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Pro-Palestinian Protesters Briefly Interrupt University Of Michigan Commencement Ceremony; Bodies Found In Mexico After Three Surfers Go Missing; Hicks: Trump Didn't Want Family To Be "Hurt Or Embarrassed"; Colleges Brace For Pro-Palestinian Protests Ahead Of Graduations; Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar Indicted In Bribery Scheme; Historic 150th Running Of The Kentucky Derby. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired May 04, 2024 - 12:00   ET

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

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: And right after that interview, Time Magazine released this cover story, with Trump himself confirming those worst fears. Asked about all this talk about ending American democracy, he said, I think a lot of people like it.

You can watch the rest of our conversation online at amanpour.com and find all of our shows online, wherever you get your podcasts from.

I'm Christiane Amanpour in London. Thank you for watching. We're off next week, but back may 18th. So, see you then.

[12:00:41]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Saturday. I'm Fredericka Whitfield.

All right. We begin this hour with college campuses on edge, bracing for pro-Palestinian protests, as many schools across the country hold commencement ceremonies this weekend.

A demonstration already causing a disruption at the University of Michigan. Protesters interrupted a graduation ceremony at the school with music, theatre and dance last night.

Meantime, the University of Southern California announced it is holding a small family graduate celebration one week after canceling the main graduation ceremony over safety concerns.

Protests that engulfed schools for weeks have resulted in the arrest of more than 2,100 people on about 40 separate campuses in 25 states.

CNN's Whitney Wilde is at the University of Michigan on that campus. And Whitney, we've already seen a disruption at a ceremony there last night. What are the expectations there today?

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's interesting, Fredricka. But the graduation here at the University of Michigan is just wrapping up. This is the massive spring commencement. There are 90,000 people inside Michigan Stadium, the big house. This is a huge event. And when you're walking around the stadium, prior to the ceremony, we saw no indication that there would be protests. We didn't see groups of protesters. It looks like any other college graduation.

But during the ceremony, around 15 minutes, and a group of protesters began chanting and briefly disrupted the secretary of the Navy as he gave his remarks.

And so, let me give you a sense of how close the protesters got to the stage Fredricka. So, right here to my -- to my left is where the stage is. And then, if we just swing around here to my right, it was down this main, this main aisle here.

Protesters got about halfway through, and it was right there, right in the middle of Michigan's field that I'd say maybe a dozen to two dozen protesters gathered and began chanting very clearly pro-Israel chants.

Michigan State Police were on them almost immediately, because I think there was a major concern that they would get closer to the stage. So, the -- Fred Michigan State Police on top of those protesters immediately. There was not a clash with police, it was very peaceful, although, there was -- it was very clear protesters were not getting any farther.

Again, this happened right as the secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro speak, here is that moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARLOS DEL TORO, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF THE NAVY: Michigan is the industrial heartland of America. You are the arsenal of democracy.

And it is indeed -- it is indeed these young men and women who will protect the freedoms that we so cherish as Americans in our Constitution of the United States, which includes the right to protest peacefully.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WILD: Fredricka, there were students who were supportive of those protesters, but there were a lot of students who were very frustrated in the crowd.

One student told me that he believed there was a time and a place for this type of protest. But it is certainly not at this spring commencement, something that these graduates have been waiting for years to go through. So, certainly, some frustration in the crowd.

Above Michigan Stadium, there were protest signs as well. There was one airplane that was flying by that was very clearly pro-Israel that said that we stand with Israel. And then there was another airplane that flew by with another flag that was very clearly supportive of Palestine.

And then, around Michigan Stadium, you saw Israeli flags as well as Palestinian flags, Fredricka. So, certainly, both sides of this very emotionally charged situation represented here today at Michigan. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Whitney Wild, thank you so much. I know though that through it all, I'm sure there are a lot of families and graduates that are glad. They had an opportunity to enjoy the ceremonies, even though there were a lot of things going on.

All right. Whitney Wild, appreciate it.

All right, to Mexico now where the story of three missing tourists may have come to a gruesome end.

[12:05:00]

Mexican authorities confirmed three bodies were found on a cliff, Friday, near where an American and two Australians went missing.

Officials did not say if the remains belong to the missing tourists, but a forensic exam is now underway.

A burned out truck the friends were driving has been found. And three Mexican citizens have been arrested for kidnapping.

