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CNN International: Employee Kills Five People at Louisville Bank, Eight Wounded; Nashville City Council Reinstates One Ousted State Lawmaker; Court Sets Deadline in Fight Over Abortion Pill Approval; Biden Headed to Northern Ireland to Mark Accord Anniversary; Pentagon Investigating Scope and Scale of Document Leak. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired April 11, 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]

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and all around the world. I'm Bianca Nobilo live from London. Max Foster has the day off. Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got a call from my wife panicking that she was locked in the vault that there was an active shooter in the building.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is awful bodies, and our minds are not meant to go through these types of tragedies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This isn't about politics. This is about life and death.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The clock is counting down to Friday and now the DOJ and the drug manufacturer Danco are asking for more time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are ready to fight. This is going to be a long fight. We understand this. We stand by FDA approval.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A damaging leak from some of the highest levels of the Pentagon.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Finding out who it is, if it certainly is an American, bringing them to justice because it's obviously is espionage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Live from London. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo.

NOBILO: It is Tuesday, April 11th 9:00 a.m. here in London, 4:00 a.m. in Louisville, Kentucky, where we mark yet another deadly mass shooting in the U.S. At least five people were killed at the Old National Bank in downtown Louisville when a 25-year-old employee used an assault weapon to shoot colleagues in a conference room during a staff meeting and he livestreamed the attack. Investigators are piecing together what led up to it. A law enforcement source says the government had been informed he was going to lose his job and left behind a note for his parents and a friend informing them of his plans. It's not clear when that message was found.

A Kentucky state lawmaker whose friend died in the attack said these shootings have become a disease, but almost nothing is being done to fix the nation's gun control laws.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID YATES, (D) KENTUCKY STATE SENATE: My worry is that everybody will raise their fists in anger and mourn. And then, and six weeks, eight weeks we go back to doing the same nothing. If it was a disease that was spreading this fast across our country, you better believe we'd be trying to tackle it. Well, I believe this is a disease, just like that has been plaguing our society, this troubled our communities. It has destroyed our families and we've got to do something.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: Several victims remain hospitalized and one of them died later on Monday. 57-year-old Deana Eckert. CNN's Omar Jimenez reports on the investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(GUNSHOTS)

JACQUELYN GWINN-VILLAROEL, INTERIM CHIEF, LOUISVILLE METRO POLICE: Officers were on scene within three minutes. The suspect shot at officers, we then returned fire and stopped that threat.

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Police revealing the shooter was an employee at the bank and had livestreamed the attack.

GWINN-VILLAROEL: The suspect was livestreaming, and, unfortunately, that's tragic to know that that incident was out there and captured.

JIMENEZ (voice over): A law enforcement source telling CNN the shooter had also learned he was going to be fired and wrote a note to his parents and a friend indicating he was going to shoot at the bank.

Louisville's Head of Police solemnly reading the names of the victims at an afternoon press conference.

GWINN-VILLAROEL: Tommy Elliott, 63 years of age; Jim Tutt, 64 years of age; Josh Barrick, 40 years of age; and Juliana Farmer.

JIMENEZ (voice over): Among those injured in the attack, two police officers including a rookie cop just days into the job.

GWINN-VILLAROEL: The officer who was in critical condition today, Officer Nickolas Wilt, 26 years of age, just graduated from the Police Academy on March 31st. I just swore him in and his family was there to witness his journey to become a police officer. He was struck in the head --

JIMENEZ (voice over): That officer tonight, out of surgery, in critical but in stable condition.

The shock of the attack also felt that the highest levels of the State's government. One of the victims known to the mayor and governor.

MAYOR CRAIG GREENBERG (D), LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY: One of them was Tommy Elliot, a very good friend of mine, of the governor's.

GOV. ANDY BESHEAR (D-KY): Tommy Elliot helped me build my law career. Helped me become governor, gave me advice on being a good dad. He was an incredible friend.

[04:05:00]

JIMENEZ (voice over): Officials say the gunman used an AR-15 style rifle in the attack. Investigators are still trying to establish a motive, as the governor paid tribute to those lost today.

BESHEAR: To honor those that have fallen and as so many families grieve, I'm ordering our flags statewide fly at half-staff until Friday.

