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Moscow Detains U.S. Citizen on Drug Charges; Donald Trump Back on the Campaign Trail After Federal Indictment; Trump Due in Court on Tuesday; Interview with Political Analyst, "The Modern Presidency" Author and Loyola Marymount University Global Policy Institution President Michael Genovese; "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski Dead at 81; Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on Counteroffensive; Ukraine Flooding Aftermath; Interview with Ukrainian Volunteer Service Anna Bondarenko; New Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine; Thousands of Ukrainians Left Without Food, Shelter and Safe Drinking Water; Volunteers Trying to Save Lives in Ukraine; Trump Supporters Unfazed by Indictment; Courthouse Security Preparations Underway in Miami; Canada Deals with Raging Wildfires; Pope Recovering from Surgery; Four Children Recovering After Weeks in Amazon; Champions League 2023 Final. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired June 11, 2023 - 04:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:00:00]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: And welcome to all you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber.

Ahead on "CNN Newsroom," Donald Trump back on the campaign trail just days after a federal indictment. What he's saying about the case and how other Republican presidential candidates are handling it.

We'll also look at security preparations underway in Miami where Trump is expected to appear in court this week.

Plus, a dam collapse creates a new humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Thousands are left without food, shelter and drinking water. We'll speak to the head of one organization about volunteers are trying to save lives.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is "CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber."

BRUNHUBER: All right. We'll have those stories in a moment. But first, we're following a developing story out of Russia. A court in Moscow confirms it has detained U.S. citizen on drug charges. A statement from the court identified the man as Travis Leake, describing him as "former paratrooper and musician." An also says he will remain in custody until August 6th.

A video of Leake's arrest and his police mug shot were published in the Russian tabloid outlets on Thursday. CNN also filmed Leaked in 2014 for an episode of "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown." Leake's mother and the U.S. State Department says they are aware of reports of the arrest. A State Department spokesperson says they will pursue consular access as soon as possible. We'll have more on the story in the hours ahead.

Well, Donald Trump is making it clear he has no intention of letting a federal indictment get in the way of campaigning. He was back on the trail on Saturday angrily sounding off about the classified documents case against him. Appearances in North Carolina and Georgia were his first public events since the indictment was unsealed on Friday. Trump dismissed the federal charges as a political hit job by "maniacs." Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't even think it's suspicious. I think it's a circle of maniacs around. You have this maniac, I call him a deranged person, Jack Smith. He's deranged.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: CNN's Kristen Holmes was at Trump's rally in Columbus, Georgia with more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Former President Donald Trump appeared to be consumed by his issues when appearing at a political speech, talking to the Georgia GOP Convention. He responded to that indictment, that federal indictment for the first time in public calling it a joke, saying that it was horrible for the country, blaming Biden and the Department of Justice. Take a listen.

TRUMP: The ridiculous and baseless indictment of me by the Biden administration's weaponized department of injustice will go down as among the most horrific abuses of power in the history of our country. Jack Smith, what do you think his name used to be? I don't know. Does anybody ever -- Jack Smith? Sounds so innocent. He's deranged. This is a political hit job.

HOLMES: And that was just a snippet of what he had to say. He did, again, really seem consumed spending more than 40 minutes of his speech talking about his legal battles. And, again, supposed to be a political speech. However, while he was focused on those legal battles, the voters here in Georgia did not seem to care. They were happy he was here. They were cheering him on, every insult to Biden, Hillary Clinton, they were cheering for. They gave him a standing ovation.

At one point, people were shouting four more years. We have been asking the question about how Republicans across the country, particularly Trump voters, might view this indictment and if it's any indication in Georgia, at this GOP Convention, they are still viewing Trump favorably.

Now, I want to show one other small piece of video, and that was Trump going to the waffle house after he gave that speech. And the reason I'm showing this video is because I want to show who's in the video with him. Walt Nauta, that is his body man, his aide who was charged alongside him in these conspiracy charges. There had been questions as to what was going to happen after Nauta was charged. It appears that, at least for now, he is sticking by Trump's side.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Now, Trump's indictment all but drowned out the other political headlines, including his former vice president, Mike Pence, jumping into the race. Pence spoke on Saturday at the same Republican event in North Carolina as Trump, his response to the indictment, was to accuse the U.S. attorney general of shirking his responsibility to the public. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE PENCE, FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT AND U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, today, I'm calling on the attorney general to stand before the American people and explain why this was necessary in his words. Attorney General Merrick Garland, stop hiding behind the special counsel and stand before the American people and explain why this indictment went forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[04:05:00]

BRUNHUBER: One of Trump's top rivals for the Republican presidential nomination, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, had a lot to say as he campaigned Saturday in Oklahoma. But he didn't say anything directly about Trump's latest indictments. Instead, he echoed the emerging Republican line vowing to end what he called the "increasing weaponization of these federal agencies against people they don't like."

