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White Homeowner Charged In Shooting Of Black Teen; Twenty-Year- Old Woman Killed After Turning Into Wrong Driveway; Four Killed, At Least 32 Injured In Birthday Party Attack; Republicans Hold New York Hearing To Attack Manhattan D.A.; Senate Republicans Won't Help Democrats Replace Feinstein; Soon: Sirens Will Ring Out Across Israel In Commemoration. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired April 18, 2023 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[02:00:30]
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM. The white Kansas City man accused of shooting a black teen who mistakenly showed up at his front door now charged with felonies. The prosecutors saying there was a racial component to the case.
A call for peaceful protests in Ohio after a ground jury decides not to charge eight officers who shot a black man dozens of times after a chase.
Plus, the $1.6 billion defamation trial against Fox News set to begin in the coming hours or could a last-minute settlement keep this case from going forward?
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.
CHURCH: Thanks for being with us. First, here in the United States. A white homeowner in Kansas City, Missouri is facing two felony counts after allegedly shooting and wounding a 16-year-old black teen who went to the wrong house to pick up his siblings. An arrest warrant has been issued for 84-year-old Andrew Lester who is not in custody. The prosecutor says there is a racial component to the case.
Meanwhile, Lester told the police that on the night of the shooting he was scared for his life due to the teen's size. CNN's Lucy Kabanov has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The defendant Andrew D. Lester is charged with a Class A felony of assault in the first degree. The defendant is charged with armed criminal action.
LUCY KAFANOV, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Two felony counts filed in the shooting of a black teenager in Kansas City, Missouri. 16-year-old Ralph Yarl was struck on the left side of his head and his right arm after he went to the wrong home to pick up his younger brother's Thursday evening.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Black lives matter.
KAFANOV: He rang the doorbell at a residence just before 10:00 p.m. On 115th Street instead of 115th Terrace. And according to prosecutors was shot through a glass door by Lester. An 84-year-old white man.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As the prosecutor, Clay County, I can tell you there was a racial component to the case.
BENJAMIN CRUMP, FAMILY ATTORNEY: To have black people ring a doorbell and then have a white citizen shoot him in the head first and then shoot him a second time. I mean, there's no way you can justify this.
KAFANOV: A neighbor called 911 after Yarl showed up on her doorstep bleeding but alert. The suspect in the shooting was taken into custody just before midnight, placed on a 24-hour hold. Then released less than two hours later. Police initially saying they were working to get a victim statement and additional forensic evidence before making a decision about referring the case for prosecution.
Then today, they charged the gunman and issued a warrant for his arrest.
ZACHARY THOMPSON, CLAY COUNTY PROSECUTING ATTORNEY: In Missouri, the charges have to be filed within 24 hours of arrest or the defendant or suspect is released. In this case it was clear that additional investigation needed to be done so that the case could be built upon a solid foundation.
KAFANOV: Yarl was hospitalized and released Sunday.
FAITH SPOONMORE, RALPH YARL'S AUNT: My nephew is alive. It is not the story that that individual intended for us to tell.
KAFANOV: Yarl's family says he's an honor student. A leader in the marching band at his high school and hopes to attend Texas A&M University to study chemical engineering when he graduates high school while protesters pray, march and demand justice. Yarl's family also asks for hope and healing.
SPOONMORE: We have a lot to be thankful for. That right there is a lot of hate. This right here is a lot of love.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAFANOV: The prosecuting attorney said there was no evidence that Ralph Yarl ever crossed the threshold into the home behind me. He also said no words were apparently exchanged and that Andrew Lester shot the teenager through a glass door with a 32-caliber revolver. Although the teenager is lucky to have survived the shooting. Relatives say that life is understandably going to look a lot different now. The physical recovery is just one aspect. There's also the emotional and mental trauma. Lucy Kafanov, CNN, Kansas City, Missouri.
CHURCH: More protests are expected in Akron, Ohio after a grand jury declined to indict any of the eight police officers in the shooting death of Jayland Walker.
[02:05:07]
The family's attorney urged demonstrators to turn out but asked them to remain peaceful. Akron's NAACP President encouraged people to vent their anger on social media. That 25-year-old Walker died in June of last year when officers fired 94 shots at him during a traffic stop.
