be alert when those warnings and watches would come in.

Another thing we started to notice a big shift in, not just this year, but really the last 40 years in general is a traditional shift away from where we would normally see tornadoes in Tornado Alley but granted a little bit further east into newer areas and, unfortunately more populated areas on top of that.

[04:45:00]

One thing to note is while in the short term the next few days, we don't have high severe weather chances. Statistically speaking, the peak for tornadoes does not occur until May. So, it is very possible that over the next several weeks we could still see those tornado numbers continue to increase.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: Jury selection in Dominion's defamation lawsuit against Fox News is scheduled to begin this week. The voting machine company is suing the conservative media giant for $1.6 billion over election fraud claims made by some of Fox's a list talent. Stars like Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity could be forced to testify under oath as could their boss. Rupert Murdoch. If the parties don't settle this trial will begin on April 17th.

In the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency may impose stricter standards for car emissions. The move would push the U.S. car market swiftly towards electric vehicles in the next decade. If implemented, it would start for light duty vehicles that are over the year 2027 and then gradually increase through the 2032 models. The rules would ensure that up to 67 percent of all new car sales in the U.S. would be electric. The proposal would need to go through a lengthy public comment process.

And just ahead, how Spanish golfer Jon Rahm overcame a weekend of weather delays and a Sunday deficit to capture his first Masters title.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON RAHM, WINNER OF 87TH MASTERS TOURNAMENT: I never thought I was going to cry about winning a golf tournament, but I got very close on that 18th hole.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[04:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NOBILO: Spanish golfer Jon Rahm now has his first green jacket after winning the 87th Masters Tournament at Augusta on Sunday. But it certainly did not come easy after a weekend of weather delays, the final day of competition became a marathon, with Rahm rallying from several strokes down before taking the lead for good. WORLD SPORT, Don Riddell has more from Augusta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Jon Rahm began the week here at Augusta with a double bogey. He has ended it as a double major winner. His first Masters title coming at the end of a grueling week and a very, very long day. He and all the other players had to come out early and finish their third rounds. And he began the day four strokes behind his playing partner, Brooks Koepka, but by the end of it, Rahm was four strokes clear at the top of the leaderboard.

It was an emotional scene as he celebrated on the 18th green with his wife and his two young kids. And this continues an extraordinary run of form. It's a just reward for the work he's been putting in lately. His sixth global victory since October, and it sends him back to the top of the world rankings.

JON RAHM, WINNER OF 87th MASTERS TOURNAMENT: We all dream of things like this as players and you try to visualize what it's going to be like and what it's going to feel like. And when I hit that third shot on the green, it's just the wave of emotion of so many things just overtook me.

I never thought I was going to cry about winning a golf tournament, but I got very close on -- on that 18th hole. And a lot of it because of what it means to me and to Spanish Golf, right. It's Spain's 10th major for a player to win the Masters fourth and my second win, right, my second major win. It's pretty incredible. And I know this one was for Seve. I know he was up there helping and help he did.

RIDDELL: At Augusta this week, we have also witnessed the great Tiger Woods taking another step into the twilight of his career and it was more of a limp than a step. But after another fragile departure, we can only wonder how many more major tournaments he has in him.

However, at the age of 52, his greatest rival, Phil Mickelson has roared back into the spotlight. Who could ever have imagined that lefty, he was mired in controversy this time last year, and who didn't even play here at Augusta, could shoot a 65 to finish in a tie for second. It's the lowest round by a 50-something player ever at the Masters.

And with three LIV golfers, finishing in the top six with Mickelson and Koepka contending for the green jacket, there is renewed focus on the strength and validity of the Saudi-backed rebel tour. Perhaps, it's not the golfing graveyard that some establishment figures had come to believe.

We leave Augusta with more questions than answers, but this compelling tournament has only served to heighten the excitement for the rest of the golf season. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: Now to the NHL and a record-breaking win for the Boston Bruins with their 5 to 3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday. The Bruins now hold the record for most wins in a single season with 63. And they still have two games left to play for the regular season ends on Thursday. Boston's already clinched the home ice advantage for the upcoming playoffs.

And in the National Football League star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has finally found a new team. Signing a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens reportedly worth as much as $18 million. The three- time Pro Bowler has been a free agent missing all of last season after tearing his ACL in the Super Bowl when he was with the Los Angeles Rams.

And look at the stories that are trending this hour.

When King Charles is crowned next month at Westminster Abbey, the monarch will travel in style. Buckingham Palace says two carriages will take him to his coronation and then back. First, the Diamond Jubilee State Coach seen here, will be used when he and Queen Camilla leave for the coronation in the morning. After the service, the 260- year-old gold state coach will be used for a much larger procession back to Buckingham Palace.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SALLY GOODSIR, CURATOR OF DECORATIVE ARTS, ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST: The coach is huge. You might be able to tell that from how I'm standing beside it. It's nearly four meters tall. It's over seven meters long. It weighs four tons. Because of that, it can only be eased at a walking pace, which really adds to the majesty and the stateliness of this great royal procession.

(END VIDEO CLIP) NOBILO: The coronation will take place on May 6th. It will be the first time a new British sovereign is crowned in 70 years.

[04:55:00]

And to mark this momentous occasion. There is a new royal emoji. The crown will appear on Twitter when coronation hashtags are used. The royal family says it's based on the 17th century St. Edward's crown, which King Charles III will wear during his coronation.

Taylor Swift and her longtime boyfriend, actor Joe Alwyn, have broken up. A source close to Swift confirm this to CNN. The two was said to have just

grown apart, but do intend to remain friends. They've been together for six years. Swift is in the middle of her Eras Tour. Alwyn is listed as a songwriter in several of her recent albums.

"The Super Mario Brothers Movie" is already breaking some high score records with the biggest global box office opening ever for an animated film.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIO LUIGI: Oh, that's a car.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: Some of Nintendo's most beloved characters like Mario Luigi and Princess Peach, helped the movie rake in more than $20 million in the U.S. and Canada for its five-day opening run. It earned a whopping $377 million worldwide, topping "Frozen II," for the best weekend opener for an animated movie.

And that does it here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Bianca Nobilo in London. I'll be back at the same time tomorrow. For now, EARLY START with Christine Romans is coming up next.

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