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Republican-controlled Congress passed the Debt Ceiling Bill, but it may not Pass Through the Senate yet; Sudanese Army Head Willing to Extend the Ceasefire for Another 72-hours; U.S. and South Korean Presidents have Strengthened their alliance to deter North Korea. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired April 27, 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. You're watching "CNN Newsroom," and I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, the U.S. House passes a debt ceiling bill, but there is zero chance it will get through the Senate. We will look at what if anything is up for negotiation when it comes to budget cuts.

Plus, thousands of civilians are caught in the middle of a deadly conflict in Sudan. Many desperate to leave the country, we'll take a look at that.

And then later, the lawmakers, business, leaders and celebrities who gathered at the White House for a state dinner honoring the South Korean President.

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

CHURCH: Good to have you with us. Well, Republicans in the U.S. House have passed a bill to raise the national debt limit and cut spending. They say it will put the country on the path to fiscal responsibility and avoid an economic catastrophe. But Senate Democrats are not on board. They want a stand-alone bill that lets the U.S. pay its debts without huge spending cuts. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is demanding Democrats and the White House negotiate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOUSE SPEAKER KEVIN MCCARTHY: We just passed the bill. It is not our job to modify. We are the only ones who look at the debt, to make sure that this economy is not in jeopardy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: More now from CNN's Chief White House correspondent Phil Mattingly. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: For weeks, House Republicans figured Kevin McCarthy made clear, he knew the legislation Republicans were trying to get through the House floor had no future than of the rival, the Senate. The President certainly objected through it, but he thought that it would force President Biden to the table to start negotiations over raising the debt ceiling as the calendar gets closer and closer to a potential catastrophic default.

The White House response, two House Republicans succeeding in their efforts to pass that bill, nothing has changed. But as officials made very clear, the Republican bill -- not only as a non-starter, but it will not set up a meeting between President Biden and Speaker McCarthy over the debt limit. They are happy to discuss longer term budget and fiscal issues. When it comes to the debt ceiling, their position is the same has been for months. They want a clean debt ceiling increase, that one off the table and they are willing to have those negotiations. And if it wasn't clear from White House officials, well, the President just a couple hours before the vote made it clear himself. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: I'm happy to meet with McCarthy, but not on whether or not a debt limit gets extended. That's not negotiable. I notice they quote Reagan and I quote -- they quote Reagan all the time, and they quote Trump, both of which says -- it says I'm paraphrasing. It would be an absolute crime to not extend the debt limit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: What's so jarring about this moment is, the White House has made clear that yes, this may have been how things worked in the past, the sequencing and kind of, strange way that Congress and White House often works, particularly of course in the last 14 years related to these debt ceiling standoffs is, Republicans passed a bill, knowing it won't go anywhere, just to get in the room to start the actual talks.

But White House officials have made clear. They do not want to do the same thing that has been done over the course of the last 13 or 14 years. They want to take this off the table as an issue, as a potential crisis, as a point of leverage from one party in government that holds one chamber in Congress. That means they are not moving anytime soon, which is of course, a problem if Republicans don't agree to put a clean debt ceiling increase onto the floor, which they have made abundantly clear, they won't.

So a big question in Washington right now is, how does this end? Someone is going to have to break. There is no threading the needle or finding a pragmatic middle ground between these two positions. They are completely -- completely against one another. And now, White House officials feel like they hold the political high ground on this issue, they believe that Republicans will eventually have to break. Whether they do, well, the U.S. economy may depend on it.

Phil Mattingly, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Disturbing new details are emerging about the Air National Guardsmen accused of stealing U.S. classified documents, and posting them on social media. Prosecutors say the information Jack Teixeira took far exceeds what has been reported, and releasing him from jail could pose a huge threat to national security.

[03:05:01]

Teixeira is due in court in the coming hours for a hearing on whether he will have to remain behind bars while awaiting trial. He has not yet entered a formal plea.

Prosecutors say Teixeira viewed hundreds of documents, and conducted keyword searches in what appears to be a deliberate effort to disseminate American secrets. We are also told he has a history of making violent threats, and had access to an arsenal of weapons at his Massachusetts home.

When authorities searched the property, they found a tablet, laptop, and a gaming console smashed inside a dumpster at the house. Prosecutors say this was an effort to destroy evidence.