They tried to pull him over for a broken license plate light. Authorities say he fired a gunshot from his vehicle during the chase, but was not armed when he got out of his vehicle and ran away. Officers say he reached for his waistband and turned toward them as if he was firing a gun. Walker's pastor says the family is disappointed and angry that no charges have been filed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PASTOR ROBERT DEJOURNETT, JAYLAND WALKER'S COUSIN: I want to answer a question that I've been asked. And that question is how are you doing?
The answer is not good. Our hearts are hurting. Our hearts are heavy. We talk about peace. Pamela and Jada are not feeling peaceful right now. We're not advocating violence at all. But we don't feel peaceful. They're broken into pieces.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Joining me now from Los Angeles is Cheryl Dorsey. She is a retired LAPD sergeant and author of Black and Blue: The Creation of a Social Advocate. I appreciate you being with us.
SGT. CHERYL DORSEY (RET.) FORMER LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT: Thank you for having me.
CHURCH: So, let's start with the shooting of a black teenage boy by an 84-year-old white Kansas City man. What does it say about this country right now when a young black teenager gets shot for knocking on the wrong door?
DORSEY: Well, it says that folks are out of control. This was someone who was feigning fright, if you will. Having black skin in and of itself should not pose an imminent threat. And we know now that his rationale was left wanting. He has been charged with two very serious criminal offenses. It was not reasonable for him to say that he was afraid of a young black teenager at his door who merely rang the doorbell.
He shot through a glass door when he saw this young black teenager on his front porch. I hope that the arrest will have a chilling effect on others who are similarly situated and want to feign that same fright of a young black teenager.
CHURCH: And you mentioned that he has been charged but this 84-year- old man earlier had been released. What's your reaction to that?
DORSEY: Well, listen, police want to make sure that they get it right. We only get one bite at the apple. And they only had a very short window of opportunity in which to charge him once he was arrested 24 hours. And so, rather than have a charge that would not stick, would not hold because they had not properly concluded their initial investigation. They let him go. And so, I know that, you know, it was very off putting too many and folks, you know, in the community want swift action, but it has to be done right.
Because if it's not done right, the last thing that that family or this young man would have wanted was the case to be thrown out because of some technicality. And so, I don't find fault or have an issue with the fact that he was taken into custody and then released a couple hours later.
CHURCH: And how do you expect this to play out?
DORSEY: Well, you know, I don't know. I mean, we'll have to wait and see. Will he cop a plea? Will he agree to something to avoid going to prison? I mean, he's an octogenarian. Certainly, if he's convicted of this crime, there are sentencing guidelines that may come into effect. If he's a first-time offender, his age, his health, all of those things could be factors. And so, it's very difficult to predict exactly what and how a jury if found guilty will sentence this man.
CHURCH: And then another case that we're covering. An Ohio Grand Jury declined to charge eight Akron police officers who fatally shot Jayland Walker. A 25-year-old black motorist. What is your reaction to that outcome?
DORSEY: Well, certainly the number of rounds that were fired was over the top in my opinion. Over several dozen, 46 shots hit him I think they fired 90 something times between the eight officers. And so, I'm believing that there was probably contagious gunfire which is what we refer to when officers hear shots being fired. They don't necessarily know that they're not coming from the person that they're pursuing.
[02:10:10]
And while they said that this young man Jayland had fired at least one shot at the officers, while inside of his vehicle, we know that once he exited the vehicle, he was not in possession of the handgun. It was in the car. And so, I often say that, you know, when police officers kill Black folks, there's only one version. And that's the one that these officers are told -- have told and great deference is given to their version of events.
They said that he turned in their direction. Their perception was that he was going to fire on them again. And so, they all opened up on him. And so, it's very difficult to argue what's in an officer's mind when they use deadly force.
CHURCH: Retired LAPD Sergeant Cheryl Dorsey, thank you so much for talking with us. Appreciate it.
DORSEY: Thank you.
CHURCH: A 20-year-old woman is dead after she made a wrong turn in upstate New York and was shot. It happened on Saturday in the town of Hebron near the Vermont border. The county sheriff says the victim accidentally drove her car into the wrong driveway while looking for a friend's house. 65-year-old Kevin Monahan has been charged with second-degree murder. The victim has been identified as Kaylin Gillis. A GoFundMe page has been set up to pay for her funeral and other expenses.
Police in Alabama say the number of people injured at a teenager's birthday party over the weekend has increased to 32. Four people were killed after gunfire erupted at the party on Saturday. Authorities are asking the public for help. Identifying the suspect and urging patients as they pursue new leads. Among the victims was the birthday girl's brother Philstavious Dowdell. He was a high school football player preparing for college later this year.
