Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
CNN International: UC Davis on Edge After Third Stabbing Near Campus in a Week; Trial to Resume in E. Jean Carroll's Lawsuit Against Trump; Residents of Town Developed by Disney Discuss the Feud; Zelensky Tells Washington Post White House Did Not Inform Him of Secret Documents Leak; Late-Night Shows Go Dark, Airing Repeats as Strike Begins. Aired 4:30-5a ET
Aired May 03, 2023 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:30:00]
MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM, I'm Max Foster. If you're just joining us, let me bring you up to date with our top stories this hour.
The manhunt for the suspect who shot and killed five people, including a mother and the 9-year-old child in Texas has ended. Authorities have arrested Francisco Oropesa on Tuesday after finding him hiding in a closet under laundry. Oropesa is currently being held under 5 counts of murder with bond set at 5 million dollars.
And a 7th grade boy has been arrested for allegedly opening fire at an elementary school in the Serbian capital of Belgrade our affiliate N1 reports five children were wounded. We'll bring you any new details as they come in.
Police are searching for clues in the series of stabbing near the campus of the University of California Davis. The attacks described as violent and brazen have left two people dead and has shaken the community and students now fearing for their safety. CNN's Nick Watt has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Students ordered to shelter in place overnight as police tried and failed to find the suspect who stabbed a woman shortly before midnight on a city street.
TODD HENRY, DEPUTY CHIEF, DAVIS, CALIFORNIA POLICE: We're following a multitude of leads. But as of this point, nobody has been identified.
WATT (voice-over): This laid-back California college town usually sees just one homicide in an entire year, now two within a week. Three stabbings total.
HENRY: It's very obvious that the manner in the brutality of these crimes are very similar. That is concerning to us. But at this stage, we can't definitively link them yet.
WATT (voice-over): Thursday morning, David Breaux was found stabbed to death in a city park. A downtown fixture known for asking passers-by to share their thoughts on compassion.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw that on June 3 of 2009 and have got about 5,000 entries and talks about 10,000 people, have become known as the compassion guy.
WATT (voice-over): Saturday night, a 20-year-old computer science student Karim Abou Najm stabbed, murdered on this bike path through another park on his way home.
MAJDI ABOU NAJM, SON STABBED TO DEATH NEAR U.S. DAVIS: He was just six weeks away from graduating. He was so proud and so happy and so thankful. He said thanks Mom and Dad, you paid all my tuition and you did it.
WATT (voice-over): The family moved to California from Lebanon in 2018.
ABOU NAJM: We came here hoping for safety.
WATT (voice-over): The latest victim of this apparent spree, a woman stabbed through her tent late last night. She remains in critical condition.
ANDREW MCCABE, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: You have a very dangerous person who seems to have struck out randomly in a very violent way against three very different victims. I think the people of the city of Davis are rightly very concerned right now.
WATT (voice-over): The FBI is now helping in the manhunt. Local police also upping their patrols hoping to reassure students and keep them safe.
KRISTIN MIFSUD, SENIOR, UC DAVIS: I did not expect my senior year for any of this to be happening especially in Davis. A lot of students just don't want to go to school.
WATT: Police are advising people in Davis not to go out alone after dark. They say use the buddy system. As for the murders themselves, police say that they don't look like robberies. There were frankly just too many wounds on the victim.
They hope that DNA will actually allow them to formally link all three crimes. And they hope that their description of the suspect by witnesses might lead to an arrest. The most distinguishing feature of the suspect, long dark curly hair.
Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: A man's been arrested and banned from United Airlines after allegedly attacked an employee whilst boarding a plane in San Francisco on Sunday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[04:35:00]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my gosh! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop it!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Police identify the suspect, as Cody Benjamin Lovins. The incident unfolded when his partner was reportedly sitting in the wrong seat and didn't want to move. This video shows Lovins appearing to punch an airline employee before others on the plane holding him back.
A police officer in Fairfax County, Virginia is lucky to be alive after a routine traffic stop turned into a nerve-wracking disaster.
