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Taliban kills 2021 Suicide Bombing Mastermind; Evacuations in Sudan Reaches Critical Point as 72-hour Truce Expires Soon; Joe Biden to Welcome South Korea's Yoon at the White House; Jailed Opposition Figure to Appear in Court for Another Criminal Case; Investors Attempt to Regain losses in today's trading; First Republic Stock Experiences Record Low As Deposits Plunge; Biden Officially Announced Bid to Run for Re- Election in 2024 Via Campaign Video; Mississippi authorities search for escaped inmates; Ed Sheeran Faces a Copyright Infringement Case; Port Authority Upgrades Once Reviled Airports; Mattel Release New Barbie with Down Syndrome. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired April 26, 2023 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN 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 mastermind behind the 2021 suicide bombing at Kabul's International Airport taken out by the Taliban. What we're learning about this?

Countries rushed to evacuate their citizens from Sudan as the latest fragile ceasefire appears in danger of collapsing. And --

(VIDEO PLAYING)

Remembering the King of Calypso. A look at the life and legacy of Harry Belafonte.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Good to have you with us. Well, the White House says the terrorist leader behind the deadly 2021 suicide bombing at Kabul airport has been killed by the Taliban. The attack came in the final chaotic days of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, 13 U.S. service members and nearly 200 Afghans were killed.

So let's bring in CNN's Senior International Correspondent Ivan Watson. Good to see you, Ivan. So what more are you learning about this?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. Well, we don't have too many details, aside from the fact that the National Security Council claims that the Taliban killed this ISIS-K leader. We don't even know the name of the individual, though he's being described as the mastermind of that grisly suicide bombing in August of 2021, which killed 13 U.S. service members and more than 170 Afghans.

And recall those frightening, chaotic days when the U.S. was withdrawing from Afghanistan after 20 years, after the Taliban victory over the Western-backed Afghan government, and those crowds of desperate Afghans trying to escape from the airport, that is where the suicide bomber struck.

Now, CNN has spoken with the family member, the father of one of the 13 U.S. service members, and he said that he was informed about the killing of this purported mastermind by a marine of an official from the U.S. marines. He welcome that, but also wants more accountability from the Biden administration about how this all happened in the first place.

That was echoed also by the Chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Relations Committee, the Republican representative from Texas, Michael McCaul, who put out a statement saying, quote, anytime a terrorist has taken off the board is a good day. But this doesn't diminish the Biden administration's culpability for the failures that led to the attack at Abbey Gate at the Kabul International Airport, and will in no way deter the committee's investigations. And he wants more answers about how the U.S. withdrawal took place and why it ended up being lethal in the end.

This is an embarrassing and humiliating chapter for the U.S., which had committed some 20 years in Afghanistan, and a messy, messy issue for the Biden administration as well. And it also highlights some ongoing security concerns in Afghanistan that the Taliban which battled the U.S. for 20 years is now battling ISIS-K on the ground.

You've got a senior U.S. military commander who basically said that since the U.S. withdrawal, the U.S. military has fewer reconnaissance and intelligence assets to understand what the potential terrorist threats are in Afghanistan, and what groups like ISIS-K, what kind of threats they could be planning for U.S. and American interests abroad. Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Ivan Watson, thank you so much for joining us. I appreciate it.

Republicans in the U.S. House are facing a crucial test that could have a major impact on the nation's economy. It's uncertain if they will vote today on their plan to cut spending and raise the debt limit, as no one seems sure if they have the support they need within their own party.

CNN's Emily Schmidt reports.

All right, we're going to come to -- back to that report. Thus, moving on.

The fragile 72-hour ceasefire in Sudan has been marred by violence. Gunfire and fighter jets were heard in the capital Tuesday, with both of the warring sides accusing each other of violating the agreement, but the U.N. special representative says the ceasefire is holding in some parts of the country.

[03:05:05]

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization is warning of a new and huge biological risk. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have taken over Sudan's National Public Health Laboratory. Various deadly diseases are stored inside, but technicians no longer have access. And a medical source says, if there's fighting in that lab, the whole thing could turn into a quote, germ bomb.