And joining me now Michael Genovese, political analyst and president of the Global Policy Institute at Loyola Marymount University. He's also the author of the "Modern Presidency: Six Debates that Define the Institution."

Thanks so much for being with us here again. So, let's start with the man at the center of the firestorm, Donald Trump, campaigning under indictment. What do you make of what he said?

MICHAEL GENOVESE, POLITICAL ANALYST, AUTHOR "THE MODERN PRESIDENCY" AND PRESIDENT, GLOBAL POLICY INSTITUTION, LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY: It was vintage Trump. Even a rerun of the last four years. We've heard this speech before, at least most of it. A lot of rants. A lot of grievances. He was talking about fascists, communists, Stalinists, cowards. He called the special counsel deranged. He called the D.A. from Georgia a lunatic. And so, he was relitigating the past.

The surprisingness in his speech today, I think, if there is one, is that he really didn't spend a lot of time on an active defense in light of the indictment. He let that slide and went on an attack, which didn't really focus on the charges against him. BRUNHUBER: Yes. I mean, you know, going after the special counsel personally when could one would imagine Trump's defense team shaking their collective heads there. You talk about that sense of grievance. I mean, he is often going to that same well fueling that sense of grievance. I want to play this clip here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I stand before you today as the only candidate who has what it takes to smash this corrupt system and to truly drain the swamp, and I'm the only one that they don't want to do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: So, the framing of this indictment is always something that the Democrats and President Biden are trying to take away from Trump and take away from Trump supporters, which we know is one of the most powerful ways to get people angry and emotionally invested. Is the aim here -- you know, he's not going to convince anybody else. Is the aim here just to kind of keep his core voters angry for the next, you know, year and a bit until the election, hold on to those folks and hope that, you know, Biden or whoever the Democratic nominee is, their popularity kind of wanes or slides?

GENOVESE: You know, he's fighting a defensive battle, which is unusual for Donald Trump because he loves to be on offense and he goes 100 miles an hour even around fast turns on offense. That's his style. That's the style he likes. And so, when he has to play defense, he doesn't play it as well.

So, what he's really trying to do then is see what will work to the base. How do I make my fight their fight, my enemy, their enemy? As long as he can maintain that narrative in the base, he'll be OK.

BRUNHUBER: How do you think this indictment will change the campaign, if at all?

GENOVESE: I don't think the indictment is going to have much of an impact, because all of the other candidates are playing a waiting game. They're treading water, waiting to see what happens with Donald Trump. If Donald Trump rises, if he stays where he is, they're in trouble. They can't beat him. And so, they're hoping that Humpty Dumpty has a great fall. And if he does and if he can't put that Humpty Dumpty back together again, the question is, who might replace him? And that's the battle. The battle is who might fill the space if Donald Trump drops?

BRUNHUBER: Yes. That seems to be a very defensive strategy, but we've seen that again yesterday with Trump's main rivals for the GOP nomination, they continue to do that delicate dance, trying to siphon Trump support without alienating his base. I just want to play this clip here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PENCE: The American people deserve to know the reasons for this unprecedented action and we also need to hear the former president's defense, then each of us can make our own judgment on whether this is the latest example of a Justice Department working an injustice or otherwise.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: So, Mike Pence there, I mean, trying to perform that highwire act. It involves a really challenging degree of difficulty.

[04:10:00]

GENOVESE: You know, Mike Pence and all the other rivals not for Donald Trump, they're all walking on eggshells because they don't want to offend the base. So, they want to be very, very careful, how you criticize Trump, how the base takes it. If they are seen as being against Trump's base, they will be in trouble, electorally, with the Republican Party.

So, they're really just playing that waiting game, hoping against hope that Donald Trump stumbles and falls. He hasn't so far. He's managed to maintain his base. And if he does that, then whatever the other candidates do I think is not going to matter very much.