The missing Australians who are brothers and their American friend were on a surfing trip near in Ensenada, Mexico when a family member says they lost contact late April.

Journalist Stefano Pozzebon is covering these developments for us. So, Stefano, what are -- what are you learning?

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN JOURNALIST: Unfortunately, Fredricka, not many news updates today, perhaps, because it's the weekend, perhaps, because authorities are really waiting to see the results of those forensic examination.

Basically, it's a DNA match to identify those bodies that were found early on Friday morning from a cliff about 50 miles south of Ensenada. And authorities believe they could be in -- they could be -- these bodies could be related to the missing -- disappearing. Surfers.

Of course, it's a moment of great frantic anxiety for the family. We know, thanks to CNN International news gathering that the family of the Australian brothers who are native from Perth, Western Australia are currently on their way towards the United States.

I imagine going to Los Angeles and then crossing into Mexico to try to be as close as possible to the to the scene of this investigation, as well as help out with that forensic examination, the DNA match to identify the identity of those three bodies that were found.

One update from Mexican authorities late last night -- late on Friday night was that the three Mexican nationals who have been brought into question in earlier this week, have actually been detained with the alleged accusation of kidnapping.

So, there is an investigation ongoing. We contacted the FBI late last night and they told us that they are standing by providing all the assistance that they can. Buy that right now, it's a moment to wait. And to just be around the results of that forensic examination.

So, we hope, Fredricka, to bring you the next development in the coming hours. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right. We'll look forward to that. Stefano Pozzebon, thank you so much.

All right. No relief in sight for Texans today as a deluge of water inundates parts of the state. Communities north of Houston saw the heaviest rainfall, picking up nearly two months of rain in one day, and causing rivers to rise to levels not seen since the devastating floods of Hurricane Harvey back in 2017.

In Woodloch, people were rescued from floodwaters after mandatory evacuations forced them from their homes. And in Livingston, several days of downpours, closed roads. As you see right there, more than a third of Texas counties have already been declared disaster areas by Governor Greg Abbott, and additional counties could be added in the coming days, particularly with more storms in the forecast.

Allison Chinchar is tracking all of this. So, it's not over. There is more on the way?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right. The last thing they possibly need is more rain. But yes, unfortunately, that -- and then also some severe thunderstorms too.

It's not just the rain component. But yes, you take a look at video like this and rain is literally the last thing this area needs. This is from Livingston, Texas earlier.

This is what has contributed to so many of the rivers, creeks, and streams, in this area really swelling up all of these. You've got 37 minor, 14 moderate, and 13 major river gauges at flood stage.

So, again, you are talking about pretty significant widespread flooding problem here. And it's because of how much rain has fallen. Look at this. Widespread, these areas have picked up six to 10 inches.

But where you see that pink, now you are talking 15, even 20 inches of rain in just the last five days. We've got flood watches in effect. Yes, because the ground is already saturated, but also, because we have more rain on the way. You can see some of these showers already starting to develop.

Now, the heaviest rain going forward is actually going to be more focused across Central Texas. You can see here from Waco over to San Angelo down through San Antonio.

But even Houston, we'll still get some rain. And at this point, even one inch is a lot given how much is already on the ground. So, it's not going to take all that much.

And yes, we also talked about the severe component. The focus is over Texas. But keep in mind, any of those strong storms could make it up towards Little Rock, Oklahoma City, St. Louis, and even up into Chicago.

Very large hail, damaging winds, and strong wind gusts. If we get a confirmed tornado today, Fred, this would be the 10th day in a row of a confirmed tornado.

WHITFIELD: There has been a lot of tornadic activity, you know, rainfall this spring, and it's not -- it's far from over.

[12:10:01]

CHINCHAR: Unfortunately, yes.

WHITFIELD: Right. All right. Thank you so much, Allison Chinchar. Appreciate it.

All right. Hope Hicks, she was a top aide for Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign and inside the White House. This week, she became the latest prosecution witness to testify at his hush money trial. For significant and, at times, emotional testimony straight ahead.

Plus, Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar is proclaiming his and his wife's innocence, after both are indicted, accused of accepting nearly $600,000 in bribes. The very latest straight ahead as CNN NEWSROOM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:15:13]

All right. Welcome back. The second week of testimony, in Donald Trump's hush money trial wrapped up with a day of dramatic testimony. Hope Hicks, who was one of Trump's most trusted aides took the witness stand. The former White House communications director look noticeably uncomfortable as she avoided eye contact with her former boss.

