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Biden & Trump Trade Attacks in Dueling Georgia Rallies; Immigration a Major Issue in Race for the White House; Republican rebuttal to Biden's State of the Union; Biden Holds Out Hope for Gaza Ceasefire Before Ramadan; U.S. National Guard Troops Patrolling NYC Subways; Oscars to Take Center Stage Sunday in Los Angeles. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired March 10, 2024 - 05:00   ET

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

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[05:00:36]

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, (D) U.S. PRESIDENT: Here's a guy who's kicking off his general election campaign on the road up with Marjorie Taylor Greene.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Dueling rallies in the battleground state of Georgia with President Biden and Donald Trump trying to motivate their supporters. We'll look at the hot topic driving both candidates on the road, immigration and border security.

Plus, time is running out for a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas by Ramadan. President Biden, however, says a deal is still possible. We're live in Cyprus with a look at when the two sides could come to an agreement. And we're hours away here in the U.S. for the biggest names in Hollywood to take to the red carpet for the 96th Academy Awards. We'll go home with the coveted Oscars.

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

BRUNHUBER: We begin with the race for the White House and another set of nominating contests now just two days away. On Saturday, President Biden and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump held dueling rallies here in Georgia. The key battleground state is one of a handful of states holding presidential primaries on Tuesday.

Both men are ramping up attacks on each other as it becomes clear they will face a rematch this year. Trump criticized Biden's State of the Union address, calling it, quote, "partisan and angry." Meanwhile, Biden drew a stark contrast between his administration and

his predecessors. He also slammed Trump for hosting Hungary's authoritarian Prime Minister on Friday.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez is in Atlanta traveling with the president. But first, we go to CNN's Steve Contorno, who was at Trump's rally in north Georgia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Former President Donald Trump held a rally Saturday in Rome, Georgia. His first since becoming the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. He wasted little time in his remarks going after Joe Biden.

In fact, he also made fun of Biden's delivery of his speech at the State of the Union.

DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Two nights ago, we all heard crooked Joe's angry, dark, hate-filled rant of a State of the Union address. Wasn't it? Didn't it bring us together? (Inaudible). Bring the country t-t-t-t-together. Joe Biden should not be shouting angrily at America. America should be shouting angrily at Joe Biden.

CONTORNO: A major focus of Trump's remarks was on the situation at the U.S. southern border. And ahead of his remarks, he met with the family of Laken Riley. That is the 22-year-old nursing student who was killed in Georgia, allegedly by an undocumented man.

Trump also criticized President Biden for saying that he shouldn't have used the word illegal to describe that individual.

TRUMP: And I say he was an illegal alien. He was an illegal immigrant. He was an illegal migrant. And he shouldn't have been in our country. And he never would have been under the Trump policy. Biden should be apologizing for apologizing to this killer.

CONTORNO: Trump's visit to Georgia is the first of many expected in the coming months. The peach state is going to be one of the top battlegrounds in the 2024 election. It's one Trump lost by less than 12,000 votes four years ago. And his team knows it's going to be close this go-around. Steve Contorno, Rome, Georgia, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: President Biden delivered a fiery speech here in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday, a crucial state for him to clinch that victory in November of 2024. It's one his campaign is aware of in a state that he only narrowly won here in 2020. Now, the President tried to shore up his supporters here in the state by ticking through some of his domestic accomplishments, including on reproductive rights, lowering health care costs, student loan debt relief, and making inroads with the economy. But he also tried to draw stark contrast from former President Donald Trump, who himself was holding a rally only 60 miles up the road from here. President taking direct aim at him and who he was keeping company with.

JOE BIDEN, (D) U.S. PRESIDENT: You know, you're the reason why we're going to win. By the way, that's not hyperbole. You're the reason we're going to win.

Donald Trump has a different constituency. Here's a guy who's kicking off his general election campaign on the road up with Marjorie Taylor Greene. It can tell you a lot about a person who he keeps company with.

[05:05:00]

ALVAREZ: Now, only minutes into the speech, the President was interrupted by a protester calling him genocide Joe. It was the latest sign that the President still needs to make inroads with some parts of his coalition as it fractures over the course of this Israel-Hamas war. But even when that occurred, people in the crowd still chanted four more years.