Joining me now from Durham, North Carolina, is Cameron Hudson, a senior associate with the Africa program, the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Thanks for being with us.

CAMERON HUDSON, SR. ASSOCIATE - AFRICA PROGRAM, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: This latest ceasefire in Sudan is clearly not holding. So what happens now, what are both warring sides planning at this moment, do you think?

HUDSON: Well, there has been a lull in fighting and I think what they're doing right now is both taking a breather for themselves because they've been fighting pretty much nonstop for the past 10 days.

But we also know that they're both -- both sides are trying to resupply themselves. There have been reports of outside munitions coming in, perhaps from Darfur for the RSF. And so, I expect that when this lull ends, we're going to see even more fierce fighting in the capital and some of the other major cities around the country.

CHURCH: So what will it take to secure a lasting ceasefire and do either side have any political will to make that happen, do you think?

HUDSON: Sadly, I don't think we're looking in the near term at a lasting ceasefire. I think it's going to take a real tactical shift on the ground to create an opportunity for dialogue to occur.

Right now, both sides, if not evenly matched, certainly seemed to not be giving up any ground. So I think the prospect of a -- of a tactical shift, unless outside powers become more involved, I don't see that very likely to happen right now.

So all that we can really do, I think is but both trying to put pressure on the parties to not draw another -- other outside actors, try to limit the amount of ammunition and additional supplies that can be fed into this conflict, and really just try to put pressure on the parties from all sides from the neighboring region, and the sort of faraway region to try to relent in some of this fighting.

CHURCH: And where does this leave the humanitarian crisis in the country, and what are you hearing about all those people trying desperately now to get out of the country to the Egyptian border or the Red Sea coast?

HUDSON: Well, I think there's a number of factors for the humanitarian situation first. Because so many of the airports are closed, you're not -- you're not flying in any new humanitarian assistance for those people who are staying. For those who are choosing to try to leave the country, it's a very perilous trip that they're undertaking from Khartoum, either to the Egyptian border or to the Red Sea coast. But these are taking 16, 20 hours. And the people who are taking these trips they're already weakened from lack of food, lack of water, lack of medicine. And so, when they get to these destinations they're going to be in need of humanitarian assistance.

So prepositioning aid for those people who are able to make it to safe zones is I think really critical right now, as well as looking for ways to get new aid into the country to restore some of the aid routes over land that have been shut off, and really press the parties to create some aid corridors and humanitarian coordinators, just to facilitate all of this movement, so that people can get the aid they need and get out of harm's way.

CHURCH: And you did touch on this, but I wanted to look at the likely consequences if this conflict expands, as you suggested, beyond Sudan's border. And what does the international community need to be doing right now to try to make sure that doesn't happen?

HUDSON: Well, there's a real risk that the broader region could be -- could be pulled into this, you know. Sudan borders, a whole host of countries that are either experiencing conflict recently or just coming out of it places like Chad, the Central African Republic, Libya, they have mercenary armies and militant groups, I think who would be ready and willing to aid in the fight in Sudan.

So there needs to be a diplomatic effort to keep those countries on the sidelines of this conflict. There needs to be pressure put not only from the United States and European countries, but Gulf factors as well, trying to prevent countries like Egypt, which has already began to play a role in this conflict to stay on the sidelines to relent in their assistance to one side, and to really limit the amount of oxygen that is let in to feed this fire that's burning across the country right now.

CHURCH: Cameron Hudson. Thanks so much for joining us. I appreciate it.

HUDSON: Thank you.

[03:09:56]

CHURCH: All right, we do want to bring in CNN's Senior Africa Editor Stephanie Busari, who joins us live from Lagos. So Stephanie, what more are you learning about the dangers associated with that health lab that could be in jeopardy? And of course, what more are you learning to about this very shaky ceasefire?

STEPHANIE BUSARI, CNN SENIOR AFRICA EDITOR: Good morning, Rosemary. So let's start with the ceasefire. It's not completely falling apart, because there's -- you know, there's reports of gunfire in parts of the country. But it seems to be holding in other parts. And what the U.N. is saying is that it's punctured. The ceasefire has been punctured, so it hasn't totally fallen apart.

