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Ceasefire And Hostage Talks Expected To Resume On Saturday; University Of Florida Holds Graduation After Arrests This Week; Former Trump Aide Hope Hicks Testifies In Day 11 Of Trial; Russia Tries To Seize Ground Before More U.S. Aid Arrives; Bodies Found In Mexico After Three Surfers Go Missing. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired May 04, 2024 - 04:00   ET

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

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[04:00:32]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

We'll look at the state of talks aimed at bringing a ceasefire to Gaza as Israeli defense forces prepare for a possible invasion of Rafah.

Antiwar protests are impacting college commencement ceremonies across the United States, how universities are responding to the demonstrations?

Plus, an emotional day of testimony at Donald Trump's hush money trial, what his former communications director says about the former president's response when news of the story first emerged.

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

BRUNHUBER: Ceasefire and hostage talks involving the U.S. and Hamas are expected to resume in Cairo today. At stake, the fate of hostages held by Hamas and Israel's plans for Rafah, where more than one million people are taking refuge.

William Burns, Director of the CIA, is in the Egyptian capital and negotiators for Hamas expected to arrive there at some point today.

Hamas said it's sending its delegation with what they describe as a positive spirit. The U.S. Secretary of State says what happens next is up to Hamas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We wait 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 Hamas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The U.S. has been pressing Hamas to accept the latest proposal. Our Jeremy Diamond has more from Jerusalem.

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JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, nearly a week after Egyptian mediators submitted their latest framework for a potential ceasefire and hostage deal to Hamas, we are still waiting for Hamas' official response to that proposal. Still hanging in the balance of all of this is whether or not this response will lead to the continuation of negotiations, more detailed negotiations to actually achieve a deal, or whether instead the Israeli military will move forward with a major ground offensive into Rafah, that southernmost city in Gaza where more than a million Palestinians are currently sheltering.

But while we wait for that official response, we are hearing in a statement from Hamas that Hamas' political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, spoke on Thursday with the head of Egyptian intelligence as well as Qatar's Prime Minister. And in this statement, they say that Haniyeh told the head of Egyptian intelligence that Hamas was studying this latest framework with a, quote, "positive spirit" and also saying that Hamas hoped to send a delegation to Egypt soon, as soon as possible to continue the ceasefire talks.

But it's very unclear whether or not that means that Hamas is actually inching closer to a deal. Their official response is what will actually give us that indication.

In the meantime, Israeli officials are continuing to warn that if there is not a deal, that a major ground offensive in Rafah will indeed move forward. And U.S. officials, in the meantime, are still expressing concerns about the potential impact of that offensive on the civilian population. Here's the Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin.

LLOYD AUSTIN, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: What we've asked, what we've highlighted for the Israelis is that it's really important to make sure that the civilians that are in that battle space move -- move out of the battle space before any activity is conducted. There's a good chance that, you know, without taking the right measures, that the civilians will be, you know, civilians -- we'll see a lot more civilian casualties going forward.

DIAMOND: And indeed, U.S. officials are indicating that despite multiple conversations with Israeli officials about a potential ground offensive in Rafah, that they have still yet to see a kind of full- fledged detailed plan that can actually be put in place to safely safeguard the civilian population in Rafah. And United Nations officials are also continuing to express concerns about the impact that this ground offensive would have on civilians in Rafah.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Nearly seven months of fighting have left huge swaths of Gazan ruins and littered with unexploded munitions. The U.N. says there are about 6,800 metric tons of unexploded ordnance scattered throughout the enclave, threatening the lives of those who survived the conflict.

A U.N. team visiting Khan Yunis in April reported that they saw bombs strewn about the streets, public places, and even schools. The U.N. also estimates there are some 725,000 metric tons of asbestos and other contaminants among the debris and rubble in Gaza.

[04:05:16]

Daily life for parents and some volunteers in Gaza is a constant effort to protect children from the cruel violence of this conflict.

CNN's Paula Hancocks has our report. And we just want to warn you, it contains graphic images that may be disturbing.

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PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A grandmother kisses her young grandchildren. Their small bodies share just one body bag, a four-year-old Kareem and his two-year-old sister Mona were killed on Tuesday by an Israeli airstrike.

Their aunt says they are innocent. The babies went to bed last night and never woke up. Our hearts are broken forever. The doctors tried to save Mona, but could not. The children's parents were seriously injured in the same strike.

But Rafah was not home for these children. The grandmother says the family was displaced multiple times by the Israeli military, ending up in a tent on the southern border alongside hundreds of thousands of others who have nowhere else to go.