Now, Democratic strategists say that voter outreach is going to be key in a state like Georgia, and the President making that clear today when talking to supporters. Priscilla Alvarez, CNN, traveling with the President.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, the President is walking back a controversial term he used during his State of the Union remarks. In an interview with MSNBC, he said that he's not going to the suspect in Laken Riley's death as undocumented. During his address on Thursday, Biden used the word, quote, "illegal."

As we mentioned earlier, Laken Riley was the nursing student allegedly killed by an undocumented immigrant in Georgia. During his interview, Biden sought to distance himself from Trump's hardline immigration rhetoric.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: An undocumented person. And I shouldn't have used illegal. I should have said, "undocumented." And, look, when I spoke about the difference between Trump and me, one of the things I talked about in the border was that his -- the way he talks about vermin, the way he talks about these people polluting the blood. I talked about what I'm not going to do, what I won't do. I'm not going to treat any -- any -- any of these people with disrespect.

Look, they built the country. The reason our economy is growing. We have to control the border and more orderly flow. But I don't share his view at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: For more on this, I'm joined by Sandra Sanchez, South Texas Correspondent for BorderReport.com.

Thank you so much for being here with us. So immigration seems to be the campaign issue in 2024. What did you make of President Biden's seemingly harder line on immigration in the State of the Union in terms of signaling how he's going to deal with this divisive issue during the campaign?

SANDRA SANCHEZ, SOUTH TEXAS CORRESPONDENT, BORDERREPORT.COM: Thanks for having me. Yeah, you know, his State of the Union address was very similar to what he said when he came to the South Texas border exactly a week before. And frankly, it was -- it was a bit disappointed. I feel like it was a missed opportunity. He came down, he touted the Senate border bill. He did the same thing in his five minutes of excerpts relating to border and immigration that he said on the State of the Union.

But he didn't give examples or humanize or really tell the American public what he saw on the border and how it impacts communities here and -- and how and why he wants this money to change immigration policies and how it could really affect the future. I spoke to several people who said that, you know, it was very similar rhetoric. He clearly went to the right. He -- he clearly had an emphasis on law enforcement when he was here. And that was great. But there were things that I think he could have told the American public that he saw.

BRUNHUBER: There seemed to be a lot of focus on sort of law-and-order issues. A lot was made of his use of the word illegal and his impromptu answer to some heckling from Republicans in Congress. What do you make of that and the response we saw? I mean, it seems to have hit a nerve, but it also seems to, as you said, signal a toughening stance from Biden in this election year. Will it cost him support, do you think?

SANCHEZ: It will cost him support. I mean, he's taken a lot of flak for. You know, I mean, migrant advocates say there's no such thing as an illegal immigrant. There is illegal immigration. There is the act of illegally crossing. But anyone has a right to come to the United States and try to claim asylum. So to put those words together is -- is something that really is frowned upon when you're at the border.

You know, clearly he is, I think, posturing more to a conservative base, recognizing that immigration is such an important issue.

BRUNHUBER: The tragic murder of Laken Riley, the Republicans have sought to weaponize her death in this campaign. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: He was an illegal alien. He was an illegal immigrant. He was an illegal migrant. And he shouldn't have been in our country. And he never would have been under the Trump policy. Biden should be apologizing for apologizing to this killer. Laken Riley would be alive today if Joe Biden had not willfully and maliciously eviscerated the borders of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: So how do you think this will be used in terms of the Republicans being able to sell a potent, easily understandable narrative to hurt the Biden administration on an issue he's weak on with voters?

SANCHEZ: How will he sell it? I mean, I think that just -- just listening to that rhetoric is -- is going to be offensive to a great many people. But those who are aligned for tougher border security might feel that this is an example.

[05:10:14]

You know, I think it's -- I think it's a -- I think it's a poor example, a harsh example. I think that the language and the rhetoric there only will hurt border communities and the immigration issue.

I think what we need to do is get back to the push and the pull factors that cause people to come here. And I think that's what everyone local leaders are saying. Look, tonight, I met with two state senators and Hidalgo County Judge and State Senator Juan Hinojosa on the Border Security Committee, he wasn't even invited to Biden's visit. And he said, you know, we've got to stop people from coming. It's just -- it's an untenable situation. We can't handle everyone coming across by the thousands.