And after a key moment in her testimony, she began crying. CNN's Kara Scannell was in the courtroom and has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Hope Hicks, once one of Trump's closest aides took the stand, Friday, an emotional day of testimony, at one point, even tearing up on day-11 of Trump's criminal trial.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What was it like to see Hope Hicks again?

DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So, I'm not allowed to comment on any of that. As you know, I'm under a gag order.

I was very interested in what took place today.

SCANNELL (voice over): Hicks, who was Trump's campaign spokesperson in 2016 and later served as White House communications director, looked visibly uncomfortable before testifying, saying she was really nervous.

Prosecutors quickly brought up the Access Hollywood tape, which was released just one month before the 2016 election.

TRUMP: And when you're a star, they let you do it.

SCANNELL: Hicks recalled Trump being upset. She said there was a consensus among campaign leadership that the tape was damaging to the campaign, and it was a crisis. She said media coverage of the tape was so intense, it literally knocked a Category 4 hurricane out of the news cycle. Hope said it was all Trump all the time for the next 36 hours.

Hicks testified that Trump was involved in the campaign's response. Prosecutors played his video apology for the jury.

TRUMP: Anyone who knows me knows these words don't reflect who I am. I said it, I was wrong, and I apologize.

SCANNELL: Prosecutors tried to show the catastrophic impact the Access Hollywood tape had on Trump's campaign, demonstrating the urgency to kill another bombshell story from being released just weeks before the election.

Hicks testified she was sitting on the plane when she learned that The Wall Street Journal planned to publish a piece about the National Enquirer's catch and kill deal involving Trump's alleged affair with an ex-Playboy model, Karen McDougal, an adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump denies the affairs.

Hicks said she spoke with Trump, who was concerned about the story, and he instructed her to deny it. She is quoted in the journal saying, Daniels' affair allegation is absolutely, unequivocally untrue. Hicks said Trump's was concerned with how the article would be viewed by his wife, saying, "He wanted me to make sure that the newspapers weren't delivered to his residence that morning.

Prosecutors asked Hicks about Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen's $130,000 payment to Daniels to buy and kill her story of an alleged affair with Trump. Cohen told The New York Times in 2018 that he made the payment from his own pocket.

Hicks said she was skeptical about Cohen's motives, saying, I didn't know Michael to be an especially charitable person or selfless person. Hicks described Trump's assessment of the story, saying, it was Mr. Trump's opinion is that it was better to be dealing with it now and that it would have been bad to have that story come out before the election.

As Trump's attorney, Emil Bove, went to take over questioning, Hicks began to cry. After a break, Bove focused on Cohen, trying to show he had no role in the campaign and would act on his own.

Hicks testified Cohen was not supposed to be on the campaign in an official capacity, but would try to insert himself at certain moments. She said Cohen often did things that were unauthorized by the campaign and that he sometimes went rogue.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCANNELL (on camera): A court official tells me that Donald Trump paid the $9,000 fine for violating the gag order. Hope's six testimony completes the second week of witness testimony in this trial. The jury has heard a lot about the catch and kill deals at the center of this case, the next phase is the alleged cover up. Kara Scannell, CNN, New York.

WHITFIELD: And then, it is a change of scenery for former President Trump this weekend. Instead of being in a New York courtroom, he is gathering with top Republican donors and potential running mates at the annual RNC spring retreat in Florida.

CNN's Alayna Treene is in Palm Beach for us. So, Alayna, what can you tell us about this gathering, which is a luncheon, right?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN CONGRESSIONAL AND PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS REPORTER: That's right, well, that's part of the gathering. And you're completely right, Fred. Donald Trump has traded the New York courtroom for banquet halls here in Florida.

And look, this is part of a longer weekend with the RNC. They are hosting their annual retreat here in Palm Beach. And today, actually, just moments ago, they all travelled from the four seasons to Mar-a- Lago where Donald Trump is going to be the headliner at a fundraiser for his campaign. And that's very notable because we have seen Donald Trump, really, instead of campaigning, he's been doing a lot of fundraisers.

And part of that is his campaign is really trying to aggressively catch up to the Biden campaigns ever growing war trust.

[12:20:05]

And so, that's kind of what we're seeing behind the scenes here. A lot of people, wealthy donors, who are in the room, trying to help Donald Trump close that gap.