BRUNHUBER: Well, we'll have to leave it there, but thank you so much for your analysis, Michael Genovese. A pleasure as always.

GENOVESE: Thank you, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: And one quick programing note, CNN anchor, Anderson Cooper, will host a Republican Presidential Town Hall with former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie Monday live from New York, that's Monday, 8:00 p.m. in New York, 8:00 a.m. in Hong Kong right here on CNN.

U.S. authorities say Ted Kaczynski, the soc-called Unabomber, who carried out a deadly bombing campaign across the country, has died at 81. From 1978 to 1995, Kaczynski mailed and delivered homemade explosives that killed three people and wounded 23 others. CNN's Polo Sandoval has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Known infamously as the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski was serving eight life sentences for a 17- year deadly reign of terror when he died Saturday. Prison officials tell CNN the ailing 81-year-old was found unresponsive in his cell overnight. His cause of death, not yet released.

In December 2021, Kaczynski was transferred to a federal medical facility in Butner, North Carolina used to house inmates with health conditions.

ANDREW MCCABE, FORMER FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR: I think it's very important for transparent reasons to fully understand the circumstances around the death, but I would caution speculation at this point. We don't really have any reason to believe anything untoward happened here just yet.

SANDOVAL (voiceover): Andrew McCabe is a former FBI deputy director who was with the bureau as the agents closed the Unabomber case. It was in 1978 when Kaczynski started his campaign of violence by leaving a mail bomb at a parking lot at Chicago university. He would go on to plant explosives on an airplane, university buildings and by computer stores. He also mailed powerful bombs to university professors and business executives.

By the time he was arrested, in 1996, his 16 devices killed three innocent people and injured 23 others. His own words published in a manifesto where it would eventually lead FBI agents to his off the grid primitive cabin in the woods of Montana, tipped off by Kaczynski's own brother.

MCCABE: He pursued this bombing campaign as a way of striking back against technological advancement, which he believed was damaging the environment in ways that needed to be stopped.

SANDOVAL (voiceover): Before becoming a prolific bomber, Kaczynski was a high school honor student in Illinois, who enrolled at Harvard at just 16. It was during his college years that Kaczynski took a dark turn, recalled his brother.

DAVID KACZYNSKI, TED KACZYNSKI'S BROTHER: Ted was withdrawing. It wasn't the desire to come home and enjoy the family.

SANDOVAL (voiceover): As part of a deal with prosecutors to dodge the death penalty, Kaczynski admitted to the bombings and was sent to Colorado Supermax Prison where he remained until his medical transfer. At the time of Kaczynski's 1998 sentencing, the widow of victim Jill Murray wrote, he will never ever kill again.

SANDOVAL: And as we look to learn more about the circumstances surrounding Kaczynski's death, the Federal Bureau of Prisons confirming that they located him. He was unresponsive in his cell over the weekend. He was transferred to a hospital where staff there pronounced him dead.

Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Ukraine's president gives a strong indication about the widely anticipated counteroffensive. You'll hear what he said in the diplomatic setting and what his troops reportedly did on the ground. That's ahead.

Plus, emergency teams rush to distribute aid in the aftermath of massive flooding in Ukraine. We'll talk to a volunteer who works to get survivors out of harm's way. Stay with us.

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[04:15:00] BRUNHUBER: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is dropping his strongest hint yet of the much-anticipated counteroffensive has begun. He spoke during a press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Saturday, and he said that, in his words, counteroffensive defensive operations are taking place. While he didn't go into detail, but the statement came after Ukraine said its forces had advanced up to 1,400 meters or a little under a mile in some parts of Bakhmut. While Moscow claims it repelled multiple Ukrainian attacks in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

So, for more, Clare Sebastian joins us from London. So, Clare, I mean, it seems anyways though the counteroffensive is underway. What are you seeing and how's Russia responding?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, actually, Zelenskyy's comments came not as sort of an announcement in their own right but as a response. He was asked to respond to comments by President Vladimir Putin of Russia, on Friday, who said when asked about the counteroffensive, that the Ukrainian offensive, as he called it, and that's significant, because as you know, Russia has continued to sort of portray itself as the defender in this war, he said the Ukrainian offensive is underway. He knows that because they're bringing in strategic reserves. And he said so far, it's failed in all its goals.

