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CNN International: IDF Urges Palestinians To Evacuate Eastern Rafah; Chinese Leader In France On First Trip To Europe Since 2019; Dramatic Testimony Friday From Ex-Trump Staffer Hope Hicks. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired May 06, 2024 - 08:00   ET

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

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KATE BOLDUAN, HOST, "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": And tragedy in Texas, floodwaters sweep away a little boy, as his parents trying to get the family to dry land. And today, millions --

AMARA WALKER, HOST, "CNN NEWSROOM": -- everyone and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Amara Walker. This is CNN Newsroom.

Just ahead, Palestinians in eastern Rafah are ordered to evacuate ahead of what the Israeli military says will be an anti-terror operation. And Donald Trump's hush money trial continues today with several key witnesses yet to testify. And Kenya's severe floods are expected to get even worse as the death toll is rising. We are live in Nairobi with the latest details.

It appears that Israel is setting the stage for a long-feared ground offensive into Rafah. The Israeli military dropped leaflets, urging people in parts of eastern Rafah to evacuate immediately. The IDF calls it a limited scope operation. The Defense Minister earlier told troops to expect intense action in Rafah. Now, many Palestinians are already fleeing the area. The southern Gaza city was supposed to be a safe place where more than a million Palestinians have taken refuge there after fleeing from other areas. The UN says the area where people have been directed to go is simply not suitable to live.

CNN's Arlette Saenz is at the White House. But, let's begin with Nic Robertson, who is following all the developments from London now. Nic, this Rafah operation was long anticipated. What are you hearing about what Israel is planning to say, and if this indeed is the ground offensive that Israel has been warning about?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It has all the hallmarks of a ground offensive, and typically when Israel has launched the previous ground offensives going into Gaza, not long after the -- those horrific October 7 attacks, it took many days before we began to get an idea of the scope and scale of the operation. It was a big operation that Israel was sort of able to keep it pretty much under wraps, remembering journalists like ourselves and other news organizations are not allowed by Israel to go into Gaza to freely report and see what's happening. So, there is a level of difficulty to understand precisely what's happening in and around Rafah at the moment. But, what is clear, these leaflets that the IDF are dropping are very

similar to leaflets they've dropped prior to other major military operations. They've told Palestinians in about 12 different blocks of housing, that's about 100,000 people, the UN estimates, to leave their houses and go to an expanded safer area. And these leaflets, these flyers that the IDF are dropping, tell the residents there that their area was going to be used as -- is going to be where an offensive is against terrorists, and it says that those terrorists are going to hide among you. It's very clear that when the IDF goes in there, the scenarios could be, it appears, like previous military operations where civilians get caught up in the operations.

Now, has the operation, military operation actually begun? It doesn't appear so. But again, we're restricted in what we can see and what we can actually get access to report. So, we know that the negotiations at the moment are sort of stalled. They're not completely broken down. So, is this a last ditch pressure effort by Israel on Hamas to cede to their terms? The gap still remains very big at those talks.

So, what the UN is describing now in and around the area of Rafah where people are being told to go to these areas where there isn't enough food, isn't enough water, isn't enough sanitation, not the right conditions for them to go and live, and as we've seen in other operations, who won't necessarily be safe in these designated humanitarian safer areas. So, the UN is very concerned not just about their welfare, physical, but psychological welfare, and this could precipitate panic, which could mean in an area where there are about 1.5 million people living, that could be pretty dire consequences. And UNICEF is saying about 600,000 children there face a very uncertain time at this moment.

WALKER: Nic Robertson, thank you.

Let's head over to the White House now and Arlette Saenz. What's the view from there, and what the Biden administration is saying about all this, considering ceasefire talks are ongoing, where the CIA Director, Bill Burns, is in Doha right now trying to broker a deal? Netanyahu has said over and over again that deal or no deal, this ground incursion will go forward?

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ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Amara. There is no question that the White House is watching these latest moves from Israel relating to eastern Rafah incredibly closely. It comes as the administration for months now has warned about a potential ground operation in Rafah, with President Biden and others here at the White House stressing to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that they need to ensure there is a plan in place to ensure the safety and evacuation of the more than 1.4 million Palestinians who are in the Rafah area at this time.

Now, on Friday, we reported that U.S. and Israeli officials had been in conversations about Rafah that Israel provided insight into their thinking relating to the evacuation of Rafah. But, sources cautions that what was presented did not appear to be a final plan, that there was no full briefing when it comes to what a military operation would look like. But, the White House certainly has been watching this with quite a bit of concern, as President Biden is also facing domestic pressure here at home relating to the way that Israel has conducted its campaign in Gaza. Now, over the weekend, we also learned that the U.S. paused a shipment of U.S.-made ammunition to Israel. A source familiar with the matter told us that this was not due to this potential operation into Rafah that this would not impact aid going forward.