But, you know, this retreat often brings together a lot of the Republican elite. There is always wealthy donors, other high profile Republican leaders, but some of the special guests this year are notable because many of them are on Donald Trump's shortlist to become his running mate.

Now, when I talked to Trump's advisors, they told me that Donald Trump is not anywhere close to choosing his vice-presidential pick.

However, they do think that will come closer to the Republican National Convention in July. But this weekend is a good opportunity for some of these people like Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott.

All of them to brush shoulders with the former president and show that they are with him this weekend. WHITFIELD: OK. And then, Alayna, House Speaker Johnson's presence at the retreat is also pretty notable given that Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has promised to bring up a vote to oust him next week. What are you hearing?

TREENE: Well, that's right. Johnson actually was speaking last night at a panel at the start of this fundraising weekend at the Four Seasons. And his appearance here and his attendance is very notable. What I can say is Marjorie Taylor Greene is not here. And I spoke with a congressman last night who said her absence is also notable.

Now, this feuding between Johnson and Marjorie Taylor Greene is something I'm told that Donald Trump has been annoyed with behind the scenes. He does not want this sort of distraction happening into the House, particularly just months before the election.

And he actually tapped as an emissary of sorts Michael Whatley, the chairman of the Republican National Committee to travel to the Capitol earlier this week, and deliver a message that Donald Trump is not interested in a divided party. Fred.

WHITFIELD: Interesting. All right, Alayna Treene, thanks so much.

All right. Right now, negotiators are meeting in Cairo in hopes of finalizing a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. What could that deal look like? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:26:36]

WHITFIELD: At least nine people including two children were killed when Israeli airstrikes hit residential buildings in Gaza earlier today. That's according to Gaza civil defense officials. They say one strike hit a home in a north -- in northern Gaza. Another was on a building that was in an area east of Rafah, city where more than a million Palestinians have been sheltering.

Israel Defense Forces said the strikes were aimed at dismantling Hamas capabilities in the area.

The strikes come as Hamas negotiators arrived in Egypt for a new talks on a possible ceasefire in Gaza. U.S. and Israeli officials are saying progress is being made, but any deal finalizing a ceasefire framework could take several more days to put together.

CNN's Kevin Liptak is in Washington for us. So, Kevin, what are U.S. officials telling you?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, you are hearing a degree of cautious optimism from American officials. And we did learn just yesterday that the CIA Director Bill Burns was in Cairo for these talks. And that's always a significant moment. He has been sort of a key mediator in these discussions. So, it does appear that we're at something of a critical juncture here. But remember, Fredricka, we have been in this place before, where it seems where we're entering the final stages only to see a deal fall apart, which, I think explains some of the caution that you're hearing from officials at this moment.

The view from Washington is that the ball is very much in Hamas' court to agree to the framework deal that was proposed more than a week ago.

American officials have said that is -- the Israelis relented on a number of points in that deal, including the number of hostages that would be released as part of the first stage.

Now, the question really is whether Hamas can agree to it. And we did hear from the American Secretary of State Antony Blinken last night, describing sort of where things stand. Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE: We await to see whether in effect they can take yes for an answer, on the ceasefire, and release of hostages.

And the reality in this moment is the only thing standing between the people of Gaza, and a ceasefire is from us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIPTAK: Now, we did learn today from American and Israeli officials that even if Hamas were to agree to this framework, there would still be some final details that would need to be ironed out. That could be potentially a long process.

So, you won't see those hostages coming out right when that agreement is struck. But certainly, American officials very hopeful that this deal could be struck sometime soon. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Kevin Liptak. Thanks so much.

All right. Meantime, here in the U.S., college campuses are bracing for more protests against the war in Gaza. More than 2,100 people have been arrested on campuses across the country in recent weeks. Some schools have canceled commencement addresses and ceremonies over security concerns.

With us now as Omar Baddar, he is a Palestinian American, Middle East political analyst. Great to see you, Omar.

OMAR BADDAR, PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN MIDDLE EAST POLITICAL ANALYST: Thank you, good to be with you.

WHITFIELD: So, how will you be measuring the gains or the losses that have come from the variation of protests across college and university campuses in the U.S.?

BADDAR: Look, I think there have already been significant gains. I mean, those protesters are the conscience of America at a time when American weapons are being used to kill literally tens of thousands of children. It's just an unconscionable situation.