But Zelenskyy also choosing his words very carefully. Take a listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): It is important for Russia to always feel that they don't have much time left. Relevant counteroffensive -- defensive actions are taking in Ukraine. I will not give any details about what stage they are at. I believe that we will certainly fill all of this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: So, he is not giving away any operational details for obvious reasons. Ukraine has a policy of remaining pretty tight left on what's actually going on here. But we are getting a picture of this, and that's it's in contrast to the previous counteroffensives that we've seen from Ukraine, taking of the sort of territory around Kyiv in the spring of last year. The lightning offensive that took a large amount of territory in Kharkiv region in the autumn. They were more localized areas. This seems to be over a much broader area, along hundreds of miles of frontline.

[04:20:00]

The Ukrainian military says that Russia is still very focused on taking the hold of Donetsk and Luhansk, which together, of course, make up the Donbas region. We know there's been an uptick in fighting around Bakhmut. Ukraine claiming that a fairly significant advance there.

But we're hearing this morning about more action on the border on Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk further south, Russian and sort of journalist and propaganda telegram channels are talking about Ukraine having taken several villages near the town of Shevchenkivka, that's just in the Donetsk region on that border, apparently without a fight there. So, that is significant. That would be consistent with what we understand to be Ukraine's potential aim here, which would be to cut off the land bridge to Crimea. So, that is what we're watching at the moment, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Appreciate that. Clare Sebastian, thanks so much.

And flood waters are slowly receding after that catastrophic dam collapse in Southern Ukraine. But the devastation left behind is becoming even more clear. Officials say the water is carrying debris into the Black Sea, turning areas near Odessa into "garbage dump and an animal cemetery."

The area under water in the Kherson region is now half of what it used to be. But the concentration of harmful chemicals in the water is 10 times above safe levels. So, officials are urging people to stay on dry land and they've banned the sale of fish caught in the region.

All right. We're joined now by Anna Bondarenko, the head of the Ukrainian Volunteer Service. Her organization is directly involved in the evacuation of flood victims. And she's speaking to us from Kyiv. Thanks so much for being here with us.

So, just to start off, give us a picture of what your volunteers are seeing out there.

ANNA BONDARENKO, UKRAINIAN VOLUNTEER SERVICE: So, basically, from the first hour after Russia blew up the Kakhovka Dam, our volunteers were on the ground and they saw that there was this huge need to evacuate people, which is only possible to do by boats.

So, we started to coordinate the efforts of buying boats, bringing them to the region. And the volunteers, they were using the boats, you know, with the boat and look for some people missing and to get people out of there. Because mostly the people who were staying there were either elderly people, elderly couples or people with kids. So, we were evacuating them. We were evacuating animals, home animals, we tried to (ph) evacuate.

And also, we have some volunteers who are working right now in occupied territory of Oleshky, and we are also trying to evacuate people in the occupation, even though they're under the constant shelling from Russian side.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. And we should just note, we haven't clarified exactly who was behind the dam collapse. But certainly, the Ukrainian point of view is that Russia is behind it. So, tell us more about the people the volunteers are helping, the people who stayed, who didn't leave, who are they?

BONDARENKO: So, most of the people who are staying, especially on the borderline and in the occupied territories, those are elderly couples. There are a lot of handicapped people, low-income families, people in their 80s and 90s, and they were not able to evacuate earlier, so they decided to stay in their homes.

A lot of them actually don't have a lot of money. So, basically, they were, you know, growing vegetables in their yards, they had some hens and animals and stuff. And now, all of the houses are drowned. So, basically, people, in order to survive, they had to leave like everything and they were trying rush to the roof of the houses and they were waiting, you know, on the roof to be rescued by volunteers or the emergency services.

So, there are a lot of elderly people, a lot of children, you know, families with kids. And unfortunately, our volunteers are reporting that a lot of people have drowned because they were not able, you know, to get to the roof as fast as they should have, you know.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. I mean, we're just playing the pictures there. We're seeing the devastation and the people, you know, getting water and being rescued. I mean, it's -- but it still is, in many ways, an active front. How are the Russians interfering with relief efforts?

BONDARENKO: So, basically, on this territory that is controlled by Ukrainian forces, the volunteers are doing the evacuation process almost 24/7. So, they are coming by boats, they are taking the people out of the flooded houses, they (INAUDIBLE).