Speaking of the Israeli military, she says this is all they want. This is their goal. The IDF referred to a previous statement when asked about this strike, saying they are operating to dismantle Hamas, adding quote, "remaining in an active combat zone has inherent risks."

But despite months of threatening and major ground offensive in Rafah, the military has not told civilians to evacuate. For many here, there is no other option.

At the start of this week in Rafah, 22 people were killed and in Israeli airstrike including at least one infant and a toddler. A one- year-old killed is carried in the uncle's arms. He says this is who they are targeting. This is the safe Rafah they talk about.

It is the area the Israeli military has pushed civilians towards for months. An area well over 1 million Palestinians are barely surviving in. Food, water, shelter, a scarce disease is rising.

But amid such misery, some adults are trying to remind children of their previous life. Just seven months ago, where they could play and learn safely.

This volunteer teacher says the children's mental state is distressed. They have no stability. They're distracted and they lose focus. So we work twice as hard to try and grab their attention and help them learn.

Muhammad says he's happy he can play and study here. He says we lost our schools. We lost everything.

A tent school may not see much. But even this pretense of normality for these children will be lost if they're forced to move yet again.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Abu Dhabi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Universities across the U.S. are upping security measures as they prepare for commencement ceremonies. It comes after pro- Palestinian protests erupted on campuses across the country in recent weeks.

Now, this video shows protesters interrupting a graduation at the University of Michigan on Friday. They walked into the ceremony for the school of music, theater, and dance with signs and flags. A reporter with CNN Affiliate, Richmond Times-Dispatch, took these videos and said the police arrived soon after the interruption.

And in New York, police say dozens of protesters were arrested at the new school on Friday. The university says it asked police to get involved after people trespassed and set up an encampment.

Students weren't able to get to their dorms or classrooms. Nearby Columbia University has been the epicenter of the protests and its president says the past two weeks have been among the most difficult periods in the school's history.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MINOUCHE SHAFIK, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT: We have a lot to do, but I'm committed to working at it every day and with each of you to rebuild community on our campus.

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BRUNHUBER: The University of Florida held its graduation ceremony on Friday after protesters were arrested on campus earlier this week. CNN's Rafael Romo is there.

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RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's been a very memorable day here at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Earlier today, the colleges of business and nursing had their recognition ceremonies. And now we are in the middle of the university-wide commencement ceremony.

This event together with others over the course of this weekend, are expected to be attended by as many as 50,000 people, according to a university spokesperson. At least 10,500 people from 86 countries, including, of course, the United States, will be graduating.

But it's been a tense week here, although probably not as much as what we have seen in places like Columbia University and UCLA. Nine pro- Palestine protesters were arrested Monday evening here on campus. A group that calls itself the UF Divestment Coalition published a list of very specific demands, including the disclosure of the university's investment portfolio for the last 10 years and divesting from what they called funding and partnering with weapons manufacturers implicated in the war in Gaza.

[04:10:23]

They are also demanding that UF President Ben Sasse publicly denounce what they call violence and discrimination against pro-Palestinian students, as well as a call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

In response to the students' actions, a university spokesperson published a statement earlier this week saying the following. "This is not complicated: The University of Florida is not a daycare, and we do not treat protesters like children. They knew the rules, they broke the rules, and they will face the consequences."

The spokesperson also said that some of the protesters were outside agitators, but according to local media, at least seven of the nine protesters arrested Monday were current or recent UF students. This, of course, has become a political issue at the state level. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, issued a warning Thursday to protesters.

Let's take a listen.

RON DESANTIS, (R) FLORIDA GOVERNOR: People try to pitch a tent at our universities. They're shown the door very quickly on that. We're not putting up with it. This is not New York. This is not California, you know, we're going to enforce appropriate standards of conduct, and simply commandeering along with a tent and harassing other people, that does not pass -- that does not fly in the State of Florida.

ROMO: Another U.S. spokesperson told CNN earlier that, first, the school will defend the protesters' right of free speech. But they also warned that if they break the university's time, place, and manner rules, students face suspension, and if there's any attempt to cause a disruption at commencement or any other event, campus police will address it accordingly.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Gainesville, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: And turning to the latest in Donald Trump's hush money trial, a court official says the presidential candidate has paid his $9,000 fine for violating a gag order nine times, $1,000 for each offense. The judge has yet to rule on the prosecution's allegations of four additional gag order violations by Trump.

Meanwhile, Hope Hicks, once one of Trump's closest aides, was the star witness on Friday. As CNN's Paula Reid reports, Hicks was noticeably uncomfortable at times.