So, big questions about why exactly there was that pause in shipment. Senator Chris Coons, a key member of the Foreign Relations Committee, suggested it could have been logistical issues. But, this is all playing out, as Nic noted, against the backdrop of those hostage and ceasefire negotiations that appear to have stalled out over the weekend. CIA Director Bill Burns was on hand in Cairo, working as a mediator on this issue. He then traveled on to Doha, where he met with the Qatari Prime Minister. He was set to travel to Israel today, but is actually remaining in Doha, as the administration all last week had really been speaking in quite optimistic tones about the prospect of a deal coming together.

But, we saw the Israeli and Hamas sides both really blame each other for what they viewed as each other's extreme view. So, this is something that the White House certainly wants to try to get an agreement on. But, at the time, it appears those conversations are stalled out. It doesn't mean that they won't get on track at some point.

But also, I would note that today, President Biden here at the White House will be having lunch with Jordan's King Abdullah. Abdullah, of course, is a key player in the region. He has warned and expressed concerns about the way that this operation has been conducted in Gaza, about the humanitarian issues that are on hands there. So, the President might have a chance to hear directly from King Abdullah about his concerns. But, all of this comes as you have big questions about what Israel will be doing going forward when it relates to Rafah, as the U.S. has been trying to stress that they need to take great care to ensure the safety of civilians there.

WALKER: Yeah. So much uncertainty when it comes to the fate of the civilians. Arlette Saenz at the White House, thank you very much.

Now earlier, our Max Foster spoke to Scott Anderson, the director of UNRWA affairs in Gaza. UNRWA is the UN agency that works to support Palestinian refugees. He is currently in Gaza and he says people need a place to escape the fighting.

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SCOTT ANDERSON, DIRECTOR, UNRWA AFFAIRS IN GAZA: -- are concerns of 1.4 million people that have sought refuge from the violence in Rafah. People need to be given an opportunity to move away from conflict. If they aren't committed, the results will be catastrophic. The impact will be catastrophic to have a fight in such densely populated neighborhoods that exists throughout Rafah, where I sit and tell us all time, which is one of the neighborhoods further to the west. It's incredibly densely populated. You see tents and makeshift plastic structures everywhere. If an operation happened here at any scale, it's hard to predict the scale of death other than to say it would be catastrophic, and the impact would be catastrophic for people who sought safety here.

MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: The Americans have obviously warned against severe civilian casualties, given that warning to Israel. How much support you're getting from countries other than Israel in your work to making sure civilians are looked after?

ANDERSON: This is certainly a concern for everybody, I think, including Israel, that innocent civilians are not harmed in this conflict. We've heard very loudly from the United States, as you mentioned, but also many countries within the European Union as well as the Gulf states. So, anybody that's a donor here or is active here has the same concern as United Nations, and that is we want innocent civilians to be kept safe. We want children to be kept safe. And we continue to call on all parties to the conflict to ensure that civilians are safe and not impacted by ongoing hostilities.

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WALKER: Chinese President Xi Jinping is in France, kicking off his first visit to Europe in five years.

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In the last hour, Mr. Xi wrapped up a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission. She said they had an open and honest exchange. Later on Monday, he will be honored at a state dinner. Xi's six-day tour also include stops in Serbia and Hungary.

CNN's Anna Coren is live in Hong Kong with the latest. Hi there, Anna. So, what more have you learned about today's talks and how much did von der Leyen and Macron press Xi on Ukraine and of course his leverage over Russia?

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Amara, as you say, she wrapped up an hour- long meeting with the French President as well as the European Commission Chief, Von der Leyen is one of Xi's toughest critics, that took place at the Elysee Palace there in Paris. The Chinese leader's visit to France, his second state visit there in five years, it also coincides with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Now, top of the agenda is trade with the EU and of course, as you mentioned, the war in Ukraine, a war now in its third year that China is yet to condemn.

On the issue of trade, von der Leyen has called on the EU to de-risk its supply chains away from China and to probe the influx of Chinese electrical vehicles into Europe. Macron is also seeking protection from those cheaper products like EVs. And look, Xi, he has said he wants Chinese companies to invest in France. And there are reports that China will place an order with Airbus for around 50 planes. But, analysts, Amara, say that this visit is more than shoring up trade. It is part of China's strategy to really exploit differences inside Europe and that 27 country bloc. Germany, as we know, has a much softer stance on the EV probe.