BRUNHUBER: Before we go, I want to get beyond the politics and to the actual issue at hand here. I mean, what is the latest at the border right now? Traditionally, it slows down in the winter and starts to spike again in the spring. So what's happening now and what are you expecting in the months ahead?

SANCHEZ: Well, January was 50% drop from December, which, you know, was crazy on the border. We are starting to see it trickle up. I've always said this. The cartels control who crosses where and when they cross. And, you know, it's been Eagle Pass and Lukeville, Arizona, for a while. But there are some hotspot areas that I see that potentially, you know, Starr County, Roma area and Zapata, Texas.

There are areas that the cartel recognize are remote and not as patrolled. And, you know, they will take advantage of that. Typically, we see in the spring an uptick, of course, last April and May, lifting up -- prior to the lifting of Title 42. We saw thousands, tens of thousands crossing daily. It's been -- it's been significantly slower, but we are expecting the numbers to come up.

BRUNHUBER: All right, we'll have to leave it there. Really appreciate getting your insights on this. Sandra Sanchez, thanks again.

SANCHEZ: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: A story told by Senator Katie Britt in her State of the Union response on Thursday night is apparently not all what it seems. The junior senator from Alabama criticized President Biden's border policies by telling the story of meeting a woman who was sex trafficked by the cartels starting at just 12 years old and using that anecdote to call the chaos at the southern border President Biden's border crisis. Here she is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATIE BRITT, U.S. SENATE REPUBLICAN: I traveled to the Del Rio sector of Texas. That's where I spoke to a woman who shared her story with me. She had been sex trafficked by the cartels starting at the age of 12. She told me not just that she was raped every day, but how many times a day she was raped. The cartels put her on a mattress in a shoebox of a room and they sent men through that door over and over again for hours and hours on end. We wouldn't be OK with this happening in a third world country.

This is the United States of America, and it is pastime, in my opinion, that we start acting like it. President Biden's border policies are a disgrace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Well, CNN has now confirmed details first reported by freelance journalist Jonathan Katz that the story Britt is describing from her 2023 trip actually happened in the mid-2000s when Joe Biden was neither the President nor the Vice President, and it didn't happen in the United States, it happened in Mexico.

Those details shared by Senator Britt line up with the horrific story shared by Karla Jacinto Romero in 2015 when she testified in a public congressional hearing about human rights. Through translator, Romero said that for four years, starting when she was 12, she was, quote, "emotionally and sexually violated time and time again." She also explained how at age 16 she was able to escape and has since become an activist.

Senator Britt met Karla Romero in that 2023 trip that she referenced in her speech. Photos in a press release from a fellow senator show them holding a round table with Romero down in Texas where they discussed the work being done to rescue victims of human trafficking.

Now, a statement to CNN, a spokesperson for Britt's office neither confirmed nor denied Britt was sharing Jacinto Romero's account but said the story the Senator told was 100% correct.

[05:15:09]

Now, none of this is meant to downplay the real situation unfolding at the U.S.-Mexico border but to provide context to what millions heard during Senator Britt's address on Thursday night.

A number of countries are moving ahead with plans to speed up aid deliveries to Gaza, but as plans and ships get into action, some local officials say the plan is partly backfiring. We have a live report.

Plus, Israel conducts new strikes in Gaza with deadly consequences. And the U.S. is recognizing the first hostage and wrongful detainee day but some feel officials aren't doing enough to bring these detainees home. A lot more after the break. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: President Biden is still hoping to beat the clock and reach a ceasefire deal in Gaza before Ramadan. In an interview on Saturday he said his CIA Director is conducting last minute talks in Israel. And Biden said an agreement could still be hammered out before the Muslim holy day begins tonight -- the holiday rather begins tonight.

[05:20:02]

Diplomats have been skeptical that can be done. The U.S. President who's been supporting Israel also expressed concern about the growing death toll among Palestinians. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: There's a red line but I'm never going to leave Israel. The defense of Israel is still critical. So there's no red line I'm going to cut off all weapons. So they don't have the iron dome to protect them. They don't have -- but there's red lines that if it crosses in the country cannot have 30,000 more Palestinians dead as a consequence of going after.