But what is really concerning what the WHO has talked about is this potential germ bomb. This lab is now under control of the Sudanese Armed Forces. And there's potential -- there's a lot of risk potential here. And the U.N. is very concerned that this lab, which carries a lot of germs could be released as -- as a weapon, a biological weapon.

So that is -- that is what we're learning so far about the lab. And of course, this -- this U.S. citizen who was also killed outside his home, stabbed by unknown people, which speaks to some of the breakdown in law and order that's happening right now in the country. Armed robbery and criminal -- criminal gangs kind of taking advantage of the chaos to unleash even more terror on the Sudanese people.

And this comes against a backward drop of countries racing to evacuate their citizens. Saudi Arabia helped to evacuate some 2000 citizens from around 62 nationalities overnight. So that's the kind of picture that we're -- that's coming through from Sudan at the moment. Rosemary.

CHURCH: Very unnerving. Stephanie Busari, joining us live from Lagos. I appreciate it.

Joe Biden will welcome South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol to the White House in the coming hours for a state visit. They're scheduled to hold bilateral talks, followed by a joint news conference and a state dinner Wednesday night.

On Tuesday, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris hosted President Yoon at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, where they talked up their reliance on a range of issues. President Yoon said space holds great promise where international partnerships can deliver the greatest achievements.

And CNN's Kristie Lu Stout joins me now live from Hong Kong to talk more about this. Good to see you, Kristie. So what impact will the recent leaks of Pentagon documents have on this state visit, how awkward could this proved to be for both leaders?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, the White House was asked about this before the summit. And they declined to say whether the recent leaks would be a topic of discussion, when these two presidents sit down to talk during the state visit.

Now, one of these leaked documents describes in pretty incredible detail, a conversation between two senior South Korean officials about concerns over U.S. request for ammunition for Ukraine. Now, the White House instead is trying to shift the focus on the ironclad alliance, reaffirming that alliance with South Korea. And ahead of the first state visit to the U.S. by a South Korean leader since 2011, this is a landmark visit.

We know that coming up next, there will be a welcoming ceremony at the White House, then the summit, the bilateral talks, and then a state banquet. On Tuesday, we heard from the South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol, and he discussed the alliance. He said that it should leap into a new phase. I want you to listen to what he said.

[BEGIN VIDEO CLIP]

YOON SUK-YEOL, SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I believe that the U.S. alliance must leap into a new phase of alliance to overcome such complex crisis together. What started as a military and security alliance should evolve into a supply chain and future- oriented, innovative, technology alliance, one in which our two countries grow and act together.

[END VIDEO CLIP]

LU STOUT: Now, when this summit kicks off, the focus is going to be on security. As you recall last year, North Korea fired a record number of missiles. This year North Korea has continued to conduct a string of weapons tests, including this new, solid fuel, ICBM. And the South Korean president is expected to raise concerns about the so-called U.S. nuclear umbrella. In fact, you have opinion polls inside the country showing a majority of residents want their country to have its own nuclear weapons.

So a lot to talk to, when the talks kick off, the summit is expected to begin, 10:45 a.m. Eastern Time. Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right, Kristie Lu Stout, joining us live from Hong Kong. Many thanks.

And still to come. Jailed Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny is due back in court amid growing concerns for his health. The latest details in a live report.

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And the hunt is on for four escaped inmates in Mississippi. Coming up, how authorities are following a trail of crimes to track down one of the escapees?

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Jailed Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny is expected to appear in court via video link today in yet another criminal case. Now, this comes amid new concerns for Navalny's health in prison.

And CNN's Clare Sebastian joins me now live from London. So Clare, what more are you learning about Navalny's imminent court appearance?

[03:19:45]

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Rosemary. This is complicated, this is not actually a court case that we're hearing today, but this is a court hearing on a petition put forward, according to state media by Russia's investigative committee to limit the amount of time that Alexei Navalny and his team have to review what we believe is hundreds of pages of documents related to an extremism case against him, the charges for which were first filed in October last year. So he is hoping to get more time to review those documents that Russia's investigative committee has -- has filed a petition to limit the amount of time that he gets.