But, overshadowing this visit, of course, the war in Ukraine. China's support for Russia's wartime economy. Macron and von der Leyen no doubt reiterated calls for China to stop exports to Russia of dual use and other technologies that are propping up Russia's war effort. Look, it's important to note, Amara, that Putin, Vladimir Putin is traveling to Beijing later this month. Macron will hold a bilateral with Xi in the coming hours. They will then hold a joint press conference before a state dinner. And then, after Paris, the two men will travel to the Pyrenees Mountains in the south of the country for some more personal one-on-one time. And then after France, Xi will then travel to Serbia and Hungary. That visit is seemed to be much less contentious, Amara.

WALKER: Of course, it is. Anna Coren, thank you so much. Good to see you.

Well, Donald Trump's hush money trial is due to resume in little more than an hour from now, and we are waiting to see who will take the stand next. Whoever it is, it will be hard to top the drama of Hope Hicks' testimony on Friday afternoon. Hicks, one of Trump's closest confidants during the 2016 election, provided a memorable moment when she testified that Trump told her about Michael Cohen making hush money payments. We are also awaiting word from the judge about whether Trump has again violated the gag order in the case. We're specifically talking about four other violations the prosecution is alleging. The judge held a hearing about that on Thursday.

Let's talk about where the trial goes from here. For that, I want to bring in Gene Rossi. He is a former federal prosecutor who tried more than 100 cases for the U.S. government. Gene, good morning. Good to see you. What are you watching for this week in terms of who may take the witness stand? As you know, the prosecution has been tight-lipped about their witness list because of Trump's alleged repeated violations of the gag order. Do you expect to hear or see Michael Cohen or Stormy Daniels or even Karen McDougal taking the stand this week?

GENE ROSSI, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR & LEGAL ANALYST: Well, let me answer the global question first off. The first two weeks, I think the prosecution, Amara, has done a really good job of connecting the dots and showing that there was a conspiracy. I think last week with Keith Davidson, whom I used to represent, and also Hope Hicks, those were two explosive witnesses that ended the week. So, I think they ended the week on a good note.

This week, I think the testimony, Amara, is going to be relatively boring and mundane compared to David Pecker, Hope Hicks, and Keith Davidson. You may see financial records introduced. You may see individuals explaining the invoices. I predict that you may see Karen McDougal, not Stormy Daniels, Karen McDougal at the end of this week to tee it up, and you might see Stormy Daniels.

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I think next week, Amara, you will probably see Michael Cohen. And in any trial, and you mentioned over 100 trials, I wish I had won everyone, but trial I've had, I'm always thinking about the final mosaic. What are you going to tell the jury? What are those tiles or the painting you're going to present to the jury? And that applies to both sides, the defense and prosecution. So, they have to think about what the jury is going to see in closing arguments. And this week could be Stormy. It could be Karen McDougal week. Michael Cohen, I think, will be on the stand next week. I could be wrong.

WALKER: Yeah.

ROSSI: I could be wrong.

WALKER: Yeah. It seems like there is so much publicity around Michael Cohen, because he is expected to be the prosecution's, I guess, main or star witness, however you want to portray that. But, he has been trashed by many of the witnesses that we've seen taking the stand. He is obviously not very well liked, especially from a credibility standpoint. I mean, do you think it's a good idea that the prosecution even calls him to the stand, considering that he does have a credibility issue? Will he be more of a liability, especially when the prosecution does have what they say is a paper trail and hard evidence to back up his claims?

ROSSI: Yeah, Amara. That's a great question. In this type of case, he is the (inaudible) of that conspiracy. He was there in August of 2015 when Pecker, Mr. Trump -- candidate Trump, and Cohen came up with this stool, this four-legged stool called the conspiracy. They have to call him. They have to call.

But, here is what I want to predict. Michael Cohen may benefit from the doctrine of low expectations. Everybody thinks he is a horrible human being, that he can't tell the truth from a lie. So, the expectations will be low. And the key will be his demeanor on the stand, and also whether the documents and other evidence will greatly corroborate what he says. So far, everything he has said outside the courtroom and in other settings has been corroborated by other witnesses. So, he is going to be a key witness. He has to be called. He has to be called.