[12:30:02]

And the fact that even in the face of official demonization from the rhetoric that we've seen from not just people like, Tom Cotton and others, but many other people across the entire political spectrum.

You also see significant police violence. You also see counter protesters, you know, attacking them. And yet the resilience of this protest movement and the fact that it's spreading rather than shrinking is a sign of the -- of that this is really a wakeup call for Washington, that business as usual cannot continue while American weapons are being used for these kind of atrocities that Israel is actually currently committing in Gaza, and that this is, you know, there is not going to be a way in which young people are just going to let this one go.

The comfort that President Biden has coming into this upcoming election is also shaken by the fact that a significant portion of his own constituency is demanding a change in American policy, not just as a matter of passive American opinion, but they're actually willing to really stand up and take significant risks in order to make their voices heard on this issue. So I think it has been incredibly successful so far, and I hope that there is a better response, that we come to understand that you can't beat this protest movement down, that the more you try to repress it, you only actually have the counter effect, and it's time to start listening to the legitimate demands of these protesters.

WHITFIELD: So I hear you. And you like the intensity, you know, of the protests and the voices of the many young people and what they're exerting. But we even heard Biden this week who was asked, will this affect policy? Will it change policy? He said, no. So, you know, isn't that what you want? You want this to provoke some sort of policy change or even perhaps changes among university and colleges in terms of how they are being asked to divest.

BADDAR: Look, I mean, President Biden is invested in presenting this narrative of administration resilience and clarity on their own, regardless of what's happening. But clearly the rhetoric that -- the conversations that have been leaked behind the scenes show that there is very significant frustration on the part of the president himself about the fact that he's not able to turn public opinion around on this particular issue.

Overwhelming majority of Americans still demanding a ceasefire. And when you look at the, you know, the way the uncommitted vote has turned out in Michigan and the fact that this movement is also spreading. The rhetoric might be one thing, but it's clear that President Biden is beginning to get more and more frustrated. And you see it reflected in the statements that President Biden has issued where initially it was blanket, unconditional support for everything that Netanyahu is doing.

And at this point, it's far more different that you're seeing the president say, express quite blunt disapproval with the way that Netanyahu is handling this situation. And those are signs of the fact that the President and the administration are feeling that pressure and that it is actually making a difference, regardless of whether the administration admits that openly or not.

WHITFIELD: "The Washington Post" is reporting today that many students don't know how much or if at all, certain universities or colleges have holdings to actually divest. And if that's the case, then how will these demonstrators know whether they're demonstrations, whether the encampments are at all influencing the very campuses where those encampments have been in terms of divesting, if they don't know whether the campus has any holdings at all. Do you worry that the goal, I guess there are too many variations of goals in what these demonstrations are already are really about?

BADDAR: Yes. Look, I mean, what we need primarily is transparency. That's part of how you negotiate with students. You can look at the case of Brown University as a prime example of how you actually should do these things, where the administration saw that a progressive, conscientious movement is actually demanding a change and refusing to basically disband these protests. And the way that they have responded is by saying, OK, fine, let's sit down and negotiate, and talking about voting on a resolution in the future about divesting from companies that do, that are effectively complicit in Israeli atrocities against Palestinians. We need more of that transparency.

And beyond that, even if institutions are not immediately transparent about what investments they do and don't have, I think the voice of this movement goes beyond just the immediate impact on their institutions and is effectively showing that there is a generational divide in this country that is very real. That even though in the case of Brown University, you have billionaires withholding their money and expressing disapproval about the way that we're granting the wishes of these demonstrators by agreeing to enter in these negotiations, young people are standing their ground, and this is not going to be an issue that is going to go away.

That I think should be clear to everyone that the status quo is no longer acceptable, that we need a fundamental change in American policy where we can no longer allow Israel to continue behaving however it wants with blanket U.S. support, diplomatically, militarily, without ever questioning how that support is actually being used and how it's impacting real people. There is a generation that is conscientious, that sees Palestinians as equal human beings and sees the loss of Israeli lives. And that is something that we have not seen in Washington. And it's a matter of time before that is reflected, because that generational change is very, very real.

[12:35:20]

WHITFIELD: All right. Omar Baddar, glad you could be with us today. Thank you so much.