He is already in jail for 11.5 years, 2.5 years for breaking probation times in an old case, another 9 years for fraud and contempt of court. These extremism charges, according to state media, would carry a maximum term of 15 years. This comes as we know that his health is of serious concern to his family and his team. We heard earlier in April that his spokesman -- person said he'd lost around eight kilograms, that's about 15 pounds in the space of two weeks he spent in a punishment cell. He had stomach issues at one point, an ambulance was called. But he is, according to his team, being denied proper medical care or even a proper diagnosis, and things appear to be getting worse.

Navalny himself tweeting on Monday that he is essentially being denied the food rations that he is buying under the prison rules, because he is spending time in solitary confinement. Take a listen to what his daughter Dasha Navalny told Jim Sciutto.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DARIA NAVALNAYA, DAUGHTER OF ALEXEY NAVALNY: The situation has gotten so ridiculous that he buys the food which is, you know, oats, it's nothing -- it's nothing luxurious and he bites the oats, the oats are brought to him shown to him and then are just destroyed. So he can't eat. And it's you know, something so basic is stripped away from a human being. It's outrageous.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: So that physical pressure that he said to be under plus new criminal charges against him, all of that, of course, smacks of a campaign to ramp up the pressure on him personally, and also to provide an even more stark deterrent against any kind of dissent in Russia. We do, Rosemary, expect that hearing has got underway this hour. Alexey Navalny was supposed to be participating via video link, so we'll bring you more on that as we get it.

CHURCH: All right, Clare Sebastian, many thanks.

Well, along the front lines in southern Ukraine, a tense and uncertain waiting game is unfolding around Zaporizhzhia, where Ukrainian forces say Russian troops are on the move, and civilians are being evacuated from Russian-held areas ahead of an expected counter offensive by Ukraine. But exactly when and where that might happen is still anyone's guess.

CNN's Scott McLean is monitoring developments for us. He joins us now live from London. Good morning to you, Scott. So what more are you learning about this anticipated counter offensive?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Good morning, Rosemary. Look, if you believe the mayor of Kyiv, he says that this Ukrainian counter- offensive is about to begin and they're already -- there are already signs that Ukraine is gearing up for some kind of a larger push to retake territory. And we're seeing those signs in two places in particular, Zaporizhzhia, as you mentioned and also in Kherson in the southern part of the country.

That is where the Ukrainian military has said that it is already seeing, in its words, impressive results in a series of strikes aimed at taking out artillery pieces, tanks, air defense systems on the east side of the Dnipro River, which in that part of the country is essentially the front line, that's the dividing line between Russian and Ukrainian-held positions.

They have also said that the Russians have started to try to evacuate civilians from that area, something that we saw -- we saw the Russians do ahead of a Ukrainian counter-offensive last year, which ended with the retaking of the city of Kherson.

Yesterday, a unit of the Ukrainian defense intelligence also released a video appearing to show a drone strike against what it said was a Russian surveillance complex in the Kherson region. Now, CNN has geolocated that video to the Russian-held side of the river at a hydroelectric plant there. That same unit also released videos showing vehicles struggling to gain traction in some pretty muddy areas, with the message saying, look, the weather conditions right now aren't really allowing the military and equipment to operate at its full capacity, but said that a counter offensive is coming. It just -- it just takes time.

Now, whether Ukrainian troops have actually crossed the Dnipro River in that area, is still pretty unclear. There were some reports circulating on unofficial Russian social media channels, something that the Ukrainians have neither confirmed nor denied saying that right now an information blackout is required or information silence is required until it is safer for the military to say more.

[03:24:52]

Now, in the Zaporizhzhia region, you mentioned it already, Rosemary, the Russians say that the Ukrainians are building up troops east of the city of Zaporizhzhia, the Ukrainians say that the Russians are also beginning to evacuate people around these Zaporizhzhia Nuclear power plant, and then you have the Russians saying that they have targeted a city, a Russian-held town in the Zaporizhzhia region called Tokmak, which is really become a hub for Russian troops.