The woman, who accuses Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her decades ago in a department store dressing room, is expected back on the witness stand and the hours ahead. E. Jean Caroll is suing the former president for battery and defamation in a civil case. And on Wednesday, she began her dramatic testimony describing in chilling detail of the alleged rape. Under direct examination by her attorney, Carroll said she is not settling a political score, but a personal one.

She said during testimony, quote, I'm here because Donald Trump raped me and when I wrote about it, he said it didn't happened. He lied and shattered my reputation. And I'm here to try and get my life back.

Caroll is expected to face cross examination by Trump's legal team later today. The former president has denied the allegations and has this response in 2019.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: I have no idea who this woman is. This is a woman who is also accused other man of things, as you know. It is a totally false accusation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: On Wednesday, Trump took to his social media site, Truth Social, and called Carroll's falsehood a scam. Following that the judge issued a warning over the former president's attorney that any statements about the case could open Trump up to, quote, a new source of potential liability.

Well meantime, Donald Trump has suffered a legal setback in a federal appeals court. The circuit court in Washington rejected the former president's emergency attempt to block former Vice-President Mike Pence from testifying about the direct conversations. That order is the latest boost to the investigation into Trump's actions after the 2020 election, and likely lead to Pence's testimony before a grand jury. Trump could appeal again, or press the issue at the Supreme Court, but it's unclear if he will do either.

Well, clashes in and around the Sudanese capital keep undermining the 72-hour ceasefire between Sudan's army and paramilitary forces. But the head of the army has signaled his willingness to extend the troops to another three days, and has agreed to talks in neighboring South Sudan.

The Rapid Support Forces have not responded to the proposal yet. The current ceasefire is due to expire late Thursday, local time. Each side has repeatedly accused the other of violating the agreement. The fighting, now in its 2nd week, has already claimed more than 500 lives, according to the health ministry, and wounded nearly 4200 people. Many Sudanese civilians from old to young are feeling a growing sense of despair.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN (through translator): I am afraid this will continue, resulting in deaths of more innocent people, and destruction of Sudan. I hope this war will end.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN Senior Africa Editor Stephanie Busari is tracking this, live for us from Lagos. She joins us now. Good morning to you, Stephanie. So, what more are you learning about efforts to evacuate more people out of Sudan amid this conflict and growing humanitarian crisis?

STEPHANIE BUSARI, CNN SENIOR AFRICA EDITOR: Good morning, Rosemary. So the latest countries -- many countries are have been evacuating their citizens. And the latest countries to do so are India which has gotten out about just over 1000 of its citizens. And France has evacuated around 400 of its citizens also.

But there is a growing sense of anger amongst U.S. citizens, who are saying that they have been abandoned by the U.S. government. And many are posting on social media, many have talked to CNN about their anger. They're not getting a favorable response. Some are saying they are getting a template response from the American government and who has not started any kind of coordinated citizen evacuation, because they say the conditions are not conducive to that currently.

[03:09:58]

And so, many Americans say they have to make what they call life and death choices to leave Sudan. And they are going to places like Egypt, Port of Sudan, and neighboring countries like Chad also.

But what must be the sight of, Rosemary, is the Sudanese people themselves. They have been effectively left to fend for themselves. No one is going to save them and many of them are also making desperate choices to try and get out of the country, amidst the backdrop of dwindling food supplies, lack of water supplies, lack of power, and a growing criminality and lawlessness in the country. We had a prison break, just a few days ago, where some members of the former regime were broken out of prison.

So, the situation is just looking increasingly desperate, and hospitals struggling despite a ceasefire with a growing number of victims of gunshots, and doctors really under pressure. The general picture in Sudan is very bleak. And many of them are asking, when is the aid coming? Most of the aid workers and humanitarian agencies have been forced to evacuate their staff. So, many Sudanese feeling very abandoned right now, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yeah, understandably. Stephanie Busari, joining us from Lagos, many thanks.

Meanwhile, some health experts are warning about a possible humanitarian crisis, as about 60 percent of hospitals in Khartoum are no longer running.

But, as David McKenzie reports, even those that are still open, are struggling to keep up with the casualties. And we want to warn you, some of the images you are about to see are disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A brave Sudanese doctor takes us inside a frontline hospital in Khartoum, filming over several days. Dr. Howida AlHassan and her team are barely coping at Alban Gadid hospital.