BADDAR: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. A Texas congressman and his wife make their first appearance in court hours after they were indicted by a federal grand jury on bribery charges. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:40:14]

WHITFIELD: A Democratic congressman and his wife have been charged with taking nearly $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities. On Friday, federal authorities indicted Congressman Henry Cuellar along with his wife, Imelda. Authorities say the couple took bribes from a foreign oil and gas company in exchange for the Texas politician agreeing to perform political favors for Azerbaijan and a Mexican bank. CNN's Melanie Zanona has more.

MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: We are learning new details about this indictment that follows a years' long criminal probe into the congressman. The DOJ has charged with Congressman Cuellar and his wife on charges of bribery, unlawful foreign influence and money laundering. Both of them appeared in court in Houston yesterday. And specifically, the DOJ has accused the congressman of accepting nearly $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities. One of those is a bank headquartered in Mexico City, and the other one is an oil company owned by the government of Azerbaijan.

And according to this indictment, Cuellar agreed to accept these bribes in exchange for taking official acts as a member of Congress and agreeing to trying to influence U.S. policy by doing things like inserting favorable language into certain bills and committee reports and also delivering certain speeches on the House floor.

Now, this development comes over two years after the FBI raided both the congressman's home and his campaign office back in January of 2022. But the congressman maintains his innocence and says he will run for reelection in November. Let me read you part of his statement. He said, I want to be clear that both my wife and I are innocent of these allegations. Everything I've done in Congress has been to serve the people of South Texas.

Now, we are also getting some reaction from the top Democrat in the House. That's House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. He did announce yesterday that the congressman would temporarily step down from his top post on a House Appropriations Subcommittee. We should note that Cuellar is a senior member of that very powerful panel which has jurisdiction over some key spending and policy decisions.

He also, at one point, was the co-chair of the congressional Azerbaijan caucus. But Jeffries also said that Congressman Cuellar should be innocent until proven guilty.

WHITFIELD: All right. Melanie Zanona, thank you so much.

All right. Get ready. Can a long shot win the 150th Kentucky Derby? A grab your fascinator and a mint julep, perhaps? We're talking about the ponies after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:47:29]

WHITFIELD: All right, cue the bugle. It is called the most exciting two minutes in sports, and it's happening later today. The 150th running of the Kentucky Derby is just a few hours away. The run of the roses, right? Fans are hoping for a historic finish, like the race in 2022, where 80 to one long shot, Rich Strike surged at the last second to win at the wire. Or perhaps the historic race back in the 70s where Secretariat established himself as the greatest racehorse of all time. So what's it going to be today? With me now is Mark Midland. He is the CEO of Horse Racing Nation. Mark, great to see you.

MARK MIDLAND, CEO, HORSE RACING NATION: Thanks for having me.

WHITFIELD: All right, how excited are you about today? What are you expecting in today's race?

MIDLAND: It's going to be a great race. We've got two big favorites and Fierceness and Sierra Leone. And they have opposite styles. Fierceness wants to go to the front. Sierra Leone will sit all the way in the back and make a furious finish. So those two look pretty good. And if you're looking for a, you know, 80 to one shot this year, I kind of like Epic Ride. He's number 21 on the outside.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh. So, you know, this is the 150th. So, I mean, it's historic in that realm. And I wonder, you know, if the crowd size will have anything to do or impact on the behavior of the horses, the anxiety, the excitement of any of these horses. Will they know, do you think will they detect that this is an especially, you know, historic day?

MIDLAND: Yes, there's a lot of excitement. There's over 150,000 people here. WiFi is hard to come from. That's why I'm coming to you from the media center. But the horses do feel that excitement. There's a lot of buzz. There's a lot of cheering. There's a roar of the crowd when the gate opens and all those horses come out. And there are 20 horses in the gate. This is the first time that, you know, these horses will race going a mile and a quarter against 20 -- 19 other horses. So a lot of things are different. That's why sometimes in the Derby, we get funny, you know, results, like Rich Strike at 81.

WHITFIELD: What's the weather like? Because I think earlier this morning it looked a little wet on the track. Might it make a difference at all, the weather?

MIDLAND: The tracks a little wet. It's drying out. I think it'll be a very fast track by time for the Derby in a few hours. You know, we had rain yesterday, but. So it's a little steamy today, but it's a beautiful, warm day in Kentucky.