Kiki Smith was a high school senior remembered as always smiling and looking forward to attending university. According to the Gun Violence Archive, the U.S. has already experienced 164 mass shootings this year alone.
Well, the trial in the $1.6 billion lawsuit by Dominion voting system against Fox News is set to move forward with jury selection on Tuesday. The case was supposed to start Monday, but the judge announced a last-minute delay raising questions as to whether a settlement was in the works. Danny Freeman has more.
DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When we all got the news late Sunday night that this trial would be delayed by at least a day here in Wilmington, we were all hoping for some clarity Monday morning inside the courthouse behind me as to what caused that delay while I was in that courtroom on Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. And the judge himself said that he was the one who made the call to delay this case and said this is not unusual for trials of this size.
But of course, that left the question, was there any possibility of a potential settlement in this case? Well, all day Monday, Fox nor Dominion would give any public comment to the matter. However, late Sunday night in the Wall Street Journal, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of the Fox Corporation, they reported "Fox has made a late push to settle the dispute out of court."
While on Monday, we were waiting for any news of a potential settlement. That never came. So now we're prepared to be back here in Wilmington Tuesday morning 9:00 a.m. And that's where we're expecting to see jury selection and opening statements. Danny Freeman, CNN, Wilmington, Delaware.
CHURCH: Earlier I spoke with litigator Doug Mirell and asked him how likely he thought it was that Fox and Dominion would reach a settlement, allowing Fox News to avoid weeks of potentially embarrassing court testimony. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOUG MIRELL, LITIGATOR AND PARTNER, GREEN GLUSKER: Settlements can happen at any point in time. And indeed, it would be to Fox's enormous advantage, I believe, to try to settle this case. But I'm not sure that there's -- you -- one needs two to tango. And I'm not sure that in this case, Dominion has a real significant interest in trying to settle this case at this point. And I also think that there's another problem that might be precluding a settlement which is that I'm quite sure that dominion is going to demand a formal apology or several forms of apology from Fox. And I doubt that Fox's business model will permit that to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And you can watch my full interview with Doug Mirell next hour here on CNN.
We are less than 10 hours from the deadline for parties to submit filings to the U.S. Supreme Court over the abortion pill. Drugmaker Danco Laboratories as well as the U.S. Justice Department ask the nation's top court to step in and review a lower court ban on the medication. Justice Samuel Alito temporarily extended access to the drug until midnight eastern time.
[02:15:11]
But that move is no indication of how the court might rule on the emergency appeal. The U.S. president has called the proposed ban outrageous.
And still to come. Residents of Sudan's Capitol report the heaviest fighting yet as rival military factions battle for control. What the U.S. is doing to try to secure a ceasefire.
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CHURCH: Welcome back. everyone. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken by phone with the rival military leaders whose forces are battling for control of Sudan. He's urging an end to the fighting now in its fourth day. The U.N. reports at least 180 people have been killed, close to 2000 injured, although the actual numbers are thought to be much higher. Both sides are accused of targeting hospitals which are short on blood supplies and lifesaving equipment.
More now from CNN's Nima Elbagir.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Sudan's military with a show of strength over the capitol Khartoum.
[02:20:00]
As birdsong and artillery fire echo. This country roiled in recent years by conflict and coups is once again the plaything of strong men. And what the military is calling an attempted coup. Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, Sudan's military's leader is fighting for dominance with Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo known as Hemedti who leads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which gained notoriety in the western Darfur region.
And it is the most vulnerable who are paying the price. Two doctors' organizations say that in Khartoum, both sides have had hospitals in the fighting. At least half a dozen, though both sides denied.
CNN obtained eyewitness accounts from doctors on the ground, who told CNN that the paramilitary rapid Support Force Directly targeted a hospital where wounded Armed Forces soldiers and their families were being treated, including one doctor who says she witnessed the RSF approach AL Moa'lem Hospital in central Khartoum.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I have to be strong enough to speak to you. You're the one that's going to tell the world what's happening to us. The evacuation was chaos. We were running, soldiers were shouting run and then someone else would yell stop. It's not safe. But what choice did we have?
ELBAGIR: Three separate doctors there described to us coming under intense bombardment. The country's central committee of doctors tell CNN that with no doctors to attend them. The dead and injured are left to rot in their beds. And the Sudan doctors trade union called the targeting of hospitals and the housing of military personnel there a clear breach of international humanitarian law.