They talk about ceasefire, but there is no ceasefire. The wounded keep coming in, she narrates. The same staff has been here for 11 days. They're facing a deluge of civilian victims, many with multiple gunshot wounds, wiping away the blood because the casualties never stop.

My son was wounded, says this man. And I come because many hospitals aren't working.

DR. HOWIDA ALHASSAN, ALBAN GADID HOSPITAL (through translator): I'm astonished how we're able to continue. We don't sleep. I wouldn't call what we do sleeping. I will call it fainting. We faint and we wake up again. I'm surprised how we are managing.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): Dr. Howida says everything is running out. They are giving smaller doses of medicine to ration their supply.

We use the equipment and the instruments more than once, she says. We can't sterilize properly. There are just too many wounded. ALHASSAN (through translator): Soon, we'll have no bandages, no

medication, no anesthetic drugs, and no oxygen. The situation is bad with all the meaning of the word.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): Bad, and it will get worse, unless help comes soon or the fighting stops. Sudan's Doctors Union says that more than two-thirds of hospitals are shot in the capital. Eyewitnesses and doctor groups say that hospitals are being targeted with heavy weapons by both sides, which they deny.

As foreign governments speared their diplomats and nationals out of Sudan, Dr. Howida says that her conscience compels her to stay.

ALHASSAN (through translator): I believe the numbers of casualties and wounded will increase after the foreigners are evacuated. God knows if we will be alive or dead.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): Sudanese blood is one blood, she told us. I beg you to silence the sound of the rifles.

David McKenzie, CNN, Johannesburg.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Severe storms are threatening more than 40 million people across the Southern United States right now, with forecasters warning of large hail, flash flooding, and isolated tornadoes in parts of Texas, all the way east to Florida.

Some areas have already taken a hit, tennis ball-sized hail pummeled the central Texas town of Dublin, even forcing a ball to take shelter. There were more than 61 hail reports across the Southern U.S. on Wednesday, many of them in central Texas. And video from Florida shows these storms are not just impacting Texas. A strong hailstorm pelted the town of Palm Bay in Florida.

And firefighters in the coastal town of Melbourne, Florida captured this video as they drove through a heavy hailstorm of their own. On Thursday, the storms are expected to push east, putting areas along the U.S. Gulf Coast at increased risk.

[03:15:05]

Well, still to come. Not one, but potentially two major trials for Alexei Navalny. Russia now accusing the outspoken Putin critic of extremism and terrorism.

Plus, from diplomacy to deterrence. The U.S. and South Korea announce a new security deal marking a shift in their strategy of handling North Korea. Those details, just ahead.

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CHURCH: Plenty of pomp and pageantry in Washington as U.S. President Joe Biden hosted South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol for the 2nd State Visit of Biden's presidency. The leaders used the occasion to announce a strengthening of their alliance to deter North Korea. They attended a glitzy state dinner, just a few hours ago with the event, and menu highlighting the deep ties between their two countries.

[03:20:04]

Earlier, the U.S. agreed to deploy a nuclear armed submarine to South Korea. And President Biden delivered this stark warning to Pyongyang.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States and its allies or partner's is unacceptable and will result in the end of whatever regime would take such an action.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN's Oren Liebermann has more on the security agreement from the pentagon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: For the first time in some 40 years since the early 1980's, the U.S. will send a nuclear- powered ballistic missile submarine to South Korea in a show of force against North Korea, but also a sign of how important the U.S. views the alliance between Washington, D.C. and Seoul, between the U.S. and South Korea.

President Joe Biden calling it an ironclad alliance with the South Korean President here in Washington. It's also a signal of how the U.S. views the Indo-Pacific, its priority region, as the U.S. shifts its focus to China and the Indo-Pacific region and away from the wars of the past and the Middle East.

This is also a task of acknowledgment that diplomacy with North Korea has not worked. The White House has tried multiple times to create some sort of bridge or line of communication with North Korea, but Pyongyang has not responded. In response, the U.S. has increased its exercises, its military cooperation with South Korea, even as the North Korea has pushed the bounds of its military testing, its ballistic missile launches, and more.

U.S. responding by showing just how close it is, and getting even closer to South Korea. Now, the U.S. hasn't said how soon that nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine might show up in South Korea, normally the movement of ballistic missile submarines is a very closely-held secret, and something that is generally very highly classified.