There's other ways to deal to get to -- to deal with the -- with -- with the trauma caused by Hamas. It's like I -- well, look, the first time I went over. I sat with them and I sat with a war cab, and I said look, "Don't make the mistake America made."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The death toll from an Israeli strike in central Gaza has grown to 13 people. That's according to the Palestinian hospital officials who say the strike hit a building in the area on Saturday. And we have to warn you, the next video you're about to see is disturbing. Some children were apparently wounded in Saturday's strikes as you can see in this footage from the al-Aqsa Hospital obtained by CNN.

It shows hospital workers scrambling to help a child amid chaos after the strike. CNN has reached out to the Israeli military for comment. The Israeli military says it's operating to dismantle Hamas military and administrative capabilities.

All right, you're looking at the latest air drops of humanitarian aid in Gaza that happened moments ago. Now, this is on the heels of similar operations by the U.S. and Jordan yesterday when tens of thousands of meals and aid were delivered. Some humanitarian workers dismissed those drops as a band-aid measure saying they're degrading and ineffective. Gaza's Health Ministry says two more people died of malnutrition and dehydration on Saturday bringing the total to 25.

For more Nada Bashir joins us from Cyprus. So Nada more efforts to get aid into the region while the death toll from famine grows. How quickly might we actually see more aid? NADA BASHIR, CNN PRODUCER: Well, Kim, there is certainly a growing sense of urgency in terms of getting more aid into the Gaza Strip. And, of course, we are still seeing those delays. We've seen attempts continuing to get those trucks across Gaza's land borders continuing calls from aid agencies for international leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden to pressure the Israeli government and authorities to allow more trucks into the Gaza Strip. They say this is the most accessible way for people to get aid directly.

And of course, we heard from the U.N. earlier in the week saying that some 40% of their aid missions trying to access Gaza via land were either denied or obstructed by Israel just last month. So continuing pressure on that front. But as you mentioned we are still seeing those airdrops of humanitarian aid and assistance taking place by countries including the United States, Jordan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

This is, of course, has provided some respite. But it has also drawn criticism from aid agencies and also Gaza's civil defense force. We've heard from aid agencies saying this is simply a temporary measure that it has limited impact in terms of providing enough humanitarian aid. And also comes with significant drawbacks as well. And, in fact, the Palestinian civil defense has said that more people have been injured as a result of those airdrops.

But of course, we heard from the civil defense last week confirming that five people at least have been killed, many others injured as a result of a malfunctioning airdrop where the parachute hadn't actually opened up as those airdrops were distributed.

Of course, there is continued pressure for international partners to provide more aid. The U.S. at this stage has provided more than 100,000 meal equivalents to Palestinians in Gaza through these airdrops. But the focus now is very much on this new maritime corridor which has been inaugurated. Those humanitarian ships are set to depart from here in Larnaca, in Cyprus heading towards Gaza's coast. We know, of course, that the equipment for a temporary pier to be built by the U.S. military is now on its way to the Middle East. This is a crucial development.

The hope is that this will provide a significant uptick in the amount of humanitarian aid and food getting into Gaza. Crucially as we know some half a million people in Gaza are now facing starvation according to the U.N.

BRUNHUBER: And in the meantime, Nada, as I said earlier President Biden still hopeful of a ceasefire. What's the latest there?

BASHIR: We've certainly heard somewhat of a change of tune from U.S. President Joe Biden. We heard earlier in the week that hopes are fading fast for a ceasefire to be struck or at least a prolonged truce agreement to be reached before the beginning of Ramadan which is expected potentially to begin tonight.

At this stage, U.S. President Joe Biden has said he is hopeful that there might still be potential to come to some sort of agreement. There is certainly mounting pressure on international partners and particularly Hamas and Israel to come to some sort of temporary agreement that will allow for a pause in fighting. We know that Hamas has called for a gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza for pause in fighting. The Israeli government has said they want to see all hostages released.

[05:25:16]

Whether any of that can be achieved really before Ramadan is still the question. Unlikely it seems looking at the situation on the ground and of course fears that if we do not see hostages released we could see an Israeli ground incursion being launched into Rafah where some 1.3 million people are now displaced.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, time running out. Nada Bashir in Cyprus. Thanks so much.

There were clashes between police and protesters in Israel on Saturday. Thousands gathered across the nation demanding the removal of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that a general election be held. Police in Tel Aviv shot water cannon to disperse protesters. Law enforcement says demonstrators crossed fences through smoke grenades and a gas grenade. Police say 16 protesters were arrested.