Omar Jimenez, CNN, Louisville, Kentucky.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: The shooting comes as the Nashville Metro Council in Tennessee unanimously voted to reinstate one of the two Democratic lawmakers who was expelled by the state's Republican led House for joining a gun reform protest last week. Justin Jones was immediately sworn in on the steps of the state capital. He says the Republican lawmakers did not understand the backlash that would follow their actions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUSTIN JONES (D) TENNESSEE STATE HOUSE: Their attempt to crucify democracy has really resurrected a movement here in Tennessee. It shows that we need more representatives who will stand with the people who are willing to risk a title to be with the people, to stand with the people. And so, we need bold leadership. We need to fight for our communities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: Meanwhile, a vote to reinstate the other ousted lawmaker Justin Pearson is set for Wednesday. He tells CNN that gun violence in America is a tragedy that could be prevented.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JUSTIN PEARSON, EXPELLED TENNESSEE STATE LAWMAKER: It is a sad and another tragic day in our country where we know the decisions of people in power. Decisions of people who could actually do something to prevent gun violence in our schools, in our banks, in our communities by preventing guns from getting in the hands of individuals who have them. The people in positions of power are refusing to act and it is a tragedy that that is our reality.

And at the same time, we're seeing people who are pleading for democracy to work. The people and Nashville Metro Council, the people in Shelby County, the county commission, our communities are pleading for democracy to work in order that we might be able to affect the change that we need.

And so, yes, it is multiple emotions celebration and of the determination of the people who want to see justice happened with Representative Jones being reseated. And it's also painful moment of recognition that our legislators and people like Cameron Sexton and the Republican Party in Tennessee and across the south in this country are not doing nearly enough to prevent guns from getting in the hands of people and doing all of the holistic work of gun prevention that is necessary.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: Meanwhile, the mother of the six-year-old Virginia student who shot his teacher in January, has been charged with felony child neglect. She also faces a misdemeanor charge of recklessly leaving a loaded firearm so as to endanger a child. The teacher suffered a gunshot wound to the hand and her chest. Authorities have asked the court to impanel a special grand jury to continue the investigation.

Now to new developments in a closely watched medication, abortion case. The Justice Department and an abortion pill manufacturer are asking an appeals court to freeze a judge's order that would suspend the Food and Drug Administration's approval of mifepristone. Plaintiffs have until tonight to respond. This, as dozens of biotech and pharmaceutical company leaders signed a letter supporting the FDA and calling for a reversal of the ruling by the Texas judge. \

Meantime, California, Massachusetts and Washington state, all led by Democratic governors have announced that they have secured emergency stockpiles of the abortion pills. CNN's Jessica Schneider has more now from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: The clock is counting down to Friday and now the DOJ and the drug manufacturer Danco are asking for more time before Judge Kacsmaryk's ruling goes into effect. Because right now the Texas judge's ruling halting FDA approval of mifepristone is set to go into effect at the end of Friday night. And there's been some question about whether the FDA could just ignore this ruling. But the truth is this order will revoke FDA approval immediately without any action from the FDA if we get to Friday night, and no other court has stepped in.

So, DOJ and Danco asking the Fifth Circuit to pause the judge's order beyond Friday night and extend it as long as this appeals process lasts. Which really could be weeks or likely months, and the request is that the Fifth Circuit decide by noon on Thursday. So, if they don't further pause the judge's order, then DOJ and Danco could immediately ask the Supreme Court to step in. And filings along with their motion, really underscoring how dire they view the situation.

So, this is from the declaration of a doctor in Pennsylvania, saying: The district court order staying or alternatively suspending FDA approval of mifepristone will mean that many patients across my state and our country will not be able to access abortion care at all should mifepristone be unavailable. I suspect patients will be confused and misled to believe that abortion is no longer available or unsafe. Some facilities may offer misoprostol alone, which will surely result in more unscheduled visits and emergency room visits for pain, incomplete abortion and side effect concerns. Many patients will not be able to access safe abortion at all.

[04:10:00]

And in addition to this filing, DOJ is also asking for clarification from the federal judge in Washington, who ordered the FDA to keep the drug available in 17 states, plus DC. DOJ is asking, how can they comply with both his order and the Texas ruling?