WALKER: And so far, just to follow up on what you said earlier that this has been a good last several days for the prosecution, when it comes to Hope Hicks, it seemed like on Friday, last week, that she really gave -- she was good for both the prosecution and the defense because on one side she did present Trump to be this family man who was more concerned about protecting his family, as these allegations were about to come out, but she also indicated that Trump knew about the hush money payments. So, -- but it was a stronger case for the prosecution, you say?

ROSSI: Yes, Amara. I love witnesses like Hope Hicks. She has bias for Donald Trump. She loves him. She still loves him. She 00 now, I don't know if she has prejudice against the prosecution. But, she is a witness that is a prosecutor's dream, where it's a witness that loves the defendant and starts crying because she knows that her testimony is not helpful. And you hit the nail on the head. She establishes that Donald Trump was aware that Michael Cohen was making these payments, and she was aware that Donald Trump was reimbursing Michael Cohen with Donald Trump's own personal checks or his checks that he signed. That's very devastating.

The last point about Hope Hicks is she establishes that crazy timeline after the Access Hollywood tape came out, how they thought that they had hit an iceberg, it was the Titanic, and they thought that they were going down the tubes, and how much fear the campaign had if these stories came out.

And last point I want to make is this. The National Enquirer had the right to publish the Stormy Daniels story. That NDA was between Trump and Ms. Daniels. So, that the National Enquirer did not publish it is evidence that there was a conspiracy to protect Donald Trump from negative stories.

WALKER: Former federal prosecutor Gene Rossi, always a pleasure to have you. Thank you.

Still to come, anger is growing in Kenya over the government's response after catastrophic flooding left tens of thousands of people homeless and the worst may not be over yet. Then, the state of Texas is expected to get some relief after days of heavy rain and deadly flooding. We have the very latest in a live report.

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WALKER: In Kenya, the worst may be yet to come, after weeks of intensely heavy rainfall. Flash flooding has killed at least 228 people while dozens more are missing and tens of thousands have lost their homes. And more heavy rain is set to fall on already saturated ground and swollen rivers. Experts say two natural weather patterns along with global warming are to blame for the exceptional amount of rain.

CNN's Larry Madowo is joining me now live from Nairobi with the latest. Larry, it's quite a scene there still. What's the government doing about all the people who've been displaced, and what are you seeing and hearing from the people?

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, Amara, the government has set up more than 100 different sites for those who are displaced to shelter temporarily. They're in schools and churches and hospitals up and down the country, because a lot of those who are worst affected are often the poorest of society. But, what we're seeing is that this flooding has been the great equalizer for wealthy Kenyans and poor Kenyans alike. So, we're in the neighborhood of Nairobi, known as Runda. This is one of the most expensive neighborhoods here in the city. You see multimillion dollar mansions here, fancy restaurants and hotels, and even they have not been spared from that flooding.

In that compound over there, that water is higher than my height, and I'm 5.9. So, it's not small play. And that water is then heading over across this road here, which is -- technically, this road is closed. But, people are obviously not heeding that advice. They're all driving past it. And this is part of the danger here because people drive through flooded waters not knowing how deep it is, and sometimes they get swept away. Cars are getting swept away. Motorcycles are getting swept away. And a lot of people have been swept away when rivers and dams have burst their banks.

And this is happening because we've had almost two months now of continuous heavy rainfall. So, that's the effect in fancy, high-class high-end neighborhoods like this one in Runda, Nairobi, but also in poorer parts of the city, in informal settlements, so-called slums, and really up and down the country, Amara.

WALKER: And the rain isn't over yet. Right? What's the expectation, and how are people able to prepare at least when it comes to the damage to the crops and the food supply?

MADOWO: That's going to be one of the problems, because this will lead to a food security crisis. A lot of the farms have been swept away. Everything in farms that we've seen completely flattened. The rain is still coming. President William Ruto has told the nation that the forecast expects more heavy rainfall this month, probably into June. The Kenya Met Department has been forecasting enhanced rainfall for some time, part of this so-called El Nino weather phenomenon, and that is what we're seeing here.

So, not only can people not go to school, in fact, schools have been -- the reopening of public schools nationwide have been postponed indefinitely, people cannot find -- people cannot go to work, especially those day laborers that depend on going to work every day to make a living.

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Then there is the other bigger problem of waterborne diseases. If people are near places like these that are flooded, the likelihood of any waterborne diseases becomes very high. So, it's a multiplier effect when you see many problems that could come from somebody's neighborhood that look like this, Amara.

WALKER: Just such a difficult situation. Larry Madowo, thank you so much for being there and keeping us posted.