Now turning to the U.S. where officials and family members are recognizing the nation's first ever Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day. At a ceremony on Friday the Deputy Secretary of State vowed that the U.S. is determined to bring detainees who are still abroad home. But there's been criticism from some families of detainees. They feel their dilemma isn't being prioritized. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARRISON LI, SON OF KAI LI, DETAINED IN CHINA: Look, I want to tell my dad that I'm not going to give up because as exhausting as this process is, flying across the country every few months, coming to D.C., begging and begging for meetings, not getting meetings, putting in meeting requests, getting rejected, getting ghosted, getting turned down, whatnot, hitting a brick wall. I'm not giving up. I can't give up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day will be annually recognized on March 9th. Some of those still detained around the world include Majd Kamalmaz held in Syria, Kai Li detained in China, Zack Shahin in the United Arab Emirates, also Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan both detained in Russia.

All right. Coming up, U.S. National Guard troops are now patrolling New York City's subways, while some New Yorkers are not happy about that, after the break. And calls for Haiti's Prime Minister's resignation growing louder by the day as the country descends further into gang violence and chaos. Stay with us.

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[05:30:57]

BRUNHUBER: 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."

New York's governor is facing a backlash for sending National Guard troops into the New York City subways to help tackle crime. Now, the critics aren't just politicians or subway riders. Even some in the New York Police Department are blasting the move, with the Department's Patrol Chief saying on social media, quote, "our transit system is not a war zone."

Polo Sandoval has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And so this is the first weekend for these new security measures to be in place after New York Governor Kathy Hochul made that announcement of approximately 1,000 more personnel added to the subway system here to try to really reassure the passengers that use the nation's largest transportation system here.

Important to point out, though, that the Governor making very clear that they will have a very principle, a very main objective here in terms of what we can expect, which will be to assist with those random searches of things like luggage and also purses. It's important to point out that these are actions that we've seen before from the NYPD in the past.

So this will essentially supplement those efforts in the past. It's after recent, very highly publicized incidents that have taken place on the New York City subway system. Though, it's important to point out that since New York City Mayor Eric Adams increased the number of NYPD personnel patrolling the MTA system, there has been a decrease in the number of some of those violent incidents. However, New York City officials here, again, mainly Governor Kathy Hochul here, hoping to reassure some of those passengers.

Again, this was the addition of roughly 750 personnel with the National Guard, in addition to about 250 state police and also MTA police. Here's how some of the folks who use this system every day feel about these new changes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it can be sometimes hard to, like, process the statistics when you hear about really scary, high-profile incidents. So some of it is certainly an emotional reaction, just like the comfort that I get from the presence of the National Guard's people. It's probably somewhat emotional, but it helps me go about my life, so I appreciate it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've never had a problem on the subway system or the Long Island Railroad. I think everybody that works in this system does a great job. This is New York City. Stuff has been happening for as long as I can remember.

SANDOVAL: And, of course, no change has come without criticism. There is some of those critics who say that there is no evidence that indicates that some of these random bag searches can actually serve to prevent some of these random attacks that we've seen in the past. Nonetheless, Governor Kathy Hochul maintains that one of the main priorities is to make sure that the people who use this system every day feel safe for doing so.

Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: The international community is keeping a watchful eye on Haiti amid spiraling gang violence. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Kenyan President William Ruto discussed the worsening situation during a call on Saturday and underscored their commitment to restore security to the island nation. CNN's Patrick Oppmann reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Police officers on Friday night in Haiti reported an attack near the National Palace, one of the most symbolic buildings in that nation. It's not clear if the gang members that led this coordinated attack were target police or would hope to actually take the National Palace or simply damage it. There's been a lot of concern both in Haiti and at the State Department that if the gang members that are raging out of control in Haiti were to take a building like the National Palace, essentially Haiti's White House, or the airport in Port-au-Prince, it would be highly symbolic of the out- of-control violence in that country. It would show that the government has essentially fallen.

And so there is a lot of concern as the gangs continue to show. They have the upper hand, that they have sacked port terminals, that they have attacked and burned police stations, that they have prevented airlines from flying in and out of Haiti, essentially cut off Haiti from the rest of the world, at least by air. And so all eyes are on Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who it is believed remains in Puerto Rico, unable to return to his own country.