And then there's the scientific community. They're responding, saying this really sets a precedent for diminishing the FDA's authority. It creates uncertainty for the entire drug industry, and it raises questions about whether other controversial drugs -- maybe like the morning after pill or even vaccines -- whether those could suddenly face similar threats in courts. In fact, dozens of biotech and pharmaceutical company leaders they signed an open letter in support of the FDA.

So, all of this is swirling as we await the Fifth Circuits next move that could ultimately moved quickly to the Supreme Court if the Fifth Circuit doesn't pause that Texas ruling before Friday night.

Jessica Schneider, CNN Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: So where do Americans stand on this issue? CNN's Harry Enten breaks down the numbers and they might surprise you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Americans overwhelmingly do not want this abortion pill banned, 70 percent are opposed to it. Over 80 percent of Democrats are opposed to it. Look at that over 50 percent of Republicans are opposed to it. My goodness gracious, when was the last time you saw controversial issue in which a majority of Republicans and Democrats agreed.

We oftentimes look at polling and we say, OK, is this necessarily reflected in the real world? Well since Roe v. Wade was overturned in the middle of last year, we had half a dozen abortion ballot measures, right, and the pro-abortion right side and every single one of them came out with the majority with a win. And we're not just talking about blue states like Vermont and California. We're talking about red states right, like Kentucky and Kansas and Montana. So, the fact is, Americans are on the side of pro-abortion rights. And it's going to be very interesting to see going forward whether or not they like this decision. I don't believe that they will if it holds.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: U.S. President Joe Biden heads to Northern Ireland in the coming hours to mark 25 years since warring factions agreed to end their violence and set up a power sharing government. But despite the success of the Good Friday Agreement, some of the stresses and security concerns remain after mass Republican activists attacked police in Derry on Monday as a march by the so-called new IRA degenerated into vandalism.

CNN White House reporter Kevin Liptak is in Belfast, Northern Ireland for us right now. Kevin, the president's visit to Northern Ireland underscores the U.S.'s influence in this peace process, architecture. Do you think it still remains an important part of maintaining peace?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, I think that's something that President Biden will want to emphasize when he's here in Belfast. Because, of course, the Good Friday Agreement came with some significant American investment in the form of President Bill Clinton has special envoy George Mitchell really trying to bring the sides together and come to this long-sought agreement that did bring peace between the Unionists and Nationalists. Of course, President Biden wants to emphasize the legacy of that agreement.

But you know, the Good Friday Agreement is being tested. Certainly, this specter of violence has never entirely disappeared. You saw those clashes in Derry yesterday. And of course, there is a significant police presence here in Belfast ahead of the president's arrival around his hotel. The threat level in Northern Ireland has recently been increased after the assassination of a police officer.

But politically as well, the Good Friday Agreement is being tested. The power sharing agreement between sides that was a result of these intensive negotiations 25 years ago that government is currently paralyzed as the Unionists refused to join as part of this dispute over the Brexit trade rules. And so, President Biden when he meets with the leaders of the Northern Ireland political parties tomorrow, will sort of try and cajole them to get back into this government. It's to really sort of reinforce the importance of this power sharing government as part of the Good Friday Agreement.

Now this trip really is kind of a sentimental journey for the president as well, of course, when he goes down to the Republic of Ireland later in the week. The president, of course, a very proud Irish American, very proud of his Irish roots. And, in fact, ahead of the visit, the White House distributed quite an extensive genealogical table dating all the way back to 1803. President Biden's great, great, great grandparents who came from Ireland, traveled to the United States. Really sort of looking for a better life. And that's really become something of a political identity for President Biden. This ancestor of working-class Irish folks who look for a better life in the United States.

[04:15:00]

Of course, he peppers his speeches with quotes from Irish poets Yates, Seamus Heaney. He talks about his links to Ireland all the time. So certainly, kind of a sentimental journey for him as well.

But at the start of his trip here in Belfast, there really will be some serious political questions that he will want to get resolved as part of his visit -- Bianca.

NOBILO: Kevin Liptak live in Belfast, thank you. We'll be checking in with you throughout the day.

Donald Trump could be back in New York this week to face another legal battle. Sources tell CNN that he may be deposed on Thursday in a civil lawsuit filed by the state Attorney General. It alleges that Trump, his children and the Trump Organization were involved in a decades long scheme to enrich themselves by providing false financial statements to lenders and others.