Police say, a 17-year-old was driving when they lost control of their vehicle and swerved over the median, crashing into the stopped vehicle and the officer, the driver of the vehicle that was pulled over suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to the hospital. He has since been released. The officer, teen driver of the car, that caused the crash, and 2 passengers also suffered minor injuries. The teen was charged with reckless driving.
The court is set to resume in the coming hours in the civil battery and defamation trial against Donald Trump. Tuesday marked another day of dramatic testimony as a friend of E. Jean Carroll took to the witness stand. Carroll is suing the former president, alleging that he raped her in the 1990s. CNN's Paula Reid has the latest on the travel from New York.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Shortly after a court wrapped on Tuesday, Trump's a lawyers confirmed that he will not testify in his own defense in this case. Now, he was not expected to take the stand. But in speaking with his attorneys in other criminal matters, I could tell you, it's a great relief to them.
They were concerned about the client taking the stand in this case, potentially opening up potential other issues in his going criminal investigations.
Now, on Tuesday, Carroll's attorneys put on several witnesses including Lisa Birnbach. Now she's a longtime friend of E. Jean Carroll and she said that Carroll called her shortly after this alleged assault. She described Carroll during that call as being breathless, hyperventilating and being very emotional. She also says that at the time what she believed she had heard was the recounting of a rape. But at the time she said Carroll was seen more as a fight or as a tussle and wasn't ready to use that word.
Now this is significant because this is a contemporary account of what allegedly happened. So even though we're talking about events that allegedly occurred more than 30 years ago, something like this is a real boost for Carroll's accusation.
But defense attorneys cross examined Birnbach about social media posts that she has made, making it pretty clear that she is not a fan of Trump politically.
And the jury also heard from Jessica Leeds. She alleges that she was assaulted by Trump on an airplane. She alleges that she sat next to him and he allegedly tried to kiss and grope her. Now, Trump has denied that account, but this is all part of an effort to establish Carroll's story as part of a pattern of behavior by former President Trump. Now, Carroll's attorneys are expected to wrap up their case on Thursday, and then Trump's defense attorney will put on their case.
Paul Reid, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: The judge overseeing the Ed Sheeran copyright trial says the jury could start deliberating as soon as today. Sheeran is accused of copying Marvin Gaye soul hit, "Let's Get In On," for his song, "Thinking Out Loud." On Tuesday, a music expert called by the defense testified that Gaye's song was not the first one to use the chord progression for the center of the case. He says that 80 other songs also included, including 33 that were created before Gaye's hit.
Now as the legal and political feud between Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis continues to escalate, CNN's Randi Kaye spoke to the Florida town developed by Disney that has become a major political flash point.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TERI HOHENTANNER, FLORIDA VOTER: I'd love to be able to vote for a Republican, but yes, he's not winning me over with this.
RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Teri Hohentanner is talking about Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Teri lives here in Celebration, Florida, a town developed by the Walt Disney Company in 1994. Celebration is located near Disney World. Residents and visitors here have been closely following the Disney-DeSantis feud.
HOHENTANNER: It's disappointing, number one, and seems, the timing of it at least seems very retaliatory based on some of the decisions that Disney made, and then almost a little bit of a pissing match, quite honestly, to see who can up the other.
KAYE: We spoke with 30 people here, mostly residents. Half of them identified as Republican voters. But of the nine people we spoke with, who said they support DeSantis in his moves against Disney, only one of them was willing to go on camera.
ANN FITZPATRICK, DESANTIS SUPPORTER: I think that Disney's had too much power from the very beginning.
[04:40:00]
KAYE (voice-over): Republican Ann Fitzpatrick has lived in Celebration for 26 years. She's proud of DeSantis for taking on Disney.
FITZPATRICK: I have agreed with every battle he has taken on. KAYE: What do you say to people who think the governor should focus more on other more important things around the state?
FITZPATRICK: Well, he's done that hasn't he? And Disney is not unimportant. They control so much here.
KAYE (voice-over): Republican Ron Kelly is another Celebration resident.