In the United States, historic flooding in Texas has turned deadly. The body of a four-year-old boy was recovered near Fort Worth Sunday. Search and rescue teams are now patrolling the streets in areas inundated by the heavy rain. Hundreds of people have already been rescued. Some parts of the state have had two months' worth of rain in just five days. But, conditions are improving just a bit today with only scattered showers in the forecast.

CNN's Rosa Flores joining me now live in Harris County, Texas, with more horrible story about this little boy. Do you know what happened?

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is just such a tragedy. The mom of that child spoke to NBC DFW and she says that her son's name is Lucas Warren, and that he is four-years-old, and that the family, mom, dad and the son, were driving home in a storm through a road that normally floods. Now, this woman says that there was no barricade blocking traffic, blocking people from driving on this road, but that it was flooded and that they drove through this road. Eventually, the battery in their vehicle died. Water started going into the vehicle. So, this couple decided to get out of the vehicle, and that this mom treaded water with her son for a while and then she told NBC DFW quote, "A current came up real high, and he just let go, and I didn't hear anything from him. I think he just went under."

Now, she says that rescuers arrived just moments later, but it was obviously too late. Her son's body was recovered later. And she says that the little boy was expected to celebrate his birthday. Just weeks from now, he was going to be five-years-old, and he described -- she described her son as just being bright and sweet. We've reached out to the Johnson County Emergency Management asking about why this road did not have a barricade. We have not heard back.

But, Amara, that happened in the Dallas area. I'm in Harris County near Houston, and it's the same storm system that is impacting this giant area in the state of Texas. Now, I hopped onto an airboat with the Harris County Sheriff's Office yesterday, and we have video of this. And take a look, and I want you to specifically take a look at the water levels, because I'm going to reference them in just a moment. You can see that the stop signs are at eye level. The water is very high. This is in the evacuation zone in Harris County.

And this team of first responders had gone door-to-door, asking people to evacuate. They wanted to rescue people from this area. And some of those residents did not want to be rescued, and that's what first responders said is one of the most difficult things for them when they're in these life-threatening situations, when they're risking their lives to save others, and they stretch their arms to someone to take them to safety to higher ground, and the individual says, no. Despite all that, because a lot of people did not want to evacuate, this team evacuated nearly 100 people and their pets. Take a listen.

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LT. DAVID JASPER, HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: They did one rescue and the guy handed us a box with a litter of puppies in it, and then an ice cooler that was full of kittens. And I mean, I guess their -- well, not I guess, I know that their pets are like family members to them.

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FLORES: And Amara, just to give you a sense of how quickly water recedes here in this area, that video that we just saw with the high water levels, my team and I were in that airboat with that team, it's the same area where I'm standing right now. Yes, you can see some ponding in the background. But, we were on an airboat less than 24 hours ago in this area. And that just gives you a sense, Amara, of how quickly the water recedes. But, it's also how quickly the water rises, and that's what makes it so difficult in flash flooding conditions. And when meteorologists and officials warn people not to drive through flooded waters because the water can rise very quickly, that's exactly what they mean. The water can rise very quickly. It can recede very quickly as well.

WALKER: Yeah. Dramatically different conditions that you're showing us. Right?

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You were just on an airboat and now you're standing right in the same spot. Rosa Flores, really just remarkable reporting there. Thank you so much for that.

Still to come, where will people go? That is the question Palestinians are asking as Israel orders an evacuation from parts of Rafah. We will have a live report. And we will go back to the courthouse in Manhattan where everyone is wondering who the next witness will be in Donald Trump's hush money trial.

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WALKER: All right. More now to our top story. It appears a long- anticipated ground offensive into Rafah is imminent. The Israeli military is dropping leaflets, urging people in parts of eastern Rafah to evacuate immediately. The orders could impact around 100,000 out of the more than one million people seeking refuge in Rafah. Many Palestinians are already fleeing the area. UNICEF says around 600,000 children sheltering in Rafah could face further catastrophe. This as Israel marks the annual Holocaust Memorial Day. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced international criticism of the Israeli military campaign in his speech at the event.

Let's bring in CNN's Jeremy Diamond, who is joining us now live from Jerusalem. Jeremy, many of the Palestinians in Rafah have been displaced four or five times, and they keep asking, where can they go?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. And there is no doubt that there is a sense of just absolute fatigue from those people who have been displaced multiple times, and now also fear and anxiety spreading in that city of Rafah, where more than a million people are currently living, many of them displaced from elsewhere in the Gaza Strip. And while we started to see thousands of evacuation leaflets, phone calls, text messages hitting people in eastern Rafah where about 100,000 people are, there is no question that that fear is spreading much beyond that area in eastern Rafah to other parts of the city. And you're starting to see individuals leaving by the thousands, not only from eastern Rafah, but also beginning to leave from other parts of that very same city.