On the other hand, on the territory that is occupied by Russia, the situation is way worse because people there, they cannot get any help. So, basically, Russians are not letting any Ukrainian or international organization to enter the occupied territories in order to provide help. Even though there are a lot of boats and food and water available, Russians just don't let people to enter.

There are some volunteers in the occupation right now, there are volunteer groups who are also trying to evacuate people and they report that Russian soldiers are shooting at the civilian boats. So, basically, when people try evacuate by boat, they get -- like Russians are trying to shoot them in order for them to not be able to evacuate.

BRUNHUBER: Yes.

[04:25:00]

BONDARENKO: Also, some of our volunteers already reported that Russians are trying to take bribes. So, they ask for $1,000 in order to let people leave the territory. And of course, people there don't have that kind of money.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. And also, I mean, we've seen how resourceful some of the volunteers are. We've seen them sending in water, for example, by drones. But this damage that's been done, I mean, it's going to last for a long time. The dam was so important for irrigation. And now, so much farm land has been ruined. Some of the effects will be felt for years to come, not just here but around the world in places that rely on Ukrainian crops. BONDARENKO: Yes. But all -- like on the one hand, we are seeing like all this -- like, you know, people's houses being drowned away and flooded and stuff. On the other hand, what is really important for me, as a volunteer leader, is that we are seeing how, like, you know, on the ground, people are already -- you know, since the first hours, they are trying to help each other.

So, right now, a lot of people have shared like food and clothes and hygiene items and stuff, and they have done it like in the first, you know, hours and days after the catastrophe. So, we are actually -- we see how the water goes down right now and we are already prepared, you know, to help people to rebuild their homes, to help them to organize, again, like as much as it can be done, you know.

We cannot do everything but we, at least, can help people, you know, come back. And also, our volunteers report that people don't want to evacuate far away. So, people who were evacuated from the flooded houses they say that, we will wait for five, 10 days and then, we are coming back to rebuild our homes because we want to stay here. We have to stay here, even though Russians are shelling the area and the water is everywhere, we will be here. It's our choice.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. It's just amazing what the Ukrainian volunteers have been able to do. We wish you all the best of luck. Anna Bondarenko, thank you so much for speaking with us.

Well, just days after his federal indictment, Donald Trump is back on the campaign trail and as defiant as ever. We'll tell you what some of his supporters are saying about the criminal charges against him. Stay with us.

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[04:30:00]

BRUNHUBER: And welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom."

Donald Trump was back on the campaign trail on Saturday angrily sounding off about the 37-count federal indictment against him in the classified documents case. Appearances in North Carolina and Georgia were his first public event since the indictment was unsealed on Friday. Trump tells "Politico" he has no intention of taking a plea deal and vows to stay in the race even if convicted.

As for supporters, many says the indictment doesn't affect anything. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't trust the FBI.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, no.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The FBI is corrupt. The Department of Justice is corrupt, in my opinion.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And they're after Trump.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's alleged that he shared classified information with people who were not privy, who did not have the clearance.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Alleged. An alleged.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's alleged. You're innocent until proven guilty.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's an audio recording of him doing so.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But we know that that can be changed. We know that that can be altered.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's in the indictment. It's in the indictment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's the (INAUDIBLE). They coerce everything.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's on tape also.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, he's -- I heard the tape.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let me ask you, sir, did you hear about the federal indictment that came down a few days ago? What were your thoughts on that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just typical liberal attacking the GOP candidates. They need -- the liberals need to get jobs, if they do find him guilty, and they probably will. I think it's going to open up pandora's box on all of the documents that have been leaked out by every elected official out there most likely and it's going to be interesting to see how they handle that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Trump's first court appearance is set for Tuesday before a federal judge in South Florida. As you'd expect, security will be extremely tight when Donald Trump shows up. CNN's Simon Prokupecz reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Security preparations continue here in Miami in anticipation of the former president's appearance before a federal judge. Once he gets here on Tuesday afternoon, as we know, it will be around 3:00 p.m. Miami time, he will go before a judge. He will be processed like any other defendant would. He will technically be under arrest and in custody. He will be booked. He will have his fingerprints taken and perhaps a photo taken and then, he will appear before a federal judge where he will be advised of his rights and of his charges just like any other defendant would.