A charge both sides denied. Both military leaders now fighting for control were key allies in subverting the country's nascent democracy after the popular uprising in 2019, which deposed Sudan's longtime dictator, Omar al-Bashir who now languishes in prison. The memories of those protests and the symbolic photo that became as emblem are slowly fading as has the promise transition from military to democratic civilian rule.
But in an interview with CNN from inside Army H.Q., the leader of Sudan's military tells me that the RSF militia is staging an attempted coup.
ABDEL FATTAH AL-BURHAN, SUDANESE ARMY GENERAL (text): Yesterday and today a humanitarian ceasefire proposal was put forward and agreed upon. Sadly, he did not abide by it. You can hear right now the attempts to storm the Army headquarters, and indiscriminate mortar attacks. He's using the humanitarian pause to continue the fight.
I asked him why the Sudanese people should trust him, given his previous partnership with Commander Dagalo.
AL-BURHAN (text): The Sudanese Army is the people's army. It is now owned by specific people of specific organizations.
ELBAGIR: General Burhan also committed to a return to civilian. The leader of the Rapid Support Forces also told CNN this weekend that he wanted to ensure democratically law. AL-BURHAN (through translator): I don't want to be the leader of the army. There's a framework agreement between all the Sudanese stakeholders that should be adhered to. I don't want to lead anything.
ELBAGIR: Neither general could tell us when the people of Sudan could expect this deadly fight to end. While many language without water, food, electricity and no way to bury their dead.
Nima Elbagir, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: CNN's Larry Madowo is following developments. He joins us live this hour from Nairobi, Kenya. Good to see you, Larry. So, what is the latest on the fighting in Sudan? And are there any signs of a possible ceasefire in the works?
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, it's day four of this conflict. And even though the morning started out quietly in the last few minutes, people in Khartoum are reporting hearing again, artillery fires, some sounds of bombardment. And they report seeing people on the streets, rapid support forces military battling each other indiscriminately. It's not safe for them to go outside.
It's not safe for them to go to the shops which are closed anyway. And the Central Committee of Sudan doctor says that several hospitals have been hit by missiles. And even if those that are functioning are quickly running out of medicines. Have medical personnel, are afraid to go in there because they can't even make their way in there. So, people who are sick don't have the help they need.
So, that's one of the immediate problems here. The wider problem is you ask if there is any chance that this might come to a close soon. The mediation efforts are all being done virtually because the airport in Khartoum is not yet open. And there's efforts to try and negotiate again today. A temporary ceasefire for humanitarian reasons. The last one was on Sunday, brokered by the U.N. organization in Sudan but it didn't last the whole time because both sides started accusing each other of firing and violating that ceasefire.
[02:25:04]
So, yesterday, the head of the U.N. transition authority in Sudan said that he would be trying one more time today to try and put in place this temporary ceasefire to allow people to go out and get supplies, to allow for people who've been injured to be treated, to allow for the dead to be buried, and just to allow for people to have a sense of normalcy a little bit. He's not sure that that's going to happen, but he's trying his best. That's a situation where we're in.
Several countries have tried to send mediators but they still haven't been able to get in, Rosemary.
CHURCH: All right. Larry Madowo bringing us the very latest from his vantage point there in Nairobi. Many thanks. Still to come. Why U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein's prolonged absence has put her Democratic colleagues and President Biden's agenda in a bind. We'll explain.
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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. U.S. House Republicans held a field hearing in New York City on Monday to attack the district attorney prosecuting Donald Trump. They claimed Alvin Bragg was more focused on going after the former president and addressing crime in the city. Take a listen.
[02:30:05]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JIM JORDAN (R-OH): In this country, justice is supposed to be blind, regardless of race, religion or creed. However, here in Manhattan, the scales of justice are weighed down by politics.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Republican Jim Jordan is demanding Alvin Bragg testify at the House Judiciary Committee. The Manhattan District Attorney has been investigating Trump over his alleged role in a hush money payment scheme. Democrats have called the Republican led hearing in New York a political stunt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. HANK JOHNSON (D-GA): The real purpose in coming to New York City is to harass, intimidate, and threaten Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin bread.