[05:35:16]

Throughout the week, we've heard very little from Henry. We know he's spoken with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has urged him to form a transitional government to see, at that end, the ongoing violence and political stalemate in Haiti. But Henry has not released any messages to his people, not actually tried to address the Haitian people or spell out what his intentions are as his country descends further into chaos.

Patrick Oppmann, CNN Havana.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: Another group of students have been abducted in Nigeria. This time, at least 15 were taken Saturday in a village in Sokoto State during a raid at dawn. The school's owner says, students ran for cover when gunmen forced their way in and started firing.

Now, just a few days ago, more than 300 students were taken from another school in Kuriga. The parents are still demanding answers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHEHU LAWAL, FATHER OF TWO ABDUCTED STUDENTS (through translator): My children were also abducted, and we don't know what they're going through in the den of their abductors. We plead with the government to help us. We don't have any security in this community. No police outpost, no military presence, and no local vigilante. We are responsible for our own security, so any time they want, they will invade the community and do whatever they feel like doing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: For a few years, Nigeria has been grappling with recurring kidnappings by bandits demanding ransom. The governor of Kaduna State says they're doing everything they can to bring the students safely home.

All right, we're counting down to the Oscars. Soon, celebrities will be walking this red carpet. We'll look at who could land some of the biggest awards of the night. We'll have the full breakdown up next. Stay with us.

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[05:40:02]

BRUNHUBER: And just in, the first image of the Princess of Wales has been released since she underwent abdominal surgery in January. Now, the snapshot shows the Royal with her children at Windsor. In the post, she thanked the public for their kind wishes and continued support over the last two months.

She wished everyone a happy Mother's Day, which is observed today in the U.K. The image was credited to her husband, William, Prince of Wales. It's not clear when it was taken and the exact nature of her surgery hasn't been disclosed.

Many of Hollywood's brightest stars will be making their way down the red carpet later tonight for the 96th Annual Academy Awards ceremony. It's a stacked competition in several categories, including the award for Best Picture, where possible winners include award show season "Darlings," "Killer of the Flower Moon," "Barbie," and "Oppenheimer."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're in a race against the Nazis. And I know what it means if the Nazis have a bomb.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer is up for 13 nominations, including for Best Director for the film.

Meanwhile, comedian and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel is preparing to host the Academy Awards Sunday for the fourth time. And he's not too worried about messing it up. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST 96TH ACADEMY AWARDS: I do my best. I always remember that this is a night that these actors and directors and writers, et cetera, have dreamed of for their whole lives. And the last thing I want to do is ruin it for them.

But, you know, we also want to be funny. I don't have talents, really. I -- it's not like I have a secret love for dance. I am a, you know, I'll go out and tell some jokes. They'll either laugh or they won't. And then afterwards, everybody will say you are terrible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: And joining me now from Los Angeles is Sandro Monetti, a renowned entertainment reporter, covering his 22nd successive Oscar ceremony. He's also the Editor-in-Chief of Hollywood International Filmmaker magazine. I mean, I can see you're -- you know, dripping with excitement here. So let's get right into it here. Oppenheimer, the favorite to win a story that's dark, but also innovative about history. I mean, why do you think it resonated with audiences, particularly at this point in time?

SANDRO MONETTI, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER: The same reason it resonated, I think, with Oscar voters, it's got scale, it's got scope, it's got significance, and it's got some sensational performances. You know, in these remaining hours before the envelopes are opened, the big question here in Hollywood is not, is Oppenheimer going to win? The question is, how many is it going to win?

The all-time record is 11, which is tied between three films. Oppenheimer has 13 nominations. Could it really get 12? Could this be a night of Hollywood history?

BRUNHUBER: Well, I'll ask you the question. What do you think?

MONETTI: No, I think it's going to win 10 --

BRUNHUBER: OK.

MONETTI: -- which would put it equal with "West Side Story."

Now, a lot of people would -- you know, also described Oppenheimer as completely overrated, long and boring. So it's not for everyone. Is it as good as "West Side Story?"