So, all of this, taken collectively, is pointing to some kind of a Ukrainian counter-offensive on the horizon. What that looks like precisely though, is still really anyone's guess, though.

CHURCH: All right, Scott McLean joining us live from London, many thanks for that.

Still to come, the banking crisis is bubbling up again. Why a $30 billion cash infusion may not be enough to save First Republic Bank? We'll have that and more, just ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Investors on Wall Street are looking to recoup some of their losses when trading gets underway today. The Futures markets give us an indication of how things are looking, and that's pretty promising. We'll just see how that pans out in the course of the day.

Meanwhile, alarming news from First Republic has investors fearing the banking crisis from earlier this year may not be over. The Dow fell more than 340 points on Tuesday, the Nasdaq was down 2 percent and the S&P 500 fell 1.5 percent. Well, more on First Republic Bank's latest problems from CNN's Rahel Solomon.

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Banking turmoil back in focus. First Republic shares tumbling to a new all-time low, Tuesday, after the bank reported earnings. The stock plummeting to a record low of eight tennis share. Now, for context, in April of 2022, the stock was trading as high as $160 a share. The San Francisco-based bank reporting that deposits fell 40 percent or by $72 billion in the quarter. That's after the fall of Silicon Valley Bank in March, which then spooked bank depositors elsewhere. And remember, SVB's demise was caused in part by a high number of uninsured depositors rushing to move their money out of the bank, a bank run.

Now, one concern investors have with First Republic is it, too, had a significant amount of uninsured deposits on its books. At the start of the banking crisis, about two-thirds of First Republic's deposits were uninsured with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, a company saying that, in this report, as of March 31st, that number is closer to 27 percent of total deposits. The bank also announcing that in recent weeks, bank deposits have stabilized.

It also said it would be laying off 20 to 25 percent of its staff, reducing executive compensation, condensing office space and cutting back on non-essential activities. All of this to try to strengthen its financial footing and cut back on expenses. But for investors, it wasn't enough as the stock tumbled. But will it be enough to ultimately save the bank? Only time will tell.

Rahel Solomon, CNN, New York.

CHURCH: In what should come as a surprise to absolutely no one, U.S. President Joe Biden has officially announced his bid to run for re- election in 2024. But instead of breaking the news live, he opted for a campaign video. Here's part of it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (voice-over): The question we're facing is whether in the years ahead, we have more freedom or less freedom, more rights or fewer. I know what I want you to be and I think you do, too. This is not a time to be complacent. That's why I'm running for re-election.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: While touting his achievements, the ad also frames the race as a fight against Republican extremism for the soul of America.

And Republicans were quick to pounce on Joe Biden's announcement using artificial intelligence to envision a bleak, apocalyptic future under a second Biden term. And here's part of the ad they released not long after the President's own video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN (voice-over): This morning, an emboldened China invades Taiwan. Financial markets are in freefall as 500 regional banks have shuttered their doors. Border agents were overrun by a surge of 80,000 illegals yesterday evening.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Election officials tell CNN, there is no oversight in the use of artificial intelligence in politics at this point.

Well, Washington's Democratic governor has now signed into law a ban on most sales of assault-style weapons. The legislation prohibits the manufacture, importation, distribution and sale of these weapons, and includes the popular AR-15 rifle under its ban.

On Tuesday, Governor Jay Inslee said those weapons should not be idolized, they should be prohibited. There is an exception for sales made to Armed Forces and law enforcement. The state's Republican Party says the law is poised to face legal challenges. The ban makes Washington the 10th state to enact restrictions on assault-style weapons.

A manhunt is underway for four inmates that escaped from a Mississippi jail over the weekend. The inmates were declared missing early Sunday morning after officials at the Raymond Detention Center in Hinds County did a routine headcount.

One of the four escapees is accused of stealing at least one vehicle and killing a man while on the run.

[03:35:00]

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TYREE JONES, HINDS COUNTY SHERIFF: At the time, I did not know nor did they know that they were chasing a vehicle that had just been carjacked and -- and suspect was occupying his vehicle that had possibly fatally wounded someone as well.

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CHURCH: It's believed that the four inmates climbed through the ceiling Saturday night, camped out on the roof and escaped at different times.