REP. DAN GOLDMAN (D-NY): The purpose of this hearing is to cover up for what they know to be an inappropriate investigation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has made it his mission to pass a bill to raise the nation's debt ceiling for one year. And he believes he can do it in just a few weeks. McCarthy spoke at the New York Stock Exchange on Monday, outlining the proposed bill which would help the federal government avoid defaulting on its debt for the first time ever. He slammed the U.S. President Joe Biden, claiming he's unwilling to negotiate with House Republicans. But the White House is adamant the debt limit should only be raised with no strings attached.
A number of U.S. Senate Republicans say they will not help Democrats replace Senator Dianne Feinstein on the powerful Judiciary Committee. 89-year-old Feinstein who has missed weeks of work and 58 votes because of shingles is under pressure from her own party to resign or to return quickly. Her absence from the Judiciary Committee has held up at least a dozen of the U.S. President's judicial nominees. CNN Chief Congressional Correspondent, Manu Raju asked lawmakers for their thoughts on Feinstein's fate. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JAMAAL BOWMAN (D-NY): She's had a very long and stellar career. You know, but missing that many votes, you know, stopping us, it stops us from moving forward with Judge nominations.
SEN. JOHN KENNEDY (R-LA): The people that are trying to shove her out the door, after her years of service or to hide their heads on the bag. She's being treated very shabbily, and that really disappoints me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Joining me now from Los Angeles is Michael Genovese. He is a political analyst and president of the Global Policy Institute at Loyola Marymount University. Always good to have you with us.
MICHAEL GENOVESE, POLITICAL ANALYST: Thank you, Rosemary.
CHURCH: So, Senate Republicans are opposed to temporarily replacing Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein on the Judiciary Committee, while she recovers at home from shingles on leaves since February, we have to say. And that actually puts Democrats in a very difficult spot, doesn't it with some Democrats and Republicans calling now for her resignation? What needs to happen here? And how do you think it would likely play out?
GENOVESE: Well, you know, Rosemary, it is so hard to say goodbye. Dianne Feinstein has had a long, very distinguished career both sides of the aisle, respect her. But she's 89 with some serious health issues. She's the longest serving senator in California history. But perhaps it's time, because she's holding up business, she's holding up the party, she's missed 58 votes. There are 12 judicial nominees that are just sitting there that may not get confirmed. And so, the Democrats want her to leave now, and there's an obvious reason for this. They want Governor Newsom of California to appoint a successor, so that in the next election, they can run as an incumbent. There's some big-name Democrats in California who wants a job Adam Schiff, Katie Porter. So, the Democrats would really like to see her bow out gracefully.
CHURCH: And you think that will happen?
GENOVESE: I'm not putting money on anything.
CHURCH: All right, we will watch that one play out there. And turning to another topic we're covering, Congress returning to work Monday after a two-week recess and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy use the looming debt limit deadline to kick off the next phase of this debate with his party's plan to cut spending. But President Joe Biden has said, there will be no negotiations. So, what's likely to happen here with the threat of the U.S. defaulting hanging over the country?
GENOVESE: This is as serious as a heart attack. There's nothing good that will come of a conflict between the parties on this and there's no need for it either. A debt default could have serious implications for the global economy. It could lead to a recession and a crash at a time when the global economy is teetering to begin with. So, we're already on a precipice, this could push us over the edge. We've seen this movie before it doesn't end well.
[02:35:11]
Republicans, they try to negotiate cuts and spending, the Democrats say no, the Republicans threat. Then, after the threats, they shut down the government. Electorally, that's a sure loser, and we've seen several times when they shut down the government, voters blame the Republicans. So, it's a losing effort. Nobody's going to win in this. And so, I know Kevin McCarthy went to Capitol go into Wall Street today, he tried to reassure them and to lay out his agenda. But its agenda that stood on arrival with the Democrats. Biden will not accept the kind of cuts that they want. So, what you really want is a clean up or down vote, get it on record and move on.
CHURCH: And Meantime, two weeks after the Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg announced 34 criminal charges against former President Donald Trump. House Republicans are loss focus now on Bragg attacking his record on crime and levelling exaggerated and sometimes false charges at him. Where do you see this going? And how dangerous is this?
GENOVESE: We'll now, judiciary committee chair, Jim Jordan is on it, he's got a roadshow going and he's political theatre. The -- they want to go to New York, and they want to get headlines and its work. But they're doing it on some false headlines. It's a P.R. offensive that is trying to be a kind of a tit for tat. You went after my guy, Donald Trump, we're going to go after this guy. And it's unbecoming, but it's very much in character with Jim Jordan, it's payback time.