Meanwhile, the former president is challenging a separate legal decision against him. CNN's Katelyn Polantz has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Donald Trump has gone to a federal appeals court for the fourth time in the January 6th criminal investigation that's being run by federal prosecutors out of DC trying to close off some of the questions that a witness might be able to answer in the grand jury.

Now, this is not just any witness. This would be his former Vice President, Mike Pence. Pence has been subpoenaed to that grand jury and Donald Trump has been trying to claim executive privilege or presidential privilege protections around the communications that he and Pence would have had after the 2020 election leading up to January 6th whenever Pence was being pressured to try and stop the outcome of the presidential election and overturned Donald Trump's loss.

Now three times, Donald Trump has already gone to the appeals court and lost related to other witnesses. A lot of other people, including people from Pence's office, his own White House counsel, some of his top aides, even cabinet members. But this fourth time he's filing again to try and block part of Pence's testimony by claiming executive privilege. We do believe, though, according to many of the legal experts I speak with, that he is likely to lose again here.

We know that a trial level judge already denied Trump's request to stop Pence from answering these questions at the grand jury, and there's 50 years of case law up against him here. Obviously, the appeals court has not sided with him any time he's tried to make executive privilege claims over January 6th material before and that is a likelihood again.

Katelyn Polantz CNN Washington. (END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: Top secret information about the U.S. spying on its allies posted on social media. What the Pentagon is saying about those leaks just ahead.

Plus, the U.S. State Department takes a significant step in the effort to bring back a detained American reporter from Russia.

And later, tensions flare in the West Bank, as thousands of Israeli settlers and even members of Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet marched to an abandoned settlement. The details for you ahead.

[04:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NOBILO: North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is telling his military to get tougher. According to state media, Kim held a meeting with key military leaders on Monday, urging them to quickly increase their war deterrence in what he called a more practical and offensive way. No details were given on what those measures would be. Pyongyang has been critical of the recent joint military drills between the U.S. and South Korea, which were the largest that we've seen in five years.

The Pentagon says it is working to determine the scale and scope of a document leak that's revealing some top-secret U.S. intelligence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KIRBY, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: I'm not aware that they've come to any conclusions at this point about where they're coming from.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you believe the leak is contained? Are there more documents out there that have not been released publicly? Is this an ongoing threat?

KIRBY: We don't know. We truly don't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Dozens of the 50 plus classified documents were still viewable on Twitter as of Monday. They first appeared on the social media site Discord where they went largely unnoticed for weeks. CNN's reviewed 53 pages of documents produced between February and March, some of which are marked top secret -- the highest classification. They show the extent of U.S. spying efforts on allies, including assessments of the battlefield in the war in Ukraine, and intelligence reports on South Korea and Israel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE TURNER (R-OH): It's the leak aspect that everybody is concerned about it, and every government has had, you know, situations where their documents have leaked out. These are largely to some extent, you know, diplomatic documents where you're trying to impact that the diplomatic relationship to encourage people to do, you know, something else. Perhaps even in this instance in the supportive of Ukraine. So that that narrative, that commentary is certainly something you don't want out in the public.

As we look to what -- where this is, or obviously our number one goal is to stop it. Two, is to your damage control. How do we have to adjust as a result of these documents becoming public? And thirdly, you know, finding out who it is, if it certainly is an American bringing them to justice. Because this obviously is espionage and would rise to the level of being a traitor to your country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: Let's get reaction now from South Korea. CNN's Paula Hancocks is live for us in Seoul. Paula, I believe President Biden is scheduled to meet the South Korean president at the end of this month. What does South Korea's reaction to this leak of intelligence documents tell us about if that relationship has been impacted?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bianca, it certainly doesn't come at a good time. When you say there's only two weeks before they're supposed to be this state visit by President Yoon Suk Yeol to the White House to meet with President Biden.

So, what we're hearing from the presidential office here in Seoul, is almost that they're trying to downplay this. What we have heard from a statement is that they believe that a considerable amount of the information is, quote, fabricated. Now they haven't given any more details about this. We have asked them what exactly they believe is fabricated. But no more information is forthcoming.