But we did just see the USS Maine, an Ohio class ballistic missile submarine service in Guam, so perhaps that will be the sub making a visit to South Korea. This is certainly something we will keep an eye on.

Oren Liebermann, CNN, in the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And CNN's Kristie Lu Stout joins me now live from Hong Kong. Good to see you again, Kristie. President Yoon will soon be addressing the U.S. Congress, how will he likely frame that alliance?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, at 11 am Eastern Time, President Yoon will be addressing the U.S. Congress to mark and celebrate 70 years of the U.S.-South Korean alliance. And his address will come right after that key agreement that came out in deterring North Korea. The United States has pledged to give South Korea more insight and know-how into its nuclear planning and there is also this new U.S. commitment to deploy a nuclear armed submarine in South Korea for the first time since the early 1980's, a very symbolic show of force here. In return, South Korea agreed to not pursue its own nuclear arsenal. I want you to listen to this, what we heard earlier from the South Korean President.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YOON SUK-YEOL, SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT (through translator): President Biden has reaffirmed his ironclad commitment to extend deterrence towards the Republic of Korea, our two countries have agreed to immediate bilateral presidential consultations in the event of North Korea's nuclear attack and a promise to respond swiftly, overwhelmingly, and decisively using the full force of the alliance including the United States nuclear weapons.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: But on the back of this deal, there are two open-ended questions, number one, will this deal be enough to reassure South Koreans? Opinion polls have shown a majority of people in South Korea support their country having its own nuclear weapons. Now, analysts say it remains to be seen, whether they will be satisfied with this agreement.

And the critical question of course, is it going to work? Is this deal going to deter North Korea? We know last year, North Korea fired a record number of missiles. It continues to fire more weapons including new ones like the solid-fuel ICBM. And Biden did repeat the U.S. offer to Pyongyang to hold talks, but he also offered, as you played at the very top, that stark warning to North Korea vowing the end of whatever regime that launches a nuclear attack on the U.S. or its allies.

And, Rosemary, we are still awaiting comment from Pyongyang. Back to you.

CHURCH: And, Kristie, an unexpected and fun moment at the State Dinner when the South Korean President sang for everyone, how is that received?

LU STOUT: It was received with a standing ovation. It was quite the evening of entertainment. The White House State Dinner on Wednesday -- you know you had Broadway stars, of course there were singing hit show tunes from "Les Mis," from "West Side Story," but the highlight was when the South Korean President took the mic, to sing "American Pie." Do we have a clip? Let's take a listen.

(VIDEO PLAYING)

[03:25:05]

He is good, right? You know --

CHURCH: Yes.

LU STOUT: Yoon received a standing ovation. And then, the U.S. President, he presented him with a signed guitar from Don McLean. What a talent, Rosemary. I think we have to book him for your birthday.

CHURCH: I think that is a great idea. Great song, love Don McLean. And wow, I think that made his day soon I could tell. Well done. Great voice, too. Kristie Lu Stout, many thanks for joining us live from Hong Kong. I appreciate it.

LU STOUT: Take care.

CHURCH: All right. Time for a short break. When we come back, China still won't call it a war, but claims it wants to make peace in Ukraine. Details on Xi Jinping's phone call to Kyiv.

[03:30:00]

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CHURCH: China's President Xi Jinping has spoken by phone with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine. Mr. Zelenskyy called it a meaningful conversation, and agreed to exchange ambassadors with Beijing, but the Chinese government readout never even mentioned Russia and referred to the war as the Ukraine crisis.

So, let's go live now to London where CNN's Nada Bashir is following the latest developments. Good morning to you, Nada. So, how significant is this call between the leaders of China and Ukraine and what might come out of this?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, Rosemary, this is a call that Ukrainians have been waiting for, for some time now. And of course, a whole host of topics are focused on this, really a signal of China ramping up its efforts to position itself as a sort of mediator, or peacemaker between Russia and Ukraine. We have seen these efforts over the last few weeks.