Attorneys for the suspect in the killings of four University of Idaho students are asking one of the surviving roommates to testify in his defense. An affidavit claims Bethany Funky has information that could clear Brian Kohberger who's charged with four counts of first-degree murder.

Funky, however, is resisting the demand and her attorney has filed a motion to quash the subpoena. It's unclear at this point what information she has. She is one of the two people who survived that attack at a home last year.

All right, time for a short break now. When we come back --

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CHURCH: Remembering the legendary life and times of Harry Belafonte.

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[03:40:00]

CHURCH: All right, looking at new video just into CNN of jailed Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, appearing in a Moscow court via video link today in yet another criminal case. Now, this comes amid new concerns for Navalny's health in prison. We will, of course, continue to follow this developing story and bring you details as they come in to us.

Well, Pop Star Ed Sheeran took the stand in New York on Tuesday in a high-profile copyright infringement case. He is accused of copying Marvin Gaye's 1973 soul hit, "Let's Get It On" for his song "Thinking Out Loud." Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED SHEERAN, SINGER, "THINKING OUT LOUD": Darling, I will be loving you till we're 70.

MARVIN GAYE, SINGER, "LET'S GET IT ON": Let's get it on. Let's get it on. Let's love, baby.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The suit was brought by the heirs of Ed Townsend, co-author of that song with Gaye. In his opening statement, an attorney representing the family said Sheeran played his ballad and Gaye song back-to-back at a concert calling the moment a smoking gun. While the singer denied the allegations, saying if he had copied the song, then he wouldn't have played it, quote, on stage in front of 20,000 people.

The entertainment world has lost a legendary entertainer. Harry Belafonte has died at the age of 96. His agent says Belafonte passed away Tuesday morning of heart failure. But Belafonte was so much more than a singer and an actor, he was a key supporter of the civil rights movement and an advocate for social justice. CNN's Stephanie Elam has a look at his sparkling career.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Banana Boatsong opening line, Deo, put Harlem-born Harry Belafonte on the map. The son of Caribbean immigrants worked hard to pull himself out of poverty through music and education.

HARRY BELAFONTE, ARTIST: I, and my brothers and sisters, were the first to be educated.

ELAM (voice-over): Belafonte's humble and sometimes rough beginnings in New York City helped shape the man who later would have a major impact on American music and drama.

BELAFONTE: I went to school here -- drama school. My classmates from Marlon Brando, Sydney Portier, Walter Matthau, Bea Arthur --

ELAM (voice-over): Belafonte burst onto the entertainment scene in the early 1950's. He was dubbed "The King of Calypso" because of the Jamaican folk music he made popular. At around the same time, he won rave reviews for his role in the movie "Carmen Jones." It was one of the first films with an all-black cast to garner box office success.

The man with the uniquely husky voice went on to make more than 40 albums, including original recordings and compilations, and starred in more than 10 movies spanning more than five decades. Belafonte won several Grammy Awards for his records in the early 1960's and was one of the first black performers to win a Tony Award for the Broadway hit, John Murray Anderson's "Almanac."

In his later years, his big screen projects dealt with the larger societal issues of race and class, like 1995's "White Men Burden."

BELAFONTE: I kind of just grew up and got away from me, you know.

ELAM (voice-over): Although Belafonte's career kept him busy, he always made time for his family. He was the father of four children from two marriages. His daughter, Shari Belafonte, followed in his footsteps to become an actress in her own right.

Although his music and movies gained him fame, Belafonte also made his mark as a political activist. In the sixties, he stood up for the civil rights of blacks in America, and stood side by side with the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, both later assassinated.

Two decades later, he turned his attention to the poor and powerless abroad, especially in Africa.

[03:45:00]

In 1985, Belafonte initiated the "U.S.A. for Africa" recording of "We Are The World," with some of the world's most famous entertainers. The song raised over $63 million for African relief. And for his humanitarianism, the artists received numerous awards from the Kennedy Center, the ACLU, The American National Medal of the Arts and the Thurgood Marshall Lifetime Achievement Award.