KAYE: So, you have supported Governor DeSantis in the past. What do you think about this battle with Disney?
RON KELLY, REPUBLICAN VOTER: Waste of time and money.
KAYE: How has this whole thing changed your opinion of Governor DeSantis?
KELLY: Yes, I think he's a little bit off the track on this one. I can't fathom why he was going after them.
KAYE (voice-over): Independent voter, Sallie Moore calls DeSantis move ridiculous.
SALLIE MOORE, INDEPENDENT VOTER: Disney reacted the way I felt like they should have reacted. And then to keep going with it and be spiteful about it on DeSantis part. But, you know, I just think he's looking like a fool.
KAYE (voice-over): University of North Florida poll voters separately about DeSantis and Disney between February and March. Among all Florida voters, DeSantis had a 50 percent favorability rating. While Disney had a 52 percent favorability rating.
Among just Republican voters in the state, DeSantis came out ahead with 87 percent seeing him as favorable compared to just 27 percent for Disney.
Randi Kaye, CNN, Celebration Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Just ahead, a communication breakdown. What Ukraine's president is saying about leaked U.S. document on the war with Russia.
And the U.S. announces a massive drug bust on the dark web that spent 3 continents.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy tells "The Washington Post" that neither the White House nor the Pentagon informed him about linked documents containing sensitive detail about the war in Ukraine. He says he found out from watching the news.
[04:45:00] The U.S. is pushing back saying it's in constant communication with Ukraine about a range of issues. CNN's Scott McLean is here with more. It's interesting that he's gone public with this.
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It sure is, especially given the importance of the U.S. Ukraine relationship. But essentially, he saying, look, this is important and I didn't know about it until after I heard about it in the news.
So, this is part of what he told "The Washington Post."
He said: I did not receive information from the White House, or the Pentagon before hand. We did not have that information. I personally did not. It's definitely a bad story.
Now the leak revealed plenty of sensitive information, but --
FOSTER: Which he's not denying.
MCLEAN: Which he's not denying, but, you know, chief among them or at least one of the major points, was that Ukrainian officials were being spied on including Zelenskyy themself. And "The Post" asked him about this as well. And he left a lot unsaid in his answer. Making it very clear that he didn't want to say anything about his personal feeling that might sort of jeopardize the relationship. But I think what he did say is telling.
So, he said, quote: Where I can speak freely, I do it. But there are high risks. If it were my war against Putin, and there were two of us on the battlefield, I would tell everyone what I think of them. But here the stories a little different. We are all responsible.
Now the leaks also revealed, you'll remember, some potential Ukrainian battlefield plans, potential issues with the volume of Ukrainian ammunition for the air defense systems. And at the time, a source close to Zelenskyy actually told CNN that the Ukrainians did have to alter their battlefield plan as a result of the leak. So, obviously it would've been nice to know about them in advance.
There obviously there have been meetings between the U.S. and Ukraine since then. And the Secretary of State met with his counterpart. The defense secretary says that they met as well. But these were meetings that took place after these leaks had already come to light in the press.
FOSTER: Meanwhile, the drone war effectively as it seems to be across Ukraine and Russia.
MCLEAN: Yes, so the Ukraine say that overnight there were 26 incoming drone attacks on the country, 21 of them were shot down. There was an oil depot in south center Ukraine that was hit. There was also a building that caught fire in the Dnipro region.
But this comes after there was, what the Russians say, was a Ukrainian drone strike on a oil depot on Russian soil, very near to the bridge, the carriage bridge which connects Crimea to mainland Russia. And it comes after there was an oil depot, again, a Crimean official is blaming the Ukrainian drone that was hit in Sebastopol over the weekend. So, it seem like increasing the Russians are feeling the impact of the was, not just economically, not just on the battlefield but also on their own home soil.
FOSTER: OK, Scott, thank you.
When it comes to Russia, the Match Group is ready to swipe left. The online dating company, Tinder, Hinge, OkCupid and others, is pulling its services out of Russia by the end of June. It cites Russia's human rights record for the move, joining the massive list of Western companies that have bailed on Russia since the war in Ukraine began.