WHITFIELD: Oh, lovely. OK, so this race has so much history. Of course, you know, it began when Andrew Johnson was president, but is there still, you know, a big enough fan base for, you know, horse racing to thrive in all. I mean, this is the one that everyone is looking forward to. But I wonder if there's a real barometer in your view about, you know, the level of importance among the fan base of what the Kentucky Derby is all about. [12:50:20]

MIDLAND: Yes. I mean, horses has been around a long time, you know, even longer than the 150 years of the Kentucky Derby. Definitely has a great fan base, and it's one of the most watched sporting events every year in the U.S. About 20 million people will watch the derby today. And I think there's a great future in horse racing, especially with all the data.

So as we move into the world of, you know, sports betting and data and AI and things like that, there's a lot of those things that are applicable to horse racing because there's a ton of data on the horses.

WHITFIELD: And there remains a cloud or tell me if there does remain this cloud, you know, over the Kentucky Derby, particularly because in recent years there have been, you know, a lot of horse deaths. There have been some who blamed the, you know, the footing of the track, others who have talked about doping or perhaps even just over, you know, medicating sore horses. What are people chatting about? What's the industry saying today about, I guess, its level of concerns as it pertains to Louisville's Derby?

MIDLAND: Yes, there's always a level of concern, but all the racing has been very safe this week. So what happened last year was, you know, hopefully anomaly that we won't see again for ever. And, you know, there's just a ton of work in the industry working on different things to make the track safer, to study things, looking at data, looking at devices, analyze horses, scan them more. And that's something, actually we're participating in.

We're doing an AI study with Churchill Downs and the Kentucky racing industry, and we're looking at 30 years of racing data and trying to analyze, you know, what are some of the trends that can make things even safer.

WHITFIELD: All right, Mark Midland in Louisville. Thank you so much. Looking forward to a safe and always exciting race this evening.

MIDLAND: Thanks.

WHITFIELD: All right, Australia is under siege from climate change on multiple fronts, and things are about to get a lot worse. Below the ocean surface, the Great Barrier Reef is in danger as warming waters bleach the corals. And above ground, wildflowers, or rather, wildfires and floods are destroying people's homes and threatening native species. In this week's episode of Whole Story, CNN's Ivan Watson embarks on a journey to see the evolving threat firsthand.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This isn't my first visit to the Great Barrier Reef. Six years ago, I came here to film a CNN report about this natural wonder of the world, armed with only a mask and a snorkel.

WATSON: That was pretty spectacular.

WATSON (voice-over): This time I'm scuba certified. My guide is Professor Jodie Rummer, a reef scientist at James Cook University.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Oh, so gorgeous. Ivan, I'm so envious. That is one of the places that is on my list. I'm a longtime diver as well, so I can't wait to hear your impressions here. But I mean, within the industry of scuba diving sport, I mean, there have been great concerns about, you know, what's happening with the Great Barrier Reef and the bleaching. And then there's also the psychology of the way in which it will kind of reinvigorate itself. So what were your observations there?

WATSON: Right. Well, I mean, it was a spectacular experience to get to scuba dive on this enormous marine habitat. It's the size of Italy, this network of coral reefs. I got to swim with sea turtles and reef sharks. But as amazing as that was, it was also bittersweet because my team and I were in Australia in mid-February. That's the height of the summer in Australia. And what we saw at reef after reef were signs of bleaching. That's when record high ocean temperatures were cooking the coral, turning it bone white, and if it goes on for long enough, killing them. And after our visit, the Australian government confirmed that the Great Barrier Reef was in the midst of the seventh mass bleaching event on the Great Barrier Reef.

And that's part of a planet wide phenomenon over the course of the last year of mass bleaching on reefs everywhere from the Caribbean off the coast of Florida all the way to Australia. So this was awesome, but also sad, because the scientists are all predicting that, for example, my child will not be able to see coral reefs like I did because they won't be alive at the rate that the temperatures are raising.

[12:55:16]

WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness. Yes. I mean, I do understand that sadness. It's what I felt when I saw some bleaching coral and, you know, just coral that was just dead, period, you know, off the Florida keys. I can only imagine, you know, the grandness there with the Great Barrier Reef.

Ivan Watson, I can't wait to see your special tomorrow. And thank you so much for giving us a little preview. We'll all be tuning in tomorrow, in all new episode of the Whole Story with Anderson Cooper, one whole hour, one whole story, which airs tomorrow night at 8:00 Eastern and Pacific only on CNN. We'll be right back.

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