The Israeli military says that it began dropping leaflets as part of a quote, "limited scale operation". That is what they are calling it. But, there is no question that this is setting the stage for a major Israeli ground offensive into that southernmost city in Gaza. The Israeli Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, telling troops to prepare for quote, "intense action in Rafah." And so, we are beginning to see all of these people starting to leave that city. It's not clear exactly how long they will have to evacuate before Israeli troops and tanks start moving into that city of Rafah.

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But, what we do know is that there are questions, major questions about exactly what the conditions will be in the areas where they are being told to leave to. The Israeli military says that they have expanded a humanitarian zone in Al-Muwasi, just north of Rafah, as well as in western Khan Younis. They say that they have fixed a major -- main water line there. They are bringing in additional tents, food and water, medicine, setting up field hospitals, but they have not given us specific numbers at this point. And humanitarian aid officials are warning that the conditions there are simply not sufficient for the number of people who will be flooding in, particularly if that sense of panic spreads further throughout the city of Rafah, and those humanitarian zones may simply become overwhelmed.

Amid all of this, we are told that the negotiations between Israel and Hamas have stalled at this point, but the talks are not dead altogether. Two Israeli sources telling me that the main sticking point at this moment is an end to the war in Gaza, with Hamas insisting on Israel committing to end the war as part of the ceasefire negotiations, while the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that simply will not happen as part of these talks.

WALKER: Jeremy Diamond, thank you.

In just one hour from now, Donald Trump's hush money trial will begin week three of testimony. We still don't know who will be called to the stand today. The prosecution is not required to reveal the order of its witnesses, and they've been holding close to their chest because of fear that Trump or his surrogates may attack these witnesses in public. Friday's court session concluded with dramatic testimony from one of the people closest to Donald Trump during the run up to the 2016 election, his press secretary and close confidant Hope Hicks.

With more on that, let's bring in CNN's Brynn Gingras. Hi there, Brynn. You're outside the courthouse. Let's start where the trial left off on Friday with pretty emotional testimony from Hope Hicks.

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. She was very emotional. She didn't want to be there, you could tell. She was there under subpoena. She said she hadn't spoken to her former boss in two years. At one point during her testimony, she actually cried and how to get off the witness stand and take a moment to break because she just was overwhelmed with emotion.

But, there was a lot of dramatic testimony. And it's clear that prosecutors are really trying to inch closer with their line-up of people taking the stand to what is at the heart of this case, which is trying to prove that Donald Trump knowingly knew about these hush money payments in 2016 to Stormy Daniels, and he did it to make -- to basically interfere with the election. And Hope Hicks connected a little bit of those dots for the prosecution. She said that when The Wall Street Journal article came out in 2018, so after the election, that discussed the payments to Stormy Daniels, she said that Trump essentially admitted that he knew about that after the fact, and said it was better that they had -- that article had come out then, then closer to the 2020 election. So, that was just a little bit of help there for the prosecution.

Another thing that she brought up was how Michael Cohen didn't do really anything without -- in regards to a payment without Trump's blessing, and saying he really wouldn't do something out of the kindness of his own heart. And also for the defense, though, they also had some moments with her as well. It was clear that they were going to continue attacking Michael Cohen, who we know is supposed to be one of the star witnesses here for the prosecution. Hope Hicks talked about how he would go rogue on the campaign and sort of insert himself. It was more frustrating than anything as a person to the Trump campaign in 2016.

And also, she talked about Trump being a family man and kind of bringing up this notion that it's possible the former President didn't want anyone to know about any payments or anything because he didn't want his family to be embarrassed, and it had nothing to do with the election. So, there were some sort of points scored, if you will, on both sides when it came to Hope Hicks, but she was certainly one of the most key people to take the stand thus far for the prosecution. And like you said, Amara, we are not sure who is coming up next. Obviously, there are some big names that are on the roster. They're Stormy Daniels, Karen McDougal, Michael Cohen, of course. So, we'll have to see once court picks up at 9:30 today.

WALKER: All right. You'll be watching closely, I'm sure. CNN's Brynn Gingras outside the courthouse in Lower Manhattan. Great to see you. Thanks so much, Brynn.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson faces a major leadership test this week. With the House returning to session in just a few hours, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has her first opportunity to move forward with a motion to vacate, basically to oust him as the Speaker of the house. Greene announced last week that she would force a vote to oust Johnson in the coming days, though house Democratic leaders have said they would kill the motion and save Johnson's job.