The big question for law enforcement officials right now is the concern outside the courthouse and who's going to show up and whether or not anyone is going to try and disrupt the proceedings or try to just cause any kind of problems. Certainly, that is something that law enforcement is preparing for. They're searching social media and looking at other sources and methods to try and see if there's any indication of any kind of trouble. So, far, there's no indication of that. But, you know, they're not going to take any chances. And we certainly do expect to see more law enforcement officials, more officers and federal officials in place on Tuesday when the former president appears.

Simon Prokupecz, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Well, when Donald Trump appears in court, the U.S. legal and political system will enter unchartered waters. The former president's security detail will have the benefit of experience from their boss's indictment in New York State. CNN Law Enforcement Analyst Jonathan Wackrow explains how the Secret Service will make preparations for that day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JONATHAN WACKROW, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: It tell us that the Secret Service is actually following the exact same model that they did in New York, right? They are not the primary security coordinator for this event, from large scale security events involving the president or national security special events, the Secret Service does typically take the role. Here, they're not.

They are primarily going to be focused on Donald Trump the protectee, not Donald Trump the defendant, and ensuring that he gets from point A to the courthouse and returns without incident. However, their role in just even focusing on the president has a lot of variables that could impact the former president's security. Most notably, if the president decides to spend time at Mar-a-Lago the night before his court appearance, that still is a 70-mile motorcade route, you know, from his residence to the courthouse.

[04:35:00]

And if we can anticipate what has happened in the past, we know that media will be, you know, hyper vigilant in monitoring that motorcade, the entire length, that only increases the vulnerability, not only to the former president but the public at large.

So, what you'll is law enforcement working in coordination to block off streets, clear traffic, clear public away, again, all in the attempts of de-risking, you know, any type of incident that potentially could occur.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Americans can breathe a little easier as wildfire smoke from neighboring Canada dissipates in parts of the U.S. The majority of air quality alerts caused by smoke have expired. And the latest data from the U.S. Air Quality Index shows the situation is improving in the Northeast. Indices for major cities across Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut were classified as good or moderate as of Saturday. And experts believe that upcoming rain should help conditions improve even further.

Canadian officials say firefighters have contained most of the wildfires burning in Eastern Quebec thanks in part to favorable weather conditions. It leads to smokey skies in the U.S., which have now dissipated. But experts say this year, extreme fire season may not be the last as sweltering temperatures sweep the globe. CNN's Allison Chinchar reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALLISON CHINCHAR CNN METEOROLOGIST (voiceover): Off to a bad start. Hot spots from coast to coast in Canada, it's early in the fire season but the blazes have already burned about 15 times the country's annual average over the last decade. And where there's fire, there's smoke. Blue skies returning in some parts of the U.S. after smog drifted across the border, which put around 75 million people under air quality alerts.

Scientists say the smoke has drifted as far away as Norway, and some weather experts caution wildfire seasons like this will become more common.

ELIZABETH HOY, NASA CLIMATE AND WILDFIRE EXPERT: So, what we see is that as the climate is changing, as we're warming, you know, nine of the last 10 years have been the warmest years on the record, we're setting the stage with these hotter and drier temperatures, which can lead to more fire.

CHINCHAR (voiceover): And speaking of hotter temperatures, the U.K. Met Office is warning London could see its hottest day of the year so far this weekend, with temperatures reaching 30 degrees Celsius.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's incredibly hot today. Sometimes you almost feel like you're not actually in England because it is so hot today. From the moment that we woke up this morning and stepped out on our balcony, it was boiling.

CHINCHAR (voiceover): Siberia is known for its cold winters but it's breaking records for the red-hot temperatures this June. At times, hovering near 40 degrees Celsius in the region's worse heatwave in history.

Asia also broiling in the hot sun. Countries like Bangladesh closing primary schools. It's power grid struggling to keep up with the rising demand of people trying to find relief from the heat.

MOHAMMAD SUMON, CHICKEN SELLER (through translator): I lost over 20 chickens today due to excessive heat. The electricity is going off for over two hours at a time. I can't even sleep properly. I feel so helpless.

CHINCHAR (voiceover): Temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius were recorded last week in China. In Hong Kong, it was so hot one of the two giant rubber ducks anchored in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor was deflated after an inspection reveal its surface had stretched due to hot weather. Not a good sign for the rest of the summer when even a duck in water can't beat the heat.

Allison Chinchar, CNN.