The focus of these talks as you mentioned then, looking at cooperation on the trade an economic front as well as crucially on the diplomatic front and key priorities for President Zelenskyy, discussing the ways in which the two nations may be able to cooperate and work together when it comes to the war in Ukraine -- of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. And while there were some differences, of course, President Zelenskyy did express some optimism on that front. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): Today, I had a long and mostly reasonable conversation with the leader of China. Typically, these types of talks are seen as a chance to create new opportunities. Right now, there is an opportunity to give new energy to the relations between Ukraine and China.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASHIR: Now, of course, despite the optimism, both nations continue to stand in very different positions when it comes to the war in Ukraine. President Xi has of course a very close and strong relationship with President Putin. He made a visit just a few weeks ago. And in fact, just in the last few weeks, President Xi put forward a peace proposal, which made no mention of Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine.

That is, of course, a key focus for President Zelenskyy, for the Ukrainian government when it comes to any sort of peace proposal. They continue to demand the full and immediate withdrawal of all Russian troops from all Ukrainian territory. And President Zelenskyy reiterated that message yesterday in his call with President Xi, saying there can be no peace with territorial compromises in Ukraine.

And of course, the war in Ukraine and Russia's bombardment continues to grind on. Just overnight, we have seen continued attacks further, shelling in the Zaporizhzhia region. The Russian -- the Ukrainian authorities, rather, confirming more than 80 Russian attacks in Zaporizhzhia, killing at least two people. They say residential buildings were targeted in this attack.

And in Mykolaiv, further civilians were also targeted. The Ukrainian authorities saying there that four missiles were launched from the Black Sea, killing at least one person and injuring 23 others. Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right, Nada Bashir joining us live from London, many thanks.

Jailed Putin critic Alexei Navalny says he is now facing a new terrorism case that could result in him remaining for decades behind bars. Navalny is already accused in a separate extremism case, and was in court Wednesday for that hearing. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Moscow Court literally silencing a Kremlin critic, as Alexei Navalny speaks via video link, his sound is abruptly cut off. It looks like they will limit the time for me to go through the court documents, he was able to say, then the audio was muted.

While some were chuckling, the situation for Alexei Navalny has become even more serious. The court ruled Navalny only has 10 days to review hundreds of documents from an extremism case against him. And his supporters say Navalny has now learned he will also be charged with terrorism. Now, Alexei will have two large trials, his spokeswoman tweeted. First, on extremism, in total for all episodes up to 30 years, most likely it will begin before the end of May. Then on terrorism, up to 35 years.

Navalny's health is also deteriorating in part because he is limited in the amount of food he can get in prison, his daughter told CNN.

DANA NAVALNAYA, DAUGHTER OF ALEXEI NAVALNY: The situation has gotten so ridiculous. He buys the food which is, you know, oats, it is nothing, it is nothing luxurious, okay, and he buys the oats, the oats are brought to him, shown to him and then are just destroyed.

[03:35:00]

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Navalny supporters say it's all part of a massive crackdown against the opposition figure and his anti- corruption foundation, which has been banned and declared an extremist organization in Russia, they believe, at the behest of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Navalny has called on Russians to protest on Putin's invasion of Ukraine, where Moscow's forces are making virtually no progress, and Ukraine says, it's preparing for a major counteroffensive. Yevgeny Prigozhin of Russia's Wagner private military company is saying, his forces feel abandoned by the Russian army.

The Ukrainian army is fully ready to move, and cut our flanks, he says. Nobody has ever covered our flanks. All those stories about preventing the Ukrainian reserves from entering Bakhmut are total crap. Not a single shot was fired by the Russian army.

While Russia's forces struggle on the battlefield in Ukraine, the attrition against the Russian opposition continues. After Alexei Navalny's hearing, he was sent straight back into solitary confinement, his supporters say.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Three U.S. newspapers are making a joint push to get Journalist Evan Gershkovich released from a Russian jail. The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The New York Times are running a four-page ad today demanding his release.

The advertisement shows a joint letter from their editors and publishers with the #IStandWithEvan. Gershkovich is a Wall Street Journal reporter who was detained on espionage charges last month. The newspaper vehemently denies the allegations against him.

The feud between Walt Disney and Ron DeSantis heats up as the company files a lawsuit against the Florida governor. We'll have that after a short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [03:40:00]

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CHURCH: A judge in Missouri has temporarily blocked new limits on care for transgender people, just a few hours before they were to go into effect. The restrictions would apply not only to minors but adults as well.