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PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hope Hicks, one of Trump's former closest advisers, took the stand in the New York hush money trial. "I'm really nervous," she revealed to the court as she began her testimony.

She did have some warm words for her former boss, praising his ability to message. "He deserves the credit for the different messages that the campaign focused on in terms of the agenda that he put forth." But she never looked at him during most of her testimony, instead focusing directly on the lawyers asking her questions. She testified at length about the impact of the Access Hollywood tape on the 2016 Trump campaign and how it "was a crisis."

She was the first person in the campaign to learn of the tape when she was contacted by a reporter. "I was concerned," she said. She also witnessed Trump's reaction to the story. Asked if he was upset, she said, "Yes. Yeah, he was." She also told the jury about conversations she had with former Trump fixer Michael Cohen and Trump when reports of Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels first surfaced in early November 2016, saying Trump "wanted to make sure that there was a denial of any kind of relationship."

In a significant moment for prosecutors, Hicks revealed Trump communicated directly to her about the payment to Daniels. "I only know about one instance, sometime in the middle of February, Mr. Trump told me about it."

And Trump was relieved that the story did not come out before the election. "It was Mr. Trump's opinion that it was better to be dealing with it now and that it would have been bad to have had that story come out before the election."

Hicks appeared nervous throughout her appearance on the stand. And after that key exchange, as defense attorneys were starting their cross-examination, Hicks broke down in tears. "Sorry about that," she said, as she returned to the stand.

And when Trump's attorneys had the chance to question her, they got her to confirm that he was worried about his wife Melania's reaction to some of the stories. "President Trump really values Mrs. Trump's opinion, and she doesn't weigh in all the time, but when she does, it's really meaningful to him."

(On camera): Now, the big question is who will take the stand on Monday? Next week is actually the first full four-day week of court that we've had since this trial got underway.

[04:15:04]

The prosecutors are keeping a tightlipped on who they plan to call next and when they plan to call the man at the center of this alleged conspiracy, Michael Cohen.

Paula Reid, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Ukraine has advice for its athletes who will compete at the Paris Olympics. Stay away from competitors from Russia and Belarus as much as they possibly can. We'll explain why coming up. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: At least four people were injured after a new drone attack on Ukraine's second largest city. A local official says Ukraine shot down a number of Russian drones in Kharkiv overnight before debris crashed down and caused at least three fires. Emergency crews are responding to the fires. Ukraine's Air Force chief says Russia launched 13 drones and fired four missiles overnight.

The Kremlin is pushing back on the idea that it's fair game for Ukraine to conduct strikes inside Russia. The suggestion was made by British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, who visited the Ukrainian city of Lviv on Friday.

Moscow is accusing him of escalating tensions around the war and creating a potential threat to the security of Europe. Cameron said Britain will funnel close to $4 billion in military aid to Kyiv every year for as long as it's needed. And he said it's up to Ukraine to decide if those weapons will be used for strikes inside Russia.

Here he is.

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DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: Three billion pounds, it's not just this year, it's next year, it's the year after. It's as many years as you need. So it's -- just as we were the first to do the weapons supply and the training, the first to do the security agreement, the first to do this multi-year package, because I think we can use that not only to help you, but to say to other countries, this is the future. Multi-year packages to show Putin that we will, you know, not be waited out here. We will back you for as long as it takes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Russian troops have been on the move in recent weeks, capturing more territory than they have since July 2022. That's largely attributed to the absence of U.S. military aid, which was finally approved last week. As Clare Sebastian reports, Russia is fighting to seize all the ground it can before that aid arrives.

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CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's clear Russia is continuing to exploit the narrowing window before Ukraine gets fresh U.S. military aid. Most of the action taking place on the eastern front. This is a time-lapse of the year so far. The data comes from Ukrainian monitoring group, deep state. You can see over here Avdiivka swallowed up in February, but what's happened since then, even more concerning for Ukraine. Over the past 10 weeks, Russia has taken more land than in any advance since July of 2022, a CNN analysis shows.

Now, there are no major towns as of yet, but there are worrying signs. Up here in Ocheretyne, where Russia now appears to have a foothold, this is a larger village. It's on higher ground. And in the past week, Ukraine's commander-in-chief admitting his army has had to withdraw west of several more villages, including right here in Berdychi. Russia making it clear it's ramping up.

[04:20:12]

SERGEI SHOIGU, RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): To support the necessary pace of our offensives and build up our troop composition for our further actions, we need to increase the volumes and quality of the weapons and military technology supplied to our troops.