Jordan is widely known in Washington to be kind of a pet poodle to Donald Trump. It's the statistics he's been presenting about, oh, we're here because of crime in New York. If you look at the 50 biggest states in the United States, New York is sixth from the bottom in crime. So, if you want to talk about crime or the murder rate, go to Tulsa, Oklahoma, go to a lot of the Republican cities, New York City is actually not doing as badly as most of the major cities in America.
CHURCH: Interesting, Michael Genovese, always a pleasure to get your analysis. Many thanks.
GENOVESE: Thank you, Rosemary.
CHURCH: And still to come, calls for unity and solemn reflections on this Holocaust Remembrance Day. Ahead, one survivor tells her story and hopes the world never forgets.
[02:40:00]
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CHURCH: In just a few minutes, sirens will blare across Israel as the nation begins its annual observance of Holocaust Remembrance Day. We will bring that to you when it happens. And later, the United States will honor those lost in the Holocaust and remember the remaining survivors. CNN's Dana Bash, spoke with one survivor who's sharing her story. So, the world will never forget.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
EDITH GROSS, HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR: I fulfilled my sister's wish but there, she always said, you must survive because otherwise we'd never live.
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Edith Gross is a survivor. She'd beat unimaginable odds. Endured the horrors of the Holocaust and lived to tell her story.
GROSS: In 1944, we heard that the Nazis are coming.
BASH (voiceover): Edith was 15 years old, living in occupied Czechoslovakia with her older sister and brothers.
GROSS: In the first week, we had to wear a yellow star. If you didn't put it on and you were caught, they killed you right away.
BASH (voiceover): As the Nazi grip on the country tightened, Jews were forced into ghettos and not allowed to run businesses. Then the transports to concentration camps began.
GROSS: They told us, pack everything you can, you can carry, and you have to leave everything behind. We went for days; it seemed like for years. It was a nightmare terrible, but finally we arrived in Birkenau-Auschwitz.
BASH (voiceover): Many did not even survive the journey to the camps.
GROSS: When we arrived, we did see a smoking from crematorium and the smell was terrible. I remember lining up and walking from the train into Auschwitz, and there sat Mengele with a little stick in his hand, is, first for women and then for men. And he directed the people, this way went to work, and this way went to the crematorium. I ran over to my brother, and I gave him a big hug. And I could see his eyes, he was so frightened.
BASH (voiceover): Edith managed to follow her sister to the line. She never saw her brother again. After Auschwitz, Edith and her sister were moved to a forced labor camp.
GROSS: It was Very, very hard labor, and there was a quota. And my sister always had back pain. So, I was very fast, I always made sure that I made a quota.
BASH: As the Russians began to close in on their location, the Nazis moved them again, this time to Stutthof concentration camp.
GROSS: Stutthof was a very, very rough place. Waking us up during the night and watching somebody being hung.
BASH (voiceover): Edith's sister became very ill, her condition deteriorated rapidly. GROSS: I remember she was on the other side of the wire, and I was yelling Dwartija, my sister's name. I wanted a last glance because I knew we were never going to see each other again. And that was one of saddest days of course.
[02:45:08]
BASH (voiceover): The Nazis becoming desperate admits Russian advances, started forcing the Jews on so called Death Marches.
GROSS: We didn't have any warm clothes, of course, and no food, no nothing. And we started to march. People who just bend down, they were shot.
BASH (voiceover): They marched from Stutthof to Danzig, finally reaching Konigsberg, now known as Kaliningrad in Russia, where they were liberated by Russian troops.
GROSS: Russian tanks arrived, and they said to us, you are liberated.
BASH (voiceover): Edith slowly made her way back to Czechoslovakia, but there was nothing left for her and her hometown. She eventually ended up in America where she enrolled in school and learned English. Edith now has seven grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. Today, as more and more Holocaust survivors pass away, Edith has made it her mission to continue to tell her story. She says, even if she changes her one mind, she's accomplished something.
GROSS: Stop hate and take people the way they are. That's my aim, too because I have never, never thought that in my life. I will see antisemitism again, and I'm shocked.
BASH (voiceover): Through the Chabad organization in the town of Islip, Long Island, a community center was dedicated in Edith's honor. She recently took a trip to Israel where she visited the Western Wall and Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial. Though it has been 80 years since that horrible time, all that she's lost will always remain.