Later in life, Belafonte further sealed his legacy, starting his own foundation, Cenkova, focused on social justice. In the documentary, "Harry Belafonte: Sing Your Song", he contemplated his life of accomplishment and the work that lay ahead.

BELAFONTE: I try to envision playing out the rest of my life almost exclusively devoted to reflection, but there's just too much of the world to be done.

My social activism, things that I believe in, politically, and although I took a lot of heat in what I did then -- I'd be taking the heat again for some of the things I say and do, but if history is any -- is any measure then I'd probably wind up on the right side of the equation.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

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[03:50:00]

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, this summer travel season is just around the corner here in the northern hemisphere. And two of the major airports serving New York City are showing off some major renovations.

CNN's Richard Quest reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRSPONDENT (voice-over): Traveling to New York City used to be a miserable experience, something to be endured, not enjoyed. It was a journey through places like La Guardia, that Joe Biden once compared to arriving in a third-world country. And the other apple that's in the tri-state area weren't much better. JFK, Newark and even the Ports Authority Bus Terminal, they were too small, out of date and difficult to get to.

Survey after survey showed travelers thought they were amongst the worst in the country. The ports authority has spent billions of dollars in many years rebuilding the travel experience.

La Guardia Terminal B, rebuilt, re-opened and just named the "World's Best New Terminal" by Skytrax. And now, Terminal A at Newark, recently opened after a $2.7 billion renovation.

I like this.

And that's where I met the man behind it all, the Head of the Ports Authority, Rick Cotton. RICK COTTON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK AND NEW

JERSEY: Soup to nuts, we are tearing down the old facilities and building new 21st century facilities at every single one of our major airports.

QUEST: Michael O'Leary of Ryanair is a firm believer that all you need is a shed. That you go in there, and if you've heard this, you go in the front and you go out the back. You don't necessarily subscribe to that view. Do you think there needs to be something that says something?

COTTON: Yes, well, airports are gateways, first of all. And they're also symbols of the regions that they serve. And so, that's what they need to be.

QUEST: One of the airports isn't actually in New York. It's Newark. Now, they're proudly pointing out that Newark is close to New York, but it's actually next door.

COTTON: You will see references to New Jersey across this new Terminal A. You will see constant references to New York across the new La Guardia. You will see future tense. We're spending $19 billion at JFK. You will see in those terminals, New York.

QUEST (voice-over): Mr. Cotton told me that the old Terminal A was built 50 years ago. It was another era in travel. Over the years, it was too small and in the worst condition of all the terminals at Newark. He told me the lessons they learned as they were building the new Terminal A.

COTTON: Well, we've learned is you need open spaces. You can't have pinch points, you can't have places where queues form. You have to have the technology support rapid throughput the east with which people board, so that all of these gates are equipped with e-gates in ways that, right now, people can board just with their cell phone, but in the future, it will be biometric.

QUEST: We're getting ready for summer, but last year was horrible. Will this year be better? Are you ready? I -- I know to an extent, it's not you. It's all the various, but you get the blame.

COTTON: Well, the fact is, the system is still struggling a bit in terms of coming back, finding staff that goes across with our government partners, it's with the airlines, it's with the port authority. We have the highest vacancy in terms of jobs we're trying to fill. And this summer is going to be over 2019 level. There's just no question, travel has come back. So, we're -- we're preparing for it in terms of actually hiring extra staff. We're preparing for it in terms of being sure that every system has checks and double checks but it's going to be a challenge.

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CHURCH: Thanks to CNN's Richard Quest for that report.

[03:55:00] CHURCH: Well, it's been called a huge step forward for inclusion in the form of a doll. Toy Maker Mattel is introducing its first ever Barbie Doll representing a person with Down syndrome. Mattel said it worked with the U.S. National Down Syndrome Society to ensure the depiction is accurate.

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UNKNOWN: I love it.

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CHURCH: Mattel says it wants to enable all children to see themselves in Barbie, while encouraging kids to play with dolls that look different than they do. The new doll comes from Mattel's Barbie Fashionistas line, which has featured other Barbies with disabilities or conditions that together represent a full range of human diversity. Well done.

Thanks so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. CNN Newsroom continues with Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo, next.