SEBASTIAN: Well, this is another key focus. Up here, the town of Chasiv Yar, just west of Bakhmut. Now, for context, it's taken Russia a whole year to advance from the western edge of Bakhmut to the outskirts of Chasiv Yar.

But here is why it matters. Chasiv Yar sits on higher ground. The red here indicates the highest elevation, giving it a direct fire line onto critical Ukrainian defensive strongholds. Kostyantynivka down there, Druzhkivka up here. Just to the north is Kramatorsk, the regional capital and vital train link. So this small town potentially decisive for Russia in its quest to occupy all of the Donetsk region.

You can see in this video just how intense the bombardment has been. CNN has geolocated this to the eastern edge of the town. And as the camera pans around, you can see some of the geography here. If we pause there, the canal is just here. That's a natural barrier, and here are the fortifications.

Now, so far, Ukraine says it's holding on.

OLEG KALASHNIKOV, SPOKESPERSON, UKRAINE'S 26TH ARTILLERY BRIGADE (through translator): They're trying to find a weak spot where they can breach our defense. They can't do more. The occupiers will not be able to capture Chelyabinsk by May 9th.

SEBASTIAN: Well, May 9th is, of course, when Russia celebrates victory in World War II. And Ukraine is concerned Russia wants to make a strategic difference on the battlefield before that. And there are other pushes up here in the Kharkiv region and then down in the southeast where Ukraine was on the offensive last summer. Ukraine, though, now solely focused on defense and likely facing more perilous days ahead.

Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Ukrainian athletes are being urged to keep their distance from Russian and Belarusian competitors during the Olympics in Paris. Ukraine's Olympic Committee told them to avoid any direct contact with athletes from those two countries to prevent possible provocations. That means Ukrainians should avoid taking pictures with them, engaging with them on social media, or taking part in joint press conferences.

The only exception are the events mandated by Olympic rules. Some Russians and Belarusians will compete as neutral athletes at the games that begin on July 26.

Three bodies are found in Mexico after a trio of surfers go missing. Coming up, we'll have the latest on the investigation into their disappearance.

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BRUNHUBER: The United Nations warns that time is running out to prevent starvation in Darfur amid the violence of Sudan's ongoing civil war. U.N. officials say nearly 2 million people in the region are experiencing emergency levels of hunger with aid deliveries hampered by bureaucratic hurdles and fighting between Sudan's army and the paramilitary rapid support forces.

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LENI KINZLI, WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME'S SPOKESPERSON IN SUDAN: The situation is dire. People are resorting to consuming grass, peanut shells, and if assistance doesn't reach them soon, we risk witnessing widespread starvation and death in Darfur and across other conflict areas in Sudan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[04:25:09]

BRUNHUBER: Nearly 9 million people have been displaced since fighting began in April 2023. The conflict has been characterized by civilian casualties and reports of sexual and genocidal violence.

Police in Mexico say a burnt-out white pickup truck that has been found is the same vehicle that two Australians and an American were driving before they disappeared. The truck was discovered 60 kilometers northeast of where three bodies were discovered on Friday on a cliff near Ensenada, Mexico.

And now we're learning that the family of the missing Australians are heading to the area where they were last seen. Journalist Stefano Pozzebon has more.

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STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: Authorities in Baja California are still trying to put together the entire picture surrounding the three surfers who have gone missing for almost a week now.

On Friday, three sources told CNN that the Mexican police found three bodies on a cliff about 50 miles south of the city of Ensenada, where the three surfers had been staying. The bodies, however, were found in a remote location and authorities have not been able to identify them at this moment.

On Thursday, the investigation had already recovered a mobile phone and the rest of the vehicle consistent with a pickup truck that the two Australian surfers had rented to go to the beach, but again, without an ultimate clue about their whereabouts.

Australian authorities and U.S. consular officials are also across the search, as well as drone units, according to the Mexican police, drone units that are being used to scout over the coast and try to find some clue as this frantic search continues.

Every year, millions of tourists travel to Baja California for its beaches and seaside culture, despite growing concerns surrounding crime rates in northern Mexico.

For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Severe flooding could get even worse in southern Brazil as heavy rain continues through the day today before getting lighter on Sunday. Authorities say at least 39 people have been killed in the flooding, at least 68 are missing, and thousands have been displaced.

In Kenya, the death toll from the flooding there has risen to 210, and heavy rains have forced schools to remain closed indefinitely.

President William Ruto says the heavy rains are expected to become even more intense in the days ahead.

I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more CNN Newsroom in 30 minutes.

Inside Africa is next.

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