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BRUNHUBER: Doctors say they are pleased with progress Pope Francis is making since his surgery on Wednesday. Just ahead, we'll have a live report from Rome with the latest on the pontiff's health. Please stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Four Colombian children are recovering in hospital after being rescued some 40 days after they survived a plane crash in the Amazon that killed their mother and two other adults. Search teams found them after hearing the cries of the youngest child who's just one-year-old. Stefano Pozzebon reports from Bogata.

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STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: More than 24 hours since the four children were rescued from the thick of the Amazon Rain Forest, and they remain in the Central Military Hospital here in Bogota just behind my back. They are under medical observations. Colombian authorities say that their conditions are stable. But, of course, they were very weak and very affected from this experience.

On Saturday, several members of the Colombian institutions came through the hospital doors to meet them in person, among them the president of the country, Gustavo Petro, who came with his wife. He didn't speak with the press. To speak with the press instead was one of the relatives of these children. He also traveled from the Amazon region here in Bogota to be with them in this moment. And here's what he said when we asked him why he think -- how he thinks were they able to stay alive for so long in the forest.

FIDENCIO VALENCIA, CHILDREN'S GRANDFATHER (through translator): When the plane crash, they took out the tapioca flour and with that, they survived. And after the tapioca flour was over, they began to eat seeds.

POZZEBON: So, of course, it's important it's an indigenous background, upbringing in the middle of the forest. They clearly knew how to move around such a difficult terrain. However, this doesn't take away the outstanding achievements that these four children were able to complete after staying alive for more than five weeks.

I think that the youngest of them, Christine (ph), she's only one- year-old. She actually spent her first birthday in the thick of the jungle. Colombian authorities expect that the children will stay in the hospital under observation for between two and three weeks before being allowed to get out and finally spend their time with family.

And of course, this is a moment of rejoicing. It's a moment where this country is coming together, really, to celebrate this positive news.

For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.

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BRUNHUBER: In the coming hours, the pope is expected to deliver Sunday's angelus prayer, but not from the balcony at St. Peter's Square in Rome. Instead, he will be delivering it privately from his hospital room following the advice of his doctors.

They say the pontiff is doing fine and following the careful recovery program after undergoing abdominal surgery for hernia on Wednesday.

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So, for more on this, I'm joined by CNN's Ben Wedeman in Rome. So, Ben, not surprising the pope is reducing his workload under the circumstances. What more can you tell us?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we understand, Kim, from the doctors is that the prognosis is good, that he does -- the pope does not have a fever, he's doing well, but they have recommended that Pope Francis not go out onto the balcony here at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome and conduct the angelus prayers, which he normally does from the balcony of the Apostolic Apartments in St. Peter's Square.

Now, this is something he normally does. During COVID, for instance, he did not do that because, of course, they did not want to -- people did not want to have large crowds in St. Peter's Square. So, he did it via -- it was broadcast via the internet when he conducted the angelus. But this will be the first time when he could but cannot conduct the angelus in public.

In fact, back in 2021 when he underwent and operation to remove part of his colon, he actually did conduct the angelus Gemelli Hospital from one of the balconies behind me. But this time, the doctors recommended they can't really order the pope to do anything. So, they recommended he not go out on the balcony and put any strain on his abdomen after the surgery he underwent last Wednesday.

Now, apparently, this was a surgery that was not necessary to do now, but the pope wanted to do it because he has a very busy schedule ahead of him later in the summer. Now, doctors say it will take about three months from him to recovery -- recover from this surgery. But in August, in the beginning of August, he is scheduled to go to Portugal to participate in World Youth Day there. And then, at the end of the month, he's doing a first ever papal visit to Mongolia for several days.

And so, the hope is that he will be adequately recovered by then to undergo -- to participate in these fairly stressful activities for a man of 86 years old. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Thanks so much. Ben Wedeman in Rome. Appreciate it.

Well, sudden hero and an unlikely celebrity, that's how some are describing the man who was sitting next to the passenger who opened an airplane door during a recent Asiana Airline's flight. Now, that man is speaking to CNN about what he was thinking and what he did as the crisis in the sky unfolded right next to him. Listen.

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PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): It turned into a flight from hell. An Asiana passenger allegedly opened the emergency exit door a couple of minutes before the airplane was about to land in South Korea. The man sitting next to him, seen here ion red trousers, tell CNN he thought he was going to die.