[04:25:00]

Now the actual documents themselves that have been leaked appear to show a discussion between senior South Korean officials about a potential deal to sell ammunition from South Korea to the United States and concerns that that would then be passed on to Ukraine. South Korea has a long-standing policy that they don't give or sell any lethal aid to countries at war.

So certainly, there are concerns about this. We know the Defense Secretary; Lloyd Austin was speaking to his South Korean counterpart earlier this Tuesday. And it was on this topic. The South Korean side saying that they believe both defense ministers thought that parts of this were fabricated. I have to point out though this is just coming from the South Korean side at this point. As the Pentagon we have requests in but have not yet commented on this. Although the South Korean side say it was Lloyd Austin, who requested this call, obviously a fair bit of damage control going on at this point.

It's also playing very high internally as well here in South Korea domestically, the opposition parties are calling for more information, saying it is a clear violation of South Korea's sovereignty and also questioning whether there's more to come. Is this just the tip of the iceberg? And then also just briefly on Australia. We've also had a comment

there from General Angus Campbell. He's the chief of the Australian defense force, and he has said that he is concerned about the, quote, serious leak.

So certainly, many states at this point are reaching out to officials in the United States to find out more about what this exactly means.

But certainly, from South Koreans point of view, they would like this to be put to one side so that the focus can return to this state visit. So certainly, it is not good timing from the South Korean point of view.

NOBILO: Paula Hancocks, live in Seoul. Thank you.

The U.S. State Department has officially designated "Wall Street Journal" reporter Evan Gershkovich as wrongfully detained by Russia. The designation backs up previous assertions that the espionage charges against him are baseless. It also gives the Biden administration authority to explore options like a prisoner swap to free him.

For more on the story now with Clare Sebastian, who joins me here. Clare, tell us more about the practicalities of how this could help Evan Gershkovich by designating him as wrongfully detained.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, not unexpected. Of course, we saw that Secretary Blinken said last week that in his eyes, he believes that Evan Gershkovich is wrongfully detained. The first journalist of course, arrested in Russia, American journalist since 1986.

This is not a legal designation it's diplomatic, but it does move the case in the U.S. under the jurisdiction of the office of the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs. It means that essentially, he is now going to be treated like a political hostage, which opens up these avenues like, for example, a prisoner swap, which happened twice last year with Brittney Griner, and with Trevor Reed. It means that it's being handled at the highest levels of the U.S. government.

There is though, Bianca, a more immediate problem for Evan Gershkovich, and that is that the U.S. has yet to be granted consular access to him. It's been 13 days since he was arrested. They said, as of Monday, that they haven't had it. And obviously this is something that the State Department is very worried about. Take a listen to this portion of the briefing on Monday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VEDANT PATEL, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: We believe that it is a matter of human dignity to ensure that Mr. Gershkovich can meet with consular officers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do they do? Do you have any recourse at all?

PATEL: We have a number of tools at our disposal, Matt, to hold the Russian Federation accountable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: So, we didn't know, Bianca, what exactly those tools are. They going to keep bringing it up they say with the Russian authorities. But without that consular access, they cannot verify themselves what kind of conditions he's being kept in, his physical and mental state, all of that, so that.

NOBILO: So, for that being said, what are the next steps available?

SEBASTIAN: So, in his case, the next steps are that we know, according to Russian state media, that his lawyers have filed an appeal in this case. That is going to be heard in a Russian court this time next week. You know, we don't -- after that, we don't know his detention is until the end of May. Failing anything else, he will remain in Lefortovo prison in Moscow -- that notorious prison.

Until that point, the Russian authorities will tell you certainly as precedent would suggest in cases like this, that they want this to play out in the courts. That they see this as a legal matter and that until it plays out in the Russian courts, they cannot move to any kind of diplomatic discussions. So, I think that's certainly what we can expect to have from them this time.

NOBILO: Clare Sebastian thank you so much.

Two prominent Chinese civil rights lawyers have been sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for subversion. They were originally detained after privately meeting with other activists in 2019. Ding Jiaxi was given a 12-year sentence, according to his wife, who lives in the U.S. And his partner Xu Zhiyong was sentenced to 14 years. They both called for accountability in China's government and express pro-democracy sentiments. Both men were tried in separate cases behind closed doors and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

We'll go to Belfast next, where President Biden could find himself in the middle of a battle over Brexit.

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