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CNN's Congressional Correspondent Lauren Fox is live in Washington. This week is pivotal for Johnson, right, Lauren, because even though the vote is expected to fail, the support from the Democrats will likely open up even more criticism from the far right. What's the potential impact of that?

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. There is a reason, Amara, that Marjorie Taylor Greene wants to take this step. She claims that she wants to put Republican members on the record, and she wants to prove that if Johnson is able to continue winning the majority in the November elections, that he won't have the support that he needs to be the Speaker again, Thomas Massie put it in his words, is really displaying that Johnson would be a lame duck Speaker in the months ahead. But, as you noted, we know how this is expected to end. Democrats are

going to help table this motion to vacate, essentially killing it. Putting it to the side. But, the question becomes then, what does this mean for Johnson's future? He has already worked with Democrats on a couple of key issues, and that is part of the reason that so many Democrats feel this goodwill toward the Speaker, despite the fact that they really do disagree on many key issues, and that they are on opposite sides going into this November election. But, he helped support government funding so that the government didn't shut down. He also finally pushed through additional funding for Ukraine, something that Democrats had been pushing him toward and some Republicans in the Senate for months. So, there is some goodwill here for Speaker Johnson among Democrats.

I think another key question is going to be, does Marjorie Taylor Greene continue to try to oust the Speaker? Does she bring this motion to vacate forward, not just this week, but perhaps in the future? She has not ruled out doing that. And Democrats haven't said what they would do if there are multiple episodes of this in the weeks ahead. Meanwhile, this is obviously dividing the Republican Party. There is just a small number of members that we expect would support this. Right now, there are only three Republicans who have publicly said that they will back this motion to vacate, including Marjorie Taylor Greene.

So, there becomes sort of this bigger intra-party fight that is brewing right now heading into the election, as Republicans who are opposed to this say that all Marjorie Taylor Greene is doing is really sowing more chaos, when they should be unifying to try to take back the Senate going into November.

WALKER: Lauren, what about on the Democratic side in terms of the strategy? Why not just let the Republicans fight it out, oust Johnson and let the chaos ensue just months before the 2024 election?

FOX: Yeah. I think a lot of Democrats who are supporting this effort to table the motion to vacate would argue that chaos isn't good for Congress. It's not good for the country. They want to show and prove to voters that they are doing the responsible thing, keeping Republicans from jumping off the edge of that chaos that we did see in October. It's not as though we haven't seen a Speaker's fight before. Remember, Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted just a few months ago, and it took three weeks to get a new Speaker. And in that time, the October 7 attack happened, and Congress was unable to do anything, because without a Speaker, they can't legislate. They can't pass any new laws. They can't even pass a resolution vowing support for Israel in the wake of that October 7 attack because they had no Speaker.

I think there is concern about in an era of geopolitical uncertainty casting Congress back into that place. Amara.

WALKER: Lauren Fox, appreciate you. Thank you so much.

Anger boils over during a weekend of protests in the southern U.S. What the woman at the center of the incident told CNN about what happened? (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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WALKER: Universities across the U.S. held graduation ceremonies this weekend amid more arrests of pro-Palestinian protesters. The University of Southern California has reopened its main campus to students and faculty members after weeks of demonstrations. But, USC says valid IDs are required to get on campus.

Meanwhile, Chicago police were called into DePaul University on Sunday after the school said protests escalated beyond their control. The university advised anyone on campus to stay indoors. CNN has reached out to the Chicago Police Department for more information.

And the University of Mississippi has opened an investigation after a video went viral on social media, showing a confrontation between a black student and counter protesters. University officials say the incident include a quote "racist overtones".

CNN's Rafael Romo has the details.

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RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There are multiple videos circulating online showing the protests at the University of Mississippi and Oxford. But, there is one video in particular that has gone viral and is at the center of the controversy. Before I show you the video, we need to warn our viewers that it may be offensive to many people.

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As you can see, the video shows a group of mostly young white men in the counter-protests yelling out a black woman. At least one counter- protester is seen on video and appears to be making gestures at the woman. We now know who the woman in the video is. Her name is Jalen R. Smith, and she is 24-years-old. She confirmed to my colleague Dianne Gallagher that she is the woman seen in the video. Smith said that during the protest, pro-Palestinian demonstrators were kept in an enclosure which police said was for their safety. She also said that she briefly stepped out of the enclosure to go live on social media and that's when the confrontation took place. CNN has made efforts but has not identified any of the counter-protesters seen in the video.