CNN's Kyung Lah met patients going to great lengths to get the care they need.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNKNOWN (voice-over): We are hoping to get as many people established for care as possible because we're really feeling that deadline.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): I'll be doing your intake today.

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): And the clock is ticking for patients like 19-year old, Kharri, a Missouri resident crossing state lines to Kansas because of the battle over gender-affirming care.

LAH: How long have you not felt like you?

KHARRI, MISSOURI PATIENT: I think when I was 14, I just felt like I wasn't correct.

UNKNOWN: Now, some of the effects are testosterone are permanent.

LAH (voice-over): All patients in this Planned Parenthood clinic today are beginning gender transitions, a pop-up clinic to beat the deadline set by Missouri's attorney general in an emergency rule. Established patients could continue care once the order goes into effect, but new patients face a slew of requirements that would widely limit access. That's why Kharri is here before the state imposes the deadline.

LAH: How do you view this executive order?

KHARRI: I -- I view it as someone is afraid of something to have kind of eradicate people. We are terrified. I have been afraid since I was 15. And the world is terrifying. It's -- talk with us -- like just sit there and just talk with us about what -- what we're saying. We're not trying to indoctrinate anyone. We're just saying, hey, this is us.

LAH (voice-over): In another exam room, 20-year old, Andi, moved up a May appointment to beat the impending order.

LAH: Why is it important for you to have access to this care?

ANDI, MISSOURI PATIENT: It's a constant disconnect for my own body, my own being. I look in the mirror, I feel like an impostor, a stranger, I always have. I'm going through a personal journey now and hopefully can start to feel comfortable in my own skin and maybe feel like I recognize the person in the mirror after I start to see these changes. LAH (voice-over): Across Missouri, advocates say it's uncertainty and

panic among patients.

ANGELA HUNTINGTON, PLANNED PARENTHOOD PATIENT NAVIGATOR: This is Angela. I'm calling from Planned Parenthood.

LAH (voice-over): Angela Huntington is a patient navigator for Planned Parenthood --

HUNTINGTON: I was just calling to confirm your appointment.

LAH (voice-over): -- scheduling patients across Missouri.

HUNTINGTON: I think we have a fight. I think we have a fight in front of us.

LAH: What kind of pain are you hearing on the other side of the phone line?

HUNTINGTON: I've got patients calling me from all over Missouri that are just scared. They just don't know where they're gonna get their care.

LAH (voice-over): -- especially in a shifting battleground of politics and legal orders, say the doctors and nurses.

ASHLEY MILLER, PLANNED PARENTHOOD GREAT PLAINS: You wanna believe people when they tell you who they are, or what they want for their life, and you don't wanna say, wow, you know, I believe you that you are transgender, but maybe we should phone your local politician to see if they agree. It's hard not to feel like your local politician is in the room with you.

UNKNOWN: So, next, what I'm gonna do is go over some screening questions with you.

LAH (voice-over): Kharri established gender-affirming care in this visit. Rejected by some family members, Kharri says he fled Tennessee a year ago and is ready to move again, unsure of what happens next in Missouri.

KHARRI: I can't live in any state that won't let me be who I am. I have a 24-hour plan of -- well, if they do this, you have to leave in those 24 hours. Like clothes, I already packed up in the trunk type of things. I feel like a refugee in my own state, in my own country.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAH (on-camera): The emergency role was scheduled to go into effect at the stroke of midnight, but this ruling from a state judge, a late ruling from this judge, essentially resets the clock.

[03:45:04]

LAH: The judge says that she wants time to consider more arguments, read over more briefings. The new deadline is Monday evening in Missouri.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Kansas City.

CHURCH: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is in Israel right now for a speech, the latest stop on an international tour by the likely Republican presidential contender. His visit to Jerusalem comes as his year-long battle with Disney has taken a new turn. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts has filed suit against DeSantis and his handpicked oversight board, which recently took over the special tax district Disney had controlled for decades.

Now, Steve Contorno has more now.

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Walt Disney Parks and Resorts filed a lawsuit on Wednesday in federal court against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The 77-page lawsuit alleges that DeSantis engaged in a year- long effort to punish the company for its opposition to a state law that bans the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools.

According to the lawsuit, the company's First Amendment rights were violated by Governor DeSantis, and there was, quote, a targeted campaign of government retaliation, orchestrated every step by DeSantis as punishment for Disney's protected speech.