You know, the greatest judge of any movie is not awards. It's time, you know. And I look through the long sort of history of the Oscars. Sometimes they get it right. Sometimes they get it wrong. But, you know, I think because of its importance, its significance, its drama and its technical prowess. Oppenheimer is one that even sort of 20, 30 years from now, people will look back and say, yeah, they probably got it right.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, that's a great point. History is the true judge here. So, all right, we have some -- some good head-to-head battles for both best -- best actress and actor. So take us through it and who you're picking?

MONETTI: Well, it's like a sort of tale of the tape, isn't it? You know, there is still some suspense in the big two acting races in best actor. We have in the left corner Cillian Murphy and also a -- from Oppenheimer, of course, playing the title role. And then we have Paul Giamatti for "The Holdovers."

Cillian Murphy, the slight favorite. But, you know, at the -- certainly at the Oscar party I was at a few hours ago, everyone was saying, "Oh, I really hope that Paul Giamatti wins." You know, because in this town he is a beloved character actor. He could finally, you know, has a compelling narrative to finally get his due. I love school teacher movies. They're my favorite genre.

Never mind superheroes. I thought the holdovers was -- was great. But if Cillian Murphy wins, you know, maybe we're looking at history making for the for Oppenheimer.

But in Best Actress, no Oppenheimer contenders here. The front runners are definitely Lily Gladstone for "Killers of the Flower Moon" and also Emma Stone for "Poor Things." Two very different performances, two riveting performances.

You know, this one, it's a coin flip. Could go either way. But that's great. You know, I hate it when the Oscars are predictable.

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BRUNHUBER: Yeah, well, definitely won't be predictable. I'll predict that -- that much. I want to ask you, sir, get away from the races here and talk about the issues. There was a change in diversity requirements. Did that bear fruit? How far have Hollywood and the Oscars really come after all the efforts to supposedly diversify?

MONETTI: Quite far, but not far enough. Applause to the Academy, because just a few years ago we were sitting here with the whole Oscars so white controversy. And I really didn't think at that point the Oscars could or even deserve to get to their 100th Anniversary coming up in a few years' time.

But no, they've changed the numbers. They've changed the game. They've certainly taken in thousands of more members, more diverse membership, more international membership.

And, you know, this is reflected in a, you know, pretty diverse range of the -- of the 10 films here. So, yeah, there's been some progress. And, you know, it'll be interesting to see how this affects the kind of movies made in Hollywood.

I still think that the bottom line is probably what rules everything. So, you know, if it's going to make cash, that's probably going to be the leading cause of, you know, in this -- in this risk averse studio system, which still exists to a certain extent. But, yeah, it's -- it's, I mean, it's long overdue. There should be much more inclusion and diversity in Hollywood. We're getting there.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. And it has been proven that diverse movies do make cash. Now, before we go, the viewing numbers, they've been an issue for the Oscars. So they're trying some new things to get the numbers back up. Is that realistic or has the way people consume the Oscars changed? I mean, they don't necessarily watch them, but watch online for viral moments after the fact.

MONETTI: Well, I'll tell you what the viral moment will be. My prediction is it'll be Ryan Gosling singing, "I'm Just Ken," which is nominated for Best Movie Song from "Barbie."

So I think maybe people watch that more than any Cillian Murphy or Paul Giamatti acceptance speech. When people have seen the movies, the ratings go high. People have seen "Barbie." People have seen "Oppenheimer." That's good. The Grammys had a big ratings boost. So the trend is up on -- on ratings.

And -- but if the Oscars sort of fails again, it's time for a massive rethink. The -- the ratings will be very interesting to watch as the next day story.

BRUNHUBER: All right. We'll have to leave it there. Always a pleasure to speak with you. Sandro Monetti, thank you so much.

MONETTI: Thank you. Hooray for Hollywood.

BRUNHUBER: All right, still ahead here on "CNN Newsroom," basketball giant Caitlin Clark breaks yet another record on the court. CNN's Sports Coy Wire joins me next to look at how Clark just keeps making college basketball history. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: An unlikely hero keeps the South Carolina Women's Basketball team undefeated. CNN Sports' Coy Wire joins me now. So, Coy, the madness of March has officially arrived, right?

COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yeah, it has. And the University of South Carolina, Kim, the only unbeaten team in D1, a perfect 30-0, playing in a conference tourney semifinals, they found themselves down by 2 to no. 5 Tennessee with 1.1 seconds to go. Tennessee doesn't even cover 6'7 Brazilian Kamilla Cardoso because there's no way she can make the three, right? Wrong. Banks open, buzzer beater. This is the first three-pointer she's ever made in her 118 games at SC. Vols coach Kellie Harper wasn't wrong. It was only Cardoso's second-ever three- point attempt. And Kamilla said this was her favorite moment of her career. The Gamecocks will now face LSU in the title game today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMILLA CARDOSO, SOUTH CAROLINA CENTER: Well, coach want me to get the ball in the top of the key and hit it to foul. And then she taught me to shoot it. And I was like, OK. I practiced them in practice, so I just stepped back and shot it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: And more history also for Caitlin Clark. She set this Division I single-season record for three-pointers on Friday. And on Saturday against Michigan, Clark became the first D1 women's player to score 1,000 points in two different seasons.

She scored her assisted on 60 points for Iowa. Michigan's entire team finished with 68 points. She also broke the Big Ten tourney scoring record. And here's what she had to say after the game.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAITLIN CLARK, IOWA GUARD: Obviously, I think breaking the Big Ten tournament record is something really hard to do. These games are never guaranteed. You know, you can come here and just play one game, and it can be over. So, obviously, I'm really grateful to be able to play the maximum number of games every single season I've had at this tournament. That is probably the only reason I have this record.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: Now, Clark has already declared for the 2024 WNBA draft, but her work is not finished in college just yet. Iowa faces Nebraska for the conference title today, and then she's going to turn her focus on winning a national championship.

Luka Doncic, meantime, making some NBA history. The Slovenian superstar scoring 39 points, dishing out 10 assists, 10 rebounds to boot in the Mavericks' win over the Pistons. He's now the first player ever to have six straight 30-point triple doubles. He also added three steals and two blocks, becoming the first player since the legendary Michael Jordan to record that stat line in an NBA regulation game.

Finally, Kim, the Men's College Basketball regular season wrapping up on Saturday with one of the biggest rivalries in all of sports. Duke versus North Carolina with the ACC season title hanging in the balance. This one was spicy in the first half.

Duke's Kyle Filipowski and UNC's Harrison Ingram got tangled up. Both fell to the court. Filipowski appeared to try to trip Ingram. He said afterwards he didn't. North Carolina, they weren't tripping, though. They would rally to get the 84-79 win.

And then you'll see them celebrating right in front of the Duke student section as the Blue Devils fans were tossing drinks and whatever else they could get their hands on in UNC's direction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARRISON INGRAM, NORTH CAROLINA FORWARD: I got hit with water, ice. I got hit with a gumball. I was like, who has a gumball? You know, it was all love.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did it feel good at all? Like refreshing that water?

INGRAM: Yeah. It was lit. Just talking -- we were talking crazy. It was fun.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: I mean, I've never been hit with a gumball or even had one thrown in my direction. I take that back. My daughter kind of tossed one at me the other day. But who brings us to basketball games, Kim?

[05:55:09]

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, and I wouldn't qualify that as fun. Coy Wire, thanks so much. Really appreciate it.

WIRE: You got it.

BRUNHUBER: All right, before we go, we want to share this with you. Saturday Night Live roasted Alabama Senator Katie Britt who delivered the GOP response to President Biden's State of the Union address. Have a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCARLETT JOHANSSON AS KATIE BRITT: First and foremost, I'm a mom. And like any mom, I'm going to do a pivot out of nowhere into a shockingly violent story about sex trafficking. And rest assured, every detail about it is real, except the year, where it took place, and who was president when it happened.

And tonight, I am not just responding to the State of the Union. I am also selling these gorgeous bejeweled cross necklaces. This affinity diamond necklace goes with anything, and you can wear it from da church to da club.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Now, Saturday Night Live's surprise guest Scarlett Johansson, otherwise known as Mrs. Colin Jost, mocked Britt who called out Biden's performative qualities by delivering her remarks from her kitchen. Now, the end of the skit saw a well-placed spoof of Jordan Peele's Oscar winning racial satire "Get Out" when Johansson took a teacup and stirred it, causing Kenan Thompson to freeze with a tear falling down his face.

I'm Kim Brunhuber. Thanks for joining me. For viewers in North America, "CNN This Morning" is next. For the rest of the world, it's "Marketplace Asia."

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