GROSS: When I hear Holocaust survivor saying, I'll forgive and forget. No, there is no such a thing. I will never forget, forgive and definitely not forget.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Even with ferocious fighting just a few kilometers away, some Ukrainians are refusing to leave their town. We rode along with a police unit that's trying to convince the most resistant residents. It's time to go.
[02:50:00]
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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich will be appealing his detention in Russia in the coming hours, likely via video link. But the court is expected to uphold a decision to keep him in custody until at least May 29th. On Monday, Gershkovich was granted a consular visit for the first time since he was detained on espionage allegations more than two weeks ago.
A lawyer for prominent Russian human rights advocate Vladimir Kara- Murza, says he plans to appeal after being sentenced to 25 years in prison for condemning the war in Ukraine. The British Russian citizen was on trial for crimes, including treason and spreading fake news. The court said Kara-Murza would serve his sentence in a strict regime correctional colony. Kara-Murza's lawyer says he's in poor health and should not be imprisoned. Russian state media is reporting that President Vladimir Putin has just visited troops at military bases.
In a rare visit to Russian occupied Ukraine. Mr. Putin reportedly spoke with commanders and other senior officers to get a report on the strategic situation in the Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. In some villages and towns just a few kilometers from the war's frontlines, some residents are refusing to leave. It's our home, they say. CNN's Ben Wedeman went along with Ukrainian police, who use kindness to persuade people to move away.
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BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Another family is moving out, leaving the frontline town of Krasnohorivka with the help of the police. Perhaps to lessen the blow to his children, Evan Equips (PH) we'll be back, it's just a vacation. 84-year-old Raya doesn't sugarcoat it. It's like torture, she says but don't worry, we'll survive. Raya has lived in Krasnohorivka all her life. Roose Tom (PH) and his colleagues venture out to these frontline villages several times a week, trying to convince people to move to safer ground. It's dangerous work but fertile stem, it's worth the risk to get these children out of harm's way.
Looking into those eyes, he asks, what else can you do? If friendly persuasion doesn't work, there are other means. There's an order from local government requiring the children be evacuated from areas close to the fighting. Kabese Vasili (PH) goes about the job of friendly persuasion. Sitting, talking, trying to convince those who remain that their lives are in peril. The people in this basement turned bomb shelter have been down here for more than a year. And clearly that has taken a toll. Their homes are here, everything they know is here, they refuse to leave. The eastern Krasnohorivka is the hardest hit. Yet, even here, there's a stubborn holdout.
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(on camera) They've come to this building to try to convince an old man to leave. They've already evacuated his wife. As you can see, this area has been seriously smashed by incoming rounds. The Russians are just five kilometers around three miles from here. He didn't want his face to appear on camera. I'm not going anywhere, he says I was born here and I'm going to die here. The chances of that happening here are perilously high. Ben Wedeman, CNN Krasnohorivka, Eastern Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE) CHURH: Thanks for your company. I'm Rosemary Church, I will be back with more CNN NEWSROOM in just a moment. Hope you can stay with us.
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CHURCH: Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. It has been 78 years since the Holocaust ended. Before it was over, more than 6 million people were be killed most of them Jews. Today, Israel is observing the annual Day of Holocaust Remembrance. Across the country people will stop and stand quiet, as sirens ring out in Memorial. Our Hadas Gold is in Jerusalem, she joins me now live. So, Hadas, a somber day in Israel as the country marks Holocaust Remembrance Day. And in just a moment the whole country will come to a complete standstill as sirens blare. Talk to us about the significance of this day and what's planned in the hours ahead.
HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Rosemary, an incredibly meaningful day for this country. The Jewish state that was founded in the aftermath of the Holocaust and so many Israelis have a very personal connection to the Holocaust. Usually through family members ancestors who survived or perished in the Holocaust. I will explain what will happen here, at exactly 10:00 a.m. Local which is just in about a minute.
Air raid siren will blare for two minutes and what you'll see, I'm here at the market in Jerusalem, people will stop in their tracks. They will completely freeze and stand at attention, even along the highways people will stop their cars, get out of their cars and stand at attention in remembrance of the 6 million or so Jews who were killed in the Holocaust. It's a very moving thing to see and I will let you know, of course, when I hear the sirens here, I will step out of the frame in honor, of course, of the memorial. Now --
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