In a statement to CNN, DeSantis' office criticized Disney and said, quote, we are unaware of any legal rights that our company has to operate its own government, or maintain special privileges not held by other businesses in the state.

The lawsuit is the latest escalation in a year-long fight between DeSantis and Disney, one of the state's largest companies, and it now heads to federal court where a judge will decide who is the victor.

For CNN in St. Petersburg, Florida, I am Steve Contorno.

CHURCH: There's a new point of contention in the political tensions between the U.S. and China. This time it's about this giant panda. We'll explain after a short break.

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[03:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: A giant panda has been caught up in geopolitical tensions between Washington and Beijing. Ya Ya, the panda, has spent two decades at the Memphis, Tennessee Zoo, but this week she was sent home to live out her golden years after the U.S.-China loan agreement expired.

But, as Selina Wang reports, Ya Ya has become ammunition for the growing anti-U.S. sentiment in China.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SELINA WANG, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Once a symbol of Beijing's goodwill, now the center of angry debate in China. This panda in Memphis, Tennessee has become the latest victim in worsening U.S.- China tensions.

Ya Ya arrived in America with her playmate Le Le two decades ago, as an emblem of growing bilateral friendship. But recent videos show the once fluffy panda, now looking skinny, with scrambly fur, has sparked outrage in China. Many Chinese people and some animal advocates accusing the zoo of mistreatment. Videos on Chinese social media claim that pandas are being abused, quickly went viral against the backdrop of growing anti-American sentiment. The rumors, often fanned by state propaganda.

And meanwhile, Chinese social media users are praising these viral videos of this panda in Russia, Ru Yi, claiming videos of the active and playful panda prove Russia is taking excellent care of the Chinese bear. State TV saying the pandas are helping the Russia-China relationship.

Chinese and American scientists launched a joint investigation, concluding that Ya Ya has a genetic fur and skin condition that does not impact her quality of life, and has received excellent care. But that message is not getting through. Outside the panda exhibit at the Beijing Zoo, I asked people if they've heard of Ya Ya, the panda. This man said, yes, she is abused in America. An 11-year-old boy says, I heard the U.S. is treating the panda poorly. This man says, isn't Russia taking good care of pandas? Pandas are happy over there, not like in the U.S. And this man, with his granddaughter, tells me, pandas in Russia are very happy. Why? Russians and Chinese are friends. At least Russia is not sanctioning China.

WANG (on-camera): Ya Ya will soon settle in this Beijing Zoo. Now, China has long used its pandas as a diplomatic tool. Currently, its pandas are on loan to about 20 countries. The United States has not received one since Ya Ya and Le Le, 20 years ago. Now, these pandas are normally loaned on these tenure leases, and they cost a million dollars annually.

WANG (voice-over): The Memphis Zoo had already planned to send Ya Ya and Le Le back to Beijing this spring, because their lease is expiring. But Le Le died of heart disease two months ago, at the age of 24. The average lifespan for pandas is usually under 30 years.

Yet, that didn't stop rampant speculation and led to an explosion of accusations about Ya Ya's treatment to accelerating calls to bring Ya Ya back to China. A message even featured on billboards from New York City to major cities across China.

In 1972, during U.S. President Richard Nixon's historic trip to China, his wife visited pandas in Beijing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAT NIXON, FORMER U.S. FIRST LADY: On behalf of the people of the United States, I'm pleased to be here and accept the precious gift. (END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:55:00]

WANG (voice-over): Months later, China sent a pair of pandas to the national zoo in Washington, D.C. Now, decades later, these pandas return from the U.S. to China, symbolic, not of growing friendship, but growing animosity between two global superpowers.

Selina Wang, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And China's foreign ministry cleared up some of the controversy on Wednesday saying, Ya Ya was treated just fine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAO NING, SPOKESPERSON, CHINESE FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTRY (through translator): The Memphis Zoo has a relatively sound management system and operation procedures. And Ya Ya has been under good care throughout her stay at the Memphis Zoo. She's deeply loved by the American people. The cooperative research on giant pandas has facilitated the protection of the animal, public education and people to people exchanges. China is willing to continue working with other partners, the U.S. side, included, to make contribution to the conservation of endangered species.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And thanks for your company, I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. CNN Newsroom continues with Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo, next.

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