The U.S. Attorney General has announced the Justice Department largest ever international crackdown on drugs trafficked on the dark web. The, U.S. along with its partners in Europe in South America seized more than $53 million in cash and virtual currencies, as well as nearly 1,900 pounds of drugs, which include fentanyl and well over 100 firearms as well. Nearly 300 people were arrested.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MERRICK GARLAND, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Our message to criminals on the dark web is this, you can try to hide in the furthest reaches of the internet, but the Justice Department will find you and hold you accountable for your crimes. The Justice Department, together, with our American and international partners, will continue to disrupt and dismantled dark net markets. We will continue to illuminate the dark web and we will bring to justice those who try to hide their crimes there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: The Australian government will ban recreational use of e- cigarettes to discourage vaping, especially amongst teenagers. Under the new regulations, nonprescription vapes will be banned from importation. The vape products will be required to pharmaceutical like packaging to be sold only as a product to help smokers quit. A single use of disposable vapes will be banned and colored, flavor packs that were appealing to younger users will be restricted.
Still ahead, an NBA showdown in the wild west. LeBron James and the Lakers go head-to-head with Steph Curry and the Warriors.
[04:50:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: Popular late night television shows in the U.S. have gone dark and are airing repeat episodes just hours after thousands of TV and film writers went on strike. It comes after weeks-long negotiations collapse with production companies over pay and other issues. The spokesperson for NBC says that they are canceling this week Saturday Night Live and will now air reruns until further notice. The episode was due to be hosted by former cast member Pete Davidson.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I call it Targaryen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I call him (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Promise to be faithful to King Viserys and to his named heir Princess Rhaenyra.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rhaenyra Targaryen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: But there is good news for "House of the Dragon" fans. Sources close to the HBO Max production tell CNN that season two remain in production as scripts have been done for some time. Both CNN and HBO is part of the same parent company, Warner Brothers Discovery.
The NBA playoff matchup everyone's waiting for is finally here. LeBron James and the Lakers versus Steph Curry and the Warriors. And game one goes to the Lakers on the road in San Francisco. Anthony Davis lead the way with 30 points, 23 rebounds and four blocked shots.
Curry scored 27 for the Golden State. But the Warriors missed their final four shots and lost by five.
The New York Knicks have evened up their series with the Miami Heat thanks to a 30-point performance from Jalen Brunson. Jimmy Butler sat out the game for Miami, with a sprained ankle. Caleb Martin scored 22 for the Heat.
[04:55:05]
Joel Embiid is not expected to play when the Philadelphia 76ers take on the Boston Celtics on game two tonight -- in game two, rather. But he still has plenty of reason to celebrate. Embiid has been named the league's most valuable player. The average just over 33 points and 10 rebounds a game, and he is the first player from Cameroon to win the award. Philadelphia won the first game of its playoff series with Boston on Monday.
Football star Lionel Messi has been suspended by Paris Saint-Germain for two weeks after taking an unauthorized trip away from the team for personal business. The club source says Messi missed Monday's training session to attend promotional events outside France. According to multiple reports, Messi is in Saudi Arabia.
On Monday, the minister of tourism tweeted welcoming the World Cup winner and his family to the country. Messi himself posted to Instagram a promotion for Saudi tourism just a few days ago.
Now it's three days until the coronation of King Charles and we have had a first glimpse of the ceremony. Rehearsals taking place in central London in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Royal fans watched on as hundreds of soldiers, many on horseback, marched from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey. They accompanied the Diamond Jubilee State Coach which will the carry the King and the way to the service. And tune in for CNN special live coverage for the coronation on Saturday, I will be joined by Christiane Amanpour and Anderson Cooper. It all starts this Saturday May the 6th, 5 a.m. in New York, 10 a.m. in London.
Thank you for joining me here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster in London. "EARLY START" with Christine Romans is up next here on CNN.
[05:00:00]