We have also learned that the University of Mississippi has opened an investigation into student conduct but they didn't say who or what they were specifically investigating. In the letter, Chancellor Glenn Boyce says university officials are aware that some statements were made that were offensive, hurtful and unacceptable, including actions that conveyed hostility and racist overtones.

Smith tells CNN she said some insults back to the counter-protesters but adds the following quote, "People calling me fat or Lizzo - didn't hurt my feelings because I know what I am. I am so confident in my Blackness. I am so confident in my size, in the way that I wear my hair, and who I am. They do not bother me. If anything, I feel pity for them for how stupidly they acted."

The controversy took another turn when U.S. Representative Mike Collins, a Republican representing parts of Georgia, shared the viral video on X the following day, saying Ole Miss taking care of business. CNN has reached out to Collins' office but there hasn't been an answer so far. And then on Saturday, Congressman Collins tweet prompted the NAACP to send a letter to congressional leadership asking for an investigation into Collins' conduct. In part, the letter says the following. "These actions conducted by a member of the House of Representatives, regardless of intent, legitimize and propagate racism and undermine the principles of equality and justice that our government is sworn to uphold."

Some of our viewers may remember that the University of Mississippi has a long history of racial incidents, including the deadly riots that broke out there in 1962 when James Meredith became the first black student to enrol at the school.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

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WALKER: All right. Still to come, Australia's most vulnerable resources are bearing the brunt of climate change. We'll show you how the country and some koalas are coping.

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WALKER: London echoed to the sound of artillery earlier, as the city marked a year since King Charles's coronation.

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That was the Royal Fun Salute in Green Park near Buckingham Palace to mark the anniversary. The king returned to public duties last week following a period of recuperation, two months after revealing he was being treated for cancer.

Australia is a country under siege, both on land and under the sea. Fires and floods are destroying homes and habitats, while the Great Barrier Reef is being cooked literally by warming water.

Senior International Correspondent Ivan Watson embarked on a journey across the country.

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IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This was a once- in-a-career kind of assignment and a chance to go all the way to Australia to explore this spectacular country. And along the way, I actually did get to cuddle a koala.

WATSON (voice-over): The small team at this wildlife center helps raise some of these orphaned animals by hand, including Pearl, who seems pretty fond of humans.

WATSON: It is a little bit like holding a child but pretty fuzzy. And the other part about this is the fur really is soft.

WATSON (voice-over): There are a few things sweeter than cuddling a koala. My teammates couldn't wait for their turn.

WATSON: Well, that's cute.

WATSON (voice-over): But then we learned the real reason Pearl is here.

WATSON: So, the real reason that Pearl was at this sanctuary was because she was burned as a young Joey in the 2020 Black Summer fires. These were horrific forest fires across long stretches of Australia. And on that particular island where I was, Kangaroo Island, half of the island was burned down. More than half of the koala population was killed. And this one koala, fortunately, survived. What I saw in Australia was that this country, this continent is very much on the frontlines of climate change, where scientist residents are saying that the cycle of fires and floods are getting more unpredictable and more extreme.

On top of that, I got a good look with my team at the Great Barrier Reef, this sprawling marine habitat that's the size of Italy, where we saw the beginnings of a mass bleaching event that was later confirmed by the Australian government, where record-high ocean temperatures are quite literally cooking coral and killing it. It's part of a planet- wide phenomenon that's been witnessed over the course of the last year. So, all of these changes that are impacting Australia are not only devastating natural habitats, but they're also impacting cities and towns and even prompting some Australians to consider leaving some of these more vulnerable communities.

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WALKER: And that was Ivan Watson reporting. Ivan, thank you.

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NASA says two of its astronauts are about to make history as the first pilots to fly a Boeing Starliner to the International Space Station. The Starliner spacecraft has taken two unmanned test flights to the ISS before. Boeing is making on this mission being a success. The company is dealing with several controversies with its airplanes after some deadly crashes and other high-profile incidents. The launch is scheduled for just after 10:30 p.m. Eastern.

And it's almost time for the world's most famous night in fashion. On Monday, the steps of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art will host a bevy of A-listers, hitting the red carpet in their most eye-popping ensembles for the Met Gala. Of course, this year's theme is the "The Garden of Time". And the co-chairs for the event include stars Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez and Bad Bunny.

That is our time. Thank you so much for being with me here on CNN Newsroom. I'm Amara Walker. Connect the World with Lynda Kinkade is up next.

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