LEE YOON-JUN, ASIANA AIRLINES PASSENGER (through translator): In disaster movies, everyone always seems to die when a door opens in the air. I wondered what I had done wrong in my life. It was just a fleeting moment, but I had so many thoughts.

HANCOCKS (voiceover): Leon Yoon-jun says he didn't see the man opening the door and initially assumed it was a technical malfunction.

YOON-JUN (through translator): The wind was stinging in my legs and hitting my face so hard I couldn't even breathe properly.

HANCOCKS: What was the man next to you doing?

YOON-JUN (through translator): He didn't say anything. We're both trembling with fear. He seemed tense. When I looked down, I noticed his feet swaying in the wind.

HANCOCKS (voiceover): Police arrested the man in his 30s at Daegu Airport after the plane landed safely. He told them he felt suffocated and wanted to get off the plane quickly. Adding, he'd been under a lot of stress after losing his job, according to police.

YOON-JUN (through translator): From the moment he boarded the plane, he looked pale and gave off a bad vibe. He appeared somewhat dark, constantly fidgeting, looking around at people and acting strangely.

HANCOCKS (voiceover): Asiana says it has stopped selling certain emergency exit seats for safety reasons. An investigation is underway to find out how the door was able to be opened 700 feet from the ground.

As soon as the wheels touched down, Lee said the passenger appeared to try and jump from the fast-moving plane. YOON-JUN (through translator): I heard the sound of someone next to me undoing his seat belt. I realized he was leaning towards the exit. The flight attendant then shouted, asking for help. So, I just grabbed him.

HANCOCKS (voiceover): Lee was helped by other passengers and flight attendants and was amused that he's being hailed as a hero.

YOON-JUN (through translator): I'm actually enjoying it. I suddenly became a temporary celebrity.

HANCOCKS (voiceover): Lee feels he's been given a second chance at life and he is determined to enjoy it.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.

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BRUNHUBER: All right. Just ahead, Manchester City makes history after accomplishing one of the rarest feats in soccer. We'll have a report from Istanbul coming up. Please stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: It was a historic win Saturday at the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of U.S. horse racing's triple crown. A great colt named Arcangelo came from behind late in the race to seal the victory and the colt's trainer, Jena Antonucci, the first female trainer to win a triple crown race. And Arcangelo's jockey, Javier Castellano, has now won two of the three triple crown races this year.

Well, Manchester City is enjoining being at the pinnacle of European soccer. Have a look here. These images came to us just moments ago from Istanbul as the team prepares to head home. Man City defeated Inter Milan 1-0 during the club's first-ever Champions League title. And by doing so, they also managed to complete the trouble, winning the Premier League, the FA Cup and Champions League titles in the same season. CNN World Sports Amanda Davies has more from Istanbul where the historic match was played.

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AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORTS: The final piece of the jigsaw, that's it. Football completed, as they say. Manchester City have finally won it all and done it all. Manager Pep Guardiola had said ahead of this one, it would be a dream, but it's now become the reality at last.

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Manchester City champions of Europe for the first time in their history, and not only that, but also joining that elite group of just 10 teams to have won the iconic European treble of trophies in the same year. The Champions League, the Domestic League and Cup. It has been a very long, nerving, and at times heartbreaking road for this club over the last 15 years since the Abu Dhabi owners rolled into town, boldly declaring their sights set on changing the game and building the best club in Europe.

Sheikh Mansour was here watching this evening, just the second time in his tenure he's been seen at the game. He saw an (INAUDIBLE) who deserved a whole lot of credit doing exactly what they said they would, jangling the nerves and disrupting the dominant free flowing football we've seen so often this season from City. At times, you could see every pound of the weight of expectation and history on the shoulders of the fans and Harland (ph) and Co.

And whilst the Norwegian didn't get the goal that mattered this evening, that went to his teammate, Rodri. He and his teammates kind of all celebrate, getting their hands on the biggest prize in European club football and producing the greatest season in Manchester City's history.

So, the list of great treble winning sides, the likes of Manchester United of 1999 or the Barcelona teams of 2009 and 2011, add Manchester City 2023, which is the greatest. Well, that's a debate we can save for another day.

Amanda Davies, CNN, Istanbul.

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BRUNHUBER: Well, that wraps this hour of "CNN Newsroom." I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news in just a moment. Please stay with us.

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